Lin Dongxiu said, “What’s the hurry? It’s been a long time since we siblings sat together like this.”

Lin Jinting’s heart burned with anger as he sneered, “You’re quite the schemer. Although Yifei earned two imperial examination titles, his family fortune has largely declined. How can that compare to Elder Brother’s smooth official career and bright future? Tsk, such calculation, it’s a pity it comes with such a pretty face.” He glanced at Lin Jinlou and continued, “How dare you keep such a woman by your side?”

Lin Dongling snorted, “Third Brother speaks the truth. Elder Brother keeps such a person by his side? She’s only ordinary looking, I think even less attractive than Luan’er.” She looked at Shuran and said, “Don’t you agree?”

Shuran wished she could cover Lin Dongling’s mouth. She glanced at Lin Jinlou and smiled apologetically, “She’s just a thoughtless young girl, how could she be considered a beauty?” She used serving tea as an excuse to withdraw.

Xianglan remained expressionless, head lowered, like a vase decorating the corner of the room.

Lin Jinlou acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. He beckoned to Xianglan, “Little Xianglan, come here.”

Xianglan approached with her head down. Lin Jinlou took a piece of osmanthus cake and offered it to her, saying, “This is delicious. It’s not easy to have osmanthus cake in summer.”

Xianglan whispered, “I want to go inside.”

Lin Dongqi immediately stood up, saying, “What a coincidence, I’m tired too and want to rest somewhere. Let Xianglan show me the way. I’ll lie down on the bed here for a while.” She took Xianglan’s hand and guided her to the east side room.

Lin Dongqi knew Xianglan’s name because she had helped expose Cao Lihuan’s plot against her. Feeling grateful and unable to bear seeing Xianglan bullied, she lowered her voice and said to her, “They’ve always been loose-tongued. Don’t take what they said to heart.”

Xianglan looked up at Lin Dongqi and shook her head slightly. The tears that had been welling up in her large eyes finally fell. She quickly wiped them away and forced a smile at Lin Dongqi, saying, “Let me make the bed for Second Young Lady.”

Lin Dongqi was stunned. Seeing Xianglan’s pitiful state, she knew there must be something else between her and Lin Jinlou. Her lips moved, but she didn’t know what to say.

In the hall, Lin Jinlou slammed his teacup on the table with a crash and darkened his face, saying, “What’s this? Did you all take the wrong medicine and come here to throw tantrums?”

Everyone was startled. Seeing Lin Jinlou’s face as black as a pot bottom and full of anger, Lin Dongling quickly put down her teacup, Lin Dongxiu hurriedly swallowed her preserved fruit, and Lin Jinting unconsciously sat up straight. They all held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Lin Jinlou sneered, “Speak! Weren’t you all so cheerful just now? Why have you all gone mute?”

Jinting, Dongling, and Dongxiu lowered their heads, looking at each other, but remained silent.

Lin Jinting cleared his throat and said, “Elder Brother, that Xianglan…”

Lin Jinlou turned his cold gaze toward him, making Lin Jinting’s heart freeze as he slowly closed his mouth. Lin Jinlou’s reputation for severity was well-known, and no one in the family dared to provoke him. Since childhood, all his siblings had been extremely afraid of him. Only later, as they grew older and Lin Jinlou became busy with official duties, rarely staying at home, and when present, often showing a spring-like smile and affection toward his siblings, did they forget his frightening side and become loose with their words again.

Lin Jinlou’s face was as cold as water as he asked, “Who are the maids serving Third Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady?”

Everyone in the room was silent as winter cicadas, no one daring to respond.

Lin Jinlou slammed the table and shouted, “Speak! Who are they?”

Nange and Hanzhi, the personal maids of Dongling and Dongxiu, were in the small hall. Hearing Lin Jinlou’s question, they knew trouble was coming but had no choice. They went out, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, “It was us, servants.”

Lin Jinlou sneered, “Very well. My sisters should be noble young ladies, yet they’ve learned the vulgar slander of street shrews. I knew it must be you worthless servants by their side stirring up trouble. Come here, take them away, and beat them!”

Nange and Hanzhi immediately turned pale, repeatedly kowtowing and begging, “Master, please spare us! Master, please spare us! We’ll never dare again! Never dare again!”

Lin Dongling and Lin Dongxiu’s faces changed. Lin Dongling jumped up saying, “I said those words, what does it have to do with them!”

Lin Dongxiu began crying, saying, “Brother, would you create discord between us siblings over a woman?”

Lin Jinlou stared at Lin Dongling and Lin Dongxiu for a moment. Lin Dongling’s defiance deflated by half, and she slowly sat back down. Lin Dongxiu didn’t dare cry anymore, only continuing to sniffle.

Two servant women came in and dragged Nange and Hanzhi out. They began beating them in the courtyard, and hearing their screams, Dongling and Dongxiu turned pale and trembled.

Previously, when Zhao Yuechan was at Zhichun Pavilion, beating servants with planks was commonplace, so the maids there remained composed. Madam Qin, though fair in rewards and punishments, was lenient in running the household and rarely resorted to physical punishment. Madam Wang was even softer-hearted and had no temper. Thus, the two young ladies had never seen such severe beating, nor had they expected Lin Jinlou to turn on them so suddenly, directly having their most personal maids beaten. Not only did he show no face-saving courtesy, but it was clearly meant as a warning to others.

Lin Jinlou coldly said, “My sisters have grown up, and now have many trouble-making servants around them who have led them astray. As your elder brother, I’m helping you manage your people. If anyone objects, speak up now.”

