Finest Servant

Chapter 418 I’ll Make Sure You Can’t Sleep Tonight

Indeed, Lin Wanrong suddenly came to his senses. Qingxuan was barely twenty years old and had grown up in the mountains. How could she be the Empress? He had been so confused! With this realization, his mind suddenly became clear, and he laughed, saying, "I don't care whether you're the Empress or not; you are my wife, and the important task of bearing children and expanding the Lin family falls on you."

Miss Xiao snorted softly, her cheeks blushing in embarrassment, but she unconsciously touched her belly, her face aglow with tenderness. He handed back the waist token, and as she slowly caressed the glittering golden token, tears shimmered in her eyes. She softly said, "My Dear, I will tell you about Qingxuan's identity in the future. Just rest assured, my family background is honorable and will not disgrace the Lin family."

"What family honor does my family have?" Lin Wanrong said, laughing as he grabbed her hand. "In this world, I have no father or mother. As long as I have enough to eat, my whole family won't starve. I'm like a monkey that jumped out of a crack in a rock [TL: This refers to the Monkey King Sun Wukong]. Disgracing anyone won't disgrace me."

"You have a sharp tongue. If you are that monkey, wouldn't our child be a little monkey?" Miss Xiao covered her mouth and laughed, her face turning red. Recalling something, she quickly repressed her thoughts and calmly took Li Xiangjun's hand to get into the sedan chair. "I'm a bit tired, let's go home. I heard our house is next to the Xu mansion, is that true?"

Lin Wanrong was in a cheerful mood, but seeing Miss Xiao's expression change and hearing her words, he suddenly choked. ‘Ah, Qingxuan is still angry! It was all that Xu girl's doing, and now even being neighbors has become a crime. I'm truly wronged.’

"It's a coincidence—absolutely a coincidence!" Lin Wanrong hastily said with a serious face, "Qingxuan, you know that I am a man who always deals with matters calmly and avoids disputes. The house was a gift from the Emperor, and I don't know how old Xu's family heard the news and sneaked next door to us. This has absolutely nothing to do with me."

"Deal calmly, avoid disputes?" Li Xiangjun scoffed, "Big Brother Lin, you are quite modest. There aren't many people in this world who are as content with 'calmness' as you."

‘You're just a little girl; what do you know? I won't argue with you.’ Seeing the sedan curtain fall, and not knowing what Qingxuan was thinking, Lord Lin found himself in a difficult position, not knowing what to do.

With the "Empress" backing him, who would dare to block their path? Everyone had dispersed, and the road was clear. The soldiers set off, heading straight into the city. Du Xiuyuan walked beside Lin Wanrong, cautiously asking, "General, who exactly is the Empress? I would like to meet her too. We mustn't be negligent."

Indeed, who was the Empress? Lin Wanrong was also taken aback. Qingxuan had brushed the matter aside in a few words, and even now, he was still in the dark.

"The Empress, my wife knows her well!" Lin Wanrong glanced around, speaking mysteriously, "Brother Du, you just do your job, and someday I'll have my wife talk to the Empress. Maybe she'll promote you to a commanding general or something. It's not impossible."

He casually wrote a blank check without concern, but Du Xiuyuan was overjoyed. What kind of person was General Lin? He was powerful and influential, and his words never fell to the ground. Suppressing the surprise in his heart, he replied spiritedly, "Thank you, General, for nurturing me. I will be loyal and dutiful, repaying your kindness."

Today's events had seen Du Xiuyuan putting forth much effort and taking on significant risks, and Lin Wanrong was well aware of it. Rather than wasting any silver, Lord Lin merely expressed his gratitude and approval to Du Xiuyuan, saying, "Brother Du, I will keep your intentions in my heart. You go back and tell Brother Hu, Brother Li, and Xu Zhen that what Lin San says is this: You all do well in the army, and never let our Grain and Provisions Army lose face. If my brothers have any problems, I'll cover you. This time on the front lines, as long as you fight bravely, I assure you small merits will earn great rewards, and great merits will earn tremendous rewards. I, Lin San, can manage that much righteousness."

"Thank you, General!" Du Xiuyuan gratefully exclaimed, then whispered, "It would be even better if the General could personally lead the brothers to the front lines."

"Brother Du, did someone teach you to say that?" Lin Wanrong looked at Du Xiuyuan with a smirk.

