Liu Yu'er walked to the front hall outside, walked to Lin Xian's side, and told him what Su Mei said, also not intentionally whispering, others at the banquet could also hear.

  "How can this be? It's too disturbing, how can I be at peace?" Sun Jingxuan said with a surprised expression. In his heart, he was actually wondering about the relationship between Su Mei and Lin Xie. As an ordinary acquaintance, Su Mei's suggestion to let Lin Xie take over the grass hall was somewhat presumptuous. Could it be that Su Mei had secretly promised herself to Lin Xie as a concubine? This was also too shocking to hear! With Su Mei's current reputation and stunning beauty, there were not just one or two big shots in Jiangning City who wanted to take her as a concubine. Lin Xie's position made it somewhat risky for him to want to take her as a concubine. Moreover, it was widely rumored that Su Mei had a closer relationship with Chen Mingyu, the first talent of the southeast and a student of Chen Xiyan, and might have privately agreed to marry him. The Chen family was also a prominent clan in Pingjiang Prefecture, and Chen Mingyu was the eldest son of the Chen family. In any aspect, Lin Xie could not compare with Chen Mingyu.

  "If you want to recover from leg injuries, it's best to stay at the river mouth." Wu Yanqing said straightforwardly.

  Lin Tie and Cao Zi'ang exchanged a glance, knowing that Sun Jingxuan was illiterate but very astute, and might have raised suspicions with this careless remark. However, it wasn't a big deal since they were friends rather than enemies. As for the relationship with Su Mei, the most important thing to guard against was letting the Xue family find out. In reality, Lin Tie's power in Jiangning was just beginning to take shape, but the Xue family's influence in Jiangning was an object of suppression for both Li Zhuo and Gu Wudeng. Gu Wudeng might not be able to control Xue Feihutu, and if Li Zhuo couldn't even control him in Jiangning, the Xue family army would have already killed their way out of Dongming. With one side rising and the other falling, Lin Tie wasn't really afraid of Xue Feihu's ability to stir up trouble in Jiangning. As long as he didn't alert Ninghai Town Deputy General Xiao Taoyuan, even if Xue Feihut found out that he had escaped with Su Mei, Fu Qinghe, and Xiaoman in Baisha County, or even knew the truth behind the robbery case, it wouldn't be a big deal. Of course, at this point, Xue Feihu wasn't afraid of Lin Tie and Su Mei being able to accuse him of anything either - firstly, they had no concrete evidence, and secondly, since so much time had passed since the incident, Lin Tie and Su Mei's credibility would have decreased significantly if they were to come forward with accusations now. In the end, it was just a matter of everyone saving face, and neither side could do anything to harm the other.

  "Letting Miss Sun live in the Grass Hall is not the way to treat a guest," said Lin Dai. "The Bamboo Hall has been built, and the east side near the river embankment will be used for lectures. In a few days, Zhao Shuhan from the Jiangning Penal Department will lecture on 'Ti Liang Yu Shu' there. The south end of the corner can accommodate some people, and temporarily, it cannot be put to other use. In the corridor, bamboo partitions are set up, and in the courtyard, there is a pond that separates the two sides, so you don't have to worry about being disturbed. For the time being, I will lend it to the West River Association, and when the West River Association's house at the river mouth is built, they can move out - if Miss Sun still feels uneasy, then I will rent it to the West River Association for 3,000 coins a month, which is also a reasonable price. What do you think, Sun Hui?"

  "Alas, alas, alas! Lord Lin is so kind and generous, how can I, Jingxuan, refuse?" Sun Jingxuan sighed, "I really don't understand why the rumors in Jiangning City are unfavorable to Lord Lin." He looked like he was taking injustice for Lin.

  "Sun Hui, you should know that when I first came to Jiangning, I was empty-handed and penniless. Although Mr. Gu had the title of Vice Censor-in-Chief, he too was looked down upon by the people of Jiangning. If we didn't have our sharp teeth, how could we survive in this place?" Lin Xie looked at Sun Jingxuan with his eyes and said, "It's not that I want to be fierce, but it's really because of the circumstances. Is it more important for me to fight for a living space with my brothers, sisters, fellow villagers, and old friends than to have a good or bad reputation?"

  Sun Jingxuan, Sun Jingtang and their brother Sun Wenbing were all taken aback by Lin's words. Although boastful language couldn't convince a cautious person, sometimes words could indeed dispel the last bit of vigilance.

  Sun Jingxuan stood up and apologized: "It was I, Jingxuan, who misspoke..."

  Some people who are not particularly sensitive only realized at this time that Sun Jingxuan's words just now were a tentative probe with ulterior motives.

  "I may have spoken too harshly, please don't mind it, Sun Hui," Lin Xie stood up and invited Sun Jingxuan to take a seat, saying "But it's truly my sincere words. As the saying goes 'a distant road tests the horse's strength, time reveals a person's heart', maybe in the future I'll have other bad reputations spreading out..."

  Sun Jingxuan sat down and thought: Lin Xueruo is a hero in the Jianghu.

  Sun Jingxuan's words just now also made him feel a bit sentimental. Although Sun Jingxuan had never read books, it wasn't that he didn't have the opportunity to read them. The Sun family, although not very good, was still a powerful family and had the ability to support their children in reading and writing. It's just that when Sun Jingxuan was young, he preferred to dance with knives and guns, and hated books. He had experienced half of his life and was well-versed in human relationships, but he despised the fame that scholars valued and looked down on etiquette. Although he had a heroic heart, the heavy burden of the Western River Association made him cautious and careful in his words and deeds. It was precisely this caution that made him admire Lin Xuan's straightforwardness and strength, and he thoroughly believed that Fu Qinghe's words in the letter were not exaggerated at all. He also regretted that his daughter had ruined this marriage, and now he didn't decline or make excuses to live in the Bamboo Hall.

