Finest Servant - Chapter 227

Chapter 227 Extortion

Several people from the Jinling Prefecture office and the Governor’s office were carrying a plaque each, swathed in red silk, the content of which remained unknown.

The Eldest Miss didn’t want to converse with him. She gave him a glance, her delicate hand pointed towards him, then towards the plaque from the Jinling Prefecture office, indicating that he should unveil it.

Realizing she was communicating in sign language, Lin Wanrong grinned, thinking to himself, ‘You think you’re the only one who can do this? I’m an expert.’ He mimicked her actions, pointing towards her and then the plaque from the Governor’s office, meaning, ‘You should unveil that one.’

Upon seeing him mimic her, Xiao Yuruo blushed uncontrollably, a mix of shyness and anger causing her to stamp her foot furiously, ‘This fool, utterly annoying.’

“Miss Tao,” Lin Wanrong cheerfully asked, “Shall I unveil yours? Would that be alright?”

Tao Wanying gently nodded and replied, “This is my gift to you; of course, you should be the one to unveil it.”

In the midst of hearty laughter, Lin Wanrong and the Eldest Miss simultaneously pulled back the red silk, revealing the eight gilded characters on the two plaques to the crowd: “Loyal and Honest; Wisdom and Bravery.” []

“Ah, who’s praising me like this? How embarrassing,” Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. Tao Wanying said to Xiao Yuruo, “Sister Yuruo, I have reported your family’s heroic stand against the thieves yesterday to the Prefect. The Prefect was very pleased and relayed it to the Governor. Both highly appreciate the significant effort your family has made to maintain peace in Jinling city, and they present these plaques as tokens of their commendation.”

‘Loyal and Honest; Wisdom and Bravery?’ Lin Wanrong smirked inwardly, ‘Did this little girl come up with these four words? She’s still pondering over that incident. This plaque gift is pure nonsense, probably Governor Luo’s effort to legitimize the Xiao family after hearing about last night’s event. Good thing he’s so considerate, it wasn’t in vain that I advised him.’ He nodded with a smile towards Wanying, “Miss Tao is too kind. I thank you on behalf of my Eldest Miss.”

The messenger from Governor Luo’s mansion added, “As Miss Tao said, Governor Luo deeply appreciates the Xiao family’s courageous and heroic actions. Not only that, he was greatly impressed when the Xiao family defeated the king of couplets from the Seven Northern Provinces at the old lady’s birthday banquet, bringing glory to the scholars of the south. Hence, this plaque is given to show gratitude.”

Luo Yuan bowed with a grin, “Exactly, Miss Xiao, brother Lin, allow me to congratulate you both first!”

The Eldest Miss responded, “Thank you, Young Master Luo, Miss Tao. Your kind gestures towards my family fill us with gratitude.” Servants presented red packets, which she personally handed to the bearers of the plaques from both mansions.

Upon seeing Luo Yuan’s gleeful expression, Lin Wanrong thought to himself, ‘Your father has played a good card. He silenced that Cheng Ruinian, leaving him to eat humble pie. However, your sister is looking for s suitor, you could have at least informed me, causing me such embarrassment yesterday.’

The magistrate of Jinling Prefecture and the Governor of Jiangsu had already concluded yesterday’s event as a brave act of self-defense against thieves. Cheng Ruinian felt even more awkward, deeply regretting his presence here today. However, with all eyes upon him, he had no idea how to react and could only stand there, his face sullen, without uttering a word.

Luo Yuan feigned surprise as if he was just noticing Cheng Ruinian. He exclaimed, “Ah, isn’t this Brother Ruinian? What brings you here? Are you here to offer congratulations too?”

Lin Wanrong chuckled slyly, “Young Master Cheng has come to rebel—”

“To pay a visit, I’ve come to pay a visit,” Cheng Ruinian, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, hastily interjected, overtaking Lin Wanrong’s words.

“Oh, to pay a visit?” Luo Yuan queried with a smile, “Since when have you and the Xiao family been acquainted? This is news to me.”

“We weren’t acquainted before,” Lin Wanrong mysteriously smiled and added, “But since he visited today, he is now. Isn’t that right, Young Master Cheng?”

Under such circumstances, Cheng Ruinian had no choice but to nod in agreement. Lin Wanrong continued, “Young Master Cheng and I are old friends. We’ve had our share of drinks together in Miaoyu Pavilion. He came here today with no grand intentions. He’s just a bit tight on cash recently and looking to secure some silver. Isn’t that so, Young Master Cheng?”

“Indeed, indeed,” Cheng Ruinian nodded, “I’m running short on money recently. I came to borrow some silver from Brother Lin. Now that I have the silver, I won’t overstay my welcome. I’ll take my leave.”

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, “Brother Cheng, why be so formal? We share a bond over drinks; there’s no need for such courtesy. Besides, this sum of fifty thousand taels of silver, I am merely the guarantor. You borrowed it from Miss Xiao, so it’s her you should thank.”

Fifty thousand taels of silver? Everyone present secretly gasped. Such a colossal sum! What did Young Master Cheng need so much money for? And would Miss Xiao agree to lend it? The more astute ones began to sense the game afoot.

