Chapter 189

Chapter 189

Qinghua Ward is located to the east of the imperial city, while Jingshan Ward is to the south. Both wards house numerous officials and prominent families.

Officials have duties to attend to, and prominent families emphasize rules and decorum. Thus, the heads of these households wake up early, and their servants rise even earlier. Some clean the inner courtyards, while others wield large brooms to tidy up the streets outside the mansion gates. Everything must be spotlessly clean to maintain the dignity of these official and noble families.

When Xiao Yan rode into Jingshan Ward, he startled some of the young servants sweeping the streets. A few of the more astute ones guessed that something was about to happen in the ward. Whether good or bad, being the first to report the news to their masters could earn them praise or even a reward.

With only a few main streets in the entire ward, it wouldn’t be hard to track down the rider if they followed the alleys.

"Wang Wu, keep sweeping. I'll go check it out!"

Xiao Yan was oblivious to the servants' thoughts, his mind consumed by anger.

He had witnessed with his own eyes the slaughter of the Lin family's master and servants by mountain bandits. He had rescued Lin Ningfang from the horse of a bandit leader and placed the bodies of three generations of the Lin family, drenched in blood, into a makeshift grave, covering them with soil.

At that time, the Lin family were strangers to him. Xiao Yan cursed the bandits for their raiding and burning, and his sympathy for the deceased Lins lasted only a moment. In such turbulent times, family destruction and death were all too common, and he and his brothers had long become numb to it. Xiao Yan's focus was more on the tearful Lin Ningfang, determined to make the beautiful woman his bride.

However, his indifference back then didn’t mean he wouldn’t feel pain and heartache for his wife now, nor did it mean he could stay uninvolved upon discovering that his father-in-law's family had been forced out of Luoyang by Lin Shou, leading to their tragic end!

Having visited the Lin residence once before the New Year, Xiao Yan knew the way. After entering the ward, he soon arrived at the street where the Lin mansion was located.

There were also two young servants sweeping outside the Lin mansion, so the main gate was wide open. The overseer came out to check on the progress and was astonished to see a rider approaching at a speed comparable to an eight-hundred-mile urgent message. Curious about where the rider was headed, the overseer was so startled that, in the blink of an eye, the rider reined in their horse right in front of the Lin mansion. The horse's front hooves rose high, causing the overseer to fear the rider might fall off.

As the overseer's heart was still pounding, the horse lowered its hooves, and Xiao Yan dismounted swiftly, charging straight into the Lin mansion.

It was evident that the visitor meant trouble. The overseer snapped back to reality and stretched out his arm to block the entrance. "Third Master Xiao? So early in the morning, you..."

With a grim expression, Xiao Yan grabbed the overseer's collar and threw him aside like a broken kite. The overseer fell heavily onto the street.

Those who became overseers were trusted confidants of the master. Despite his injuries, the overseer turned his head just in time to see Xiao Yan about to round the screen wall. He immediately shouted, "Murder! Murder! Quick, go stop him and protect Master and Mistress!"

Murder?

Hearing the commotion, several young servants from the front courtyard grabbed whatever they could find and rushed over. There were seven or eight of them in total. Xiao Yan knocked them all down with punches and kicks. When two older women tried to close the decorated gate wisely, Xiao Yan dashed over and kicked the door, sending the two women stumbling backward.

Inside the house, Lin Shou, who had been adjusting his official robes in front of a mirror, heard the noise and came out to investigate. Given that the Xingping Emperor had ascended the throne two months ago, and Luoyang was becoming increasingly stable, coupled with the fact that he was a third-rank official, Lin Shou subconsciously believed that the disturbance wouldn’t pose a threat to his life. At most, it was a fight among servants over private matters.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the main hall and came face-to-face with a man who shouldn’t have been at his house at that time, Lin Shou felt both bewildered and fearful. Instinctively, he closed the door and shouted for Tang Shi and the maid who had peeked out to quickly push tables against the door.

After pushing two tables, a shadow loomed over the door, followed by a heavy kick.

As they struggled to hold the tables, Lin Shou felt his internal organs shake from the impact. He shouted while continuing to push, "Third Master Xiao, may I ask what’s going on? The last time you visited our home, you were courteous. Why are you so angry this morning? Let’s talk and clear up any misunderstandings!"

Xiao Yan kicked once more. "Misunderstanding? Tell me, did you drive your own brother out of the family? Do you have a niece named Lin Ningfang?"

