Cao Lihuan was a woman of considerable cunning and strategy, who understood charm and romance, possessing a hundred clever ways to please others. Han Yaozu instantly fell deeply in love, unable to bear a moment apart from her, and quickly forgot about his own shrewish wife. From head ornaments, necklaces, and bracelets to seasonal clothing, along with delicacies like chicken, duck, and fish, and even various tonics, there was nothing Cao Lihuan didn’t openly ask for. Han Yaozu, utterly infatuated with her, naturally granted every request. To further ingratiate herself, Cao Lihuan even presented her personal maid, Hui'er, for Han Yaozu’s pleasure. With both mistress and maid attending to him diligently, it wasn’t long before Ren Yu was promoted from a prison warden to a ninth-rank tax inspector, publicly granting him an official position despite his commoner background.
However, as the saying goes, “Walls have ears.” Soon, someone spotted Cao Lihuan emerging from Han Yaozu’s study with her jacket loosely fastened, nearly exposing half her chest, and the news spread quietly. When it reached Ren Yu’s mother, the old lady was so enraged she nearly fainted and demanded that Ren Yu divorce his wife. Cao Lihuan sneered coldly, “If it weren’t for me, how could your son have gotten a ninth-rank official position out of thin air? Your son is too incompetent to pass the imperial exams—that’s one thing, but to sacrifice his wife and still act proud? How dare you glare at me and criticize me!” Upon hearing this and seeing Ren Yu’s timid, submissive demeanor, his mother vomited two mouthfuls of blood and passed away within a month. From then on, no one dared to control Cao Lihuan. She would be sweet and affectionate in front of Han Yaozu, but upon returning home, she would order her husband around like a servant, scolding and beating him, occasionally mixing in tender, loving words to coax him. Ren Yu both feared and adored her, so he simply feigned deafness and blindness, enduring the humiliation in silence.
Meanwhile, when Cao Lihuan saw Xia Yun at the door, she took secret notice. She thought to herself that Xia Yun was quite handsome—though not as striking as Ren Yu, he carried an air of refined elegance and aloofness. While he lacked Han Yaozu’s official authority, his vibrant youthfulness was something an old wreck like Han Yaozu could never match. Gritting her teeth in silent resentment, she fumed, “How hateful! It’s just my luck to be stuck with a good-for-nothing and never have met such a desirable man! Xia Yun is different from the others—he passed the provincial exam at a young age and is bound to rise high in the future. Han Yaozu is old, and his official career could end anytime. Though he treats me well, it’s not a long-term plan. I should find a way to form a connection with young Master Xia; it would give me another hope in the Government Office... Perhaps I can rely on him later!” The more she pondered, the more her heart felt like it was ablaze.
From then on, she sought opportunities to chat with Xia Yun, often inquiring after his well-being, and even whispered in Han Yaozu’s ear, urging him to value Xia Yun more. Consequently, Han Yaozu assigned Xia Yun several prominent tasks one after another and rewarded him with plenty of silver. Cao Lihuan then went to Xia Yun to claim credit, saying, “I admire your talent, Master Xia—your excellent calligraphy and profound learning. It’s a waste for you to be in this county Government Office. Fortunately, I can put in a word or two with the county magistrate, so I praised your virtues. See? A talented person shines immediately, doesn’t he?”
Xia Yun immediately felt that Cao Lihuan was a discerning patron who genuinely had his best interests at heart. Initially keeping his distance, he gradually grew closer to her.
As they became more familiar, Cao Lihuan began to flirt with her eyes, occasionally teasing him with playful banter: “Young Master Xia, you haven’t married yet, have you? On those lonely Nights, who do you think about when you can’t sleep?”
Xia Yun replied, “At Night, I simply close my door and study.”Cao Lihuan smiled and said, "Oh, just studying all the time won't do. One must relax occasionally, don't you think?" As she spoke, she leaned gracefully against the doorframe, one foot resting on the threshold while holding up her skirt to reveal a glimpse of her water-red embroidered shoes.
Xia Yun immediately understood her implication. Though inwardly despising Cao Lihuan's character, she didn't wish to offend her, so she kept her head down pretending not to notice. Secretly, she felt somewhat pleased with herself, believing she possessed such dashing charm and handsome appearance that admirers would naturally flock to her.
Since they were in the government office, Cao Lihuan didn't dare linger too long with Xia Yun. Seeing her lack of response, Cao Lihuan made some casual conversation before taking her leave. She thought to herself: "There's plenty of time ahead. Even mice love oil cakes - I'm not worried about failing to capture this inexperienced one."
Leaving aside Cao Lihuan's schemes of seduction, let us turn to Lin Jinlou, who after nearly a year of networking in the capital had finally returned to Jinling. The news of Lin Changzheng's promotion to Governor of Shanxi was confirmed, bringing joy throughout the Lin household. Officials large and small in Jinling quickly caught wind of this - Lin Changzheng had completed his mourning period and returned to office, immediately being promoted to a first-rank official with substantial regional authority. This signaled the Lin family's resurgence. Consequently, a steady stream of visitors came presenting name cards, sending congratulations, and seeking connections. Particularly since vague rumors circulated that Lin Jinlou had separated from Madam Zhao, those contemplating marriage alliances formed lines stretching down the street.
After returning home, Lin Jinlou first spent several days inspecting military affairs and handling miscellaneous matters before finally stealing half a day of leisure. He slept lazily in bed, waking up feeling parched, so he got up and called for tea.
The bed curtains parted to reveal a heavily made-up woman holding a bowl of tea. Lin Jinlou took a sip before looking up and recognizing Hua Mei as the one serving him, causing him to frown slightly. This was the master bedroom of Knowing Spring Pavilion - as a concubine, Hua Mei shouldn't be entering and leaving freely.
