Lin Jinlou was taken aback, then burst into loud laughter. His laughter grew increasingly boisterous until he was rocking back and forth with mirth. The others watched in bewilderment, exchanging uncertain glances. Hao Qing trembled uncontrollably, the area beneath him soaked with urine. When Lin Jinlou finally finished laughing, though his face still wore a smile, it carried a chilling coldness. He nudged Hao Qing with his foot and said, "She claims she's been wronged, which means you're the mastermind behind this. A thousand cuts would be too lenient for you."
Hao Qing wailed, "I'm innocent! Zhao Shi has a cousin named Qian Wenze. We became acquainted over drinks, and he told me his cousin Zhao Shi was as beautiful as a fairy. Before her marriage, she’d already been intimate with him. After marrying, she spent her days alone in an empty room, yearning for a man day and night. He offered to act as a matchmaker, suggesting I coax Zhao Shi into providing silver for lending. The profits would be split ninety-ten with Qian Wenze. He also mentioned that Zhao Shi had previously lent out over ten thousand taels of silver. I didn’t believe him, so Qian Wenze explained that most of that silver belonged to the Lin family’s communal funds. Zhao Shi used to manage the household and could skim large sums of money. Even though she no longer had access to the funds, she could still come up with three to five thousand taels. If lent out, it would yield at least seventy or eighty taels per month..." At this point, he glanced at Lin Jinlou’s expression. In truth, after hearing this, he had been tempted and agreed, but now he absolutely could not admit it. Gritting his teeth, he fabricated, "Even if I had the audacity of a thousand men, I wouldn’t dare seduce your wife. I refused outright. But I owed Qian Wenze gambling debts and had no choice but to comply."
Lin Jinlou sneered, "Who are you trying to fool? You’re a monk—how could you go out drinking and gambling?"
Hao Qing cried out, "I’m not a monk! My name is Hao Qing. I have a wife and children at home. It was Qian Wenze who made me shave my head and stay at this temple to make it easier to meet with Zhao Shi." He then began to wail and lament, "If you don’t believe me, just bring Qian Wenze here and question him. You’ll see the truth!"
Zhao Shi and her father’s faces flushed and paled alternately. They never imagined Zhao Yuechan would have the audacity to not only lend out her husband’s silver but also keep two men.
Zhao Yuechan, however, wept and said, "Qian Wenze forced me! Back then, I was young and foolish, and I made a mistake before marriage. He used that to blackmail me. If I didn’t comply, he threatened to spread rumors and cause a scene. I had no choice..." She buried her face in the quilt, crying as if her heart would break.
The faces of Zhao Shi and her father turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. The room fell into a heavy silence.
Lin Jinlou glanced at Zhao Xuede and said mockingly, "Under the circumstances, does my father-in-law have anything to say?" He emphasized the words "father-in-law" heavily.
Zhao Xuede forced himself to speak, "I am deeply ashamed..." Seeing the murderous look in Lin Jinlou’s eyes, he feared the man might erupt in violence. Knowing he could no longer gloss over the matter, he asked, "What do you intend to do?"
Lin Jinlou replied, "It’s quite simple. There are three options. First, I can give her a letter of divorce, citing the crime of adultery."
The Zhao family exclaimed in unison, "Absolutely not!" If Zhao Yuechan were divorced on such grounds and sent back home, the Zhao family would be utterly disgraced. Future generations would struggle to hold their heads high, and Zhao Xuede had two unmarried daughters who would likely find no suitors.
Zhao Xuede pleaded, "Nephew, must you be so ruthless? The Lin and Zhao families have always been on good terms. Besides, this will reflect poorly on you as well..."
Lin Jinlou sneered and continued, "Second, Zhao Shi could die suddenly. The Lin family will handle the funeral, but her coffin will not be allowed into the ancestral burial grounds."This was tantamount to demanding Zhao Yuechan’s life. Her eyes widened abruptly, and she screamed, “No! No!” Tears streaming down her face, she pleaded with her father, “Father, you mustn’t agree!”
