Finest Servant

Chapter 486 The Campaign against the Villain Lin San

The royal mansion of Prince Cheng had been raided, and both the Prince and his heir fled under the cover of night! This explosive news spread like wildfire. Within just an hour, the entire capital was abuzz with the news, and with inconceivable speed, the information flew to all corners of the Great Hua Empire.

The commoners living near the royal mansion, though terrified last night, had sufficient fodder this morning to vividly describe the raid—allegedly, the court had dispatched tens of thousands of soldiers, setting fires and launching a fierce assault that eventually captured the royal mansion. However, upon entry, they found the place empty; Prince Cheng and his young heir had vanished into thin air. The man sent to capture the Prince was none other than Lin San, a figure of great prominence these days. Rumor had it that Lin San had recently survived an assassination attempt and had returned from the brink of death specifically to seek vengeance on the Prince. When he entered the estate, he was accompanied by the black and white death gods—

The storyteller recounted these details as if he had seen it all with his own eyes, describing how the city’s defense forces set fires, how the royal mansion resisted, how both sides clashed fiercely, and how many were killed or injured. It was so detailed that one couldn't help but believe it.

As the news spread farther and became increasingly fantastical, even the clothing of Lin San and the hats worn by the two death gods were meticulously described. It was rumored that Prince Cheng, during the government forces' invasion of his mansion, soared away on a crane, heading southwest. Word had it he was raising an army there and would soon be marching north. Northern nomads were also reportedly rallying more than 200,000 troops, storming the border with an unstoppable force that was advancing toward the heart of Great Hua. With threats from both the north and the south, the fall of the capital and the demise of Great Hua seemed imminent!

Various rumors took flight like winged creatures, spreading throughout every street and alleyway in just a few hours. People in the city were panicking; many timid folks had already packed their essentials, prepared to evacuate the city at a moment’s notice.

When the news reached his estate, Lin San had just finished lunch and was sunbathing in the garden, accompanied by Qiaoqiao. The warm spring sun made him drowsy. Having been "tormented" by Ning’er in the morning, Lin San sat in his wheelchair, humming a tune, yawning, and feeling quite content.

"Big Brother, are you sleepy?" Qiaoqiao snipped the last thread in her hand and laid the newly sewn clothes on his chest, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

"With my darling Qiaoqiao by my side, how could I be sleepy? Darling, do you want a son? This morning, I had a passionate discussion about this with your sister Ning’er. She joyfully agreed, eyes brimming with tears—if you want, sneak into my room tonight," Lin San said, his voice dripping with sweetness.

Qiaoqiao chuckled, her cheeks flushing red, "Big Brother, stop being naughty. Sister Ning’er has already informed all the sisters about your shenanigans this morning. She said anyone who lets herself be lured into your room would be harming you and destabilizing our Lin family’s unity. She would be denounced by all the sisters!"

‘Could it really be that serious?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled awkwardly. "The message from Qingxuan must be meant for you and Ning'er. Yushuang and the others might not be aware of it! It seems there are some loopholes—so, Qiaoqiao, tell Yushuang to wait for me in my room. I'll personally convey Qingxuan's wishes to her. I'll need at least an hour to make sure she fully understands and learns the lesson."

Qiaoqiao giggled in response. "Big Brother, you're a little late with that idea. Not to mention the Eldest Miss and Second Miss, even Sister Xian’er and the Madam are aware. Sister herself wrote a note explaining the whole matter, warning them not to indulge your temperament."

‘The Madam knows too?!’ Lin Wanrong felt an urge to vomit blood. Wasn't it just some harmless flirting with Ning'er? Why was he being treated like a lascivious wolf, damaging the respectable image he'd worked so hard to build?

His face flushed unusually red. "Ah, the Madam knows? What did Qingxuan say actually? Why would she go around talking about it?"

Qiaoqiao draped a piece of clothing over his shoulders and gently massaged his arms. "Big Brother, where is your mind wandering off to? Do you think Sister is so indiscreet? She was worried Madam would feel guilty if your injuries worsened, so she took the time to explain it to her. She even took all the responsibility upon herself. You should realize how tough it is for Sister, having to manage the emotions of so many sisters. You need to treat her well and not make her angry anymore."

Truly, Qingxuan possessed the demeanor of a mature wife. Lin Wanrong was touched beyond words and felt some regret for his impulsive behavior.

"Brother San. Brother San," Si De rushed into the yard, panting. "Quick, quick, something, something big—"

"What big thing?" Lin Wanrong twisted his torso, stretched a bit, and laughed. "You've been with me for some time; how come you haven't learned my composure? Stand straight, legs together, deep breath, exhale—now, what's the matter?"

"Brother-Brother San, something terrible has happened. We, we are surrounded!" Si De stammered, finally getting the words out.

"What?!" Lin Wanrong, who had just been lecturing Si De about keeping calm, almost fell off his wheelchair in shock. Thankfully, Qiaoqiao acted quickly to steady him.

"What do you mean, 'surrounded'? Where are we surrounded? Speak clearly!" Lin Wanrong said urgently, taking a few deep breaths.

Si De wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His face was pale. "Brother San, it's our residence, your mansion—it's been surrounded!"

"My mansion? You mean here?" Lin Wanrong was taken aback. "You're saying we're surrounded here?"

Seeing Si De nod, Lin Wanrong laughed. "My home surrounded? Don't joke with me. Do you not know who the Brother San is? I'm usually the one doing the surrounding. No one dares to surround me! You must be seeing things."

"Brother San, I dare not deceive you. Our mansion is surrounded three layers deep, inside and out. Listen—"

"Overthrow the tyrant Lin San—"

"Capture the criminal Lin San—"

The din of voices from outside the courtyard walls was deafening. The sharp slogans penetrated Lin Wanrong's eardrums. He could even faintly hear the thumping of battering rams against doors. It was unsettling.

