Against the Current - Chapter 111

Chapter 111 - Aftermath 

Shuangxi and Jixi shrank their necks and hastily replied, "Rest assured, First Young Master, your servants will go investigate right away, right away." Lin Jinlou turned and left. We will temporarily set aside how the two of them went off separately to find human traffickers for the investigation.

Now, having changed his clothes, Lin Jinlou went straight to Lin Zhaoxiang's rooms and had the maid invite Lin Changzheng over. He recounted the ins and outs of today's events at Ganlu Temple, omitting the part about finding the crown prince and setting up a trap, and only mentioning that Zhao Xuede had invited him along to hunt down rebels, during which he unexpectedly ran into Zhao Yuechan having an illicit affair with a fake monk.

Even a worldly man like Lin Zhaoxiang, accustomed to wind and waves, couldn't help being struck dumb. It took him a long time to recover his wits, and he lowered his head in silence, drawing a couple of puffs from his water pipe. Lin Changzheng angrily said, "A divorce like this makes it far too easy for that cheap woman!"

Lin Jinlou sneered. "What else could be done? Who told her to have a good grandfather?"

Lin Changzheng opened his mouth, then swallowed back what he was about to say. Zhao Yuechan's grandfather indeed served as the senior grand secretary of the Grand Secretariat and was currently presiding over the compilation of books in the Wenyuan Hall, enjoying immense imperial favor. Though the Lin family now possessed wealth, they had previously leaned toward the crown prince and were thus a target of the emperor's suspicion, falling short of rising new factions as hot and influential as the Zhao family.

Coughing twice, Lin Zhaoxiang said, "Since this kind of matter has already blown up, a divorce is giving the Zhao family face. How should we handle things from here on out?"

Lin Jinlou said, "I've already discussed it with Zhao Xuede. The matter of the divorce from Zhao Yuechan will be kept quiet for now, and the news will be slowly leaked out after a year or two. The Zhao family will be sending people over in the next couple of days to first cart back Zhao Yuechan's dowry."

Lin Zhaoxiang slowly nodded, spoke a few more words to his son and grandson, and said to Lin Changzheng, "You head back first. Tell your eldest daughter-in-law to get the inventory list of the Zhao family's dowry, check and itemize everything, and hand it back over whenever the Zhao family's people arrive. Even if it means the family takes a slight loss, we must handle it cleanly and briskly." Lin Changzheng acknowledged the order.

Waving his hand, Lin Zhaoxiang said, "All right, you may go. Lou'er and I still have things to discuss."

Lin Changzheng withdrew. Lin Zhaoxiang's face darkened as he sternly commanded, "Get down on your knees!"

Lin Jinlou was startled, feeling completely baffled, yet he still obediently dropped to his knees.

Lin Zhaoxiang sneered. "You've really grown capable! How many times have I told you to endure a bit longer with the Zhao woman—at most a year or two—and then let her scram. But look at you; using god knows what kind of underhanded scheme to trick Zhao Xuede into going with you to catch her in adultery, and then arbitrarily taking it upon yourself to cast her aside! You made such a massive commotion. You might pull wool over your father's eyes, but you can't fool me!"

Lin Jinlou forced a smile. "With Grandfather's eyes like torches, naturally your grandson couldn't hide it from you."

Lin Zhaoxiang raged, "Bullshit! Do you think winning a few military battles means your wings have grown stiff? You've botched it through cleverness; you're utterly unfit for major responsibilities!"

Seeing Lin Zhaoxiang flushed red with anger, Lin Jinlou hastily stepped forward to rub his chest and smooth his breath, saying, "Grandfather, calm your anger. Don't ruin your health over a worthless dog like me. If you're furious enough, just beat me a couple of times to vent." With that, he leaned closer to let Lin Zhaoxiang hit him.

Lin Zhaoxiang slowly exhaled a breath and said, "What kind of trash is that Zhao woman? Don't I know? If it were back during the former emperor's reign, let alone one Zhao family, we wouldn't have cared about ten Zhao families. But now that we've endured for so long, what difference would it make to hold out a little longer?"

