Against the Current - Chapter 297

Chapter 297 - Outing (Part 4)

Yuan Shaoren chuckled twice and said, "Don't refuse to accept it; Song Ke can be considered a first-rate figure. He is learned and deeply knowledgeable, his poetry is elegant and outstanding, and he is quite shrewd and calculating. I heard that Duke Xian originally wanted someone to recommend him for the position of Prefect in Hubei, but he actually declined and refused to accept it. Instead, he just huddled up in the Hanlin Academy as a minor compiler, practically making Duke Xian faint from sheer anger. It’s also fortunate that he declined and didn't accept it back then. Otherwise, with Duke Xian's downfall, he would have been the first to be implicated as collateral damage. Just based on this clear-headedness alone, one cannot afford to underestimate him."

Lin Jinlou said, "I heard that the father-in-law and son-in-law do not get along. Song Ke seems inclined to support the Eastern Palace, often telling others that the Crown Prince is gentle, modest, and possesses the demeanor of an enlightened ruler. With state affairs entangled with family matters, Duke Xian finds his son-in-law an eyesore, and Song Ke similarly ignores his father-in-law. Zheng Jingxian is caught in the middle; unable to coax the former or persuade the latter, she has lost a significant amount of weight. The last time my mother went visiting, she happened to run into her and was startled to see her in such a state. Not knowing what was weighing on her mind, my mother offered a few words of comfort and tried to coax her into speaking, but she stubbornly refused to say anything. Instead, it was her mother, Lady Wei, who couldn't hold it in and broke down crying and complaining first."

Yuan Shaoren said, "Song Ke is planning to avoid disaster now; he has submitted a petition requesting a provincial post."

Lin Jinlou sneered, "He's dreaming. Where are there any decent vacancies nowadays? Even if there were, it wouldn't be his turn. Duke Xian is about to fall."

"Heh, there are no decent places, but there are still a few undesirable ones. The higher-ups will most likely approve it. It's truly something that he could even come up with it. Take a guess, where is he going?"

Lin Jinlou asked, "Where?"

Xianglan also pricked up her ears to listen. Unexpectedly, Xuening happened to walk over. Seeing Xianglan standing there, she hurriedly asked in a soft voice, "Does the Young Mistress have any orders?"

Startled for a moment, Xianglan missed Yuan Shaoren's words. It was also inappropriate for her to remain standing behind the screen, so she had no choice but to enter the room. Sitting on the heated brick bed, her mind still dwelled on the matter as she thought to herself, Song Ke has lived two lifetimes, and in both, he prioritized his future and career. Now that he has encountered this tribulation, I only hope he remains safe. Letting out a long sigh, she thought again, In this lifetime, our entire family owes him a monumental debt of gratitude; we cannot just forget it like this. Now that he is in trouble, naturally we cannot sit idly by... Duke Xian has had more than half of his family property confiscated, so Song Ke's days must not be easy either. But I wonder where he will be posted as an official, and when he will depart. I am but a floating weed; I cannot help with court affairs, but doing my utmost to gift him money and goods is always feasible. After this parting, perhaps we will never see each other again for the rest of our lives. She couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. Glimpses of the past flashed before her eyes, but she tried her best not to dwell on them. Slowly walking over to the table, she poured herself a cup of tea, thinking, Lin Dongxiu is a busybody who loves to meddle and gossip; I can't ask her. Brother De is too young and can't be asked either. I'm afraid I'll have to ask the Marquis of Yongchang himself about this matter. But how can I pass a message to him? How hateful that on this outing, I didn't bring any trusted confidants with me.

Right at that moment, Lin Jinlou walked in. Seeing Lin Dongxiu and Brother De asleep on the large heated brick bed inside the green gauze cabinet, he beckoned Xianglan into the bedroom. Seeing his stern face, Xianglan couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Suddenly, she heard a very faint "mew, mew" sound and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What is that sound?"

Lin Jinlou still had his brows furrowed and a long face. He pulled out a mewing kitten from his chest and stuffed it into Xianglan's arms, saying, "A little plaything that was just sent over."

