Against the Current - Chapter 157

Chapter 157 - Welcome Banquet 

Nurse Wu took a small sip of tea and smiled. "Although you've lost weight, your complexion is still quite good, and the outfit you're wearing is lovely too. At your age, you ought to wear bright, vibrant colors. I brought you some treats; even though Zhixin Lodge isn't lacking in such things, it's at least a token of my affection for you to nibble on as a snack when you have idle time."

Xianglan replied, "You're always thinking of me, Nurse. It leaves me quite at a loss for how to thank you."

Moving a bit closer to Xianglan, Nurse Wu took her hand and smiled broadly. "I've brought even better news this time... I've come to offer you my congratulations."

Taken aback, Xianglan instantly blushed crimson and pulled her hand back.

Nurse Wu continued, "Good child, now that you've entered Zhixin Lodge and belong to the eldest master, you must go pay your respects to the Old Madam and the Mistress so they can formally acknowledge you. For some reason, the Mistress previously had the notion that there was something wrong with you and refused to see you, which worried me no end. Who would have thought that she suddenly relented these past few days and said she wants you to go over and kowtow? My word, this is a blessing of monumental proportions! I've watched the eldest master grow up from childhood; his temper might be a bit rough around the edges, but he is a man of honor who takes responsibility. I've kept a sharp eye on all the young maids in this entire estate on his behalf, hoping to find someone reliable, but those I found were either not pretty enough, had poor dispositions, or were simply dull-witted—none of them ever measured up completely. But the moment you arrived, I saw that not only are your looks and temperament flawless, even your manners in handling affairs and conducting yourself are entirely dignified. Looking at you is simply a pleasure, and you're a hundred times better than those seductive, sycophantic hussies! As it happens, the eldest master is deeply fond of you as well, making this a truly perfect match. Unlike a maidservant like Luan'er, once you go kowtow to the Mistress, you'll undoubtedly be elevated straight to a concubine. With a grand, festive banquet held to carry you into the household in style, it will also give those vicious gossiping hags who run their mouths every single day a good, long look!"

With her head lowered for a long moment, Xianglan finally spoke. "I am deeply grateful for your kind intentions, Nurse, but might I beg the Mistress to let me leave?"

Shocked, Nurse Wu blurted out, "Oh, my dear child, how can you utter such words? You're unwilling to stay by the eldest master's side? That would make you a truly foolish girl indeed. This... this is to become a proper mistress of the household!"

Xianglan countered, "What good is being a mistress? It still means sitting a half-step lower than others. Look at the tragic precedent set by Concubine Lan—didn't she die just like that when they wanted her dead? Nurse, you may not be clear on how I was brought into this place in the first place... I am entirely unwilling of my own accord."

Nurse Wu urged soothingly, "Good girl, are you perhaps still frightened by that wretched woman Zhao Yuechan? Rest assured, now that the eldest master is taking you again, he will surely choose a gentle-natured wife who is capable of accommodating others."

With a cold laugh, Xianglan retorted, "You all assume that the eldest master choosing me is granting me a supreme honor, but I haven't even properly evaluated him yet!" Turning to Nurse Wu, she continued, "Nurse, I know you treat me well, and I will hold this affection in my heart for a long time to come. Yet as for this face-saving gesture bestowed by the Mistress, I disdain to accept it. I reckon I owe the Mistress nothing; when I stand tall and hold my head high, who is a single inch shorter than anyone else? It's simply that her power is great, but I, Chen Xianglan, have never harbored any desire to crawl and curry favor with her."

Flabbergasted, Nurse Wu rushed over to clap a hand over Xianglan's mouth, hissing, "Such reckless talk will invite a beating if it gets out!"

Lowering her voice, Xianglan murmured, "I know. Nurse, you're not an outsider, which is why I'm speaking my true heart. No matter how magnificent the Lin family estate is, in my eyes it's no different from a prison. All I want is to get out..."

Inwardly astonished, Nurse Wu thought to herself, I shouldn't have brought this matter up with her. Later on, I'll go speak directly to the eldest master about the Mistress letting Xianglan come kowtow. Deciding to shift to other topics for the time being, she set the subject aside.

Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou had changed into fresh attire and gone to pay his respects to his elders. After emerging from Lin Zhaoxiang's quarters, he was subjected to an endless round of affectionate inquiries and warm solicitations by Old Madam Lin and Qin Shi, finally returning close to midday. Lianxin reported, "The eldest master's friends have already arrived and been escorted to the front courtyard's floral parlor. Third Young Master is already over there entertaining them."

