Finest Servant

Chapter 339 Three Invitations

"The First Talent Under Heaven?" Not only were the masses dumbstruck, even Xu Wei, who had seen much and known many, was stunned. No wonder the Emperor had declared that from now on, no one would dare bully the Xiao family or Lin San. With the four characters “First Talent Under Heaven,” personally written by the Emperor and hung at the gate, even civil officials had to dismount their sedan chairs and military generals their horses. Who would dare to slacken? Bully Lin San? Ridiculous! If Lord Lin did not bully others, then one might as well recite prayers to Buddha.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lin Wanrong quickly smiled and bowed. This was a great honor, not to be dismissed lightly. His father-in-law was really considerate; if he needed help in the future, he might be able to lend a hand.

All the officials in the hall were astute men. In just a few days, this unknown and unheard-of Lord Lin, who had seemingly emerged out of nowhere, had replaced the new Top Scholar Su Mubai, becoming the Emperor's new favorite. From a nameless pawn to "The First Talent Under Heaven," his rise was unprecedentedly swift. Being crafty themselves, everyone quickly paid their respects and flattered him, showering him with endless compliments, praising him as unmatched and rare in the land.

The Turkic national teacher, Lu Dongzan, slowly walked up to Lin Wanrong: "Lord Lin's talent, Lu Dongzan greatly admires. If one day we meet on the battlefield, even if Lu Dongzan dies, he will have no regrets."

"Easy, easy now, Brother Lu," Lin Wanrong laughed. "As long as you Turks do not disturb the people of our Great Hua, I assure you that you will live to a ripe old age."

Lu Dongzan gave Lin Wanrong a big thumbs-up, and the two smiled together, though their thoughts were quite different.

—---

"Ha ha ha ha—" After leaving the court, sitting in the carriage and looking at the five golden, gleaming characters "The First Talent Under Heaven," Lord Lin grinned and laughed triumphantly, his upstart demeanor on full display.

Xu Wei sat beside him, amused by his appearance. Suddenly, he remembered something and couldn't help but sigh: "Little brother Lin, today's events could have been perfect. If you had answered Princess Nishang's final question correctly, you could have become the Prince Consort of Great Hua. It's just—alas, you were lacking some luck!"

‘What lack of luck? I'd say I'm too lucky, meeting Xian'er out of nowhere, marrying her, and then finding out she is a princess of noble status. Although she seems angry now, with her temperament, she'll change her mind in a few days. This time, I've truly struck it big.’

"Mr. Xu, there's something I don't understand. Please enlighten me!" Lin Wanrong carefully stored the Emperor's gift and frowned: "How many princesses does our current Emperor have?"

Xu Wei nodded: "That's a good question, Little brother. Originally, there were two princesses, but now there are three."

"What do you mean two became three? Mr. Xu, don't beat around the bush; tell me quickly." Lin Wanrong, concerned about Xian'er's identity, asked eagerly.

Xu Wei sighed: "Little brother, what you don't know is that the Emperor had originally bestowed titles upon two princesses. The elder princess is called Princess Xinxia, the Emperor's first daughter. After the Emperor ascended the throne years ago, in response to the rebellion of the Yi tribe in Yunnan, he married her off to the eldest son of the Yunnan Duke to stabilize the border. Princess Xinxia has lived in a remote area ever since. Now nearly forty, she last visited the capital to see her family five years ago."

This Princess Xinxia was Xian'er's elder sister. She was older and certainly wouldn't be Qingxuan. Lin Wanrong was anxious and said, "What about the second princess who was granted a title? Could it be Xian'er—ah, I mean, Princess Nishang?"

Xu Wei smiled and shook his head, "No, no, the second princess is named Chuyun."

"Princess Chuyun?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, a mix of joy and concern, "Not Princess Nishang?"

Xu Wei nodded, "As to the Emperor's sons and daughters, it's a long and complicated tale. After Princess Xinxia, the Emperor had two princes. The first was born of the Empress, but tragically died at the age of ten when he fell from a horse and broke his neck."

"Broke his neck falling from a horse?" Lin Wanrong was shocked at this strange reason, especially for the Emperor's eldest son. Xu Wei seemed to see through his thoughts and shook his head, "The affairs of the royal family are best left unclear. If the late Emperor said he died from falling from a horse, then that's what happened."

"I see. From what you're saying, the Emperor had a second son?" Lin Wanrong asked.

