Yuan Shao Ren laughed and said, “Don’t be so disapproving. Song Ke is truly a first-rate person – widely learned, exceptional in poetry, and quite shrewd. I heard Duke Xian Guo originally wanted someone to recommend him as Prefecture Governor of Hubei, but he declined and stayed in the Hanlin Academy as a minor compiler, thoroughly exasperating Duke Xian Guo. Fortunately, he refused then – when Duke Xian Guo fell, he would have been the first to be implicated. Just for this clear-sightedness alone, he shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Lin Jin Lou said, “I heard there’s discord between him and his father-in-law. Song Ke seems to support the Crown Prince, often telling others about the Crown Prince’s modesty and temperament befitting a wise ruler. This state affair has become a family matter – Duke Xian Guo looks unfavorably upon his son-in-law, Song Ke ignores his father-in-law, and Zheng Jing Xian is caught in the middle, unable to placate either side. She’s lost weight, and when my mother happened to visit her, she was shocked by her appearance. Though she wouldn’t say what was troubling her despite consolation, her mother Lady Wei broke down crying first.”

Yuan Shao Ren said, “Song Ke is planning to avoid trouble now, submitting a petition requesting a provincial post.”

Lin Jin Lou sneered, “He’s dreaming. There are no decent positions available now, and even if there were, he wouldn’t get them – Duke Xian Guo is about to fall.”

“Ha, while there may be no good positions, there are some less desirable ones. The higher-ups will likely approve. You have to give him credit for thinking of it – guess where he’s going?”

Lin Jin Lou asked, “Where?”

Xiang Lan also perked up her ears to listen, but just then Xue Ning walked over, saw Xiang Lan standing there, and softly asked, “Madam, do you need anything?”

Xiang Lan was startled and missed Yuan Shao Ren’s words. Not wanting to lurk behind the screen, she had to return to the room. Sitting on the kang, she still wondered about it, thinking to herself, “Song Ke has prioritized his career in both lives and now he’s faced with this disaster. I just hope he stays safe.” She sighed deeply and thought, “Our entire family owes him an enormous debt of gratitude that we can’t just forget. Now that he’s in trouble, we certainly can’t stand idly by… With Duke Xian Guo’s property mostly confiscated, Song Ke must be struggling. I wonder where he’s being posted and when he’ll leave. I’m just a drifting soul myself and can’t help with court matters, but I can at least offer financial support. This parting might be for life.” She felt melancholic, and though memories flashed through her mind, she tried hard not to dwell on them. She slowly walked to the table and poured herself a cup of tea, thinking, “Lin Dong Xiu is a troublemaker who spreads gossip, I can’t ask her. De Er is too young to ask, and I might have to ask Marquis Yong Chang himself, but how can I bring it up? Unfortunately, I didn’t bring anyone close to me on this trip.”

Just then, Lin Jin Lou came in, saw Lin Dong Xiu and De Er sleeping on the large kang behind the green gauze screen, and beckoned Xiang Lan to the bedroom. Seeing his stern face, Xiang Lan felt uneasy. Suddenly, she heard a very faint “meow” and asked curiously, “What’s that sound?”

Lin Jin Lou, still frowning with a long face, pulled a mewing kitten from his robes and placed it in Xiang Lan’s arms, saying, “A little thing that was just delivered.”

Xiang Lan exclaimed delightedly, “Where did this come from?” Seeing how adorably delicate the kitten was, she couldn’t help smiling at Lin Jin Lou.

Lin Jin Lou froze, his expression softening slightly. After a while, he said, “It’s a Lion Cat from Lin Qing in Shandong, one of a carefully selected pair that had a litter at the estate. There were three originally meant for the palace, but this one got sick and stayed at the estate. Unexpectedly, it recovered. The estate manager just brought it over. Master noticed its timid eyes looked like yours, so I kept it to keep you company.”

The kitten mewed and nuzzled into Xiang Lan’s embrace, trembling either from fear or cold, like a fluffy ball. Xiang Lan’s heart melted instantly. She lifted it for a careful look, feeling its round belly, and seeing a gray squirrel fur hand warmer on the kang, she quickly put the kitten inside it and placed it on the bed. The furball kept mewing softly, trying to climb out of the hand warmer, its four paws stumbling endearingly. Xiang Lan sat by the bed, playing with the kitten’s fuzzy head with her finger. The kitten looked at her with round eyes, mewing softly and rubbing against her hand. Xiang Lan couldn’t help smiling and asked quietly, “Is it male or female?”