Changing into a fresh set of clothes once more, Lin Jinlou headed toward the front. The floral parlor was lively and bustling; the Eight Immortals table was laden with various teas, pastries, and dishes, while a troupe of young musicians plucking strings and singing operatic tunes performed with shrill, melodic voices. Sitting around the table were Xie Yu, son of the Vice Minister of War; Liu Xiaochuan, grandson of the valiant general; and Chu Dapeng, son of the Minister of Punishments. Lin Jinting was chatting animatedly with them.

Spotting Lin Jinlou stepping into the room, Liu Xiaochuan immediately slapped the table, let out a sharp whistle, and crowed, "Look who it is—the Emperor's absolute favorite is here! Hurry up, form ranks and welcome him."

Turning around, the company stood up in unison and offered cupped-fist salutes. Having all known each other well, Lin Jinlou took his seat, and a pageboy immediately stepped forward to pour him wine. Chu Dapeng chuckled, "Word has it that you've racked up yet another military merit, brother. It looks like a promotion to a senior third-rank post right after the Mid-Autumn Festival is a sure thing for you."

Shaking his head with a laugh, Lin Jinlou replied, "Senior third-rank, my foot—that's still a pipe dream. I gave that turtle's spawn Sun Lifan a thorough thrashing; I'll be chanting praises to the Buddha if those pedantic scholars don't use this incident to impeach me and strip my rank."

Holding his wine cup aloft, Xie Yu remarked, "Even if you were demoted, they'd have to promote you back up within two or three months. Who doesn't know you're the Emperor's favored man? Sun Lifan is worth squat; he only managed to claw his way up because he presented his fairy-like daughter to the Second Prince as a concubine."

Liu Xiaochuan chimed in, "This suppression of the Japanese pirates sounds like a magnificent posting. Next time, take your brother here along to have a look!"

Xie Yu snickered. "You? You haven't even set foot on a battlefield a handful of times before you'd probably wet your pants. Once the Mid-Autumn Festival passes, you'd better honestly return to the capital and serve as your Dragon Guard Imperial Guardsman."

Sticking his neck out, Liu Xiaochuan retorted, "What's wrong with me? Young master here just hasn't caught the right opportunity yet. Combating pirates wins you fame, lines your pockets with wealth, and you even get little Eastern island maidens to wait on you—how utterly delightful is that?"

Chu Dapeng clinked cups with Lin Jinlou and said, "You fight brilliant battles, brother, you know how to make a fortune doing maritime trade, and you've grown rich trading salt. Though you're so young, your official rank is already higher than all those old fogies—it truly makes my eyes turn green with envy. I'm still stuck here grinding away at the books of the ancient sages; the old man at home declared that I have to pass the metropolitan and palace examinations to be worthy of our ancestors, and ordered me to return to the capital right after this winter to study under his very nose."

Lin Jinlou laughed. "Civil officials have always held the reins of government in the imperial court; the scholarly path is exalted while military might is secondary. Besides, you've had the reputation of a romantic literary talent since you were a child, so you simply must pass the provincial imperial examinations anyway. Furthermore, with two shops under your management, surely you aren't fretting over a lack of silver to spend?"

Waving his hand, Chu Dapeng motioned for the actors and pageboys to withdraw before explaining, "My coming here today is precisely for this matter. I want to borrow my big brother's light to earn a bit of pocket silver. We brothers have pooled our available funds together and wish to ask you, brother, to pull some strings at the Salt Administration Office so we can secure a position as a general merchant. We'll invest our silver to take a stake in it, and by year's end, there will naturally be steady returns, won't there?"

Lin Jinlou chuckled, crossing one leg over the other. "The imperial court strictly prohibits this sort of venture..."

Personally filling Lin Jinlou's cup, Chu Dapeng smiled persuasively. "Brother, the lot of us grew up running around bare-bottomed together since we were kids. Even if my martial arts aren't up to par, I've served as your resident mastermind more times than I can count. With that kind of bond between us, are you really going to play word games with us? The court prohibits it? The court also prohibits imperial officials from engaging in commerce, yet countless individuals hold massive, lucrative enterprises in their hands. It's openly forbidden, but behind the scenes, illicit dealings go on constantly. Besides, we will still abide by imperial law; I'll have my concubine-born younger brother step forward to operate it so that it has zero connection to the rest of us. We only need you, brother, to keep a mental note of it and lend us a bit of your protective patronage."

