Finest Servant

Five years later, in Hangzhou.

"May I inquire the surname of the young lady? Oh, Miss Pan, is it? I've long heard of your reputation! Please believe me, Miss Pan, as a fortune teller with an iron mouth and a reputation for countless accurate predictions, I never speak falsehoods. Here, outside the Lingyin Temple and along the shores of West Lake, my renown is undisputed! — Wow, judging from the divination stick in your hand, this is a supremely auspicious sign!"

On the bustling Su Causeway, with its throngs of people and picturesque scenery, where vendors called out and the scene teemed with life, sat a fortune teller in a green shirt and a small hat. With utmost seriousness, he held the hand of a young lady, nodding sagely as he made his predictions.

"A supremely auspicious sign?" the lady asked in surprise. "Sir, could you please elaborate?"

The fortune teller nodded emphatically, gazing at her with grave sincerity. "Observing the lady's face, round as the full moon, and eyes as clear as spring water, I see a fresh and clear aura between your brows, reminiscent of West Lake in March, just before the spring rain, stunningly beautiful! Please, extend your hand — Ah, the lines in your palm are like red threads entwining and peach blossoms blooming, a sign of joyous events approaching! Congratulations, Miss, it won't be long before you meet a gentleman to your liking!"

From a painted boat not far away on West Lake, two enchanting women, beautiful as immortals, stood at the bow, like twin lotuses just risen from the water. Hearing this, they both chuckled.

"Senior Sister, why don't you intervene? Letting him spout nonsense, who knows how many young ladies he might deceive?" remarked the one on the right, her face as exquisite as a painting, exuding a captivating charm. She giggled, eyeing her Senior Sister.

Her Senior Sister's cheeks flushed. "You should be the one to handle it. He's your little brother and listens to you the most! Didn't he just take you boating on Weishan Lake a few days ago?"

The Senior Sister blushed deeply and bowed her head in embarrassment: "No wonder he likes to call you a vixen. You've even captivated his soul. Tell me, why do you take him to the Miao village every year?"

"I love to captivate his soul! After all, he's my little brother!" the Vixen laughed softly. "As for taking him to the Miao village, it was a long-standing promise. Poor Yilian, that Miao girl, waited years for him. He played deaf and mute for three whole years until I forced his hand last year, fulfilling that young girl's wish. And guess what? After tasting the sweetness, this year he himself asked to visit the Miao village again. That infuriating little rascal!"

The Senior Sister shook her head helplessly. "You spoil him so, turning him into a tyrant!"

"Why not indulge him?" the Vixen said slowly. "Think about it, Senior Sister. He doesn't even aspire to be the Emperor, nor does he desire the lavishness of palaces. He simply enjoys the freedom of the mortal world. What a broad-mindedness that is! And what does it matter if several more women fall for him? That's just heaven compensating him!"

As she spoke, she winked mysteriously and chuckled, "Besides, with the ginseng given to him by Seo Jang Geum, given our little brother's constitution, it will last him ten lifetimes. Haven't you experienced its potency? Haha, I must confess, I can hardly bear it — Sister, let's try it together with him tonight!"

Fairy Ning's face flushed and her heart raced at Junior Sister An's brazen words. On further reflection, she realized there was much truth in them. If their little thief had indeed become the sovereign, despite the glory and riches, as his wife, she would likely be confined to the palace for life. How much worldly joy would she lose? Besides, his nature was to be carefree; if he changed, he wouldn't be the same lovable fool anymore.

With this realization, she felt a sense of relief. Looking at the dark-faced little thief on the Su Causeway, her heart warmed immeasurably. She smiled softly, turned around, and saw a captivating painting hanging in the cabin.

On the left of the painting was a man with dark eyebrows and a dark face, smiling joyfully, his arms around a stunningly beautiful woman in a wedding dress. The white dress, as pure as snow, made her skin appear even more luminous and her beauty unparalleled. Her eyes reddened with shy joy, she bowed her head, her gentleness seeming to melt the mountains and rivers.

