Finest Servant - Chapter 200

Chapter 200 Cunning Defense

After a brief conversation with Xu Wei, Lin Wanrong felt at ease, understanding that this old man Xu was here specifically to eliminate the menace of the White Lotus rebels. From his words, he gathered that Xu Wei intended to eradicate not just the rebels, but also corrupt officials, the implications of which were evident.

Before leaving, Xu Wei said solemnly, “Little brother Lin, I speak today with sincerity and hold nothing back. In this region of Jiangsu, there are only a few individuals I trust, and you are one of them. If I ever face challenges in the future, I hope that you can lend me your support.”

This, Lin Wanrong figured, was Xu Wei’s purpose for seeking him out. As Xu Wei himself stated, the influence of the White Lotus cult in Jiangsu was rampant, and the only people he could trust were Luo Min and Lin Wanrong.

Appreciating Xu Wei’s candor, Lin Wanrong stopped beating around the bush. “Mr. Xu,” he said, “I have no expertise in military affairs and dare not speak freely about them. However, since you are aware of the individuals supporting these rebels, I assume you know to keep this information confidential. Furthermore, I suspect you can no longer rely on the soldiers from Jiangsu. You should think this through carefully.”

Xu Wei’s eyes flashed as he responded, “You are indeed astute, Little brother. As you’ve mentioned, for this suppression, I hold the imperial order and will mobilize the foot soldiers from Zhejiang and Shandong. Not a single soldier from Jiangsu will be moved. I am curious to see who exactly is interfering behind the scenes, colluding with the White Lotus.”

Rolling his eyes at Xu Wei’s feigned ignorance, Lin Wanrong scorned the old man inwardly. Everyone knew what was going on; only Xu Wei was playing the fool.

Chuckling, Xu Wei said, “I presume you understand what’s going on. However, we must talk about evidence. If there’s no proof of guilt, even if I hold the imperial edict, it would still be difficult to act.”

These words, half spoken to himself and half as a reminder to Lin Wanrong, caused a sudden realization. Proof of guilt! That was what Xu Wei had been hinting at all along. ‘Trust a government official to be crafty,’ Lin Wanrong thought, ‘it’s just as the old saying goes: women are part wolf, officials are entirely foxes.’ No wonder Xu Wei was so audacious, armed with the imperial edict and backed by troops from Hangzhou and Shandong. He was simply waiting for proof of someone’s guilt to make his move.

As Lin Wanrong pondered, he knew that Luo Min and Cheng De were mortal enemies. Luo Min must have some evidence against Cheng De. When the time came, Lin Wanrong would employ some petty tactics and let Xu Wei storm in with his men to capture them red-handed. Let’s see how they’ll cunningly defend themselves then. Thinking this, Lin Wanrong was filled with satisfaction. Xu Wei seemed to see through his thoughts. As they caught each other’s gaze, they both burst into laughter.

Qiaoqiao glanced at Mr. Xu, then at her big brother. She couldn’t help but feel that their laughter was remarkably sly.

Following Lin Wanrong’s suggestion, since Master Xu rarely came to Qinhuai, it was only right that he, as the little brother, hosted him at Miaoyu Pavilion to enjoy some music and merriment.

Lin Wanrong enjoyed a good relationship with old Xu, considering him not as a high-ranking official, but more like a bosom friend. Of course, he would never stoop to traditional rites like kowtowing and swearing brotherhood—only the most tasteless would perform such rituals. Could cutting a chicken’s head and drinking blood wine assure their living and dying together? Nonsense, he thought. Blind loyalty could lead to death.

True ironclad friendships were those that had been through gunfire together, that had been sent to rural areas together, that had shared the company of courtesans together. These were the bonds that couldn’t be broken, much more effective than any oath of brotherhood sealed with the beheading of a chicken and drinking of blood wine. So, one might say, indulging in the delights of the Qinhuai River was the true way to form such bonds.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wei was bathed in cold sweat. He hurriedly explained he had important matters to attend to, and that they would enjoy another gathering in the future. With Gao Qiu, he quickly departed.

When Lin Wanrong emerged from the restaurant, it was already dusk. A figure rushed towards him, yelling, “Brother San, Brother San, hurry home. The Eldest Miss is looking everywhere for you.”

Lin Wanrong focused his gaze on the approaching person. It was Si De. Lin Wanrong grabbed him, laughing, “What does the Eldest Miss want me for? Has the shop acquisition been completed? Are they gathering for a meal?”

“No, no…” Si De panted, “The Eldest Miss told me to tell you to be careful, something has happened.”

“Something has happened? What could possibly have happened?” Lin Wanrong asked, puzzled. He wasn’t the violent type nor did he peep at young ladies bathing, what could he possibly have done?

Si De fumbled out a letter from his bosom, “The Eldest Miss insisted I find you quickly and give you this letter. She said to be very careful and return home as soon as possible.”

Lin Wanrong pulled out the letter, seeing four beautifully written yet hasty characters: “Wanying is here–“

Lin Wanrong was stunned for a moment, then remembered. With all the recent events, he had almost forgotten about Tao Wanying and her brother. What could that girl do to him? He hadn’t done anything wrong, he was always justified wherever he went, never guilty, why would he fear a ghost knocking at his door?

Lin Wanrong folded the letter, smiling, “Go tell the Eldest Miss, I understand. Once I’m done with my tasks, I’ll return home immediately.”

Si De nodded, “Brother San, the Eldest Miss insists you must be careful.” Lin Wanrong nodded his head and sent Si De on his way.

