Finest Servant

Chapter 632 A Matter of Life and Death

Having been driven out of the room by Qingxuan, he wandered aimlessly, his mind in a haze. Descending the stairs woodenly, Xiao Yuruo caught sight of his desolate expression and was taken aback. She hurriedly grasped his hand and exclaimed, "What's happened to you?"

"I'm fine," he shook his head and said softly, "Eldest Miss, is my room still available at the cloth shop?"

"Of course, it's still available!" Yuruo nodded urgently, her eyes brimming with tears: "But you—what's this about?"

He managed a pained smile and sighed, "Qingxuan does not wish to see me, so there's no point in staying. It's back to where I came from for me. Isn't life just a cycle of such comings and goings?"

His words were filled with such sorrow that the Eldest Miss's tears flowed freely. She held his hand gently yet firmly and declared, "Wherever you wish to go, I will accompany you. I will always be by your side!"

"Big Brother—" Qiaoqiao and Ning'er cried out in unison, each supporting one of his shoulders, choking up, "Where are you going? This is our home!"

Lin Xuan and Zhao Zheng, sensing their father's desolate mood, began to cry loudly, their wails piercing the silence of the night, resonating with an indescribable loneliness.

Lin Wanrong, in a flurry, embraced the twins, gently patting their swaddling clothes, comforting, "Good sons, don't cry! Father will come back every day to see you and bring you treats!"

"No," he shook his head firmly, "Qingxuan is still in confinement; this is not something to be taken lightly, and we must not risk her health. You should stay home and take good care of her, and also Xuan'er and Zheng'er! I'll just go out and stay for a few days. It's not far, and who knows, I might return at any time. Don't worry about me!"

How could this not be worrisome? As Luo Ning and Qiaoqiao were about to plead further, Lin Wanrong suddenly put on a stern face, "What now, you won't even listen to your Big Brother?"

His stern words were enough to silence them; they sobbed quietly. Seeing their vulnerable appearance, Lin Wanrong's heart softened, and he gave a covert wink, whispering into their ears, "Don't worry, I'll return before you know it. Don't you trust me?"

"Big Brother!" Qiaoqiao, sobbing, threw herself into his embrace along with Ning'er.

Xu Zhiqing had been watching silently for a while. Seeing his determination, she couldn't help but tug at his sleeve, pulling him aside, "Are you really leaving?"

Lin Wanrong nodded earnestly, "Is there any doubt?"

"How can you be so heartless?" Miss Xu huffed, indignantly, "What grievances have you suffered that compare to Princess Chuyun's? After all she has done—she can't even shed a few tears? She bore you two sons, and before her confinement is over, you're leaving her. Are you made of stone?"

Lin Wanrong looked at her with wide eyes and laughed incredulously, "You're not competing with Qingxuan anymore?"

Her face flushed, Xu Zhiqing turned her head away and spat out, "Nonsense, I'm not competing with her at all!"

"I see, so today you're here to pay respects," Lin Wanrong hummed, chuckling, "No wonder Qingxuan is so protective of you. It turns out you've acknowledged each other as sisters. And here I am, cast aside!"

Observing his jesting demeanor, Xu Zhiqing was annoyed. She chided, "I really don't understand how you can still manage to laugh. Have you not considered what will happen if you leave? Do you think the princess could even survive without you?"

Lin Wanrong's nose tingled, a sign of his suppressed emotions. He shook his head, "Let's not talk about that right now. Miss Xu, it's good that you're here. There's something I need to discuss with you—a matter of utmost importance."

Hearing him stress the importance, Miss Xu's heart skipped erratically, her cheeks flushed with anticipation, as she hastily lowered her head, "What could be so important—couldn't you have discussed it with my father? He's the one to make decisions on such matters."

‘What are these leaps of logic?’ Lin Wanrong thought, his forehead beading with sweat. He managed a sheepish smile and said, "That issue, of course, I will discuss with your esteemed father, Master Xu. I'm even more anxious about it than you are! But today, the matter I want to discuss with you concerns the Westerners."

Miss Xu, realizing she had misunderstood, spat out in embarrassment, her face the color of a ripe tomato, and she didn’t dare to lift her head, "You're just making fun of me again! I really can't be bothered with you!"

