Chapter 133 Both Sides

As night deepened, the frost grew thicker.

In the center of Zhaoshan Residence, Lin Xiaocong was practicing his spear technique in the courtyard.

Qiu Chan stood to one side, holding a handkerchief in her hands.

"Young master, the wind is picking up, and it's getting late. You have to go on duty tomorrow, so please get some rest."

The spear trembled and emitted a whimpering hum, moving like a dragon in his hands.

By the time he finished, he was covered in sweat.

Seeing him stop, Qiu Chan quickly stepped forward and took the spear from Lin Xiaocong's hand.

Lin Xiaocong casually took the handkerchief from Qiu Chan's hand, handed the spear to her, and asked with a smile while wiping his sweat:

Did you talk to Qiu Hui today?

Qiu Chan hugged the gun and shook her head sadly: "She doesn't really pay attention to servants."

"Your progress is too slow. Why don't you go ask her for a definite answer tonight?"

Qiu Chan quickly shook her head: "This servant dares not."

Lin Xiaocong smiled and walked towards the bathroom: "How can you reap the rewards if you don't try?"

"This is an order. Report back to me, young master, tomorrow morning."

Qiu Chan followed behind, carrying a long spear, and looked distressed upon hearing this.

"Young master, you should at least give this servant some time to prepare mentally."

Lin Xiaocong laughed.

The master and servant went up to the corridor; one headed towards the bathhouse, while the other went to the study to deliver weapons.

On one side of Lin Xiaocong's study, a screen separates a space, which is dedicated to storing the weapons he has acquired since childhood.

From wooden swords to spears.

The gifts were from his grandmother, his second uncle, and his brothers. He asked his father for them when he was admitted to the National Medical Academy. They were all neatly arranged.

Qiu Chan inserted the spear into the weapon rack, turned around, went out, closed the door, and headed towards the main house.

A cold wind whipped up clouds, obscuring the moonlight.

It started raining at night.

Lin Xiaocong took a trip to Chuntang Garden before starting his shift.

Li Rong was still fast asleep.

He poked her cheek with his finger and whispered, "Rongrong?"

Li Rong frowned slightly, turned over, and continued to sleep with the blanket between her legs.

Lin Xiaocong found it amusing and placed a small, pure gold raccoon dog next to Li Rong's pillow.

She'll be so happy to see this when she wakes up.

It's sure to bring another happy day.

He took Li Rong's pulse again and found that her pregnancy was going well, which gave him a lot of motivation to get things done.

He turned her around and kissed her on the forehead: "My dear Rong'er?"

She showed no signs of waking up.

He pinched her cheek, then got up to go to his shift.

Qiu Chan drove him there. As they passed the morning market, the master and servant, holding umbrellas, went one after the other to a wonton shop for breakfast.

Each person sits opposite the other with a bowl of wontons in a variety of flavors.

Qiu Chan devoured the food, praising it highly, and then began to speak.

"The wrappers are as thin as cicada wings. This servant and young master have eaten all over the country, and this is the best wonton in the world."

Before he could speak, Lin Xiaocong opened his fan to cover his bowl.

Disdain: "There's a reason why Qiu Hui ignores you."

Mentioning Qiu Hui makes Qiu Chan even sadder.

Qiu Hui said he was a toad.

He channeled his grief and anger into his appetite, and ate two bowls of food today.

Lin Xiaocong scooped up a wonton with a spoon and put it in his mouth.

He also thought this was the best wonton shop.

I ate half a bowl more today.

Upon arriving at the National Medical Center, he greeted his colleagues with a smile, as he always did.

Then he went straight to the director's office at the National Medical Services Administration, paid his respects to the current director, and handed over his resignation.

Director Huangfu was shocked and stood up to ask him, "Why are you resigning?"

Lin Xiaocong lowered his eyelids: "Master, your disciple is terminally ill."

"Ah!" Director Huangfu hurriedly moved from his seat to take Lin Xiaocong's pulse.