"General truly has discerning eyes." Du Xiuyuan awkwardly smiled. "It was Miss Xu who instructed me. She also said that with the General's wisdom and unmatched bravery, if you were on the front lines, our army's casualties would be reduced by at least fifty percent."

‘Haven't I suffered enough because of you today?’ Lord Lin thought, infuriated and annoyed. He waved his hand and said, "Right now, I have to accompany my wife, prepare baby blankets, milk powder, baby underwear, diapers; I'm too busy for anything else. As for fighting, we can talk about it in a few days."

Du Xiuyuan gave a forced laugh, glanced at the sedan chair where the young lady was seated, and carefully said, "General, Miss Xu has asked you to visit her mansion tomorrow to talk. I have delivered the message, but I don't know—"

"I won't go. Your persuasion is useless. Hey, Brother Du, don't pull me. I will never do anything to betray my wife!" Lord Lin's voice suddenly rose eight decibels, sternly refusing. Du Xiuyuan was utterly frustrated; they were having a decent conversation, when did he ever pull him? It was the General who clung to him shamelessly.

"General, will you go or not?" Du Xiuyuan asked helplessly.

"Ah, perhaps it's better not to go," Lin Wanrong lowered his voice, sighing in despair. "Brother Du, as you can see, my wife is back, and our good days as men are over. Besides, I don't even know where Miss Xu's boudoir is. If I stumble into the wrong place, that could be troublesome—surely her family would have a maid to guide the way, right?"

"I wouldn't know. Miss Xu never mentioned it. Why doesn't the General ask her in person tomorrow?" Du Xiuyuan chuckled, wanting to have his cake and eat it too without getting his hands dirty. Such good fortune simply didn't exist.

"Hmm, it would be disastrous if I stumbled into the wrong place." Lin Wanrong said with stern righteousness, his expression serious. "Tomorrow, I'll go to ask Miss Xu for directions and firmly reject her kindness—Whoa, Brother Du, why are you looking at me like that? You must know that I cannot be swayed by poverty or seduced by wealth. It is clear to all, young and old, that I am genuinely going to ask her for directions. You must believe me!"

Li Xiangjun peered out from the sedan chair, looked around, and then closed the curtain. Turning to her senior sister, she said, "Senior Sister, it seems your husband has changed his ways; he seems to be treating you properly now."

"Is that so?" Miss Xiao said with a light laugh: "When it comes to talking nonsense, there's no one in the world who can beat him. Only when he really breaks off contact with all the young ladies will he have truly changed. Anything else he says, hear it, but don't believe it!"

By the time they entered the city, it was already evening, and the lights of the city shone brightly. Taverns, tea houses, and pleasure quarters were bustling everywhere. Lin Wanrong had not expected that the very place he and Ning'er and Qiaoqiao had sneaked off to eat just the day before, would today be the place where he would formally welcome Qingxuan to stay, with a 'buy one, get one free' deal. He was secretly delighted, and hurriedly sent Du Xiuyuan to notify Qiaoqiao and Luo Ning in advance.

As they reached East Straight Gate Street, Miss Xiao lifted the curtain and glanced around. The area was filled with grand mansions, golden bricks, jade trees, silver walls; it was filled with elegance and splendor everywhere. Her beautiful eyes filled with faint tears as she sighed softly, murmuring, "New trees planted in front of the hall, flowers blooming for ten years. By this golden jade bridge, the scenery hasn't changed much."

When they arrived at a large mansion, the palanquin was set down, and the vermillion gate swung open, with two huge lanterns hanging in the gateway, each embroidered with a golden "Lin" character. The courtyard was clean and tidy, with servants and maids bustling about. Qiaoqiao and Luo Ning were already waiting at the door, and as the palanquin was set down, they rushed forward.

"Qiaoqiao, Ning'er, why have you come out?" Lin Wanrong greeted them with a smile, reaching out to take their hands. But Qiaoqiao and Luo Ning seemed not to see him, going straight to the palanquin and bowing respectfully, saying, "Younger sisters Qiaoqiao (Luo Ning), greet elder sister."

Lin Wanrong was taken aback. What's going on? These two girls didn't come to greet their husband first but instead bowed to Qingxuan. What sort of rule was this? He was the master of the house!

