Lin Jinlou approached and saw that the girl was rather plain-looking, with an unremarkable face and an expression full of terror. He weakly lowered his arm, the excitement that had driven him all the way back now completely vanished.
Shutong’s legs gave way, and she knelt down, trembling as she called out, "Master."
Lin Jinlou sat down, his face weary and his expression growing increasingly somber. He closed his eyes for a moment. Xianglan had not yet been found, and it was highly likely she had been kidnapped by bandits. To rescue her, he needed to know who was behind it. He ran through the list of people who had the audacity to challenge him, his mind in turmoil. He never expected that someone would dare to provoke him on his own turf, which both shocked and infuriated him. Losing Xianglan only fueled his rage further. He tried to suppress the fire burning inside him but felt it was about to erupt. Suddenly, he stood up, drew the saber from his waist, and with a loud "clang," slashed it at the nearby Eight Immortals Table. The crisp sound of shattering echoed as the tea bowls and utensils on the table were smashed to pieces, tea splattering and flowing everywhere.
Shutong screamed in terror, nearly wetting herself in fear. She thought Lin Jinlou was furious with her for withholding information and intended to kill her in a fit of rage. She began kowtowing frantically, crying out, "Spare me, Master! Spare me! This female servant did not mean to hide this matter... absolutely not! Please spare my life! Spare my life!" She pleaded incessantly, her forehead already bruised and purple from the kowtowing.
Lin Jinlou was taken aback. Being a clever man, he immediately detected something amiss in Shutong’s words. His gaze darkened as he slowly sheathed his saber and nodded slightly, testing her with a bluff: "Then tell me exactly what happened. If your explanation makes sense, I’ll spare your life. But if you dare play tricks, you’re only asking for an early death!"
Shutong repeatedly insisted, "This female servant wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare!" Trembling, she recounted how Lin Dongxiu had witnessed Lin Dongling meeting secretly with the tall, sturdy actor in the Sansheng Hall. She also mentioned that the several lives lost in the household due to the pox were connected to Lin Dongling and that actor. Shutong cautiously glanced up at Lin Jinlou and saw his expression was unreadable, his cold gaze fixed on her like the King of Hell in the underworld. She shuddered in fear and stumbled through the rest of her story.
Lin Jinlou asked, "What did the actor look like?"
Shutong replied, "The fourth young lady only said the actor was tall and sturdy, almost... almost like Master’s build... His face was painted with theatrical makeup, so his features were unclear..." She added tearfully, "...This female servant thought the third young lady intended to elope, and the fourth young lady was afraid of causing trouble, so the matter was suppressed and never mentioned. Besides, with seven or eight lives lost in the mansion, if word got out, it would be a scandal... If the second branch found out the young lady had witnessed such disgraceful behavior, they would surely resent her..." Her voice grew softer as she spoke, lacking conviction, and she gradually fell silent.
Lin Jinlou elegantly crossed his legs and looked down at Shutong, saying, "So it seems you’re a loyal servant who only has your young lady’s best interests at heart."
Shutong shrank back slightly, prostrating herself on the ground, not daring to move.
Lin Jinlou sprang to his feet and called out as he walked away, "Guards! Tie her up and throw her into the carriage!"
Shutong was horrified and was about to burst into loud sobs when the guards who entered gagged her.Lin Jinlou commanded again, "Select twenty men and go to Du Bin's house. Arrest his entire family for me—not a single one is to be missed!" The guards acknowledged the order and departed. Lin Jinlou let out a long breath, gulped down half a cup of cold tea, and forcefully suppressed the raging fury within him. Earlier, when Zidai had mentioned the matter of the brocade pouch, he had assumed the maid was making wild accusations to frame Xianglan. But after hearing Shutong's account, it suddenly became clear to him! So, the Du siblings had conspired to set a trap for him!
