Against the Current - Chapter 341

Chapter 341 - Plotting (Part 1)

In the afternoon, Lin Jinlou walked from Changchun Hall toward the front study, with Shuran following closely behind. She noticed her master was dressed in a brand-new pine-green python-patterned brocade straight robe, with a gold-woven Azure Cloud belt fastened around his waist, which made his tall figure look even more upright. He had already returned to his usual calm and poised demeanor, nothing like the frost-bitten eggplant he had been like when he returned this morning, causing her to quietly heave a sigh of relief while secretly feeling a trace of admiration. Their eldest master and Elder Master Lin had a fierce altercation starting from the morning, and the high-ranking servants had all passed the news around in whispers, only knowing that the elder master had flown into a thunderous rage while the specific reasons varied wildly in every rumor. Shuran did not dare to surmise wildly and could only remain extremely cautious.

Upon entering the study, Xixiang had already brewed tea, and Lin Jinlou asked, "Where is Mr. Kang?" Kang Siyuan was his personal strategist, serving as his right hand.

Xixiang hastily replied, "Shuangxi has gone to invite him, and he should be here any moment now."

Lin Jinlou nodded and sat down behind the desk. Just moments ago, he had been together with Xianglan; although Xianglan had not said much, she had been so soft and compliant in his arms. From the way she looked at him, Lin Jinlou felt as though he already understood, yet he was afraid of guessing wrong. He felt that he was just foolish and clumsy, like a green, ignorant boy experiencing his first romantic awakening—if word got out, his group of sworn brothers would laugh their heads off. Yet at the same time, he felt deeply satisfied, gathering his spirits to continue his battle of wits with his old man. He had long known that his father's head was entirely filled with strict hierarchical propriety and the rites of status. Originally, his father had expected him to show leniency out of consideration for the fact that Xianglan had saved their family twice, with his mother adding a few gentle pillow talks and the old matriarch mediating with a few kind words, letting him see how Xianglan conducted herself and behaved, wearing him down over a time or two. Who would have expected today's fierce chaos to reach an irreconcilable deadlock, with the old man biting down stubbornly and acting so ruthlessly as to cut off any future path? Sitting behind the desk, he sneered repeatedly. Fortunately, he had kept a backup plan all along; since this matter could not be settled peaceably at home, he would have no choice but to carry the grievance all the way to the heavens. Having spent years immersed in officialdom, what kind of vicious, sordid, and monstrous demons had he not witnessed? He had weathered towering winds and monstrous waves more times than he could count. His old man thought he could easily subdue him right here, forgetting what kind of temperament he possessed. If they wanted to knead him into whatever shape they pleased, they could forget about it!

Xixiang stood stiffly to the side, watching Lin Jinlou first look tender-hearted with spring-like warmth in his brows, and then suddenly turn sinister, cold, and deeply calculating in his gaze, which made his heart flutter with unease. He nudged Shuran with a glance, meaning to ask, "What on earth is wrong with the Eldest Master?" Holding her arms, Shuran stood on the other side and shot him a glance back, conveying: "Stay put and don't wag your tongue too much. Can't you see the weather on his face has completely changed?"

Just as the two were exchanging glances with their eyes, Shuangxi announced from the doorway, "Eldest Master, Mr. Kang has arrived."

Lin Jinlou said, "Invite him in."

Kang Siyuan pushed the door open, stepped inside, and bowed to pay his respects. Lin Jinlou waved his hand, gestured for him to be seated, and accepted the tea served by Xixiang before saying, "I invited you here today because I want you to act as my personal representative and handle a matter outside." As he spoke, he took a stack of Biographies of the Orchid Fragrance Scholar from the desk, pushed them toward Kang Siyuan, and continued, "This afternoon, take generous gifts and this stack of play scripts and head to the north of the city. Nanny Xia, who used to tutor the fourth young miss in the household, lives over there. Nowadays, she has entered the palace to wait upon a noble consort, and she returns home to live for a few days every month. Today happens to be the day she returns home. Take my calling card, Mr. Kang, and ask her to smuggle these play scripts into the palace for the Empress Dowager to look at. If possible, find a way to have a theatre troupe perform a play based on these scripts for the Empress Dowager. Once the matter is accomplished, there will be a generous reward to thank her."

Kang Siyuan understood the implications instantly. A chill rose from the soles of his feet, and he nearly snapped his beard in half, blurting out in shock, "Master, are you planning to... Have Elder Master Lin and Master Lin both... both agreed to this?"

