The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 42.3

Chapter 42.3

Ever since both his parents passed away, the only person in the world who had been good to him was his brother.

Ji Yue’s eyes turned red involuntarily as he looked at Lin Yanran imploringly. “Savior, you only need to send someone to release the marten when they are three or four li away from the Black Dragon Stronghold. It will naturally lead my brother out. At that time, simply produce the waist token for him to see, and he will surely come!”

“I beg of you, Savior!”

As he spoke, he threw himself to the ground, prostrating himself completely.

Seeing his forehead pressed to the dirt and his tears splashing down, Lin Yanran couldn’t help but sigh and agreed. Seeing Ji Yue like this, Liu Zhenzhen found it hard to say anything more, though she repeatedly cautioned Lin Yanran in private.

Lin Yanran agreed to all of it and went to summon Lin Jianghe, letting Ji Yue teach him how to use the marten. When Lin Jianghe was about to set off, she pulled him aside privately and said, “Leave after you’ve had lunch. There’s no need to rush. Take the easiest roads possible, your own safety is what matters most.”

Moved, Lin Jianghe immediately replied, “My Lord, I understand!”

To her surprise, seeing his resolute expression of ‘fighting to the death to repay her,’ Lin Yanran felt a headache coming on. She was telling the truth, not trying to pump him up! She truly needed Lin Jianghe to walk slower so that he would only reach the Black Dragon Stronghold after dark. Then, by the time he led Ji Xuan back, it would be close to the hour of the Rat. In this way, the three hundred elite soldiers of the Black Dragon Stronghold would be leaderless, and their combat effectiveness would be greatly weakened!

She said earnestly, “Jianghe, are you planning to take a shortcut to go and return quickly, to finish the mission early and put my mind at ease?”

Lin Jianghe hadn’t expected her to see through his thoughts so easily and couldn’t help but act sheepish. “My Lord, how did you know?”

Lin Yanran’s face turned stern as she said solemnly, “Do you know that the more you rush like this, the less at ease I feel? If so, how would I ever dare to entrust important matters to you in the future?”

Lin Jianghe was shocked, his face becoming frantic and uneasy as he stammered, “My Lord, I’ll listen… I’ll listen to you.”

Only then did Lin Yanran say in a softened voice, “Now I command you: do not rush. You must take the easiest roads and prioritize your own safety above all else. You absolutely must not take shortcuts just to show off in front of me. Can you do that?”

Lin Jianghe froze. These words sounded harsh, but they were clearly filled with his Lord’s deep concern for him! His face flushed with emotion, and looking at Lin Yanran like a young soldier looking at his most admired general, he puffed out his chest and said, “My Lord, I can do it!”

Only then was Lin Yanran satisfied.

Next, she went to the boat to find Gu Yuwan and Wang Shouchun. As expected, the two were discussing the details of the land-share and gold-investment schemes. Upon her arrival, Wang Shouchun immediately produced the organized regulations for her to review.

Scanning the document, Lin Yanran saw that the clauses were clearly stated and everything aligned perfectly with her intentions. She was secretly impressed and asked, “Who wrote this?”

Before Wang Shouchun could answer, Gu Yuwan interjected, “Savior, Sister Wang wrote it. You really found the right person to be my partner!”

They had only met yesterday, yet today they were already close enough to call each other sisters. Lin Yanran thought to herself that Wang Jinghong was right—his sister truly was extraordinary. She was graceful in her dealings, meticulous in her work, and her power of comprehension far exceeded ordinary people. These schemes were essentially the shareholding system of the future; Lin Yanran had only briefly mentioned a few key points, yet what Wang Shouchun wrote was almost exactly what she wanted.

Lin Yanran’s spirits rose. She pointed out a few minor deficiencies and spoke with them in detail about the essence and benefits of the shareholding system. Wang Shouchun listened while making edits on the side. By noon, she had already listed out the new regulations.

More satisfied than ever, Lin Yanran said, “Excellent. Yuwan is an expert in business, so I won’t participate in the remaining details. You two figure them out.”