The man who matched his stature—tall and robust—and whom Lin Dongling had addressed as "Young Master Du," could be none other than Du Bin! So, this treacherous scoundrel had long since seduced his cousin. Having fallen out of favor with him, Du Bin must have found some new patron to collude with, plotting against him from within and without. As the year-end approached and two weddings needed arrangements for the coming year, Qin Shi and the other ladies and young misses had ceased going out. The only occasion that allowed them to stay overnight outside was when they went to the temple to conduct a Buddhist Mass. That despicable creature had deliberately infected Lin Dongling's maid with pox, then conspired with Hua Mei to use a brocade pouch carrying the contagion to endanger his life and family. Yet, somehow, the pouch had ended up in Ying Ge's hands, and everyone who touched it had died. He had previously wondered why it was Du Bin who rescued the mother and daughter from the second branch. Du Bin hadn't been among the personal guards he had dispatched to the temple. Now it made sense—Du Bin had been colluding with outsiders to abduct the women. When pursued by the guards, he had turned traitor on the spot. How he regretted not pondering this deeply at the time, preoccupied as he was with the search. Suddenly, Lin Jinlou recalled that on the night of the incident, Lu Shaotang had invited him for drinks at the Happy Red Court... Could it be him?
At that moment, a guard stood at the door and reported, "General, all have been captured, except for Du Bin and his elder sister Hua Mei, whose whereabouts are unknown. It is said that after returning from the Lin Family that day, Hua Mei claimed she was taking her concubine to burn incense at the temple and hasn't been seen since. Du Bin left on duty a few days ago and never returned."
Lin Jinlou slammed a cup against the wall with a crash, gritting his teeth as he spat out, "Good, very good! Lock them all up in the military prison to await judgment!" With that, he turned and stormed out.
He galloped back to the Lin Family residence. As soon as he entered the main gate, Shuangxi hurried to meet him, having clearly been waiting for a long time. Seeing Lin Jinlou's ferocious expression, Shuangxi halted involuntarily, bowing even lower and staring at his own shoe tips as he said, "The Old Master has sent someone to inquire several times, saying you should go to his room as soon as you return home..." His eyes followed Lin Jinlou as he swept past like a gust of wind, and only then did Shuangxi let out a relieved sigh. Turning his head, he saw Guiyuan emerging from inside holding a birdcage. He promptly smacked Guiyuan on the back of the head and scolded, "Haven't you noticed that since yesterday, the masters have all been acting strange? And you still have the leisure to play with birds? If the Master sees you and gets annoyed, don't blame me for not warning you when he gives you a beating."
Guiyuan rubbed his head and complained, "This belongs to Miss Xianglan. One of the birdfeeders broke, so I brought the cage out to get a replacement."
"Pah! Still calling her 'Miss Xianglan'!" Shuangxi cursed under his breath, then lowered his voice. "Miss Xianglan hasn't even returned, and the Master is scowling. Think about it—who could possibly make the Master scowl like that?"
"Who?" Guiyuan also lowered his voice, his eyes shifting. "The Marquis Yongxin, who's always at odds with the Master? Commander Chen, who takes bribes and never gives anything back? Or has that shrew from the Zhao Family sent people to harass us again?""Tsk... how can you not understand, it's really worrying. Alright, alright, you'd better stay away from the Master." Seeing Guiyuan still looking confused, Shuangxi gave him a light kick on the buttocks and said, "Get lost now!"
Guiyuan hurried off with the birdcage in hand, stopping only when he reached the corner. He glanced back at Shuangxi's figure, snorted, and muttered to himself, "How could I not understand? Your Brother Gui sees everything clearly. It's just that Miss Xianglan has upset the Master again, and it'll blow over in a couple of days." He teased the bird in the cage again, grinning as he said, "In front of those the Master favors, I have to act a bit foolish so as not to get in their way, right?" Whistling, he went on his way, and we'll leave him for now.