Hearing Lin Wanrong brazenly name such a huge sum, Cheng Ruinian paled with shock, he protested angrily, “You—”

“You what?” Lin Wanrong shot back with a sinister tone, “Didn’t you come to visit?” He deliberately blurred the pronunciation of “visit” with “rebel”. [TL: The two words are similar in pronunciation “zaofang” and “zaofan.”] Others may not have noticed the difference, but it was enough to unsettle Cheng Ruinian. ‘This lad wants my life,’ he thought, realizing the so-called witness was still present, and Luo Yuan, his nemesis, might reveal his intentions. That would be a colossal blunder.

Cheng Ruinian, seething with anger, lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear, “Lin San, is this extortion?”

“Extortion?” Lin Wanrong replied with a strange smirk, “From where do you get that? I wouldn’t dare coerce the esteemed Young Master Cheng. You came here today solely to ‘rebel,’ didn’t you?”

Cheng Ruinian suppressed his rage with tremendous willpower, grinding his teeth, he conceded, “Fine, if that’s the case, I thank Miss Xiao. I assure you, I will repay the fifty thousand taels promptly.”

Enraged, he didn’t wait for anyone to reply and hurriedly began to leave with his entourage. Lin Wanrong called out after him, laughing loudly, “Why the rush, Young Master Cheng? There’s no need to hurry.”

Cheng Ruinian turned back, glowering at him, “Is there anything else?”

Lin Wanrong put on a benevolent face and said, “Young Master Cheng, it’s not for me to say, but one must be decent. Having borrowed fifty thousand taels of silver from Miss Xiao, you should at least make a note of debt. Miss Xiao is kind and upright. She lent the money willingly, but we should still be conscious, shouldn’t we?”

Cheng Ruinian felt like his lungs were about to explode. He was extorting him for fifty thousand taels and demanding a note of debt? Was there no justice in this world? However, since he had allowed Lin San to obtain some leverage over him, and the situation had escalated to such a point, he could only accept the loss and find a way to make it up in the future. With this in mind, he remained silent, swiftly penned a note of debt for fifty thousand taels of silver, signed his name, and left in a huff.

Lin Wanrong held the note, inspecting it with satisfaction. ‘You think you’re wicked?’ he thought, ‘I can be even more so.’ Eldest Miss Xiao approached him and whispered, “You, even scamming a high-ranking official’s son. Aren’t you afraid of his revenge?”

Startled, Lin Wanrong replied, “Eldest Miss, you’re speaking to me again?”

Accusing him of being an ingrate in her mind, Xiao Yuruo felt a mix of anger and embarrassment. As she turned to leave, Lin San caught her sleeve, laughing, “Don’t be angry. It’s just a joke. I like teasing you, don’t I?”

Eldest Miss Xiao retorted, “I kindly converse with you, and you persist in mocking me. I’d be a fool to trust you in the future.”

Lin Wanrong sighed, “This Cheng De, he’s fully fixated on us now. Cheng Ruinian’s visit today is likely just the beginning.”

Hearing him speak of the serious matter, Eldest Miss Xiao stopped her antics. She frowned and asked, “Then why do you continue to provoke Cheng Ruinian?”

Lin Wanrong gave a bitter smile, “My dear Eldest Miss, why don’t you understand? Even if I didn’t provoke Cheng Ruinian, would Cheng De let us go? Our Xiao family is already a thorn in their side. They won’t rest until we’re removed.”

Eldest Miss Xiao sighed softly, “My Xiao family seems cursed, attracting such formidable foes.”

“The taller the tree, the harder the wind blows. Our soap and perfume business is flourishing, and they’re green with envy. If they can’t join us, they’re naturally left with destruction,” Lin Wanrong calmly explained, “In any case, we’re already at odds. Instead of being oppressed by them, we might as well oppress them first.”

With Xu Wei’s troops on hand, and Luo Min soon to take action against Cheng De, Lin Wanrong wasn’t afraid. He chuckled, shaking the promissory note in his hand. ‘With this note, in a few days, I’ll have Si De come to your door to collect the debt. If you refuse to pay, I’ll go to the yamen to beat the drum and air my grievances. Luo Min would probably love to see this, making a spectacle that everyone in Jinling City knows about. Let’s see what you can do then, old dog.’

Miss Xiao had her people hang the two plaques. The Xiao family, of course, was overjoyed, especially the household servants who had fought alongside Brother San the night before. Not only did they enjoy the fight, but they also received plaques personally bestowed by the City Prefect and the Governor – a supreme honor. ‘Living the life of a servant, yet managing to erect an archway as an emblem of virtue – Brother San truly is a model for our times.’

Tao Wanying glanced at Lin Wanrong before timidly stepping forward, “Lin San, there is something I want to ask you.”

“Miss Tao, you’re too—polite. Helping others brings joy, so feel free to speak your mind,” Lin Wanrong replied, his mood buoyant after having dealt with Cheng Ruinian. This made him regard the young Tao Wanying much more kindly.

“If I ask, promise not to get angry,” Tao Wanying ventured, carefully watching him as she spoke in a low voice.

“Miss Wanying, since when have you become so courteous? It was not like this before,” Lin Wanrong teased with a flirtatious smile.

At the mention of the past, a blush crept up Tao Wanying’s cheeks. Biting her lip, she queried, “Tell me, did you do something to my brother?”