"Little brother's painting skills are truly divine," Junior Sister An said, following her gaze to the charming painting, and sighed, "This wedding dress is incredibly beautiful! By the way, sister, when he painted you in this wedding dress, were you actually wearing clothes?"

What kind of question was that? Fairy Ning blushed and scolded her playfully, "Do you think everyone is like you? I've heard that someone let him paint her in a wedding dress, and before he was even halfway done, the dress somehow slipped off. They even gave the painting a nice name — 'Spring Unveiled!'"

"Is this the one you're talking about?" Junior Sister An giggled, slowly unrolling a painting she carried with her.

In the vast grasslands under the broad sky lay a breathtakingly gorgeous woman. Her white wedding dress fluttered in the wind, revealing her radiant, slender legs, with hints of spring charm peeking through. The dress was partially undone at the chest, exposing her fair, firm bosom, captivating the little brother lying beside her.

The Senior Sister laughed, her cheeks flushed, "So, you carry it with you everywhere! This painting is indeed extraordinary, perfectly capturing your temperament and his in every stroke."

Junior Sister An's eyes were tender and seductive as she softly said, "Isn't that wonderful? I love him just the way he is! The name, 'Spring Unveiled,' suits it perfectly. Haha, who knows what else he has in that clever mind of his, coming up with such ideas?"

Admiring the painting and Junior Sister An's blushing demeanor, Fairy Ning smiled sweetly, silently observing the dark-faced little thief on the shore, her heart warming as if bathed in the first rays of the morning sun.

"Master, are the words you spoke true?" Miss Pan from the Suzhou Causeway listened in awe as the fortune teller embellished his predictions. She shyly bowed her head, nervously clutching the slip of paper in her hand, and asked in a soft voice, "May I know on which specific day these events will occur?"

"Oh, that," the fortune teller blinked and said earnestly, "perhaps tomorrow, but more likely today, possibly even at this very moment."

"Hmph, you might as well say it's you!" The maid standing beside them snatched Miss Pan's delicate hand back, "Miss, this charlatan is deceiving us. Don't believe him, let's leave at once!"

Miss Pan hesitated, glancing uncertainly at the fortune teller, unsure of what to do.

"Brother San! Brother San!" a young servant boy in green rushed up to the fortune teller, gasping for breath, "It's terrible, the Second Young Master is fighting with someone!"

"What?" Brother San sprang up, his face flushed with anger and his presence imposing, "Someone dares to strike my son? They're courting death! Si De, gather the brothers and grab the weapons!"

The two men abandoned their fortune-telling stall in haste, leaving it behind as if their tails were on fire. They failed to notice the fortune-telling book falling to the ground in their rush.

Miss Pan quickly bent down to pick up the book. The cover read "Lai Buyi's Divine Methods of Divination in Thirty-Six Styles" in bold, upright characters, with a smaller subtitle stating "Genuine and honest, no deception of young or old! Confidential, not to be disclosed!" Beside it was a drawing of a dark-faced master, eyes closed in deep concentration, calculating with precision – a perfect image of an immortal.

'She must be a true cultivator,' Miss Pan thought, admiringly. Excited, she gently opened the mysterious thirty-six methods, only to be startled by the first page filled with brightly colored, naked little figures, entangled and frolicking, depicting scenes of one man with one woman, one man with two women, all vivid and unclad.

"Ah!" Miss Pan blushed deeply, shocked, and hastily dropped the book, her heart racing and cheeks burning hot. Glancing around and seeing no one noticed her, she calmed herself slightly, and was about to leave when something made her hesitate. Her gaze fell back on the "Thirty-Six Methods," her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

After a long hesitation, she stealthily looked around, then, as if compelled by an unseen force, bent down and grabbed the book, her nose sweating profusely.

"Miss, what are you doing?" the maid asked curiously.

Miss Pan let out a small cry, her cheeks aflame, and quickly stuffed the book into her bosom, "Nothing, nothing! I'm going home to study mathematics! Jinlian, let's go quickly!"