Meanwhile, as soon as Lin Jinlou entered Old Lord Lin's courtyard, he sensed a grim atmosphere. It was eerily quiet, with no one in sight, but the main hall was brightly lit. Two of Old Lord Lin's trusted old servants were guarding the door, and upon seeing Lin Jinlou, they hastily rose to open it for him.
Lin Jinlou stepped inside. Lin Zhaoxiang and Lin Old Madam were seated at the head, with Qin Shi and Lin Dongxiu in the first seats to the left, and Wang Shi and Lin Jinting on the other side. In the center knelt Lin Dongling, weeping as pitifully as a pear blossom bathed in rain, sobbing uncontrollably. Wang Shi's eyes were swollen, and she sniffled from time to time, while Lin Jinting's face was full of resentment, his eyes wide and his fists clenched tightly. Qin Shi and Lin Dongxiu kept their heads bowed in silence.
Lin Zhaoxiang tapped his cane on the patterned brick floor and said, "You're here, and just in time. Your father and second uncle are away. Your third sister has something to say—she's been threatening to kill herself all afternoon. Listen to her."
Lin Dongling turned to Lin Jinlou and cried, "Eldest Brother! I... I... last night, I fell into the hands of bandits and was lost for the night. Though I wasn't defiled, my reputation is ruined. It was only thanks to the rescue by Commander Du, one of your personal guards, that I escaped. I can never repay his great kindness in saving my life. At the time, I was only in my undergarments when he saw me, and he brought me home in full view of everyone. Now, the only way I can repay him is by offering myself in marriage. If... if you all pressure me harshly, I'll have no choice but to end my life with a rope..." She broke into sobs again.
After crying for a bit, she sensed something amiss and cautiously lifted her head. What she saw was Lin Jinlou, his fury blazing like a demon, bloodshot eyes glaring, his entire being resembling a fearsome night fiend. Lin Dongling was terrified, her bones turning to jelly, and she instinctively shrank back, still whimpering softly.
Lin Jinlou could no longer contain his rage, a surge of bitter anger clogging his throat. He stepped forward, grabbed Lin Dongling by the collar, and hauled her to her feet. Terrified, she screamed and struggled, "Eldest Brother, what are you doing? Let go! Let go!" Before she could finish, Lin Jinlou slapped her across the face. The blow left her ears ringing, disoriented, and blood streamed down both sides of her nose.Everyone was dumbstruck. Lin Old Madam shouted, "Eldest Son, stop this at once!" Wang Shi had already risen from her seat and rushed forward, grabbing Lin Jinlou's arm as she angrily cried, "Lou Ge'er, what are you doing? What are you doing! Ling Jie'er is still young! If she's done something wrong, teach her properly! Why hit her? Let go! Let go now!" She turned to look at Lin Dongling and saw the delicate face now swollen with a clear palm print, blood dripping down and staining her clothes. She burst into tears, wailing, "My child! How are you? Say something!" Then she turned furious: "The Old Master is still here! What are you doing? Let go now, or don't blame me, your aunt, for being harsh! You must give me an explanation for this!"
Qin Shi hurried forward and struck Lin Jinlou twice, scolding, "Have you gone mad? Let go immediately!"
Lin Jinlou snorted coldly and roared, "I've gone mad? It's my third sister who's gone mad! This shameless, debased beast! She's been carrying on with that disloyal servant of mine, scheming against the family, nearly causing disaster by bringing the pox into the household... And now she's still clamoring to marry that lover she's so obsessed with! Fine, very fine! Didn't you say your love was deep and profound? Today, I'll beat you to death, then go finish him off! Your brother will grant you your wish to be a pair of doomed lovers!" As he spoke, he landed seven or eight more slaps, the sharp cracks echoing through the room. Lin Jinlou's strength was beyond what an ordinary person could endure, let alone a delicate girl like Lin Dongling. These blows knocked out her teeth and left her face a bloody mess, so battered she couldn't even cry out.
