Lin Zhang Zheng sat motionless for a long while until a young servant came to summon him, only then did he dazedly head to the front. Meanwhile, Madam Qin returned with medicine, her heart full of grievance and pain, though she dared not fully express it. She used a handkerchief to clean Lin Jin Lou’s wound and apply medicine. Old Madam Lin stood nearby, holding Lin Jin Lou’s hand and stroking it continuously while caressing his head, her eyes filled with tears as she said, “You child, why are you so stubborn? Couldn’t you just say a few soft words to please your father, pretend to put on an act? We’re here for everything, Grandmother is always on your side, how could I let you be wronged? Your body and hair were given by your parents, how can you just cut them off as you please? This scene you’ve caused will take years off Grandmother’s life.”

Lin Jin Lou said hoarsely, “How could Father do this? Xiang Lan has done so much for our family. If anything happens to her, I won’t have the face to live anymore.”

Madam Qin quickly said, “Aren’t they going to bring her back now?”

Lin Jin Lou replied, “Mother, you know better than anyone what kind of person Xiang Lan is. She just comes from a humble background, but doesn’t the ancient saying go that heroes aren’t judged by their origins? Father is… what’s more important, appearances or substance? Isn’t life about living comfortably for oneself? Are we living for others to see?” As he spoke, he grew agitated again and tried to stand up. “No, I must go see for myself.”

Old Madam Lin hurriedly consoled him, “Yes, yes, don’t worry, be good, listen, let’s apply the medicine first. You just want to marry her, right? Grandmother is here, Grandmother is here.” Old Madam Lin had heard Lin Zhao Xiang’s instructions to stay out of it, but today’s events had frightened her terribly. The father and son had reached such a state, with bloodshed and threats of shaving heads to become a monk, and even revealed a secret that could terrify anyone. She knew her eldest grandson well enough – he had both the courage and determination to follow through. If things went badly, he might shave his head and leave. So while she harbored resentment toward Lin Zhang Zheng, she also tried to pacify Lin Jin Lou, quietly making her plans.

After the medicine was applied, Lin Jin Lou couldn’t sit still in the room and immediately wanted to go search himself. Old Madam Lin and Madam Qin refused to let him go, so Lin Jin Lou ordered people to wait at various locations for news. Soon a young servant came to report: “Young Master, Fourth Son-in-law says they haven’t found Miss Xiang Lan’s whereabouts. She wasn’t sent to the estate, and they’ve questioned people all along the way but found nothing…”

“What… what did you say? Haven’t found her?”

“Yes, haven’t found her…” The young servant knelt on the ground, secretly glancing up, not daring to move. “Fourth Son-in-law has posted people to watch the estate and sent others to search along the way…”

Lin Jin Lou slammed his palm on the table, causing the tea cups to fall and shatter on the ground. He had been sitting here worrying about his minor head wound while Xiang Lan was still missing! Could the old man have deceived him? Lin Jin Lou was furious, no longer heeding his grandmother’s and mother’s calls. He strode to the front hall where all the elder family members sat dumbfounded watching him. Lin Jin Lou spotted Lin Zhang Min sitting among them, went forward, grabbed his Second Uncle’s collar, and started dragging him out.

Lin Zhang Min was terrified, his chopsticks falling to the ground as he struggled desperately, but he was no match for Lin Jin Lou’s strength. He shouted in exasperation, “How dare you! What are you doing, what are you doing? I am your elder! Your Second Uncle!”

Lin Jin Lou had already dragged him out and delivered a punch, saying hatefully, “Behave yourself!”

Lin Zhang Min groaned in pain, unable to speak. Lin Jin Lou grabbed his collar again and pushed him against the wall, gritting his teeth, “Where is Xiang Lan? Where did you take her?”

Lin Zhang Min froze, his face turning pale.

Lin Jin Lou roared, “Speak! Where did you take Xiang Lan!”

Lin Zhang Min had never seen Lin Jin Lou so fierce before. His legs went weak, and he nearly confessed, only stammering, “I, I couldn’t have taken her anywhere, your father told me to deliver…”

“She’s not at the estate! Where did you take her?”

“I, I, I don’t know, I… I had someone else deliver her…”

Lin Zhang Zheng rushed over and grabbed Lin Jin Lou’s hand, trembling with anger, “You rebellious son, must you destroy the family’s face before you’re satisfied? Let go now!”

Lin Jin Lou said hoarsely, “Father, where have you taken Xiang Lan?”

Lin Zhang Zheng glared, “Preposterous! Do you think I’m lying to you? Outrageous!”

Hearing this, Lin Jin Lou released Lin Zhang Min and ran outside to the stables. The stable boy was adding feed to the trough, and before he could even bow in greeting, Lin Jin Lou had already leaped onto a horse, shouted “Hya!” and galloped out.

The gatekeepers at the second gate saw Lin Jin Lou riding out and hurriedly opened the gates. A squad of guards quickly picked up their weapons and mounted horses to follow. Since Lin Jin Lou’s previous injury, the Lin family forces had strengthened their security – whenever Lin Jin Lou went out, twelve riders would closely follow him. Dust rose in the streets as Lin Jin Lou flew past, followed by a column of mounted men, startling countless vendors and pedestrians. Some scholars whispered, “Wonder which young noble is being so arrogant?” “Hush, didn’t you see the official uniforms behind him? Must be some military officer on duty.”

