Read Novel Full Chapter 73 (Part 2)
Chapter 73.2 Deputy Magistrate's Plight
Shen Shaoguang then added, "I heard that the Guan Residence’s weapon shop in the West Market has fine swords and long knives, and they can also craft intricate mechanisms. Perhaps I could commission them to create a device that straps to the forearm and releases poison needles when triggered..." This idea was clearly inspired by the
Lin Yan smiled helplessly. "You know that's not what I meant."
This time, it was Shen Shaoguang’s turn to fall silent.
"A’Ji, do you really have no feelings for me?" Lin Yan asked, looking up at her.
Shen Shaoguang met his gaze, and the rejection she had intended to voice was held back when she saw a hint of sadness and grievance in his eyes. She laughed awkwardly and raised her hand to scratch her ear.
"What are you worried about?"
"You probably don't know about my family," he continued. "My grandmother is quite elderly, and she hopes that I can get married soon. She has experienced many ups and downs in her life, making her open-minded and not a stubborn person. Besides..." Lin Yan paused, "my parents had an unhappy marriage, which led to many hardships. My grandmother's only wish is for me to avoid making the same mistakes. She is not particular about my prospective partner. There are two close relatives in our clan back in Hedong who are neither vain nor troublesome. So, you don’t have to worry about my family."
"As for outsiders, there is no need to worry at all. My bride is my bride, regardless." He spoke the last sentence slowly, with a calm and unhurried tone.
She hadn’t expected someone as solemn and prudent as Deputy Magistrate Lin to exhibit a hint of arrogance, reminiscent of the ‘phoenix song satirizing Confucius[2]’.
Shen Shaoguang was the antithesis of Lin Yan. While she appeared unruly on the surface, beneath lay the cautious and rational mind of a modern individual, tinged with a hint of detachment.
As the hope of a declining yet prestigious aristocratic clan—a young jinshi who had passed the imperial examination and risen to become a high-ranking, scarlet-robed official in his twenties—Lin Yan carried the weight of expectations from his clansmen, family, peers, and himself. What were their hopes for his future? How far would he progress in his official career? While marriage between high-ranking families held certain benefits, it should, at the very least, not serve as a hindrance.
Marrying the descendant of a disgraced official would bring the challenge of facing an emperor perpetually suspicious by nature, as well as the scrutiny and possible ostracism from peers... Shen Shaoguang had no doubts about Lin Yan's sincerity at this moment. She even believed that, with his temperament and her economic acumen, they could live in harmony and enjoy a long, blissful marriage. However, she did not want her presence to cause any turbulence in his promising official career..
He might become a significant historical figure, akin to Yao Chong, Song Jing, Wu Yuanheng, or Lu Yunming.
As for his bride-to-be, there are numerous well-bred young ladies in the capital—lively ones, dignified ones, affectionate ones, and interesting ones. Surely, among them, there must be one who suits his taste. Those young ladies would undoubtedly be satisfied with Deputy Magistrate Lin's appearance and temperament, wouldn't they?
Shen Shaoguang felt a pang of jealousy even thinking about it. Damn, my lottery ticket worth 5 million, no, 100 million, was just ripped into shreds in the washing machine! My whole body aches just thinking about it!
Shen Shaoguang, whose whole body was in pain, picked up a peach as if nothing had happened. "This peach is not bad either, it tastes a bit like the honey peaches from Guanzhong. How about giving it a try, Sir? Any later, peaches will be out of season."
Lin Yan watched her silently as Shen Shaoguang continued to peel the peach with calm precision.
She peeled half of the peach, holding it delicately in her slender hands, and took a bite. Her cheeks puffed up, and juice glistened on her lips. She ate with complete focus, as if it were the most delicious peach she had ever tasted.
After finishing, she wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, cleaned her hands, lifted her face, and smiled, her expression warm and inviting.
Seeing her smile, Lin Yan felt a sharp pang in his heart. After a moment, he finally softened his expression and continued to peel water chestnuts for her. "You don't need any purchase sturdy-builded and heights of over three meters male servants. I'll provide you with two."