Wang Shi kicked and hit Lin Jinlou, her hairpin coming loose, then knelt before the Old Master and begged, "Old Master, won't you control him? I beg you! I beg you!" Lin Jinlou paid no attention, sneering, "I've detained two maids. If Second Aunt doesn't believe me, go question them yourself! Then tell me if what she's done is forgivable! Should we wait for this immoral wretch to destroy the entire family before we stop her?"
Lin Jinting knelt on the ground, tears in his eyes, and pleaded, "Brother, stop! The elders are all here. Must it come to this..."
Old Lord Lin stood up, his face pale, and struck the floor forcefully with his cane, bellowing, "You scoundrel! All of you, stop this! What disgraceful behavior!"
Lin Jinlou casually tossed Lin Dongling to the ground. Wang Shi let out a mournful cry and rushed to her, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood from Lin Dongling's face. Seeing Lin Dongling dazed and unresponsive, as if she'd lost her senses, she hugged her and wept, "My child! You've suffered so much!" She repeatedly ordered someone to fetch a physician, all the while glaring venomously at Lin Jinlou through her tears.
Lin Jinlou sneered inwardly and went out to have Shutong brought in. At the doorway, he whispered to her, "Stick to what you said at the inn earlier. I'll spare your life. If you dare change a single word..." Shutong, trembling with fear, nodded frantically and said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Shutong then knelt and recounted the events at the Three Saints Temple once more. Lin Dongxiu trembled all over, her hands and feet icy cold, her head bowed rigidly. Suddenly, she heard Lin Zhaoxiang ask, "Fourth Girl, is what she said true?"
Lin Dongxiu's legs gave way, and she slumped to the floor with a thud, stammering, "It... it's true..."
Lin Old Madam let out a faint "ying" sound and fainted.Qin Shi was dumbstruck and thought to herself, "This is no place to linger—with the Old Master personally presiding, I'd better make myself scarce to avoid suspicion." Seeing Lin Old Madam faint, she seized the opportunity and hurried over to attend to her, helping two maids carry Lin Old Madam away.
Wang Shi's heart sank, but her maternal love prevailed as she cried out indignantly, "Lies! All lies! Ling Jie'er is the kindest and most devoted child—how could she do such things!" Looking at Lin Dongling's pitiful state, her heart ached even more, and she wept, "They must have evil intentions to frame Ling Jie'er. Even if Ling Jie'er did something wrong, it should be up to the Old Master and Old Madam to discipline her, or her father and me. How dare a junior take it upon themselves to punish her and beat her so badly... My child, if anything happens to you, I won't go on living either..."
Lin Jinlou ignored Wang Shi's sobbing and, looking at his grandfather's pale face, said, "Du Bin must have colluded with an outsider, and it's almost certainly Lu Shaotang. That fellow is desperate for money—he was even trafficking military supplies recently. This time, he probably intended to kidnap the women of the household to extort ransom. If they had gotten the silver, none of our family would have returned alive. But now Du Bin and Hua Mei have both fled..."
Before he could finish, Lin Dongling suddenly sat up, her face streaked with what might have been blood or tears, and shouted hoarsely and incoherently, "Nonsense! My Du Lang would never do such a thing! You're all talking nonsense! Nonsense!"
By the way, there won't be any clichéd tropes like surprise pregnancies—absolutely not! This story aims to try something fresher ^ ^ Thanks to Ning Ruoying and Yueguang Lanlan for the Peach Blossom Fans, yalleo and Bookfriend 090222152449720 for the sachets, Xueluo Jiangnan for three Peace Talismans, and Ning Ruoying, Yao Yao, Huihui—Jiejie, Yueguang Lanlan, L.M.G., Xiaoxiao66, Hong Sheng, tryonekitty, and jojo8129 for the Peace Talismans. If I missed anyone or thanked someone twice, please don't mind ^ ^ Also, thanks to everyone for the pink votes ^_^
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