By now, the twilight had turned into darkness. Lin Wanrong thought of going to see Luo Min to discuss finding evidence. As he was making his way towards the Governor’s Mansion, he recognized a small alley. He vaguely remembered it was the same place where Tao Dongcheng had brought a few people to attack him. He snickered, it had been a while and Gao Qiu’s tactics must have taken effect by now. Little Tao was probably sitting at home, thinking about how he could enhance his size.

His smug thoughts made him burst into laughter. As he was about to walk away, a low growl rang out, “Lewd thief, prepare to meet your maker.” A bright sword light, like a venomous snake spitting out its core, darted towards his chest.

Lin Wanrong sighed helplessly. ‘Why did every female assassin have to shout something like that before attempting to kill their target?’

Dodging the sword, Lin Wanrong quickly closed the distance to the assassin. His hands moved with lightning speed to grab her wrists. Laughing, he said, “Oh, isn’t this Miss Tao? What happened? In a few days’ time, you’ve turned from a heroine to an assassin?”

Tao Wanying was dressed in all black, her complexion pale and thin, her face as white as a sheet. Anger flashed in her eyes as she strained to thrust her sword forward. But Lin Wanrong’s strength was far too great; he held her so firmly she couldn’t move an inch.

“Lewd thief, just kill me!” Tao Wanying cried, tears glistening in her eyes.

Damn, she wanted him to kill her? That wasn’t going to happen. Such a headstrong woman, why didn’t she kill herself?

Pretending to be confused, Lin Wanrong asked, “Lewd thief? Miss Tao, where do these accusations come from?”

“You, you–” Tao Wanying’s teeth nearly crushed in her anger. She stared at this shameless man and spat, “You lecher, you defiled me. Today I will kill you, then die to atone for the world.”

A soft sound echoed as Lin Wanrong’s palm shattered her sword. Tao Wanying let out a scream, only to hear Lin Wanrong bellow, “Enough!”

His voice, full of strength and fearlessness, startled Tao Wanying, who had been prepared to die. Lin Wanrong snorted, “Miss Tao, you keep calling me a lewd thief, can you explain how I have been lewd?”

How could a woman voice such a thing? Tao Wanying’s eyes were bloodshot, pointing at him she accused, “You, you scoundrel, that day you knocked me unconscious, what… what did you do? Today, I will fight you to the end–“

With a look of righteous indignation, Lin Wanrong insisted, “Miss Tao, please clarify, what exactly did I do?”

“You, you violated me, you deserve a thousand cuts, I will kill you, I will kill you–” Tao Wanying began to sob, wishing she could devour his flesh and blood to feel satisfaction.

“Violated?” Lin Wanrong opened his eyes wide in innocence, “Where did this come from? Miss Tao, you must have misunderstood. That day, I knocked you unconscious and left your brother on the roadside, all with peaceful intentions for your sake. I know you and your brother hold a grudge against us due to the events at the Hangzhou Sunshine and Rain Restaurant. But how generous is the heart of our Eldest Miss? She would never stoop to your petty level, she simply wanted to let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, given your attempted robbery that day, even if I killed you on the spot, you wouldn’t have any grounds to argue.”

Lin Wanrong was eloquent, painting black as white, sounding very sure of himself without revealing a single flaw.

Seeing his innocent expression, as if he was not lying, Tao Wanying felt a sudden thump in her chest, a more ominous feeling rose within her. She shouted, “You’re lying–“

Lin Wanrong chuckled, “I’m lying? Miss Tao, I, Lin San, swear to the heaven, if I did defile Miss Tao’s purity that day, may my future son have two penises.”

Outraged and embarrassed, Tao Wanying retorted, “You are shameless–“

Lin Wanrong was utterly unperturbed. He laughed heartily and said, “Miss Tao, on the day we returned from Hangzhou, there were many of us in the group, and I was always with the Eldest Miss. We were rushing on our journey. Where would I have had the leisure or inclination to violate you? Is our Eldest Miss the sort of villain who would allow such behavior? In the wild, even if you were fond of wilderness battles, I would still fear snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Besides, while I may not have noble tastes, I’m definitely not without standards. I don’t entertain just any goods. Your groundless accusation against me is a great insult to my reputation. If you do not apologize, I will go to the magistrate’s office tomorrow, beat the gong to air my grievances, and sue Miss Tao Wanying, the female constable of Jinling, for defaming my innocence. I demand justice from the Magistrate.”

When it came to verbal duels, no one in the world could match Lin Wanrong. Tao Wanying did not believe him, but she absolutely trusted Xiao Yuruo. Miss Xiao was not the kind of person who would tolerate servants committing atrocities.

Could it really not be him? Was it someone else after she fainted? The thought was terrifying, so much so that she couldn’t hear anything else. She pointed at Lin Wanrong and stammered, “You…is what you’re saying true–“

‘Damn, this girl was too easy to deceive.’ Lin Wanrong was delighted, but maintained a serious face. “Miss Tao,” he said earnestly, “you see, you can’t beat me in a verbal fight, let alone a physical one. Do I have any need to lie to you? Moreover, I’m someone who is naturally incapable of lying.”

“You…you really didn’t do it–” Tao Wanying’s voice trembled as she looked at him with extreme tension. If it really wasn’t him, as Lin Wanrong claimed, then the reality was even more horrifying. If she had known this, she would have preferred to let Lin Wanrong off easy. Her face drained of color, and she began to tremble slightly…