Finest Servant

Chapter 415 Vanishing like Smoke

Upon witnessing the towering, century-old sacred archway collapse thunderously, everyone present, be it the learned scholars or the young prodigies, was struck dumb, unable to utter a word. These four characters, "Jade Virtue Fairy Hall," had undoubtedly been the spiritual pillar in their hearts for many years. To see it collapse right before their eyes was an indescribable feeling of loss and helplessness. However, the formidable Lord Lin had circled the Fairy Hall with swords and cannons. These scholars, who had been studying hard for years, were full of worry and frustration but were helpless.

Though Xiao Qingxuan had decided to sever ties with the Fairy Hall for her husband's sake, she could not help but feel an unpleasant sensation as the moment arrived. Gazing at the broken remnants and ruins of the archway, she could only sigh deeply.

Recluse Jing'an trembled violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and suddenly screamed madly, "Where are the disciples of the Martial School who protect the Hall?"

"Here we are!" came a unified delicate shout, as over a dozen women stepped out from the crowd. Graceful and heroic, with treasured swords at their waists, among them was the young girl Li Xiangjun who had guided Lin Wanrong into the mountain gate. She was secretly making eye contact with Xiao Qingxuan.

With all her strength, Recluse Jing'an shouted, "Lin San has insulted our Fairy Hall, severed our lineage, and destroyed our thousand-year foundation in a single day. I command you to put forth all your strength to kill Lin San. Don't stop until he is dead!"

The women looked at each other, uncertain how to respond. They glanced timidly at Xiao Qingxuan and whispered, "Senior Sister—"

Xiao Qingxuan helplessly sighed, "My dear sisters, we have studied and grown up together like siblings. I never wanted to see things come to this. Our master is away, and I dare not issue orders on my own. But you must have heard what my husband said earlier. The Fairy Hall has stood for a hundred years; while it has merits, there are also many unsatisfactory aspects. I hope you will think it over before deciding."

It turned out that they were all disciples of Fairy Ning. Observing them, each with a treasured sword on their back, looking as beautiful as flowers, Lin Wanrong shook his head. The heavy responsibility of protecting Jade Virtue Fairy Hall had fallen on a few young girls, while the scholars, learned in poetry and literature, were powerless in the face of real disaster. It was truly pitiful and lamentable. The old saying, "scholars ruin the country," seemed to have some truth in it.

Li Xiangjun, the youngest girl standing in the last row with tears in her eyes, suddenly turned to Recluse Jing'an and loudly asked, "May I ask, Master, do you have evidence that Lin San destroyed our Fairy Hall's foundation? Did he speak or act wrongly? He and my Senior Sister love each other sincerely, where is the fault in that? Why can't our Fairy Hall's thousand-year tradition of benevolence and morality apply to my Senior Sister? Is it true, as Big Brother Lin said, that the Fairy Hall is 'Pursuing the Heavenly Way while destroying the Human Way'? I am confused, Master, please enlighten me.”

"Disciples are confused, and seek guidance from the Master!" Fairy Ning's ten or so disciples all knelt down together, imploring Recluse Jing'an for direction. These young women were all under twenty, in the most brilliant season of their lives. Their hearts were filled with infinite beautiful dreams about love between men and women, yet they had been painfully suppressed by the rules of the Fairy Hall. Today, they saw Miss Xiao, whom the entire Fairy Hall worshipped and adored, opposing the entire establishment for the sake of a predestined love. Her spirit and bearing were awe-inspiring, setting an example for the young maidens. Lin San's astonishing words were like a splash of cold water, waking up the young people of the Fairy Hall, making them reflect on whether they needed the Way of Heaven or the Way of (Hu) Man as mere mortals.

Seeing Li Xiangjun taking the lead in pleading, and remembering her kindness in leading the way, Lin Wanrong secretly nodded at the bravery and boldness of such a young girl. Miss Xiao's eyes were moist, and she spoke softly, "Sisters, you are so genuine and affectionate towards me. My Dear, if conflict arises, you must not harm my sisters."

