After Lin Zhao left the capital, Lin Yao became even busier.

The newly reconstructed Great Chu needed much work to be done.

The Emperor and Empress Consort worked tirelessly day and night to manage the affairs of state.

With Qin Jian overseeing everything, those like Lin Yao, who were serving as ministers, dared not take any leisure time.

Lin Yao had once been penalized with half a year’s salary reduction.

During that period, courtiers noticed how frugal his life had become.

He would start his day with salted vegetable buns for breakfast and have the free military camp meals for lunch.

Sometimes, to also grab dinner, he would finish his unfinished military tasks in the camp before returning home.

Initially, everyone thought General Lin was just diligent and focused solely on military matters.

It wasn’t until an official, pretending to visit but actually aiming to propose marriage to Lin Yao, went to the Lin residence and found that apart from the granted mansion, there were hardly any servants in the entire household.

Boiling water and cooking were all taken care of by Lin Yao’s personal soldiers.

When the soldiers were overwhelmed, Lin Yao would even cook himself.

The visiting official was almost shocked speechless and asked Lin Yao, “General, why doesn’t your household hire some servants?”

Lin Yao replied, “It costs money.”

The official was left speechless by these three words.

He had originally intended to act as a matchmaker, but seeing the situation in the Lin household, he didn’t dare say another word.

Upon returning, he recounted Lin Yao’s impoverished situation to the family who had considered proposing marriage to him.

Originally, they valued Lin Yao’s talent and had sent someone to make the match.

However, upon learning about Lin’s extreme poverty, they feared their daughter would suffer if she married into such circumstances.

After much consideration, they decided to withdraw their proposal.

Lin Yao spent most of his time eating and living in the military camp.

It wasn’t that he was diligent in military affairs, but rather the news of his impoverished household relying on the camp for sustenance spread like wildfire.

His comrades, who were close to Lin Yao, generously offered to treat him to meals and drinks, and some even offered to provide him with servants.

With his little treasury accounts in hand, Lin Yao couldn’t understand how the situation had been so misconstrued.

However, after the news of his extreme poverty spread, most of the people who had considered proposing marriage to him withdrew their intentions.

Lin Yao was relieved by the quietness and didn’t bother to defend himself.

Mainly, he refrained from defending himself because if he did, his comrades would see him as too proud to accept help, and they would find ways to secretly assist him.

After futile attempts to clarify, Lin Yao grew weary of explaining.

Unfortunately, this matter reached the ears of Chu Chengji.

Even some courtiers interceded on Lin Yao’s behalf.

In court, Chu Chengji gave Lin Yao a cold glance and, in accordance with the wishes of the officials, reduced his penalty to three months.

However, right after court, as Lin Yao exited the Golden Phoenix Hall, he was intercepted by a eunuch. “General Lin, His Majesty requests your presence.”

Lin Yao knew he couldn’t avoid a round of questioning and reluctantly went to the side hall to meet Chu Chengji.

Chu Chengji asked him, “I heard the Lin mansion can’t even afford to open a pot?”

Lin Yao honestly explained, “It’s all just rumors. After Azhao left for the Northern Barbarians, and I, being a rough man, am not accustomed to being attended to by others, there are hardly any servants left in the mansion. Earlier, when Minister Zhang visited my mansion, he misunderstood.”

Chu Chengji raised an eyebrow. “I reduced your salary for half a year, but this salary has been calculated since you followed me to the Liangyan Mountains. As a second-rank general, your mansion can’t even afford to keep a servant?”

Lin Yao replied, “I’m saving money to get married.”

Chu Chengji asked, “Which girl have you set your eyes on? I’ll grant you a marriage.”

Lin Yao hesitated for a moment, then smiled, “I come from humble origins and don’t know how to court. If the girl doesn’t fancy me, it might embarrass her if Your Majesty arranges a marriage. I would rather go myself to propose.”

Chu Chengji, seeing his determination, said, “As you wish.”

As Lin Yao left the side hall, his mind was not at peace.

The longer he stayed in Bianjing, the more secrets he heard.

