Chapter 56: Jinling City (25)
In the days that followed, Yun’er never came again.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhaoling’s daily routine remained unchanged—he left the house at dawn and returned around midday. Sometimes he came back earlier, just past the si hour (9–11 a.m.), and sometimes later, at dusk. He always looked a bit tired, yet somehow never seemed to grow weary. Upon returning, he would inevitably make a fuss over the little husband. More than once, Lin Zikui almost couldn’t bear it—he’d nearly been pushed too far.
Lin Zikui received several invitations from Prince Shuo Residence. His Highness was inviting him to watch operas and admire flowers. Lin Zikui didn’t dare refuse.
One day, he arrived just in time for lunch. Prince Shuo was still wearing his ceremonial court robes, printed with the Baize (a mythical creature), and grumbled in front of Lin Zikui, “That Prince Regent must have something wrong in the head! Just the other day, he sent a eunuch to issue an order—telling me to attend court sessions as an observer every day! What use is there in me going? It’s no better than being punished to stand! And yesterday, he made me wait in the Imperial Study for a full hour under the sun—I nearly fainted! Then he gave me one glance and waved me off, saying it had been a while since he saw me and he just wanted a look. Bullshit! Didn’t he just see me for ages during court? I’ve no idea how I offended him!”
Xiao Fu was the son of Duke Chang, who had been an old neighbor of Prince Shuo.
Saying a few things behind closed doors didn’t matter much.
Lin Zikui recalled that the new emperor was still a child, and the Prince Regent was the one holding power. But what kind of monarch was this regent? Lin Zikui didn’t know.
He had heard the gossip in the streets—some said the Prince Regent was a decorated war hero who had loyally served the country. Others whispered that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, with wild ambitions to seize the throne.
That man was the sovereign Lin Zikui would soon be pledging his loyalty to. So he listened closely.
Of course, Prince Shuo didn’t dare speak too openly. The walls had ears. If Xiao Fu found out, he might have to stand baking under the sun again for hours—and that could very well kill a man.
Prince Shuo looked at Lin Zikui and said, “You’re about to become an official. Let me give you a word of advice. Prince Regent hates scholarly types full of rigid ideals. He favors military men. Still, Daye needs capable people right now. You’re a blunt and honest fellow—just watch your tongue, and don’t use that whole Confucian airs nonsense on him.”
Lin Zikui understood, bowed deeply, and thanked him for the advice. But afterward, he kept turning those words over and over in his mind.
In June, Elder Xue came from Huainan and temporarily stayed at Prince Shuo Residence. When Lin Zikui was in class, Prince Shuo’s son—Can Ge’r*—also attended. Can Ge’r was a few years younger than Lin Zikui and often gave up listening halfway through, crumpling up the rice paper into balls and playing with them on the desk. Elder Xue saw it but said nothing. After all, Can Ge’r was just like his father.
Note: Ge’r here is not a name but an endearing term like Xiao.
As soon as Elder Xue had settled in, Duke Chang sent someone to bring him over, and with a friendly tone, said, “The court has confirmed you’re still in good health. Why don’t you let Xiao Fu restore your official rank?”
Elder Xue waved a hand. “No need. I’m only teaching one student now—that’s plenty for me. I’m old, tired, and not fit for official duties anymore.” Then his tone shifted slightly. “You’ve met that student of mine, haven’t you?”
“You mean Lin… Lin…” Duke Chang tried to recall the name. Elder Xue said, “Lin Zikui. He’s my student.”
Duke Chang nodded. “Yes, I saw him at Prince Shuo Residence. Calm, composed, not arrogant or restless—quite rare for someone his age.”
Elder Xue said, “He’s been through a lot. Lost both parents. I treat him like a successor of my own blood. After I’m gone, there ought to be someone to carry on the legacy in court.”
Those words—“carry on the legacy”—showed just how highly Elder Xue regarded the young man. Though last time, he hadn’t noticed anything particularly special.
Elder Xue fell into thought, then added, “He used to be engaged to a fine match—the daughter of Assistant Minister Xiao of the Ministry of Revenue. But a rude troublemaker ruined it. He’s always been gentle and a bit soft-hearted, used to enduring things in silence. If anything ever happens in the future, just know—it wasn’t his choice. He never meant for any of it.” That second son of yours was simply shameless beyond words.
“What do you mean by ‘not his choice’? And what am I supposed to know in the future?” Duke Chang looked puzzled. Elder Xue gave a dry cough and didn’t continue. With the imperial exam drawing near, Lin Zikui couldn’t afford any unnecessary distractions.