Lin Xiaocong: "Lovesickness."

Director Huangfu was so angry he almost died on the spot.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is out of danger, and I have already put away all the medical records in my hands."

“Master, my mind is made up to leave, and there’s no use in you trying to persuade me to stay.”

Director Huangfu suppressed his anger and tried to persuade him.

He chattered on and on for an hour, drank a whole pot of water until his throat was parched, but the person in question remained unmoved.

The old man was heartbroken: "You have such a bright future ahead of you, how can you act so recklessly!"

Lin Xiaocong lifted his robe and knelt down to take his leave.

"My disciple's ambitions lie elsewhere."

"Master."

"Your disciple's resolve to practice medicine remains unchanged. I will also follow your teachings and save lives."

"May Master take good care of his health and not overwork his mind."

"I hope you, my esteemed teacher, will speak well of me to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Lin Xiaocong kowtowed solemnly, bid farewell, and left.

The old man, about to retire, raised his hand to his forehead, nearly fainting.

The successor I had painstakingly groomed ran away.

There's no way to force him to stay.

After all, doctors can use their skills, and it's impossible to guard against them all.

It's over.

He wants to postpone his retirement.

My old life is over.

*

The rain continued relentlessly, and the cold penetrated to the bone.

Lin Xiaocong walked out of the National Medical Center gate with an umbrella and, unsurprisingly, saw his second brother and Qiu Feng guarding Li Rong in Chuntang Garden.

Qiu Feng hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to Lin Xiaocong.

"When Madam arrived at Chuntang Garden, the Third Young Master personally drove the carriage and sent the Second Young Lady south."

“Qiu Hui went with her.”

He handed a letter to Lin Xiaocong with both hands.

Lin Xiaocong took the letter: "Did she say anything?"

"The lady and the second young lady talked in the room for quite a while."

"Then I wrote this letter to you and got into the carriage prepared by the Third Young Master."

"Not a single word was explained."

Lin Xiaocong opened the letter: "Did you quarrel with your mother?"

"No, Madam brought Miss Lianqiao into the house, and Qiuhui stayed by the Second Miss's side."

"The room was quiet, and there was no argument."

The contents of the letter caught Lin Xiaocong's eye.

'When angry, I resent you; when hateful, I blame you; when sober, I avoid you; even in death, though estranged, I still care for you.'

He commented, "Your writing is quite good."

Then he put the letter away and tucked it into his pocket.

Lin Erge stepped forward: "Come back to the manor with me."

Lin Xiaocong smiled and looked at his second brother, Lin: "What if you don't go back?"

"Then I'll beat you until you go home." He said, his fists clenching so tightly they were cracking.

Lin Xiaocong was not afraid at all: "You can't stop me by yourself."

"I came with my older brother."

As if to confirm Lin Erge's words, the curtains of the carriage parked by the roadside were lifted.

Brother Lin's voice came through.

"Mingxu, don't make things too ugly."

Lin Xiaocong felt that this sentence sounded familiar.

Knowing that things couldn't end well today, I waved to the cicadas in the distance.

Smiling, he replied to Brother Lin, "Okay, I understand."

It's our own business, how can we let others laugh at it?

As Qiu Chan drove the carriage closer, Lin Xiaocong folded his umbrella and boarded the carriage.

He seemed to suddenly remember Lin Erge, turned around and asked with a smile:

"Want to come along?"

Seeing that Lin Xiaocong's attitude was good, Lin Erge took a step forward, ready to get into the car.

Lin Xiaocong: "Wait a minute."

Lin Erge asked, "What's wrong?"

"Second brother, why don't you ride in the same carriage as eldest brother? My carriage is only for Rongrong."

After saying that, he climbed into the carriage and instructed Qiu Chan, "Run quickly."

The cicadas cracked their whips, and the car sped away.

Water splashed all over Lin Erge's clothes.

Lin Erge's face turned a riot of colors as he cursed him.

