The vast Peace Prefecture Marquis Estate had faded vermilion lacquer and desolate courtyards.
Though it appeared to retain the grand regulations of a noble lineage, everything within exuded the declining air of a river flowing ever downward.
The Peace Prefecture Marquis Estate had once commanded an entire region. Its rank was lofty, its position weighty, and it held both military and civil authority. It had been the undisputed foremost clan of Peace Prefecture.
But after generations of change and struggles at court, the Lin Family's power had shrunk year by year.
Its military authority had been stripped away, its real power had fallen into others' hands, and most of its descendants were mediocre and incapable of bearing great responsibilities.
The enormous marquis estate had no one to bridge the gap between old and young, no successor to carry it on. It had long become a fallen noble house with nothing but an empty title—no real power, no greater momentum.
These past years, Lin Zhenyue had guarded his inherited but hollow title, constrained at every turn by the prefectural civil officials and military generals. He retreated step by step, treading carefully.
He could only watch as the estate's accumulated foundation was steadily consumed, powerless to turn the tide.
The only hope of the entire Lin Family was his third legitimate son, who had entered Wenxin Academy.
Lin Zhenyue had placed all his life's expectations, all his obsession with reviving the Lineage, upon this genius son.
Inside the main hall, Lin Zhenyue sat before his desk, his brows dark and heavy, unable to conceal the loneliness accumulated over so many years.
When he saw his beloved son enter the hall, his expression eased slightly. He asked warmly, "Jingtan, what has you in such a hurry?"
Lin Jingtan bowed in salute and reported