To be fair, Lin Jinlou did harbor a certain admiration for Song Ke. As the son of a declining official family, he supported his elderly mother and younger sister single-handedly. Despite his youth, his words and actions were meticulous, and his methods were systematic and strategic. He had even managed to pass the imperial examinations as a jinshi—a rare feat for someone in his teens, with such early achievers countable on one hand in the current dynasty. While Lin Jinlou believed in innate talent, he placed greater faith in the principle that diligence rewards: every ounce of grace and dignity displayed in public was earned through a hundredfold effort behind the scenes. Take himself, for instance. Many claimed his rapid rise to a fourth-rank general commanding significant troops was due entirely to his family’s influence. He considered such talk nonsense. True, he was born with a silver spoon, a child of fortune, but every military merit he earned was won through genuine, bloody combat. While he rose at cockcrow to train, how many scions of noble families were still being coddled by wet nurses, let alone enduring harsh winter drills or sweltering summer practices? The Lin clan had produced several talents in his generation, but who among them had the resolve to endure such hardships or risk their lives on the blade’s edge?
Song Ke’s family background and prospects were naturally incomparable to his own. What did it matter if he became a jinshi? Without great opportunities, it was common for such scholars to stagnate at the fifth rank for life. Even marrying the daughter of Duke Xian might not guarantee him a brilliant future. Yet, Lin Jinlou had witnessed Song Ke’s relentless diligence firsthand. In that fierce determination to study, he detected a burning ambition. After a few interactions, Lin Jinlou knew Song Ke was no easy character to deal with.
Lin Jinlou tapped his fingers on the table. Initially, upon hearing of Song Ke’s success in the exams, he had briefly considered releasing the maid Xianglan. The Lin family had shown kindness to Song Ke; there was no need to create enmity over a woman. But he quickly dismissed the thought. He was a man who commanded wind and rain—why yield to a greenhorn? Song Ke was still unseasoned now, and even if he someday stood on his own, he would never be a match for him.
Lost in thought, Lin Jinlou heard the young attendant Gui Yuan outside the corridor announce at the door, “The master has heard that the Eldest Master is awake and requests your presence upfront to share a few drinks and socialize for a while.”
Lin Jinlou acknowledged. He picked two pastries from a plate, ate them, changed into formal attire for receiving guests, and headed to the front. Several banquet tables were set up in the courtyard, densely seated with dozens of guests. A stage stood at the front, where opera performers sang in drawn-out melodies. Lin Changzheng and Lin Changmin were among the seats, chatting warmly with those around them. The moment Lin Jinlou arrived, the banquet livelier, with many raising their glasses to toast him. A faint smile on his lips, Lin Jinlou responded to each in turn, holding his cup with the elegant poise of a scion from an illustrious family.
Someone in the crowd whispered, “See that? That’s the eldest son of the Lin family. Lin Changzheng’s appointment as Shanxi Governor-General relied entirely on his networking in the capital—courting every high official, noble, and powerful minister. At such a young age, his rank already surpasses ours.”
Another remarked, “People are stratified. With parents like his, it’s hard not to prosper.”Among those present was one person whose eyes had been fixed unwaveringly on Lin Jinlou ever since he emerged from the rear—this was Xia Yun. It turned out that Han Yaozu had spent a considerable sum to pull strings and secure connections with the Lin family, presenting lavish gifts during festivals. When the Lin family hosted a banquet for various acquainted officials in Jinling, an invitation was extended to him. Han Yaozu had originally intended to bring his eldest son along, but the latter happened to catch a cold. Knowing his son was fond of drinking and prone to mischief, and considering Xia Yun’s honest, obedient nature and his consistent reliability in handling affairs, Han Yaozu ordered Xia Yun to accompany Han Guangye instead. This also subtly hinted at an intention to promote Xia Yun.
Xia Yun, naturally grateful and flattered, specially changed into a brand-new silk outfit, feeling rather self-satisfied. He was determined to showcase his talents before the high-ranking officials at the banquet and strategize for further advancement, hoping to seize a great opportunity—perhaps even achieving a noble rank or high office in this lifetime. Along the way, he made earnest conversation with Han Guangye, but inwardly he scorned Han Guangye for his lack of learning and shallow knowledge. Upon arriving at the Lin residence, Xia Yun was slightly taken aback by the bustling scene of a constant stream of visitors. Once inside, he was dazzled by the magnificent buildings, elegant windows, carved beams, exotic rocks, and rare birds, his eyes struggling to take it all in. Only when seated did he realize that among the dozens of banquet tables, he and Han Guangye were placed at the farthest one—Han Yaozu’s seventh-rank official status was already among the lowest present.
Xia Yun sat upright, not daring to speak an extra word, yet he noticed that Han Guangye, who could barely read, was actually thriving socially, addressing everyone as "Uncle" or "Elder," toasting frequently, and chatting cheerfully. Knowing that Xia Yun was a legitimate juren scholar, others merely raised their cups slightly in courtesy, without any warmth. Xia Yun felt deeply unsettled. When Lin Jinlou appeared, everyone flocked around him like stars surrounding the moon, as if such dignity and authority were his birthright. Watching from afar, Xia Yun felt both envy and admiration, along with an indescribable melancholy. Only then did he realize how naive his earlier grand ambitions had been. This eye-opening experience showed him the true grandeur of an aristocratic household, dampening half of his fervent aspirations. He no longer dared to dream of seizing a great opportunity and instead mustered his spirits to exchange pleasantries with the seventh-rank official beside him. But let us leave this for now.