"He's mentally ill!"

*

The rain gradually stopped by the time they reached the Marquis's residence.

Lin Xiaocong went all the way to the Yihe Hall of the Marquis's Mansion, which was the place where the Marquis's Mansion held meetings.

Uncle Lin was waiting in the main seat.

Upon entering the hall, Lin Xiaocong bowed and greeted, "Second Uncle."

Uncle Lin was always concise and to the point.

“Those who leave the clan shall be stripped of their martial arts and flogged two hundred times.”

“Mingxu, even if the Lin family does not acknowledge you, you have the blood of the Lin family flowing in your veins and you have exceptional medical skills.”

"Once you lose the ability to protect yourself and the protection of your family, you will become fish on someone else's chopping board."

"Is it something for you, Young Master Lin, to tolerate being controlled by others?"

Lin Xiaocong laughed: "I can't stand it."

"So, Second Uncle, could you please show mercy?"

"You should sever all ties with that Li woman and continue being the Seventh Young Master Lin. Everything will be fine then." Uncle Lin poured tea and gently pushed the cup away.

Brother Lin and Brother Lin Er have arrived, blocking his escape route.

Lin Xiaocong: "Alright, I will accept the punishment and request to leave the clan. I hope my second uncle will grant my request."

Uncle Lin's hand, holding the teacup, tightened slightly.

Before anyone else could speak, Madam Lin, who was hiding behind the partition, screamed.

"Mingxu, are you crazy?!"

"I haven't had enough of the 100 lashes I received last time!"

"To abolish martial arts is to render one a cripple. To impose another two hundred punishments, do you intend to make your mother, an old woman with white hair, bury her young son?!"

Her eyes were already red as she spoke: "That little prostitute... ugh, that Li woman is not meant for you."

"Are you really going to abandon your mother, your grandmother, and the entire Marquis's mansion for her sake?!"

She was arrogant and haughty towards her concubines and servants, and usually looked down on everyone, but she was ultimately a mother.

Seeing her son go astray and refuse to repent, she was heartbroken.

Lin Xiaocong said calmly, "My mother has three older brothers."

"The Marquis's mansion also has six older brothers, as well as my father and second uncle."

Brother Lin retorted angrily, "You are ungrateful!"

"The Marquis's mansion provides for you and supports you, yet you want to abandon your clan for a woman. This is truly a case of being blinded by lust, an act of unfilial piety and treason."

Lin Xiaocong: "I am willing to be punished to repay kindness and hand over my property to repay righteousness."

“Qiu Chan has been by my side for many years. He knows all the medicine merchants and pharmacies I have.”

"Let him lead you to receive it..."

"Who cares about what you have in your hands!" Brother Lin shouted, stepping forward with a clenched fist.

Madam Lin blocked Lin Erge from getting close, saying, "Can you please stop causing trouble!"

Lin Erge was exasperated: "The pride of the Lin family is someone the entire Lin family would not cherish."

“From childhood to adulthood, you’ve always spoiled him and praised him endlessly!”

"I think he just wasn't beaten enough when he was a kid."

"Lin Xiaocong, let me tell you, even if you die, you will still be a member of the Lin family!"

After comforting her second son, Madam Lin turned around, grabbed Lin Xiaocong's sleeve, looked up at him, and covered her face with a handkerchief.

"If you want to leave, then send your mother to her final resting place first!"

"Otherwise, how could your mother bear to see you fall from being a proud and privileged child of heaven to a state where your martial arts are completely ruined and you might be bullied by others?"

"Waaaaah..."

Compared to Lin Erge's directness and Lin Zhumu's emotional appeal, Lin Dage struck right at his heart.

“Mingxu, there are countless outstanding talents in the South. Even though Madam Zhou’s second sister is a widow, she will still have many men proposing to her.”

"What makes you think that Lady Li would be willing to stay with you, who has lost all his martial arts skills and has nothing to his name, for the rest of his life?"

