Zhou Pu urged his horse to gallop towards the top of a mountain, and with two fingers inserted into his mouth, he let out a loud whistle that echoed through the valley. Immediately afterwards, Gu Ying heard the sound of horseshoes coming from behind the dense forest in front of the northern slope, gradually getting farther and farther away, disappearing among the mountains, without knowing where they went. Unexpectedly, there was an ambush hidden in the mountain valley.

  She gazed at the distant mountain ridge with her bright and lively eyes, without asking Lin Xie and these outsiders who were horse traders what kind of people they were. She thought to herself that as long as she treated them as homeless drifters and took them in, it would be fine.

  Locally powerful and wealthy individuals accommodated unregistered migrants as tenants or guests, while assigning brave warriors to rural garrisons; this had become the usual practice for dealing with unregistered migrants in various regions, also forming a situation where local tyrants held great power that could not be shaken.

  Lin Xie and Gu Ying led the horse to move forward, near Shanglin Creek, Zhou Pu came from behind. Following Zhou Pu were Wu Qi and seven others disguised as outsiders selling horses, driving a large group of extraordinary fine horses. Zhao Hu and Chen Enze, who had not shown up all day yesterday, were also among them.

  "As expected by Master Lin, the Lin family cannot bear the crime of assassinating the deputy governor. The seventy-one bandits privately raised by the young master of the Lin family withdrew from Dongyang last night in three batches and headed northwest. Im afraid they can only be bandits for the time being, but its unknown how long they can survive under the pursuit of the thief-hunting camp." Wu Qi rode over to tell Lin Xie about the withdrawal of the Lin familys private troops from Dongyang last night, then turned to Madame Seven and bowed, saying, "Wu Qi has seen Madame Seven. From now on, please call me Crow, and we seven will follow your orders..."

  Gu Yingru looked at Lin Xie with a glance, and said to Wu Qi and others: "Whether its successful or not, lets talk about it later - first of all, can you trust me here?"

  Lin Xian looked at the Seventh Ladys delicate and charming face, looking at her beautiful eyes, thinking that she still didnt have much confidence, said: "Whether it succeeds or not, lets go back to Upper Lin first." But in his heart, he thought: Lin Tingxun suddenly having a stroke at night was an unexpectedly good thing.

  Even in later generations, stroke is a difficult disease. In this era, its a miracle for an elderly person to recover from a stroke and regain their senses. At most, they can only struggle on for a short while before dying.

  The second son, Lin Xuzong, not only failed to gain the trust of his family members but also lacked the power to intimidate them. He couldnt even mobilize the village guards - even if Lin Tingxun were to pass away, its uncertain whether he could take over as the head of the household, after all, there was still a chance that Old Master Lin Tingli might return and throw a spanner in the works. However, one thing is certain: as long as Lin Tingxun still has breath in his body, there will be more people who dont want Lin Xuzong to take over.

  "Alright..." Gu Yingxu took a deep breath, making her enticing chest look even more plump and upright. She pulled the reins and rode her horse towards Shang Lin Du.

  Lin tied up his reins and followed, thinking that if he could stabilize the Seventh Ladys footing at Shanglin Station, his pressure on Jiangning would be greatly reduced.

  Dongyang Prefectures Shiliang County is located north of Huaian Prefecture, south of Jiangning Prefecture, and east of Weiyang Prefecture. It is the intersection of four prefectures. The Shiliang River has always been an important waterway connecting the Huai River and Yangtze River systems. Shanglin Ferry is situated at the throat of the four prefectures and the Shiliang River. Having a foothold in Shanglin Ferry makes it very convenient to head north to Huaian Prefecture via Hongze Pu, then out to sea via the Huai River, or east to Weiyang Prefecture into the Yangtze River, or south to Jiangning Prefecture into the Yangtze River and then out to sea.

  Lin Xian thought that Gu Yingxiu had been meddling in the Lin familys affairs for years, but behind her back, it was all Lin Tingxun using her as a pawn to suppress Second Master Lin Xuexius ambition. Gu Yingxiu also knew her own situation and lacked confidence. After Lin Tingxuns stroke, Gu Yingxiu didnt have the qualifications to compete for anything in the Lin family. Except for Second Master Lin Xuexiu in Shanglindu, both Second Master Lin Tingli in Dongyangfu and Eldest Master Lin Xuanzong in Beijing could become the ones who hold the power in the Lin family. No matter how you look at it, it wouldnt be Gu Yingxius turn, a mere woman.

