2.2 Xue Baoqin: This is my younger sister and cousin.

Three days later, Jinling Wharf, night.

The journey from Yangzhou to here is not long, so it certainly should not have taken this long. The reason for the delay was that Lin Rui intentionally slowed their pace, even mooring at obscure little docks along the way for the past two nights to ensure their safety.

"How is it? Is it clean now?" On the final ship, Lin Rui asked his rearguard men with a smile. "Now that we have entered Jinling, I have made further arrangements. I trust we shall no longer live like stray dogs as we did these past two days."

"Sir, are the rumors really—" Lin Zhao asked, still deeply uneasy.

"I have money, but not as much as the rumors claim." This issue had to be clarified, lest it shake the morale of his men. "The most important thing is that I have deposited the vast majority into the Four Seas Bank, asking them to transport it to the capital on our behalf."

"This servant spoke out of turn." Lin Zhao was visibly relieved.

"I am gratified that you have chosen to follow me. It is time we spoke of our plans after returning to the capital." Lin Rui did not mind painting a grand picture for them. "Master Lin has plenty of friends and acquaintances in the capital, and you have all heard of the silver I possess. Do you think it is difficult to secure a position? As the saying goes, 'When a man attains the Tao, his pets ascend to heaven.' No matter how capable I am, I cannot do everything myself. I will eventually need help, and since you have shown your loyalty, how could I not look after you?"

"Thank you for your grace, Master!" The dozen or so men around him all scrambled to their knees.

"Sir, this servant also heard that the Zhen family of Jinling and the Lady—" Lin Zhao asked again.

"The Jia family of the Ning and Rong mansions and the Zhen family of Jinling are old family friends, a connection established when the Great Zhou dynasty was founded in Jinling." With one sentence, Lin Rui filled his men with renewed joy. "That is why I said that arriving here is like arriving home; we will never have to live like stray dogs again."

"This servant understands! This servant understands!" Lin Zhao was overjoyed.

"Enough, look at your pathetic display!" Lin Rui laughed heartily. He took a wall-gun from one of his men, checked that the shot and propellant were loaded and tamped down with paper wadding—needing only a paper fuse to fire—and handed it back, satisfied. "Keep a close watch on these!"

These wall-guns had been modified, with the original four-foot-eight-inch barrels replaced by three-foot ones. The total length was now under six feet. While a single man could not possibly use them on land, the folding hook at the front of the forestock allowed them to be braced against the ship's gunwale, absorbing the recoil and enabling one person to fire.

Incidentally, these guns were crafted by the artisans of the Yangzhou Garrison. Lin Rui had paid a high price and used the influence of the Salt Commissioner’s office to secure them. He had ordered one hundred made, all of which were brought along to ensure every man was equipped. Interestingly, the "original client," the Yangzhou Garrison, had never once used them.

The ten master craftsmen and twenty-some apprentices who made the guns, along with their families—over a hundred people in total—had been brought along by him back to the capital, as the status of artisan households was so low they were hardly considered human. In the words of one old man, he had lived his whole life and this was the first time he had seen a "client" pay an extra sum specifically for the artisans; previously, getting a few extra meat dishes during the construction period was considered a great act of grace. These people were not fleeing; he had simply "bought them out" a few days prior.

"Rest assured, sir!" his men replied in unison.

Lin Rui did not say more and turned to walk off the ship. He had come here to soothe their nerves. In just three days, they had encountered at least ten instances of being "scouted," and even though those threats had been easily turned into indescribable scrap, it was natural for the men to be unsettled. The solution was simple: reveal his cards and paint a big picture; these men were simple-minded.

As for their loyalty, he figured only two of his house servants were truly reliable; it was hard to say for the rest. In a situation where they were essentially stray dogs, the fact that they followed him without deserting was, in this feudal era, twelve points of loyalty. One shouldn't expect more, and given his status as an official who bought his position, he shouldn't expect anything too grand. However, Lin Rui’s inspection was not just to pacify his men.

"Sister Qin!" Less than half a quarter-hour later, he boarded a passenger ship of the same make. Upon entering the cabin, he saw a familiar silhouette. "I never expected we would meet again so soon. It is kind of you to come out this late at night. Hmm, and this is—"

"This is my cousin, whom I mentioned before," Xue Baoqin said with a grin.

The two chatted easily, as if the minor unpleasantness of a few days ago had never happened. Standing there was a tall, statuesque, and curvaceous young woman. Seeing him enter, she rose and nodded with a smile. She had a round face and finely arched eyebrows, dressed in a beige pure-colored long gown over a pale yellow pure-colored jacket with reddish wavy-patterned trim. The clothes actually looked a bit worn, as if she were not well-off.

"Greetings, Brother Lin!" she bowed and curtsied with great earnestness.

"Greetings to you, Sister!" Lin Rui naturally guessed her identity, but it was not convenient to point it out.

"Oh, are you two going to be a bother?" Unexpectedly, Xue Baoqin, dressed in men's clothing, stomped her foot and poutingly blurted out their names. "This brother is surnamed Lin, given name Rui, courtesy name Anping. Sister Bao can just call him 'Brother Rui.' And this sister's given name is Baochai—"

"Sister!" the curvaceous young woman interrupted her in a mix of shame and annoyance, but it was too late.

