Lin Jinlou retrieved brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from the monk's quarters and wrote a divorce letter, handing it to Zhao Xuede. Zhao Gang rubbed his hands together and asked, "Although this is a mutual separation, it still affects our reputation. What do you think..."
Lin Jinlou said indifferently, "Not a single negative word about the Zhao family will pass our lips. Say whatever you wish, with one condition—do not tarnish the Lin Family's reputation."
Zhao Xuede breathed a sigh of relief. Lin Jinlou's words effectively concealed Zhao Yuechan's affair. He glanced at Hao Qing and asked, "How should we deal with this man?"
Lin Jinlou smiled mockingly, "Let the Zhao family handle it." With that, he turned and walked out without looking back.
Zhao Xuede felt a sharp pain in his chest from Lin Jinlou's smile. He glared fiercely at Zhao Yuechan and said, "Hurry up and put your clothes on!" His expression turned venomous as he looked at Hao Qing. Hao Qing trembled all over, his voice shaking as he pleaded, "Spare me, master! Spare me!"
Zhao Gang stepped forward, stuffed a wad of clothing into Hao Qing's mouth, and whispered in Zhao Xuede's ear, "Later, we'll stuff him into a sack, tie stones to it, and throw him into the river. No one will ever know."
Zhao Xuede gave an almost imperceptible nod and said, "Make sure it's done cleanly and efficiently."
Zhao Gang accepted the order and immediately found a sack to bundle Hao Qing into, leaving that matter aside for now.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou walked out and summoned his trusted subordinate Hu Lai to his side, asking quietly, "Where are they now?"
Hu Lai lowered his voice and replied, "We just received word—they've left Jiangsu and are about to enter Anhui."
Lin Jinlou nodded and let out a long sigh. When Zhao Xuede had first approached him to discuss capturing the crown prince, Lin Jinlou had thought it was a joke. But after careful investigation, he was shocked to discover that the crown prince was indeed in Jinling City, having shaved his head to become a monk, wandering with a begging bowl. Lin Jinlou had met the crown prince in the palace as a child and remembered the blood-red mole above his right eyebrow—it was unmistakably the same person. He found himself in a dilemma: the Eighth Prince had firmly secured the throne and was growing stronger, making it unlikely for the crown prince to stage a comeback. Betting on the crown prince seemed unwise. Yet, the crown prince had once treated the Lin Family generously, and one must not be ungrateful—as the saying goes, "The deposed king showed kindness, but the current sovereign is hard to defy."
Ultimately, Lin Jinlou was a man of decisive action. Seeing the crown prince write the words "The rivers and mountains remain, but all turns to dust in old age," he understood that the crown prince had no intention of reclaiming the throne. He then provided gold, silver, and valuables, ordering his trusted men to pack and escort the crown prince and his retinue out of the city to settle beyond the frontier.
Turning back, he began to plan. In recent days, he had deliberately left early and returned late, avoiding home, while secretly having people keep watch. He uncovered numerous disgraceful acts committed by Zhao Yuechan outside. Initially, he had considered catching her in the act and ending it cleanly with a single stroke, but doing so would have been reckless and damaged the harmony between the Lin and Zhao families. Now, with this pretext, Lin Jinlou set a trap to lure the Zhao father and son, exposing everything face-to-face. Later, he would have Lin Zhaoxiang write to Zhao Yuechan's grandfather, Zhao Jin, to clarify matters, offending only Zhao Xuede's branch while preserving relations with the other Zhao families.
Now that he had finally shaken off the repulsive burden, Lin Jinlou felt immensely relieved and found everything pleasing to the eye. He put on a show of ordering his subordinates to search Sweet Dew Temple.Xianglan had been standing in the wind for a long time, her hands and feet numb from the cold. Seeing Lin Jinlou suddenly emerge from the building and begin a thorough search, she thought in astonishment, "Could it be that Lin Jinlou isn’t here to catch an adulterer? Are there really rebels in this temple?" But from a distance, she noticed Lin Jinlou looked entirely at ease, not at all like someone preparing to capture rebels with grave seriousness. Her suspicions grew. Afraid he might spot her, she quietly hid behind a cluster of plum trees.