Fearing being exposed if they lingered any longer, the miss and maid hurried away, disappearing into the crowd.

On a boat nearby, two stunningly beautiful sisters watched them, exchanged glances, and then blushed, giggling softly to each other.

"People of this world are mostly charlatans and impostors! Only my little thief can be so despicably upright, unabashedly bold, a true gentleman among the lowly," the Senior Sister remarked softly.

"Hee hee," the Junior Sister cooed seductively, "Senior Sister, your words mirror my thoughts exactly! Tonight, that detestable little brother is to enter your room. Why don't the three of us engage in some genuine debauchery, to the envy of those hypocrites?"

"Fiend," The Senior Sister chided sharply, her anger prompting her to smack her Junior Sister a few times, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Sister An gazed at Fairy Ning with a giggle, her delicate body swaying slightly, as enchanting as the most captivating flower.

The Master and Si De hurried to the lakeside mansion, their steps quick and anxious. They had scarcely come to a stop when they heard a young, tender voice call out, "Father—"

A little girl, about three or four years old, her hair in two small pigtails, ran towards them joyously, her rosy cheeks as red as a doll's.

The Master quickly scooped her up, planting a kiss on her small face. "Li Lian, my treasure, where is your second brother? Is he fighting again? Did he win or lose?"

Li Lian blinked and crisply replied, "Second brother told me not to tell you! He said you'd only hold him back!"

"What? That little rascal—" The Master was instantly furious, ready to confront his son, but then he heard a light chuckle behind him. "You, at your age, still quarreling with your own son?"

The stunningly beautiful woman speaking, with eyebrows like painted strokes and her skirt fluttering, appeared as if stepping out of a painting.

"Auntie Qingxuan—" Li Lian joyfully called, eagerly nestling into the young woman's embrace.

The Master, overjoyed, grabbed her hand. "My dear wife, you're here too? It's just a fight, and if he can't win, he has his father to back him up. Our son won't suffer a loss!"

Miss Xiao kissed Li Lian's cheek and looked helplessly at her husband. "You left Zheng'er alone in the palace, forlorn, and instead, you're here, neglecting your duties to join Xuan'er in a brawl!"

Mentioning their son brought tears to Miss Xiao's eyes. The Master wrapped his arms around her slender waist, soothing her. "With you, Xian'er, and Zhiqing rotating to care for Zheng'er, and with the support of Minister Xu, Lord Luo, and General Li, what can't be achieved? Me being in the palace wouldn't have made much difference!"

Knowing him well, Miss Xiao sighed in resignation and playfully chided, "Xian'er and Zhiqing scolded you yesterday. They say you're the most laid-back father, leaving them exhausted! I don't care! When you go on vacation to Goryeo this year, you must take me with you!"

"Of course!" The Master winked mysteriously, kissing her cheek. "This year, in Goryeo, it'll just be the two of us. How about that, darling?"

Miss Xiao's cheeks flushed with delight, but then she suddenly remembered something and huffed, "Tell me the truth. In Goryeo, apart from Jang Geum, have you taken another mistress?"

"No, absolutely not!" The Master quickly swore.

"Really?" Miss Xiao smiled at him. "But I heard there's a beautiful and extraordinary woman there, waiting for you each year, and you make sure to visit Goryeo annually!"

The Master sighed in frustration. "Indeed, there is such a person! But if I said I'm her escort, would you believe me?"

"Escort?" Miss Xiao's eyebrows raised in anger. "How dare she ask my husband to accompany her! I'll draft an order right now for the King of Goryeo to execute her immediately—"

"Take it easy, take it easy," her husband hastily interjected, alarmed. "Qingxuan, it's not like that, she's not a bad person!"

"Not a bad person?" Miss Xiao looked at him skeptically for a long while before gently taking his hand. "My Dear, what exactly is your relationship with her?"

"Well, she's an old friend of mine! Actually, it's thanks to her that I met all of you. But apart from me, she has no other friends in this world, so she's very lonely. She made a very reasonable request, hoping that I would accompany her each year to eat, to play, to—ahem, talk!"

