There was another cold wind last night, and the shallow water in the pool was also covered with thin ice.
The sky was clear, and across the high courtyard wall, I could only see a few wisps of blue-black clouds across the sky, and the rooster was crowing. The maids and mothers-in-law in the outer wing also got up one after another. When they heard that there was no movement in the inner wing, they thought that the master had today
He wanted to sleep a little longer, wash up quietly, and walk outside the moon gate of Cishu Garden to meet the maids and women in other courtyards who had gotten up early, and whispered about the seventh lady killing Lin Zhong with a knife.
"Lin Zhong wants to please the Second Young Master, but unfortunately he doesn't have the eye..." "Lin Xiucai's mother died in exile along with the Seventh Lady's parents. If the Second Young Master wants to deal with Lin Xiucai, the Seventh Lady will definitely not agree. Earlier.
People said that Lin Xiucai died outside. How many times did I see Mrs. Seven crying secretly?" "But I killed them when I said they would. How could Mrs. Seven, who belongs to a woman's family, be so cruel?" "That's right.
If anyone offends her in the future, she must not kill her with a knife?" "What can I do if I kill? I will only be fined twenty taels of silver!" "Then you should be more careful not to offend the seventh lady? In the Lin family, Lin Zhong
If you resist the master's life, this is not the result. If you resist the second master's life, this is not the result. But you want to treat the seventh lady as a soft persimmon, are you not seeking death yourself?" "Although the seventh lady was more powerful before, she was not like this.
"The seventh lady's uncle has become a high-ranking official. There are people behind her, so things will certainly be different!" "Those of us who are servants, just watch our eyes carefully..."
Here I was chewing my tongue, and saw that the sky was getting brighter, and I didn't see the master in the inner room calling out. The cautious woman thought that the master had to get up early every day to go to the garden, why was there no movement today? She drove away the maids who were chewing their tongues.
After leaving, she asked them to get ready to wait for the master to get up. She walked in with a hand stove and gently opened the door of the inner room. Seeing that the master was sleeping soundly, she called twice, but there was no response. She walked in and saw Lin Tingxun.
His eyes opened sideways, his mouth was drooling all over the pillow, and the collar of his white silk shirt was soaked all over.
"Bang!" The copper hand stove in the woman's hand slipped out and hit the grindstone floor. Sparkling charcoal fire splashed all over the floor. The maids who were preparing in the outer room were so shocked that their hearts skipped a beat and they all rushed over to see what happened.
matter……
The news of Lin Tingxun's stroke spread throughout the mansion in an instant. The eldest lady and the second lady had passed away long ago. Now the third lady, the biological mother of the second son Lin Xuzong, is the main wife. After hearing the news, the fourth lady, the fifth lady and the sixth lady all rushed over from their respective courtyards, shouting
Pour hot water for the master to scrub, shout for the doctor to prepare the sedan, shout for the second young master, and ask the elders of the clan to come over. If there is anything wrong, they can ask the master to leave a few words.
If Lin Tingxun really fell, it would undoubtedly be the collapse of the pillar of the Lin family.
In the early morning of the winter of the 8th year of Chongguan, one can imagine the panic in the Lin family mansion. Lin Tingxun's wives and concubines usually lived in seclusion. How could they cope with the situation at hand? They were unable to stand up and take charge of the situation. The main wife felt that the sky was falling in her heart.
, crying sadly became the only thing they could do.
Lin Tingxun's attendant Gu Changshun was still lying on the bed. He heard the ladies wailing in the inner house, so he thought that the master had left at night. After all, he was already a sixty-six-year-old man. Maybe the ladies did not take precautions, and they servants
It can be seen that the master has been getting worse every year in the past few years, and it is only a matter of time before he leaves. Gu Changshun did not go to the inner house to find out more about it. He crawled around and took a horse from the stable to the south bank of Shanglin River to give to his second son Lin Xuzong.
After reporting the news, he ran to the garden of Wangxiang Tower and almost rushed into the house where Lin Xuzong and Lin Zonghai were discussing the matter. He panted and said, "Master, master, he is dead!"
"..." Lin Xuzong was stunned and speechless. The giant that had been weighing on his heart for more than ten years was suddenly moved away. He was a little at a loss. He subconsciously asked Gu Changshun, "Is anyone going to Huyan to give Qi Yiniang a favor?"
Delivering a letter?”
"Not yet. I heard a lot of mourning in the inner house, so I came over to give you a message, Second Young Master..."
