Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 507 Only Lover, No Father

"Husband, is there good news since you're back?"

After the maidservant relayed the news of Yue Ling's return to the mansion, Lin Daiyu waited in the corridor. From afar, she saw that his brows were smoothed and that even when he was pondering, a smile appeared on his lips. She was even more delighted and went forward to ask him.

Yue Ling let out a sigh of relief and said, "It's not exactly a good thing, but the situation isn't too bad either."

"Where is Xueyan? Did she stay in her room and rest quietly all day? I'm afraid that with her restless nature, she might sneak out when no one is looking."

Lin Daiyu covered her mouth and chuckled, "There are so many people watching over her in the room, even if she goes out for a walk, many people will follow her. Naturally, we can't let her run out like she used to."

"However, now that she doesn't have to sneak food from the kitchen, she can eat in her own room legitimately, and she clearly has no intention of going out."

She took Yue Ling's arm and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Yue Ling stiffened, looking slightly awkward.

Lin Daiyu, however, was completely unaware of what was happening and was still dreaming about her future life.

"I never imagined that one happy event after another would happen. My husband's political affairs have also made great progress, and the household has yielded fruitful results. I wonder when it will be my turn..."

Yue Ling raised his hand to cover her mouth, then quickly gestured behind her back with his mouth and tried to wink at her with his eyes.

When Lin Daiyu turned around, she realized that Lin Ruhai was silently following behind them, staring at them with a sharp gaze.

Lin Daiyu hurriedly let go of his hand and greeted Lin Ruhai with a smile, "Father, why are you walking into the main hall today? I didn't even notice..."

Lin Ruhai glared at her and said, "You don't even see me as your father, all you see is your lover! My Lin family has been a family of scholars and officials for generations, how could we have raised such a philanderer like you?"

As he spoke, Lin Ruhai nudged Lin Daiyu's head, looking at her with a disappointed expression.

Lin Daiyu winced in pain and backed away, sticking out her tongue and muttering resentfully, "Who told Father not to raise me, but to send me to this capital city instead?"

Although the sound was faint, there was no other noise nearby, so Lin Ruhai still heard it.

Staring wide-eyed, Lin Ruhai's beard trembled with anger. "What? You, where did you learn such nonsense? You even dare to talk back to your father!"

"You, you're asking for it!"

But after all, this was his daughter, the apple of Lin Ruhai's eye, so of course he wouldn't really bear to hit her.

She raised her hand high, glared at Yue Ling, and then turned to Yue Ling, saying, "You must have taught him these frivolous things since he was a child!"

Lin Daiyu hurriedly stepped between the two, "Father, why are you being so unreasonable again? Brother Yue has already married, and we have already received His Majesty's decree for our marriage. Why are you still scolding him?"

"If you continue like this, we won't let you stay in the manor. Your concubines and sisters can stay here, and you can go out and find another manor."

Lin Ruhai suddenly smiled, stroked his beard, and said, "Good, good, your love is stronger than gold. Your father is the one who doesn't know what's good for you."

The sudden change in attitude left Lin Daiyu completely bewildered. She looked at her father in disbelief, then looked up at Yue Ling, blinking as if wanting him to explain what was going on.

What exactly did Yue Ling do to gain his father's approval?
Yue Ling shrugged and pulled Lin Daiyu back, saying, "The capital has been in turmoil lately. My father-in-law and I are of one mind in the court, so we certainly can't go out and find another residence."

"How could it be this bad?"

Lin Ruhai walked ahead of the young couple and said, "Ling-ge'er has now stood out from the crowd. Apart from the capital, there will be no safer place than the Duke of Dingguo's mansion."

"If one day, the manor is suddenly in trouble, you must protect the Dingguo Mansion as you have done in front of your father."

Yue Ling patted Lin Daiyu's back gently and said, "Go to your room and rest first. My father-in-law and I still have some official business to discuss."

Lin Daiyu nodded blankly, sensing that the relationship between the father-in-law and son-in-law was different from before.

……

Upon arriving at the main study, the father-in-law and son-in-law sat facing each other at opposite ends of the table.

Yue Ling served fragrant tea and said leisurely, "Today His Majesty first summoned me to the palace and specifically instructed me to pay attention to the changes in the capital. In fact, His Majesty sees things more clearly than we do, and he even knows a lot about the shady dealings of the Shanxi merchants."

"My intelligence network in the capital, built through the Feng Company and its peddlers, is completely incomparable to His Majesty's Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"His Majesty has always believed that this is not the time for reckoning, especially since it is impossible to completely bury the Shanxi merchants."