Miss Xiao pondered for a moment, then smiled and asked, "So, that's the kind of 'company' she wants! How long does she expect you to accompany her?"

"She said, until the day I can count all the white hairs on her head, then she'll kick me out!"

Miss Xiao paused, then chuckled, "Your friend is quite interesting. Why doesn't she just say she likes you? If she wants your company so much, why doesn't she marry you?"

"That's impossible!" The Master sighed deeply. "She says I oppress women and would be guilty of bigamy! That she hasn't beheaded me is already a mercy!"

"Bigamy?" Princess Chuyun pondered for a long time but couldn't recall any such law in Great Hua. She shook her head and smiled. "Saying My Dear oppresses women, yet she still comes to him? Women in this world often say one thing and mean another. I wonder how long she can endure?"

"Yes, yes!" Her Dear nodded eagerly, both troubled and joyous.

As they were talking, a graceful figure suddenly rushed towards them from the distance, calling out, "Bad guy, bad guy—"

This unique address startled Lin Wanrong, and he hurriedly approached. "Slow down, slow down, my Second Miss, you're going to scare me to death!"

He embraced Yushuang, gently caressing her belly, causing her to blush deeply. Over the years, Yushuang had matured beyond the green young girl she once was. With her hair styled high, she was now a charming young matron, almost on par with the Eldest Miss.

Miss Xiao, smiling, took the Second Miss's hand. "Sister, you're with child, you mustn't be reckless!"

Yushuang shyly responded and took her husband's hand. "Bad guy, we have a guest at home. Mother, sister, and Ning'er are entertaining her!"

"A guest?" The 'bad guy' pondered, then his face suddenly changed. "You mean Miss Tao? Good gracious, Yushuang, go back quickly and say I'm not here, that I'm on a long trip, to Goryeo, to the Turks, to the West—anywhere! Just don't say I'm at home!"

The Second Miss giggled. "You've been using that excuse for four years now! Miss Tao said if she doesn't see you today, she'll set up a hut outside our Lin family's door and stay there permanently!"

"This, this—" The 'bad guy' was utterly dumbfounded.

"Father, why are you lying?" Little Li Lian, nestled in Qingxuan's arms, asked with her beautiful big eyes, puzzled.

Her father's face flushed, and he gently stroked his daughter's hair, whispering, "My dear, Father isn't lying. It's just that there are some people Father can't meet! Ah, you're still young. You'll understand when you're older!"

Hearing his evasive response, the Second Miss couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. She turned to Princess Chuyun, pulling her along. "Sister, what should we do?"

Before Miss Xiao could respond, Li Lian suddenly pointed excitedly ahead. "Father, Auntie, look! My mother is coming!"

A hurried figure approached on the embankment, her beauty delicate and her demeanor gentle. Smiling at her husband, she said, "Big Brother, there's a letter for you!"

"A letter for me?" The Big Brother wondered aloud, blinking but not reaching for the letter. Instead, he secretly took the woman's hand and whispered, "Qiaoqiao darling, tell me the truth. Did Miss Tao send this through you?"

Qiaoqiao, holding Li Lian in her arms, laughed. "It arrived at our tavern today, addressed specifically to you for personal collection. There's no name on it, so I don't know who sent it."

A letter sent to the tavern? Who could it be? The husband took the letter, a faint fragrance greeting his nose as he hastily opened it. After a quick glance, his expression changed dramatically.

"Eh, it looks like Western script!" The Second Miss, ever curious, peered over. Suddenly, she exclaimed joyfully, "I know! It's from Xiangjun! She's written to the bad guy again, hehe!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" The 'bad guy' quickly winked at the Second Miss and then stealthily gauged Miss Xiao's expression.

Qingxuan looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "My Dear, how many times has Xiangjun written to you?"

"This... this..." The husband stammered with a sheepish smile. "I'll count when I get back! Qingxuan, there's nothing between me and Xiangjun, you have to believe me!"