"Two younger sisters, please rise quickly!" Xiao Qingxuan came out of the palanquin, hastily helping Luo Ning and Qiaoqiao to their feet. Qiaoqiao and Miss Luo were both seeing Xiao Qingxuan for the first time. With her eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn water, skin whiter than snow, cheeks tinted like maple, lips touched with cinnabar, and dressed in a gorgeous yellow gown, she looked like a fairy from a painting. Though the two were exceptionally beautiful themselves, they seemed to lose some of their luster in front of Xiao Qingxuan.

"Sister, you are so beautiful." Qiaoqiao stared, murmuring.

Xiao Qingxuan took her hand and smiled sweetly, "Sister Qiaoqiao, you are also a delicate and beautiful person, not worse than me."

Qiaoqiao exclaimed with joy, "Sister Xiao, how do you know my name?"

"I not only know you but also know Sister Luo Ning." Xiao Qingxuan took the slightly reserved Luo Ning's hand and smiled faintly, "Miss Luo is renowned for her talent and wit, and Qiaoqiao is clever and exceptional. We all are familiar faces from Jinling, and you met My Dear before me, so today I should be the one visiting you."

Luo Ning quickly said, "Sister Xiao, please don't be a stranger. From Jinling to the capital, the person my big brother has been most concerned about is you. He has been so anxious about this matter, and thank heavens, sister, you have finally returned safely, fulfilling my big brother's, mine, and Qiaoqiao's dream."

"Yes, yes," Qiaoqiao chirped, "When we were in Jinling, big brother was already in a hurry to come to the capital to find you. Today, we finally get to see sister."

“In the past, when I was in Jinling, mundane affairs occupied my life, and I never got the chance to meet with my two younger sisters. Fortunately, today we have met again in the capital, sparing me the regret of missing them," Xiao Qingxuan said, her eyes brimming with tears. She earnestly added, "For various reasons, My Dear and I were separated from each other. Thankfully, my two sisters took great care of My Dear in my absence, enabling this joyous reunion today. I cannot repay this kindness. Please accept a bow from me, my dear sisters."

With that, Xiao Qingxuan gracefully bowed. Qiaoqiao and Luo Ning were taken aback and quickly pulled her up, exclaiming, "You mustn't, sister; you're flattering us too much."

Xiao Qingxuan's grace and poise were unmatched, yet she was also humble and approachable. With just a few words, she had endeared herself to Luo Ning and Qiaoqiao, who naturally regarded her as their elder, harboring no resentment. Meanwhile, Lin Wanrong watched the three women chatting and getting along, a mix of joy and sadness in his eyes. ‘You sisters seem to be enjoying yourselves. I'm the head of the household, but you've left me out. What happened to the usual gentle and charming Qiaoqiao and Ning'er?’

These three women were all stunningly beautiful, each with her own charm - nobility, tenderness, or allure. Du Xiuyuan looked on with envy, saying, "General, you are truly fortunate. Three wives, all of heavenly beauty and deeply devoted to you. It's enough to make others envious."

"Envious of what?" Lin Wanrong sighed woefully, "One monk fetches water to eat, two monks carry water to eat, but three monks have no water to eat. Brother Du, I have unspeakable sorrow; who could be more pitiful than me?"

"Oh, I suddenly remembered. I have some military affairs that General Li has ordered me to attend to. I must take my leave," Du Xiuyuan said, quickly making his escape, seeing the general's gloomy expression.

"Sister, let's go inside quickly and see if you like the attic that Sister Ning and I prepared for you." After talking for a while, Xiao Qingxuan introduced Li Xiangjun to everyone. Seeing this sister Xiao's natural and kind words, Qiaoqiao was very happy, grabbed the hands of Miss Xiao and Li Xiangjun, and eagerly led the way.

"Be careful, sister's body..." Luo Ning hesitated, then said softly.

Qiaoqiao paused, glancing at Xiao Qingxuan's abdomen, and suddenly exclaimed with embarrassment, "I was too rash, almost forgetting that you're pregnant, sister."

Xiao Qingxuan's face flushed, and she hurriedly looked down, whispering, "Sister, who told you that I'm pregnant?"

Luo Ning giggled, "It was Xu Zhiqing. She informed us about your return and told us all about you and big brother. She was so enthusiastic, bustling around until just before your return—Huh, why are you staring at me like that, big brother?" Luo Ning suddenly asked Lin Wanrong.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just counting stars. How many stars are there in the sky? I still haven't counted them all. Ning'er, come count with me." Lin Wanrong looked up, his eyes distant and unfocused. The young girl, Li Xiangjun, chuckled, "Big brother Lin, don't forget to count the stars when you visit the mansion tomorrow. Tell me the number once you've counted them."

