Finest Servant

Chapter 479 A Love Letter to Sister An

"Of course it's true," Xian'er purred, pleased with herself. "Husband, you may not know this, but my master has specially prepared hundreds of love bugs for this matchmaking. She told me herself, every man she takes a liking to will receive one. That way, they will be forever loyal to her, never betraying her."

"Hundreds of love bugs?" Lin Wanrong inhaled sharply, fuming. "So you're telling me, Sister An is preparing to select a hundred robust men? Preposterous! Absolutely preposterous! How could she do this to me—to us?"

Sister An was cunning and versatile, fearless of heaven and earth. In her case, there was nothing she couldn't do; the unimaginable was the only limit. Lin Wanrong clenched his teeth in exasperation, wishing he could sprout wings and fly to the Miao village right now, drag that bewitching woman to a bed, and interrogate her ruthlessly.

Seeing his heightened fury, his face flushing red, Xian'er giggled. "Husband, what's the rush? Whoever my master chooses has nothing to do with us. If she picks someone neither of us approves of, we can simply find a way to sabotage them. I doubt she would mind; she loves me the most, after all."

‘When there are no men around, she indeed loves you the most. But once men enter the picture, who knows who she'll favor?’ Lin Wanrong shook his head. He prided himself on his way with women, fearless whether they were young or old, slender or robust. But Sister An was the exception. She seemed close yet remained distant, elusive like a wisp of smoke, covered in thorns that made her untouchable. He had zero confidence around her.

"No, it won't do," Lin Wanrong grumbled, grabbing Xian'er's small hand. "My darling, write a letter to your master right away. Tell her that selecting her future husband isn't just her business, but the concern of our entire family. As the saying goes, the commands of the parents and the words of the disciple must be respected. She can't make that decision without our approval. We must at least wait until I return from the North and meet this man in person. He must be superior in martial arts, more talented in writing, and smarter than me—and even better looking—bah! Do you think such a man even exists?"

Xian'er thought for a moment, then smiled. "Meeting all those criteria would indeed be challenging, but exceptions might exist. However, in my eyes, no matter how strong or handsome he might be, he will never compare to my husband."

"My wife truly loves me the most," Lin Wanrong said, gratefully rubbing her soft, delicate hand. "In that case, Xian'er, hurry and write that letter. Tell your master we're only looking out for her best interests. Men as exceptional as me are rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns—irreplaceable and incomparable. She shouldn't even think about comparing others to me, not that I'm worried—"

Lin Wanrong was momentarily startled but quickly laughed it off. "I was merely making an analogy. Don't get any wrong ideas, Xian'er. I'm genuinely concerned for Sister An. Imagine if she got entranced by someone's sweet talk and ended up with a worthless man. That would be like sticking cow dung on a beautiful flower. Not only would she regret it, but we'd also feel heartbroken, wouldn't we?"

Xian'er remained unmoved, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on him, as though searching for clues in his words and actions.

Though Lin Wanrong's skin was as thick as a city wall, he found it hard to withstand her piercing gaze. His face flushed slightly, and he chuckled awkwardly, bowing his head. "The moon is too harsh tonight; it's turned my face red. Xian'er, I'll send you some sunscreen tomorrow. It'll come in handy when you're under the moon. I promise, it's something nobody else has used!"

Xian'er let out a cold laugh, "I don't need it. You can give it to someone else."

Lin Wanrong chuckled mysteriously, "Then, I'll give it to Qingxuan—"

"How dare you!" Miss Qin grabbed his arm tightly, her voice filled with menace. Lin Wanrong yelped in pain, his face twisted as if the wound had been touched.

"Husband—" Xian'er was startled and hurriedly loosened her grip, full of remorse. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to."

Lin Wanrong kissed her on the cheek, speaking softly, "Silly girl, you're my little darling. Even if you tore me to pieces, I wouldn't blame you. That sunscreen was specially prepared for you; I wouldn't give it to anyone else."

Miss Qin hummed softly, bowing her head in shame, "Husband, you're so good to me."

‘This girl is not easy to manage,’ thought Lin Wanrong, amused. His expression suddenly turned solemn, "Actually, I'm not as good as you think. I admit, I had ulterior motives when I spoke to you earlier—"

Xian'er looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears, on the verge of crying.

Lin Wanrong placed his large hand over her mouth, preventing her from speaking, and forced a bitter smile, "Look at you, jumping to conclusions again. Actually, I was worried that you would feel hurt when your master gets married—"

"Why would I feel hurt?" Upon hearing it wasn't what she had imagined, Miss Qin felt a weight lifted off her, gazing confusedly at her husband.

Lin Wanrong spoke seriously, "As the saying goes, a woman marries outward. Xian'er, think carefully. Ever since you've been with me, haven't you grown distant from your master?"

Xian'er pondered and nodded slightly, showing a hint of guilt, "Indeed, before I met you, my master and I were inseparable, sharing a bed every night. But since I met you, she has rarely crossed my mind, and I seldom consider her feelings. I've let her down!"

