Xianglan quickly turned her back and stood still, pulling her hood even lower to cover half her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw people passing by and quietly edged her way outward, thinking to herself, "There's no need to watch the drama of a husband catching his wife in adultery. The sensible thing now is to stay far away from this harbinger of trouble." Unexpectedly, several soldiers were already stationed at the outer courtyard gate, blocking her path and saying, "Young lady, please turn back. The officials are apprehending rebels. No one is allowed to leave—only entry is permitted!"
Xianglan was dumbfounded. Though anxious, she had no choice but to concede, thinking, "Lin Jinlou is here for Zhao Yuechan. I'll just find a place to hide and wait until he catches them in the act and leaves. Then I can slip away quietly." So she hid behind the lodge and cautiously peeked outside.
Accompanying Lin Jinlou were Zhao Xuede and his son, Zhao Gang. Zhao Gang had never been fond of studying since childhood and remained an uneducated commoner. Zhao Xuede had bribed the examiners to grant him the status of a xiucai, and later spent silver to purchase a nominal official rank of the eighth grade—merely an empty title for prestige. Zhao Gang spent his days cockfighting and dog-racing, engaging in frivolous pursuits, but he was sharp-witted and full of cunning schemes, serving as his father's strategist. Seeing Lin Jinlou surround the lodge, he hurried over and whispered, "How many rebels are hiding here? Do you have any brilliant ideas, brother-in-law?"
Zhao Xuede, a man of the pen, had never experienced such a situation and stared eagerly at Lin Jinlou.
Watching the father and son rubbing their hands in anticipation, Lin Jinlou inwardly sneered but curled his lips into a faint smile and said lightly, "Brilliant ideas? Starting from this room, we'll search every one of them, damn it." Before the words faded, he had already taken two swift steps, raised his foot, and kicked the door open. A scream immediately erupted from inside. Xianglan covered her eyes at once, thinking, "Oh dear, Eldest Master Lou is about to witness his own cuckolding with his own eyes. How pitiful, how pitiful."
The Zhao father and son never expected Lin Jinlou to act so abruptly. Seeing him charge in, they froze for a moment. Hearing a woman's scream inside, they exchanged glances and craned their necks to peer into the room.
Zhao Yuechan and Hao Qing were at a critical moment, entwined in a frenzy of passion, completely oblivious to the commotion outside. Suddenly, with a loud crash, the door was kicked open. Hao Qing was so terrified he lost his vigor, and Zhao Yuechan couldn't help but scream, scrambling backward in panic.
Lin Jinlou, clad in a dark blue fur-lined cloak, swept in with a gust of cold air, his face filled with murderous intent. Zhao Yuechan's heart turned to ice, her soul nearly fleeing in terror as she desperately shrank into the corner. Lin Jinlou saw everything clearly, his eyes nearly bleeding with rage. He cursed, "You vile slut!" and slapped her, then viciously grabbed her by the hair. He had already uncovered Zhao Yuechan's adultery and scheming through the account books, and today's events were part of a trap he had set to rid himself of the Zhao family. But now, witnessing with his own eyes the vivid green cap of cuckoldry placed upon his own head, Lin Jinlou felt nothing but humiliation and stifling anger. His rage threatened to spiral out of control, and he wished he could simply stab them all to death and be done with it.Zhao Xuede and his son had already spotted a man and woman entangled together, though they couldn't clearly see their faces. Zhao Gang caught sight of the woman's powdered arms and jade-like legs, her breasts bouncing wildly, making his mouth dry and lust surge. He thought to himself: "So this temple isn't so holy after all—a monk actually brought a woman here for fun... Tsk tsk, this girl's delicate skin and tender flesh make her quite a beauty. I'll find some excuse later to have a taste..."
Zhao Xuede never expected to stumble upon such illicit affairs. Under normal circumstances, he would have watched the spectacle with folded hands and later recounted it as a juicy story over drinks. But today was a critical moment for hunting rebels, a matter that concerned his family's glorious future, so he grew impatient and said, "Worthy son-in-law, this monk has broken the monastic rules—leave him for others to deal with. We have important matters today..."
Just then, Lin Jinlou grabbed the woman's hair and turned her around, revealing her face to everyone. When Zhao Xuede saw that flower-like, jade-smooth face filled with terror, the rest of his words choked in his throat. His face turned purplish-green, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground in shock, and then his blood ran cold.
Zhao Gang also saw everything clearly and thought, "This is bad!"
By now, Hao Qing had regained his senses. Seeing people burst in to catch them in the act, he knew things had gone wrong. Noticing two men blocking the door—both less burly than him—he seized the moment of distraction, gathered his clothes, and charged toward the door stark naked. The Zhao father and son were stunned, instinctively stepping aside, allowing Hao Qing to actually rush out.
Surrounding the monastic quarters were elite soldiers of the Lin Family Army. Seeing a naked man suddenly dash out, they simultaneously drew their goose-quill sabers with a "clang," pointing the gleaming blades at Hao Qing. Hao Qing was dumbfounded, never expecting a large group of imposing, sword-wielding officers guarding the entrance. He inwardly lamented—even for catching adulterers, such a grand display was unheard of! What kind of trouble had he stumbled into?
The biting cold outside made Hao Qing tremble uncontrollably, whether from fear or the chill. His legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground, wailing, "Spare me, my lords! Spare me!"
The men outside were also bewildered. Today, the general had mustered troops to capture someone at Ganlu Temple, declaring it top secret. Now, after breaking down the door, they first heard a woman's scream, then a naked man rushed out. Could it be that the general had sent them to catch adulterers? But they showed no expression, still pointing their cold sabers at the man.