Lin Jin Lou sat beside her and said, “Male.” After a pause, he added, “When I was young, the Old Madam also kept several cats, named Moon Shadow, Gold Thread, Hanging Pearl, Embroidered Tiger, and Sealed Star.”

Xiang Lan thought for a moment and smiled, “Look at its eyes – one yellow, one green. It should be called ‘Yuan Yang’ (Mandarin Duck).”

Lin Jin Lou made a sound of disapproval, “What kind of weak name is ‘Yuan Yang’? He’s male and will be undefeated among cats. When others praise him, saying ‘What a magnificent little tyrant, what’s his name?’ and hear ‘Yuan Yang,’ it’ll sound like a powdered young lady – all his dignity gone. Names like ‘Lion King,’ ‘Thunder Tiger,’ or ‘Snow General’ would be more fitting.”

Looking at the tiny, mewing creature before her that inspired such tenderness, and hearing Lin Jin Lou talk about it being “undefeated among cats,” Xiang Lan couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, saying, “Why are you always talking about fighting and killing? Even raising a cat, you want it to be so aggressive.”

That eye roll appeared full of charm to Lin Jin Lou, both coquettish and endearing. His heart soared, and the frost finally melted from his face. He chuckled and turned to watch the kitten crawling around with Xiang Lan, catching the faint fragrance from her. With his keen senses, he had known when Xiang Lan came out earlier while he was talking with Yuan Shao Ren, seeing her auspicious eight-treasures embroidered skirt hem beneath the screen, and noticed how she stopped at the mention of Song Ke, which had immediately soured his mood. The estate manager’s delivery of the cat gave him an excuse to come in, originally intending to question her and show his displeasure, but when she smiled at him, his displeasure gradually dissipated.

Xiang Lan secretly glanced at Lin Jin Lou, thinking, “Just now his face was so long as if I owed him eighty thousand strings of cash, and now he’s smiling again – this unpredictable temper is something.” As she stole that glance, she noticed Lin Jin Lou staring at her, making her feel somewhat guilty. She quickly changed the subject, casually asking, “How did you end up managing the palace’s cat tributes?”

“Ah, you think Master has it easy? My current position relies on having troops under my command. Maintaining such an army requires pleasing the nobles above and finding ways to earn silver below. These cats are to please the Empress Dowager.” As he spoke, he stretched out his long legs and patted the kitten’s head. “This is called catering to preferences, making all paths run smoothly. I support so many people without extorting a single coin from the common people, all thanks to these methods. Only I could manage this.”

Xiang Lan saw the hint of pride on his face, carrying the air of one who commanded the court and inspected armies. She wanted to criticize his arrogance but couldn’t. Considering how Lin Jin Lou was always surrounded by respectful attendants, and how he had cleared several nests of bandits in Jiangnan, maintaining peace and keeping pirates and bandits at bay – not every young noble could establish such an achievement and command such authority at his age.

Lin Jin Lou suddenly reached out to touch Xiang Lan’s face, as if seeing her anew, looking for a long while before saying softly, “Xiang Lan, just stay with Master and live well, don’t think about unnecessary things, alright?”

His sudden mention of this left Xiang Lan silent. She hugged the kitten and stroked it absently, feeling suddenly empty inside. Lin Jin Lou held her hand without speaking. The room grew quiet. Lin Jin Lou let out a long sigh. Xiang Lan looked up to see him gazing elsewhere as he said, “Since childhood, the Old Master taught me how to bring glory to the family. Father was too busy with government affairs to care for the family, and Mother said all her hopes rested on me. As a child, I worked desperately at both literature and martial arts. When I grew up, it was warfare, constantly dancing with death, my head always on the line.” He caressed Xiang Lan’s hand but didn’t look at her. “These years, perhaps I’ve grown old, or perhaps I’ve seen too much of life and death. Now I want someone who understands and cares…”

Xiang Lan felt her eyes growing hot and red. She quickly lowered her head as tears blurred her vision. Fighting them back, she pretended to reach for the kitten, turning aside to wipe her tears. Avoiding his words, she feigned normalcy and said, “What nonsense are you talking, Master? You’re in your prime, how could you be old…” She looked up to find Lin Jin Lou staring directly at her. They gazed at each other silently for a long while. Xiang Lan’s eyes reddened again. With an uncertain future, she didn’t know where to go or what to say. She could only cover it with a smile and lower her head, saying, “Master, Marquis Yong Chang is still outside. It’s not good to keep him waiting.”