Lin Shou was horrified, and Tang Shi beside him was too stunned to help.

"Boom!" The door was kicked open, and the tables inside were knocked over.

Seeing that Tang Shi was only in her undergarments, her hair disheveled, Xiao Yan dragged Lin Shou out into the courtyard.

Lin Shou: "Third Master, let’s talk this through..."

"Slap!" Xiao Yan slapped Lin Shou so hard that his right cheek swelled, and he coughed up blood, spitting out two teeth.

"Ah, I’ll fight you to the death!"

Upon hearing the commotion, the Lin family’s three sons arrived and, seeing the scene, rushed forward. One of them grabbed Xiao Yan's waist, another pulled his arm, and the third raised a stick to strike Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan grabbed the stick, wrested it from the brother's hands, and struck him with it. "How shameful, calling yourselves scholars. Your own father has committed the disgraceful act of taking over your brother's home, and not only do you fail to stop him, but you also follow him to claim what isn't yours. Since your father hasn't taught you right from wrong, I’ll teach you today!"

With three strikes, he had all three brothers writhing on the ground in pain, unable to rise.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to continue attacking Lin Shou, a loud "bang" echoed as a vase was thrown from behind, striking Xiao Yan on the back of his head.

Xiao Yan's movements froze, and he slowly turned around.

Tang Shi looked at the intact vase in her hands, then back at Xiao Yan, who towered over her. His dark, fierce expression made her hand shake. The vase slipped from her grasp, shattering on the ground.

Xiao Yan pointed at the trembling Tang Shi, his words deliberate and cold. "You're no better!"

Though he didn’t strike her, he grabbed Lin Shou again and slapped him across the face once more.

"Third Brother, stop!"

Xiao Ye pushed through the crowd that was nearly filling the yard. He swiftly pulled Xiao Yan back, looking at the scene of fallen Lin family members with both urgency and confusion. "What madness is this so early in the day? Third Sister-in-law just arrived in the capital yesterday, and now you've beaten her uncle and aunt this morning. Is this the behavior of a rational person?"

The only one still conscious and untouched, Tang Shi, knelt beside her husband, her disbelief directed at Xiao Yan. Thoughts of Third Sister-in-law, the uncle and aunt, and the respect given to Yong'an Marquis swirled in her mind.

Without needing to connect the dots, Xiao Yan shoved Xiao Ye away, only for Xiao Ye to grab him again and hold him back firmly. Xiao Yan spat out hatefully, "I only discovered the truth this morning. This man was disowned by Chancellor Lin long ago, and it was through his schemes that my in-laws were forced away!"

Xiao Ye was shocked. "What? But Third Sister-in-law never mentioned any of this?"

Xiao Yan replied, "She, the daughter of a chancellor, married me because her family had fallen into disaster. She was inconsolable for months until Second Sister-in-law helped her through it. How could she bring herself to talk about such painful things with us? It was only when I mentioned sending new year gifts to her family that she cried and scolded me for acknowledging that treacherous uncle!"

Still seething, he tried to attack again.

Xiao Ye stopped him, "No, even if Lin is in the wrong, you can't lay hands on him. He's a court official; you've already broken the law!"

Lin Shou's face was too swollen to speak. The Lin family’s eldest son, however, had an idea. Clutching his stomach where he'd been hit by the stick, he forced himself to stand and pointed at the onlooking house manager and servants. "Quick, go report to the authorities! Have them arrest him!"

The Lin family’s second son, smarter than his brother, realized his father's intention and quickly stopped him. "We can't report this to the authorities! If Third Sister-in-law truly is married to Third Brother, this is a family matter. We can resolve any misunderstandings without involving the authorities and causing further discord."

Lin Shou, enduring the pain in his face, looked at Xiao Yan with tearful eyes. "Is it true that Ningfang married you? Just now, you mentioned her family suffering a disaster. What do you mean by that? Where is my younger brother?"

The neighbors from Jingshan Lane, who had the standing to mediate, all looked at Xiao Yan.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to explain, his gaze suddenly fixed on something behind the crowd.

Everyone turned around and saw two young, beautiful ladies who had arrived at some point. The taller one on the left wore a red silk brocade robe adorned with gold patterns and a short sable-sleeved jacket of white silk brocade, giving off an air of nobility. Her sharp, dignified brows exuded an inherent authority, but her gaze softened with tenderness only when she looked at the white-clad beauty beside her.

