Once outside the room, an elderly matron was already waiting and led Lin Jinlou to Clumsy Guard Garden. Qin Shi was sitting on the heated brick bed, holding a hand warmer, while her young son Lin Jinyuan practiced calligraphy on a small heated brick bed table. When Lin Jinlou entered, Lin Jinyuan immediately dropped his brush, scrambled down from the bed, and rushed over shouting, "Big brother!"
Lin Jinlou lifted Lin Jinyuan briefly, set him down, and patted his head with a smile. "You've grown taller again."
Lin Jinyuan giggled delightedly. At just six years old, he had a chubby, adorable face with large, bright round eyes. Clinging to Lin Jinlou's leg, he chattered excitedly, "Was fighting fun? Mother said you use a big sword on the battlefield—I want one too! And, and... take me horseback riding! I want to ride a big horse!"
Lin Jinlou nodded with a laugh. "Alright, alright, I'll take you another time." He sat down in a chair, and Lin Jinyuan immediately wriggled his way onto his lap.
Qin Shi said, "Yuan Ge'er, stop pestering. I need to speak with your big brother."
Lin Jinyuan pretended not to hear, wrapping his plump little arms around Lin Jinlou's neck and swinging his feet. Qin Shi had no choice but to order the nurse and maids to take Lin Jinyuan away, but he stubbornly refused to budge. Lin Jinlou patted him and said, "Let him stay if he doesn't want to go." Then he tapped Lin Jinyuan's tiny nose.
Qin Shi waved for the servants to withdraw. Studying Lin Jinlou's expression, she cautiously said, "While you were away fighting, I didn't tell you some things, fearing it would distract you..."
While playing with his brother, Lin Jinlou replied calmly, "I know. Qing Lan died, along with the child in her womb—two lives lost."
Qin Shi exclaimed in surprise, "You knew?" She sighed deeply. "Well, it seems Qing Lan was simply unlucky. You should go offer incense to her later—such a pitiful fate."
Lin Jinlou lowered his head and grunted in acknowledgment.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Qin Shi cleared her throat softly. "There's a girl from a distant branch of my family—seventeen years old, quite beautiful, and gentle in nature. After the New Year, I'll bring her for you to meet. If you like her, you can take her in. It would be good to have someone to attend to you."
Lin Jinlou glanced at Qin Shi, pinched his brother's cheek, and said, "We'll see." After a pause, he added, "I intend to promote Hua Mei from my household."
"Hua Mei?" Qin Shi frowned. After Hua Mei's family home burned down, she had vanished without a trace. The Lin Family hadn't been able to find her, and her family hadn't come to cause trouble, so the matter had been dropped.
"Yes, Hua Mei. Her brother sent her to me. While I was away toiling, she took care of everything alone."
Qin Shi's frown deepened. "She went to you privately without informing the family? How could she do such a thing?"
Lin Jinlou said, "I've already punished her for that. She won't dare do it again." He patted Lin Jinyuan's bottom and set him on the floor. The boy immediately scampered off on his short legs to find his nurse.
Seeing Lin Jinlou's protective stance, Qin Shi dropped the subject and instead asked about the war and whether he had been injured. Lin Jinlou answered each question, then inquired about family affairs. Qin Shi replied, "Everything at home is fine, nothing major happened. It's just that Ting Ge'er failed the imperial examination this time. Others might not mind much, but although your second uncle didn't say anything, I could tell he wasn't too pleased."Lin Jinlou said, "Becoming a Recommended Man isn't that easy. If you could pass, and he could pass, wouldn't it be worthless? How old is Third Brother anyway? He can take the exam again later. At worst, if he can't pass, we can donate an official position for him—it's not like the family can't afford the silver."
Qin Shi said, "Your second uncle cares about face. The Song family's son passed as a Jieyuan, while Ting Ge'er failed the exam. The contrast is rather glaring. He has always wanted to gain favor in front of the old master, but the old master simply doesn't think much of him. Now that Ting Ge'er didn't pass and you've been promoted, the second branch is probably feeling resentful. You should be careful with your words."
Lin Jinlou sneered, "If Second Uncle spent less time fooling around outside and less effort on scheming, and more on proper matters, he wouldn't be in this situation."
Qin Shi sighed. She got along well with Wang Shi, the wife of the second branch, as sisters-in-law. Wang Shi had cried to her a few times, and she could only offer some comfort from the side. Mother and son spoke of other matters for a while, after which Lin Jinlou took his leave and headed to Knowing Spring Pavilion.
Zhao Yuechan swallowed her anger forcefully, not letting a trace of displeasure show on her face. She lowered her eyelids and watched as Xi Que laid a soft cushion on the floor, while Hua Mei bowed her head submissively and kowtowed to her.
Hua Mei wore a gleaming gold phoenix hairpin with a pearl, a crimson satin jacket with cloud-patterned borders and pearl trimmings, a finger-width Gold Ruyi Necklace around her neck, and a gold-inlaid jade ring on her hand—even better and larger than the one on Zhao Yuechan's hand. Her face was radiant with makeup, making her appear even more delicate and beautiful, with an unusual air of confidence. If she stood beside Zhao Yuechan, for a moment, it would be hard to tell who was the true mistress of the Lin Family.
Zhao Yuechan tightened her grip on her handkerchief.
After completing the ceremony, Hua Mei stood up and said to Zhao Yuechan, "This servant's home caught fire that day, and it so happened that the Master sent someone to fetch me, so I went along. By the Master's grace, I was elevated to Concubine. I hope the Lady will guide me more in the future." Her words were humble, but there was not a hint of respect in them; instead, they carried a tone of provocation.
