Against the Current - Chapter 344

Chapter 344 - Conflict (Part 2)

Lin Changzheng sat in a dazed silence for a long while until a page boy came from the front to invite him, at which point he blankly made his way back out front. Before long, Lady Qin returned with the medicine. Swallowing down her surging grievances and aching heart, she didn't dare show them too openly as she personally took a hand towel to wipe the blood from Lin Jinlou's wound and applied the ointment for him. Old Madame Lin stood close by, continuously stroking Lin Jinlou's hand while patting his head to smooth down his hair, her eyes brimming with tears as she said, "You stubborn child, why must you be so headstrong? Could you not have humored your father with a few soft words, just pretending to play along? We have your back in everything; your grandmother is entirely on your side—would we ever wrong you? Your body, hair, and skin are gifts from your parents, not something you can just slice off on a whim. If you make a scene like this, you'll shave off years of your grandmother's life."

Lin Jinlou rasped in a hoarse voice, "How could my Father act like this? Think of how monumental Xianglan's grace was to our family. If something were truly to happen to her, I would never have the face to go on living."

Lady Qin hurriedly consoled, "They've already gone to fetch her, haven't they?"

Lin Jinlou countered, "Mother, you know better than anyone what kind of person Xianglan is. She merely comes from a humble background, but the old saying goes that heroes are not judged by their origins. My Father is truly... Is outward face more important, or is substance more important? Aren't you supposed to live your life in comfort, rather than putting on a show for outsiders to watch?" As he spoke, his anxiety flared up again, and he made to stand back up. "No, I have to go see for myself."

Old Madame Lin coaxed him hurriedly, "Yes, yes, don't be anxious, darling, be a good boy. Let's finish putting on the medicine first. Don't you just want to marry her? Your grandmother is here, your grandmother is here." Having listened to Lin Zhaoxiang's instructions earlier, she had initially intended to wash her hands of the matter and let things take their course. But today's explosive spectacle had shaken her to the core; seeing the father and son driven to such extremes—drawing blood today, threatening to shave their heads and become monks, and dragging out a terrifying secret that nearly scared her out of her wits—and knowing full well how ruthless and daring her eldest grandson could be (meaning he might actually follow through and shave his head), she felt a mix of resentment toward Lin Changzheng and a desperate need to soothe Lin Jinlou while quietly making up her mind.

Once the medicine was applied, Lin Jinlou couldn't sit still in the room for another second and insisted on going out to look for her personally. Despite Old Madame Lin and Lady Qin's desperate attempts to hold him back, Lin Jinlou ordered his men to go ahead and wait at each relay point for news. Presently, a young page scurried inside and reported, "Reporting to Eldest Master, Fourth Brother-in-Law says he was unable to find Mistress Xianglan's whereabouts. She was never delivered to the estate, and they've questioned everyone all along the road with no trace found..."

"What—what did you say? She wasn't found?"

"Yes, she wasn't found..." The page boy knelt on the floor, casting furtive, upward glances without daring to move a muscle. "Fourth Brother-in-Law has already dispatched men to stand guard at the estate and has gone searching along the route..."

Lin Jinlou slammed his palm down onto the side table with such force that a teacup was knocked flying, shattering into pieces across the floor. To think he had been sitting here foolishly, worrying over a petty scratch on his head, while Xianglan had gone missing once again! Could the old man have lied to him? Consumed by a towering rage, Lin Jinlou ignored the frantic calls of his grandmother and mother entirely, striding straight toward the front courtyard. Bursting into the reception hall where all the seated elders and dignitaries stared at him in utter astonishment, Lin Jinlou caught sight of Lin Changmin sitting among the guests, lunged forward, grabbed his second uncle by the collar, and hauled him up.

Terrified out of his wits, Lin Changmin dropped his chopsticks to the floor and struggled frantically. However, he was no match for Lin Jinlou's physical strength, prompting him to sputter in furious panic, "Have you lost your mind?! What are you trying to do, what are you trying to do?! I am your elder! I am your second uncle!"

Lin Jinlou had already dragged him out of the hall and landed a swift punch straight to his face, snarling bitterly, "Behave yourself!"

Lin Changmin let out a muffled groan, in too much pain to speak. Seizing his collar once more, Lin Jinlou slammed him against the wall and hissed through gritted teeth, "Where is Xianglan? Where did you send Xianglan?"