Gu Yuwan wanted her to stay on the boat for lunch, but Lin Yanran politely declined. “I must go back to accompany your sister-in-law.”

Wang Shouchun blinked, leaning over to whisper into Gu Yuwan’s ear, “Savior won’t even miss a single meal. I suppose the sister-in-law must be a celestial beauty, keeping the Savior constantly worried and pining?” Her watery eyes were full of mischief as she glanced toward Lin Yanran.

Lin Yanran thought: Exactly, exactly. I don’t dare miss a single meal. After all, every meal is a tool for me to earn favor and save my life. How would I dare miss one?

Gu Yuwan became animated at this topic and took Wang Shouchun’s hand. “Sister Wang, you’re right! Let me tell you, sister-in-law is so, so beautiful—more beautiful than a fairy. Savior and sister-in-law are super in love, Savior buys her whatever she wants…”

Lin Yanran thought: Yeah, yeah, we’re “super in love.” We only slept together for the first time last night, and when she woke up, she loved me so much she wanted to kill me. My face is still burning with pain… Sigh, I can’t talk about it. I have to hurry back and earn more favor, or my life will be forfeit.

She said to Wang Shouchun, “Miss Wang, please press the Village Elder this afternoon. It would be best if he sends the land deeds over quickly. I’ll leave Lin Feng at your disposal.”

Wang Shouchun immediately understood her meaning and said with a smile, “Please rest assured, My Lord. I have remembered every word of the golden advice you gave yesterday. After breakfast this morning, I already sent Lin Feng to notify the Village Elder.”

Lin Yanran couldn’t help but sigh—a daughter of a military family truly caught on quickly. She showed a look of satisfaction and nodded. “Good.”

Returning home, she saw Chen Xiaohua carrying out the dishes. She took them and placed them on the table in the central hall, then walked into the bedroom. “Mingyue, the weather is nice today and the sunlight is beautiful. Shall we eat in the hall?”

Youqin Mingyue had been writing all morning and was currently rubbing her aching wrists. Lin Yanran hurried over to support her hand. Youqin Mingyue’s gaze turned sharp, but then she realized Lin Yanran was holding her wrist and massaging it. The pressure was perfect—much more comfortable than her own rubbing.

Her expression softened slightly, and she nodded. “Very well.”

After massaging her wrist, Lin Yanran picked up her other hand, examined it carefully, and fetched some ointment to apply it meticulously. Youqin Mingyue stared at her; she noticed once again that when this woman did things, she possessed a focus and seriousness that others lacked. At this moment, Lin Yanran looked rather pleasing to the eye.

She turned her face away. After applying the ointment, Lin Yanran proactively picked her up.

The two ate quietly in the hall. For lunch, they had chicken soup again, but this time it wasn’t chicken stewed with mushrooms; it was chicken stewed with red dates. The freshness of the chicken blended with the sweetness of the dates, making it very delicious. Lin Yanran first served her a bowl of soup, then fished out a chicken leg, removed the skin and bones, and placed the meat in her bowl.

Youqin Mingyue ate in silence. Lin Yanran immediately fished out another piece of skinless chicken meat for her. Youqin Mingyue ate that in silence too, only for another piece to be placed in her bowl.

She couldn’t help but stare at Lin Yanran. Lin Yanran said ingratiatingly, “Mingyue, your body is weak. Eat more to nourish yourself. Today’s chicken is very tender.”

Youqin Mingyue withdrew her gaze and continued eating silently. As soon as she finished that piece, she put down her chopsticks. Lin Yanran’s hand, which was in the middle of picking up a fourth piece of chicken, stopped in mid-air.

Youqin Mingyue looked at her with interest. Lin Yanran’s hand made a turn, placing the chicken in her own bowl, and she began eating it with gusto.

While eating, she said, “Mingyue, since there’s nothing much to do this afternoon, let’s have tea and soak up the sun under the veranda. I’ll brew you a pot of tea you’ve never had before; you’ll definitely like it.”

Tea I’ve never had before? Youqin Mingyue felt a spark of curiosity and agreed.