Xianglan asked in pleasant surprise, "Where did this come from?" Seeing that the kitten was as cute as jade and snow, she couldn't help but look up and smile at Lin Jinlou.

Lin Jinlou paused, his complexion improving slightly. After a long moment, he finally said, "It's a Lion Cat from Linqing, Shandong. A carefully selected pair was kept at the estate and gave birth to this litter. Originally there were three, meant to be offered to the palace as tribute. This one fell ill, so it was left behind at the estate. Unexpectedly, it recovered. The estate manager just sent it over. I saw that its timid eyes looked like yours, so I kept it to keep you company."

The kitten mewed as it nuzzled into Xianglan's chest. Unsure if it was afraid or cold, it was trembling all over like a fuzzy little ball. Xianglan's heart instantly melted. She picked it up with both hands to look at it carefully and rubbed its round little belly. Seeing a large gray rat fur muff on the small table, she quickly placed the kitten inside and set it on the bed. The little furball meowed softly again and tried to crawl out of the muff, its four paws stumbling clumsily in an endearing manner. Xianglan sat by the bed, using her finger to tease the soft fur on the kitten's head. The kitten looked at her with round eyes, meowing softly as it rubbed against her hand. Xianglan couldn't help but laugh, whispering, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Lin Jinlou sat beside her and said, "A boy." He paused, then added, "When I was young, the Old Madam also raised a few. They were named things like Moon Shadow, Golden Thread, Hanging Pearl, Embroidered Tiger, and Star Seal."

Xianglan thought for a moment and smiled, "Look at it—one eye is yellow and the other is green. It should be called 'Mandarin Duck'."

Lin Jinlou let out an "Oh" and said, "What a terrible name 'Mandarin Duck' is. It's a male. In the future, when it fights all the cats and remains undefeated, and others praise it, saying, 'What a majestic little overlord, what is its name?' If you say it's called 'Mandarin Duck', it'll sound like a powdered and rouged little lady. All its imposing aura would be gone! It should be called 'Lion King', 'Tiger Shaker', or 'General in the Snow' to match its prowess."

Looking at the pitiful little thing mewing in front of her, and then hearing Lin Jinlou say it would "fight all cats and remain undefeated" in the future, Xianglan couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, saying, "Why are you always fighting and killing all day long? You're even raising a cat to be so belligerent."

In Lin Jinlou's eyes, this eye-roll was full of charm, both alluring and endearing. His heart instantly fluttered, and the frost on his face finally thawed. Chuckling, he turned around to watch the kitten crawling all over the place with Xianglan, catching the faint, elusive fragrance emanating from her body. He had sharp senses; earlier, while speaking with Yuan Shaoren, he knew Xianglan had come out of the room. The hem of her skirt, embroidered with the Eight Auspicious Treasures, had happened to show beneath the screen. Seeing her stop dead in her tracks upon hearing Song Ke's name had instantly left a sour taste in his mouth. Coincidentally, the estate manager delivered the cat, so he used it as an excuse to come out. He had originally intended to interrogate her and give her a piece of his mind, but who would have expected that just seeing her smile at him would cause his heart full of displeasure to gradually vanish into thin air?

Xianglan stole a glance at Lin Jinlou, thinking to herself, Just a moment ago his face was so long, as if I owed him eighty thousand strings of cash. Now he's smiling again. This moody temperament of his is truly deadly. As she peeked, she noticed Lin Jinlou was staring right at her. Feeling a bit guilty, she immediately found an excuse to change the subject, asking casually, "Why are you even managing the matter of offering cats as tribute to the palace?"

"Ah, do you think your Lord has it easy? My current glory is all thanks to having troops in my hands. To maintain such an army, I have to curry favor with the nobles above and find ways to make money below. This cat is meant to coax joy out of the Old Empress Dowager in the palace." As he spoke, he stretched out his long legs and patted the kitten's head. "This is called catering to their preferences; only then will all paths be smooth. I support so many men without extorting a single copper from the common people's hard-earned wealth, all thanks to these methods. It's a good thing it's me; anyone else wouldn't be able to pull it off."