"Of course not. These sisters are all as beautiful as flowers. If they were to be injured somewhere, it would be quite unsightly if they couldn't marry in the future," Lin Wanrong chuckled. Xiao Qingxuan gave him a playful glare, somewhere between a smile and a frown.

"Oh no, what a mess!" Lin Wanrong suddenly seemed to remember something and smacked his head. Miss Xiao quickly asked, "What's the matter?"

Lin Wanrong pointed at Li Xiangjun and asked, "Is this young sister called Li Xiangjun?"

Xiao Qingxuan nodded and laughed, "She led you up the mountain, and you don't even know her name?"

Lin Wanrong helplessly replied, "She mentioned it once, but I didn't pay attention. You know I tend to be indifferent and don't pay much attention to girls." Xiao Qingxuan's expression remained unchanged, and she automatically skipped his last sentence.

"Li Xiangjun, Li Xiangjun, I knew the name sounded familiar." Lin Wanrong whispered to Miss Xiao, "Is this young sister Xiangjun engaged to someone now?"

Xiao Qingxuan blushed and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense, she's only thirteen or fourteen. Where would she have a lover? Do you think everyone is as shameless as you?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "That's good, that's good. Qingxuan, you must watch over your young sister. If she meets any man surnamed Hou, it's best to kill that Hou kid with a single blow, so as not to ruin her entire life. Remember, remember."

[TL: Li Xiangjun is a real historical character, read her story here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peach_Blossom_Fan]

Miss Xiao didn't understand his words, but seeing his serious expression, she realized he wasn't joking and simply nodded. She didn't know where all these seemingly serious instructions came from.

Recluse Jing'an's face turned pale when she saw her martial school disciples collectively opposing her will. She pointed at Li Xiangjun and others, trembling, "Very well, do you also want to betray my Jade Virtue Fairy Hall? I say it again, kill Lin San quickly, without error!"

"How dare you! Plotting against a court official, are you planning to rebel?" Du Xiuyuan shouted, his thousands of soldiers raising their weapons, surrounding the martial school disciples. Numerous archers aimed at the crowd, waiting for Lin Wanrong's command to wash the Fairy Hall in blood.

The scholars in the field were pale, experts at poetry and literature, but completely helpless in the face of weapons.

Lin Wanrong laughed loudly, took two steps forward, and his face suddenly changed, "Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, you claim to be supreme, trying to be independent of Great Hua, secretly training armed forces, endangering others' safety, and undermining Great Hua's stability. Just these two points alone can convict your Jade Virtue Fairy Hall of treason."

"If you want to accuse someone of a crime, you can always find an excuse," Recluse Jing’an exclaimed loudly. "The disciples of my Jade Virtue Fairy Hall are spread all over the world, and they won't let you act so recklessly. Even if I were to stand before the Emperor, I would not be afraid—"

The Emperor? Lin Wanrong chuckled. "You old nun, you still haven't understood even at the brink of death, what the existence of this shoddy hall threatens, and who it really threatens." He waved his hand, and two cannons from Du Xiuyuan's command fired in unison. The distant plaque of the Fairy Hall was blasted into fragments, silencing the roar of Recluse Jing’an, and everyone's faces turned pale.

Lin Wanrong sneered, "The Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, involved in mass brawls and secret gatherings, is an illegal organization. I will report it to the Emperor, and it will be resolutely banned and punished. All of you scholars and talented young men have been temporarily deceived, falling into the trap. In the spirit of curing the illness to save the patient, punishing the past and penalizing the future, as long as you recognize your mistakes and write a letter of repentance, I will plead for you before the Emperor and strive for leniency. Please make your choice."

He waved his hand, and the soldiers under Du Xiuyuan's command rattled their swords and spears, causing the scholars to tremble with fear and their faces to turn pale. A few of them glanced at Recluse Jing’an and the ferocious soldiers, finally raising their hands, trembling, and whispering, "We repent!"

Lin Wanrong waved his hand, and the soldiers brought ink and paper. Those few wrote quickly, detailing their involvement in the "illegal organization" of the Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, listing the heinous crimes, such as forging edicts, inciting ignorant youth, forming private alliances, arming themselves secretly, engaging in corruption, oppressing young disciples, defying imperial discipline, plotting against government officials, and many others too numerous to mention.