‘I'm wronged beyond the telling of it!’ Lin Wanrong mused to himself as Miss Xu was in the midst of her bashful fury, too formidable to provoke. He braved a grin, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "Miss Xu, with your brilliant beauty and unmatched wisdom, this task is something only you are capable of. I wouldn't trust anyone else."

"Don't try to sweet-talk me!" Miss Xu's voice was stern, but her heart had already softened. She gave him a long, meaningful glance, her voice soft, "What is the matter, then? Are you planning to swindle silver from the Westerners?"

‘Miss Xu knows me well,’ Lin Wanrong thought with inward glee. Taking her hand, he lowered his voice, "It's somewhat along those lines. I've spent ten taels of silver to buy an ironclad ship from the French—"

"Ten taels of silver for an ironclad ship?!" Miss Xu's eyes widened, "Is it a model of a Western ship? That would be too expensive!"

‘What model? Do you take me for a fool?’ Lin Wanrong rolled his eyes and squeezed her hand to emphasize his point, annoyed, "It's a genuine French ironclad, a real piece of iron! It's outfitted with numerous cannons and armor. You are deft and knowledgeable about machinery, so when can you take the artisans from the Divine Machine Unit to inspect it?"

Miss Xu was ecstatic, her gaze fixed on him, "Western cannons and armor? Are you suggesting that we replicate them?"

He shook his head, smiling, "Simply replicating them isn't enough. We need to understand the craft and manufacturing techniques to design and improve them ourselves."

Miss Xu, known for her exceptional skills in these intricate crafts, pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Understanding their manufacturing techniques shouldn't be difficult. Crafting a few firearms and pieces of armor with our craftsmen's skill would be doable, but mass production is another story. We lack the necessary molds."

"That's called precision engineering, not molds!" Lin Wanrong corrected her with a laugh, "And that's exactly why I need your help. You're an expert in this area. Could you help me select thirty clever and teachable young men from among the common folk and the Divine Machine Unit, preferably from poorer households?"

Miss Xu expressed her surprise, "It wouldn't be difficult to select thirty young men from poor families, but what exactly do you need them for?"

Lin Wanrong spoke softly, "I have already reached an agreement with that Frenchman. Each year, we will select thirty youths. They will accompany him to the West to learn engineering skills! After three to five years, when they return, they can establish workshops within the Divine Machine Unit, to invent and improve military equipment. Additionally, we shall invite them to teach at the Holy Virtue Academy, to pass these skills to more craftsmen in the populace, letting them invent and create! If we send people to the West every year, and each year people return with knowledge, continuously learning, developing, and creating—damn it, if we are still behind the Westerners after that, I might as well cut off my own head and use it as a chamber pot!"

His words began with a resolute and mighty tone, full of gravity, but by the end, his natural irreverence shone through, unrefined! Miss Xu stared at him, her face a mix of shock and delight, her eyes sparkling with admiration, as if spellbound.

Lin Wanrong waggled his finger in front of her and chuckled, "I admit I'm handsome, but there's no need to look at me like that! Everyone knows I'm quite shy—"

Suddenly, Miss Xu grasped his hand, her cheeks flushing red as she spoke softly, "You are very impressive! The most impressive person I have met in my life!"

A sweet warmth filled his heart, and he teased, "I'm impressive in many ways. Which one are you referring to? Oh—"

Before he could finish, he felt himself wrapped in an embrace. Xu Zhiqing held him tightly, tears streaming down her face, her cheek pressed against his ear, her heart trembling, "When will you come to take me away?! I can't wait another day!"

The female strategist, usually so composed, rarely showed such emotion. Lin Wanrong's heart softened. He gently stroked her hair and said tenderly, "We should at least wait until Qingxuan has finished her confinement period, shouldn't we? The man manages affairs abroad, the woman at home. She's the one in charge of our household!"

Miss Xu murmured in agreement, her shyness evident as she raised her head. Then, remembering his plans to leave, her mood dampened once more.