Lin Jin Lou smiled too and stood up, patting her head as he had the kitten’s, saying, “Right, it’s not good to keep him waiting. Old Yuan is even older than me, and if he’s not complaining about being old, how can I say I’m old?”

It was she who had aged. These years of struggle had worn her down to her bones, shaping her into something different, as if she had aged overnight. When she occasionally looked back, it felt like watching another person. Her previous life had become a blur, and the youth of this life had become yellowed old dreams, both buried in the rolling dust of the mortal world, never to return.

As dusk fell, Lin Jin Lou ordered sedan chairs prepared, and everyone went to view plum blossoms beside the estate. Ji Xiang, Shuang Xi, Gui Yuan, and others carried scissors and vases. Whenever Lin Jin Lou pointed out a good branch, they would cut it and arrange it in a vase. De Er had no interest in flowers – hearing there was a captured eagle at the estate, he kept insisting on seeing it. Yuan Shao Ren, also worried about him getting cold, took the opportunity to lead him back to see the eagle. With father and son gone, Lin Dong Xiu grew restless, repeatedly signaling to Xiang Lan with her eyes. Xiang Lan seized an opportunity and casually said to Lin Jin Lou, “I was chatting with Fourth Young Mistress at noon, and it seems she’s having some difficulties at her marital home.”

Lin Jin Lou cut a plum blossom and casually tucked it into Xiang Lan’s hair, making a noncommittal sound.

Xiang Lan continued, “I heard the servants aren’t very obedient, and Fourth Young Master’s concubines don’t get along with the Young Mistress. She is still young after all…”

Lin Jin Lou was clever and immediately understood. He glanced back at Lin Dong Xiu and snorted, “She asked you to beg me to support her?”

Before Xiang Lan could respond, he continued, “She deserves to learn from these setbacks. She’s only been married a few days and has already thrown the Yong Chang Marquis’s mansion into chaos. From top to bottom, she finds fault with everything, and when she’s in the right, she’s even more unrelenting. She’s offended nearly everyone. She came to beg me once before, and I thought she was truly being wronged and bullied. But when I asked Old Yuan’s aunt about it, that wasn’t the case at all. Stay out of this, understand? Let Mother teach her a good lesson later.”

Xiang Lan nodded, thinking, “No wonder Marquis Yong Chang is merely polite to Lin Dong Xiu, with hints of distance in his attitude and words – so this is why.”

Just then, they heard urgent hoofbeats. Wen Ru Shi, Lin Jin Lou’s guard, rode up, dismounting before his horse had fully stopped, and hurriedly whispered something in Lin Jin Lou’s ear. Lin Jin Lou’s expression immediately darkened. He turned to order, “Escort your Mistress and Young Mistress back.” To Xiang Lan, he said, “I must return first. You all pack up and go home – I’ll bring you back another day.” With that, he mounted his horse and left.

Xiang Lan and Lin Dong Xiu had no choice but to return. Once inside, Xue Ning quickly arranged hot water for Xiang Lan’s feet and ordered ginger soup from the kitchen. After Xiang Lan put on her shoes and socks, she suddenly felt something was missing and asked, “Where’s the little cat?”

Xue Ning looked around saying, “It was just lying on the quilt.” She searched everywhere but couldn’t find it, and her heart sank. “Oh no, the door was open when we were getting water – could it have run out?” She went outside to look.

Xiang Lan grew anxious too, saying, “It’s so windy outside, it could freeze to death.” Without thinking, she put on a cloak and went out. Outside was pitch black except for the swaying corridor lanterns. Xiang Lan held up a lantern, calling softly and bending down to search carefully. Passing the west wing room, she suddenly heard a short, sharp wail. She stopped and listened carefully, but heard nothing more. Thinking she had imagined it, she bent down again, calling “kitty,” when another louder cry came out. Startled and curious, she went to the west wing wall, poked a hole in the window paper, and looked inside. The room was brightly lit, with Lin Jin Lou sitting in a large chair, his face dark. Two of his most trusted advisors stood on either side, while Wen Ru Shi stood holding a whip. A man lay bound on the floor.