Most of the neighbors from Jingshan Lane didn't recognize the newly titled Anguo Lady, but many recognized the white-clad beauty.

"Fang, it really is you."

An elderly man approached Lin Ningfang, his eyes filled with pity.

Lin Ningfang looked up, tears in her eyes as she curtseyed. "It's been three years. I didn't expect you to remember me, Sir."

Tong Sui handed her a handkerchief.

After wiping her tears, Lin Ningfang introduced Tong Sui to everyone, revealing her identity.

Tong Sui, noticing the disheveled state of the Lin Shou family, frowned at Xiao Yan. "Grandfather has told you many times to control your impulsive temper, but you always ignore him. Lin is a third-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel. By laying hands on him, you’ve broken the law and will face the Emperor’s punishment!"

Xiao Yan said firmly, "He deserved the beating!"

Tang Shi lunged forward to embrace Lin Ningfang, "My dear niece, you’ve finally returned..."

Lin Ningfang dodged behind Tong Sui. Tong Sui protected her with one arm and blocked Tang Shi with the other, saying with a cold smile, "Although my third brother was wrong to hit someone, when the Lin family disobeyed their father’s orders and mistreated their kin, why did you act so hypocritically? Now, to blame my third sister-in-law for not revealing the truth earlier, making us continue to treat you as relatives. If she had told us sooner, we wouldn’t be in this situation."

Tang Shi protested, "It’s a misunderstanding! It was Ningfang’s father who chose to leave of his own accord..."

Lin Ningfang looked directly at Lin Shou, whose face was swollen, and said, "Lord Lin, even though you are no longer my uncle in name, you still carry the blood of the Lin family. Today, standing in the Lin family ancestral home with our ancestors watching from above and the respected neighbors as witnesses, can you deny that my family was driven out by you?"

Lin Shou sighed, "This is a matter between me and your father. There were some misunderstandings that your father may not have cleared up."

Lin Ningfang, tears streaming down her face, replied, "What kind of misunderstandings? When Grandfather disowned you, many of our uncles and neighbors were present as witnesses. Since you are no longer a member of the Lin family, what right do you have to claim my father as your brother? Later, when my father fell ill and was too weak to deal with you, he took us away from Luoyang. But when we left, this house remained ours, with nothing to do with you, Lord Lin. How dare you drive away our servants and take over our home?"

Lin Shou said, "Ah, I won’t argue with you. Where are your parents?"

"They’re dead!" Lin Ningfang suddenly raised her voice, her tearful eyes filled with anger as she glared at the Lin family, "Because you wanted this house, you drove us away, leading to our family being ambushed and killed by bandits on the road. My father, my mother, my brother, my sister-in-law, and even my three-year-old nephew were all killed. If it weren’t for Third Master saving me in time, I would have died at your hands!"

Lin Shou stared, then let out a sorrowful cry, "My brother!" before fainting to the ground.

Tang Shi, holding her husband, cried to Lin Ningfang, "Ningfang, we really didn’t force your father away. He chose to leave to escape this place. He didn’t leave the house to us, but out of kindness for his older brother and nephew, he sent a message shortly after leaving... asking us to move in..."

Xiao Yan cursed, "Bullshit! With the chaos outside, if it weren’t for your coercion, why would my father-in-law have left? Now that he’s passed away outside, you’re spouting lies as if we’re all fools, and the neighbors too?"

After calming down in Tong Sui’s arms, Lin Ningfang took two documents from her sleeve and handed them to the old nobleman, "Here are the disownment letter written by my grandfather and the house deed. Please, Elder Uncle and respected neighbors, examine them. If my father truly intended to give the house to Lord Lin, why would he keep the deed?"

When the family left Luoyang, they had already anticipated that Lin Shou might try to seize the house and that they might encounter bandits on the road.

While gold and jewels were sought after, books were neglected in times of chaos.

Her father had hidden the two most important documents and some land deeds among the books.

After examining the documents, the old nobleman and the others, whether out of conscience to support Lin Ningfang or out of respect for the influential Xiao family behind her, all chose to back Lin Ningfang in reclaiming her ancestral home.

Lin Ningfang put away the documents and said to Lin Shou, "If you have any shred of dignity left from our ancestors, please move out within three days. We want none of the items you brought. As for what belongs to the Lin family, not even a blade of grass will you be able to take with you."