Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

The matter was simpler than Master Liu had imagined. Liu Ye'er was simply upset about marrying someone she didn't want because of her close relationship with Xiu Luan, and also because she opposed Xiu Luan becoming a concubine. Master Liu chuckled, "She's still just a child, talking nonsense!"

The old lady laughed and said, "She's an honest and kind girl. The Lin family boy is lucky! I'll talk to her about her another day. You should hurry up and prepare her dowry! We can't let this child suffer. With her and Fengxian around, we can still become relatives with the Lin family."

"Yes! Mother has thought things through. As for Liu Ye'er, we'll spare two thousand taels of silver; surely that should be enough to win her favor! The Lin family is asking for ten thousand taels, so we'll put that in her stash too. Mother will tell her how to use that money in the future! Mother will teach her a lesson; Fengxian is too straightforward and inflexible, which makes her prone to being taken advantage of!"

"Alright, alright! Keep an eye on your wife, don't let her cause any trouble. I'll gather the two girls over and give them a good talking to. There's a lot going on at home, so keep a close eye on things! Go on, get some rest!"

Liu Lian couldn't help but admire the old lady; experience truly makes one wiser. The old lady didn't mention the Lin family's benefits at all, only telling her about the Liu family's difficulties and asking for her help. Liu Lian thought to herself, "Your family sent Xiu Luan to the Prince's mansion, and you've already latched onto a powerful figure! And you'll still be wary of the Lin family—it will take Lin Heng at least ten years from finishing his mourning period to taking the imperial examinations, receiving an official position, and finally becoming capable of handling things independently!" However, Liu Lian still nodded. In any case, they couldn't continue living under someone else's roof like this!

In the Lin family home, the old patriarch lay reclining in his rocking chair with his eyes closed, rocking leisurely, ignoring his indignant grandson. Lin Heng sat sullenly to one side. Once his grandson had calmed down a bit, he picked up a small teapot, took a sip, and said slowly, "Heng-ge'er, people strive for higher positions, water flows downhill, and even a good dog doesn't block the way! We should make way for people when we should!"

"Grandpa, wouldn't it be better to just break off this engagement? A mere merchant, suddenly successful, are we to let them trample on the Lin family's reputation?"

"Silly boy, how could they possibly have the guts? The Lin family's reputation is worth ten thousand taels of silver! What about the merchants' silver? What we're lacking is Zhu Tigong! We're also getting a young lady for free, it's a great deal!"

"Grandpa!" Lin Heng was both ashamed and indignant.

Old Master Lin sat up straight and said solemnly, "Heng'er, the Liu family has climbed up to the Prince's mansion, they're going to rise to the top in one step! Without the Liu family's daughter as a guarantee, I'm afraid the Fourth Prince wouldn't dare to give the Liu family any important positions. Prince Xin is using Liu Changli to make money, I'm afraid his ambitions are far greater! If you insist on breaking off the engagement, the Liu family's daughter's reputation will be ruined, and the Prince might not want her anymore. Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents! That's a blood feud! My son, if we spend a few hundred taels of silver, we can make you disappear without a trace, and then we can give Xiu Luan away to someone else, change her name and send her to the Prince's mansion. The Liu family can still rise to prominence, but our Lin family will be completely finished! Do you understand?"

Lin Heng lowered his head. "Then we don't need to take his stinking money!" Old Master Lin reached out and patted his grandson's head. "Heng-ge'er, if we don't take his money, how will he trust us? So we must ask for an exorbitant amount! After all, he who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding! Do you understand? From now on, you have to be the pillar of the family. Being a bookish idealist won't do!"

Lin Heng nodded, his eyes stinging, and lowered his head.

Old Master Lin ignored him and laughed, "Heng-ge'er, the girl the Liu family gave you is quite a character! I heard that Old Madam Liu chose a grand-nephew from her maternal family for her, and the He family was also very interested, but for some reason it's been delayed and hasn't been finalized yet. Think about it, what kind of person is Old Madam Liu? A heroine among women! The person she chooses can't be too unworthy, right? Also, I heard that this girl is the one who managed to protect the eldest young master of the Liu family's new daughter. I heard that she caught the person who drugged the eldest young mistress with her first move! Then she replaced all the maids in the courtyard, and that girl personally served the eldest young mistress's daily needs, which is how the child was saved! Such a girl is capable of managing things! Marry her and take a good look at her. If she's good in character and appearance, she'll be a good wife! If you don't like her, at least in a few years, once the Liu family's daughter has established herself in the Prince's mansion, you can divorce her! It's all up to you!"

Lin Heng was completely convinced. "Grandpa, how can you do that? Unless she commits one of the seven grounds for divorce! The Liu family has paid money and provided assistance, which shows their sincerity! Why should we bother with them? It's fate that she ended up in our family!"

Old Master Lin sighed, "Heng'er, we're all in a difficult situation! Alas, don't think about anything else. Your father is buried, so just focus on your studies. The Lin family's hopes rest entirely on you!" He patted Lin Heng's arm as he spoke, "Let's set up the new house in the back courtyard. We'll get the bride here first, no need to rush into marriage. Find someone to tidy up the house. Even if it's not a big celebration, we can't make things too difficult for her!"

Lin Heng agreed as he helped his grandfather up and onto the bed. Old Master Lin, so tall, was heartbreakingly light-footed. Having buried his wife and son with his own hands, the old man was already devastated. But his grandson, whom he had raised single-handedly, was still young, and his daughter-in-law was narrow-minded and hard to trust. So he could only reluctantly continue living; as long as he was alive, at least his grandson would have someone to discuss things with. The old man waved his hand, "Go talk to your mother. If she starts yelling, just listen. If you can't stand it, then hide! Go."

Just as Old Master Lin had predicted, Madam Shen exploded upon hearing this, not only berating the Liu family but also indirectly criticizing Old Master Lin. Lin Heng sighed, speechless. His mother was just like that; she had previously maintained the facade of an official's wife, but since his father's death, she had revealed her true colors. Whenever something happened, she would only curse and lash out at everyone. Ever since his father's concubine, Madam Jiang, appeared before her with her two children, Madam Shen's personality had drastically changed. Madam Jiang's father was a military officer, merely literate, and his appearance was only considered decent; his temperament was far from gentle. Madam Shen couldn't understand what her husband saw in her.

After scolding her, Madam Shen calmed down a bit. "Then what should we do? Are we really going to marry that cart driver? Good heavens, the prestigious Lin family will take any dead cat or rotten dog! Tomorrow, hmph!"

"Grandpa has decided! Grandpa had someone analyze that girl's birth chart, and it's said to bring her great fortune and wealth! It's no less auspicious than Xiu Luan's!"

"Come on! Who are you trying to fool! I don't care anymore, let your grandfather make the decision! The Liu family has now latched onto the prince, we can't afford to offend them! As for whether they're rich or not, who knows if it's true! But it's true that Xiu Luan is destined for boundless wealth! She's about to enter the prince's mansion, isn't that boundless wealth?" Madam Shen said sullenly.