"I'm not being formal," Shen Shaoguang quickly waved her hand. "It's truly inappropriate. The Grand Chancellor’s gatekeeper is a seventh-ranked official. For the servants of the Deputy Magistrate’s Residence to come to a small tavern to wait tables and serve dishes for me..." Shen Shaoguang understood that in the eyes of Tang Dynasty nobles, ‘slave servants and people of low status were no different than livestock.’ But surely, with Deputy Magistrate Lin's emotional intelligence, he could comprehend the psychological disparity this would cause for his servants, right?
Besides, I have money! What kind of bodyguard can't I buy? Shen Shaoguang felt her nouveau riche confidence surging.
Lin Yan tightened his mouth. It was good for her to have ideas, but she had too many ideas... Lin Yan felt he was wracking his brain even more with her than when dealing with the prisoners in jail.
To reassure him, Shen Shaoguang offered her analysis. "After that incident, the capital’s prison cells must be more secure, and kidnapping the relatives and friends of government repository officials will definitely no longer be feasible."
"As for retaliation... those evildoers have their own objectives. I am just a tool to them. Why would they waste manpower and energy to retaliate against a tool?"
Revenge itself was particularly inconsistent with criminal economics. For a group of people with clear-cut political demands, revenge on a passerby NPC who was most likely prepared for them entailed a high crime cost yet reaped no benefits... the possibility of such an event to occur was little to none.
If those people had insurrection personality disorder and didn't adhere to common sense, Shen Shaoguang would have sought the protection of the authorities without hesitation.
Lin Yan regarded her for a prolonged moment, eventually exposing a helpless smile.
Rising from his seat, he approached the hanging scroll painting adorning the wall. The wutou gate depicted on the white paper was delicately outlined with diluted black ink. A crimson begonia branch extended from the wall, its fallen petals strewn across the floor. In one corner rested a small red seal inscribed with the words ‘Preservation of Previous Adobe’. The script exuded elegance and spiritual purity, a testament to her craftsmanship.
The begonia tree in the backyard... Lin Yan felt a pang of distress once more. Amidst the old pavilions and flourishing flora, everything seemed unchanged, yet people had shifted irrevocably.
In an effort to avoid causing her sadness, Lin Yan glanced at the record, pondered over the inscription on her seal, and coupled it with the style of her father's poetry and literary works. With a gentle smile, he ventured a guess, "This seal is quite distinctive...A magnificent spring vista... Shaohua (Beautiful Spring), perhaps?"
Shen Shaoguang's eyes widened in surprise. How did he manage to make such an accurate guess?!
Shaking her head with a smile, she replied, "Incorrect."
Observing her slightly surprised expression, Lin Yan sensed he was close to the mark. "Fanghua(芳华/Youthful Spring)? Shaoguang (韶光/Beautiful Light)?"
Shen Shaoguang couldn't control herself in the end, and smiled frivolously, "Why don’t you keep guessing?"
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Lin Yan: Unlocked the "Calling My Wife by Her Nickname" achievement and made progress toward guessing my wife's full name, reaching 50% completion.
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Footnotes:
[1] Story pertaining to Torrential Blossom Needles (暴雨梨花针) - It’s the name of a weapon that is mentioned in the wuxia novel series Chu Liuxiang Series by writer Gu Long. I haven’t read the novels, nor watched the movies so I really have no idea on this. You can read more about it here- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_Liuxiang
[2] Phoenix song satirizing Confucius - is a verse from a poem by Li Bai title: ‘To the Royal Inspector Lu Xuzhou: An Idyll on the Lu Mountains to a Folk Song’, but it is specifically referring to Jie Yu, the "Madman of Chu". Jie Yu was apparently a recluse in Chu. Because Confucius in his day was known as someone who went around trying to give advice to rulers, on learning that Confucius was traveling in Chu, Jie Yu approached him and madly sang a song that goes: 'Oh Phoenix, oh Phoenix, how your virtue has died! The past can't be corrected, but the future can still be sought. Stop! Stop! Those who govern today are in danger!' According to Cheng Xuanying, he feigned madness in order to avoid taking office and then fled to the mountains when the king of Chu kept asking him.