Meanwhile, Yindie was dragged away by several matrons and returned to her room, weeping incessantly. All the maids disliked Yindie for being meddlesome and troublesome, so not one went to console her. Xiao Juan, cracking melon seeds, remarked coolly, "Pack your things. The Eldest Master wants you out tomorrow morning. Don’t delay and make him blame us."
Yindie retorted angrily, "Even if I’m leaving, it’s tomorrow morning. What’s it to you?"
Xiao Juan sneered, hands on her hips, "Watch your tone. You’re no longer a proper maid of this household. Instead of showing off with your words, you’d better think about yourself. A maid convicted of theft—what decent family would buy you? Even if you’re to be sold tomorrow, you can’t stay in the mansion tonight, lest your sticky fingers take something else!" With that, she flung the curtain aside and left.
Furious, Yindie cried again. She was, after all, somewhat resourceful. Wiping her tears, she took some coins from her chest and called a young maid, saying, "Go to Third Miss’s quarters and fetch Hanfang. Tell her I have an urgent matter."
The young maid put her hands behind her back, pouted, and said, "The matrons all said we’re not to meddle in your affairs!""You..." Yindie raised her eyebrows and glared, stepping forward as if to strike, but forcibly suppressed her anger. Instead, she grabbed another handful of coins and handed them over, saying, "Go quietly, no one will know. Go on!"
The little maid finally took the money and left. Before long, Hanfang arrived. As soon as Yindie saw her, she rushed forward, weeping, "Cousin, save me!"
Hanfang was startled and quickly asked what had happened. Yindie recounted the whole story, tears streaming down her face, and said, "I... I never thought a golden horse would cause such trouble. When it comes down to it, it’s all because of that wretched Xianglan. She left this cursed thing behind. Even when she was in the mansion, she made my life difficult, and now that she’s gone, she still won’t let me live in peace..."
Hanfang frowned and scolded her, "What kind of talk is this? You took someone else’s property out of greed, and now you’re blaming others?"
Yindie wiped her tears and said, "Anyway, she was sold off by Da Nǎinai. If I hadn’t taken it, someone else would have sooner or later! It’s just my bad luck to run into this mess... Wuwu..."
Hanfang sighed, "It’s too late for regrets now..." After a moment’s thought, she said, "You’ve angered the Eldest Master, so you can’t stay in the mansion anymore. I’ll send you out first. Your family can scrape together some money and ask someone we know to buy you out. You’re not young anymore—stay home quietly for a few days, and it’ll be a good time to arrange a marriage. From then on, just live a peaceful life."
Yindie wailed, "I won’t go out! I’d rather die than marry some pauper!"
Hanfang slapped her twice in anger and snapped, "Who’s to blame for losing a perfectly good position? If your family didn’t have some savings, and you were sold off to be some old man’s concubine, what could you do about it?"
Yindie collapsed onto the kang, crying even louder.
Just then, Wu Mama lifted the curtain and entered, frowning as she said, "Why aren’t you ready yet? The matrons at the inner gate are growing impatient. Any later, and the inner quarters will be locked for the night!"
Hanfang quickly smiled apologetically and stepped forward, saying, "My cousin here is nothing but trouble. Please don’t be upset, Mama. I’ll personally escort her out and have her family meet her outside."
Since Hanfang had some standing with Lin Dongling, Wu Mama softened her expression and said, "Even so, don’t be too late."
Hanfang replied with a smile, "Of course not." As she spoke, she took out two qian of silver and said, "The matrons at the inner gate have been waiting. Let them buy some wine with this."
Wu Mama glanced at Yindie and said to Hanfang, "If your cousin had even half your sense, she wouldn’t have been driven out by the Eldest Master."
Hanfang nodded repeatedly in agreement and escorted Wu Mama out. Turning back, she glared at Yindie and said, "Still crying? Hurry up and pack your things. Later, tell Granny Cai to have a small sedan chair carry you home!"
Yindie had no choice but to pack her belongings into a trunk. Hanfang led her out, but as they reached the Moon Gate, the young servant Gui Yuan stopped them and said, "Sisters, don’t go any further. The master is hosting a banquet up ahead, and it’s all male guests. It wouldn’t be proper if you were seen."Before the words had faded, two young servants were seen supporting a heavily intoxicated man past the doorway, followed by a tall, slender young gentleman. Yindie looked over and saw the young man dressed in a moon-white tussah silk robe, appearing refined and scholarly. His fair-complexioned face was well-proportioned, with a rectangular shape and a pair of keen, bright eyes. The newcomer was none other than Xia Yun. It turned out that Han Guangye had drunk too much and begun to show unrestrained behavior. Xia Yun promptly attended to him, asking the Lin family's servants for tangerine peel sobering soup. After forcing a bowl down his throat, Han Guangye opened his mouth as if to vomit again. Fortunately, the steward came out and said, "It's already late today, and your young master has had too much to drink. Why not rest here? The row of side rooms outside were just tidied up yesterday in preparation for guests. Please do not refuse."
Xia Yun could not have asked for more and eagerly nodded in agreement, sending someone back to deliver the message. A servant stepped forward to support Han Guangye, and the group headed toward the rear side rooms, coincidentally meeting Yindie and others at the moon gate.
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