Against the Current - Chapter 343

Chapter 343 - Conflict (Part 1)

Bao'er responded out loud, deliberately dropping his riding whip near Guiyuan. Dawdling slowly, he muttered in a low voice to Guiyuan, "Second Master has tied up Miss Xianglan and put her in the carriage." With that, he picked up his whip and left.

Guiyuan was utterly stunned, thinking he had misheard, and remained half-doubtful. But seeing Bao'er cast a glance back at him filled with unbearable anxiety, he began to believe it and grew frantic. He wanted to cry out, but upon seeing Xing's fierce, murderous expression alongside two or three guards and personal attendants standing nearby, he swallowed the words back down, thinking to himself, If what he said is true, this is disastrous. This is the corner gate leading out to the main street from the Second Household, and everyone stationed around here belongs to Second Master. Shouting for help will be useless, and I'm afraid it will only ruin things. Thinking to this point, he hurried back inside the doorway, then let loose his legs and ran, tearing all the way to the front. He found the banquet underway in the main hall, but Lin Jinlou was nowhere to be seen. He grabbed a young page and asked, only to be told that the Eldest Master was in the master's study.

Guiyuan rushed over to the study, peered through the crack of the door, and sure enough, saw Lin Jinlou inside along with another official sitting to one side, the three of them seemingly in conversation. Guiyuan could no longer care about anything else; he pushed the door open, burst right in, fell to his knees, and cried out, "Bad news, Eldest Master! Mistress Xianglan has been kidnapped, and right now she's out in the carriage by the western corner gate."

Upon hearing these words, Lin Jinlou's complexion underwent a drastic transformation as he blurted out in shock, "What?!" Unable to wait for a reply, he sprang up abruptly, whirled around, and headed straight for the door.

Lin Changzheng sank his face into a scowl and barked, "Stop right there! Where do you think you're going?"

Lin Jinlou paid him no mind whatsoever. Enraged, Lin Changzheng shouted sternly in a harsh voice, "You unfilial wretch, halt this instant!" He then yelled out to the personal attendants and guards stationed nearby, "Men, block him for me!"

True to his command, seven or eight guards surged forward from outside to intercept him. Lin Jinlou began lashing out with his fists, but these guards were all formidable fighters as well, and for a moment he found himself unable to shake them off. Blinded by panic and anxious to the point of madness, Lin Jinlou fought to break through, gritting his teeth as he roared, "You little bastards, all of you get out of Master's way!" Standing guard outside and seeing that things had gone awry, Shuangxi muttered, "This is terrible—they're actually resorting to blows!" and hurriedly scurried off to find someone to send word inside.

Just at that moment, Yuan Shaoren came searching from the front hall and was utterly startled, having no idea what had happened. He only figured that with distinguished guests currently present at the front, creating a scene would simply make them a laughingstock, making it crucial to smooth things over and keep the peace. Taking advantage of the fact that Lin Jinlou was distracted, Yuan Shaoren launched a sneak attack, deploying a joint-locking maneuver. Lin Jinlou, caught completely off guard, turned to block him, but additional guards immediately swarmed in to grab all four of his limbs, pressing their knees into the back of his legs and twisting his arms behind him. Meanwhile, Yuan Shaoren pressed his weight onto Lin Jinlou's waist and tripped his legs, pinning him flat against the floor so that he could no longer move an inch. Yuan Shaoren could only keep repeating, "Yingyang, let's talk this out rationally. What are you doing?"

Sitting to one side, Lord Wei was utterly dumbfounded by the spectacle, feeling intensely awkward. He stood up, cupped his hands together repeatedly, and said, "I must take my leave, I must take my leave," before hastily flicking his sleeves and walking out.

Lin Changzheng was already shaking with rage to the point of trembling all over, having forgotten even standard polite pleasantries like "family scandals shouldn't be aired in public" or "I apologize for making you a laughingstock, honorable brother." With a dark, ashen face, he pointed toward the door and ordered the guards, "Fall back, and close the door!"

Lin Jinlou struggled frantically while pinned to the ground, his eyes bulging so wide they looked ready to split open and bleed. Stretching his neck, he bellowed, "Let go of me! Xianglan has been kidnapped!"

Lin Changzheng roared in a fury, "That's right! I'm the one who had your second uncle tie her up!"

"What? Why?!"

"Why? How dare you cross-examine me! It's all because of a good-for-nothing like you, stumbling over and over again into traps set by women, yet never learning your lesson! And now you're acting up and throwing tantrums on top of it. I am your father—a father's sin lies in failing to teach his son properly, and I am resolved not to let you indulge in such a preposterous, world-laughing folly!"

Lin Jinlou ground his teeth and demanded, "What on earth do you intend to do? Where have you sent Xianglan?"