For instance, the daughter of the Lu family was not only the Emperor’s cousin but also nearly became the Crown Princess.

Once, he watched as she stepped out of a carriage, feeling worlds apart from her.

Now, although he held the rank of second-rank official, compared to families like the Lu’s, he still felt like worlds apart.

If he could have Chu Chengji’s decree of marriage, all his worries would vanish, and he could marry that precious girl.

But the gap between them was like that between clouds and mud.

He couldn’t ascend to the clouds, so he could only drag her down into the mud.

How could he pull such a refined girl into the mud?

His heart wrestled with these thoughts, but Lin Yao knew that to confidently propose to the Lu family, he needed to become a cloud himself.

While he worked hard to save up the betrothal gifts and propose to the Lu family, the attempts never ceased.

Lin Yao kept a close eye on the Lu family’s movements.

Courtiers said the Lu family had some interest in marriage proposals.

The noble families were all politely refused.

Instead, a few ordinary commoners caught the Lu family’s attention.

The Ministry of Revenue had a deputy minister who was known for his honesty and loyalty, and it seemed he had caught the Lu family’s attention.

Lin Yao had seen this man before.

He heard that he was a devoted son with a blind mother.

When he went to the capital to take the imperial examination, as there was no one to look after his mother, he brought her along.

Despite his many virtues, his family was truly impoverished.

Moreover, he was plain-looking, with no outstanding abilities.

For years, no noble family was willing to marry their daughter to him, fearing she would suffer.

The Lu family’s choice of son-in-law left the courtiers puzzled.

The smarter ones could tell that the Lu family deliberately chose to marry their daughter to someone lowly, perhaps to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion.

By selecting someone honest and loyal, they could easily control him.

After returning home, Lin Yao lay on his bed staring at the ceiling all night.

The next day, he took a break from official duties.

He put on his most tattered clothes and shoes and stuffed all the leftover silver and copper coins and gold nuggets that hadn’t been exchanged into a cloth bag, then went to the Lu mansion to propose.

It was probably the first time the master of the Lu household had seen such a proposal.

He stared at the pile of coins poured out of the cloth bag by Lin Yao, speechless for a long while.

Compared to the Ministry of Revenue, Madam Lu seemed to prefer Lin Yao.

He was tall and imposing.

Though equally impoverished, when Lin Yao stood there in his ragged robe, he still appeared somewhat extraordinary.

Moreover, Lin Yao didn’t have a blind mother needing a daughter-in-law to look after her, and his only younger sister was as capable as a son.

The more Madam Lu looked at Lin Yao, the more she liked him.

Lin Yao’s visit to propose marriage surprised the master of the Lu household, but after careful consideration, he politely declined.

Lin Yao wasn’t willing to give up so easily. “Does Master Lu really favor Minister Mou?”

Minister Mou was the Ministry of Revenue whom the Lu family planned to marry their daughter to.

Master Lu sighed, “General Lin is a young talent, holding a high position at a young age and earning His Majesty’s favor.

With the Lu family’s background, if we were to marry General Lin, I’m afraid our family would once again be in the spotlight.”

Lin Yao retorted, “Does Master Lu think so little of His Majesty’s magnanimity? Aren’t you underestimating His Majesty?”

Master Lu could only remain silent.

Seeing Master Lu’s reaction, Lin Yao knew that no matter how much he said, it would be of no use, so he took his leave.

As for the scene between Madam Lu and her husband after the refusal, it’s best not to mention it.

However, Lu Jinyan seemed oblivious, still embroidering her wedding dress in her room as if she didn’t care who she was marrying.

On the day Minister Mo

u came to propose, she saw him through a folding screen.

Her father praised the man’s honesty and loyalty, but Lu Jinyan remained silent, not saying a word.

Her mother, on the other hand, cried several times, lamenting her fate.

Was she really unfortunate?

Lu Jinyan felt that if she said such words, she would likely be ridiculed.

She grew up in luxury and comfort and had never experienced any hardships

But from the time she could understand, she had been nothing but an object whose value was constantly measured by others.