Lord Lin looked it over again and again, delighted with the powerful writing that listed the crimes of the Fairy Hall in full detail. He handed the documents to Miss Xu, sighing, "It turns out that the Fairy Hall is so wicked, Miss Xu. Look, their crimes are so appalling that I broke out in a cold sweat just reading them once. Alas, fortunately, I arrived in time to rescue the people from this disaster."

Xu Zhiqing was left speechless by this forced confession, disgusted by his self-praise. Seeing more and more scholars coming forward to repent, with the Fairy Hall completely divided, and looking at the growing stack of repentance documents, Miss Xu shook her head, sighed softly, and thought that without Lin San's coercion, who could have imagined these seemingly honorable scholars were so weak? From this point of view, Lin San had done a great thing; these lofty and impractical scholars, although appearing as the pillars of the nation, were hollow at the core.

Miss Xu gave a bitter smile and shook her head, sighing, "Scholars are useless, as our ancestors have taught us, and only now do I understand. Think about the talents nurtured by such a Fairy Hall. If they were to enter the court, manipulate the government, and assist in governance, what would our great land look like? Can we expect them to fight against the nomads? Devoted to dead readings, cowardly in nature, no wonder the nomads bully us, even the small nation of Dongyin dares to pull our great nation's whiskers."

Xiao Qingxuan listened, her expression turning gloomy, and she silently bowed her head without speaking. Lin Wanrong shook his head, feeling that he had said too much, so he simply grew tired of speaking.

With the fall of the walls, people pushed forward. Faced with the strong presence of Lin Wanrong, Jade Virtue Fairy Hall no longer possessed its former dignity, and the disciples were divided into two extremes. Recluse Jing'an never expected that the once thriving Jade Virtue Fairy Hall would collapse and dissolve so quickly in the face of military disaster; it was simply unimaginable. She became furious, her white hair suddenly turning gray and dull, her eyes losing all their shine, and blood gushing from the corners of her mouth. She stared blankly at the scene before her, as if turned to stone.

"Lin San!" Recluse Jing'an suddenly called out.

"Recluse, are you calling me?" Lin Wanrong paused.

Recluse Jing'an's face was ashen, and she nodded, saying, "Can you tell me why my prosperous Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, upon encountering military disaster, would vanish into thin air, leaving no trace?"

This question was indeed hard to answer. Even though Lin Wanrong considered himself knowledgeable and eloquent, he couldn't respond, only managing a bitter smile and a shake of his head. "This, I don't understand."

Recluse Jing'an sighed sadly, then suddenly whispered, "Qingxuan, come here."

"Abess—" Miss Xiao's eyes filled with tears as she hurried over. Lin Wanrong became anxious and was about to grab her, but Xu Zhiqing stopped him, sighing, "When a person is about to die, their words are kind. Don't worry, the Recluse will not harm Miss Xiao."

"Here, take this," Recluse Jing'an said, slowly handing the wooden fish she was holding to Xiao Qingxuan. Lin Wanrong exclaimed, "Oh my, this old lady's treacherous heart still lives! She wants to make Qingxuan the headmistress."

Miss Xu gave him a stern look, twisting his arm hard, and said, "Don't assume everyone is as crafty as you. In my view, the Recluse is saving Miss Xiao."

Lin Wanrong was confused, but over there Miss Xiao exclaimed, "Abess, what are you doing?"

Recluse Jing'an's face was calm as she nodded, "This wooden fish represents your fate. Smash it, and you will no longer suffer the torment of that three-beat drum. Be a free woman, marry and have children, no longer troubled by the heavenly path, and reclaim your human destiny."

Miss Xu was indeed right. The old nun seemed to have had a change of heart. Lin Wanrong's eyes sparkled as he stared intently at the wooden fish in Qingxuan's hand, itching to rush over and smash it to pieces.