"Even if she agrees, will her family agree?"

"If it comes to nothing, what's the point of you unilaterally ruining yourself?"

Lin Xiaocong: "A thousand pieces of gold cannot buy my willingness."

"Unrepentant!" Lin Erge finally couldn't hold back and threw a punch.

With Madam Lin in the middle, the blow was naturally missed.

Lin Xiaocong's smile was so irritating.

“I tried everything to keep her here, but you were unwilling to protect her.”

"Now that I'm going with her, I'll swallow the bitter pill myself. Why are you all pretending to feel sorry for me?"

"If you really care about me, then don't force me."

Lin Erge roared, "Mother, listen to what he's saying! Listen to what he's saying!!"

Lin Xiaocong did not complete his punishment and leave the Marquis's mansion as he had hoped.

Instead, he was captured by his three older brothers, tied up, and placed under house arrest.

Abuse fosters loyalty, while love... fosters freedom.

He's a spoiled brat who knows how to manipulate people.

*

at night.

"ah!"

The cicadas' cries lit up the lanterns in every room of the Marquis's mansion.

Brother Lin went to the Imperial Medical Academy and Brother Lin Er went to the Huangfu Mansion.

They immediately carried Director Huangfu back to the Marquis's residence.

The poor old man spent the whole day lamenting his beloved student's plight, unable to eat a thing.

He went to his beloved student's bedside that night and saved his student's life.

After rescuing the person, he unleashed a barrage of attacks.

"Who! Who poisoned us!"

"If the Marquis's mansion cannot tolerate him, I will take him back!"

The old man's eyes were red.

Cicada: "Waaah!"

"Our young master has taken a fancy to a girl, but her status is not suitable."

As soon as Qiu Chan opened her mouth, Madam Lin and the three Lin brothers in the house tried to stop her.

Old man: "Let him speak!"

Autumn Cicada: "Waaah... Young Master said."

"If there were a reliable person, they could give that girl a fake identity that would be a good match for her."

"Once the woman is married into the family, the old lady dotes on her, the lady protects her, and the entire household pampers and spoils her."

"He would not have to resign from his official post, which he was extremely reluctant to give up, nor would he seek death because of heartbreak."

"Waaah... It's a pity there's no one reliable to help me."

The old man glared: "Am I not reliable?"

"Cough." Lin Xiaocong made a sound.

He held onto the bed, grabbed the spittoon beside it, and vomited violently.

"Mingxu!"

All eyes turned to them

Lin Xiaocong vomited until he was sweating profusely and had stomach cramps.

They also gave him three bowls of herbal soup, which made his legs weak from diarrhea.

He was given another round of injections before he came back to life.

By the time he regained his senses, it was already broad daylight.

Lin Xiaocong leaned back on the soft pillows and looked at the old lady Lin, who was sitting in the armchair by the bed with her hands on the end of her cane. He spoke weakly.

"Grandmother, she is pregnant with her grandson's child."

"My grandson wants her."

Grandma Lin: "She won't come back."

Lin Xiaocong: "If I marry her, she will come back."

"She couldn't bear to part with her grandson."

Old Mrs. Lin seemed to foresee the outcome, and sighed helplessly:

"Okay, then go ask her."

Lin Xiaocong laughed.

Although the departure time was a day later than expected, it was still possible to catch up.

He didn't even have time to thank his master.

He then dragged his weak body and rode south.

The sky has cleared, but the weather is getting colder.

The master and servant spurred their horses out of the city, whipping them as they rode swiftly.

Qiu Chan rode alongside Lin Xiaocong, and seeing that her young master was in a good mood, she smiled.

"Young master, I was terrified last night. I was so afraid you would really be gone."

"This young master never fights a battle he's not confident of winning," Lin Xiaocong said with a bright smile. "Giddy up!"

It's possible to have both the family and Rongrong.

The two riders left the city in the dust.

*

The news of Lin Xiaocong's departure from Beijing reached Xiao Cong immediately.