Lin Wanrong grumbled, "The stars in the sky are numerous, only one less than the strands of hair on my head. If you want to know exactly how many, simply count the hairs on my head."

"Heart filled with mischief!" Li Xiangjun made a face, giggling and hiding behind her senior sister.

Miss Xiao's expression was gentle as she nodded and smiled, "This Sister Xu is indeed warm-hearted. My Dear and I received a lot of help from her on the mountain today. We shall have My Dear thank her in person tomorrow."

"Not going, not going, absolutely not going!" Lin Wanrong quickly waved his hands, his face filled with anxiety. Luo Ning and Qiaoqiao looked at him strangely. "You know Sister Xu, why won't you go?"

Xiao Qingxuan ignored him, smiling and saying, "Qiaoqiao, let's go inside quickly and leave him to his antics outside."

Qiaoqiao giggled and nodded, "Eldest Sister, let's walk slowly and you can tell me and Sister Ning what it feels like to carry a baby. Big Brother was saying yesterday that he wants Sister Ning to have a baby as well-- Ah--"

Luo Ning's face turned bright red, and she pinched Qiaoqiao, "You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about in front of Eldest Sister!"

Qiaoqiao stuck out her tongue, her face flushed, seemingly recalling something that had happened the night before in the embroidery room. Xiao Qingxuan's face also turned shy, and she hurriedly pulled Qiaoqiao's hand to move forward.

"Big Brother," Luo Ning fell behind, secretly pulling Lin Wanrong's hand, her face displaying a hint of charming blush, and whispered, "What's wrong with you? Why does your face look bad every time Sister Xu is mentioned? Do you have any prejudice against her?"

Prejudice? How could he not? She openly challenged Qingxuan, wanting to snatch him away. Luckily, he was able to resist her temptation; otherwise, Luo Ning wouldn't be smiling now.

"What prejudice?" Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Sister Xu and I traveled together to Shandong. We had such a good relationship that it's like riding two horses and wearing two pants. How could there be any prejudice?"

"What's this about riding two horses and wearing two pants? Is this what a good relationship looks like?" Luo Ning was torn between crying and laughing, glaring at him.

"Or should it be riding one horse and wearing one pant? Is that what a good relationship is?" Lin Wanrong laughed.

Luo Ning spat softly, her face filled with shy annoyance, and punched him, scolding, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. What did you do with Sister Xu in Shandong? You were so intimate with her, touching and caressing. You thought I didn't know, hmm, hmm--"

"Lower your voice!" Lin Wanrong quickly covered her mouth, cold sweat forming on his forehead. He anxiously glanced forward, seeing Qiaoqiao and Qingxuan chatting and laughing ahead, paying no attention to them. His heart settled a bit, and he urgently defended, "It was all a misunderstanding, not intentional at all. I had explained it to Sister Xu."

Ning'er giggled, "So Big Brother is afraid Eldest Sister will know. Finally, someone can control you." She glanced around, suddenly leaning into Lin Wanrong's ear, her breath tickling as she whispered, "Big Brother, Sister Xu's figure is really good. Ning'er has felt it with her own hands, and you know it too, right?"

"Ning'er, don't be so vulgar. Be upright like me," Lin Wanrong reprimanded with a solemn face, though his heart was pounding. Sister Xu's figure was indeed unparalleled – oh, he couldn't think like that, he couldn't betray Qingxuan.

"Disgusting, you're the vulgar one." Luo Ning's eyes were seductive, and she panted softly, "Big Brother, don't touch me."

Lin Wanrong reluctantly withdrew his large hand, laughing, "Please don't misunderstand, I was just checking your vigilance, Ning'er. I didn't expect your sensitive area to be so extensive; one touch, and I've already tested it."

Luo Ning gave him an amused look, then reached into her bosom to retrieve a letter and handed it to him, "Here, this is for you!"

"What's this? Ning'er, if you want to write a love letter to me, you don't have to be so formal about it. Just call out to me from the bed; I'll hear you," Lin Wanrong said.

"Vulgar!" Ning'er giggled, "You can read it at your leisure. Sister Xu said it will keep you awake tonight--"

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