Finest Servant

Chapter 261 Encounter with Brigands

“Big brother, Big brother!” Qiaoqiao hastened from behind the curtain, calling out with her charming voice. But Lin Wanrong, in his hurried pace, had already left with Guo Wuchang through the cabin door, not even hearing her call.

“Sister Ning, what do we do? Big brother seems to have encountered some urgent matter and abruptly left without explaining anything.” Qiaoqiao returned to the room, stealthily casting a glance at Luo Ning.

Luo Ning seemed not to hear her words, her expression vacant, her face pale, lost in her thoughts. The maid came rushing back with a scroll that Lin Wanrong had written before his departure, handing it to Luo Ning, “Miss, this was left by Young Master Lin.”

Frantically, Luo Ning grabbed the scroll to read. The writing was powerful, dragon and phoenix dancing in the characters, a poem that had only two lines completed: 

Hibiscus form a tent of layered brocade, side by side they coo in the jade dew.—

Luo Ning clenched her teeth, her eyes turning red. Picking up the brush, she added two lines to the unfinished poem: 

—People say the Jade Pool in spring is like a sea, under the bright moon, a pair of mandarin ducks descend.

Now the poem about the hibiscus tent and mandarin ducks was complete. Luo Ning tossed aside the brush, looked at the verses one last time, then abruptly collapsed on the desk, weeping bitterly…

The people in the main hall, having seen Miss Luo send out two items, had already discerned her affection for Lin San. They were all anticipating a beautiful love story between a talented man and a beautiful woman. Yet, unexpectedly, Lin San, the victor of the poetry contest, abandoned Miss Luo and left hastily, causing considerable astonishment. For a moment, everyone was murmuring, wondering what had transpired.

Luo Min stood up, laughing heartily, “Gentlemen, there’s no need for surprise. You all must have seen my daughter’s feelings toward Young Master Lin. It seems Master Lin had to attend to an emergency at home, so it’s understandable that he had to leave in a rush. Tomorrow, I will personally announce the outcome of this matter to everyone in our hometown. Now that the poetry contest is over and night has just begun, let’s enjoy fine wine on this Qinhuai River and return only when we’re drunk. Young Prince, Commander Cheng, esteemed guests, do grant me this favor.”

Seeing the governor personally explain, everyone felt relieved, believing his words. The entertainment was over for the day, and now it was time to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Qinhuai River. In a moment, the atmosphere in the cabin became lively again. Zhao Kangning and Cheng De exchanged glances before taking their seats.

——

Lin Wanrong quickly walked out of the cabin. Young Master Guo followed him anxiously, “Lin San, my aunt and cousin Yuruo have met with trouble. What can we do?”

Lin Wanrong said, “Young Master, don’t be anxious. Tell me the details.”

Young Master Guo nodded, “Today’s poetry contest, Governor Luo and the Prefect specially sent invitations. Every influential family in Jinling received one, and our Xiao family was no exception. Due to the competitions, I left home early. My aunt and cousin said they would arrive later. But they didn’t show up after a long time. Just as I was getting worried, a servant came to report that they found the carriage my aunt and cousin were supposed to be in, in the city. But the two of them were nowhere to be found. It looked as if they were kidnapped. Lin San, what should we do? You must find a way to save my cousin and aunt—”

Lin Wanrong’s heart blazed with fury. ‘Damn it, what in the world is this? I haven’t been home for just a few days, and these two were abducted. Not only the Eldest Miss was taken, but even the Madam was taken as well. Without these two, the Xiao family is practically disassembled. What kind of grudge does this person have against the Xiao family?’

“Weren’t there any servants accompanying the Eldest Miss and the Madam when they went out?” Lin Wanrong asked.

“They were with Xiao Feng and Little Cui, but these two were knocked unconscious. When they woke up, they couldn’t remember anything. Lin San, who do you think bears such a grudge against us that they’d act so viciously?”

Knocked unconscious? Lin Wanrong paused. If someone were seeking revenge, like the White Lotus Sect last time, they would kill on sight and not leave survivors. So why had the culprits merely knocked out Xiao Feng and the others? What was their purpose? He initially thought it might have been the work of Zhao Kangning and Cheng De, but given Xu Wei’s character, his plans were always thorough, and Cheng De and the others were likely being secretly monitored by Xu Wei, denying them such an opportunity. So, who could these villains be?

The two talked at the prow of the ship for a while. The ship was originally in the middle of the Qinhuai River, and the surrounding flower boats had long since departed. They waited a long time without seeing a single ferry boat.

