The Courtesan Leaves the Tower

The ancestral hall was solemn and dignified. Before the spirit hall, the memorial tablets of the Lin family's founding ancestors were arranged in ten tiers, rising and falling in height, representing ten generations of the Lin family over two hundred years. Lin Su's gaze swept downward from the top...

Great General of the Northern Pacification of the Great Cang Kingdom, Lin Xiliang...

Great General of the Cavalry of the Great Cang Kingdom, Lin Lijun...

Great General of the Cavalry and Marquis of Brave Valor of the Great Cang Kingdom, Lin Wanfang...

For two hundred years, the Lin family had been a military family, generation after generation of generals. There was only one exception: the lowest, most central tablet, bearing just seven words: The Spirit of Lord Lin Dingnan.

This was his father, originally the Marquis of Dingnan and commander of Blood Rain Pass, but stripped of his title and rank. On the spirit tablet, there was only a name, no title at all.

Second Brother inserted a stick of incense into the burner before Father's tablet and thumped to his knees: "Father, when you set out on your journey, Third Brother could not return in time. Today, I come to offer you incense. Father, rest assured, no matter how the wind and clouds change, no matter the passage of ages, as long as I have breath in my body, I will protect Mother and our brothers!"

He kowtowed nine times, then slowly rose: "Third Brother, your turn!"

Lin Su respectfully placed his incense into the burner and also kowtowed nine times before standing slowly.

"Second Brother, how did Father actually die?"

Second Brother's eyes blazed with fury, and he spoke at length...

The Lin family's situation was actually a common ailment of feudal society...

A military general's duty was to kill enemies and defend the borders; their external stance was to fight.

Civil officials believed in the transformative power of Confucian classics, their external stance weak and ambiguous.

This formed a political environment of civil-military opposition.

Civil officials held the power of discourse, while military generals were increasingly marginalized. Eventually, it reached the bizarre point where military generals no longer attended court. Among the common people, military generals were even reduced to a synonym for lowliness. The entire society valued civil over military.

In such an environment, no one in a military family dared to be reckless. Lin Dingnan was certainly not a reckless man. He deeply understood the dangers of officialdom and had always acted cautiously, keeping his tail between his legs, just to earn a marquis title. Yet still, disaster struck without warning.

Last year, one of his subordinates colluded with the Demon Race, becoming a despicable human traitor. How could Lin Dingnan let him off? He executed him under military law. He never expected this man to be deeply connected to the court. Minister of War Zhang Wenyuan fabricated facts, falsely accusing Lin Dingnan of rebellion. His Majesty sent a team to Blood Rain Pass to investigate the matter, but this team was also controlled by court officials. In the end, they ruled Lin Dingnan guilty of rebellion and beheaded him. Originally, the entire Lin family was to be executed, but considering the family's two hundred years of military service and their immense prestige in the army, they feared stirring up a mutiny and dared not go too far. Old Madam Lin and her three sons barely escaped with their lives...

Lin Su's heart blazed with fury. What kind of court was this?

Soldiers defended their homeland, while behind them, a crowd schemed to destroy them. When there was no crime, they fabricated one. And the chief culprit was the very Minister of War who oversaw military affairs!

Set these matters aside for now!

Lin Su changed the subject: "Mother's illness... is it serious?"

Second Brother said: "Mother fell ill from pent-up sorrow. If treated with medicine and supplemented by the Qi Guiding Text, she could recover quickly. But no physician in the city dares to come to our door. Relying solely on the Qi Guiding Text, Mother may still suffer several more days of pain."

Lin Su was slightly startled: "No physician in the city dares to come? What do you mean?"

"It's still the Zhang family's oppression! Zhang Wenyuan's hometown is also in Haining. His suppression of the Lin family is everywhere. When the Lin family tried to sell some wooden furniture to get by, no one dared to buy. When Mother fell ill, no physician dared to come. They all fear the Zhang family, afraid of being caught in the crossfire... But Third Brother, rest assured. Tomorrow, I will go to the city gate to sell my calligraphy, write letters for others, and at least ensure the Lin family has a warm meal..."

Considering that Lin Su had just returned from a journey of ten thousand miles, Second Brother urged him to rest. He himself, with unsteady steps, entered the study. He still needed to study and prepare for the imperial examinations. Lin Su watched his brother's determinedly straight back and felt a pang of bitterness in his heart for some reason.

He could hardly imagine the immense pressure this scholar of feudal society had endured over the past few months. His father dead, his mother ill, the entire burden of the marquis's household suddenly pressed on his shoulders.

He was a man who read the Sage's teachings; he was not, by nature, someone who bore the storms of family. Could he truly shoulder all this?

He himself had returned. He, too, was a member of this family!

Whether before or now... now, he was!

Lin Su returned to the Western Courtyard, his former small yard.

The yard was also dilapidated. Under the dim yellow lamplight stood a maid, Xiao Yao!

"Brother!" Xiao Yao ran over, grabbed his hand, and rubbed her little head against his waist.

Lin Su gently patted her head: "Xiao Yao, I promised you I'd find sugar beans all over the city for you, but I can't do it today."

"Brother, how can you say that? It makes me sound like I'm such a glutton. I don't like sugar beans, really." Xiao Yao denied it, but the glistening at the corner of her mouth clearly betrayed her.

Lin Su smiled lightly: "Go to sleep. I know you didn't sleep well last night."

"Mm!"

Xiao Yao slept in the side room outside Lin Su's bedroom. Soon, even breathing came, indicating she was fast asleep.

As for Lin Su, he lay on his back on his big bed, tossing and turning for most of the night. He only fell asleep when the first hint of pale dawn was about to appear on the eastern horizon.

