Lin Changzheng sat in a daze for a long while, only snapping out of it when a servant boy came to summon him to the front. Shortly after, Qin Shi returned with medicine, her heart aching with unspoken grievances. She dared not vent her feelings fully, so she personally took a towel to clean Lin Jinlou's wound and applied the medicine. Lin Old Madam stood by, holding Lin Jinlou's hand and stroking it repeatedly, then smoothing his hair as if comforting a child. With tears in her eyes, she said, "You stubborn child, why must you be so unyielding? Couldn't you have just softened your words to your father, even if it was just an act? We are here for you. Your grandmother is always on your side—would I ever let you suffer? Your body, hair, and skin are gifts from your parents—how could you think of cutting them so recklessly? With all this turmoil, how many years of my life have you shaved off?"
Lin Jinlou replied in a hoarse voice, "How could Father do this? Xianglan has done so much for our family. If anything happens to her, I wouldn't be able to live with the shame."
Qin Shi quickly interjected, "We've already sent someone to fetch her."
Lin Jinlou said, "Mother, you know better than anyone what kind of person Xianglan is. She may come from a humble background, but as the old saying goes, 'Do not judge a hero by their origins.' My father—what matters more, face or substance? Isn't life about living comfortably for oneself, rather than putting on a show for others?" Growing more agitated as he spoke, he tried to stand up again. "No, I must go see for myself."
Lin Old Madam hurriedly soothed him, "Yes, yes, don't rush. Be good and listen. First, let's tend to your wound. If you want to marry her, your grandmother will handle it. I will." Originally, Lin Old Madam had intended to stay out of it after Lin Zhaoxiang's advice, but today's events had shaken her deeply. The conflict between father and son had escalated to the point of drawing blood, talk of shaving his head to become a monk, and the revelation of a shocking secret. She knew well that her eldest grandson was both daring and ruthless—he might truly go through with shaving his head. Thus, while inwardly blaming Lin Changzheng, she focused on calming Lin Jinlou, silently forming a plan.
Once the medicine was applied, Lin Jinlou couldn't sit still in the room any longer and insisted on going out to search himself. Lin Old Madam and Qin Shi desperately held him back, refusing to let him go. Lin Jinlou then ordered people to wait at each stop for news. Soon, a young servant entered and reported, "Master, Fourth Son-in-law said that Xianglan's whereabouts are still unknown. She wasn't sent to the manor. We've sent people to inquire along the route, but no one has found any trace—"
"What? You mean she hasn't been found?"
"Yes, she hasn't—" The young servant knelt on the ground, daring not to move as he glanced up cautiously. "Fourth Son-in-law has stationed people at the manor and sent others to search along the way—"
Lin Jinlou slammed his hand on the table, causing a tea bowl to fall and shatter into pieces with a loud crash. How could he just sit here idly, fussing over a minor injury, while Xianglan was missing again? Could it be that the old man had lied to him? Furious, Lin Jinlou ignored his grandmother and mother's calls and strode to the front, bursting into the Flower Hall. The elders and dignitaries seated inside stared at him in stunned silence. Spotting Lin Changmin among them, Lin Jinlou rushed forward, grabbed his uncle by the collar, and dragged him out.
Lin Changmin was terrified, his chopsticks slipping from his hand and clattering to the floor. He struggled desperately but was no match for Lin Jinlou's strength. Frustrated and panicked, he shouted, "How dare you! What are you doing? I'm your elder! Your uncle!"
Lin Jinlou had already hauled him outside and threw a punch, growling, "Stay put and behave!"Lin Changmin grunted in pain, unable to speak. Lin Jinlou grabbed his collar again, slamming him against the wall and gritting his teeth as he demanded, "Where is Xianglan? Where did you send Xianglan?"
Lin Changmin froze, his face turning pale.
Lin Jinlou roared, "Speak! Where did you take Xianglan?"
It was the first time Lin Changmin had seen Lin Jinlou so ferocious. His legs went weak, and he nearly confessed, stammering, "Wh-where would I take her? It was your father who told me to send—"
"She's not at the manor! Where did you send her?"
"I—I—I don't know, I... I had someone else send her—"
Lin Changzheng had already rushed over, grabbing Lin Jinlou's arm, trembling with rage. "You unfilial son! Must you utterly disgrace our family? Let go!"
Lin Jinlou's voice was hoarse as he asked, "Father, where exactly have you taken Xianglan?"
Lin Changzheng glared. "How dare you! Do you suspect I'm lying to you? Outrageous!"
Hearing this, Lin Jinlou released Lin Changmin and dashed outside. He rushed to the stables, where the servant boy tending the horses was adding feed to the troughs. Before the boy could even bow in greeting, Lin Jinlou had already leaped onto a horse, shouted "Hyah!" and charged out.
The gatekeeper on duty at the second gate saw Lin Jinlou riding out and hurriedly opened the gate. The guards stationed there immediately picked up their weapons and mounted their horses to follow. Ever since Lin Jinlou was injured last time, the Lin Family Army had strengthened his security detail. Whenever he went out, twelve riders now followed closely behind. Dust clouds billowed through the streets as Lin Jinlou shot past on his horse, followed by a thundering cavalry that startled countless street vendors and pedestrians. A scholar whispered to his companion, "I wonder which noble family's prodigal son is causing such a commotion." "Hush, didn't you see the official uniforms on those following him? Probably some military official on duty."
