Lin Jinlou emerged from the room when the sky had grown extremely dark, with sporadic snowflakes drifting down from above. Shuran approached and asked softly, “Master, will you be staying at Zhichun Pavilion or returning to your study?”
Lin Jinlou narrowed his eyes and looked up at the dark, heavy sky. Where should he go? Having just paid respects to Qinglan and that child, he wasn’t in the mood to stay at Zhichun Pavilion, yet his study felt too desolate…
He instructed Shuran, “Have the servants prepare a horse. I’m going out. If Madam asks, tell her I have a business to attend to and need to return to the military camp first. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Shuran promptly acknowledged. As Lin Jinlou reached the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back, “That maid called Xianglan – find some reliable people to investigate where she was sold. If she was sold to a brothel or some unsavory place, use the money to redeem her and find her a proper path. Consider it accumulating some karma for Qinglan and that child.”
Lin Jinlou had never believed in karma or retribution, so these unexpected words surprised Shuran. However, she quickly concealed her astonishment and lowered her head, saying, “Yes, this servant will immediately consult with some brokers to inquire.”
Lin Jinlou nodded slightly and walked out, adding, “I brought back a box of Jiangzhe specialties. Later, distribute them among the various quarters and have them delivered.”
Shuran followed behind, repeatedly saying “Yes,” while thinking to herself: “Master is also pitiable. This task should have been done by the First Madam, but now that the couple isn’t getting along, these matters fall to me. After I leave the mansion to marry, Master won’t have anyone reliable by his side. My cousin Keran was sent to Master by the Old Madam – if she’s clever, I’ll let her replace me in the future.” Though Lin Jinlou had a domineering nature, he was generous and kind to his subordinates, and quite loyal, which was why those who had served him long were willing to give their lives for him.
Lin Jinlou took Jixiang and rode out on horseback. After passing through seven or eight alleys, they stopped before a small red door. Jixiang went to knock, and soon an old man came out. Seeing the master and servant, he hurriedly welcomed them in. Lin Jinlou walked straight inside, where an exceptionally beautiful woman full of charm greeted him, her face wearing a gentle, ingratiating smile, repeatedly asking, “Master, how is it you’ve come out right after returning home? Have you eaten yet?”
Lin Jinlou didn’t even glance at her, entering the room and grabbing a pillow to lie down on the kang bed. The woman wasn’t offended, simply ordering people to boil water for tea and set out fresh fruits. She wrung out a hot towel to wipe Lin Jinlou’s face, then gently climbed onto the kang to massage his head and shoulders. She giggled and said, “Master, where did you get upset? You came in with such a stern face, it’s quite frightening.” Seeing Lin Jinlou not responding, she gave a signal to her attending maid. After the maid withdrew, she undid her jacket buttons, revealing a bright red embroidered dudou undergarment with five-colored mandarin ducks. She softened her voice, “Oh my, let me see, with such a dark expression, who has made you angry? Tell me, and I’ll make a little voodoo doll to curse whoever’s troubling Master to death, make them suffer a terrible fate… But looking at you, Master doesn’t seem troubled by official matters, rather it seems like some matter of the heart…”
This coquettish voice was thick and sweet, with drawn-out words that were extremely alluring. Lin Jinlou’s heart stirred as a soft, boneless little hand slipped inside his collar, while warm breath tickled his ear: “My lord, you have the most beautiful woman in Jinling at home, yet you come to me right after returning home? You must have missed me, isn’t that right?” Her pearl-like teeth gently nibbled his round, thick earlobe.
Lin Jinlou kept his eyes closed and caught her hand, his lips curling slightly: “Don’t tease, let me have some peace. I’m not in a good mood.”
The woman laughed lightly: “My dear, what could trouble you here…” She was startled when Lin Jinlou suddenly opened his eyes and stared at her directly. She didn’t dare continue her flirtation and slowly sat up straight.
Lin Jinlou closed his eyes again and said, “Go have someone boil water, I need to bathe. Change the tea to Longjing.” The woman bit her lip and left unwillingly.
This woman was called Su Meiyu, originally a courtesan from Yangzhou. Seeing her beauty and cleverness, the broker had carefully trained her in the arts – music, chess, calligraphy, and painting – she excelled in all. At fourteen, she was sold at a high price to become a concubine to Wu Dapeng, a salt merchant from Zhejiang. Wu Dapeng was over fifty, grotesquely fat and vulgar. Though Su Meiyu despised him completely, she was full of schemes and willing to endure hardship, serving him with extreme gentleness, thus gaining his deep affection. Through a combination of coaxing, deception, crying, and making scenes, Su Meiyu got Wu Dapeng to change her status from a slave to a free person. As luck would have it that year, Wu Dapeng suffered a stroke and became bedridden, clearly near death. Su Meiyu attended him day and night without rest, playing the role of the virtuous concubine perfectly, while secretly stealing plenty of gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and paintings, selling them behind people’s backs to convert into silver. When old Wu finally died and his clan members were fighting to the death over the inheritance, Su Meiyu immediately shed her mourning clothes and, taking two boxes of gold, silver, and antiques, rode a carriage straight to the military camp to seek refuge with Lin Jinlou.
Su Meiyu personally brewed a pot of Longjing tea and carefully brought it over, softly calling out, “Master, the tea is ready.” Seeing Lin Jinlou rise, she quickly handed him the tea, gazing somewhat dazedly at his handsome features in the candlelight. She was eighteen when she first met Lin Jinlou when Wu Dapeng hosted several distinguished guests at home and had her perform music during the banquet. She was somewhat unhappy but also curious – what kind of person could make Wu Dapeng willing to present his beloved concubine from the inner quarters to entertain guests?