Zhao Xuede’s expression darkened as he glanced at Lin Jinlou, thinking to himself, “If this unfilial daughter were to die, it would indeed be a clean break—preserving the Zhao family’s reputation and appeasing Lin Jinlou’s anger.” But when he looked at Zhao Yuechan huddled on the bed, his heart softened. After all, she was his own flesh and blood, cherished since childhood—how could he bear to send his daughter to her death?
Zhao Gang also stepped in to persuade him, “Father, this is absolutely unacceptable. Even if my sister has made mistakes, she shouldn’t lose her life over them.”
While Zhao Xuede was still hesitating, Lin Jinlou declared, “Third, I will divorce Zhao Shi. However, since she embezzled funds from the Lin family’s treasury, the farmland and estates from her dowry cannot be taken back. Everything else may go with her.”
Zhao Xuede clicked his tongue. Because the Lin family was a prominent clan in Jiangnan, immensely wealthy, he had gritted his teeth and splurged on a lavish dowry when marrying off his daughter, including numerous farmlands and estates. Now torn, and still hoping for room to negotiate, he forced a smile and said, “Nephew, why be in such a hurry? Capturing the rebels is the priority now. Once they’re caught, you’ll be credited with the foremost merit. We can discuss family matters later.”
Lin Jinlou sat back in his chair, crossed his legs, and sneered, “I’ve already shown the Zhao family face out of respect for our families’ friendship. If this matter isn’t settled, I’ll immediately withdraw my troops and send a letter of divorce to your residence. I’m not afraid of the scandal—let everyone know I’ve been made a cuckold. I’d rather sacrifice my dignity than leave this mess unresolved.”
Zhao Xuede grew frantic, pacing in circles. Zhao Gang pulled him aside to a tea room on the other side of the lodge and whispered, “Why not agree to the last option? Lin Jinlou is unyielding. If we anger him, who knows what he might do next? Sister has committed such a grave mistake—the Lin family will never take her back. A divorce would at least save face. Leaving the farmlands to placate the Lins would maintain a thread of goodwill between our families, leaving room for future alliances.”
Seeing Zhao Xuede still wavering, he added, “Father, that concubine you keep outside… her daughter is nearly fifteen now…” He shot a meaningful glance and nodded toward Lin Jinlou.
Zhao Xuede suddenly saw the light. He had been keeping a mistress who bore him a son and a daughter. The girl, Zhao Yue’e, was quite beautiful—though not as striking as Zhao Yuechan, she was still exceptionally pretty. Lowering his voice, he said, “Her background is a bit lacking.”
Zhao Gang snorted coldly, “Father, are you still thinking of a formal marriage alliance? I mean to offer her to Lin Jinlou as a concubine—to smooth things over and ensure this valuable connection doesn’t turn into a feud.”
Zhao Xuede fell into thoughtful silence.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinlou sat leisurely by the window, rotating his neck. The initial fury of uncovering the adulterers had gradually faded, replaced by a rising satisfaction at the prospect of ridding himself of Zhao Yuechan.
Zhao Yuechan clutched the quilt, gritting her teeth as she sobbed, “You have such a cruel heart… Even if I’ve done wrong, how could you demand my life!”
Lin Jinlou’s eyes flashed like cold lightning as he glared at Zhao Yuechan, his voice filled with hatred, “I wish I could slice you into a thousand pieces! Every time I remember marrying a woman like you, I’m overcome with regret. Since you entered our household, how much misfortune have you brought? Earlier, when I intended to take Furong, the daughter of Madam’s distant relative, as a concubine, it was you who secretly arranged for her to be raped and murdered!”Zhao Yuechan’s eyes widened abruptly, her face instantly paling as her heart hammered wildly in her chest. She dared not move a muscle.