  Nothing is absolute, and this qualification is not forever unchanged. Suddenly gaining the favor of the imperial court and being appointed as the Deputy Inspector of Jiangdong was the greatest reliance for Gu Xiang at that time.

  There is no one who can make a difference, the lonely and helpless Gu Yingxue even with the greatest support behind her back, can only avoid being deceived, wanting to fight for something, but its far from enough.

  Lin Jie let Wu Qi and seven others stay in Shanglin, on the one hand to give Gu Yingxue some support, on the other hand after Gu Yingxue stabilized her footing at Shanglin Station, Wu Qi and others also stabilized their footing at Shanglin Station. With a suitable identity, they could slightly rely on some resources from the Lin and Gu families, and then assist Qin Chengzu and others who went out to sea more effectively.

  *******************

  Lin tied them up and rode horses slowly, and they were delayed for a long time on the way. When they arrived at Shanglin Ferry, it was already noon, and Zhaos family also caught up with them from behind.

  Gu Yingxu got back on the carriage when passing over Shanglin Creek, and entered Shanglin Ferry with a large group of more than ten people and sixty fine horses.

  Its said that Seventh Madame brought those horse-trading outsiders to appear at Shanglin Ferry, and Lin Xun, the sole heir, also followed back. The Second Young Master Lin Xuzong, who was sitting in the outer room waiting for the doctors diagnosis, was so anxious that he smashed the cup in his hand, making a "crash" sound, shattering porcelain everywhere. The maids and servant women standing by were all startled, their breathing becoming coarse as they gasped in unison.

  Madam San, Lin Xuzongs birth mother, walked out of the inner chamber and scolded him, "Whats going on now? You wont be happy until you scare Master to death!"

  Watching his mother come out to scold him, Lin Xuzong could only freeze up and remain silent.

  At this moment, the sorrowful and mournful voice of Seventh Madame Gu Yingxu could be heard from afar: "Master, I was only away for a day, and youve become like this. In the future, if Im bullied by others, who will stand up for me?" Everyone looked towards the door together, and they saw Seventh Madame walking in with her face covered with a handkerchief, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She ignored the crowd waiting outside and directly pulled Third Madames hand, asking with sobs, "Sister, how is Master doing?" Pulling Third Madame along, she went straight to the inner chamber...

  Lin Xuzongs face turned green with rage, his expression gloomy as he said to Lin Zonghai beside him: "Drive all these people out of Shanglintou. My fathers life or death is still unknown, and this good-for-nothing has brought back people to show off his might - and that absolute scoundrel, tie him up in the ancestral temple. If my father ends up like this, its all thanks to him!"

  "Hum! Second Master is indeed good at blaming others. Lin Xie is standing right here, if you think Lin Xie has let the Lin family down and failed to live up to the masters expectations, then come and bind me yourself, why bother Brother Zonghai!" Lin Xie held a waist knife in his hand, blocking the door, coldly staring at Lin Xuzong.

  The light in the outer house suddenly dimmed, and Lin Xuzong, Lin Zonghai, Gu Changshun, and the old Lin family were all startled. At this moment, the Lin Xiucai in their minds was no longer the timid and fearful Lin Xiucai of the past, but the Lin Juren who had killed with a fierce aura and placed a knife on the neck of the second young master yesterday.

  Lin Zonghai stood at the gate, and from the window paper, he saw several burly men still standing in the corridor. Lin Zonghai cursed in his heart: Which bastard is guarding the mansion door, letting Seventh Lady and Lin Zuo lead these foreign horse traders all in?

  Lin Zonghai had read the secret letter from yesterday and roughly knew about the private soldiers that the second young master privately raised, who were lured to kill these outsiders at Lake Dam. His forehead was cold and he broke out in a sweat. If the Seventh Lady and Lin Xie joined forces to play the game of forcing the palace, how would they respond? He involuntarily gripped his sword tightly, and his palms were sweating.

  Lin Xuan had a premonition the night before that left a shadow in his heart. If not, he wouldnt have hastily sent private soldiers to chase and kill Lin Xue. Looking at Lin Xue holding a knife with killing intent on her body no less than when they were at the mule market, Lin Xuan felt a stinging sensation between his eyebrows, and for a moment, he couldnt catch his breath. Not wanting to appear weak in front of everyone, he wanted to say some harsh words but ultimately couldnt get them out.