Lin Dongxiu didn’t dare cry anymore and sat with her head down. Lin Dongling sat as if on pins and needles, while Lin Jinting seemed to want to speak but held back.

Lin Jinlou sneered, “You’ve all grown quite bold, haven’t you? You say you came to see your new sister-in-law, but actually came to shame me, causing trouble at Zhichun Pavilion. If I don’t manage this, you’ll all completely revolt!”

Lin Dongqi heard everything clearly from the east side room. When family elders administered punishment, they would still reason with the offender, but when it came to Lin Jinlou, he didn’t bother with reasoning. He would simply start hitting until you submitted and begged for mercy. Years ago, when Lin Zhengzheng’s favored concubine Madam Yin spoke ill of Madam Qin to him, Madam Qin was so angry she had a huge argument with Lin Zhengzheng. Lin Jinlou, only nine years old at the time, upon hearing this, burst into Madam Yin’s room and started throwing punches at her face. Though still a child, he was tall and strong, having practiced martial arts since age three, like a young bull. Before anyone could stop him, Madam Yin’s nose was bleeding profusely, her face black and blue, with open wounds. The maids and servants couldn’t stop him. Lin Jinlou grabbed the evil-warding sword hanging on the wall and started threatening to kill Madam Yin. When her maid stepped forward to block him, she immediately had a finger cut off by the sword, crying out in pain as blood flowed. After Lin Jinlou cut off a handful of Madam Yin’s hair, she realized he truly meant to kill her and fled in terror. Lin Jinlou chased her with the sword, shouting, “You cheap woman, come here and die! Anyone who dares stop me today, one and all, I’ll kill them clean!” He chased Madam Yin halfway through the garden before Madam Qin, who had heard the commotion, finally stopped him.

Lin Zhengzheng was furious. He ordered Lin Jinlou to kneel and picked up a punishment ruler to beat him. Lin Jinlou stubbornly said, “She’s just a lowly servant, yet she dared bully my mother. She’s lucky I didn’t stab her to death today. If she dares spew such filth again in the future, I’ll cut her into eight pieces and throw her in the pond to feed the fish! Let all those loose-tongued troublemakers learn their lesson!”

Lin Zhengzheng was so angry his hands shook as he pointed and said, “Outrageous, outrageous! She is your stepmother!”

Lin Jinlou rolled his eyes and said, “Her children are my siblings, but a mere servant woman should properly bow and call me ‘Young Master.’ How did she become my stepmother? She’s not worthy! Such an arrogant servant daring to ride over me and my mother. If I don’t kill her, who should I kill? Father, if you side with such a lowly servant against me, disregarding our father-son relationship, then you’re not fit to be my father!”

Lin Zhengzheng, usually dignified and composed, never expected to have such an unreasonable son. He nearly fainted with anger and raised the ruler to strike again. Just then, Lin Zhaoxiang arrived. Lin Jinlou immediately jumped up from the ground, ran to Lin Zhaoxiang, and wailed while holding his waist, “Grandfather, Grandfather, save me! Father wants to divorce my mother for that cheap woman and beat me to death!”

Lin Zhengzheng nearly fainted again hearing Lin Jinlou’s twisting of facts. Lin Zhaoxiang put on a stern face and lectured about “the proper distinction between wife and concubine.” Seeing the bloody marks from the ruler on Lin Jinlou’s body, he felt heartache and scolded, “How old is Lougeer! How can he withstand such a heavy beating? The Lin family has always had few descendants, and he is the eldest grandson of the family. What if you hurt him? Letting a cheap woman’s instigation cause discord between husband and wife – if you can’t even manage your own household, how can you serve as an official outside!”

Lin Zhengzheng stood with hanging arms listening to the lecture. In a moment’s glance, he saw Lin Jinlou standing behind Lin Zhaoxiang making faces at him, and nearly had a heart attack.

The next day, Lin Jinlou obediently went to apologize to Madam Yin, but before leaving, when no one was watching, he viciously said to her, “You cheap thing! Dare try again and I’ll really kill you!” This frightened Madam Yin into a serious illness, and thereafter she would try to avoid Lin Jinlou whenever possible. While she wasn’t afraid of the subtle machinations between women, Lin Jinlou came at her with murderous intent. He was the favored eldest grandson of the Lin family – even if he really killed her, the Lin family couldn’t do much about it, and she would lose her life for nothing. What would be the point? Later, after several thunderous moves from Madam Qin, Madam Yin completely submitted, giving up any remaining ambitions.

Lin Zhaoxiang also came to value Lin Jinlou more because of this incident and specially kept him by his side for personal guidance.

Lin Dongqi had heard this story from Madam Qin several times. Each time she would say, “Your elder brother was born with this temperament. How old is nine? Yet he already had the courage to kill. Fortunately, your grandfather later guided him, making his temperament more restrained, and keeping him from going astray. Not to brag, but Louger will surely achieve great things, and you as his sister will inevitably rely on him.”

Now those thoughtless ones outside had eaten leopard’s gall and angered this tyrant. Lin Dongqi rubbed her temples, knowing she had to mediate. She went out and said, “The younger brothers and sisters all know their mistake and willingly accept punishment. They will never dare again in the future.” Then she asked the younger ones, “Isn’t that right?”

Lin Dongxiu hurriedly took the lead, saying, “Yes, yes, we know we were wrong, we know we were wrong…” As she spoke, she pulled at Lin Dongling, who also awkwardly admitted her mistake. Lin Jinting hung his head in silence.