  Lin Xie's words to Sun Jingxuan were loud and clear, and Su Mei in the adjacent room also heard them clearly. Her eyes inexplicably became moist, and she quickly turned her head to hide behind a dish, thinking "A distant horse is known for its strength, and a person's heart is seen over time" - this saying was indeed wonderful. Others might still need time to understand Lin Xie, but she had completely trusted him.

  Jian Wan's decision to stay had already been made, Xiao Man should have been angry, but her mind was preoccupied with other things, she pouted and didn't say a word, thinking that it was good for Wan and Wen Pei to stay too, after all, they would have someone to talk to.

  Sun Wen's resentment would not be dispelled by Lin Xie's words, and she even thought that Lin Xie was also making a gesture to keep her here, although she couldn't act willfully and return to City South, she had made up her mind to ignore this good-for-nothing.

  In the afternoon, Sun Jingxuan will successively withdraw the Wu Peng ferry boat and the assembly to Longcangpu in the south of the city without making a sound. Let his nephews Sun Wenyao and Sun Wenbing assist him. Sun Jingtang stayed behind to discuss with Lin Jingzhong the details of many things, as well as the matter of borrowing the Bamboo Hall. Since Sun Wennü and Sun Wenpei, two elder sisters-in-law, were not relatives of Lin Xian, they could not stay overnight at Caotang, so they had to move to the Bamboo Hall before nightfall. Sun Jingtang asked someone to bring his concubine, Zhao Niangniang, from the south of the city to take care of the two maids and also to manage the ferry assembly that stayed behind.

  The family rules of the river helpers and the boatmen's families are much more relaxed than those of the real aristocratic families, also due to the pressure of making a living. Especially during the transportation season, when the men in the family would be away for half a year, it forced the women to take charge of household matters. Within the river helper community, there was not much distinction between the status of wives and concubines. Since Sun Jingxuan's wife had passed away and he had not remarried, many internal affairs that required women to handle or disputes that needed to be resolved were often handled by Sun Jingtang's wives and concubines. Sun Jingtang's wife was always in poor health, while Zhao Niangniang from the Western River Association was somewhat famous in Longcangpu.

  Lin Mo didn't rush to enter the city, waiting until she had seen Zhao Yiniang before setting off with Su Mei. Zhao Yiniang's skin was dark and tanned, perhaps in her youth she was a beautiful black peony, but now although not yet forty years old, her face was already worn out, however she was a clever and capable woman, even Sun Wenyuan was quite polite in front of her, and also very respected by the members of the Xihui Association.

  Sun Jingxuan married her as a concubine at that time, when his wife and Sun Jingxuan's wife were both ill. He didn't value her appearance, but valued her strong personality, numeracy, literacy, and ability to manage the household. As they traveled outside for business, someone with a strong personality who could hold down the fort was needed in the Jiangning mansion.

  Lin Jingzhong personally went to find bamboo craftsman Zhao Zuigui, and had him lead a team to build a bamboo wall. In the afternoon, they divided the Bamboo Hall into two parts: East Shed and South Shed. Then he had people tidy up the courtyard of South Shed, move in good furniture, bedding, etc., and also built several huts outside the wall of South Shed for the more than ten members of the Western River Association who came to stay temporarily.

  **********

  Compared with Li Zhuo's appearance at the river mouth yesterday, today's Western River Conference did not attract much attention from others, and it was even less noticeable than Su Mei's arrival at the river mouth.

  Lin You was going to the Gu residence for a banquet, riding a horse, accompanied by Zhou Pu and four guards; Su Mei was also returning to Baiyuan, sitting in a carriage with the Fourth Lady, followed by four guards sent by the Fan family. The private banquet at the Gu residence had also invited Zhao Qinmin, who did not have the courage to bring only two attendants and swaggered through Jiangning City, naturally following Lin You's group.

  To prevent Zhao Qinmin from getting in the way, Zhou Pu and the guards of the Wu army, as well as the guards of Baiyuan, all kept a distance behind. Although Zhao Qinmin was also able to push his way forward to exchange a few words with Su Mei, after some thought, he fell back again and walked together with the other guards.

  The road was still half a mile away from being completed, and the carriage bounced violently. Su Mei lifted the curtain of the window and spoke to Lin Xie, who was riding alongside on horseback. They moved slowly through the lush green grass and fragrant wildflowers, which was intoxicating.

  "The list of successful candidates has been released, and the news was spread yesterday. Yesterday, Li Zhuo appeared at the river mouth, causing a commotion that lasted till midnight, and also caused trouble for the Sun family's daughters, almost making them forget about the release of the list. As they walked on the official road of Donghua Gate, Lin Xie asked Su Mei, "You should have received the news too, right?"

  "I did hear something yesterday." Su Mei replied softly, Chen Mingyu may not be the first to try, but during the imperial examination, he was personally awarded the title of Zhuangyuan by the Emperor's own writing brush. The news had already spread throughout Jiangning last night if it weren't for Li Zhuo's matter. She wanted Lin Xie to ask more questions, but Lin Xie remained silent, his eyes fixed on the bright yellow peach blossoms beside the road, as if intoxicated by the flourishing spring atmosphere. Occasionally, a glimpse of his thoughts flashed through his eyes, and Su Mei also felt a lump in her heart. She knew that with Lin Xie's keen observational skills, he would naturally be able to guess who was behind this marriage arrangement. She thought that a capable and strong-willed woman like Yuanniang would be more suitable as Lin Xie's partner than those delicate and weak girls who only knew how to do needlework and paint. But things had turned out differently. At this moment, she couldn't guess what Lin Xie was thinking in his heart, and she really didn't want Lin Xie to distance himself from her, but she also didn't know what to do.