When the Lu family sought power, she was pushed into marriage with a powerful figure.

When the Lu family wanted to humble themselves, she had to be promised to the most reliable commoner her father could find.

Sometimes, Lu Jinyan couldn’t help but feel sorry for herself.

She had spent decades learning how to navigate political intrigue, only to find that she couldn’t even control her own marriage.

Yes, for the children of their prestigious families, it was always about the family’s interests.

After Lin Yao returned home, he had a heavy drinking session.

When he held up the Eastern Pearl he had obtained from Chu Chengji to the moon, it accidentally slipped into the lotus pond outside the pavilion.

Without hesitation, he jumped in to retrieve it.

The guards stationed outside the pavilion thought he had fallen into the water while drunk and rushed to save him.

The pond wasn’t deep, and with autumn coming, the lotus leaves had withered, leaving only the brown stalks.

Lin Yao groped around in the water for a while before retrieving the cracked Eastern Pearl from the mud at the bottom of the pond.

Part of the Eastern Pearl was covered in black mud, but the clean part appeared even more round and shiny.

After gazing at the Eastern Pearl for a while, Lin Yao said to the guard, “Investigate the Revenue Department’s Minister Mu. See if he truly lives up to the rumors of being honest and courteous.”

The investigation results surprised Lin Yao.

Minister Mou had never married, but there was a woman who had been following him without a name or status.

For so many years, it was she who had been taking care of his blind mother.

After the Lu family expressed interest in marrying him, Minister Mu gave the woman some money and sent her back to her hometown.

Lin Yao couldn’t contain his anger and quickly arranged for the Lu family to find out about the woman.

When Minister Mu went to the Lu family to propose again, he was harshly rebuked, and his reputation as a loyal and filial son, cultivated over many years, was shattered.

Lin Yao quickly changed back into his tattered clothes and carried a large bundle of copper and silver to the Lu mansion.

Although he was repeatedly rejected, he had thick skin and went again the next time.

When Qin Zheng heard about these matters, she learned about the ins and outs and realized that the Lu family was being overly cautious.

She had Chu Chengji intervene and give the Lu family some guidance.

Although Chu Chengji hadn’t done anything to the Lu family, their jitteriness was giving everyone a headache.

After receiving instructions from Chu Chengji, the Lu family, finding themselves with a promising son-in-law from a poor family, had no further reservations and quickly arranged the marriage.

Because Lin Yao’s “poverty” had become well-known, before the wedding, all the servants from the Lin residence were personally selected and sent over by Madam Lu.

Madam Lu was quite pleased with her ability to “control” her future son-in-law through finances, which brought her joy for her daughter.

On the day of the wedding, to save face for the “poor son-in-law” Lin Yao, the Lu family didn’t host any extravagant celebrations.

The dowry consisted of a modest sixty-four carriages, but each carriage was packed to the brim, so full that even fingers couldn’t be squeezed in.

The carriers were trembling with exertion, their foreheads beaded with sweat.

Lin Yao hadn’t been this happy in a long time.

During the banquet, he drank several barrels of wine with the generals before finally pretending to be drunk to escape.

When he returned to the bridal chamber and lifted the cover from his bride’s head with a yin-yang balance, he was met with a pair of phoenix eyes devoid of any joy or sorrow.

Lin Yao felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, sobering up instantly.

It seemed that the girl wasn’t happy about marrying him, or perhaps, marrying anyone made no difference to her.

Seeing him standing there motionless, Lu Jinyan thought he was drunk and got up to help him, saying, “Let me help you change clothes, husband.”

The calmness with which Lin Yao spoke this sentence made him even more sober.

“No need, I’ll go to the back chamber to wash up myself,” Lin Yao said, pushing away Lu Jinyan’s hand and striding into the back chamber.

Lu Jinyan watched the swaying bamboo curtain and instructed the maids who had come with her to help.

In the entourage of maids accompanying a daughter from a wealthy family, there were always one or two with exquisite looks, usually to please the future son-in-law.

After two of the beautiful maids entered the back chamber, they quickly came out with pale faces.