Lin Jinlou raced straight to Duke Zhenguo's manor in the outskirts of the capital, his heart burning with anxiety. How could a perfectly fine person just disappear? Xianglan never ventured beyond the inner courtyards, and this was her first time in the capital. The only time she'd left was when he took her shopping and later to the Shen family ancestral graves outside the city. She had ridden in a carriage then and didn't know the streets or alleys at all. If she got lost, she wouldn't even know how to find her way back. When she was taken, she probably had no money on her. She was a simple person who rarely wore more than one or two pieces of jewelry daily—if something happened, she wouldn't even have travel expenses to manage. And she was so delicate... if she encountered ruffians, she'd be completely vulnerable. Lin Jinlou didn't dare think further, urging his horse faster toward Duke Zhenguo's manor.
He rode at breakneck speed, the wind whistling past his ears. With each jolt, the fresh wound on his head throbbed painfully, making his temples pulse. Then he felt warmth at the corner of his eye—when he wiped it, his hand came away bloody; the wound had reopened. Lin Jinlou paid it no mind, simply wiping the blood on his pristine, luxurious robes.
When he arrived at the manor, he found Tao Hongxun and several clansmen eating and drinking at a table set up under a tree. Spotting Lin Jinlou from afar, Tao Hongxun immediately set down his chopsticks and came forward, clasping his hands in greeting with a smile. "I heard the thunder of hooves earlier—so it was my brother-in-law arriving." But when he got a clear look at the blood on Lin Jinlou's head, he exclaimed in shock, "Good heavens, brother-in-law! What... what happened to you?"Lin Jinlou waved his hand, took a breath, and asked, "Has anyone been sent to the Manor today? Where is Old Yuan?"
Tao Hongxun replied, "Brother-in-law came earlier but has already left. He also asked if anyone had been sent and left someone here to wait. Indeed, no one has been sent to the Manor today. Should I summon the manor steward to inquire, or have the entire Manor searched thoroughly? I assure you, no one is hidden here."
Lin Jinlou swayed weakly, looking disheartened. As Tao Hongxun ordered someone to fetch medicine, he saw Lin Jinlou had already mounted his horse, turned it around, and ridden away.
Back at the Lin residence, after Lin Jinlou's departure, Lin Changzheng and Lin Changmin were left in awkward silence when a servant boy reported that the Old Master had summoned Lin Changzheng. Lin Changzheng hurriedly followed. Entering the Hall of Substance, he saw Lin Zhaoxiang and Lin Old Madam sitting on an inlaid mother-of-pearl bamboo and rattan cooling bed in the shade under a tree, spread with a fine green dragon-whisker mat. Lin Old Madam was wiping tears as she spoke to Lin Zhaoxiang. Upon seeing Lin Changzheng enter, she snorted, stood up, and left.
Lin Changzheng approached, eyes downcast and mind focused, bowed, and said, "Father."
Lin Zhaoxiang set aside his water pipe and said, "You're here? Your mother just told me about the incident in the study."
Lin Changzheng quickly responded, "It is my unfilialness that angered Mother. But that rebellious son—without discipline, he will never amount to anything."
Lin Zhaoxiang said, "Do you think beating him will make him succeed? Since he was young, has any beating ever worked to make him obey you?"
"——"
"Enough of that," Lin Zhaoxiang waved his hand. "What exactly are we to do about Xianglan?"
Lin Changzheng hesitated. Previously, he had strongly opposed the matter, but now his eldest son would rather die than yield and had even mentioned the affair of the crown prince. He still felt a lingering dizziness and fear, uncertain how to proceed, yet he remained prejudiced. The Lin Family was currently at its peak; if it were said that the eldest grandson married a maid, wouldn't it become a laughingstock?
Seeing his silence, Lin Zhaoxiang tapped the ground with his cane and said, "You don't know yet, do you? Lou Ge'er, in his struggle against you, has taken this matter to the nobles in the imperial palace. I've heard that these days, the Empress Dowager often watches the opera 'The Legend of Lanxiang Jushi.'"
Lin Changzheng was shocked and gritted his teeth, saying, "That unfilial son! How could he act so recklessly!"
"What else could he do if he didn't escalate it? Suppression won't subdue him—you know how bold he is. I wanted to see just how determined and capable he was in this matter, and he has truly stirred things up."
"Father, he's indulging his whims and committing foolish acts. He—"
"Enough. The fact is, he has already done it. That girl has clearly done the Lin Family a great favor. What do you intend to do?"
"——"
"Changzheng, how has the Lin Family reached where it is today step by step?"
Lin Changzheng collected himself and replied respectfully, "Through the teachings of our ancestors, establishing ourselves with diligence, loyalty, integrity, and sincerity—that is how we have achieved today's prosperity."
Lin Zhaoxiang stood up and said meaningfully, "Correct. Diligence, loyalty, integrity, and sincerity—in the end, they boil down to one word: 'virtue.' A family that passes down virtue lasts more than ten generations; one that passes down farming and scholarship comes next; then one that passes down literature and learning; and a family that passes down wealth lasts no more than three generations. As the saying goes, when taking a wife, choose virtue. Otherwise, even if you marry into a noble family and bring back a high-born lady, if her virtue does not match her position, and she spends her days in strife and cunning schemes, how can that be a sign of the family's revival? Moreover, the Lin Family has reached a point where we no longer need to rely on anyone."
Lin Changzheng was startled and looked up sharply at Lin Zhaoxiang. "Father, you mean—""If Lou Ge'er wishes to marry, let him do so—it would make a fine story. I've personally seen the girl, and she is truly exceptional, far surpassing ordinary women. A good wife influences ten generations of descendants. Don't limit your perspective here; look further ahead."
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