Miss Xiao's tears fell like rain, and she tightly grasped Recluse Jing'an's withered hand, crying out in a heartbreaking voice, "Abess—"

Recluse Jing'an coughed violently, her face flushing as she seemed to talk to herself, "Qingxuan, you have grown up under my watch since you were a baby. From your infancy, I have chanted scriptures and prayed for you daily. Back then, your master was just a little girl and didn't understand many things, so I kept you by my side and took care of you. Though I pursue the heavenly path, I am still human. Who can be without feelings? Watching you grow up day by day, graceful and tranquil, no one could be happier than me. Among the countless disciples in Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, I have only ever treated you this way. Cough, cough—"

Miss Xiao silently shed tears, unable to speak a word. Recluse Jing'an's face grew redder, and her eyes seemed to brighten as she bitterly smiled, saying, "You, of noble birth, found yourself in our Jade Virtue Fairy Hall. The previous head of the institution saw something in you, and it was fate that you would face this tribulation. The only mistake I made was urging you to make that vow of suffering. But for me, to continue the thousand-year tradition of the Fairy Hall, there was no other way. Anyone in my position would have done the same. If you want to blame me, I have no complaints."

Xu Zhiqing listened and shook her head, sighing silently, "The Recluse is right. In her position, if she hadn't pressured Miss Xiao, another girl would have suffered. It's not her fault, Lin San, you were too cruel."

‘Women's logic is truly confusing,’ Lin Wanrong thought. ‘One moment they sympathize with Qingxuan, the next they turn to care for Granny Hermit. In any case, the bad person is always me.’ He chuckled dryly, not saying a word.

Xiao Qingxuan sobbed, "Abess, I don't blame you. It's my fate to face this difficulty, just like meeting My Dear. These are my hardships, and I must bear them."

Recluse Jing'an sighed, "I tried my best to carry on the Fairy Hall's tradition, only to end up like this. Betrayed by everyone, the Fairy Hall vanished under my watch. I have failed our ancestors. Even if I go to the Western Paradise, I will be too ashamed to face them. Gathering and dispersing is the great morality of humanity, contrary to the Way of Heaven. Yet, I am so concerned. It seems that the Way of Heaven is truly beyond us ordinary people."

Xiao Qingxuan suddenly turned around, "My Dear, come here."

Lin Wanrong hurried to her side. Miss Xiao took his hand and softly said to the head of the hall, "Abess, look, this is the man I have chosen. He taught me that we are human, subject to birth, aging, sickness, death, emotions, and desires, riches, and hardships. These are rights bestowed upon us by Heaven, something we mortals must bear. Departing from humanity to pursue the Way of Heaven is to act against nature. I don't want to be a detached person; I only want to be an ordinary woman, to love my husband, teach my children, bear sons and daughters, and follow the great path of human relationships. Please grant us your blessing."

Recluse Jing'an scrutinized Lin Wanrong carefully and nodded, "Qingxuan, you are strong-willed and decisive, far stronger than I was at your age. This man you've chosen, unrestrained in appearance, is a leader among men and a perfect match for you. Very well, very well!"

Lin Wanrong grinned, "Old Lady Recluse, I'm not as good as you say."

The Recluse looked at him and shook her head, "But your eyes are lascivious; you seem like a frivolous and base man. You must watch him closely in the future; don't let him ruin the pitiable women of this world."

Lord Lin's face darkened. ‘This old woman, slandering me in front of my wife, is truly stubborn.’ Annoyed, he snorted twice but said nothing, while Miss Xiao expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, Abess, for your kind words. I know my husband, and I will surely keep him in line in the future."

Recluse Jing'an nodded, her breath coming in hurried gasps. She looked around, worry in her voice: “The Jade Virtue Fairy Hall has dispersed, and I am the one at fault. Yet, under my care, there are many young disciples who are now without clothes and food. How can I rest easy? Qingxuan, their livelihood is a great matter, and I have no one else to entrust this to; only you can take care of them.”

Xiao Qingxuan hurriedly nodded, saying, “Master, rest assured, My Dear is full of wisdom and strategy; he will definitely find a way to properly settle these young disciples.”

The Recluse silently nodded, looked at Lin Wanrong and softly said, “Lin San, I have been such an obstacle between you and Qingxuan. Do you resent me?”