"That's the point," Lin Wanrong nodded seriously, "It's a natural phenomenon. For a woman will marry one day, and her husband will become her priority. Similarly, if your master marries, her husband will also become her priority, relegating you to a secondary role. She will no longer think of you first when it comes to good things. How would you feel about this shift after two decades of close familial ties?"

Putting herself in her master's shoes, Miss Qin realized Lin Wanrong had a point. She hung her head low, "I don't know, but my master wouldn't be so heartless."

"I hope so too," Lin Wanrong gently patted her shoulder to comfort her, craftily instigating, "My darling, don't worry. Even if you are no longer the number one in your master's heart, you will always be the number one in mine!"

‘Ah, Buddha, it's a tie for first, along with Qiaoqiao, Ning’er, the Eldest Miss, Qingxuan, and so on; there's no particular order!’ Feeling guilty, he quickly added that sentiment in his mind.

His words were eloquent and vivid, so compelling that even the stones on the ground could bloom. Swept up by his sweet talk, Qin Xian'er considered her own situation and found it increasingly convincing. She burst into gentle sobs and threw herself into his arms: "Husband, I want to be the number one in your heart and also in my master's heart. Help me! Husband, Xian'er loves you the most—"

"This will be difficult to accomplish!" Lin Wanrong, relishing the kiss Xian'er offered, beamed with joy but feigned deep thought as he sighed, "When it rains, it pours, and when Sister An decides to marry, who can stop her?"

"Then I'll make sure Master doesn't get married!" Xian'er defiantly hummed, her eyes shimmering.

Lin Wanrong looked earnestly solemn as he said leisurely, "How can we do such a thing? Your master is seeking her own happiness, which is a natural course of human life. How could we deliberately sabotage that? I'm not that kind of person!"

"That won't do. I want to be with Master forever and cannot allow any other men near her. I don't care; Husband, you must find a way. Otherwise, you're not allowed to kiss me for three hours!" Miss Qin spoke resolutely.

What a terrifying punishment! Lin Wanrong took a sharp breath, held back a smile, and sighed softly, "Xian'er, why must you torment me like this? I really can't think of any way around it—she has to marry someone, doesn't she?"

"Then let her marry you—" In her urgency, Miss Qin said something she shouldn't have. Realizing her mistake, she quickly covered her mouth, her face flushing between red and white, visibly annoyed.

"How could that be possible?!" Lin Wanrong reacted with extreme intensity; had he not been crippled, he would've leaped up. "Xian'er, how could you even think of such a thing? It's horrifying! Even if you're willing, Sister An wouldn't agree—even if she agreed, I haven't considered it!"

He appeared utterly serious and somber, speaking as though he were a moral lecturer. To the uninformed observer, he might have appeared to be a virtuous scholar teaching a lesson on ethics.

Miss Qin glanced at him, a look between smiling and not, and said discontentedly, "Husband, what are you talking about? What's this about willingness? What I mean is, if Master is to marry, she can only marry the person that you and I like, where on earth has your mind wandered off to?"

"Ah—" Lord Lin suddenly found himself dumbfounded. Catching Xian'er's peculiar gaze, he finally realized he'd been played by this wily girl. What an oversight!

Miss Qin was also incredibly clever. Seeing his realistic performance, she secretly scoffed and said leisurely, "Of course, I won't let Master marry some unknown person. But as for the letter you mentioned, as a disciple, how could I possibly write it? It might be more effective if you write it; I believe the outcome would be far better than if I were to write it myself."

‘Should I write?’ Lin Wanrong felt a stir within him; the idea was indeed tempting. But upon witnessing Xian'er's probing gaze, he realized that she had set a trap for him. This left him in a dilemma. If he didn't write, he would seem guilty; if he did write, how could he produce a love letter that would move both himself and Sister An under the scrutiny of this young lady?

A servant brought ink, brush, and paper. Miss Qin rolled up her sleeves and personally ground the ink, appearing genuinely sincere.

"Husband, will you write or not?" Seeing Lin Wanrong's hesitation, Qin Xian'er pouted her rosy lips, humming softly. Her smooth, jade-like wrist glimmered faintly under the dim light.

"What is there to fear? Thank you for preparing the ink, Princess!" Lin Wanrong chuckled and grabbed the brush. He quickly began to write on the pure white sheet of paper.

His movements were swift, finishing in the blink of an eye. Qin Xian'er glanced at it and found herself momentarily stunned. On the clean paper were only three words—'Difficult to Speak!'

The characters were awkward and crooked, the calligraphy barely better than a child's who was still in school. If not for the few traces of force in his strokes, it would have been no better than a scribble.

‘No wonder my husband never uses a brush; it turns out he has never attended school!’ Qin Xian'er covered her mouth and laughed. "Husband, who taught you this unique style of writing? It's so distinctive that no one else could possibly learn it!"

"Your praise is too kind. I practiced randomly and ended up like this. As the saying goes, it's not about learning well but marrying well. See, didn't I marry a princess of unparalleled beauty?" Lin Wanrong burst into hearty laughter, handing the paper to Xian'er.