"Simple. As long as you agree to this match with the Wei family and complete the wedding, I will naturally send her back. Throughout these days, she will be provided with the finest food and drink and well cared for; she certainly won't be wronged. My word on this is carved in stone!"

"Bullshit!"

"You—you—what did you just say?!" With a sharp smack, a porcelain brush holder came hurtling through the air, striking Lin Jinlou directly across the face and instantly opening a gash on his temple from which fresh blood began to stream.

Yuan Shaoren was deeply shocked and hurriedly pleaded, "Respected Elder Master, please calm your anger!"

The veins on Lin Jinlou's forehead bulged to their absolute limit. "I said it's bullshit! Even if the sky were to collapse, it's out of the question!"

Lin Changzheng flew into a towering rage. "That vile, lowly creature—ha! What is so good about her that she has you completely bewitched, willing to abandon your family, your career, your future, and your entire reputation? If not out of consideration for the fact that she has rendered service to the Lin family twice, she would deserve death!"

With blood staining his face, Lin Jinlou glared at him with furious, bloodshot eyes, his teeth nearly grinding to powder as he spat out, "Father, you had better not truly push me past my limit." Turning his neck slightly toward Yuan Shaoren, he said, "Old Yuan, if you truly consider me your brother, let go of me right now."

Lin Changzheng looked ready to explode with fury and barked, "Do not let go!"

Yuan Shaoren hesitated involuntarily.

Lin Jinlou glared with bitter hatred at Yuan Shaoren. "Could it be that you want Xianglan to end up like Lianniang?"

Yuan Shaoren froze instantly, his grip slackening. In a flash, Lin Jinlou executed a textbook carp-leap, springing straight to his feet and making once more for the door. Right at that moment, Lady Qin was supporting Old Madame Lin as they hurried into the room, running directly into Lin Jinlou. The moment the two women saw the blood streaming down his temple, they were struck with sheer terror, their facial features twitching with agonizing heartache. Crying out "My flesh and blood!" and "My son!" in shrieking wails, tears burst from their eyes as they both threw their arms around Lin Jinlou and broke down sobbing.

Even though Lin Jinlou was burning with scorching anxiety, his mind remained remarkably clear. He thought to himself, Xianglan was tied up by my second uncle on my old man's orders. The saying goes that to capture bandits, you must first capture their chief; if I subdue my father first, Xianglan will naturally be brought back. Otherwise, if I chase after her right now, the carriage will long since have vanished without a trace. With this thought in mind, he instantly shifted his demeanor, turning back into the room. With tears welling in his eyes, he dropped to his knees and pleaded, "Father, if Xianglan suffers even the slightest harm, don't blame your son for being unfilial—I will truly shave my head and become a Buddhist monk."

When Old Madame Lin heard these words, she felt as though her very heart and liver had been ripped out. Letting out a choked sob, she bent her body forward to cradle Lin Jinlou's head in her arms and wept, "Lou'er, saying words like that—are you trying to take my life?" Her hands trembled as she reached out to wipe the blood from his forehead. Standing to one side, Lady Qin wiped away her own tears and joined in with soft, mournful weeping.

With reddened eye rims, Lin Jinlou said, "Grandmother, my father tied Xianglan up and sent her goodness knows where..."

Old Madame Lin looked down at Lin Jinlou, her face etched with boundless heartache. "Good child, get up off the ground first—the floor is cold. Does that wound on your head hurt?" Her brows locked in fierce anger as she pointed a trembling finger at Lin Changzheng and rebuked him harshly, "It is my own wretched fate that at my advanced age I failed to produce a decent son! Is this blood on his head something you beat out of him? You're actually going to drive my grandson to become a monk—what grave sin did I commit in my past life?" With that, she covered her face and wept uncontrollably.

Lin Changzheng was so exasperated he looked ready to tear out his own hair, stamping his feet as he cried, "Mother, you—you don't know the truth of it! You don't know what kind of disgraceful scandal this scoundrel has pulled off! I disciplined him entirely for the sake of our ancestors' honor and dignity!"

"I didn't see what disgraceful scandal he pulled off, but I certainly saw you beat him until his head was covered in blood! Do you find honor in that?" She lowered her gaze back to Lin Jinlou, speaking with immense maternal tenderness, "Hurry and apply some soothing ointment, poor child..." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks once more.

Lin Jinlou looked straight at Lin Changzheng and said, "Father, every single word I said just now came straight from the depths of my soul. My life was saved by Xianglan, and even the lives of over a hundred members of the Lin family were saved by her. If she suffers any mishap, I will go become a monk and chant scriptures for the rest of my days to seek redemption for her!"

Lin Changzheng flew into a towering rage. "You've gone mad! You've completely lost your mind—over a hundred lives? What kind of lunatic nonsense are you spouting?"