After the meal, Youqin Mingyue intended to go back to the room to change her dress. She found that Lin Yanran had followed her in. Lin Yanran began organizing the calligraphy sheets she had written that morning, straightening each one out. Then, she found a wooden chest and placed them inside with great solemnity.

She said, “These are all your masterpieces. I must collect them. Perhaps they can even be passed down as family heirlooms in the future.”

Youqin Mingyue looked at her strangely. Her calligraphy had been taught by a grandmaster and was indeed a masterpiece of the age, but she wrote dozens of sheets every time she needed to calm her mind. Even the eunuchs in the Princess Manor couldn’t keep up with organizing them. To prevent them from leaking out and being used by people with ill intentions, she usually ordered the eunuchs to burn them.

Is this commoner taking them a bit too seriously? Even calling them family heirlooms? The feeling in her heart was strange, yet undeniably gratifying.

Lin Yanran solemnly locked the wooden chest and then went out to brew the tea. By the time Youqin Mingyue came to the veranda, she saw that the table and chairs were set, and a small red clay stove had been lit in the courtyard. A ceramic teapot sat on the stove, bubbling away. The lid of the teapot was hopping from the force of the boiling water, making a pleasant clinking sound. A sweet aroma of chrysanthemum emerged.

“Chrysanthemum tea?”

Lin Yanran used a cloth to protect her hand and lifted the teapot. There were no cups on the table, but rather two white porcelain bowls. As the tea was poured, Youqin Mingyue saw it clearly: golden tea liquid with two bloomed golden chrysanthemums floating in it, garnished with red dates and goji berries. Against the white porcelain bowl, the colors were beautiful. It smelled fragrant as well.

Lin Yanran smiled and said, “Mingyue, you guessed right. It is chrysanthemum tea. I added sugar frost; it’s very delicious.”

Youqin Mingyue picked it up and took a sip. It was indeed sweeter and more refreshing than the chrysanthemum tea in the palace. She unwittingly drank a whole bowl.

Lin Yanran sat with her for a while before heading out to work again. She finally had time to visit the mother and daughter who had sold her their land to see the condition of the fields. To her surprise, the moment the mother and daughter saw her, they burst into tears.

It turned out that Lin Dahai had thought that since all the land was being sold to the pharmaceutical workshop, wouldn’t this mother and daughter get another sum of money? He immediately became greedy and intimidated them into handing over the ten taels of silver they had received for the land. He claimed that everyone’s land was being requisitioned and theirs was included, and that someone would give them the land money later. The poor mother and daughter had no one to rely on and no way to complain. Threatened into not telling Lin Yanran the truth, they could only wash their faces with tears at home.

Lin Yanran was furious. She turned and left, heading straight for Lin Dahai’s house. This time she didn’t restrain herself at all. Since the original owner of the body was a hoodlum and a rogue, she played that part to the extreme. She dragged Lin Shan—who was paralyzed in bed but still bossing people around, ordering Lin Cuicui to feed him red dates—out of bed. She swung her hands left and right, slapping his face until it looked like a pig’s head.

Lin Dahai was scared out of his wits and lunged at her to hit her. Lin Yanran dodged easily. She wasn’t in a hurry; she slapped Lin Shan a few more times and said slowly, “Uncle, you are my elder, so I can’t do anything to you. But if you push me too far—you know what my temper used to be like. I nearly beat my own wife to death. As for this dog-thing of yours, I’ll hit him whenever I want. From now on, I’ll come hit him once every day!”

Saying this, she looked at Lin Shan, who was so scared he had wet his pants, and grinned savagely. “Cousin Shan, if I see you acting high and mighty again, I’ll visit you every day. For every wound on Cuicui’s body, there will be a new wound on yours. Do I make myself clear?”

Lin Shan was terrified. Although he was paralyzed, he still wanted to live and act superior. He immediately nodded his head like a woodpecker. “Un… understand!”