Lin Wanrong thought back to his encounter with Du Xiuyuan and Hu Bugui earlier that day and realized, ‘Oh no, Xu Wei and Luo Min, these two old foxes, are probably going to make their move against Cheng De tonight. The waters of the Qinhuai River must have been sealed off by now.’

Thinking of this, he became even more anxious. ‘Damn it, if we can’t get out of the Qinhuai River, where can we find the two of them? Two weak women, as beautiful as flowers and jade, falling into the hands of villains, if we can’t find them by tonight, everything will be over. Xiao Yuruo, what was she thinking, acting so capriciously. Next time I see her, I’ll have to give her a good spanking to teach her a lesson.’

“A boat, a boat, Lin San, there’s a boat coming.” Young Master Guo suddenly pointed into the distance and shouted.

Lin Wanrong quickly looked in the direction he was pointing. It was already dusk, and the surface of the water was misty. A small wooden boat was approaching in the distance, with two people on the boat waving at Lin Wanrong.

“Brother Hu, brother Du—” Lin Wanrong recognized the two figures and shouted happily.

Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan rowed faster and soon reached the foot of the ship. Lin Wanrong didn’t wait for the boat to steady before he jumped down, landing in the middle of the boat. Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan each grabbed an arm and exclaimed, “General Lin, we thought we had lost you.”

Lin Wanrong excitedly said, “Brothers, I missed you too. How are the men, are they well?”

Hu Bugui laughed, “They are all good, hiding around here, ready to do something big tonight.”

‘Just as expected,’ Lin Wanrong nodded to himself. Now that he was no longer in the military, Hu Bugui had openly shared even this secret with him. This bond of life and death, this trust, was incomparable to anything else.

With tears in his eyes, Du Xiuyuan said, “General Lin, when Tong Cheng cowardly fired cannons behind our backs that day, we all thought you were… After that, the tens of thousands of brothers from my Right Wing Army sought out Tong Cheng to avenge you. Had it not been for Marshal Xu stopping us, we would have chopped up that Tong Cheng to feed the turtles long ago.”

Hu Bugui said, “And what if we didn’t chop him up? I sent Xu Zhen to ambush him along the road. Just one arrow pierced his skull. It was an easy end for this son of a bitch.”

Lin Wanrong clung to the two men’s arms, expressing his gratitude. “Thank you, my dear brothers. I cannot express how grateful I am.”

“General Lin,” Du Xiuyuan began, “how did you escape that bombardment? We saw the intensity of the cannon fire, we all thought you were…”

“Ah–” Hu Bugui cut him off. “General Lin has great fortune and a big destiny. He wouldn’t be easily harmed by the wicked. I, old Hu, knew this from the beginning. See, I wasn’t boasting, was I?”

Lin Wanrong sighed, “The circumstances were complex, and it’s difficult to summarize. I’ll have a proper chat with you two about it someday.”

Hu Bugui nodded, “Right, we have plenty of time. General Lin, Marshal Xu and the brothers are waiting for you. We should go see them.”

Lin Wanrong nodded, and they took Guo Wuchang aboard. Hu Bugui rowed the boat, and they proceeded straight ahead. When they reached the shore, they saw the shore brightly lit, with bright weapons shining. It was Xu Wei with thousands of men personally welcoming them.

“Little brother Lin, I’m so glad to see you again!” Xu Wei’s voice came from far away before they even landed. It was the first time Young Master Guo had seen the number one scholar in the world, Xu Wenchang. His hands were shaking slightly, and his legs were trembling.

Lin Wanrong greeted, “I apologize for causing you worry, Mr. Xu.”

The boat reached the shore, and they jumped off. Xu Wei took Lin Wanrong’s hand, “It’s not worry, I sincerely thank you, Little brother Lin. Your contribution in the White Lotus Sect affair was monumental, well-known to all. The officers you promoted also showed great merit and capability. You not only made contributions but also fostered talents. How can I not express my gratitude?”

Lin Wanrong laughed, thinking ‘This old man has quite a high opinion of me. But what’s the use of some sweet words? It would be more practical to give some silver as a reward.’

Xu Wei looked him up and down for a long while before asking, “Little brother Lin, were you injured in the bombardment that day? If your injuries were due to my mistake, I wouldn’t find peace for the rest of my life.”

“Well, I didn’t suffer any significant injuries. I just got a bit dizzy from the blast and couldn’t sleep at night because of nightmares. Sometimes I cough up a bit of blood, but other than that, I’m fine. The doctor said that with some good nourishment, I should recover in about thirty years.”