That day, after court, Xiao Fu finished state matters and heard someone say Lin Zikui had taken the pedal-powered wind fan to Prince Shuo Residence.
Prince Shuo, upon hearing that Lin Zikui had invented such a thing, insisted on seeing it for himself.
Lin Zikui probably thought that if Prince Shuo liked it, he might arrange for craftsmen to study the design and mass-produce it.
Prince Shuo wasn’t good at much, but he did know business. One look at the thing, one try—just a gentle press of the foot and a refreshing breeze blew forth. It cooled better than ice! A perfect summer tool!
Standing nearby, Lin Zikui explained, “After using it myself, I improved the design. I reshaped the fan blades into a curved form, which generates stronger airflow. Your Highness, if we distribute the blueprints to every carpenter in Jinling, and even the blacksmiths—anyone who can build it—this could benefit millions of households. It would be a true act of merit.”
Prince Shuo immediately frowned. “What? You want to just give the blueprints away for free?”
Lin Zikui was surprised. “Is there another way?”
To him, inventions that improved people’s lives should naturally be shared freely, to benefit all at no cost.
Prince Shuo, “That won’t do. There’s real business potential here. Huai Fu, you’re still too naive. Do you know how the rich in Jinling cool themselves in summer?”
Lin Zikui glanced under the table, at the basin of ice. “With ice.”
“Exactly. I’ve got an ice cellar at my estate too. Nothing rare about it. We store it in winter to use in summer. But look at how hot it is—ice gets used up fast. Once you open the cellar, the ice starts to melt. Even my estate is running low. So what about regular folks? Come July, won’t they be roasting alive?”
“You’re right, Your Highness. That’s exactly why we should distribute the design to all the woodshops and smithies in Jinling. As long as they can make it, isn’t that a great thing?”
“You fool. I’ve looked at your design—it’s not even that complicated. Just a few clever little mechanisms. If you give this business away for free, others will just take it. You think they won’t turn it into a monopoly? Of course they will! It’ll be like ice—all controlled by the powerful. Commoners will still have to buy it. Give the blueprints to me, and I can fulfill what you said—and I’ll give you this much in return.”
Prince Shuo quickly did the math in his head. This business—just how much money could it make? Selling one for a hundred taels to Duke Chang wouldn’t be unreasonable, right? That estate had so many people; they’d probably need at least twenty units.
Just Duke Chang Residence alone would bring in two thousand taels. And with all the noble families and officials in the capital, even being conservative, this could easily be a hundred-thousand-tael business. The profit margin would be at least half.
Prince Shuo narrowed his eyes and raised five fingers. “I’ll pay you this much. Sell it to me, and I’ll make sure it reaches the common people, just as you intended.”
Lin Zikui said, “F-Fifty taels?”
“You’re thinking too small…” Prince Shuo stomped a foot as he held out his hand. “Huai Fu, I’ll give you five thousand taels! But the design—you mustn’t sell it to anyone else.”
Lin Zikui: “……”
He nearly lost his balance. His head spun. For a moment, he thought Prince Shuo was just handing him money for no reason.
Was he some long-lost relative of the prince or something? Why was Prince Shuo offering him five thousand taels?
“Five thousand taels—it’s too much, I can’t accept it, Your Highness.” Lin Zikui felt deeply uneasy, guilty even. But he also couldn’t deny the prince’s logic: anything that made money would inevitably be monopolized by those in power.
“It’s not too much. I’ve got money. And your blueprint is a good one. I’ll just make a little profit from it.” Seeing how clueless Lin Zikui was about business only made Prince Shuo more satisfied. Everyone had their shortcomings, after all.
Even if Lin Zikui had the capital, he still couldn’t run the business. He had no wealth, no influence. Even if he wanted to gift it to the people, he couldn’t. This was a business only someone like Prince Shuo could manage. He urged Lin Zikui to accept the money, pulled out the silver drafts, and handed over five bills—each worth one thousand taels—with a flick of the wrist: “Is your wife’s illness better?”
Prince Shuo had mentioned it a few times before, suggesting that Lin Zikui bring his wife to stay. But Lin Zikui always used her illness as an excuse to put it off.
The prince went on, “If she’s that sick, even the imperial physicians are useless, huh? You should spend more, buy her tonics, get her some nice jewelry…”
Initially, Lin Zikui had no intention of accepting the money. He’d thought to gift the blueprints to the prince in exchange for a favor—as long as he kept his promise. But at the mention of “his wife,” his heart began to waver.