"Always the chatterbox." Hearing his praise, Miss Qin was secretly pleased and shyly said, "In Xian'er's view, it's not about learning well but marrying well. Am I right, Husband?"

"Right, right. Learning well is not as good as marrying well; you are truly wise," Lin Wanrong playfully agreed. How valuable it was for Xian'er to have this insight!

After a bout of laughter, Qin Xian'er stared at the three awkward words and softly read, "'Difficult to Speak.' Is this all you have to say in the letter? Even I don't understand its meaning; how will my Master?"

"'Difficult to Speak.' If she doesn't understand, then consider it unwritten!" For the first time writing a love letter to Sister An, it may have been ugly, but it was from the heart. Lin Wanrong smiled, his expression a bit wistful.

Unable to decipher the cryptic message, but reassured that he had not written anything inappropriate, Qin Xian'er carefully sealed the letter and instructed someone to deliver it overnight.

"What time is it? Why hasn't there been any movement from Gao Qiu?" Perhaps it was Sister An affecting his emotions, or maybe it was being under Xian'er's watchful eyes, but Lin Wanrong became increasingly restless.

"Sir, since Prince Cheng is no longer in the residence, is there still a need for all this effort?" Xian'er asked, puzzled.

"Not in the residence?" Lin Wanrong grinned, "All the better. The work that needs to be done can't be overlooked. I'll make him regret it—as the saying goes, it's not feces, but it's just as bad!" Hearing this, Qin Xian'er blushed and lightly spat in disapproval.

"Dry weather, be cautious with fire!" As they waited, the sound of the night watchman's call suddenly rang out from the mansion across the street, echoing twice. Lin Wanrong's face lit up with joy. "Success!"

Before the words had even left his lips, a loud "boom" resounded from the side walls of the mansion opposite them. Twin plumes of fire erupted, reaching for the sky and engulfing the area in a thick smoke that rose up into the clouds. The vivid flames illuminated everyone's faces, casting them in a rosy hue, as if the dawn had been reborn.

"It's started!" Qin Xian'er exclaimed, her face a mixture of astonishment and delight. "Gao Qiu has made his move!"

Patting his sore thigh lightly, Lin Wanrong sneered, "You set fire to my family's home; I set fire to yours. Now we're even!"

In the midst of the flames, several bodyguards appeared, asking excitedly, "Sir, shall we make our move?"

"Not yet," Lin Wanrong replied with a shake of his head and a smile. "This mansion is so large, it will burn for at least a few days. Besides, there's real gold and silver inside, and those won't melt easily."

Everyone stared at the roaring fire, feeling its heat even from a distance. They remained silent.

"Water, water! Quickly, put out the fire!" A cacophony of desperate shouts emerged from the mansion, the loudest among them belonging to Gao Qiu.

"Water? Where is the water leaking?" A robust shout followed as thousands of armored soldiers, neatly arranged and exuding an aura of deadly intent, approached. A young junior officer asked loudly upon arriving at the scene.

"General, it's Prince Cheng's mansion that's on fire. Driven by the wind, the flames have spread throughout. If we don't act soon, the fire could spread further. However, the mansion's doors are tightly shut, and we can't get them open!" A scout reported.

The young junior officer quickly waved his hand. "Under the Emperor's watch, how could we let a fire rage in Prince Cheng's mansion? Everyone, dismount! Break down the doors and bring out the fire hoses; follow me to save the Prince!"

A sea of soldiers rushed towards the mansion like a gust of wind. The first wave of scouts began pounding on the mansion's grand, red-lacquered doors, shouting, "Open the doors quickly! We're from the city guard, here to put out the fire!"

After what felt like an eternity, a trembling voice from inside finally responded, "How dare you! This is Prince Cheng's mansion; who gave you the right to enter?"

The young junior officer drew his sword with a swish and roared, "The mansion is ablaze and the doors are closed. Could someone be plotting against the Prince? Who dares commit such a crime under the Emperor's nose? Men, break down these doors and save the Prince!"

On his command, soldiers lifted logs and smashed against the doors. With a series of crashes, the grand entrance collapsed. Like a flood breaking its banks, thousands of soldiers surged in, trampling over the fire hoses lying on the ground.

Lin Wanrong watched in secret amusement. ‘That young man Xu Zhen certainly prepared well, with fire hoses and logs and all. Quite the tactician.’ With a wave of his hand, his bodyguards followed, swarming into the mansion like hungry wolves.

Qin Xian'er furrowed her brow, "That general looks familiar. I think I've seen him in Shandong before—Oh, Husband, he's one of your subordinates—"

"That's not my concern. He's the city defense general," Lin Wanrong said, feigning seriousness.

Qin Xian'er nodded with a smile, "Whatever you say, Husband. Now that the mansion is breached, what do we do next?"

"Burning down a mansion is easy. What comes next is the real challenge," Lin Wanrong replied, chuckling mischievously. "Xian'er, shall we go inside? The mansion is so large; I could show you some interesting things."

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