Lin Jinlou’s smile twisted into something vicious. “Did you think you could carry on in secret, treating me like a fool? There are no walls without cracks. Furong died so tragically—how could I not investigate the truth? From then on, the sight of you has sickened me. I couldn’t bear to touch you, for every time I looked at you, I was reminded of how Furong died.”
Zhao Yuechan clutched the quilt tightly in her hands. After their wedding, Lin Jinlou had discovered she was not a virgin. Though he grew cold toward her, there had still been occasional moments of intimacy between them. But at some point, he stopped sparing her even a glance. No matter how she dressed or schemed, he regarded her with nothing but disgust. So it was all because of that wretched Furong!
Lin Jinlou sneered, “Later, if I so much as glanced at or spoke to a maid, you would either beat her, curse her, or sell her off. You used the family’s silver for usury, driving Qinglan to her death—two lives lost, mother and child. And now you’ve crowned me with a cuckold’s horns. Each and every one of these deeds is etched into my memory, never to be forgotten… Tell me, who is truly more ruthless, you or me? Da Nǎinai, compared to you, I fall short.”
Zhao Yuechan retorted bitterly, “Even if I was unchaste before marriage, afterward, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to you. But you! Right after our wedding, you took three maids to humiliate me. Then came the cold shoulders and disdain—you found fault with everything about me. And once you brought in your childhood sweetheart, your cousin, as a concubine, was there any place left for me in this household?” Now that the Lin family was poised to cast her out, Zhao Yuechan threw caution to the wind. Disheveled, she sat wrapped in the quilt on the bed, her eyes blazing with venom, a sight both pitiable and terrifying. “You wouldn’t lay a finger on me, yet you indulged in debauchery, embracing singsong girls, keeping mistresses outside, dallying with maids, and taking new concubines. When did you ever stop? Why should I endure this empty existence in the household? My only regret is that I didn’t give you more horns to wear—my affairs are your retribution! Your retribution!”
Lin Jinlou’s temples bulged with rage. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fury boiling within him, and said coldly, “After today, I doubt you’ll have another chance to cuckold me. Why not put on a live show for me right now to vent your hatred?” With that, he strode forward, grabbed Hao Qing, and flung him onto the bed.
Hao Qing cried out in terror, “My lord, I dare not! I’ll never do it again!” Zhao Yuechan shrieked and cursed, “You lecherous beast! If you have the guts, just kill me! Kill me!”
The Zhao father and son hurried out from the tea room, asking repeatedly, “What’s happening? What’s going on?” Seeing the chaos on the bed and Lin Jinlou’s darkened expression, Zhao Xuede opened his mouth to inquire further, but Zhao Gang quickly tugged at his sleeve, silencing him.
Zhao Gang said, “We agree to the proposal mentioned earlier. Let’s proceed with the divorce.”
Zhao Yuechan wailed, “I won’t agree to a divorce! Why am I being treated like this?” Zhao Xuede slapped her across the face and scolded, “You disgrace! Shut your mouth!”Zhao Yuechan threw herself onto the bed and wept. How bitterly she resented it all! When she married into the Lin family, so many sisters, relatives, and friends had envied her. The Lins were a renowned, distinguished clan with vast wealth, guaranteed to prosper for at least fifty years without decline—let alone that Lin Jinlou had achieved success at a young age, heroic and extraordinary, not some useless heir relying on ancestral privilege. Even if Lin Jinlou didn’t love her, she had resolved to cling to the Lin family for life, by hook or by crook. Yet enduring his cold neglect had bred all sorts of resentment, step by step leading to this wretched state. And Lin Jinlou? He could simply marry another delicate bride in the future. She, already once married, would surely face endless gossip and slander—what would become of her days to come?
A thousand hatreds and ten thousand grievances churned in Zhao Yuechan’s heart as she swore silently, "Lin Jinlou, mark my words—I will have my revenge someday!"
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