She came out holding a pipa, gave a graceful curtsey, and when she looked up, she immediately saw Lin Jinlou. He wore a dark green robe, appearing both martial and refined, noble and dignified, with a casual smile on his face. Compared to him, all the young masters around him seemed lackluster, mere foils. Su Meiyu’s heart pounded, and her face slowly reddened.
Later, Su Meiyu found various ways to extract information from Wu Dapeng, learning that Lin Jinlou was the eldest grandson of the prestigious Lin family in Jiangnan. She also learned that he was skilled in strategy and ruthless in execution, commanding troops with ease, and maintaining his own Lin family army with quite a reputation. She learned too that he moved freely in sophisticated circles, always living life to the fullest, and had married Zhao Yuechan, the most beautiful woman in Jinling, as his wife. She couldn’t forget Lin Jinlou, and perhaps heaven took pity on her – when old Wu died, she gained her freedom. As it happened, Lin Jinlou was fighting in Zhejiang, so she sought help from acquaintances to reach him, and then willingly became his mistress.
Lin Jinlou didn’t reject the beauty’s affection and was initially tender and affectionate. He even neglected the beautiful concubine who had followed him from home, renting a residence where he spent his days with Su Meiyu. Though generous with money, he told Su Meiyu, “I can’t give you official status. Whenever you want to marry in the future, feel free to do so, or if you have a particular type in mind, I’ll help you find someone and add to your dowry.”
Su Meiyu felt cold inside but reproached Lin Jinlou with a glance, saying, “I, Su Meiyu, am in my prime beauty, with money and property. Those who want to marry me could line up to the south gate of the city – no need for Master to trouble himself. Besides, I’ve set my heart on following you for life. Could you not want me, hmm?”
Hearing this, Lin Jinlou just smiled and lowered his eyelashes to drink tea. Later, he gradually grew distant from her. Su Meiyu was anxious but couldn’t figure out this man’s temperament and thoughts. She secretly had a servant deliver a lock of her hair to him, only to discover that while Lin Jinlou still had people look after her, he never came to that residence again. Su Meiyu then realized she had done something foolish and became increasingly cautious and insecure. Later, when Lin Jinlou returned to Jinling, he told her he was giving her residence in Zhejiang and they would have no further connection. Su Meiyu threatened suicide and made a scene, clutching Lin Jinlou’s legs and crying, then stubbornly followed him back from Zhejiang.
Now, having just returned to Jinling, Lin Jinlou spent his first night with her. Su Meiyu was both surprised and delighted, using all her skills to be tender and attentive.
When the water was heated, Su Meiyu attended to Lin Jinlou’s bath, using a brush to scrub his back. Seeing his strong, muscular upper body, her heart grew hot. She stole glances at him, but seeing Lin Jinlou lying with closed eyes on the edge of the bath, she didn’t dare to be presumptuous and carefully wiped him with a cloth.
Lin Jinlou let out a long sigh and said, “Prepare some light dishes, I’ll stay here tonight.”
Su Meiyu immediately beamed with joy, so happy she stood up, saying, “I’ll have Zhang Ma cook right away! And carefully prepare a pot of porridge – I remember last time Master had two bowls of plum-fragranced porridge and said it was appetizing.”
Lin Jinlou said, “No need for such trouble. I have important matters tomorrow, I’ll just eat a little and sleep.”
Su Meiyu immediately understood Lin Jinlou’s meaning and was greatly disappointed. The smile on her face became much more forced. Hearing Lin Jinlou give a light cough, she came closer and asked, “Is Master’s throat dry? Would you like some tea?” Lin Jinlou opened his eyes slightly and saw Su Meiyu’s ingratiating smile, her full lips covered with a light layer of rouge. Lin Jinlou suddenly thought of that maid called Xianglan who also had such pretty lips, pink even without rouge. He had originally planned to promote her after returning from this campaign, but who knew Zhao Yuechan would sell her. Among all the women he had seen, Xianglan’s appearance and temperament could easily rank in the top three – it was truly a pity to lose such a delicate flower of a girl…
Seeing Lin Jinlou staring at her lips, Su Meiyu became somewhat nervous and threw him a flirtatious glance, laughing, “What is Master looking at? Did I get something dirty on my face?”
During the bandit suppression campaign, he had spent his days living on the edge of death, and Su Meiyu was his pleasure during times of indulgence. Though she was a widow, she was beautiful and understood romance, so accepting her wasn’t inappropriate. But who knew Su Meiyu would develop other thoughts, constantly asking him about the people in the Lin family, their temperaments and personalities, and whether the principal wife was generous. This made him frown. Outside entertainment was just entertainment after all – he had never thought of bringing her home, nor had he ever thought of letting someone like Su Meiyu bear his children. He had already made things clear to Su Meiyu, yet she still lingered, unwilling to leave. Well, his former sweetheart Little Cuixian had been the same way, crying and refusing to let other patrons redeem her, single-mindedly waiting for him to take her home. After several years, seeing her youth fading, she finally accepted reality and let him spend three thousand taels of silver to redeem her and give her to a good friend. As for Su Meiyu, he would stop coming after a while, and in two or three years, when she became sensible, she would find someone to marry.
But he had forgotten the old saying “If you always walk by the river, your shoes will eventually get wet” – it was precisely like this, sooner or later there would be a price to pay for such dalliances. This Su Meiyu would later cause quite a scandal in the Lin family.
At this moment, Lin Jinlou closed his eyes and said quietly, “Nothing.”