“Second Sister is right!”
Lin Qinghuan stood up and agreed.
“We still have the Gu Family.”
“Look at Ning Que, so smug after getting his way. He’s just not as magnanimous as General Gu. He’s so petty, always calculating against us. Has he forgotten that my sister accompanied him for three years? Now he’s taken everything. He even called so many people here just to watch our family make a fool of ourselves. How can someone be so stingy? Is he even a man?”
“Why is my life so bitter…?”
Lin Mother didn't care about any of that.
She collapsed onto the ground, wailing miserably.
She was inherently a selfish person.
She didn't care how her children were doing.
“You unfilial daughter, can’t you just bear with it?”
“Now he has inherited the princedom!”
“Originally, you could have been the Princess Consort…”
Lin Mother’s tears fell like beads, ceaselessly.
She was truly heartbroken!
Now the Lin Family had lost everything.
They would also become a laughingstock in the future.
“Enough!”
Lin Jiang finally couldn't hold back.
He had been seething with anger for the past few days.
“Cry, cry, cry, you’ve cried away all our good fortune.”
“Are you not satisfied with the number of jokes we’ve become, huh?”
“Since things have come to this, we can only overcome the difficulties first!”
“Xianhong, the money we owe, relying on the Gu Family alone isn't enough…”
“I will find a way.”
Lin Xianhong’s eyes were resolute.
She looked into the distance.
“I am no longer the me from three years ago.”
“Does he think this will make me submit?”
“No—”
“I am now a third-rank medical official!”
“I also have the Medicine Hut. Many high-ranking officials and nobles come to me when they are ill. This was not given by Prince Ning’s Manor; it was bestowed upon me by the Empress Dowager. Including the land deeds and shops, they are all in my hands. I will first find a way to earn money by treating people, and if that doesn’t work, I will mortgage the Medicine Hut.”
“That’s good, that’s good…”
“Sister is right!”
Lin Qinghuan nodded in agreement, disdainfully saying, “Ning Que still thinks we can’t live without him. What if he inherits the princedom? We still have the Gu Family as our backing. Sister is also a divine doctor; countless people come begging for her to treat them. Even if she only charges consultation fees, she can earn a fortune daily. Plus with the Gu Family’s help, why should we be afraid of a Prince Ning who only has a title?”
Lin Mother stopped making a fuss after hearing that.
After all, things had already happened.
Now they should think about how to overcome the difficulties.
As for other things, they were secondary.
“Xianhong, please put more effort into your brother’s matter.”
“It wasn’t easy for your brother to get where he is today…”
“He was just impulsive.”
“I know.”
Lin Jiang’s face showed difficulty, and he said softly, “If General Gu truly can’t find a way, we still have to find Ning Que. I know it will be hard on you, but your eldest brother cannot be harmed. Our Lin Family, we are counting on him now. If he gains more military merits, he can stand even higher in the future.”
He was truly afraid now.
What Lin Chao did was a capital crime punishable by death!
Attempting to burn down the granary!
And being caught in the act!
Relying solely on the Gu Family certainly wasn't safe enough.
Ning Que had, after all, inherited the princedom.
Even without real power, he was still a Prince of Great Feng.
Would the Gu Family fight to the death with Ning Que for Lin Chao?
Moreover, Lin Chao was in the wrong first.
If it truly came before Emperor Feng, Ning Que would be in the right.
Therefore, Lin Jiang’s idea was to have a backup plan.
On one hand, seek help from the Gu Family.
On the other, show goodwill to Ning Que.
Once Lin Jiang was released, everything would be easier to discuss.
“Father?!”
Lin Xianhong felt incredibly wronged.
She would do everything in her power to save Lin Chao.
But why did all the burdens have to be placed on her?
Was she not also a daughter of the Lin Family?
They asked her for Lin Qinghuan’s dowry.
When Lin Chao got into trouble, they also asked her to find a solution.
When the family lacked money, it was still her responsibility!
Why?!