Lin Changmin froze, his face draining of all color.

Lin Jinlou roared furiously, "Speak! Where did you take Xianglan?!"

It was the first time Lin Changmin had ever seen Lin Jinlou look so terrifyingly murderous. His legs went weak, and he nearly spilled everything right then and there, stammering, "I—how would I know where to take her? It was your father who told me to send..."

"She's not at the estate! Exactly where did you send her?!"

"I—I—how should I know? I... I just had my men deliver her..."

Lin Changzheng had already rushed over, grabbing hold of Lin Jinlou's arm and trembling all over with fury. "You unfilial wretch! Are you determined to completely disgrace this family before you'll stop? Let go of him this instant!"

Lin Jinlou's voice was hoarse as he demanded, "Father, where on earth have you people hidden Xianglan?"

Lin Changzheng glared at him. "Preposterous! Do you actually suspect I lied to you? Unbelievable!"

Hearing this, Lin Jinlou shoved Lin Changmin aside and bolted toward the stables. The stable boy was currently adding feed to the troughs when, seeing Lin Jinlou arrive so abruptly, he didn't even have time to bow and offer greetings before seeing him leap straight onto a horse, roar "Hyah!", and charge out at a gallop.

The guards on duty outside the inner gates saw Lin Jinlou riding out and hurriedly opened the gates to let him pass. The squad of guards stationed there instantly grabbed their weapons and mounted up to trail closely behind him. Ever since the incident where Lin Jinlou was injured, the security detail of the Lin Family Army had been substantially reinforced; whenever Lin Jinlou rode out, he was invariably followed by a dozen elite riders. A flurry of dust kicked up along the street as Lin Jinlou streaked past on horseback, followed by a thundering cohort of men that startled numerous street vendors and pedestrians. A few scholars muttered quietly among themselves: "Wonder which aristocratic playboy this is, acting so wildly arrogant." "Shh, didn't you see the official uniforms on the men behind them? It's probably some military commander on official business."

Burning with scorching anxiety, Lin Jinlou sped straight toward the Duke of Zhenguo's estate in the northern suburbs. How could someone vanish without a trace just like that? Xianglan never stepped outside the inner chambers, and this was her very first time in the capital. The only time she had ever been out of the city was when he took her to the street once and traveled out to the Shen family ancestral tombs, sitting inside a carriage the entire time so that she was completely clueless about the streets and alleyways outside. If she got lost, she wouldn't even know the way back. She certainly hadn't been carrying any silver when she was abducted, and being a simple-minded person, she rarely wore more than a couple of pieces of jewelry on her person. If something happened, she wouldn't even have traveling expenses to grease palms along the way. Moreover, she was so delicate and frail; if she ran into wicked scoundrels, she would be utterly ruined. Lin Jinlou couldn't even bear to let his mind wander down that path, spurring his horse onward with relentless urgency.

He rode at breakneck speed, the sound of rushing wind whistling past his ears. Yet with every bounce of the saddle, the fresh wound on his forehead throbbed with intensifying agony, making his temples pound violently. Soon, a warm wetness dampened the corner of his eye; wiping it with his hand, he found that the wound had torn open again, letting fresh blood stream down. Lin Jinlou paid it no mind, simply wiping his hand casually across the fabric of his brand-new, luxurious attire.

Upon arriving at the estate, he found Tao Hongxun and a few other clan youths gathered around a table set up under the shade of a tree, eating and drinking. Spotting this master approaching from afar, Tao Hongxun hurriedly put down his chopsticks, hurried forward to welcome him, and greeted him with a cupped-hand salute and a smile, "I heard the thunder of hooves a moment ago—so it turns out to be my eldest brother-in-law." Looking closer and spotting the blood on Lin Jinlou's forehead, he added in sudden alarm, "Oh dear, brother-in-law, what on earth happened to you?"

Lin Jinlou waved a hand dismissively, caught his breath, and asked, "Did anyone get brought to this estate today? Where is Old Yuan?"

Tao Hongxun replied, "Fourth brother-in-law came by earlier and has already left. He was also asking if anyone had been sent here, and even left men behind to wait. No one was sent to this estate today at all. Shall I summon the estate manager to ask? Or we could search the entire place from top to bottom—though I'm certain no one is hidden here."