Listening to his nonsense, Xu Wei didn’t argue, but smiled slightly, “Little brother Lin, for our Great Hua, you devoted yourself entirely, risking your life to fight against the enemy’s leader, the Holy Mother of the White Lotus cult, and killed her amidst the cannon fire. Such spirit and courage are truly a model for our soldiers. I must report to the Emperor and request a hefty reward.”

The old man was clearly being sarcastic. Even though Lin Wanrong had an exceptionally thick skin, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed. However, since Xu Wei pretended to be unaware of the truth, he played along, laughing and said, “Mr. Xu, are you planning to take action today?”

“Indeed. I’ve been in the Jiangnan region for a while now, and there’s a lot waiting for me in the capital. The matter at hand in Jiangsu will mark the end of my visit here. Once it’s taken care of, I intend to return to Beijing to report to His Majesty.” Xu Wei glanced at Lin Wanrong, “Little brother Lin, how would you have dealt with the situation tonight if you were in my shoes?”

‘Dammit, he’s the strategic mastermind here, why’s he asking me? He’s just making fun of me, isn’t he?’ Lin Wanrong laughed, “I’m not adept at such things. Aren’t these situations where you excel, Mr. Xu? Isn’t it all about condemning crimes and taking decisive actions? Surely, you’ve already prepared for everything. Where would you need my input?”

Xu Wei nodded and sighed, “Little brother, you were born smart. Accusation and execution, indeed, are the tricks of the trade in the world of politics. Many people go their whole lives without grasping these concepts, and yet you’ve pointed them out in a single statement. If you chose to pursue a political career, I fear no one could match you.”

Not interested in his flattery, Lin Wanrong responded, “As for tonight’s affair, I look forward to hearing your good news, Mr. Xu. Oh, and another thing. Since you were planning on acting, you must have started keeping an eye on Cheng De and his men. Have they done anything unusual today? Have they kidnapped anyone?”

Xu Wei slowly shook his head, “Indeed, I have been discreetly observing Cheng De and his subordinates. But so far, they haven’t made any strange moves today. Why do you ask?”

Lin Wanrong told Xu Wei about Madam Xiao and her daughter’s abduction. Xu Wei was shocked, “Such audacity! Who would dare to kidnap Miss Guo? Aren’t they afraid of execution to the ninth degree of kinship?”

‘Kidnapping Madam Xiao equates to execution to the ninth degree of kinship? You must be joking!’ Lin Wanrong shook his head. He counted on his fingers, the enemies of the Xiao family boiled down to two factions. One was the group led by the unsuccessful intimidator, Young Prince Ning, and the other was the White Lotus cult. Zhao Kangning and Cheng De couldn’t pull any tricks under Xu Wei’s watch, while the White Lotus cult was practically extinct, leaving behind only two “remnants”.

‘Remnants?’ Lin Wanrong paused for a moment, recalling all the clues related to the kidnapping of the mother and daughter, suddenly understanding dawned on him. He called out loudly, “Mr. Xu, please prepare a fast horse for me—”

Seeing Lin Wanrong’s anxious expression, Xu Wei didn’t dare delay. He quickly commanded, “Prepare a fast horse for General Lin. Hu Bugui, you take a thousand elite riders, under General Lin’s command. Ensure Madam Xiao is rescued unharmed.”

By the time Xu Wei had finished arranging, Lin Wanrong was already impatient. As soon as the horse arrived, he didn’t bother about Guo Wuchang, quickly mounted, shouted, and spurred the horse onwards. He sped off towards Xuanwu Lake, swift as an arrow released from its bow.

Hu Bugui, leading a thousand elite riders, followed closely behind, their hooves thundering, breaking the silence of Jinling City.

Once he reached Xuanwu Lake, Lin Wanrong dismounted. Looking across the vast lake, there was no sign of any boats to be seen.

“Xian’er, Xian’er—,” Lin Wanrong called out across the lake.

Waterfowls nestled in the bushes flapped their wings and took flight, amplifying the desolation and silence of the lake. There was no sign of Xian’er’s pleasure boat.

“General Lin—” Hu Bugui arrived leading a thousand cavalrymen, dismounted hurriedly, and announced loudly, “I am at your disposal, General.”

Lin Wanrong waved his hand, “Brother Hu, split your men onto small boats and search the Xuanwu Lake for a pleasure boat. If there are people aboard, tell them—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Hu Bugui, pointing towards the lake, asked, “General, is it that one?”

Lifting his head, Lin Wanrong saw a large pleasure boat slowly approaching from across the lake. A woman of remarkable beauty was standing at the bow, looking towards the shore and smiling…