“I wouldn't say resent, but in this world, one can't always control their own fate,” Lin Wanrong laughed, thinking to himself that he couldn't really fault her since she had handed over the wooden fish.

Recluse Jing'an suddenly coughed violently, weakly gasping, “Qingxuan is fortunate to have you to assist her. But as for me, back in my time, who ever helped me? In the end, my suffering was the same as Qingxuan's!”

Lin Wanrong was silent for a moment, thinking that Miss Xu was right: this Recluse was also an innocent victim. But who was the evil mastermind behind all this?

“Lin San, believe me,” the Recluse choked suddenly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her eyes lost their spark, and two tears rolled down her cheeks as she tightly grasped their hands, “I... I am not a villain—” With her last breath, her body hung in mid-air, lifeless, passing away.

‘I'm not a villain!’ Lin Wanrong muttered to himself, smiling bitterly.

“Abess—” Xiao Qingxuan cried out in grief, embracing the body, tears falling. Lin Wanrong was startled and quickly supported her delicate frame, gently saying, “Qingxuan, you are pregnant, extreme joy or sorrow isn't good for our baby.”

Xiao Qingxuan's tears fell like rain, “My Dear, the Abess has raised me; I must pay my respects to her!”

Unable to refuse this request, Lin Wanrong supported her as she knelt on the ground, respectfully bowing to the Recluse. Lin Wanrong followed her down, saying helplessly, “Recluse, as I said before, I am honoring an elder, not your Fairy Hall. May you not misunderstand in the heavenly realms.”

Xu Zhiqing gently nudged him, angrily saying, “You, how can you be so tactless?”

The few scholars who had remained faithful looked on in horror as the Recluse passed away, losing their last support, their faces aging as tears fell. The disciples of the Fairy Hall, seeing their master gone, all knelt and wailed in pain, including the young maiden Li Xiangjun, who had previously opposed the Recluse.

Xu Zhiqing, having witnessed the rise and fall of Jade Virtue Fairy Hall in a mere instant, was full of emotions. She clung to Lin Wanrong, whispering, “Lin San, did we go too far?”

Lin Wanrong replied helplessly, “Miss Xu, if you want to sympathize with the opponent, think first what would have happened if I had lost.”

His words were true; mercy to enemies was cruelty to oneself. Lin Wanrong glanced at the scattered archway in the distance and sighed, “To be honest, although we won today and found Qingxuan, my heart feels empty.”

"Why?" Xu Zhiqing asked curiously.

Xiao Qingxuan took Lin Wanrong's hand, speaking softly, "My Dear means that although we won this battle, it is a victory without a real opponent. Isn't that right, My Dear?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Forget it, such profound content is not my style; let's talk about something more relaxed."

Miss Xu frowned, glanced around, and said with a bitter smile, "Relaxed? How can we be relaxed? With such a mess, I'm afraid you won't find it easy."

The Jade Virtue Fairy Hall had undergone a sudden and devastating change. With the death of the Hall Master and the fall of the Fairy Hall, the emblematic building was also destroyed by Lin Wanrong's cannon. This was akin to shattering the pillar of everyone's heart. The mountains were filled with cries, scholars sighed, and the young disciples, who had never experienced such harsh realities, were weeping uncontrollably.

Xiao Qingxuan's expression turned somber. The chaos at the Fairy Hall had all started because of her, so her grief was understood without saying, "My Dear, do you have any good ideas to stabilize the situation on the mountain and calm the hearts of the disciples for now?"

Destruction is easy, but rebuilding is hard. The collapse of the Jade Virtue Fairy Hall might not have been entirely a good thing, especially since there were now hundreds or even thousands of scholars and talented individuals left unemployed. They all needed food to eat. Miss Xu realized the difficulty of the situation and glanced at Lin Wanrong, softly saying, "If these people are not properly settled, I'm afraid they will all become unstable factors."

Lin Wanrong nodded, smiling brightly, "Wife, give me some motivation. A kiss on my cheek will help me think."

Xiao Qingxuan's face flushed as she shook her head, "You always take advantage of situations like this. I won't fall for it." Xu Zhiqing grabbed Xiao Qingxuan's hand, smiling, "Miss Xiao, you know him best. You can't be too kind to this kind of person."