Lin Jinlou let out a cold grunt from his nose. "If they had agreed, I wouldn't be going through all this trouble." He tapped two fingers rhythmically on the table and said with deep significance, "Ask Nanny Xia to pass a message to the Empress Dowager: simply say that the two of us are now deeply devoted to one another, but unfortunately Xianglan's humble background inevitably invites idle gossip and malicious talk. Therefore, we earnestly beg the Empress Dowager to grant a gracious decree with her golden words and fulfill this fine match."

Kang Siyuan raised his sleeve to wipe a cold sweat that had broken out on his forehead. This master of his truly dared to think and act without hesitation. Seeing Lin Jinlou turn to look at Shuran, he instructed, "When Nanny Xia lived at the manor, you had a very close relationship with her. You will go together with Mr. Kang; it is more convenient for women to speak among themselves. As for what to say and how to act, just follow Mr. Kang's instructions."

Shuran was already dumbstruck, stammering repeated acknowledgments while a raging storm churned in her heart. She thought to herself, My dear mother, Amitabha! Xianglan, a maid of humble origins, is truly about to soar to the highest heavens this time! Reviewing past events in her mind, she felt immensely grateful that she had never uttered a harsh word or acted maliciously toward Xianglan, but had instead accumulated a great deal of goodwill.

Lin Jinlou discussed the details thoroughly with Kang Siyuan once more and gave final instructions to Shuran before ordering them to set off. Then, he commanded that a horse be saddled, took another stack of Biographies of the Orchid Fragrance Scholar, and went out to seek a personal audience with the Crown Prince—which will be left unsaid for the moment.

Meanwhile, within the incense-burning temple of the Lin family, Su Meiru lay on her bed with her hair disheveled. The door curtain was lifted, and an old woman in her fifties walked in. She was short and plump, serving as Su Meiru's personal attendant, and was called Mother Meng. She carried a tray in her hands and said, "Auntie, your meal has arrived." She placed the tray on the bedside table, stepped forward to help Su Meiru sit up, and first fed her a couple of sips of warm tea.

Su Meiru cast a sideways glance and saw four dishes. Although chicken, duck, fish, and meat were all present, they were completely leftover scraps. Rage instantly surged from the depths of her heart, and she cursed bitterly, "Is this supposed to be food for human beings?! In all the years I, your mistress, have lived, I have never eaten leftover scraps!" As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over.

Mother Meng hurriedly comforted her, saying, "Auntie, please don't cry; be careful not to bring on a headache... Shall I add some silver and ask the kitchen to prepare something fresh?"

Su Meiru wept and said, "All my money for clothes and silver are in the side chamber; I didn't bring a single thing out with me, and the rest of my private savings are back in Jinling. Where on earth would I have any money to spare right now?"

Mother Meng, however, smiled and said, "Auntie, as the saying goes, it is easy to add flowers to brocade, but hard to send charcoal in snowy weather. Right now, one of your close and dearest friends has indeed come to bring you food." Having said this, she stood up and lifted the door curtain. A woman wearing a hooded cape walked in. Tugging off the hood on her head, she revealed a heavily made-up face and smiled faintly, "My good sister, I've missed you to death." This person turned out to be Meimi!

As it turned out, back when the matter was exposed, Meimi had fled far away with her biological mother, taking a boat downriver. Unexpectedly, they encountered river bandits. In the panic, Meimi's mother had lost her footing, fallen into the river, and drowned. Because Meimi was exceptionally beautiful, she was taken by the bandit leader, Wu Biao. Possessing extraordinary cunning and worrying that she had nowhere to turn, Meimi smoothly took up the role of the bandit chieftain's wife. She had sharp insights and was exceptionally skilled at sweet-talking and pleasing others, which quickly won Wu Biao's deep favor. However, Lin Jinlou governed his troops with iron discipline and launched thunderous campaigns to suppress banditry along the river, causing Wu Biao to gradually feel that he was reaching a dead end. Just as Lin Jinlou entered the capital, Meimi devised a strategy and said, "Lord Wu, do not fret. That overbearing tyrant has already left, and the imperial river-patrol commissioner is his second uncle, Lin Changmian. This man possesses the habits of a rogue, being greedy for wealth and extremely stingy. It would be better to establish a connection with him; once genuine gold and silver are delivered, I guarantee you can rest easy without worries." She immediately found out that Lin Changmian kept a kept-mistress on the side, and sent generous gifts straight to Su Meiru's residence. As the saying goes, "A host never turns away a visitor bearing gifts." Su Meiru was no simple character either, and through a few visits, they quickly grew familiar with one another. Lin Changmian had initially been too timid, but Su Meiru sneered coldly, "Master is truly muddle-headed. How could an honest official ever acquire silver? Since ancient times, great wealth has been sought amidst danger; only when you hold cash in your hands does your backbone stand straight. Besides, your nephew isn't even here—who would ever know? It would be better to rake in a massive fortune, and then wash your hands of it when your nephew returns. It will be completely untraceable, and the silver resting safely in your own pocket is what's truly practical." After much persuasion, Lin Changmian's heart was swayed. He accepted a first batch of silver and, after spending a few nervous days realizing nothing had happened, accepted a second and third batch, until he could no longer stop himself, plunging into frantic extortion and allowing Wu Biao free rein to smuggle goods, traffic contraband, and commit murder along the waterway.