"It is true that Shanxi merchants have secret dealings with the barbarians, and they have even been active in Liaodong recently. However, the people of several provinces rely on them for the transportation of salt and grain, which is the livelihood of millions of people. Your Majesty can only turn a blind eye to this."

Lin Ruhai sipped his tea, listening intently, and pondered, "So, in His Majesty's view, you now have the potential to replace the Shanxi merchants? That's why you're setting a trap for them?"

Nodding slightly, Yue Ling said, "That's probably what His Majesty means. But our trade routes have now shifted from canal transport to sea transport, and the grain and salt routes in the inland areas are probably not enough to replace the role of Shanxi merchants. The court still needs to fill some of the gaps."

Lin Ruhai put down his teacup and replied, "That's exactly right. You can't expect perfection in everything. The court and even the Imperial Household Department should be involved."

"Feng Company already has a salt and grain monopoly from the north to Liaodong. If you were to take over Gansu and Shaanxi as well, wouldn't your savings far exceed those of the national treasury?"

Yue Ling agreed with Lin Ruhai's view, saying, "That's right. As for the surging forces behind the court, I also have some suspicions. I asked His Majesty for confirmation, but His Majesty didn't say anything, only that it's not easy to tell at the moment."

Lin Ruhai said, "Although His Majesty is not at his peak, he is not withered either. It is unwise for someone to stir up trouble at this time."

Yue Ling said, "That's exactly why we need to press on step by step and force the rebels to come out as soon as possible."

"But you've taken too much risks and been too radical."

"The goal is to obtain the power to establish one's own residence and personal guards, so that it can be done legitimately without any opposition, and the effect is quite good."

Lin Ruhai remained noncommittal, saying, "The Ministry of Works is well-equipped with military equipment. If you were to use your current financial resources to arm a well-trained army, it might be even more feared than His Majesty's 'Black Armor Army' back then."

"However, the situation has changed, and we need to bring these people together as soon as possible. Do you have any good ideas?"

Yue Ling nodded. "Back when we went to sea to wipe out the bandits on Shuangyu Island, we trained a group of new recruits from Cangzhou Prefecture. They were all strong and capable young men from various families who practiced martial arts."

"After I entered the capital, I sent these people to join the army or back to their hometown of Cangzhou."

“If we select the best from these five thousand people, it won’t take much effort to get eight hundred.” Lin Ruhai pondered and said, “It seems we’re just missing the right opportunity. Is there anything that can give these lurking parasites a boost?”

Yue Ling suddenly asked, "Father-in-law, how much longer do you think we have to prepare for the training?"

Lin Ruhai frowned and said, "Do you think there's something still lacking?"

Yue Ling nodded. "Although I have martial arts skills, I know that the current battle formation is not just about charging with spears. The power of firearms is much more exaggerated. Especially recently, as I have gained a deeper understanding of the technology of foreigners, I would like to make further improvements to the firearms so that each of the eight hundred men can fight against many opponents."

Lin Ruhai read aloud, “The situation is stable now. All three princes are in the capital and cannot cause any trouble. No one can make a fuss about it. I think there are many suspicious things about the Second Prince’s leadership of the army this time. No matter how you look at it, Prince Zhongshun and Prince Nan’an are not the kind of people who should be on the same side.”

"Perhaps the Second Prince's departure from the capital is the opportune moment. As long as one side leaves the capital, the royal family will surely become suspicious."

"Whether it was the death of Fusu or the witchcraft incident, they both illustrate this principle. If someone truly harbors rebellious intentions, they would not fail to seize this opportunity."

"So, according to my father-in-law's thinking, there are at least two more months left?"

Lin Ruhai nodded, "After all, it takes some effort to move troops and supplies around."

After thinking for a moment, Yue Ling asked again, "There is another matter I need to ask my father-in-law. I wonder how much my father-in-law knows about the barbarian tribes."

Lin Ruhai said frankly, "In the past, when the old Duke Rong was stationed on the border, we often corresponded. In those letters, he would talk about some things about the barbarians. You are welcome to tell me about it."

Yue Ling said, "Two barbarian tribes were repeatedly mentioned in the letters Shi Ding sent. They were called 'Haijiut' and 'Hajigut' respectively. I think the names of these two tribes must be related to some important event or figure among the barbarians. However, after checking the household registers, I couldn't find any clues, which makes it even more suspicious."

Lin Ruhai frowned and stood up. He seemed to recognize the two names. He paced back and forth in front of the hall, lost in thought.

After a long while, Lin Ruhai still couldn't recall accurately, and sighed, "It's really because I'm getting old, and my memory isn't what it used to be. I vaguely remember that the old Duke mentioned the names of three tribes in a row, two of which are somewhat similar to the ones you mentioned."