Seeing the faint smugness on his face and the aura of one who proudly surveyed the court and commanded the three armies, Xianglan wanted to mentally criticize him for being arrogant, yet found she couldn't mock him. She thought of how Lin Jinlou was always surrounded by attendants whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, with everyone treating him with utmost reverence. Originally, the Jiangnan region was plagued by water bandits and thieves, but because he stood guard there, he had eradicated several bandit dens in a row, bringing about peace and stability. Japanese pirates and bandits no longer dared to invade. Not every young master of a noble family could establish such a grand enterprise at such a young age, possessing such awe-inspiring prestige.

Lin Jinlou suddenly reached out and stroked Xianglan's face. As if he didn't recognize her, he stared at her for a long time before saying softly, "Xianglan, just live a good life with me, stop letting your imagination run wild with all those meaningless thoughts, okay?"

He suddenly brought this up out of the blue. Xianglan remained silent, pulling the kitten to her side and absentmindedly stroking it, her heart suddenly feeling empty. Lin Jinlou squeezed her hand without speaking, and the room fell silent for a moment. Lin Jinlou let out a long breath. Xianglan looked up and saw him staring elsewhere as he said, "Ever since I was little, the Old Master taught me how to bring glory to the family name. My father was busy with government affairs and rarely took care of the family, and the Madam always said her lifelong hopes rested entirely on me. When I was young, I worked myself half to death studying literature and martial arts. When I grew up, I led armies into battle, braving life and death several times, always carrying my head on my waistband." He caressed Xianglan's hand, yet didn't look at her. "Over these years, perhaps I've grown old, or maybe I've seen too much of life, death, and parting. Now that I'm back, I want someone who genuinely cares for me and knows whether I'm aching or feverish..."

Xianglan only felt her eye sockets turn hot and red. She immediately lowered her head, tears instantly blurring her vision. She forced them back, pretending to reach for the kitten as she turned to the side to wipe her tears away. Not picking up on his topic, she simply feigned nonchalance and said, "What nonsense is the Eldest Master saying? You are in the prime of your life, how could you be old..." She looked up, only to find Lin Jinlou staring straight at her. The two looked at each other quietly for a long time. Xianglan's eyes reddened again. Her future was a blur; she didn't know where she was heading, nor what to say. She could only cover it up with a smile, lowering her head and saying, "Eldest Master, the Marquis of Yongchang is still outside. It's not good to keep him waiting for too long."

Lin Jinlou also smiled. He stood up and patted Xianglan's head just like he patted the kitten's, saying, "That's right, it's not good to make him keep waiting. Old Yuan is even older than me, and he hasn't cried about being old yet, so how can I call myself old?"

In truth, she was the one who had grown old. The tossing, turning, and struggling of the past few years had etched themselves deeply into her bones, wearing away her edges until she was perfectly smooth, as if causing her to age overnight. Occasionally looking back, she felt as though she was looking at another version of herself. Her previous life had gradually become a blurry silhouette, and the youthful prime of this life had already turned into a yellowed old dream, all submerged in the rolling red dust, never to reappear.

At dusk, Lin Jinlou ordered servants to prepare the palanquins, and everyone went together to one side of the estate to admire the plum blossoms. Jixiang, Shuangxi, Guiyuan, and the others held scissors and vases in their hands. Whenever Lin Jinlou said a branch was good, they would go up, snip that branch down, and place it into a vase. Brother De had no interest in flowers and blossoms. Hearing that an eagle had been caught on the estate, he continuously clamored to go see it. Yuan Shaoren, also afraid that he might catch a chill, took the opportunity to lead him back to see the eagle. Once the father and son left, Lin Dongxiu couldn't sit still either, throwing meaningful glances at Xianglan time and time again. Finding an opportune moment, Xianglan feigned casualness and said to Lin Jinlou, "At noon today, I chatted a bit with the Fourth Sister. It seems things aren't quite going her way at her husband's home."

Lin Jinlou snipped off a plum blossom and casually pinned it in Xianglan's hair bun, letting out an absentminded "Oh."

Xianglan said, "I heard the older female servants don't quite obey her orders, and a few of the Fourth Brother-in-law's older concubines don't get along with her either. After all, she is still young..."