"Really?" Miss Xiao spoke indifferently. "Every time the French come, Junior Sister sends three envelopes, one for me and one for Master. Who's the other one for?"

"Ahem, for me? Oh, I almost forgot about that!" He quickly tried to laugh it off, then secretly took hold of Qingxuan's hand. "Wife, don't you trust me? Nothing happened between me and Junior Sister, I swear on my conscience!"

Miss Xiao huffed, not sure whether to believe or not. "What does Xiangjun's letter say? Don't think I can't read Western script!"

The husband's face was a picture of embarrassment. "Junior Sister says that the five-year term is up, and she will be back next month. She insists I must learn a phrase in Western script by then!"

"What Western phrase?" Miss Xiao asked, puzzled.

"This... this—" The husband stammered, unsure how to proceed.

The Second Miss blinked, then suddenly clapped her hands and laughed. "I know! 'I love you!' (Love Tiger Oil) Sister taught me that!"

The story of 'I love you' was a secret often whispered among the Lin family. Looking at her guilty-looking husband, Miss Xiao sighed deeply and held his hand tightly. "You, you... with one waiting at home and another returning from the West, what are we to do?"

The husband also felt a headache coming on. These two matters were not his intention; such are the unpredictable turns of life. Perhaps, as Sister An said, having renounced the pinnacle of worldly power, heaven was compensating him in another form?

With many troubles weighing on his mind, he hadn't expected that even in his leisure, there would be such burdens of happiness.

In his dilemma, he caught sight of Li Lian's lovely face and suddenly remembered, "Si De, Si De, where's Xuan'er?"

Upon his call, the ladies suddenly remembered that the Second Young Master of the Lin family was engaged in a fight with someone else! Chaos ensued among them as Si De emerged from the grass by the embankment, exclaiming, "Brother San, the Second Young Master is over there!"

They hurried to the riverbank, only to find a picturesque scene of lush green willows and vast misty waters at West Lake, a sight of unparalleled beauty.

Not far off on the riverbank, two boys around four or five years old were tangled in a scuffle, rolling around in the mud, their bodies completely smeared with it, presenting a rather amusing sight.

The older one, dark-skinned like his father, had his cheeks smeared with mud, his eyes rolling wildly, clearly not one to be trifled with. He had gained the upper hand and was pinning the younger boy beneath him. "Give up yet, kid?" he demanded.

The child underneath was obscured, unrecognizable. But seeing his own son dominating the fight, the father's eyebrows shot up in delight. "That's my boy, Xuan'er! In a fight, never accept defeat. That's the spirit of your father!"

"I will never surrender!" The boy underneath Lin Xuan, though pinned, sounded defiant, his young voice carrying a familiar ring.

"Refusing to surrender even in defeat?" Little Lin Xuan grew annoyed. "Seems I have to use my ultimate move. Don't say I didn't warn you, this technique is called 'Dragon Claw Hand,' my father's famed move! It's undefeated in the martial world for over a decade!"

Yushuang and Qiaoqiao giggled behind their hands, while Miss Xiao blushed and gave her husband a reproachful look. The husband, sweating profusely, quickly interjected, "It's a misunderstanding, actually, it's called 'Eagle Claw Hand.' Xuan'er just renamed it himself!"

The boy beneath Lin Xuan suddenly burst into laughter. "What 'Dragon Claw Hand'? It's clearly 'Eagle Claw Hand,' my dad already told me about it!"

Lin Xuan, infuriated, retorted, "Dragon Claw is the formal name, Eagle Claw the informal. Use Dragon Claw on a girl you like, Eagle Claw on one who likes you. Didn't your dad teach you that? Hmph, your dad's knowledge doesn't even compare to mine!"

The ladies glared simultaneously, causing the husband to turn pale with fright, hastily waving his hands. "I've been wronged! I never taught such things. Xuan'er learned it all by himself!"

The boy beneath him suddenly got angry. "Nonsense, my dad is a thousand times better than yours!"