The next day, the sun was high in the sky when Lin Su finally woke. He left the yard and went to his mother's main hall, wanting to see how her illness was. Just as he was about to enter, a startled cry came from inside: "Second Young Master, what's wrong with you..."

Lin Su pushed open the main hall door and saw Second Brother lying on the ground, his face drained of all color. Xiao Tao and Mother were frantically helping him up.

Lin Su hurried over and helped Second Brother up: "Second Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Mother was choked with tears: "It's all Mother's fault. An ordinary scholar writing one Qi Guiding Text would drain all his literary energy. You, Second Brother, have been writing two every day for days on end. How could he not be utterly exhausted? Xiao Tao, quickly prepare some broth for the Second Young Master... Erlang, lie down..."

Lin Su and Mother worked together to help Second Brother into bed. Second Brother finally caught his breath and slowly opened his eyes...

Just then, a voice came from outside: "Excuse me, is Second Young Master Lin Jialiang at home?"

It was a crisp female voice.

Lin Su looked through the window. Standing before Xiao Tao, who had just gone out, was a petite figure in blue, dressed in men's clothing but clearly a young woman.

Xiao Tao asked: "Miss, you are..."

The woman said: "I am Cui'er, serving Miss Yu Lou at the Jade Fragrance Tower... I have come specifically to seek Young Master Jialiang..."

Xiao Tao said: "The Second Young Master is unwell and cannot receive guests, I'm afraid."

Little Cui was frantic: "What can we do?... Sister, you must let me see the young master, no matter what. This is urgent and cannot be delayed."

Then... come in!

Little Cui followed Xiao Tao into the main hall. Lin Jialiang, lying on the bed, was startled the moment he saw the woman: "Little Cui, why you? Has something happened to Yu Lou...?"

"Second Young Master!" Little Cui said. "Do you know that Sister Yu Lou is holding her Ci Lou banquet today?"

Ci Lou—a step every courtesan must take. In youth, they sell smiles in brothels; as years pass and they no longer suit the trade, retiring to marry into a wealthy family as a concubine is the best outcome. Though Yu Lou was the top courtesan of Jade Fragrance Tower, she could not escape this rule of the brothel world.

Lin Jialiang stared blankly: "She once said she would retire, but I did not know it would be today... She sent you here to..."

"I sneaked out today without my sister knowing. Last night, she secretly hid the invitation Jade Fragrance Tower sent to you, hoping you would not attend the Ci Lou banquet. She knows that Zhang Xiu, son of the Minister of War, has joined forces with the scholars of Qu Prefecture to cut off your path as a scholar. Attending any literary gathering is fraught with danger for you... I also know my sister is right, but I still worry. Zhang Xiu has declared he will carry my sister home from the banquet. How can she resist? If she falls into that pit of fire... how can she ever turn back and relive the Mid-Autumn night talk with you?"

Lin Jialiang's heart was a tangled mess, his whole body trembling...

Madam Lin sighed softly: "Second Son, Yu Lou's concerns are truly reasonable. You should rest and recover, and wait to see how things unfold."

"But... but the Zhang family..." Lin Jialiang's chest heaved violently, a faint flush of red appearing on his pale face.

Madam Lin said: "The Zhang family plotted your father's ruin and cannot bear to see the Lin family rise again. As the only scholar in the Lin family, you are a thorn in their eye and a splinter in their flesh. Everyone knows the Zhang family wants to cut off your scholarly path. Now that you have lost the protection of the marquis estate, even if you were healthy, going would be perilous. Let alone in your current state—going would be meaningless and would only drag Yu Lou down..."

Lin Jialiang stared blankly at the ceiling, then suddenly broke into a violent cough. When he pulled his hand from his mouth, his palm was stained with a shocking splash of fresh blood...

Madam Lin was horrified. She wiped the blood from her son's mouth with her sleeve and helped him lie down...

Little Cui was also stunned, staring blankly, her face pale as well.

Lin Su gently tugged at her. Little Cui followed him out of the room in a daze.

Once outside, Little Cui thumped to her knees before Lin Su: "Young Master, I truly did not expect this. Causing Second Young Master to cough up blood and collapse—it is my fault..."

"Little Cui, I know you meant well. Thank you!" Lin Su helped her up. "You have seen my second brother's condition... Can the Ci Lou banquet be postponed?"

"No. The invitations have already been sent out," Little Cui replied.

Lin Su pondered for a long moment: "Then... I will go!"

Little Cui was shocked. You go? That is a literary gathering. Are you a scholar?

"You go back first. I will head there shortly."

Little Cui hesitated, then pulled an invitation from her bosom and said: "Third Young Master, this invitation was drafted by the brothel owner. Sister Yu Lou hid it after seeing it, and I secretly took it back. I truly do not know if this is right or wrong. Discuss it with Second Young Master and decide. I am leaving now."

She turned and left.

Lin Su opened the red invitation. On it was written in neat regular script: "Respectfully presented to Lin Jialiang, one of the Ten Beauties of Qu Prefecture. On the twenty-first day of the fourth month at noon, a farewell banquet for Lady Yu Lou will be held at Haining Tower. Your presence is cordially requested."

The signature at the bottom read: Jade Fragrance Tower.

Ci Lou banquet. A gathering of scholars. The Ten Beauties of Qu Prefecture...

Lin Su's mind replayed what Little Cui and his mother had just said...

Using the literary gathering to cut off Second Brother's scholarly path? He knew that a scholar's path was the way forward for a man of letters, but could a single banquet sever someone's path? How? Why did Mother say it was so perilous?

The gathering was at noon—two or three hours away. He needed to fully understand this world's path of literature.

Lin Su walked toward his second brother's study...