Outside, the night was deep, and it was getting late. The children, Xuan'er and Zheng'er, were already sound asleep in their cradles, their cheeks flushed and smiling innocently. He bent down to plant fervent kisses on his sons' tender little face, then heaved a long sigh, casting longing looks back at the room. With resolve, he turned and stepped outside.

The carriage was ready. When Yushuang saw him approaching, she couldn't help but tear up, "You scoundrel, won't you reconsider? The princess will be so pitiful left here alone, and the babies—"

His heart felt an aching tug, and he sighed silently, "Qingxuan doesn't want to see me. It's better I leave, to spare her getting upset at the sight of me during her confinement, which might lead to illness that would be hard to cure later on!"

"Big Brother—" Qiaoqiao clutched at his hand, her voice choked with emotion.

Lin Wanrong gently patted her cheek, "Be good. You and Ning'er take good care of Qingxuan and the babies. The cloth shop is not far from home. I'll come to see you every day! If you miss me, you can also come to the shop to find me, hmm, and I'll get a bigger bed as soon as I return!"

Ning'er was crying inconsolably, but at his words, her tears burst forth like flowers, twisting him in a mix of sorrow, shyness, and allure.

"It's getting late!" The Eldest Miss watched him, her tone tender yet helpless.

Lin Wanrong sighed softly, casting a final look back at the cozy attic, his eyes gradually welling up with tears. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and stooped into the carriage...

In the fragrant boudoir, Qingxuan cradled her cheek in one hand, gazing at the gently flickering candle. She oscillated between tears and laughter, joy and sorrow, as if all the flavors of feeling were converging in her heart.

The bedroom door burst open, and Qin Xian'er rushed in like the wind, her face ashen: "Sister, something terrible has happened! Your husband—he—"

"What's happened to him?!" Xiao Qingxuan exclaimed in alarm.

Miss Qin looked down, her eyes misty with a rising fog: "Your husband, he's gone!!"

"What?!" Qingxuan stood up abruptly, her face draining of color, her body shaking violently before she trembled and collapsed to the floor.

"Sister—" Qin Xian'er, frightened out of her wits, caught her frail sister just in time.

Xiao Qingxuan stared blankly, her face ashen as tears surged forth like a fountain, muttering voicelessly, "Where did he go? Why didn't you stop him? That heartless man!"

Qin Xian'er's eyes were swollen red as she whispered weakly, "Your husband said that since you did not wish to see him, he would return from whence he came, that the world is but a cycle of such comings and goings!"

"Oh, my foolish husband!" Imagining his desolate state of mind as he spoke those words, Qingxuan felt a heart-wrenching pain and could not help but beat her chest and wail in agony. She gathered all her strength, struggling to stand, "I must find him, I must!"

Miss Qin held her tightly, crying out, "You can't, sister! You're still in confinement, you cannot move about! It will harm your body and disrupt your energies!"

Tears falling like rain, Xiao Qingxuan shook her head desperately, "If my husband does not want me, what use do I have for my body and its energies? I must find him!"

She tried to push away Qin Xian'er, reaching stubbornly for the door latch. Miss Qin, terrified, quickly pressed down on her hand, "Sister, you mustn't move! Rest assured, we will go find your husband and bring him back! But you can't harm yourself. If he comes back and sees you like this, knowing how he feels about you, he'll never be happy again! Think of him if not yourself, and of our little Xuan'er, and Zheng'er—"

At the mention of the children, Xiao Qingxuan collapsed again, and Miss Qin, with tears streaming down her face, picked her up and tucked her into bed before hastily leaving the room.

Qingxuan's gaze was empty as she recalled the moments of meeting, knowing, and loving her husband—each memory flashing before her eyes.

Their first encounter by the lakeside, the nighttime talks in the thatched hut, the promise of love in the mountains—how he had stormed the Fairy Hall for her, willing to defy the world!

A bittersweet aching, an endless sweetness, all rushed to her heart, tearing her apart with pain.

"My Dear, where are you? You have taken my life!" She suddenly called out softly, her face pale as a sheet, tears instantly soaking the scented pillow.

Behind her, a trembling hand reached out, shaking violently, and gently touched her cloud-like hair, "Wife, are you calling for me?"

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