Xiao Qingxuan gave a faint smile, casually saying, "Miss Xu knows him quite well too!" Xu Zhiqing quickly turned her head, her face flushed, not daring to speak. Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, and Miss Xiao glared at him, snorting, "Stop laughing and tell me what's going on. If it gets dragged out later, I won't bother helping you."

"I'm thinking of a solution, right now." Lin Wanrong broke into a sweat. His wife's words were profound, like a silent thunder that made his heart pound.

Seeing Miss Xiao's method, Xu Zhiqing felt inferior, believing that there was finally someone who could keep him in check. Otherwise, he would continue to run wild, harming countless innocent women, and eventually becoming an unrestrained stallion. Miss Xu's face turned red, and she quickly looked around to divert her attention.

"Sister—" the little girl Li Xiangjun approached Xiao Qingxuan, her teary eyes glistening, looking utterly pitiful and delicate, "The Hall Master is gone, the Fairy Hall is no more, and the Master is not here. What shall we do?"

The little girl's ability to support Qingxuan during such a difficult time, an act akin to sending charcoal in snowy weather, was deeply touching. Lin Wanrong quickly reassured, "Little sister, don't be afraid, we will protect you."

Li Xiangjun snorted, "I don't need your protection. Just take my senior sister and leave. Why did you have to fire the cannon? Our Fairy Hall is in this state today, all thanks to you."

‘Children speak without thinking,’ Lin Wanrong thought, and he laughed off the comment, pretending not to hear her words. Xiao Qingxuan took Li Xiangjun's hand and spoke softly, "Little junior sister, My Dear is trying to find a solution. Don't worry. We've been together as senior and junior sisters for many years, and you've all treated me with deep affection and loyalty. I will never abandon you."

"I've got it!" Lin Wanrong suddenly clapped his hands and laughed.

"What do you have?" Little Li Xiangjun asked, "Didn't senior sister already have a baby?"

Xiao Qingxuan let out a soft cry, her face flushing with embarrassment as she covered her cheeks with her hands. Xu Zhiqing took Li Xiangjun's hand and giggled, "Little sister, you're still young. There are some things you may know, but you must not speak them out loud. Remember that next time."

Even though Miss Xiao was usually elegant and composed, she found herself without a place to hide, her cheeks flushed as the two women teased her. She took Lin Wanrong's arm and pinched it hard.

‘I'll endure!’ Lin Wanrong laughed, "I've thought of a way to handle the arrangements for this hall. I'm not sure if it'll work."

"Don't keep us in suspense. Tell us now," urged Xiao Qingxuan, managing to set aside her embarrassment to focus on the serious matter.

With all the women's eyes on him, Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Wasn't this hall originally a gathering place for discussion, and forming cliques for personal gain?"

Xiao Qingxuan and Li Xiangjun spat in unison. Miss Xiao scolded, "What do you mean by forming cliques for personal gain? Your words sound so unpleasant! It should be teaching and imparting knowledge."

"Yes, yes, that's what I meant, just expressed differently," Lin Wanrong smiled, "Since this hall was originally a forum, why don't we expand it? The original hall was exclusively for composing poetry and imparting Confucianism and Daoism, a rather one-dimensional function that can foster arrogance in talented individuals and lead them to become lazy and disconnected from reality. Let's expand it into a top-level forum."

"A top-level forum?" Several people were taken aback at once. Even Miss Xiao and Xu Zhiqing, both with extraordinary insights, were somewhat puzzled by this new term.

"Yes, a top-level forum," Lin Wanrong smiled, "Instead of just focusing on literature, let's expand it into five major disciplines: literature, engineering, agriculture, science, and medicine. We'll teach the most common knowledge in these areas, allocate substantial funds to reward outstanding talents, and promote innovative knowledge. Regular academic conferences will be held to stimulate scholarly activities, enriching the culture and technological enterprise of the nation. By intertwining these five disciplines, everyone can learn from each other, allowing those high-minded scholars to understand the profundities within engineering, agriculture, science, and medicine. It will promote open discussions, eliminate their tendency to work in isolation, and avoid the emergence of a second Jade Virtue Fairy Hall in a hundred years."