After a brief moment of reflection, Xie Yu chimed in, "Naturally, the benefits won't fall short for you, brother—thirty percent of the annual dividends will belong to you. Is this a deal worth making?"

Pointing a finger at them with a laugh, Lin Jinlou said, "Well, well. I finally see through you monkeys. You put it so nicely as welcoming me home, but it turns out you were all secretly plotting to take advantage of me."

Seeing Lin Jinlou's expression, the three of them knew he had agreed to the proposition. An overwhelming sense of relief washed over them, and their faces brimmed with joy. Xie Yu laughed, "This isn't taking advantage of you; it's asking our big brother to give us a leg up! To show our appreciation, we specifically hired the Evening Glow Opera Troupe today to sing for us—all brand-new tunes fresh from the repertoire." With that, he rang a small bell to summon the young actors back inside to resume their performance. Raising his wine cup once more, he toasted, "Let me offer this first cup to my brother." With those words, he drained his cup in a single gulp.

Passing cups back and forth, the company gave themselves over to unrestrained feasting and drinking. After three rounds of drinks and countless dishes, Chu Dapeng grew a bit tipsy, leaned forward, and blurted out, "I heard from little San'er just now that my brother has newly taken in a concubine. The last time you took a concubine was back in the capital, yet you didn't even host a banquet to liven things up with such a joyous occasion happening now."

With his face flushed bright red, Liu Xiaochuan chimed in, "What? Big brother took in another new beauty? Why don't you invite our new sister-in-law out so the rest of us can take a look—heh heh, let's see how pretty she is."

Raising his glass, Lin Jinlou smiled without answering.

Lin Jinting had already consumed quite a bit of alcohol. Hearing this, he wore a smile that was not quite a smile as he remarked, "She's certainly breathtakingly gorgeous. Do any of you remember Song Yifei?"

Squinting his eyes, Chu Dapeng replied, "I know him, I know him. We've even shared drinks together before. Hasn't he gone off to the Imperial Academy now? He even married the daughter of the Duke of Xian Guo; the old man at home keeps telling me to cultivate closer ties with him."

Lin Jinting declared, "The new beauty my eldest brother recently brought into his quarters is the very person who came out of the Song household."

Lin Jinlou raised an eyebrow slightly. Though a smile still lingered on his face, his gaze had gradually grown cold. Xie Yu, who was exceptionally adept at reading facial expressions and sensing moods, hurriedly let out a sharp cough and said, "Little San'er, come, let me pour you a drink."

Already dizzy and muddled from drink, Lin Jinting had completely lost all discretion over what came out of his mouth. "Her looks are truly top-notch, but her scheming and maneuvers are equally formidable..."

Noticing Lin Jinlou's expression, Xie Yu gave Lin Jinting a vicious kick underneath the table and snapped, "You've guzzled too much rotgut—hurry up and go lie down in the back!"

Jolted by a sharp stab of pain, Lin Jinting yelped, "Why are you kicking me?!" Turning his head, he caught sight of Lin Jinlou's face and only then realized he had said the wrong thing. Cold sweat broke out across his skin in beads. Hastily scrambling to his feet, he stammered, "I've had too much to drink, I need to go lie down in the back," and made to stand up.

Lin Jinlou called out, "What's the rush? Sit down and finish a couple more cups before you go."

Not daring to disobey, Lin Jinting sat back down. The mere thought of Xianglan left a bitter, suffocating knot in his chest. Back then, she had sworn up and down that she would never become a concubine to Song柯, yet now she had eagerly attached herself to his own eldest brother. Yesterday, when he received a letter from Song Ke, Song Ke had even used the letter to ask him to look after Xianglan's family. He felt thoroughly unsettled inside, yet Xianglan had gone on to become his own eldest brother's concubine. If it were anyone else, he could have stepped up to help Yifei vent this grievance. But how on earth was he supposed to reply to that letter? He felt utterly disgusted with himself just thinking about it.

Liu Xiaochuan, already half-drunk as well, insisted, "Good-looking, you say? Just what kind of a beauty is she? Big brother, you simply must let us catch a glimpse of her." Chu Dapeng and Xie Yu chimed in enthusiastically as well.