Lin Jinlou was a smart man and understood everything upon hearing this. Glancing back at Lin Dongxiu, he snorted and said, "She opened her mouth to you, asking you to beg me to back her up?"

Before Xianglan could speak, he continued, "She deserves to suffer some bumps and bruises to learn her lesson. She had only been married for a few days before she turned the Marquis of Yongchang's estate completely upside down. From top to bottom, there isn't a single matter she hasn't picked a fault with. When she is in the right, she becomes even more unforgiving. She has offended nearly everyone from top to bottom. Originally, when she came to beg me once, I thought she had truly been wronged and bullied. But when I turned around and asked Old Yuan's aunt, it turned out that wasn't the case at all. You stay out of this matter, do you hear me? Later, we'll let the Madam teach her a proper lesson."

Xianglan nodded, saying to herself in her heart, No wonder the Marquis of Yongchang is only ordinarily polite to Lin Dongxiu, with a hidden sense of alienation in his attitude and words. So this is what happened.

At this moment, the rapid sound of horse hooves was heard. Lin Jinlou's personal guard, Wen Rushi, galloped up close. Before the horse even steadied, he flipped off its back and hurriedly rushed to Lin Jinlou's ear, whispering a few sentences. Lin Jinlou's face instantly darkened. He turned sideways and ordered, "Escort your Young Mistress and the Young Lady back." He then turned to Xianglan and said, "I will head back first. You all should pack up and go home too. I'll bring you here again tomorrow." With that said, he ordered someone to lead his horse over, vaulted onto it, and rode off.

Xianglan and Lin Dongxiu had no choice but to follow along and return. Entering the room, Xuening hurriedly sent people to fetch hot water for Xianglan to soak her feet, and then arranged for the kitchen to bring over ginger soup. After Xianglan put on her shoes and socks, she suddenly felt like something was missing and couldn't help but ask, "Where is that little kitten?"

Xuening looked left and right, saying, "It was just lying on the quilt a moment ago." She searched as she spoke, but after looking all around, there was still no sign of it. Her heart sank as she said, "Oh no, the door was wide open earlier when they were fetching water. Could it have run out?" Saying this, she pushed the door open and went out to look.

Xianglan also grew anxious and said, "The wind is strong outside; it will surely freeze to death." Casting all caution aside, she also threw on a cloak and went out. It was pitch black outside now, with only the lanterns under the corridor swaying in the wind. Carrying a lantern in one hand, Xianglan called out softly, bending down to search carefully. As she passed the western wing room, she suddenly heard a short, sharp wail coming from inside. Xianglan stopped in her tracks. Listening carefully again, there was no sound. She thought she had misheard and bent down once more, calling out "mew, mew". Just then, a much louder cry of agony rang out. Xianglan was startled and her curiosity was piqued. She walked to the base of the western wing's wall, poked a hole in the window paper with her finger, and peered inside. She saw that the room was brightly lit. Lin Jinlou sat in a grand armchair, his face as dark as water. Two of his most trusted advisors stood on either side, while Wen Rushi stood nearby holding a whip. A man lay on the floor, securely bound with ropes.

Lin Jinlou coldly snorted. Then came a "crack" as the whip lashed against the man, drawing another muffled wail from him.

"As long as you confess honestly who sent you and exactly what you are trying to spy on by acting as an advisor in the Lin Estate, I will spare your life."

The man groaned, "Every word I've spoken is the truth..."

"Such a tough mouth and steel teeth, but you're still a bit too green to fool your grandfather." As soon as he finished speaking, a "crack" sounded. The man let out an extremely agonizing scream, immediately followed by silence, seemingly having fainted.

Xianglan jumped in fright, feeling her heart pounding wildly as her legs went soft. Lin Jinlou had treated her with such pleasantness lately that she had almost forgotten he was originally such a fierce and ruthless fiend. A splashing sound of water was heard, and the man groaned continuously, appearing to have regained consciousness. Then, trembling violently in pain, tears and mucus streamed down his face.

Lin Jinlou asked lazily, "How about it? Are you ready to talk properly with me now?"

"..."

"Not talking? Then I will break your other arm."