Miss Xiao nodded as she listened, "Prosperity fosters culture, chaos fosters martial arts. The cultural flourish of Great Hua was in full swing, unobstructed during prosperous times, but not a good omen in the face of this crisis." Lin Wanrong's train of thought, which she had heard back when they first met in Jinling, was surprisingly put into such a grand proposal, and this plan ingeniously utilized the strengths of Jade Virtue Fairy Hall, achieving two goals in one stroke.

Miss Xu applauded, exclaiming in a delicate voice, "This idea is good! Our Great Hua emphasizes culture heavily, yet the principles of all things and machinery remain unexplored. If we could truly establish such a forum, accompanied by great rewards, it would indeed be a magnificent deed, rallying countless skilled craftsmen to strive for higher levels of knowledge. A hundred years later, the craftsmanship of our Great Hua will certainly have risen to the next level. Lin San, where did you come up with this idea?"

"Alas, I've always been such a great person, just not good at expressing it," Lin Wanrong sighed, but the expression in his eyes and brows couldn't hide his pride.

Xiao Qingxuan chuckled, "Don't be too pleased with yourself. Although the idea is good, it involves fostering schools, organizing forums, and offering hefty rewards. Where will all the money come from?"

Xu Zhiqing shook her head with a playful smile, saying in a sweet voice, "Miss Xiao, this is where you are uninformed. Your husband here deals in industry and sells perfume, and soon the Xiao family of Jinling will be his. He now has wealth in the millions, leaping towards tens of millions. Where would he notice these few taels of silver?"

‘You stand there speaking without any pain, but that silver is my hard-earned money, which can't be spent so casually.’ Lin Wanrong inwardly sighed. Miss Xiao's expression became serious, and she grabbed his hand, saying, "My Dear, even with money, don't squander it recklessly. You must be frugal—"

Lin Wanrong nodded to himself, thinking, ‘This is my wife, who knows how to care for me.’ But before he could finish his self-satisfaction, he heard Miss Xiao continue, "—this time for the forum, you only need to take out one hundred thousand taels, no more, not even a penny more."

Lin Wanrong wanted to cry without tears. Was one hundred thousand taels not enough? That could buy thousands of young and beautiful maids, one for each day, enough for ten years.

Seeing his worried and bitter face, Miss Xiao covered her mouth with a gentle laugh, and tapped her finger on his forehead, saying, "I'm reminding you not to waste money. It's not easy to earn silver, but it's spent like running water. Now that you have a family, you can't be so extravagant. Let's settle this matter of education this way. I'll think of ways to handle the money, and from now on, the rewards will be given in the name of my Lin family, called Lin's Scholarships. My Dear, what do you think?"

"Good, good!" Lin Wanrong naturally nodded. His wife truly had a sense of grandeur, settling the matter with just a few words. He felt grateful in his heart, raising a finger and saying, "Alright, I will donate this amount first!"

Miss Xu's eyes brightened, and she exclaimed urgently, "Ten thousand taels?!"

Lin Wanrong gave her a look, saying irritably, "One thousand taels, to be donated over five years, two hundred taels a year."

"Stingy!" Miss Xu snorted, expressing her resignation.

Xiao Qingxuan's face was full of shy blushes, and she suddenly kissed him on the cheek, softly saying, "My Dear, this is Qingxuan thanking you for taking care of my senior and junior brothers and sisters."

"That's only right, only right. Qingxuan, I also thank you for looking after my son—" Lord Lin was smiling between his eyebrows, about to "thank" Miss Xiao, when Miss Xu, her face flushed red, bit her silver teeth, grabbed him, and kissed him on the cheek like a dragonfly skimming the water. Her voice was as fine as a mosquito's, saying, "Lin San, thank... thank you for proposing such a great idea."

Oh, what was this about? The faint fragrance lingered on his face, and Lin Wanrong was stunned.

Miss Xiao kicked him in the leg, and Lord Lin lost his balance, thudding down to sit on the ground with a bump.

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