Lowering his head, Lin Jinlou said, "Grandfather doesn't understand. Back then, it was Zhao Yuechan who instigated someone to rape and murder Furong. By the time I arrived, Furong had already been dead for a long time, lying naked in the snow. She died so miserably, she didn't even close her eyes... And then there was Qinglan, whose unborn child and life were both destroyed, not to mention her shameless licentiousness and plundering of the family's wealth... She was like a blade slicing at my lungs and heart day after day. I..."

Lin Zhaoxiang glared at him. "So what? As the saying goes, 'A gentleman takes ten years to exact his revenge.' You hadn't even reached the ten-year mark, yet you couldn't control your impatience! In recent years, the emperor's health has visibly weakened, and he is looking to establish a crown prince. Zhao Jin has been jumping up and down in support of the First Prince, provoking the dissatisfaction of the Second Prince. Coupled with his high-minded, outspoken nature, overly caustic speech, and self-importance, he has already offended a batch of court officials. After all, they are a clan with shallow foundations and tall trees catch the wind; at most, they'll flourish for another year or two before the Zhao family declines from what it used to be. By then, the family could casually report that the Zhao woman died suddenly of illness and dispose of her. Her maternal family would already be overwhelmed and unable to save themselves; who would still care about her? And now look at you. Although you've shaken off the Zhao woman, it's bound to stir up gossip, and my old face is practically thrown away!"

Lin Jinlou smiled. "If anyone's losing face, it's your grandson. My reputation is already shot anyway, so I'm not afraid of a bit more gossip." He lowered his head again. "Grandfather's scolding is right. I was far too impatient."

Lin Zhaoxiang's expression softened somewhat as he patted Lin Jinlou's arm. "You must learn to endure. A hundred instances of forbearance lead to gold. My whole life has relied on the single word 'forbearance' to plan before acting, and that is how the Lin family has preserved its present wealth. All those who couldn't endure back then have declined—just like Shen Wenhan, who held his bones too rigidly and ultimately died without a burial place."

Lin Jinlou knelt on the ground with his hands lowered, listening to the lecture.

Lin Zhaoxiang continued, "Gather in your fiery temper, spend more time cultivating your mind and nourishing your spirit, and stop going out to drink and carouse. Once the rumors of the divorce die down, I will personally see to it and select a high-born, virtuous lady for you as a wife. You are not to mess around anymore."

Lin Jinlou nodded in assent.

Looking at his broad shoulders and straight back, Lin Zhaoxiang suddenly recalled Lin Jinlou's childhood—that tiger-headed, spirited little boy who, whenever he caused trouble, would kneel just as properly before him to listen to a lecture. His heart involuntarily softened. He pinned high hopes on Lin Jinlou. This boy had been unruly and unmanageable since childhood, yet he was exceptionally clever, resolute, and decisive; he was cruel to others, but even crueler to himself. He had grown up surrounded by silk and delicacies, yet through the bitter depths of winter and the sweltering heat of summer, he practiced martial arts, enduring countless hardships in the military. Moreover, he possessed deep cunning. Had he been willing to enter officialdom as a civil servant, he undoubtedly would have accomplished great things.

Even Lin Zhaoxiang had to admit that among all his children and grandchildren, only Lin Jinlou's temperament resembled his own the most. His eldest son, Lin Changzheng, was upright and proper, but lacked nimbleness and tact; his second son, Lin Changmin, was a good-for-nothing who couldn't be propped up. Among the remaining grandsons, Lin Jinxian was a medicine bottle, Lin Jin ting preferred chanting poetry and admiring the moon rather than studying properly, and Jinyuan was still too young. Though there were a few promising talents among the clan's younger generation, none possessed Lin Jinlou's combination of courage and strategy.

Lin Zhaoxiang suddenly asked, "How have matters in the military been handled? How are the families of the fallen soldiers being appeased? Will we need to recruit new soldiers?"

Lin Jinlou was startled, not expecting Lin Zhaoxiang to ask about this, and honestly replied, "The silver for the soldiers' families has already been distributed. We'll recruit some new soldiers when spring comes next year. It's just that some bastards keep casting their eyes on the Lin Family Army, insisting on reorganizing this branch into a regular army under the pretty-sounding pretext that the imperial court will allocate military provisions. My ass! The moment I fold these men into the regular ranks, some son of a bitch will have this army transferred away. I'm not going to play that foolish game. Besides, my troops are secretly receiving provisions anyway; no one is going to intercept them. I know what I'm doing, so Grandfather doesn't need to worry."

