Chapter 42: Chapter 39 The Lin Family of Lanxi
The capital of Zhongnan Country is called Luojing.
Luojing is situated on a vast plain at the foot of Taibai Mountain, amidst the Zhongnan Mountains.
It is also the most fertile and prosperous area in Zhongnan Country.
Ancient pavilions and terraces, amid the misty willows and dwellings, stretch haphazardly for miles.
Although Luojing is the capital of a country, apart from the Inner City where the Imperial Family resides, there is not a single outer city wall, for the entire Zhongnan Mountains serve as the best barrier.
In the early morning, a light rain trickles down.
...
In the rainy season, Zhongnan Mountain is prone to frequent downpours.
But at this moment, outside the city of Luojing, at a ten-mile-long pavilion, two groups of people are standing under their umbrellas.
This long pavilion is a necessary passage for travelers from the south to Luojing; usually, at this time, there should be many people welcoming friends, snapping off a willow twig as a farewell gesture.
However, most ordinary citizens are keeping their distance, waiting from afar.
In the pavilion, which should be a shelter from the rain, there is not a single person, just two distinct rows of people standing quietly in the rain outside the pavilion.
On the left, leading the group, is a graceful young Daoist nun, crowned with a lotus and adorned in a purple Daoist Robe, with someone holding an umbrella for her. She is idly looking at the misty old road ahead, playing with a small Jade Ruyi in her hand, occasionally turning to glance at a man in the other group with a smile.
The others behind her are all blue-clothed Daoist priest, their heads wrapped in Daoist Cloth, hands holding horsetail whisks.
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The group to the right is led by a tall and handsome young man, his posture striking and his demeanor pleasant, dressed casually with a pair of wooden clogs on his feet, currently holding a paper umbrella and looking calmly ahead.
Behind him, all are servants: some holding a zither, some a flute, others carrying wine and still others carrying boxes.
“Imperial Censor Lin, how come you find the leisure today to bring your servants to this ten-mile-long pavilion to compose poetry?” the young woman playing with the jade said with a smiling grin.
The young man known as Imperial Censor Lin ignored her as if he hadn’t heard her.
“Hmm? Could it be that you’re also waiting for someone, Imperial Censor Lin? Coming here so early, who are you waiting for?” asked the woman, her gaze fixed on the man’s familiar face, speaking with light-hearted jest.
The young man still didn’t speak, ignoring the Daoist nun beside him and patiently waiting for a guest he had invited from afar.
“To have Imperial Censor Lin personally waiting, it must be no ordinary person. Hmm, let me guess…” she bit her lip, pretending to ponder for a moment, then her face lit up with sudden realization.
“Could it be Han Tuizhi, who wrote a Falling Flower Grade poem at seventeen? Oh, your classmate from Siqi Academy is indeed impressive.”
As soon as she finished speaking,
The young man, who had so far ignored her, turned to look at her for the first time, staring intently.
Their gazes locked.
Her eyes were tender,
His eyes, indifferent.
“Am I right? Is it Han Tuizhi?” Seeing that the young man finally looked at her, the woman’s smile brightened, her tone filled with feigned regret, “Ah, he might not be able to make it.”
“Tuizhi is a man prized by the Mountain Master. Does Chongxu Temple really dare to be so bold?” The young man finally spoke, his voice warm and gentle, but at this moment, it echoed with icy firmness, each word delivered with deliberation.
With a look of aggrievement, the woman replied, “His mother is gravely ill, what does that have to do with Chongxu Temple? He was on his way when he received a family letter and had to turn back. So, he sent you a letter, which just happened to come to our Chongxu Temple. I guess they knew we were close, and since I had nothing to do, I took a look and that’s how I found out.”
After speaking, she lifted her hand and casually took a letter shaft handed to her from behind.
“Really, I’m not lying to you. I’d forgotten about this until I happened to run into you waiting here. I probably wouldn’t have remembered until who knows when. Ah, look at my memory. I hope I haven’t caused any trouble for Imperial Censor Lin.” She twirled the apologetic letter addressed to “Brother Wenruo” in her fingers, her tone sincere.
“Well, Imperial Censor Lin, do you still want it?”
Lin Wenruo was silent for a moment, narrowing his eyes, then turned to look at the Daoist nun and the group of Daoists behind her with mocking eyes, “Then, Wenruo really must thank you all.”
“No need for thanks. Imperial Censor Lin, you work hard every day for the sake of the nation’s affairs. It’s an honor for me to do this little insignificant thing for you. However, if you insist on thanking me, is there any chance you could grant me one small request?”
Her tone was gentle, but her next words were like a sting of a scorpion.
“Could you pick out a slightly larger burial plot for your Lanxi Lin Family? I’m afraid it won’t be big enough for all of you otherwise.”
————
A grand carriage traveled along the vast Meridian Road.
The entourage of protectors by its side looked relaxed, for their half-year-long journey accompanying the second young master for a leisure trip had finally come to an end.
The driver was an old servant, whose aged face held a sprightly vigor.