Just then, a soldier with thick eyebrows and large eyes, dressed respectably, approached and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Xianglan quickly curtsied and replied, "I am a pilgrim who came to the temple to burn incense. I was having tea in the guest hall, but when I saw how beautifully the plum blossoms were blooming in the monastery courtyard, I came over to take a look. Then the gentlemen arrived suddenly and guarded the doors, not allowing anyone to leave, so I had no choice but to stay here."
The questioner was none other than Hu Lai. He looked her up and down and saw that the woman before him wore a blue satin cloak trimmed with fur and spoke with refined politeness. Though her hood covered half her face, making it impossible to see her features clearly, it was evident she came from a wealthy family—perhaps even a young lady of status. He waved his hand and said, "Go on out. This area is for the monks. A young lady like you shouldn’t come here in the future."
Xianglan was only too glad to comply. She curtsied again and was about to leave when she heard someone call out from behind, "Wait!"
Xianglan froze. It was Lin Jinlou’s voice!
Far from "waiting," she quickened her pace, only to find her path suddenly blocked as Lin Jinlou strode forward and stood before her. His tall frame cast her into shadow.
Xianglan was terrified, her legs turning to jelly, her body trembling slightly. She kept her head bowed low. A hand appeared in front of her, holding a palace ribbon adorned with an orchid pattern, from which hung a five-colored ruyi sachet. Lin Jinlou asked lazily, "Is this yours?"
Xianglan looked and recognized it as the very item she had tied to her skirt. The ribbon must have come loose, and the sachet had fallen to the ground. She lowered her voice and mumbled, "Thank you, sir," reaching out to take it.
Lin Jinlou had intended to return the sachet to her, but as the girl lifted her head slightly, he caught a glimpse of her delicate chin and a hint of her rosy lips beneath the hood. Those lips looked familiar, and in a flash, he remembered Xianglan, the maidservant from before, who had had just such a mouth—soft and pink, tempting one to kiss it.
Lin Jinlou suddenly furrowed his brow and asked, "What is your name?" He reached out to remove Xianglan’s hood, but at that moment, the door to the monastery room swung open, and Zhao Xuede stepped out, saying, "General Lin, have you found any rebels?" Having already handed over the divorce letter, Zhao Xuede, thick-skinned as he was, could no longer bring himself to call Lin Jinlou "son-in-law" and instead addressed him as "General Lin." His heart was bitter—what a splendid match it had been! Lin Jinlou, so young, had already been appointed a fourth-rank general, with a boundless future ahead. Zhao Yuechan, that wretched girl, had been a fourth-rank lady by marriage, and he himself would have been the father-in-law of a fourth-rank general. How hateful that he had been denied such fortune!
Seeing Lin Jinlou speaking with a woman, his arm raised as if about to touch her, Zhao Xuede grew even more displeased and said sternly, "General Lin, I urge you to focus on the matter at hand."
Xianglan’s heart pounded wildly. Seizing the opportunity, she took half a step back and bowed her head even lower.Lin Jinlou was thoroughly impatient, thinking to himself, "What bloody rebel is there in this temple? It's just a ploy to lure you here to see how your daughter is sneaking around with a thief." But he still had to give Zhao Xuede some face, so he withdrew his hand and said expressionlessly, "Rest assured, Lord Zhao. This place is surrounded tightly as an iron barrel—the rebel couldn't escape even if he had wings."
Zhao Gang said, "We ask General Lin to take charge of the situation. May we speak in private?" He stepped forward and grabbed Lin Jinlou's arm, saying someone had found a piece of calligraphy and painting, likely created by the rebel. Before leaving, Lin Jinlou glanced at Xianglan and ordered, "Wait right here!" Before the words faded, he was dragged off by Zhao Gang, who addressed him as "brother."
Xianglan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Peeking to confirm Lin Jinlou had gone far, she lifted her skirts and broke into a run, dashing out of the monastic courtyard. She spotted Granny Wang still waiting anxiously in the guest hall. Granny Wang was overjoyed to see Xianglan, as if a phoenix had descended from heaven, and hurried forward, saying, "My dear girl, where have you been?"