Ying Shuang glared in fury. Zhao Yuechan felt as though she might break her nails in her palm, yet her face remained calm as she said indifferently, "That must have been hard on you. The Master is also to blame—if he wanted to bring someone over to serve, he should have told me. The family searched for you for a long time, thinking you were dead."
Hua Mei smiled coyly and said, "Thanks to the Great Lady's immense fortune, this servant's life was spared. My brother also achieved some military merits and was promoted another rank, which is a good thing too."
Zhao Yuechan pretended not to hear and said, "Now that you're back and have received the Master's favor, I've already ordered someone to tidy up a room for you. Later, I'll assign a clever maidservant to serve you."
Hua Mei immediately replied, "There's no need to trouble the Great Lady. When the Master returned, he already said to let me stay in the east wing. I'm not picky—the maidservant who previously served Concubine Lan can stay and serve me."
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Concubine Lan is with child, which is why Taitai specially assigned three maidservants to her. Ordinarily, a concubine only has one attendant. Giving you an extra maidservant is already against the rules. If you want the same treatment as Concubine Lan, you’d better strive to be more productive."
Hua Mei raised an eyebrow but did not argue, still wearing a smile as she said, "So that's how it is. I was being presumptuous. Please don't blame me, Lady."Zhao Yuechan picked up her tea bowl and said with a sarcastic tone, "How dare I blame you? You don't even care about the entire Lin Family, coming and going as you please without a word of notice. You put on more airs than the Master and Taitai themselves. If I were to blame you, wouldn't I just be asking for trouble?"
Hua Mei pretended not to understand and remained silent, still wearing a smile on her face.
Zhao Yuechan was so infuriated by her unyielding attitude that she wanted to scratch Hua Mei's face. However, with Lin Jinlou not yet returned and the situation unclear, she didn't dare act rashly.
Just then, Lin Jinlou entered the room. Both Zhao Yuechan and Hua Mei stood up. Lin Jinlou took a seat at the head of the room and asked, "Is everything arranged?"
This question was directed at both Zhao Yuechan and Hua Mei.
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Of course it's arranged. Hua Mei said you promised her the East Wing and even wanted the maids who previously served Concubine Lan. It's her good fortune that you want to elevate her status, and there's nothing wrong with her living in Concubine Lan's former quarters. But regarding the maids, I need to consult Taitai before making a decision, otherwise Taitai might say I lack propriety."
Lin Jinlou raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at Hua Mei. He had indeed promised to make her a concubine, but he had never mentioned giving her the East Wing, let alone assigning her the maids who previously served Qing Lan.
Hua Mei continued to play dumb, merely lowering her head to examine the patterns on her skirt.
Zhao Yuechan added, "Although you were the one who brought Hua Mei back, you should at least inform the family. Otherwise, if this bad precedent is set—with people coming and going as they please today and tomorrow—what will become of the family rules? If I try to discipline anyone in the future, and they retort with 'Even the Master's concubine behaves this way,' what am I supposed to do?"
Lin Jinlou glanced at Hua Mei again. Hua Mei had been sent to Zhejiang by her brother, yet it was now being twisted into "Hua Mei was brought back by him." She had openly tried to outsmart him twice, which displeased Lin Jinlou. However, Hua Mei had been gentle and attentive lately, taking care of everything perfectly, and she had a sweet tongue that knew how to please. Because of this, Lin Jinlou had rekindled some of his old affection for her. Their intimacy hadn't yet faded, so he decided to spare her some dignity and remained silent.
But that glance from Lin Jinlou sent a chill down Hua Mei's spine, and she didn't dare move a muscle.
The room fell into silence.
Finally, Lin Jinlou spoke, "Since you want to live in the East Wing, you may do so. As for the maids, follow the household's standard allocation. However, you left the residence without notifying the family and should be punished." He looked at Zhao Yuechan and said, "You are the mistress of the house. You decide."
Zhao Yuechan was taken aback for a moment, then overjoyed. Hua Mei, never expecting Lin Jinlou to say such a thing, abruptly lifted her head, her face full of astonishment.
Suppressing her triumph, Zhao Yuechan said, "You shall kneel in the ancestral hall for one hour, copy the 'Admonitions for Women' three times, and have your monthly allowance suspended for half a year." She thought to herself, "No matter how proud you are, I am the legitimate wife of the Lin Family. If you dare cause trouble in front of me, I'll make sure you don't even know how you died."Lin Jinlou frowned and said, "Kneeling in the ancestral hall in the dead of winter is inappropriate. This punishment is exempted, but the rest shall be carried out." Zhao Yuechan grew furious upon hearing his pity for Hua Mei. Though aggrieved, Hua Mei remained vigilant. Under her instigation with added details, Lin Jinlou had repeatedly threatened to divorce Zhao Yuechan and send her back to her family. Yet now, despite his cold demeanor, he still honored Zhao Yuechan as the Taitai of the Main House. She couldn't comprehend why a domineering figure like Lin Jinlou would yield to Zhao Yuechan, but inwardly she held little regard for her. Moreover, as Lin Jinlou gradually valued her more, she developed the audacity to challenge Zhao Yuechan. However, after Lin Jinlou's stern reprimand, she immediately understood her place and replied meekly, "Yes, this servant was wrong and accepts the punishment." She then rose and bowed.
Just then, someone outside announced, "Master, Taitai, the Old Mistress has gifted two maids. I've brought them here."
Thank you to Hua Xiyuexi, wqpaqm, and hyhde8486 for the Peace Talismans.
Ah, I wrote this in the early hours and uploaded it, but when I checked this morning, I realized it hadn't updated—turns out I forgot to hit publish ⊙﹏⊙b
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