  Those old men were also afraid that Lin Xie would play another trick, and their old hearts couldnt take it. They thought about what to say to make the young people less impulsive.

  Lin Xie didnt have the time to put on a show for the Lin family, even if it was just a weak one. He had to bare his fangs. His eyes scanned over the crowd in the outer house, and he thought the effect wasnt bad. Pretending to be angry, he scolded Wu Qi and the others beside him: "What are you doing following me in here? You dont even understand the rules. How will you follow Seventh Lady in the future?"

  Wu Qi, Zhao Hu and Chen Enze immediately withdrew from the garden of Xishu, leaving only Zhou Pu guarding the corridor. Lin Fu handed his knife to Zhou Pu and walked alone into the outer house, saying: "I cannot replace Madame Qis words, if you think I have done something wrong, just tie me up and send me to the ancestral temple for questioning!"

  Lin Xuzong looked at Lin Zonghai for help, and Lin Zonghai kicked the ball away: "If you really want to drive out Seventh Lady from the Lin family, Im afraid well have to wait until the master wakes up; or wait until Second Master returns from Dongyang Prefecture, or all the elders decide that it should be so... Even if Xiucai has made a mistake, didnt the master already make a decision two days ago? Although Xiucai left Upper Lin Village voluntarily, after all, he is still a member of the family. When he heard about the masters illness, he rushed back to visit in a hurry, which shouldnt be considered wrong."

  Lin Xie smiled in her heart: Lin Zonghai was indeed not wearing the same pants as Second Young Master.

  Lin Tingxuans life or death is uncertain, and Lin Xuzong cannot take over as the head of the family. As a result, Lin Zonghai has the greatest influence on the rural camp. Of course, the 500 village guards are mainly composed of young men from the Lin family, ensuring their loyalty to the Lin family and the upper Lin family. Even if Lin Zonghai wants to betray the Lin family, he cant expect the 500 village guards to follow him to death.

  Lin Fu looked at the several elderly family members in the outer house, and those elderly family members all said: "The scholars heart is kind and benevolent, its not excessive to hurry back to see the master!"

  Lin Xie smiled and said, "The elder Mu has praised...". He knew in his heart that Lin Xus private nurturing of thieves would only make the clan members uneasy. He used a plan to drive all these thieves out of Dongyang Prefecture, and probably only Lin Xu was not pleased among the people in the room.

  At this moment, Seventh Lady Gu Yingxiu was heard questioning from the inner chamber: "How did Masters scar on his forehead come back? Didnt you say that you saw Master lying in bed ill early in the morning? What about the maids and servant girls who took care of Master? Did they harm Master and cause him to fall ill, or was it because Gu Changshun, that rascal, didnt take good care of him?"

  Lin Zongxu and Gu Changshun stared at each other, when they heard a soft voice from the inner room responding to Gu Yingxiu: "Sister Xi, last night Master found Second Young Master talking, dont know how he got hurt, came back with his forehead cracked open, has nothing to do with the maidservants, old women or Changshun!"

  Lin Xie heard the voice of Sixth Madame, and Sixth Madame directly pointed the spearhead at Second Master Lin Xuizong, which was also predictable. Lin Tingxuns youngest son, Lin Xuixi, was born to Sixth Madame, and he was only ten years old this year. Even if she had a gentle temperament, how could she not know that after Lin Xuizong took over the Lin family, there would be no good fruit for her and her son to eat? Sixth Madame came from a humble background, was exceptionally beautiful, and married Lin Tingxun as a concubine at the age of sixteen, even younger than Gu Yanshao by one year. Her natal family could not provide her with any support, so she knew to stand together with Gu Yanshao at this time.

  Lin Xian smiled secretly in his heart and asked Lin Zonghai, "Brother Zonghai, what happened last night? The Second Young Master almost poured dirty water on my head!"

  At this time, a voice came from outside the door: "The second master is back!"

  Second Master Lin Tingli is the younger brother of Lin Tingxun, who is currently serving as a fifth-rank judge in Dongyang Prefecture. With Lin Tingxun seriously ill in bed, he will naturally also rush back from the prefectural city upon receiving the news.