Xianglan rushed up and grabbed Granny Wang, saying, "There are soldiers inside, saying they're here to capture a rebel. I'm afraid weapons have no eyes—we'd better leave quickly."
Granny Wang had already noticed the soldiers, and upon hearing "capture a rebel" and "weapons have no eyes," she panicked too. She and Xianglan hurriedly fled together. Once outside the temple gate, they saw Old Man Wang sitting on the carriage shaft with his hands tucked in his sleeves. Xianglan and Granny Wang climbed into the carriage and ordered an immediate return to the Song residence.
After the carriage had traveled a stretch, Xianglan dared to sneak a look outside by lifting the curtain. Seeing the surroundings were quiet and no one was pursuing them, she finally relaxed, slumping against the carriage wall. Only then did she realize her undergarments were soaked with cold sweat, and a fine layer of perspiration beaded her forehead. Xianglan took out a handkerchief to wipe it, and as she lowered her head, she noticed her skirt ribbon was empty. She felt a pang of regret for the lost palace ribbon and sachet, but then thought losing those external possessions was better than being captured by Lin Jinlou, which brought her some comfort.
When they entered Jinling city, Xianglan looked back again and, seeing no soldiers in pursuit, finally felt at ease. Returning to the Song household, she simply closed the doors and focused entirely on preparing for the New Year.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou, entangled by Zhao Gang for what felt like ages, grew extremely impatient but had no choice but to listen attentively. When he finally emerged, he found no trace of anyone under the plum tree in the courtyard. Furious, Lin Jinlou summoned the nearby soldiers and demanded, "Where is she? The person who was standing under the tree?"
The soldier looked bewildered, unsure whom Lin Jinlou meant. Hu Lai, hearing Lin Jinlou's angry shout, hurried over and said, "That young lady has already left."
Lin Jinlou's face darkened instantly, but with various tasks demanding his attention, he had no choice but to set the matter aside for the time being.
Sweet Dew Temple was thoroughly searched from top to bottom, but no trace of a rebel was found. However, in one room, they discovered a landscape painting with a few sparse brushstrokes. In the blank space, two lines of poetry were inscribed: "The rivers and mountains remain as ever, but all turns to emptiness in old age." Below it was stamped with the royal seal, seemingly the work of the crown prince. Zhao Xuede treated it as a priceless treasure, instantly invigorated as if injected with adrenaline. He gathered all the temple's monks for questioning and learned that the person was a wandering monk who had stayed there half a month ago and had long since departed to parts unknown.Zhao Xuede immediately dispatched the letter to his grandfather via express courier and planned to conduct a thorough search throughout Jinling. Lin Jinlou sneered inwardly—the crown prince had long been sent to another province under his arrangements. In a few days, they would cross from Anhui into Henan, heading northwest toward the frontier until all traces vanished beyond recovery. Even if Zhao Xuede turned Jinling upside down, he would find nothing.
After a hectic day, Lin Jinlou returned home in the late afternoon. With Zhao Yuechan away, Ying Ge seized the opportunity to attend to him, presenting a goji berry soup she had prepared herself. Noticing Lin Jinlou’s hunger, she instructed the kitchen to reheat some food. Lin Jinlou ate hastily and prepared to change clothes, intending to inform his elders about divorcing Zhao Yuechan. As Ying Ge helped him change, his cloak came off with a "thud," and the sachet tied with an orchid-patterned palace ribbon tumbled from his sleeve onto the floor.
Ying Ge hurried to pick it up, but Lin Jinlou frowned, snatched the sachet, and strode out to order a young servant on duty in the corridor to summon Shuangxi and Ji Xiang. He commanded sharply, "Investigate which human trafficker bought the former maid named Xianglan and where she is now. You must find her within three days!"
Special thanks to Qingchenlove for the He's Jade Disc—I’ll add an extra chapter for you, though with current backlog, it’ll be scheduled later. My apologies... fidgets . Thanks to yu21yu21 for two Peace Talismans, Yunxia Nishang, and hyhde8486 for the Peace Talismans.
Also, thank you all for the pink votes!
Due to health reasons, I missed a chapter update recently but will make up for it this weekend.
Please continue voting to support me—any votes are welcome! ^_^
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