One of them nervously said, “It seems that the master’s mood is not very good.”

Lu Jinyan’s expression remained unchanged as she raised her hand to signal for them all to leave.

When Lin Yao came out of the bathing room, Lu Jinyan had already changed into casual clothes and was sitting in front of a bronze mirror, removing her hairpin.

Lin Yao’s hair was damp, his shirt unbuttoned, revealing the solid muscles on his chest.

His expression was unclear as he sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly waiting for Lu Jinyan.

Lu Jinyan knew that this night was probably unavoidable.

After applying a layer of ointment, she walked over.

Lin Yao gestured for her to sit and then pulled out a key and a ledger from under the bright red pillow: “I have some meager assets. I didn’t fully disclose it when I went to propose to your father because I heard that he favored poor children. Since you’re marrying me, you might as well take them. Maybe it’s not as good as your days at the Lu mansion, but you don’t have to make yourself suffer.”

Lu Jinyan took the key and ledger, feeling confused.

Although the two spent the night in the same bed, Lin Yao didn’t overstep any boundaries.

Lu Jinyan was on edge until midnight before falling asleep.

The next day, she inevitably woke up a bit late, and the maids who came to attend to her morning wash covered their mouths and giggled.

Lu Jinyan knew they had misunderstood, but she remained silent.

Lin Yao had three days off for the wedding.

With no in-laws to serve, Lu Jinyan followed him to offer incense to his parents-in-law before returning to their room.

Having been brought up in such a family, Lu Jinyan was skilled in household management.

Although the Lin residence was large, the courtyards had been neglected, with weeds growing everywhere.

After becoming familiar with the residence, Lu Jinyan began to plan how to arrange the courtyard.

She said to Lin Yao, “Plant some bamboo outside your study to make it look more elegant. And plant a few red plum trees along the wall. It’s almost winter, and when it snows, it’ll create a nice atmosphere.”

Lin Yao said, “I’ll do as you say.”

Those four simple words aroused a strange feeling in Lu Jinyan’s heart.

She had grown up in a prestigious family, groomed to be like a beautiful porcelain vase, and they would use those intricate rules and traditions as weapons.

But here, Lu Jinyan suddenly felt that those things were useless.

For several days, the two of them maintained this unspoken distance.

Lin Yao never had servants attend to him while bathing. On the fifth day, when Lin Yao was bathing, she personally went to the back chamber to help him scrub his back.

Lin Yao seemed exhausted from his return from the military camp and fell asleep leaning against the bath tub.

When Lu Jinyan raised her hand to massage his shoulders, her wrist was suddenly twisted forcefully, and the man who had just been sleeping deeply now looked as alert as a leopard.

Lu Jinyan cried out in pain.

Lin Yao realized it was her and quickly let go, asking, “How did you get in?”

With skill, he massaged her wrist a few times and asked, “Does it hurt?”

Lu Jinyan had seen many men look at her, admiring, appreciating, or coveting, but she had never seen someone look at her like Lin Yao did.

He seemed so nervous, as if he were afraid she would be in pain.

The strange feeling in her heart grew stronger.

Lu Jinyan withdrew her hand and said, “It doesn’t hurt. I was worried about General Lin when he didn’t come out for a long time, so I came in to check.”

She said it didn’t hurt, but Lin Yao could clearly see the redness on her wrist.

As if she were made of water.

He said, “I was careless and fell asleep.”

Getting up from the bathtub, Lin Yao prepared to put on clothes and find medicine for Lu Jinyan.

He realized he was naked only when he saw Lu Jinyan avoiding his gaze in a panic.

He hastily put on his clothes, “I… I’ll go get some medicine for you.”

Lu Jinyan wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but because of what she had inadvertently seen just now, her face turned red.

It would be even more embarrassing to stop him now, so she remained silent.

In no time, Lin Yao returned with a cream for promoting blood circulation and relieving stagnation to massage Lu Jinyan’s wrist.

Lu Jinyan sat on the edge of the bed, while Lin Yao knelt on the floor, his wet hair dripping water.