Seeing her beat his precious son like this, Lin Dahai was so angry he fell to the ground throwing a tantrum, crying and cursing Lin Yanran for being unfilial. Lin Cuicui was so anxious she cried, secretly trying to pull Lin Yanran away, wanting her to leave quickly. She wasn’t afraid of being beaten herself; she was afraid of Lin Yanran being blamed.

Lin Yanran glanced at her. Lin Cuicui hadn’t shown her face for several days, and now her face was covered in wounds. Not only were her cheeks swollen and bleeding, but a patch of her scalp was even bald. Needless to say, she had been brutally beaten by Lin Shan and Lin Dahai.

Lin Yanran’s face turned livid. Standing there looking at the wailing Lin Dahai, she sneered, “Uncle, from this day forward, you won’t get a single penny. I’m leaving those words right here today.”

Lin Dahai froze. He didn’t dare throw a tantrum anymore, nor did he dare wail. He scrambled up and looked at Lin Yanran with a face full of pleading. “Yanran, Uncle was wrong—”

Lin Dashan arrived hurriedly at that moment. After clarifying the situation, his face also turned green with anger, and he immediately scolded Lin Dahai into handing back the silver.

Lin Dahai finally realized that Lin Yanran didn’t care for his tantrums and rogue behavior. Not only that, but she held his future happiness in her hands. If he angered her, he wouldn’t get the three shares of money; he would regret it until his bones turned green! He hurriedly tried to please her. “Yanran, Uncle was wrong. I was blinded by greed. But Uncle is in a difficult position; look at your Cousin Shan now. Uncle urgently needs money for his medical treatment. Yanran, have some pity on Uncle. Please, you must give me a share of the money!”

Lin Yanran treated his words like a fart.

Lin Feng arrived after hearing the news and hurried to Lin Yanran to ask what happened. Lin Yanran gave him a cold look and left without saying a word. Although Lin Feng was also mistreated, he was a man after all; he could have at least protected his abused mother and sister. Now that Lin Shan was immobile, he only needed to stand in the way when Lin Dahai was being violent, but he hid outside all day and did nothing.

Lin Feng stared blankly at Lin Yanran’s back, feeling a sense of strangeness. Lin Dahai was wiping away tears, and seeing his second son return, he immediately took out his anger on him, cursing him up and down. Lin Feng glared at him with eyes full of hatred and then walked away without a word.

Lin Yanran returned the silver to the mother and daughter. She could give them more, but not right now. Once the pharmaceutical workshop was up and running, these hardworking and kind commoners would truly benefit.

The mother and daughter were immensely grateful, their faces covered in tears. Knowing her purpose, they led her to the fields. The land was indeed meticulously cared for; even the weeds had been cleared. Since it was the third month of the lunar calendar, soybeans, corn, and sweet potatoes had already been planted. Lin Yanran pulled up some seedlings, and on the way back, she passed their vegetable garden. It actually had cucumbers, loofah, green beans, radishes, and pumpkins. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled some of each—roots and soil included, to bring back.

Youqin Mingyue was still sitting under the veranda drinking tea and reading. As soon as Lin Yanran returned, she keenly sensed that her mood wasn’t quite right. When this commoner went out, she was high-spirited, but now she returned with a deep frown and a gloomy expression. Unfortunately, the Death Guards had all been sent away by her, so she couldn’t know what the woman had done. But asking her directly was out of the question.

She secretly called Chen Xiaohua to ask, but Chen Xiaohua didn’t know either. She had been busy in the kitchen preparing vegetables for dinner. She had become addicted to the food at Lin Yanran’s house; every day, her greatest interest was staying in the kitchen to research what delicious things to make. Moreover, Lin Yanran was generous, always telling her to bring a large portion of food to her widowed mother. Chen Xiaohua’s thin little face had visibly filled out.

Since Chen Xiaohua couldn’t answer and was afraid her “Fairy Sister-in-law” was anxious, she volunteered to walk over to Lin Yanran and said, “Sister Yanran, Fairy Sister-in-law wants to know what you did while you were out. Tell her quickly!”

Youqin Mingyue: “…”

Her calm face turned red all at once from embarrassment.