"Go back quickly. No one in the way is allowed to go to Huyan to report the news. If it can't be done, send someone to block the road from Shanglin to Huyan..." Lin Xuzong suddenly felt excited that he had the overall situation under control. The first thing he thought of was to hide it from Qi first.
Aunt Gu Yingxiu, it will not be too late to inform her after her death is finalized.
"Second Young Master, why don't you go to the mansion first? I might leave you some words?" Lin Zonghai reminded Lin Xunzong with a sullen face that he shouldn't be so excited.
Lin Zonghai, like Lin Fu and Lin Jingchang, were both descendants of the Lin family. After passing the examination as a martial arts scholar, he was placed in high regard by Lin Tingxun. He entered the township camp and gradually became the current commander of the township camp. He also married the eldest lady's niece.
As a wife, she is naturally closer to Lin Xuwen, the eldest son born to the eldest wife.
Although the eldest son Xuwen invaded Menyin and entered the Imperial Academy and became an official in the capital, it does not mean that after Lin Tingxun passed away, the Lin clan will completely fall into the hands of the second son Lin Xunzong. In fact, Lin Xunzong has been completely handling affairs in the past few days.
The lack of Shui Huai made Lin Zonghai follow him wholeheartedly, which also made Lin Zonghai a little worried about the future of the Lin clan.
Only then did Lin Xuzong realize that he was a little too complacent, but he acted quickly. He quickly put on a sad expression and said: "Brother Zong Hai is right, I should go north quickly to see if my father has left any words..."
They rushed to the ferry to take a boat to the north bank, and when the people sent by the inner house to report the news came over in a hurry, Lin Xuzong knew that his father had suffered a stroke and had already sent someone to ask for a doctor. Lin Xuzong stood at the bow of the boat and was stunned for a while.
He raised his hand and slapped Gu Changshun hard on the face: "You heartless beast, my father treats you like a nephew, but you came here early in the morning to rub his bad luck and curse him to death!"
Lin Zonghai did not look at him. He stood on the bow of the boat and looked at the increasingly busy ferry on the north bank of Shanglin River. He just said calmly: "The master is suffering from paralysis. I think it would be better to send someone to Huyan to inform the seventh lady..."
*******************
The Lin family sent people from Shanglinli to the Gu family in Huyan to report the news. Gu Yingxiu was accompanying her aunt Gu and her cousin Gu Junxun to have breakfast at home. She hurriedly put down the dishes and asked Zhao to prepare the carriage and return to Shanglin.
Go inside.
Although the Gu family's mansion is dilapidated, it occupies a large area. When entering the courtyard, you can see the magnanimity of the official family. Gu Wuchen asked people to clear a courtyard for Lin Fu and Zhou Pu's master and servant to stay. Gu Yingxiu's side
After hastily preparing the carriage, Lin Fu also heard the news that Lin Tingxun had suffered a stroke at night and came over. Seeing Gu Yingxiu getting into the carriage, he said, "The master of the house is seriously ill. Even though I have offended the second young master, I still have to go back to visit him."
Zhou Pu had already led the horse to follow behind. Gu Yingxiu was slightly startled, then said: "I don't know what the chaos is like in Shanglin. It's too slow to ride in the car, so I'd better go back on horseback..." Instructing Mrs. Zhao, the personal maid and others
The messenger said, "Follow me in a carriage..."
Gu Yingxiu took the horse from the messenger and got on it. Lin Fu and Zhou Pu also got on the horse and said goodbye to Gu Wuchen for the time being. They left the village together. Only then did Zhao Hu, his mother, Mrs. Zhao, save the possibility that the seventh lady might have something to say privately.
She gave instructions to Lin Xiucai, and after a long delay, she got into the carriage and returned to Shanglin with Cui'er, the seventh lady's personal maid, and the messenger.
"Slow down, slow down, the horse is running too fast, don't dare to talk distractedly..." Lin Fu asked Gu Yingxiu to slow down. His riding skills were really bad. He sat stiffly on the horse's back, his muscles tense.
, just afraid of being thrown off the horse accidentally.
In the past, Lin Fu was timid and rarely wanted to get to know the Seventh Madam in depth. He also really didn't understand how Gu Yingxiu, the delicate girl hidden deep in the boudoir in the past who was almost the same as Gu Junxun, Gu Wuchen's little daughter at this time, could be strong.
Survive in the blood-eating and cannibalistic Lin family mansion, and learn this good riding skill?
