2.5 Pouring Out One's Heart

Volume Two
2.5 A Heartfelt Confession

With Jia Min and Lin Daiyu now residing at the Zhen family’s Tiren Courtyard, and news spreading that Madam Feng held them in high regard and had even brought them to live by her side, it seemed as if all was “calm and peaceful.”

The tongues that once prowled the docks had vanished.

The preparations for supplies proceeded smoothly.

The people on the boat finally had the chance to disembark and enjoy some fresh air.

Lin Rui also found the opportunity to settle matters in Suzhou.

Amidst this atmosphere, time swiftly moved to late May, and the weather was remarkably clear and sunny.

At the Jinling Wharf, a beautifully adorned pleasure boat bearing the Feng brand flag slowly slipped from its berth and headed toward the Yangtze River channel. Just from the decorations and the banners, it was evident that the Xue family had been meticulous in their selection; every detail was exquisite.

Lin Rui was somewhat taken aback only when he reached the second-floor “observation deck,” as he noticed only four people seated there. Naturally, Lin Daiyu was in the center, with her maid Xue Yan standing behind her, and on either side sat the Yu family sisters, keeping her company.

“Has madam not boarded the boat?” he could not help but ask.

“Mother said you’ve had a hard time making the trip to Suzhou and back all these days, so today you should relax and rest properly,” Lin Daiyu replied with a smile, rising to pour him a cup of cold tea once he sat down. “She is our elder and staying with us would make us all feel constrained.”

“Is that so?” Lin Rui’s expression faltered briefly as he quietly drank half the tea.

“Master, was your trip to Suzhou smooth?” Yu Erjie inquired softly. “While you were away, my sister and I kept Lin Miss company. We were quite worried about you. Yet, even madam seemed in the dark about many matters concerning our clan.”

“With Madam Feng’s advance party, how could there be difficulties?” Lin Rui chuckled dryly.

This was no mere courtesy; the Suzhou branch of the Lin family had indeed fallen into hard times.

The lengthy duration was due mainly to the poor transportation of these times and the slow pace of official business. Jinling to Suzhou was a mere short distance—today’s high-speed train would take only two hours, enough time to go for a meal and drinks without delaying bedtime.

“Nothing troublesome, I hope?” Yu Sanjie showed concern. “I heard that Lord Lin—”

She intended to mention the discord between the branches but stopped herself after glancing at Lin Daiyu.

“Juan’er, don’t worry. Little sister has never been there anyway,” Lin Daiyu said with a smile to reassure her. “Brother Rui, I don’t know much about our clan’s affairs, but I have heard of many similar situations and problems. Is it really true that there were no obstructions?”

“Given those three, who would dare to disrespect the Zhen family?” Lin Rui shook his head firmly.

Of course, it had not been completely smooth—there were some cold glares and the like—but no significant obstacles prevented them from completing their tasks. Such minor troubles were no reason for the young ladies to worry. The matter was now fully resolved, and future visits would be rare.

“Really none?” Yu Sanjie could not help but ask, “I heard that our Lin ancestors also held marquisate titles that passed down through generations until... well, it was a great family, so how could they have been entirely meek?”

“The Lin family’s noble rank was from the previous Ming dynasty. Although the Great Zhou court recognized it, it was merely a title with an annual stipend—nothing more,” Lin Rui explained with a smile. “It’s purely a hollow bamboo tube, and the title was downgraded according to regulations. By now, it no longer exists.”

“Is that so?” Lin Daiyu looked uneasy. “Brother Rui, I heard Mother say our family held ‘marquisate for four generations,’ and my grandfather was even granted an additional generation of grace, only lost under my father.”

“Actually, the so-called marquisate of the Lin family truly connected to your uncle’s branch was only in your grandfather’s generation,” Lin Rui said dismissively. “Your uncle’s side, or your branch, is not the direct heir of the main Suzhou Lin lineage.

The true inheritors of the title and wealth remain in Suzhou. Your branch, being only moderately prosperous, focused on scholarly pursuits and passing the imperial exams. Your grandfather, also from the imperial examination, rose steadily through official ranks due to his talent, eventually becoming a high-ranking official.

He was highly esteemed at court and made great achievements. The retired emperor at the time, upon learning he was from the Suzhou Lin family, knew the noble title had been downgraded and thus issued a special grace granting an extra generation—this had nothing to do with the main branch.”

“Just a name then?” Lin Daiyu suddenly understood.

“Why can’t the title continue to be inherited?” Xue Yan was displeased. “If our master could inherit it, our young lady would undoubtedly be a noblewoman born into a distinguished family—”

“Pah, don’t say such nonsense!” Lin Daiyu quickly interrupted. “Father is a legitimate third-ranking scholar, the most honorable in court. How could a mere nearly extinct noble title compare?”

Lin Rui was surprised by her pride, then noticed that the Yu sisters all wore expressions of approval, and even Xue Yan was laughing it off, showing no offense at the blunt remark.

If the young ladies of the inner residence thought this way, it revealed the extent to which “literary prestige outshines martial rank” had taken hold.

This also explained her pride in the Red Chamber and the recognition from other beauties.

“Isn’t it all settled?” Seeing this, he avoided arguing further and continued, “I have already obtained the branch documents from the main clan and brought back the genealogy of your uncle’s branch. From now on, it will be known as the ‘Northern Branch of the Suzhou Lin Family.’

Moreover, I have brought back all ancestor graves we could locate with records, in the form of Jin Tan. They will all be relocated to the capital, severing ties with the Suzhou main branch. There will be no need to travel thousands of miles for ancestral rites during festivals anymore.