"I don't need to worry? I don't want to worry, but Commander Yu came carrying gifts to pay a visit, drank a few cups of tea, and said you are disobedient and are privately raising an army. You refuse to incorporate into the proper regular forces, preferring to let this army operate under the guise of 'inspecting salt,' and said your crime could be big or small. Today you put on a play of 'catching an adulterer,' and tomorrow you'll put on a play of 'staging a rebellion.' Can this old frame of mine withstand that kind of tossing?"

"Hehehe, how could that be? Your eldest grandson is so capable! It's just a tiny little matter like this; later on, I'll go offer some tribute to Commander Yu, and it's guaranteed to be smoothed over."

"Stop giving me that cheeky grin! Your father can't control you, but don't think you can just flip the heavens over—I'm still breathing! Stop causing trouble and courting death. I heard you've been keeping another woman outside. Having a favorite or two to fool around with in a brothel is one thing, but buying a residence to keep a woman outside is not to be brought home. If dirty and stinking things can all wander in, where will family rules and family traditions go?"

"Oh..."

"Oh, what oh? Did you hear me clearly?"

"Heard it clearly..."

We will temporarily set aside Lin Jinlou being lectured and admonished by Lin Zhaoxiang.

Now, the next day, the Zhao family sent people over to quietly cart away Zhao Yuechan's dowry, taking back all the maids, matrons, and others who had accompanied her from her maternal family. A few more days passed, and rumors began to circulate that the Lin family's eldest young mistress had stolen a man at Ganlu Temple and been caught in the act by her husband. But right on the heels of that came another rumor: that on that day at Ganlu Temple, Lin Jinlou had actually gone to apprehend high-profile criminals of the imperial court and had inadvertently run into a monk soliciting prostitutes and breaking monastic precepts. The stories varied endlessly. When the New Year arrived, Zhao Yuechan fell ill again and was unable to come out to receive guests, which once more set tongues wagging.

Later on, some fishermen fished a sack out of the river containing the naked corpse of a bald man, which had been soaked beyond recognition. A kind-hearted soul raised a few coins, rolled the body up in a tattered mat, and buried it in the potter's field. Hao Qing's wife had waited a long time for him in vain, and while she was still young, she took the remainder of the Hao family's farmland and remarried a cloth merchant; her son also followed his mother to remarry into the new household. Because Hao Qing had indulged in licentiousness and seduced another man's wife, he met a miserable end, while his originally prosperous family business, wife, and son all fell into the hands of others—which could be considered a fitting retribution.

Yet there was one fish that slipped through the net. On that day, Qian Wenze had originally been at Ganlu Temple as well, but later went out to buy wine and food. Upon returning and seeing government soldiers surrounding Ganlu Temple, he knew things were bad, oiled the soles of his feet, and slipped away. He went home to pack his bags, bade farewell to his wife and children, and went into hiding. But the Zhao family was no soft touch; seeing that Zhao Yuechan had lost her morals and behaved despicably under Qian Wenze's enticement, even getting cast off by the Lin family, they naturally could not swallow this grievance. Zhao Xuede fabricated several charges to convict Qian Wenze, and since he could not find the man himself, he had all of Qian Wenze's property confiscated for the state. Qian's wife took her children and fled to her maternal family, leaving the elderly mother with no one to support her, relying solely on neighbors' charity to barely scrape by through the days.

To cut a long story short.

Now, Xianglan had returned to the Song family, locking her doors and staying out of sight for several days. Seeing that no one came knocking, she thought to herself, "With beauties crowding around Lin Jinlou like clouds, how could he possibly still care about me?" Her heart gradually settled. On the morning of New Year's Eve, after inspecting the Song household inside and out, she bid farewell to the housekeeper left to watch the home, hired a carriage, and hurried back home to have New Year's Eve dinner with the Chen couple. Just as she arrived at the doorway of her home, she spotted a tall, fine horse standing outside.