In these times, a young lady’s given name could not be told to outsiders so easily. Lin Rui had been with Lin Ruhai for over two years, and it was only recently that Jia Min had told him Sister Lin’s name. This was a sign of closeness, but more importantly, it meant their relationship had been settled. Lin Ruhai had decided it himself before he passed away.

In any respect, Xue Baoqin’s actions were inappropriate—though this girl was nominally just assisting Xue Ke in handling business, many knew she was the real mastermind behind the Xue family’s second-branch fleet. Perhaps because she had seen much of the sea and possessed an open mind, she had volunteered her name after only meeting him a few times. At the time, Xue Ke’s expression had been... well, quite interesting. That was why Lin Rui called her "Sister Qin."

"Sister Bao, don’t let your thoughts wander. You know Sister Qin’s nature, don't you?" He certainly would not dwell on it now, quickly brushing the topic aside. "Speaking of which, if I hadn't received the message she sent, I never would have thought we would meet under these circumstances."

"When Brother Rui entered the harbor after noon today, our servants saw you," Xue Baoqin explained with a smile. "Although less than forty percent of the ships at this wharf belong to our family, every family's vessels are different."

"So, seeing a ship like yours without the 'Feng' brand, you guessed my identity," Lin Rui nodded in understanding. "But I wonder, Sister Qin, what brings you out so late at night?"

"Brother Rui, please stop with the bookish talk, it’s disheartening to hear," Xue Baoqin rolled her eyes at him. "I invited you over tonight, first to clarify the matter of those yellow goods—they have all been transferred to the prepared sea-faring ships and can set sail at a moment's notice if necessary. Secondly, it is to introduce you to Sister Bao. I heard you are returning to the capital, and since we have some business there, we wanted to ask for your help. Our two families have always divided our labor; we handle the transport, while my aunt manages the shop business."

This was easy to understand: one handled the brick-and-mortar stores, the other handled logistics. There was certainly some overlap, but that was the gist of it.

"I wonder what Brother Rui’s plans are after returning to the capital?" Xue Baochai asked softly.

By now, she had shaken off her previous embarrassment and returned to the demeanor of a proper young lady of a noble house.

"Sister Bao, you ask too early!" Lin Rui glared speechlessly at the little shipmistress. Last time she brought up the case of Lin Ruhai’s assassination and indirectly asked about his future plans, he had brushed her off with platitudes, which had caused a minor unpleasantness. It seemed this girl had not given up and was trying a different approach. She was truly "pitting her cousin."

Xue Baoqin smiled and said nothing, merely rising to pour tea for them.

"Did I ask something inappropriate?" Xue Baochai immediately sensed there was an issue.

"I haven't even left Jiangnan yet; it is too early to talk about the capital." Lin Rui said, annoyed, as he took the teacup the little shipmistress offered with a smile. "The matter of Uncle Lin’s assassination is indeed not as simple as it appears on the surface. At the very least, I have not yet fully extricated myself from it."

"So, that is why Brother Rui came to Jinling instead of returning to Suzhou?" Xue Baoqin’s expression turned serious.

"Qin'er!" Xue Baochai’s expression shifted, her beautiful eyes flashing with sharp, cold light.

After Lin Ruhai died, he was encoffined, but he had not yet been buried. According to custom, as he was from the Suzhou Lin clan, he should have been sent back to the ancestral cemetery. After leaving Yangzhou, Lin Rui should have been the first to escort the coffin back to Suzhou for burial. Yet, he had come to Jinling instead. By tradition, this was a grave violation of "filial piety." But regardless, this was a private matter for the Lin family, and outsiders should not pry. Understanding this, Xue Baochai gave her a stern warning.

"Sister Qin, although you are straightforward, you are not usually a meddlesome person." Lin Rui frowned as he slowly set down his teacup. "You know whether what you just said was appropriate, yet you said it anyway. I assume you have an explanation?" It was true that he had a "Golden Hairpin" complex, but that did not mean he would tolerate anything for the sake of the girls.

"Although Master Lin was from the Suzhou Lin clan, he had a cold relationship with the main branch," Xue Baoqin looked at him earnestly. "Although I don't understand the inner workings of the court, I know that the assassination of a high-ranking Salt Commissioner should never be so quiet. Brother Rui, if even I can see this, I am sure others can too. Lady Lin was from the Rongguo Mansion; the Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue families have been connected by marriage since their ancestors, and the Jia family has long-standing ties with the Zhen family of Jinling. I assume you came here to seek an audience with the Venerable Lady, right?"

"And so?" Lin Rui did not relax.

"Brother Rui may not know, but just the morning before last, Master Zhen, the President of the Tiren Institute, left Jinling to inspect sericulture across Jiangnan. It will be at least half a month before he returns," Xue Baoqin said with a sigh of regret.

"Is that so?" Lin Rui let out a long breath. "Just as I expected."

The Zhen family were, in status, the Emperor's household servants, and Lin Ruhai’s assassination involved the Second Prince. It was understandable that Zhen Yingjia would avoid him.

"Brother Rui?" Xue Baochai said, feeling for him.

"Fortunately, I was prepared!"