"It's unclear whether the master's illness is serious or not. If he is seriously ill, if you go back, you may be detained by Lin Xunzong..." Gu Yingxiu slowed down her horse and walked side by side with Lin Fu. Zhou Pu was far away.
Hanging at the back, you can enjoy the winter morning scenery of Iron Curtain Mountain with a relaxed expression.
"I know," Lin Fu said, "I want to know, if the head of the family is seriously ill and will never get up again, what are Sister Yingxiu's plans?"
"..." Gu Yingxiu was speechless for a moment. She had considered this issue before, but things were very different before her eyes. Who knew that Lin Fu would change his appearance this time when he came back? She just whispered, "You could have stayed to help."
Mine." She felt that what she said was a bit ambiguous, so she added, "If you stay, get a wife and have children, you will eventually have a place in the Lin family." Of course she knew in her heart that Lin Fu was deliberately offending the second son, Lin Xuzong.
She wanted to take advantage of the situation and escape to Jiangning. She still didn't know why Lin Fu went to Jiangning. She always thought he was for Su Mei, who was famous all over Jiangning.
"I have to go to Jiangning. I can't tell you now, Sister Yingxiu. It's not because of any difficulties or lofty ambitions, but because I have a responsibility that I must bear!" Lin Fu said, seeing some displeasure on Su Yingxiu's face.
, and then said, "It's not for Miss Su Mei."
Hearing Lin Fu add something for no reason, Gu Yingxiu blushed and cursed: "...What are you chewing on your tongue? I am your aunt! If others hear your frivolous words, I will drag you to the ancestral hall and have your tongue cut off."
.Those things in Baisha County are all nonsense that Zhao Neng came back to talk about, and you don’t need to explain them."
Lin Fu smiled awkwardly. It was Gu Yingxiu who had been struggling to say that he went to Jiangning for Su Mei. He looked at the ridge in the distance and said: "The few Gu elders I saw during the banquet yesterday seemed not to be relied upon. Sister Yingxiu
, who else among the younger generation can successfully revive the Gu family?"
"Why do you ask?"
"When I help the Lin family, I will only become a pawn of the Lin family. When I help the Gu family, I always have to be more free..." Lin Fu said.
"Look how you helped me." Gu Yingxiu tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ears and glanced at Lin Fu. She felt that Lin Fu, who had returned from this trip, was full of mystery. Zhou Pu's origin was also a mystery. Those who
Foreign horse dealers are also fans.
"Perhaps you should let Zhao Hu stay and help you," Lin Fu said. "The head of the family is in his dying years. Even if he does not die from a stroke, he will only be able to survive for a few days. Although Mr. Gu is supporting you, if you want to do anything in the Lin family,
You need people around you who can help you."
"..." Gu Yingxiu frowned and thought, and remained silent for a long time; Lin Fu waved Zhou Pu over.
Gu Yingxiu suddenly raised her head and asked Lin Fu: "I killed someone yesterday, what do you think of me?"
"Am I so ignorant?" Lin Fu asked with a smile. Seeing Gu Yingxiu's serious expression, he told her seriously, "I have killed people in Baisha County, more than one or two. If I don't kill someone, I will."
I can't live, so I'm like this when I come back from this trip. Mr. Zhou also kills people."
"But I am a woman." Gu Yingxiu said. Although she was calm and composed in front of the Gu family members, she was still struggling with this matter in her heart.
"What kind of murder are you doing? This world is not just killing, it is simply cannibalism. Either you eat him, or he eats you. What kind of cruelty are you talking about? I have also seen real people cannibalizing. In the fifth year of Chongguan, Huai
There was a severe drought, and there was no rain until June. That year, there was no spring wheat harvest, and people were dying, so some people exchanged babies with others and cooked them to eat. When the fourth girl met one, she also killed someone and snatched the baby back.
I've been hungry for too long and haven't been able to revive him..." Zhou Pu looked over with a ferocious face and talked about the past.
What Zhou Pu said was a hardship that Gu Yingxiu had not experienced yet, and her face turned pale after hearing it.
"If you agree," Lin Fu said, "the good horses I saw in the mule and horse market yesterday - I will leave you sixty horses and seven more people. Although these seven people may not necessarily
They all have the strength to fight ten, but they are not afraid of killing two or three people... I am not trying to help you, but I want you to help me. I hope you can help me clear their identities and exchange horses for boats.
Replace it with a ship that can sail the Yangtze River and sail offshore."