Su Meiru and Meimi were extremely close and addressed each other as sisters, though Su Meiru had no idea that Meimi was originally Lin Jinlou's concubine. Seeing Meimi arrive, Su Meiru felt as though she had encountered a close relative. Tears streaming down her face, she struggled to sit up and sobbed, "Sister Mei..."

Meimi hurried forward, supported Su Meiru, and said, "Don't try to get up. Mother Meng sent someone to tell me you were ill, and I truly couldn't set my mind at ease. Fortunately, this is a temple; I spent some silver to quietly slip in and see you." As she spoke, she opened the tiered food box she was carrying and said, "Have some pastries first."

Su Meiru took a look and saw that the food box had three layers, all filled with delicate dishes, hot porridge, and fresh soup, steaming hot. She couldn't help shedding tears, grabbed Meimi's hand, and sobbed, "Only at a time like this do I finally know who a true friend is..."

Meimi offered gentle words of comfort. "Stop crying for now. Eat some food first, and once your health recovers, having another child later won't be too late."

Su Meiru wept, "Have a child? Didn't you see how the Lin family threw me into this temple and completely ignored me? This is the end of the line for me!"

Meimi sneered coldly, "If I may be so bold as to speak my mind, not a single person in the Lin family is any good. Second Master was able to reach where he is today entirely thanks to your support, yet now that they have no use for you, they toss you aside. When you came here, enduring all kinds of grievance, he didn't even care whether you had food or drink. If it were me, I would risk my life to get you out of here. This is no place for convalescence!"

Su Meiru felt as though every single word struck right at her heart, making her even more choked with tears to speak. After offering a few more words of comfort, Meimi instructed Mother Meng to fetch a basin of water, personally wrung out a hot towel to wipe Su Meiru's face and hands, and sighed, "Such a delicate beauty like a flower or jade—just look at what you've been reduced to. It breaks our hearts to see it." She handed over a vanity mirror. Su Meiru looked at her reflection and saw that her cheeks were a sickly yellow, her face was sunken into a thin frame, and her eye sockets were bruised dark. Although she was still beautiful, she was far from her former glory. She let out a muffled sob, let fresh tears fall, but then suddenly stopped crying, wiped the tears from her face with a harsh swipe, and said with bitter hatred, "It is all the Lin family's fault that I was brought to this state!"

As Meimi gently combed Su Meiru's hair, she said, "Indeed! The Lin family has failed you, and Sister, you should have demanded your debt long ago! A person of gold and jade like you deserves to attain wealth and glory sooner or later... I am utterly devoted to you, and if Sister listens to my advice, you can live in splendid glory and supreme wealth for the rest of your life."

Su Meiru could not help asking, "What is it?"

Meimi styled her hair into a casual bun, sat down right in front of Su Meiru, and seeing that there was no one else around, lowered her voice to say, "It looks like Lin Jinlou will soon return to Jinling. I'm afraid that once he goes back, neither of us will have an easy time, and sooner or later the truth will come to light. While Lin Changmian is his biological second uncle and he might not do much to him, you and I are hardly guaranteed to survive. Rather than waiting for him to return, why don't we get rid of him first..." As she spoke, she made a cutting gesture with her hand across the air like a blade.

Su Meiru was utterly shocked, her eyes widening in horror as she stammered, "This—how could this ever work?"