And she had to go beg Ning Que?
Was it not enough that she was humiliated?
She had already been divorced by Ning Que.
The two of them had no more ties from then on.
If she went to Ning Que to beg for mercy, it would be equivalent to throwing her dignity on the ground and trampling it!
She would rather die than go beg Ning Que!
“Xianhong, your father knows you have been sensible since childhood.”
“You also consider our Lin Family.”
“You have been divorced and become an abandoned woman. Our Lin Family’s reputation is completely ruined, and your sister’s marriage will also be affected. If your brother gets into trouble again, how will we live our lives in the future…?”
Lin Jiang’s voice was already choked with emotion.
He naturally knew Lin Xianhong was wronged.
But what else could he do?
They had already offended Ning Que to the core.
Who else could save Lin Chao?
“Father, what are you afraid of?”
“Don’t we still have General Gu?” Lin Qinghuan snorted heavily, “Second Sister saved General Gu’s life, and he promised to marry her. With the Gu Family’s help, why should we be afraid of Ning Que?”
Lin Jiang only gave a bitter smile.
“The Gu Family?”
“Will the Gu Family be like Prince Ning’s Manor was back then?”
“Will Gu Yuan be as filial as Ning Que?”
Ning Que had truly been beyond reproach towards their Lin Family.
Regardless of his intentions, he had helped a lot.
Without Prince Ning’s Manor, what would they do in the future?
Lin Jiang had, after all, been in officialdom for many years.
The Gu Family was a prestigious clan with many rules.
They wouldn't be as easy to talk to as Ning Que.
The Gu Family’s matriarch was famously picky in Chang’an.
She even looked down on noble young ladies from first-rank ministerial families.
They needed not only status but also to be well-versed in etiquette and reason.
The family’s reputation also had to be good.
The Gu Family was one of the eight great families in Chang’an, after all.
They would certainly have many requirements for a daughter-in-law.
Would they really agree so easily?
“I believe Gu Lang will.”
Lin Xianhong gazed into the distance.
She and Gu Yuan had known each other since childhood, childhood sweethearts.
Gu Yuan had even sworn an oath that he would definitely marry her.
Therefore, she believed Gu Yuan!
…
…
Prince Ning’s Manor.
White lanterns hung at the entrance.
The servants and maids on both sides were dressed in plain mourning attire.
Ning Que entrusted matters to Butler Fu and, as usual, went to the ancestral hall. After closing the door, he respectfully wiped all the spirit tablets clean and continued to offer incense.
“Royal Father, Mother, and Brothers, I have not failed your expectations. I have already inherited the princedom, and the coronation ceremony will be held tomorrow.”
Ning Que lit the brazier in front of him.
His eyes were red at this moment.
Recalling the past, the manor was very lively.
His three brothers would play around everywhere.
Mother would sit inside the house, smiling as she sewed clothes.
Sometimes when they made mistakes, Mother would always protect them.
Until that war report arrived, and the sky of the manor collapsed.
Since then, laughter was rarely heard in the manor.
“It’s a pity, Lin Xianhong was not a good match.”
“I’ve disappointed Mother…”
“But I will marry and have children as soon as possible to restore Prince Ning’s Manor to its former glory!”
Ning Que’s eyes were firm as he murmured to himself.
“Royal Father, your spear was not fast enough, nor ruthless enough.”
“Too benevolent, and people instead think you are easy to bully!”
“Don’t worry, you have me now.”
“From now on, no one can be above Prince Ning’s Manor!”
Ning Que burned paper money, his eyes resolute.
“Mother, you told me to bide my time, worrying that the Imperial Brother had killed my father. Now it seems, Imperial Brother is not such a person.”
“I will continue to use Shenji Pavilion’s connections, at all costs, to find out the real culprit behind the scenes. My father and brothers cannot die without knowing why; blood debts must be repaid with blood!”
Ning Que stood up resolutely.
Now, he would reclaim everything that belonged to the manor!