Lin Jin Lou rode straight to Marquis Zhenguo’s suburban estate, his heart burning with anxiety. How could a person simply vanish? Xiang Lan rarely left home, and this was her first time in the capital – except for that one time he had taken her out shopping and to visit the Shen family graves, and even then she had been in a carriage. She wouldn’t know any of the streets or alleys outside. If she got lost, she wouldn’t even know the way back. She surely had no silver on her when she was kidnapped, and being a simple person, she rarely wore much jewelry – if something happened, she wouldn’t even have money to help herself. And being so delicate, if she encountered bad people… Lin Jin Lou couldn’t bear to think further and kept urging his horse toward the Marquis’s estate.

He rode so fast that only the wind whistled in his ears, but each bounce made his fresh head throb more painfully until his temples were pounding. Then he felt something wet at the corner of his eye – wiping it away, he found his wound had reopened and was bleeding again. Lin Jin Lou paid it no mind, just wiped it off and smeared it on his fine new clothes.

When he reached the estate, he saw Tao Hong Xun and several clan members sitting at a table under a tree, eating and drinking. Tao Hong Xun spotted him from afar and hurriedly put down his chopsticks to welcome him, cupping his hands and smiling, “I just heard the thundering hooves, so it’s Brother-in-law.” Then seeing the blood on Lin Jin Lou’s head, he was shocked and said, “Oh my, Brother-in-law, what happened to you?”

Lin Jin Lou waved it off and asked after catching his breath, “Has anyone been brought to the estate today? Where’s Old Yuan?”

Tao Hong Xun replied, “Fourth Brother-in-law came and just left. He also asked if anyone had been brought here and left some men waiting. Nobody has been brought to the estate today. Should I call the estate manager to ask? Or we could search the entire estate – there isn’t anyone hidden here.”

Lin Jin Lou swayed weakly. While Tao Hong Xun was ordering someone to fetch medicine, Lin Jin Lou had already mounted his horse and turned to leave.

Back at the Lin residence, after Lin Jin Lou’s departure, Lin Zhang Zheng and Lin Zhang Min were looking at each other speechlessly when a servant reported that the Old Master requested Lin Zhang Zheng’s presence. Lin Zhang Zheng hurried over. Entering You Shi Hall, he saw Lin Zhao Xiang and Old Madam Lin sitting on a mother-of-pearl inlaid bamboo daybed under the trees, covered with fine green dragon whisker mats. Old Madam Lin was wiping tears while talking to Lin Zhao Xiang. Seeing Lin Zhang Zheng enter, she snorted and left.

Lin Zhang Zheng approached, eyes downcast, and bowed, “Father.”

Lin Zhao Xiang put his water pipe aside and said, “You’re here? Your mother told me about what happened in the study earlier.”

Lin Zhang Zheng quickly said, “It was my lack of filial piety that angered Mother, but that rebellious son needs discipline to become useful.”

Lin Zhao Xiang said, “Do you think beating him will make him useful? Since he was young when has beating ever worked? When has it ever made him listen to you?”

“…”

“Let’s not talk about that,” Lin Zhao Xiang waved his hand. “What are you going to do about the Xiang Lan matter?”

Lin Zhang Zheng hesitated. Previously he had strongly opposed it, but now his eldest son would rather die than yield and have revealed the Crown Prince Jian Zhang matter. He still felt dizzy from the shock and didn’t know what to do, though he still had reservations – the Lin family was at its prime, and people would laugh themselves silly if they heard the eldest grandson was marrying a maid.

Seeing his silence, Lin Zhao Xiang tapped his cane on the ground and said, “You probably don’t know. Lou’er has already taken this matter to the noble ones in the palace to fight against you. I hear the Empress Dowager has been watching ‘The Tale of Scholar Lan Xiang’ these days.”

Lin Zhang Zheng was shocked and gritted his teeth, “This unfilial son! How could he act so recklessly!”

“What else could he do but take it higher up? You can’t suppress him – you know how bold he is. I wanted to see just how much determination and capability this boy had for this matter, and he’s stirred things up.”

“Father, he’s just being willful and foolish, he…”

“Enough. Just talk about what’s already been done. The girl has done great service to the Lin family – what do you want to do?”

“…”

“Long Zheng, how do you think the Lin family has reached where it is today?”

Lin Zhang Zheng came to his senses and respectfully replied, “Through the teachings of our ancestors, establishing ourselves through diligence, loyalty, kindness, and sincerity, leading to today’s prosperity.”

Lin Zhao Xiang stood up and said meaningfully, “Correct, diligence, loyalty, kindness, and sincerity – it all comes down to virtue. A family legacy built on virtue can last ten generations or more, one built on farming and studying comes second, one built on poetry and literature third, while wealth and status won’t last three generations. As they say, marry for virtue – otherwise, even if you make a prestigious match and bring home a noble lady, if her virtue doesn’t match her position and she spends all day scheming and calculating, how can that lead to family prosperity? Besides, the Lin family has reached a point where we no longer need to curry favor with anyone.”

Lin Zhang Zheng was startled and looked up sharply at Lin Zhao Xiang, “Father, you mean…”

“If Lou’er wants to marry her, let him. It would make a fine story. I’ve seen the girl myself – she’s exceptionally rare, ordinary women can’t compare. A wife affects one generation, but children affect ten generations. Don’t limit your vision to the present – look to the long term.”