"The second son's story is even more regrettable," Xu Wei sighed. "Just before the late Emperor's passing, the Emperor attended him personally. His filial piety and righteousness were admired by all, but someone sent an assassin. The second prince died under the assassin's blade while protecting the Emperor. The Emperor, then nearing forty, was devastated. He fainted right there by the late Emperor's bedside."

The fact that both of the Emperor's sons died unexpectedly was indeed shocking. Xu Wei cleared his throat and continued, "Later, during the succession at the late Emperor's deathbed, the Emperor took the throne but only had three princesses left. Princess Chuyun was fourth in the line of siblings, the Empress's own child, and incomparably noble. She was more than twenty years younger than Princess Xinxia. At the time of her birth, the Emperor's foundation was not yet stable, and with the help of a remarkable person, he sent Princess Chuyun to be this person's disciple. Twenty years have passed, and this old man has only seen her once, at the age of six when she was granted the title of Chuyun."

Was Princess Chuyun Qingxuan? Lin Wanrong's heart skipped a beat. What about Xian'er, then? How had she become Princess Nishang? Had the old Emperor adopted her as a false daughter to deceive Goryeo and the Turks?

"Princess Nishang is the Emperor's youngest daughter," Xu Wei sighed softly. "In those years in the palace, the Emperor's favorites were Princess Chuyun and Princess Nishang. When Chuyun was granted her title, the Emperor jokingly said he planned to name his youngest daughter Nishang. Unfortunately, before Princess Nishang was granted her title, things changed. Her birth mother, Concubine Qin, died protecting the Emperor, and Princess Nishang's whereabouts became unknown. A few days ago, when the Emperor mentioned Princess Nishang's return, this old man was incredulous, but it turned out to be true."

Concubine Qin? Qin Xian'er! Lin Wanrong suddenly understood, clapping his hands together. Xian'er was the Emperor's biological daughter; her mother's surname was Qin, so she was called Qin Xian'er. This girl had tricked him so cruelly; he would have to spank her when he got home.

"Little brother, do you understand now?" Xu Wei asked with a smile.

"I understand, I understand!" Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. "Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your guidance. Once I move into my new house in a few days, I'll invite you over for tea, and maybe collect some red envelopes!"

Xu Wei laughed loudly, glancing at him and saying, "Little brother Lin, you are no longer an ordinary person, so don't mention anything about receiving red envelopes. If outsiders were to hear about it, I fear those bringing you gift money would crowd your doorstep."

Xu Wei's words were not an exaggeration. Lin Wanrong had become a highly favored figure in front of the Emperor, and there were many who wanted to curry favor with him. It wasn't just about red envelopes; even if he wanted a mountain of gold, there would surely be someone willing to deliver it to him.

"There's one more thing." Xu Wei looked at him and smiled, "Little brother Lin, have you had a falling out with Miss Xiao of your family?"

"A falling out? Not at all!" Lin Wanrong said in surprise. "I was whipped at the training ground a few days ago, and she graciously applied medicine for me. How could there be any discord?"

"That's good to hear. These past two days, Miss Xiao has been inseparable from my girl Zhiqing. I saw her looking worried and thought you might have some grievances with her!"

Miss Xiao inseparable from Xu Zhiqing? Lin Wanrong had been out since early yesterday morning and had spent the night in the palace. Adding it up, he hadn't seen Miss Xiao for over two days, and he did indeed miss her somewhat.

After bidding farewell to Xu Wei at the door, Lin San entered the shop and saw Sister Song busily working, with the maid Huan’er also helping. Seeing him return, she joyfully exclaimed, "Brother San, you're back just in time! Come and help us!"

"Help with what?" Lin Wanrong laughed. "Where's Miss Xiao? Why don't I see her?"

"A new shipment of perfume is arriving from Jinling today. We're keeping the news under wraps for now. If the ladies knew about it, they would tear our shop apart. Brother San, you don't know, but our perfume is selling like crazy. Ten bottles were just put on the shelves yesterday, and in no time, hundreds of people were lined up outside. Once the ten bottles were sold, the rest became unruly, causing a fuss all day. It wasn't until Sister Song promised to notify them as soon as the shipment arrived that they finally dispersed." Huan’er said cheerfully.

Lin Wanrong, no longer surprised by such events, playfully patted the young maid's head and said, "I wasn't asking about the perfume. I was asking about Miss Xiao. Why don't I see her?"