"Three?"

Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "That's right, I'm sure I haven't misremembered the number. Fortunately, I've kept all the correspondence intact. I'll check it for you again after Han Da and the others bring their luggage."

Yue Ling also stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Father-in-law."

Lin Ruhai's brows furrowed once more as he said, "Why are you being so polite with me? This is unlike you."

Yue Ling scratched his head and smiled憨厚ly.

However, Lin Ruhai changed the subject and said earnestly, "You don't need to thank me, just promise me one thing and that will be enough."

Yue Ling looked up in confusion, "What is it?"

Lin Ruhai sighed and said, "Once all the turmoil has subsided, you must spend quality time with Yu'er and have more children."

As if projecting his own regrets onto himself, Yue Ling said helplessly, "Father-in-law was still in his prime, and he was with his two concubines again..."

Lin Ruhai glared and said, "Nonsense! They are all so old, how can they risk their lives to satisfy my selfish desires?"

"Then shall I find some more young girls for my father-in-law?"

"?" Lin Ruhai was so angry that his eyebrows bulged and his eyes widened. "You think I'm like you?"

……

Night falls at the Chai residence.
Inside the study, Chai Pu, who was usually as steady as a mountain, was now furious, smashing his most frequently used purple clay teapot in a fit of rage.

"Intending to frame the Shi family to restrain Shui Rong, he instead allowed Yue Ling to gain eight hundred elite soldiers! How did he anticipate our intention to take action, and dare to personally enter the game to deliberately facilitate this plan? He's too shrewd, far too shrewd!"

Ji Bin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, stood to the side, drenched in cold sweat. It wasn't that there weren't enough chairs in the room, but rather that he simply couldn't sit down.

As soon as he opened his mouth, his tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and he stammered, "If...if the Duke of Dingguo was already on guard, he must have found out even deeper. I suppose the time is coming for me to wear this robe!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face; she was deeply pained.

Even if he wanted to take a risky approach, assassination was the only way. But now he had already stumbled. Eight hundred elite soldiers had surrounded the Duke of Dingguo's mansion like an iron barrel. What chance did he have to harm Yue Ling?

Now, he probably has no choice but to wait for his death; that's the only outcome.

"Minister Chai, if a decree were issued ordering me to inspect the provincial judicial offices in other provinces to avoid the limelight, would that be acceptable?"

Chai Pu glared, slammed his fist on the table, and shouted, "You bastard! Your entire Ji family is utterly incompetent! Use your brain, the size of a chicken's brain, to think things through! Leaving the capital now, isn't that a blatant admission that you're hiding something? Or are you walking right into a trap?!"

Ji Bin choked up and said, "Minister Chai, it's not that I'm disregarding the overall situation, but now, even the Duke of Dingguo in the capital and the Imperial Guards can't resist us. How can we possibly hold them off?"

"Even if Prime Minister Chai plans and schemes endlessly, he can't overcome the fact that he has troops at his disposal. Brute force can overcome all methods, and this is what Duke Dingguo excels at. We couldn't even defeat him in a literary debate before, so how can we possibly defeat him in military affairs?"

"Isn't this just wishful thinking?"

Ji Bin's words are certainly reasonable; this is an issue they cannot avoid now.

Chai Pu picked up the teacup, but when he put it to his lips, he realized that he had already broken the teapot and there was no tea to drink. His hand trembled slightly as he put it down on the table.

His loud outburst only shows that the current situation has deviated from his initial assessment, and he has unconsciously become nervous.

After taking a few deep breaths, Chai Pu closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, licking his dry, chapped lips with his tongue. He then sighed, "No matter what, the Shi family's frame-up has succeeded. The Dali Temple and the Sizheng Hall have both gone to investigate the Shi family. I'm afraid Shui Rong is even more anxious than we are now. He will definitely come to our door to find out exactly how he prepared."

Ji Bin said, "The last time things didn't work out, and this time we're the ones who stirred up trouble first. Does the Water Prince really want to join forces with us again?"

Chai Pu nodded and said, "He had no other choice."

He sighed and added, "If Shui Rong is willing to join forces, even if the current situation is unfavorable, there is still a chance to turn things around. In terms of military strategy, even if we can't defeat Yue Ling, we still need someone who can hold them off for a while, right?"

"Eight hundred men are not heavenly soldiers or generals. Nor does it mean that Yue Ling can be invincible in the capital region with this."

Ji Bin hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Does Prime Minister Chai have another solution?"

Chai Pu nodded, "We can't defeat this scoundrel in the capital, so we'll find a way to get him out of the capital..."

(End of this chapter)