He was terribly embarrassed. When he finally accepted the silver drafts, it felt like he was doing something underhanded—like taking a bribe. His hand hovered mid-air before dropping again. Sheepishly, he said, “I-I’ll ask my teacher…”
“…You need to ask your teacher over a bit of silver?” Prince Shuo shook his head. Lin Zikui really had no boldness about him—so rigid, with that scholar’s pride.
Still, Lin Zikui went to ask. “Teacher, I probably shouldn’t have taken that money from Prince Shuo.”
Elder Xue quickly understood what had happened. “He’s a shrewd businessman. You think he’s losing out? What he gave you is just a crumb. Giving it to him is fine—there’s no merchant who can snatch profits from his hands. Just sell it for five thousand.”
Lin Zikui frowned, still lost in thought, clearly hesitant.
“Oh, and,” Elder Xue added, “the spring imperial exams are near. Tomorrow, bring your attendant and move into Prince Shuo Residence. He owes me a favor. If you stay there, even Yuwen Can can attend your evening classes—he’s been dying for that. You go and focus on writing and studying. For now, separate from that… from your, um, companion.”
Lin Zikui thought about how important the exam was. Although he wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to Zhao Ling, what the teacher said made sense. His wife… he was out early every morning, back late at night, and every evening he clung to him, wanting to play and fool around. He’d complain of the heat, strip his clothes off, act like a child—needing to be held, nibbled on, breastfed. As a result, there wasn’t a single part of Lin Zikui’s body left unmarked. He could barely get through his homework at night.
His wife had too strong a libido.
On the carriage ride home, silver drafts in hand, Lin Zikui looked dazed, as if he were dreaming.
He began drafting a mental list of what to do first.
Repay five hundred taels to Lord Xiao. Then buy some things for his wife. What should he buy…
At the palace, when Xiao Fu heard of this, he let out a cold snort: “Only five thousand taels? What a joke. Prince Shuo wants to profit? Not that easy.”
Once the fans were completed, he planned to issue an order to Prince Shuo—demanding three hundred units be presented to the imperial palace first.
At the money exchange, Lin Zikui traded in one of the silver drafts for a five-hundred-tael note and some loose silver.
First, he bought a fish. Then some beef—Zhao Ling couldn’t taste anything, so he needed to eat more meat to nourish his body.
He loved to drink, so Lin Zikui also bought some premium wine.
Then he bought fresh flowers, visited a jade shop, picked out a jade hairpin and a jade pendant for Xiao Zhaoling. At the fabric shop, he custom-ordered several new outfits. Thinking that he would soon have to visit the Xiao family, whether or not they accepted him, the etiquette had to be proper—he even picked out some meeting gifts!
By the time Lin Zikui returned, laden with packages, Xiao Fu had also left the palace and arrived home.
The outer walls of the estate were covered in climbing blue jade lotus vines. Yellow lanterns hung from the eaves of the corridor. When Xiao Fu pushed open the door, he saw a banquet table set up in the courtyard, overflowing with brilliant, colorful flowers—Lin Zikui had bought too many and had also arranged some in the bedroom.
Wearing his usual white robe, Lin Zikui was in the middle of setting the table. Xiao Fu stood still, his gaze softening. Lin Zikui turned his head, saw him, and waved. “Dinner’s ready. Come eat. I bought wine for you.”
Although he knew Lin Zikui had earned a bit of money, Xiao Fu still asked, pretending not to know: “What’s the occasion? Is today some special celebration? Is it the Qixi Festival?”
“Qixi’s still a few days away. Nothing special—just that Prince Shuo…” Lin Zikui explained everything honestly, then sat down and handed him a red envelope. “I’m not good with money. I always forget about it. Here’s the remaining four thousand taels. You hold onto it for me.”
Xiao Fu held the envelope, his eyes curving into a smile as he asked, “You’re giving all of it to me? What about you? You’re such a foodie—will you even have enough to eat when you go out?”
Lin Zikui was used to being frugal. “I’ve got some loose silver left. It’s enough. Food doesn’t cost much.” He and Mo Liu were both the same—whatever they had, they shared. And honestly, this was already a good life for him.
Lin Zikui wasn’t one to crave luxuries or extravagance. A modest life brought peace. His only fear was that his wife might not feel the same way.
Xiao Fu teased him on purpose, “What if Prince Shuo loses money on the deal and comes after you for repayment? What if I spend all the money?”
Lin Zikui froze, caught completely off guard. He suddenly realized—that was a possibility.
This was Prince Shuo they were talking about. If he came asking for money, could Lin Zikui refuse?
He thought about it for a long time. “Th-then I’ll think of something… sell some paintings or calligraphy. I’ll earn it back for him. If you spend it, so be it. Money can always be earned again. But a wife—I only have one.”
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