Lin Jinlou swayed unsteadily, looking utterly defeated. Just as Tao Hongxun was ordering someone to fetch medicine, he saw that Lin Jinlou had already vaulted back onto his horse, spun the mount around, and galloped off.

Back at the Lin residence, following Lin Jinlou's departure, Lin Changzheng and Lin Changmin stood exchanging blank, speechless glances until a page boy reported that the Grand Patriarch was requesting Lin Changzheng's presence. Lin Changzheng hurried away to comply. Entering You-shi Hall, he found Lin Zhaoxiang and Old Madame Lin seated on a mother-of-pearl-inlaid bamboo cooling bed in the shade of the trees, covered with a fine green dragon-beard rush mat. Old Madame Lin was wiping away tears while speaking with Lin Zhaoxiang. Seeing Lin Changzheng enter, she let out an audible "Hmph" of displeasure, stood up, and walked away.

Lin Changzheng approached, keeping his eyes respectfully fixed downwards, and bowed deeply. "Father."

Lin Zhaoxiang set aside his water pipe and said, "You're here? Your mother told me all about what happened in the study earlier."

Lin Changzheng hastily said, "It is my son's lack of filial piety that made Mother angry. But that rebellious boy simply cannot be shaped into anything without harsh discipline."

Lin Zhaoxiang asked, "Do you honestly think beating him will make him a man? From childhood to now, when has beating him ever worked? When has he ever obeyed you?"

"..."

"Let's not speak of that." Lin Zhaoxiang waved a hand. "What do you intend to do about this matter concerning Xianglan?"

Lin Changzheng hesitated. Previously, he had opposed it tooth and nail, but now that his eldest son was refusing to yield even in death—and had even dropped the bombshell secret regarding the Crown Prince of Jianzhang—he still felt lingering waves of dizziness and vertigo, entirely at a loss for what to do. Yet deep down, a sense of stubborn prejudice remained; the Lin family was currently at the absolute peak of its glory and prosperity, and if people were to say that the primary grandson of the house had taken a maidservant as his wife, wouldn't they become the laughingstock of everyone?

Seeing him remain silent, Lin Zhaoxiang tapped his walking cane against the ground and said, "You still don't know, do you? To fight a battle against you, Lou'er went so far as to poke this matter all the way up to the noble figures in the palace. I hear the play the Empress Dowager has been watching most frequently these past few days is The Tale of Scholar Laxiang."

Lin Changzheng was deeply shocked, gritting his teeth as he muttered, "This unfilial wretch! How could he be so utterly lacking in discretion!"

"What else could he do when driven to the top? You can't crush him into submission with pressure, and you know as well as anyone how reckless his temperament is. I simply wanted to see just how much resolve and capability this kid had regarding this matter, and sure enough, he really stirred things up."

"Father, he is merely indulging his impulses to commit a foolish blunder. He..."

"Enough. Putting aside the fact that he has already done it, that young woman clearly rendered monumental service to the Lin family. What do you intend to do?"

"..."

"Changzheng, step by step, the Lin family has reached where we are today. What do you think our foundation rests upon?"

Recovering his wits, Lin Changzheng answered respectfully, "We rely on the teachings of our ancestors—establishing ourselves through diligence, loyalty, generosity, and sincerity. That is how we achieved our current prosperity."

Lin Zhaoxiang stood up, speaking with profound, far-reaching significance. "Correct. Diligence, loyalty, generosity, and sincerity—when you boil it all down, it comes down to a single word: 'Virtue.' When virtue is passed down through a family, it can endure for over ten generations; cultivation and scholarship come second, poetry and books third. But wealth and status passed down through a house rarely last beyond three generations. As the saying goes, when choosing a wife, choose virtue; otherwise, even if you climb high to forge a connection with an aristocratic family and bring home a noble daughter who lacks the virtue matching her position, she will only spend all day fighting and scheming, with a belly full of calculated trickery. Is that the sign of a family on the rise? Furthermore, the Lin family has reached a point where we no longer need to pander to anyone."

Lin Changzheng was startled, lifting his head abruptly to stare at Lin Zhaoxiang. "Father, you mean..."

"If Lou'er wants to marry her, let him marry her. It will make a fine tale to be told. I saw that young woman myself; she is an exceedingly rare gem whom ordinary women simply cannot match. A wife of one generation shapes ten generations of descendants. Don't trap your vision right here—look further into the future."