Chapter 80: In Every Trade, There’s A Top Scholar
“The Marquis is joking. The entire Marquis Manor is yours. You can go wherever you want. Who would dare to have any objections?”
After saying that, Jiang Ruanxi stood up.
“Where are you going?” Lin Ningkun’s tone unconsciously became heavier.
Jiang Ruanxi slightly lowered her eyes. “As the head of the household, the Marquis can go wherever he wants without anyone daring to object. But as the matriarch of the household, this concubine also has the right to go where she wants, doesn’t she?”
Bang.
Lin Ningkun heavily set down the teacup, with a bit of venting anger. “Jiang Ruanxi, do you really dislike me that much?”
Jiang Ruanxi frowned, but Lin Ningkun’s expression was difficult. “I went to see His Majesty today. Don’t you have anything to ask?”
Jiang Ruanxi still didn’t speak, but Lin Ningkun grew increasingly angry and told everything himself.
“His Majesty was very angry today and stripped me of my noble title all at once. I am no longer the Marquis of Dingning from now on.”
As he spoke, his tone grew increasingly despondent.
Jiang Ruanxi pretended not to see and poured herself a cup of tea, slowly savoring it as if watching a play.
“It’s all Lin Runkun’s fault, all Lin Shu’s fault. We are all Lin Family clan members. Why must they drive us to extinction?”
Lin Ningkun’s eyes almost seemed to spew fire.
“They went to accuse me yesterday of threatening them and confessed to His Majesty that it was to secure a good position for themselves by pulling strings. But guess what? Not only was His Majesty not angry, he praised their noble character and honesty. Not only did they not lose their future prospects, they even received rewards.”
The more Lin Ningkun spoke, the more furious he became.
He never imagined that His Majesty despised bribery the most in daily life, so why didn’t he punish Lin Shu?
“The Emperor’s thoughts are hard to fathom. The Marquis shouldn’t be too sad.” After taking a sip of tea, Jiang Ruanxi said indifferently.
In fact, she had long known this would be the result, and her heart held no ripples at all. “As long as the Marquis doesn’t make mistakes anymore, he will surely be able to scheme a good future prospects later.”
“That’s impossible now.”
The malice in Lin Ningkun’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by despair.
“I am no longer from the Dingning Marquis Manor. The yamen’s official notice hasn’t come down yet, my promotion is impossible, and my official career is finished.”
He had racked his brains to rise above others, but unexpectedly, because of these two matters, he directly ruined his future prospects. He was unwilling.
Lin Ningkun slumped on the ground, utterly dejected and depressed, like a child who had been abandoned, evoking pity.
But Jiang Ruanxi felt an indescribable pleasure in her heart.
With his future prospects destroyed, Lin Ningkun would never bounce back in his lifetime.
“There are thirty-six trades, and every trade produces a top scholar. Even if the Marquis has no official career left, there are still other paths. There will always be his own ways. The Marquis should pull himself together; only then will the Lin Family have hope.”
Jiang Ruanxi deliberately put on a virtuous appearance to comfort Lin Ningkun.
But she couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth. If no one were around, she would have laughed out loud long ago.
But Lin Ningkun, immersed in sorrow, didn’t notice.
Jiang Ruanxi looked at his dying appearance and found it very eyesore. Not wanting to deal with him anymore, she directly called Shugen to send Lin Ningkun back to his courtyard.
In the evening, news came that Lin Ningkun was ill.
Madam Zhou hurriedly arrived and saw Lin Ningkun lying in bed with his eyes wide open, face ghastly pale, and body burning with fever.
Seeing the usually high-spirited Lin Ningkun like this, Madam Zhou felt heartbroken while hating Lin Runkun and Lin Shu to the bone. She cursed, “It’s all the doing of Lin Runkun and Lin Shu. They are really so ruthless, harming my son like this.”
Jiang Ruanxi lowered her head with a cold smile.
When he was greedily extorting silver from others, why didn’t he say he was vicious and ruthless?
Madam He slightly frowned. “Mother, getting angry now is useless. We should quickly find a doctor for Second Brother.”
“Yes, you’re right. The most important thing now is to let the Marquis recover.”
Only after Madam He’s reminder did Madam Zhou react.
She then instructed her personal old woman servant Manyue.
“Can’t you see the Marquis like this? Hurry and go invite the doctor. If anything happens to the Marquis, I’ll hold you accountable.”
Manyue was long accustomed to her temper and obediently went out.
Soon, the doctor arrived, examined Lin Ningkun, said it was not serious, prescribed some medicine, and instructed him to rest well.
Madam Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, but Jiang Ruanxi said, “Mother, the Marquis is seriously ill. Why don’t I take care of him? You go rest.”
“No need. You manage the Marquis Manor daily and are quite tired. I think I should take care of him.”
Madam Zhou was truly afraid deep down. Jiang Ruanxi had no good intentions. If she let her care for her son and she had some crooked thoughts, what then?
Jiang Ruanxi wore a face of worry. “That wouldn’t be good. If Mother gets worn out, what would we do?”
Madam Zhou waved her hand. “It’s fine. I’ll take care of him. At worst, there are servants. You go rest.”
“Since Mother says so, I will obey respectfully.”
Now she could openly leave this place, so naturally she wouldn’t stay.
As soon as Jiang Ruanxi reached the courtyard, Madam He followed her to Yun Lin Yuan.
“Second Brother’s Wife.”
Jiang Ruanxi turned her head and said indifferently, “Elder Sister-in-law, is there something?”
Madam He pursed her lips. “Second Brother’s Wife, I know it’s inappropriate for me to say this. But we women still have to rely on men. If the man falls, no matter how capable the woman is, she can’t turn things around. If the man is wrong, it’s better for us to teach him well; there might still be a chance to salvage it.”
Jiang Ruanxi lowered her eyes for a moment, then looked up with a bewildered expression. “Elder Sister-in-law, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
Madam He’s gaze toward Jiang Ruanxi cooled a bit, and she stopped beating around the bush. She said directly, “Second Brother’s Wife, do you dare say that Second Brother’s matter has nothing to do with you?”
The person involved is confused while the bystander sees clearly. Even if Lin Ningkun and Madam Zhou couldn’t see through Jiang Ruanxi’s thoughts and just thought she was angry, fantasizing she would turn back.
But only Madam He knew deep down that Jiang Ruanxi’s heart was thoroughly hurt; her heart had changed long ago.
She didn’t know from when, but she had stopped thinking of living well with Lin Ningkun.
Jiang Ruanxi clutched the handkerchief in her hand, a smile on her face.
“Elder Sister-in-law, that statement is really funny. The one who decides the Marquis’s future is His Majesty. I am just a woman of the household. How could I influence His Majesty’s decision?”
Hearing this, Madam He’s expression grew more grave. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Ruanxi continued, “I don’t know if Elder Sister-in-law is worried that the Marquis Manor will decline and affect her. But Elder Sister-in-law needn’t worry. The Lin Family descendants aren’t just the Marquis. The Lin Family might not rise relying on the Marquis, but without him, the Lin Family won’t decline.”