This was the very same carriage procession that had hastily passed by Zhao Rong and his group last time. Had Zhao Rong taken a closer look, he would definitely have recognized these people.
Unlike the relaxed protectors surrounding him, the old driver was rather worried because he had caught a glimpse of a familiar figure while driving—one that he had only met once, but the impression had been too profound…
He was a Death Soldier cultivated by the Lin Family of Lanxi in Zhongnan Country, with cultivation at the Vast Realm, and was extremely loyal to the Lanxi Lin Family. His purpose for the journey was to provide close protection to the family’s second young master.
Although the second young master, due to certain special reasons, had a perverse disposition and acted arrogantly and domineeringly outside of the family, he was at least not stupid. On the contrary, he was quite shrewd, knew how to weigh the situation, and could judge people, understanding who could be provoked and who couldn’t.
As a result, although this journey had seen its fair share of troubles and restlessness, most incidents fell within the scope that a Vast Realm Cultivator and a direct descendant of the Lanxi Lin Family could handle.
The only accident occurred in a kingdom called Great Chu on the southern part of Wangque Continent, at a business house in Qingfeng Residence, where they met a common scholar with no cultivation.
Assuming he was just like most of the scholars from the foot of the mountain, boasting the banner of Linlu Academy.
The second young master, in particular, loved to bully such poor scholars—actually, thinking about this, the old servant felt somewhat ashamed. After all, the Lanxi Lin Family was a household steeped in scholarly tradition, producing many Great Scholars and notables. The founding family head was invited to govern the country by one of the Zhongnan Country’s rulers because he was a learned Confucian from the Academy. Since then, the family had taken root here and passed down their legacy for hundreds of years. This generation saw the elder young master—a promising Reading Seed of the Academy—who was expected to exceed his ancestors and elevate the Lanxi Lin Family to new heights. Yet, the family’s second young master relished in bullying and trampling upon ordinary scholars outside—But they never expected to kick an iron plate this time.
An extremely solid one at that.
The seemingly ordinary scholar was extraordinary and immediately produced two grade-worthy poems, one of which even achieved the Falling Flower Grade!
To think that even the family’s elder young master, who was the pride of the entire Zhongnan Country, had only composed five grade-worthy poems at Siqi Academy throughout the years, none of which were of the Falling Flower Grade, but merely Ascending ones. Although the art of poetry is just one of many aspects valued by Confucian scholars and does not fully account for everything—for example, the family’s elder young master was extremely good at Mingjing and debate.
However, a scholar so adept in the way of poetry would likely be exceptional in other disciplines as well.
He must be someone extraordinary in Linlu Academy as well, and if the Lanxi Lin Family made an enemy of such a scholar over the second young master’s impulsive behavior, it would not be worth it at all.
You see, the feuds of those from the mountains are not something that can be simply resolved. The cause and effect are intricately interwoven, and sometimes even the faintest trace may lead to thousand-mile implications. It’s not too unusual for a family of Mountain Immortals to be wiped out over an insignificant feud.
Therefore, it is better to dissolve enmity rather than foster it, and to reduce karma whenever possible.
That’s why he had strongly urged the second young master to apologize, and the second young master did so with a downcast face, yet the scholar did not express much. Instead, he left behind an enigmatic remark before turning away.
Now having seen that scholar again in Zhongnan Country, he couldn’t tell if it was mere coincidence.
With this thought, the old servant sighed and turned back to glance worriedly at the curtain behind him.
Inside the carriage.
Lin Qingxuan’s expression was gloomy.
He had been in good spirits before, casually lifting the curtain to look outside, but his mood had immediately sunk again, down to the lowest point.
How did you follow me to Zhongnan Country?!
However, after calming down and thinking about it, he figured it was probably just a coincidence because he never revealed his Lin Family lineage—so the other person probably did not know his origins.
Lin Qingxuan soon let out a sigh of relief.
He glanced at the familiar beautiful scenery of Zhongnan Mountain outside the carriage window and frowned.
He had originally planned to return before his brother’s wedding, but because he deliberately avoided the scholar’s ferry, coupled with the Punishment Mansion’s blockade of the Zhi Shui Country’s ferry routes, he arrived much later than intended and had missed his brother’s wedding.
Thinking of his brother, whom he had always looked up to, his eyes darkened.
Yet, when he thought of his sister-in-law, who had now officially joined the family, his heart warmed.
His sister-in-law had always carried herself as a daughter-in-law of the Lanxi Lin Family even before marrying into the family, thoroughly familiarizing herself with the Lin Family’s family rules, showing respect to her in-laws, and treating him extremely well—as if she were his older sister. His parents also regarded her like their own daughter, and she had lived in the Lin Family home ever since the engagement, waiting for his brother to complete his studies at the Academy and come home for the wedding.
Lin Wenruo, such a good woman is utterly devoted to you, you must never fail her!
Hmm, my sister-in-law likes Jade Ruyis, so I specially picked out a White Jade Ruyi with a blue and white seed material pattern for her as a wedding present.
Even though, as the State Preceptor’s daughter, she must have seen many treasures, this Jade Ruyi will definitely catch her eye.