Xianglan, hiding behind the house, saw Hao Qing leap out and covered her face in shame. Hearing the cries, she cautiously peeked through her fingers. Then came Lin Jinlou's roar from inside: "Are you all standing there dead? Seize him!"
Immediately, someone stepped forward, pinned Hao Qing's shoulders and bound his arms behind his back. Hao Qing shook like a leaf, sobbing and sniveling, "Spare me, my lord! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
Another thunderous roar came from inside: "Shut his stinking mouth! Bring him in here!" Hao Qing was gagged and thrown into the room. Quick-witted Zhao Gang, having grasped the situation, pulled Zhao Xuede inside and slammed the door shut with a "bang."Zhao Yuechan trembled in a heap on the bed. She knew all too well Lin Jinlou’s brutality, and now that she had been caught in adultery, she feared her life would end here. Terrified, she wept uncontrollably until the sound of the door opening startled her. Seeing Zhao Xuede and Zhao Gang enter, she was first shocked, then overjoyed. Sobbing, she cried out, "Father! Brother! Save me!" Only after her plea did she remember she was naked. She pulled the quilt up higher, bowing her head in shame, her heart a turmoil of fear, humiliation, shock, and anger.
Zhao Xuede was so furious he wished he could strangle Zhao Yuechan on the spot. He had come to capture rebels, but instead, he had caught his own daughter in an affair right in front of his son-in-law. Even if he was no saint, the situation was unbearably humiliating, shaming generations of his family. Dizzy with rage, he nearly fainted, not daring to look at Lin Jinlou’s expression. He strode forward and slapped Zhao Yuechan hard across the face, gritting his teeth as he cursed, "You wretched beast! Why don’t you just die and be done with it!"
Zhao Yuechan buried her face in the quilt and wailed loudly.
Zhao Gang pulled Zhao Xuede aside and glanced at Lin Jinlou. He thought to himself, Lin Jinlou rose through military exploits; his hands are stained with blood, and he radiates a murderous aura—best not to provoke him. Seeing Lin Jinlou’s face dark and icy, his eyes filled with sternness and killing intent, Zhao Gang shuddered inwardly. He whispered to Zhao Xuede, "My sister deserves discipline, but right now, we must placate our brother-in-law..." He subtly signaled with his eyes.
Zhao Xuede, noticing Lin Jinlou’s expression, knew things were dire. He hurried over and bowed deeply, saying, "I am ashamed for failing to teach my daughter properly." When Lin Jinlou remained silent, he continued, "You have been wronged, esteemed son-in-law. I will surely give you an explanation for this matter, but for now, we must prioritize the bigger picture..."
Lin Jinlou suddenly laughed, revealing a row of white teeth. "Are you suggesting we go catch the rebels first?"
Zhao Xuede nodded vigorously. "Exactly, exactly! This matter concerns the court and the stability of the state. It is our duty as officials to serve the Emperor loyally. If we succeed in capturing the rebels, your contribution would be no less than quelling the Japanese pirates and bandit rebellions!"
Lin Jinlou smiled faintly. "Oh, I see." His expression abruptly darkened, and he sneered, "At this point, you still call me ‘esteemed son-in-law’? You have the face to say it, but I have no face to accept it." He pointed at Hao Qing on the floor and said, "You have plenty of sons-in-law. Isn’t there one lying right there?"
Zhao Xuede’s face flushed crimson with shame and anger. He seethed inwardly, This brat doesn’t know his place! If I hadn’t tipped you off, how could you have gotten such a chance to earn merit? He stood there awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
Lin Jinlou said coldly, "No great achievement can outweigh the weight of a cuckold’s hat. Today, this matter will not be settled until everything is laid bare." He walked over to Hao Qing, who lay curled on the floor. Lin Jinlou removed the rag from his mouth, stepped on his face, and said calmly, "Speak. How did you meet this slut, and how long have you been carrying on with her?"
Before Hao Qing could answer, Zhao Gang stepped forward with an ingratiating smile. "Brother-in-law, don’t be angry. There may be more to this. My sister might have been seduced or even raped. Otherwise, even if she had the audacity of heaven, she wouldn’t dare do such a thing." He turned and winked at Zhao Yuechan, hinting, "Isn’t that right?"
Zhao Yuechan caught on immediately and pointed at Hao Qing, crying, "It was him! He forced me!"Hao Qing immediately cried out to the heavens: "Injustice! I've been wronged! It was the young lady who took a fancy to me, meeting me repeatedly at the temple and even giving me silver and valuables..."
Zhao Gang cursed fiercely: "Bah! Shameless scoundrel, spouting nonsense in broad daylight! What punishment do you deserve for defiling a virtuous woman!" Though a civil official, he wore a decorative sword at his waist, and as he spoke, he drew it to strike.
Lin Jinlou, quick-eyed and swift-handed, seized Zhao Gang's shoulder and said coldly: "How can you resort to punishment before the trial? Are you trying to silence a witness?"
Zhao Gang indeed intended to kill Hao Qing, planning to later instruct Zhao Yuechan on how to fabricate the story. But how could he match Lin Jinlou, who was trained in martial arts? He felt his wrist being crushed as if by iron claws and cried out in pain, pleading: "How dare I, how dare I! I was merely acting out of righteous indignation. I beg you, brother-in-law, to be merciful."
Lin Jinlou snorted coldly and shoved Zhao Gang aside. Zhao Gang, sweating profusely from the pain, thought to himself: "The nickname 'King of Hell Lin' isn't for nothing! If he interrogates that monk and uncovers more disgraceful matters, and the Lin family gets angry enough to report this to our grandfather, our family will be in serious trouble!" Not daring to argue with Lin Jinlou, he could only repeatedly shoot meaningful glances at Zhao Xuede.
Then they heard Zhao Yuechan sobbing: "Husband, please calm your anger! I've truly been wronged!"
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