"Your Highness, Heaven is helping Your Highness!"

In the deep courtyard of Tongbao Money Shop's backyard.

The staff member lost his composure and entered the room without informing Xiao Zuo.

In front of the mahogany table by the window inside the room.

Xiao Cong was wiping the gold-inlaid jade hairpin with intertwined branches in his hand with a handkerchief, his eyes lowered.

The warm sun gently shone down on him.

The wise Master Xu sat in the most honored position below Xiao Cong, drinking tea.

The room was quiet.

The staff's footsteps became lighter and lighter as they got closer to Xiao Cong and Elder Xu.

Even his breathing gradually became more controlled and steady.

Upon arriving before Xiao Cong, he knelt down and raised the letter in his hands.

"Your Highness! News has just arrived that the Zhou Emperor has captured Fengxiang Prefecture!"

"If something were to happen to the Crown Prince at this time, the imperial clan would certainly be in a hurry to find a wise ruler."

"The Northern and Southern armies, the cabinet, and the palace staff who are guarding the capital are all in place."

"Furthermore, the follow-up arrangements for taking over the capital region have also been completed."

"And so, Young Master Lin the Seventh departed from the capital."

"The right time, the right place, and the right people."

"If this succeeds, Your Highness's claim will be legitimate!"

The last four subtitles were delivered with a truly powerful and moving effect.

After saying that, I got goosebumps all over my body.

Old Xu quickly stepped forward, took the letter from the advisor's hand, and handed it to Xiao Cong with both hands.

Xiao Cong unfolded the scroll, glanced at it, and then crushed it into powder.

"Stand up and speak."

Upon hearing this, the staff member stood up, though his breathing was still unsteady and he could not hide his excitement.

"In that case, we would be grateful if you could stay in Beijing to oversee things."

As Xiao Cong spoke, his gaze fell on the golden hairpin in his hand.

"I, the young master, will make a trip out of the capital."

The advisor sensed something was amiss: "Your Highness..."

Old Master Xu bowed and said, "I will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust."

The staff hurriedly followed suit, bowing with their hands clasped in greeting.

Xiao Cong: "You don't need to worry about Lin Qi. I will prevent him from returning to the capital."

“Your Highness’s intervention is assured,” said Elder Xu. “If Your Highness has no further instructions, we will withdraw and proceed accordingly.”

"Thank you both for your hard work."

Staff member: "I am willing to serve Your Highness with all my might."

Old Xu bowed and withdrew.

The aide lagged behind, then cupped his hands, took three steps back, and quickly turned to catch up with Elder Xu.

I feel nervous every time I come to see the Crown Prince.

Today is especially tense.

Most importantly, it's exciting!!

It's a great service to the emperor!

After the two left, Xiao Cong took out a hairpin box from the side and put the gold hairpin into the box.

I can't go to see her empty-handed.

He stood up, clutching the hairpin box, and calmly walked outside.

He instructed Xiao Zuo: "Prepare the carriage, head south to Qizhou."

*

At 9 PM tonight, Li Qu's boat is arriving in Qizhou.

On the dock, torches swayed in the cold wind, sometimes nearly extinguished by the strong wind, and sometimes burning brightly.

As the gangway was lowered, Li Qu immediately spotted a handsome figure standing on the dock with his hands behind his back.

When Zhou Jin saw her come down, he stepped forward and unconsciously reached out his hand.

She lifted her skirt, beaming, and quickly descended the steps.

Upon reaching the flat ground of the dock, she jogged up to him, reached her hands through his waist, and suddenly bumped into his arms, her palms gripping his strong back.

The faint buzzing of mosquitoes was carried into his ears by the wind.

"Jinlang~ It's been twelve days."

His calm mind was like a lake.

The earth dragon at the bottom of the lake overturned, stirring up the lake water, creating waves, tides, and surging waves.

He picked her up and walked toward the carriage, his steps quickening.

“Aqu, I have something good.”