"Miss Xiao? She said she went out painting with Miss Xu and, just like you, didn't come back all last night," Huan answered sheepishly.

Painting? The two girls seemed to be living a life of leisure. Lin Wanrong wondered when Miss Xiao had become so relaxed, even able to put aside the shop's business.

"Oh, right, Brother San, someone brought an invitation for you earlier, inviting you to a banquet at their residence!" Huan’er suddenly exclaimed in a delicate voice.

"An invitation? For a banquet?" Lin Wanrong asked in surprise. "Who sent it? What banquet?"

Huan’er shook her head, "I don't know. The servant was dressed very elegantly but was very polite to me. He left the invitation and left, insisting that his master was asking you to honor them with your presence."

Lin Wanrong took the invitation card in his hands and noticed the exquisite golden thread bordering the edges of the beautifully packaged card. Opening it, he saw a line of small golden characters that read: "Tomorrow at dusk, a banquet will be held at Prince's Mansion. Sincerely inviting the Vice Minister of Personnel, Mr. Lin San. Respectfully from Prince Zhao Mingcheng!"

A banquet hosted by Prince Cheng? After the unpleasant incident at the Grand Prime Minister Temple, what could he want with him? Having just been promoted, his invitation arrived so quickly. The deceit and hypocrisy in officialdom were far less satisfying than when he was a servant in the Xiao family. Lin Wanrong casually tossed the invitation aside, laughing, "I'll go rest for a while. If the Eldest Miss comes back, Huan'er, call me!"

Huan'er nodded in agreement, and as Lin Wanrong was about to step into his room, he suddenly heard a stiff voice speaking in Great Hua language from outside, "May I ask if Lord Lin San, Master Lin, lives here?"

Lin Wanrong lifted his head, only to see a high-nosed, deep-eyed Turk standing at the door, asking a question. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be one of Ashile's subordinates.

"Yes, yes, that's me. May I ask who you are?" Lin Wanrong walked forward, examining the man.

"I am here on the orders of Lord Ashile to deliver two of the finest Blood-Sweat Treasure Horses to Lord Lin. Please accept them," the Turk bowed and said.

Lin Wanrong exclaimed in delight, having completely forgotten about this matter. Ashile had bribed him with two Blood-Sweat Treasure Horses, but it was exposed by Seo Jang Geum before the Emperor, who simply awarded the jewels and horses to him. Now, this Turk was here specifically to deliver the treasure horses.

Having lived so long, he had only heard of the name Blood-Sweat Treasure Horse, never having seen one with his own eyes. Lin Wanrong eagerly grabbed the Turk, saying, "Where are the horses? Quickly, take me to see them!"

Stepping outside, he saw two tall and magnificent horses standing in front of the hall, their whole bodies a soft, brownish-yellow like satin, without a single impurity. The mane between their backs faintly gleamed gold in the sunlight, truly eye-catching. Both Blood-Sweat Treasure Horses had a ring of white mane around their hooves, utterly charming.

"My Lord, these are the most divine and spirited Blood-Sweat Treasure Horses of my Turkic people. When they run fiercely, beads of sweat as bright as blood cover their bodies, hence they are named Blood-Sweat Treasure Horses. These two, which are presented to you, are the kings among treasure horses. My Lord, please observe; their hooves are like jade, as if trotting on white snow, as if coming from the heavens. In our Turk, these horses are hailed as heavenly horses," the Turkic envoy introduced slowly.

Lin Wanrong was delighted in his heart but couldn't show it on his face. He nodded slightly, saying, "Indeed, the fame of the Blood-Sweat Treasure Horse is well-deserved. It can even be compared to our Great Hua's Dian Horse." [TL: The Yunnan horse breed, also known as the Dian Horse, is a small and sturdy type native to the Yunnan region.]

The envoy disdainfully curled his lip, thinking how could the ugly, thin, and small Dian Horse be compared to the Turkic treasure horse? This Lord Lin truly had no eye for quality.

"Thank you, envoy," Lin Wanrong smiled, taking the reins. Huan'er on the side looked at the large horses with a mixture of joy and fear, but heard her Brother San say, "Huan'er, take these two beasts out for a walk, and see if they can be used for plowing or milling."

The Turkic envoy's nose was nearly crooked with anger, but Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, saying, "If these treasure horses can't do work, then we'll leave one for the Eldest Miss to ride. Ah, beasts that can't work can only be ridden by people. Hey, Mr. Envoy, why are you still here?"