Being clever, Hua Mei immediately understood Lin Jinlou's displeasure. She quickly explained: "Taitai asked me to wait here, saying Master has been busy as a spinning top these past days and we didn't know when you'd wake up. It wouldn't do to have no one attending you when you awoke..." She glanced at Lin Jinlou and lowered her voice, "The ones who used to serve in this room... mostly came with that person from her maiden home, so..."
"I understand," Lin Jinlou said immediately, throwing off the thin quilt to get out of bed.
Hua Mei hurriedly bent down to help him with his shoes, then fetched his clothes from the nearby warming basket and assisted him in dressing. After he was fully dressed, she asked: "Would Master like something to eat? The small kitchen has freshly made delicate pastries, all your usual favorites. Would you like some?" Seeing Lin Jinlou nod slightly, she immediately ordered someone to bring them.
Lin Jinlou rotated his neck as a quick-witted maid promptly brought over a bowl of clear soup. After taking a sip, he heard faint sounds of cymbals and string and wind instruments from the front courtyard. "What's happening up front? It's so lively," he asked.
Hua Mei replied: "Some of the Grand Master's students and subordinates came to offer congratulations, so the Master invited them to stay for dinner."
Lin Jinlook looked out the window and saw that dusk had indeed fallen. He finished his soup and picked up chopsticks to select some pastries when he suddenly paused and called out to the maid who had just brought the soup: "You there! Stop right where you are!"The maid was none other than Yin Die. Because Lin Jinlou was home today, she had deliberately dressed up, changing into a brand-new lilac-colored outfit and adorning herself with her most treasured possessions kept at the bottom of her chest. She wore three pairs of bracelets on each wrist, and the powder on her face was secretly applied from Hua Mei’s dressing table—a high-quality cosmetic from the palace. Already quite pretty, this careful grooming added even more to her charm.
Now that Lin Jinlou had called out to her, Yin Die trembled with delight. She stopped in her tracks and turned around, about to flash him a radiant smile, when she saw Lin Jinlou step forward with a dark expression, snatching the golden horse waist pendant adorned with tassels and gemstones from her sash. He demanded, "Where did you get this?"
Yin Die shuddered all over.
Back when Xianglan was driven out by Zhao Yuechan, everything had happened so hastily that many of her belongings were left unpacked. Yin Die had secretly taken Xianglan’s trunk and helped herself to the finer clothes and jewelry inside. At the bottom of the trunk, she found a red silk sachet containing this small golden horse attached to tassels and gemstones—exquisitely crafted and utterly breathtaking. Yin Die’s eyes widened in awe, and she quickly tucked the golden horse into her pocket. She had never worn it since taking it, and today was the first time she had fastened it to her sash—only to be caught and questioned by Lin Jinlou.
As it turned out, this golden horse waist pendant had its own story. It was originally a rare item brought back from an overseas ship, fitted with vibrant silk tassels and various precious gemstones before being presented to Lin Jinlou. He, too, had found the small golden horse adorned with red gold and yellow jade quite exquisite. After admiring it for a while, he fastened it to his own waist. On one occasion, when Xianglan was serving him, he had taken a liking to the girl and gifted her the small golden horse. Now, seeing this object on an unrelated maid, Lin Jinlou’s face darkened.
Quick-witted, Yin Die immediately sensed that there was more to the golden horse. Combined with her guilty conscience and fear of Lin Jinlou’s authority, her eyes darted around nervously as she stammered, "This... this is..."
Lin Jinlou kicked her in the stomach and snapped, "This what? I asked you where this golden horse came from!"
Yin Die let out a pained cry and collapsed to the ground, then scrambled to kneel properly. Her face pale with pain, she thought to herself, "This is bad. If I say I stole it from Xianglan, I’m surely doomed. Since Zhao Yuechan is already gone, why not pin the blame entirely on her?" She immediately replied, "Master, please understand, this item was originally gifted to me by the former madam..."
Lin Jinlou let out a cold, harsh laugh. "She gave it to you? She’s as stingy as they come. How generous of her to favor a lowly servant like you. Why didn’t she take you with her when she was kicked out of the Lin Family?"
These lightly spoken words sent chills down Yin Die’s spine. She kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "This servant was wrong! Please spare me, Master!"
Lin Jinlou didn’t even glance at her, simply ordering, "First thing tomorrow morning, summon a human trafficker to take her away."
Hua Mei promptly responded, "Yes."
Yin Die was horrified, tears streaming down her face as she kowtowed desperately, her head thumping against the ground. "Please spare me, Master! Please spare me! The waist pendant wasn’t gifted by the former madam. After Xianglan left, I found it in her trunk. I was blind with greed! I’ll never do it again, never again..."
Lin Jinlou roared, "Get her out of my sight now!"
Immediately, two old women stepped forward, gagged Yin Die, and dragged her away.Huamei twitched the corner of her mouth, thinking to herself, "Yindie is truly a fool. She'd rather claim the item was stolen than admit it was a reward from Zhao Yuechan. Does she not know which woman this lord despises the most?" Yet her face remained calm and composed, refusing to say another word as she carefully attended to Lin Jinlou during his meal.
Lin Jinlou held the golden horse waist pendant and examined it, his thoughts drifting to Xianglan. Though he had been away for over half a year, he remained well-informed. He knew that Song Ke had passed the imperial examinations to become an advanced scholar, had become engaged to the daughter of Duke Xian, and had left Xianglan behind to take his entire family to the capital.
The small golden horse in the text was mentioned back in Chapter 43 during the hairpin sale. Yindie won’t be written off that easily. Whew, finally all the groundwork has been laid. Next chapter, things start heating up ^_^ Thank you to rk_owl and Junxi812 for the little yellow chickens, and thank you all for the pink votes!
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