"Oh, really?" Lin Xuan laughed heartily. "Alright, kid, state your name. Let's see who your dad is."

"You go first!" The boy's voice grew louder.

"Fine!" Xuan'er sneered. "Not to scare you, but my dad is Lin San, my big brother is the Emperor, and I'm Lin Xuan. If you anger me, the three of us will beat you up together!"

"So what?" The boy beneath him responded defiantly, unafraid. "My name on the grasslands is Gagarin, my Great Hua name is Lin Jia. My mother is the Golden Blade Khan, and my father, my father is also Lin San!"

Lin Xuan blinked, then burst out laughing. "Your dad is also Lin San? That's hilarious! I've never seen anyone fight with me over who their dad is!"

"Lin Jia?" Qiaoqiao, Yushuang, and Miss Xiao gasped in unison.

The husband felt a surge of emotion and rushed over, pulling Lin Xuan away from the top. He saw the boy underneath, teeth clenched, fists tight, his face stubborn, the very image of unyielding defiance.

The scene unfolded in a moment of surprise and joy as the master, upon seeing Lin Jia, exclaimed in astonishment, "Jia'er, how did you get here?" His voice was filled with both shock and delight as he scooped up the young Lin Jia in his arms, showering him with endless kisses.

"Father!" Lin Jia, wrapped in excitement, clung to his neck, exclaiming, "I've finally found you!"

Little Lin Xuan's eyes widened in astonishment. Suddenly, he hugged his leg and protested, "Brother San, you're mistaken, I'm your son! Who is he?"

"He is Lin Jia, your younger brother," the master said sternly, his face serious. "Xuan'er, how could you bully your younger brother? Haven't I taught you many times? You must be humble and tolerant, winning people over with virtue, not with fists."

Lin Xuan, overjoyed upon hearing this, grabbed Lin Jia's hand and laughed, "No wonder he's so good at fighting, he's my younger brother! Now, your father's and my father's teachings are finally the same! Lin Jia, you're amazing, you'll catch up with me in a couple of years!"

Lin Xuan, charming and amiable, got along well with everyone. Little Lin Jia, delighted by this, eagerly grabbed his brother's hand. "Second Brother, you're also amazing, never following any set patterns in your moves!"

'Keeping the same routine is not my style!' The master laughed, hugging his son tightly. Meanwhile, Qingxuan hurried over, joyfully asking, "My Dear, is this Jia'er?"

She had spent the past years devotedly caring for Zhao Zheng, the heir to the throne, and had never been to the grasslands. Seeing Lin Jia for the first time, she was delighted to find that the boy, with his bright eyes and robust appearance, resembled Her Dear strikingly.

"Are you Aunt Qingxuan?" asked Jia'er.

"Yes, yes!" Miss Xiao fondly stroked his head, her affection evident. Turning to Lin Xuan, she cautioned, "Xuan'er, remember, you mustn't bully Jia'er!"

Lin Xuan nodded boldly, holding Li Lian with one hand and Lin Jia with the other. "Mother, don't worry, except for father, who is a bit tricky, no one can bully us!"

'Even the son knows you're not to be trifled with,' thought Miss Xiao, smiling at her husband. The master laughed heartily, kissing Xuan'er's cheek, then took Lin Jia's hand, asking, "Jia'er, how did you come here? When I visited the grasslands last month, weren't you happily riding the blood-sweat horse?"

"It was Mother who sent me!" declared Lin Jia, his chest puffed out.

"What?" exclaimed the master in shock. "Your mother sent you? How could you travel such a long distance at your age? Your mother really deserves a spanking—"

"Who deserves a spanking?!" A sweet female voice suddenly sounded behind him.

The master trembled, slowly turning around to face the woman, who looked at him with a mix of joy and reproof, her eyes tender like water, tearfully smiling at him: "Wo Lao Gong—"

Seeing the two white plum blossoms at her temples, Lin Wanrong's eyes moistened with surprise and joy. He tightly grasped her hand, overwhelmed with tender emotions.

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