"No, no, don't, don't..." A "snap" was heard, and the man let out a bloodcurdling scream, no longer able to suppress the wails tearing from his throat. Xianglan didn't dare to listen anymore. Leaning against the wall, she tried to walk back on trembling legs, but heard the man sobbing brokenly, "This lowly one... This lowly one was sent under the orders of Lord Dai..."

"Lord Dai? Which Lord Dai?"

"Lord Dai Qing of the Hanlin Academy."

Lin Jinlou paused. He only knew that Dai Qing had taken Zhao Yuechan as his second wife; the two of them usually had no dealings with each other. Thus he asked, "What did he order you to do?"

"Lord Dai suspects that the General has old ties with the Former Crown Prince and is secretly plotting a rebellion. He reported this matter to the Second Prince and had this lowly one enter the General's estate as an advisor to spy on the inside details..."

Just these words "Former Crown Prince" and "rebellion" shocked Xianglan so much that she stumbled a few steps backward. She hurriedly lifted her skirt and ran back. In her panic, her skirt tangled around her legs, and she fell to the ground. The people in the room instantly became alert. Wen Rushi gave a loud shout, "Who is it?" Drawing his blade, he leaped outside.

Seeing the snow-white gleam of the blade, Xianglan couldn't help but let out a scream of terror. When Wen Rushi saw that it was the woman enshrined in his master's room, he hurriedly sheathed his blade. Lin Jinlou walked out with a darkened face, hauled Xianglan up with one hand, and said resentfully, "What the fuck are you doing here?" Tucking her under his arm, he strode back to the bedroom and threw her onto the heated brick bed. Furrowing his brows and glaring at her, he pointed and shouted loudly, "Try running around blindly again, have you eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard?!" Twisting his body around, he marched out, slamming the main hall door shut with a loud "bang".

Xianglan's entire body went ice-cold. With trembling hands, she wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, but she couldn't stop her entire body from shivering. In her previous life, her grandfather had been the instructor to the Former Crown Prince, and Old Master Lin had also been highly regarded by the Crown Prince back then. Could it be... could it be that the Lin family truly had private dealings with the Former Crown Prince? His hoarding of military power—was it really to rebel alongside the Crown Prince? Having stumbled upon this matter, would Lin Jinlou's murderous intent be roused, leading him to silence her?

At this moment, Xuening walked in and laughed briskly, "Young Mistress, I found the little thing. It's incredibly naughty—it actually hid inside a pair of the Eldest Master's boots." As she spoke, she handed the kitten over, then asked in surprise, "Young Mistress, what's wrong? You're still wearing your cloak inside the room." As she spoke, she hurriedly moved the brazier closer.

Holding the kitten in her arms, Xianglan felt her tears about to stream down, but she hastily held them back. An unknown amount of time passed before Lin Jinlou returned. Seeing Xianglan still sitting blankly on the bed hugging the kitten, which had already fallen fast asleep, Lin Jinlou walked forward as if nothing had happened. He grabbed the cat and set it aside; the kitten just rolled over, curled into a ball, and went back to sleep. Seeing her like this, Lin Jinlou knew she was terrified. He put on a smile and said softly, "Tell me, instead of staying properly in the room, what were you running out into the pitch-black darkness for? Hmm? We just caught a spy. Since the inner courtyard is quiet and the western wing was empty, I brought him in for questioning. If I had known it would frighten you, I wouldn't have brought him in next time."

Xianglan didn't dare to look at him, thinking how he had just been glaring with raw fury a moment ago and was now perfectly fine again. Looking at the situation, it seemed he wasn't going to do anything to her. Only then could she no longer hold back, choking on her sobs as she began to cry.

Lin Jinlou pulled her into his arms and patted her. After a moment of silence, he pressed close to the root of her ear and whispered, "Don't be afraid, the Lin family has never thought of rebelling. The Lin family is currently at the height of its glory, and His Majesty sits securely on the throne. Why on earth would we seek out such misery?"

Xianglan said softly, "Then this matter..."

Lin Jinlou secretly gritted his teeth, but still squeezed out a smile on his face. "Don't worry about it. Leave this matter to me." With that said, he stood up, turned around, and walked out.