"I have not lost my mind!" Seeing that only his immediate family members were present in the room, with no servants, maidservants, or guards lingering about, Lin Jinlou gritted his teeth and blurted out, "I originally never intended to bring this matter up, letting it turn to ash and rot away in my stomach... But the year before last, I tracked down the Crown Prince of Jianzhang."

These words struck like a thunderbolt out of a clear blue sky, instantly leaving everyone in the room dumbfounded. Lin Changzheng staggered backward a few paces and blurted out in shock, "What? What did you say?"

"At the time, the Crown Prince was hiding away in a temple, having already renounced the mortal world. I met him once and dispatched my most trusted subordinates to escort him out of the pass toward the Western Regions. Unexpectedly, Zhao Jin somehow discovered this, investigated the matter thoroughly, and recorded it in detail. Later on, that fatal piece of evidence fell into the hands of Zhao Yuechan."

Lin Changzheng looked as though he had been struck by an immobilization spell. His complexion turning ashen gray, he stumbled backward with shuffling footsteps until he collapsed limply into a chair.

Lin Jinlou continued, "If not for Xianglan—who, on the night of the rebel uprising, cast aside past grievances and saved her life multiple times, becoming deeply moved—she took that letter and handed it to Xianglan right before she passed away. If anyone else had searched her corpse, that letter would have been discovered long ago, and by now every single member of the Lin family would have been executed and our entire household exterminated. What right would we still have here, lording over others and basking in matchless glory? It was only because Xianglan read the letter and then secretly tore it to shreds, never uttering a single word about it, that the secret was kept. If I hadn't happened to wake up at that exact moment and caught sight of it through stealth, absolutely no one would have ever known. The entire Lin family had no idea we had already received such a monumental debt of gratitude from her! Father, tell me—how are we supposed to repay this? How on earth can we ever repay it?!"

Lin Changzheng rose slowly to his feet, feeling profoundly dizzy as golden stars danced before his eyes.

Lin Jinlou raised his head, gazed at Old Madame Lin, and said in a hoarse, raspy voice, "Grandmother, because Father acted this way, as a son I dare not harbor resentment. If I am unable to fulfill my filial duties at your knees in the days to come, I ask only that Grandmother take good care of yourself." As he finished speaking, two trails of tears rolled down his cheeks.

Naturally, Lin Jinlou had no real desire to become a monk; right now, this was simply a strategic counter-offensive to trap his old man. However, Old Madame Lin could simply not bear it. Her eldest grandson, whom she had raised with her own hands and cherished dearly—how many years had it been since she had seen him looking in such a wretched state? The sight irresistibly brought back memories of when Lin Jinlou was a mischievous child who caused trouble and was chased around by his old man, seeking refuge by hiding inside her embrace. She pulled Lin Jinlou's head against her chest, holding him close as if he were still a young boy of six or seven. With a trembling finger pointing straight at Lin Changzheng, she demanded, "If you still acknowledge me as your mother, hurry up and send that girl Xianglan back here unharmed!"

Lin Changzheng protested, "Mother, this scoundrel is trying to marry someone of lowly maidservant origins..."

"Who he wants to marry is a separate matter. Right now, your immediate task is to have Xianglan brought back safe and sound."

Lin Changzheng ground his teeth. "No! If he has the guts, let him go become a monk!"

Hearing this, Lin Jinlou drew a dagger from his boot, raising it as if to slice off the topknot of hair on his head. Yuan Shaoren reacted with lightning speed, lunging forward to clamp his hand firmly around Lin Jinlou's wrist. The sight terrified Old Madame Lin so intensely that her heart nearly leaped straight out of her throat, and she let out a shrill, piercing wail: "Lou'er! My eldest grandson! What on art are you doing?! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?!"

Lady Qin hurried forward to grab the sleeve of Lin Changzheng's robe, shaking it desperately with tears welling in her eyes as she pleaded, "Father! Quickly send Xianglan back! We human beings cannot simply forget massive acts of gratitude; she has always been a good child..."

Trembling violently all over and overcome by a deep sense of disillusionment and exhaustion, Lin Changzheng let out a heavy sigh and slumped back down into his chair, seeming to age several years in a single instant. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a muffled, hoarse voice, "I had your second uncle take her to the Duke of Zhenguo's estate in the northern suburbs."

Upon hearing these words, Lin Jinlou sprang to his feet and made to leave immediately. Old Madame Lin blocked his path, refusing to let him go no matter what, crying all the while as she scolded, "Since we already know where she is, we can simply dispatch someone to fetch her back. Look at the wound on your head—what if it festers into a serious illness? You are not allowed to leave. You are not allowed to go. You aren't going anywhere." Lady Qin had already rushed out personally to fetch medicine.

Yuan Shaoren lowered his voice and said to Lin Jinlou, "Just put your mind at ease. I'll take men and go fetch her myself." With those words, he turned around and strode out of the room.