The Turkic envoy forcefully suppressed his anger, pulling an invitation from his breast, and handed it to Lin Wanrong, saying, "Sir, this is an invitation from Master Ashile. He invites you to attend a bonfire banquet outside the city tomorrow evening!"

‘A bonfire banquet? Ashile is quite romantic, isn't he? He wouldn't be using this opportunity to send me two Turkic beauties, would he?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled, about to casually accept the invitation, when he suddenly recalled Prince Cheng's invitation from earlier. Wasn't that also an invitation to dine at his mansion tomorrow evening?

Seeing that Lin Wanrong had taken the invitation, the Turkic envoy assumed he had accepted and hastily bowed and left. The longer he stayed here, witnessing Lin Wanrong's insult to the treasured horses, the more he felt the urge to punch him.

Lin Wanrong was still deep in thought when Huan'er came over joyfully, saying, "Big brother, Big brother, are you really an official now?"

"Just a minor official, fooling around," Lin Wanrong laughed.

"Not at all." Huan'er pouted, "Big brother, you're fooling me again. That man who just came, with the high nose and sunken eyes, isn't he a barbarian from beyond the frontier?"

"Huan'er, you're indeed wise and knowledgeable!" Lin Wanrong nodded and teased, "Those are the Turkic people, oh, the ones who have fought many wars with our Great Hua."

"Big brother, even the barbarians are so obsequious and flattering to you, and you still say you're a minor official? You only deceive us," Huan'er complained.

Seeing the young girl's eyes turning red, Lin Wanrong could only laugh and say, "Alright then, it's a big position, a sky-high position, happy now?"

Huan'er broke into a smile and nodded vigorously, "I knew it, Big brother is the most capable person in the world." Suddenly, her expression dimmed again, "Big brother, now that you're a high official, will you leave us?"

"What, is Huan'er worried that Big brother won't recognize you in the future?" Lin Wanrong joked, "Don't worry, when I need a maid in my room, I'll definitely call for you."

Huan'er's face turned red, and she quickly shook her head, "Big brother, I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about—"

"Worried about what?" Lin Wanrong wondered.

Huan'er lowered her head and sighed, "What I'm worried about is the Eldest Miss. Big brother, even though she has never spoken of it, we can all see that she really likes you. It's just that her character is stubborn and she doesn't like to express herself. Big brother, I beg you, please don't let her down—"

As Huan'er spoke, her eyes reddened, and tears were about to fall. Lin Wanrong smiled helplessly, "All I've become is a minor official. Why make it seem like I'm some betrayer? Don't forget, the Emperor himself titled me 'The First Servant Under Heaven.' My position as a servant is well-earned and legitimate." [TL: If the character for Talent in ‘The First Talent Under Heaven’ paired up with the character for House, then it became ‘The First Servant Under Heaven.’]

Just as he was about to speak, a woman's voice came from outside: "Excuse me for the intrusion. May I ask if Master Lin resides here?"

The voice sounded familiar. Huan'er glanced outside and saw a woman in palace attire standing at the gate, her eyes dark as pitch, skin as if washed with milk, pink cheeks, and a sweet smile as she was bowing to her. The woman's calm and serene demeanor was such that no amount of anger could erupt against her.

"Big brother, someone's looking for you," said Huan'er, clearly irritated. Having just pleaded for the Eldest Miss, now a beautiful, exotic woman had come to call, and she couldn't help but huff.

"Lady Jang Geum, what brings you here? Please come in and sit!" Lin Wanrong smiled as he walked over.

Seo Jang Geum's face lit up, and she bowed deeply, "Master Lin, so you really do live here. I thought I had the wrong place."

"No mistake, no mistake, this is indeed my home. Please come in and sit." Master Lin chuckled, then turned and called out, "Huan'er, prepare some tea!"

"Big brother, I'm sorry, but the tea leaves ran out yesterday," said Huan'er, her big eyes warily watching the palace lady. Big brother was a success now and not like before; any woman who came looking for him was an enemy of the Eldest Miss.

Lin Wanrong gave a wry smile. The thoughts of the young girl were truly hard to deal with.

Seo Jang Geum took an invitation from her person and shook her head with a smile, "Master Lin, there's no need. I came especially to deliver this invitation to you. Tomorrow evening, Prince Yi Seung-Jae will host a banquet on the Mirror Lake pleasure boat. We would be honored by your presence!"

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