Lin Jin Lou let out a cold snort, followed by a sharp crack as the whip struck the man, who let out a muffled cry.

“Just tell me honestly – who sent you? What were you investigating as an advisor in the Lin household? The master will spare your life.”

The man groaned, “I’ve told you the truth…”

“Your iron mouth won’t fool Master – you’re still too green.” There was a sharp crack, and the man let out an agonized scream before falling silent, apparently unconscious.

Xiang Lan was startled, her heart pounding and legs weakening. Lin Jin Lou had been gentle with her lately, making her almost forget his fierce nature. She heard water being splashed, followed by the man’s continuous groaning as he regained consciousness, his body trembling in pain, face streaming with tears and mucus.

Lin Jin Lou said lazily, “Well? Ready to have a proper chat with Master?”

“…”

“Won’t talk? Then Master will break another arm.”

“No, no, please…” There was a crack, and the man’s screams became unbearable. Xiang Lan couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She leaned against the wall, legs trembling as she tried to leave, but heard the man sobbing brokenly, “I… I was sent by Official Dai…”

“Official Dai? Which Official Dai?”

“Official Dai Qing from the Hanlin Academy.”

Lin Jin Lou was startled. He only knew Dai Qing had married Zhao Yue Chan as his second wife, and they had no regular contact. He asked, “What did he send you to do?”

“Official Dai suspected the General had ties with the former Crown Prince and was secretly plotting rebellion. He reported this to the Second Prince and sent me to be an advisor in the General’s household to investigate…”

Just the words “former Crown Prince” and “rebellion” made Xiang Lan stumble backward. She hurriedly lifted her skirts to run back, but in her panic, she tripped on her hem and fell. The people inside were immediately alerted, and Wen Ru Shi shouted, “Who’s there?” drawing his sword as he jumped out.

Seeing the gleaming blade, Xiang Lan screamed in fright. Wen Ru Shi, recognizing her as his master’s favored one, quickly sheathed his sword. Lin Jin Lou emerged with a dark face, roughly pulled Xiang Lan up, and said angrily, “What the hell are you doing here?” He carried her under his arm back to the bedroom, threw her on the kang, and shouted while pointing at her with furrowed brows, “Dare to run around again and see what happens! You’ve grown too bold!” He turned and left, slamming the main hall door with a bang.

Xiang Lan was freezing all over, pulling her cloak tighter but unable to stop shaking. In her previous life, her grandfather had been the former Crown Prince’s tutor, and the Old Master Lin had also been favored by the Crown Prince. Could it be that the Lin family truly had secret dealings with the former Crown Prince? With his military power, was he plotting rebellion with the Crown Prince? Now that she had stumbled upon this, would Lin Jin Lou decide to silence her?

Just then, Xue Ning came in, saying cheerfully, “Mistress, I found this little rascal – it was hiding in Master’s boots.” She handed over the kitten and asked curiously, “Mistress, what’s wrong? Why are you wearing a cloak indoors?” She quickly moved the brazier closer.

Xiang Lan held the kitten, barely holding back her tears. After some time, Lin Jin Lou returned. Seeing Xiang Lan still sitting dazed on the kang holding the kitten, which was now sound asleep, he approached casually, took the kitten, and placed it aside. The kitten turned over, curled up, and went back to sleep. Seeing her state, he knew she was frightened and forced a smile, saying softly, “Why couldn’t you just stay in the room? What were you doing running around in the dark? Hmm? We caught a spy, and since the inner courtyard is quiet and the west wing empty, Master just brought him in for questioning. If I’d known it would frighten you, I wouldn’t have brought him here.”

Xiang Lan dared not look at him, thinking how he had been furious earlier but was now gentle – from this, it seemed he wouldn’t harm her. She finally broke down and began sobbing.

Lin Jin Lou held her in his arms, patting her back. After a moment of silence, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid. The Lin family never planned rebellion. We’re prospering now, and the Emperor’s position is secure – what would be the point?”

Xiang Lan asked quietly, “Then this matter…”

Lin Jin Lou secretly gritted his teeth but forced a smile, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle this.” With that, he stood up and left.