Lu Jinyan had never been treated like this before.

The hand hanging by her side clenched into a fist out of embarrassment.

She seemed to want to repay Lin Yao’s kindness. “Let me dry your hair for you,” she said.

This could be considered the most intimate moment since their marriage, and Lin Yao didn’t refuse.

His hair wasn’t long, but it was thick, making it a bit difficult to dry. Fortunately, Lu Jinyan was patient.

That night, when they fell asleep, she took the initiative to hug Lin Yao’s waist, her face against his broad back.

Lin Yao’s throat tightened. “Jin… Jinyan.”

She softly responded.

Everything that followed felt natural.

She gave herself to him completely.

There was no fear or disgust.

She was a daughter raised by a prestigious family, taught to be a good wife and mother, which was the best advice for a daughter about to get married.

The person she would be facing day and night was him, so it seemed like this lifetime wouldn’t be too difficult to endure.

Lu Jinyan thought that giving herself to him was just fulfilling the duties of a wife, especially since she didn’t reject the man in front of her.

Soon, Lu Jinyan discovered that she was completely wrong.

Lin Yao had none of the arrogance of a noble-born son.

He spared no effort to please her, making her scream and cry at the peak of pleasure.

When she lost herself staring at the canopy, Lu Jinyan suddenly realized that she was no longer the legitimate daughter of the Lu family who always had to maintain her dignity.

Perhaps it was because she was accustomed to the intrigue and indifference of the noble families that Lu Jinyan felt somewhat at a loss when faced with Lin Yao’s passionate nature.

His kindness towards her was unconditional.

It melted away all the calculations and indifference in his sincerity.

She liked reading, and he endured his headaches to accompany her, although he often fell asleep with his head buried in her neck after flipping through a few pages.

She laughed at his ugly handwriting, and he begged her to teach him calligraphy.

However, as they continued, ink stains would soil their clothes and the desk, making it impossible to continue reading.

Seeing that the New Year was approaching and that no one was allowed to enter Lin Yao’s study, Lu Jinyan helped with the cleaning.

Inadvertently, she found a silk box hidden behind a book.

Inside the box was a cracked pearl.

Lu Jinyan rarely saw such a large pearl.

It was a pity that it was cracked and worthless.

Lu Jinyan felt a tightness in her chest.

This pearl seemed like something a woman would like.

Who was the owner of this pearl?

Even though it was cracked, Lin Yao couldn’t bear to throw it away and hid it in such a concealed place.

For a moment, Lu Jinyan felt as if she had been grasped by something in her heart.

Lu Jinyan rejected this feeling.

This wasn’t like her.

When someone pushed open the door of the study from outside, Lu Jinyan instinctively hid the pearl and the silk box behind her back.

Lin Yao saw her guarded and somewhat panicked appearance and asked, “What’s wrong?”

His gaze swept over the bookshelf behind her and noticed that a book had been taken down.

Lin Yao calmly asked, “Did you see it?”

Lu Jinyan handed the pearl and silk box back to him. “I didn’t intentionally search through your things. I was just helping you clean the study and happened to see it.”

She looked up, pretending to be calm, and asked, “Where did such a large pearl come from? It’s a shame it’s cracked.”

Lin Yao smiled and said, “When I was following His Majesty to defeat the Prince of Huaiyang, it was plundered from him.”

He paused and looked at Lu Jinyan. “I wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but it got damaged later, so I kept it hidden.”

Lu Jinyan looked surprised. “For me? You hadn’t even seen me back then.”

Lin Yao said, “I had seen you. When we were in Qingzhou, you and your cousin went to see the Queen, and it was raining lightly that day.”

He seemed to be lost in some memory, his lips slightly lifting.

Lu Jinyan was utterly stunned, looking at the man in front of her.

She felt a sharp pain in her heart.

She snatched the pearl, tightly gripping it in her hand. “How can something meant to be given away be hidden like this?”

This time, it was Lin Yao who was stunned.

Meeting Lu Jinyan’s tearful eyes, he embraced her and smiled gently.

His moonlight had fallen into his arms.

End of the book.