"No way! We're actually surrounded? And this isn't a small-scale operation!" Lin Wanrong's face changed drastically. He grabbed Si De urgently, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Whose troops are they? How many have come? Who's leading them?"

"I don't know," Si De's face paled as the noise from outside escalated. "I was sent by the Madam to fetch medicine for you, Brother San. When I returned, I saw crowds forming around our mansion. Within a short time, thousands had gathered, surrounding us completely. The walls around us are plastered with various banners. Look, I've brought some back for you."

Si De pulled crumpled sheets of paper from his robe and handed them to Lin Wanrong. He unfolded the sheets hurriedly, finding them in various colors—yellow, green, purple—and full of slogans like a wall of posters:

"Overthrow the tyrant Lin San—Overthrow the charlatan Lin San—"

"Punish Lin San, Restore the Dignity of Scholars—"

"An Open Letter to All Scholars—A Call to Arms Against the Evil Lin San—"

The posters listed a multitude of his so-called crimes: running unscrupulous tabloids, humiliating respected families, oppressing the commoners, defrauding bars beside Xuanwu Lake, consorting with the nefarious Hung Hing Society, breaking laws, manipulating innocent girls, taking Madam Xiao as his concubine through coercion, harboring malice against the esteemed scholar Mei Yanqiu, and many more. The announcements were grandiloquent and inflammatory, attracting attention particularly to allegations made by the two Miss Xiaos, the sorrowful tale of the number one talented woman of Jinling, and the agony of Miss Dong.

Lin Wanrong was sweating profusely as he read, "What is all this? Even if I were executed ten times for these so-called crimes, it wouldn't be enough. Am I really that bad?"

Qiaoqiao flushed with anger as she read, "What nonsense about the agony of Miss Dong and the sorrowful tale of the number one talented woman of Jinling? Don't listen to them, Big Brother!"

"I really want to ignore this too!" Lin Wanrong gave a wry smile. "This can't have been written by the government soldiers. If they wanted to arrest me, why would they waste so much time talking? Si De, have you seen clearly who those people outside are?"

Si De hummed in acknowledgment, carefully recalling the events. Suddenly, as if he understood something, he said, "Brother San, I remember now. These people are all wearing robes, hats, holding fans, and walking with a certain grace. They are refined and don't use any vulgar language, even more cultured than you—"

"Dammit, more cultured than me?" Lin Wanrong smacked Si De on the forehead angrily. "Just say they're scholars! It's your fault for not reading books—"

"Yes, yes, you're right. They must be scholars. Brother San, you are really clever. We're surrounded by thousands of scholars," Si De quickly flattered him.

Hearing that scholars were involved, Lin Wanrong sighed in relief. As long as there were no weapons involved, everything could be dealt with. ‘The world has truly changed. My Lin family estate is actually surrounded by a bunch of scholars. I might as well kill myself by running into a block of tofu.’

"Big Brother, why would scholars surround our estate? Don't they know that two Princesses are residing here? Aren't they afraid the Emperor will have them beheaded? These people are really daring," Qiaoqiao asked, bewildered.

Listening to the ever-increasing shouts from outside the wall, Lin Wanrong shook his head wryly. "That's a question I'd like to know the answer to as well. The old saying goes, 'When scholars revolt, it takes them ten years to accomplish anything.' Why is it that when they come to me, that rule doesn't seem to apply? Qiaoqiao, let's go outside and take a look."

Qiaoqiao acknowledged and hurriedly pushed him towards the front courtyard. They passed through the alley, descended the stairs, and saw that the main door of the Lin residence was tightly sealed with two wooden pillars. Qin Xian'er stood with her hands on her hips, directing servants to place stones at the base of the door. From outside came loud banging sounds, along with several voices shouting, "Overthrow the tyrant Lin San! Restore the innocence of scholars—"

"Eliminate Lin San, rescue Miss Xiao's family—"

Upon hearing this, Si De snorted, "That person certainly has a loud voice. He must eat a lot of white rice daily. Brother San, mark my words, he must have been hired to shout these slogans."

"Why so?" asked Qiaoqiao.

"Madam Qiaoqiao, think about it. Those scholarly young masters spend their entire days buried in their books. They can't even eat a few steamed buns and are as weak as chickens—have you ever seen a young master with such a loud voice?" Si De reasoned.

Qiaoqiao nodded. Lin Wanrong laughed and said, "Not bad, at least you have some insights."

"It's all thanks to Brother San's guidance!" Si De quickly brown-nosed.

"My husband, what brings you here?" Qin Xian'er skipped over and laughingly grasped his hand. Miss Xiao also walked to his side, giving him a gentle smile.

"I came to see how you and Qingxuan are working together against the enemy—Xian'er, you looked so heroic just now!" Lin Wanrong praised.

"Who's working with her—" Qin Xian'er's face flushed, but then she looked pleased. "Really? Was I that heroic? My husband, do you like me like that?"

"I like it! You look quite unique, especially when you and your sister stand together!" Lin Wanrong responded with a smile.

"I don't consider her my sister!" Qin Xian'er's brows furrowed slightly, her words carrying a hint of insincerity.

‘This is promising!’ Lin Wanrong was overjoyed. Miss Xiao felt relieved in her heart, shooting her husband a grateful look before softly saying, "My dear, let my sister and I handle this. You should go rest."

"Handle it? How will you handle it?" Captivated by Xiao Qingxuan's radiant glow, as if she were some saintly goddess, Lin Wanrong took her hand and caressed it gently.

"Kill them. Leave no one alive!" Qin Xian'er interrupted, her pretty face filled with murderous intent. She raised the short sword in her hand, glinting menacingly.

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