I haven’t let them lose out either. For instance, the 500 acres of ancestral tomb ritual fields under your uncle’s name were unconditionally donated to the main branch. Additionally, I left 2,000 taels of silver for clan ancestral hall repairs and family academy upkeep—both face and substance are well maintained.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Brother Rui!” Lin Daiyu nodded happily.

“Oh, Lin Miss, what’s there to thank me for?” Yu Sanjie teased with a smile. “Our master working for Lord Lin is only proper, right? Family members shouldn’t keep thanking each other—”

“Sister, stop talking!” Yu Erjie quickly interrupted, alarmed.

“Juan’er sister, what nonsense are you saying? I’m ignoring you!” Unexpectedly, Lin Daiyu’s cheeks flushed deeply, but she said nothing, only stamping her foot in embarrassment before rising and rushing toward the top deck.

“You!” Lin Rui glared at Yu Sanjie speechlessly. Seeing her nervously lower her head, he refrained from truly scolding her. Lin Daiyu was not angry, but he still teased, “If she ever falls out of sorts, no need to think twice about dragging you to the top deck for punishment!”

“In that case, I’ll just kneel before Lin Miss!” Yu Sanjie mumbled, “Might as well kneel anyway!”

“You insolent!” Yu Erjie panicked. “The young lady is not Master—”

“Didn’t I kneel to you before?” Yu Sanjie was relentless.

Yu Erjie’s face instantly flushed bright red.

Lin Rui wordlessly pulled her down onto the long couch and gave her a series of slaps until her beautiful eyes reddened and tears flowed before stopping. He then turned and ran upstairs, not forgetting to give Yu Erjie a look to calm her down.

Unbeknownst to him, Yu Sanjie was rubbing her eyes, which kept rolling wildly.

Yu Erjie glared at her in exasperation.

The two sisters completely forgot that a maid stood nearby.

“Can both of you really—” Xue Yan’s cheeks flushed, “kneel like that?”

She was no stranger to kneeling and understood the implications.

The Yu sisters blushed and never mentioned the matter again.

Meanwhile, Lin Rui had already reached the top floor.

The design of this pleasure boat was quite simple, with three levels in total. The bottom floor was half below deck, naturally housing the functional areas and servants’ quarters. The second floor was the main level; the front half was semi-transparent, perfect for sightseeing during travel, while the rear was fully enclosed for resting.

The top floor had only a two-foot decorative low wall, surrounded by various potted plants and ornaments. Though tables and small stools were arranged there, it was mainly for enjoying the night scenery, rarely visited during the daytime.

Because the sun was now blazing.

Thus, upon reaching the top, Lin Rui found the young lady “basking” in the sun on a bright May day.

“Lin Miss!” Lin Rui hurried forward, hesitating briefly before grasping her delicate hand and pulling her down. “What on earth are you doing? We came to the river to cool off; aren’t you too hot?”

“Brother Rui!” But instead of following, Lin Daiyu stubbornly looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Rui sensed something was amiss.

These days, he had held her hand more than once, only to have her pull away each time, giving him a red face and a glare before running off. This time, she neither fled nor avoided him but clearly wanted to speak, meaning something was wrong.

“Is everything really that easy?” Lin Daiyu’s beautiful eyes glistened with tears.

“What could be difficult about it?” Lin Rui’s heart stirred, but his face remained calm. “With the Zhen family’s backing, it was just a tiring journey. Surely the Suzhou main branch wouldn’t dare—”

“You’re not talking about this trip,” Lin Daiyu interrupted suddenly, tears slowly falling. “From Yangzhou to Jinling, the guns fired four times, three at night. One time the firing lasted nearly the length of an incense stick before ceasing.

Brother Rui, I don’t dare ask what really happened... I only hope you won’t keep hiding things. No matter how loud the gunfire or how serious the matter, let me face it with you, alright? Every time I ask Mother, she says it’s nothing, but I’m not a fool.”

Lin Rui sighed bitterly and bent slightly to cradle her in his arms.

Lin Daiyu stiffened at first, but after a long moment, relaxed and allowed him to carry her downstairs.

This was their first truly intimate contact.

They ignored the astonished looks of the three maids and went straight into the cabin, closing the door behind them.

“That time it was river bandits—two large warships and over a dozen small boats,” Lin Rui explained as he embraced her on the long couch. “More than three hundred attackers surrounded us. Fortunately, we were prepared; with long-range firearms and close-range explosive tubes, we finally drove them off.”

“And afterward?” Lin Daiyu asked seriously.

“I’ve contacted the Xue family’s second branch to arrange sea travel back to the capital,” Lin Rui said earnestly, looking into the young lady’s eyes in his arms. “Everything is arranged so that neither you nor madam will suffer any grievances.”

They said no more, holding each other and feeling their heartbeats.

“Xue family—” After a long pause, Lin Daiyu whispered, “Is that our maternal family?”

“Yes, the Jinling Xue family,” Lin Rui nodded. “Though the court bans private maritime trade, it allows imperial merchants to conduct foreign business. There are also secret private trades, but no one surpasses the Xue family in sea transport.”

“There won’t be... another incident like that night?” Lin Daiyu still worried.

“Sea travel differs from inland rivers. The Xue family’s banner is most effective,” Lin Rui assured her. “Rest easy.”

“Brother Rui, I trust your decision!” Lin Daiyu relaxed. “When do we leave?”

“I still need to pick someone up,” Lin Rui lowered his head to gently kiss her forehead. “It was promised during the trip to Suzhou.”

Lin Daiyu’s cheeks immediately flushed.

They gazed at each other, the rippling water reflecting their tender exchange.