Zhuolu - Chapter 8

Lin Xin looked at Shen Yingying’s soft and boneless hands and found them creepy.

“He’s not even ten years old, is he? What’s the use of having a squire who is younger than you, why not give him to me!” Shen Yingying stared at Lin Xin intently, and the more she looked at him, the more she liked it.

This eldest lady was not an ordinary woman, as her attendant, his small body probably won’t last for three days, Lin Xin looked at Shen Lou aggrievedly, and whispered: “It’s useful, A Xin wants to warm the prince’s bed.”

“…”

“…”

The room was so silent that even a needle dropping could be heard.

Huang Shiwei, who hadn’t wiped off the dew on his head, looked at Shizi in shock, and then turned to look at Zishu. Zishu rescued Lin Xin from the hands of the eldest lady with a dishevelled face, “A Xin, that’s not called warming the bed, don’t talk nonsense.”

After being taught a lesson, Sheng Yingying was not allowed to follow them to the Western Regions.

“Why don’t you let me go! I’m going!” Shen Yingying slapped the tall pear wood stool next to her with a slap, and there was a crisp “click”, and the whole stool fell apart and shattered all over the floor.

“Shen Yingying.”

Hearing her brother calling her by her name and surname, even though his tone was not so harsh, but Miss Shen visibly flinched a bit, stared at Lin Xin with her neck straightened, and snorted softly, “If I can’t go, I won’t go, what is the rare thing there!”

After saying that, she walked away angrily.

Lin Xin sighed softly, and really wanted to give up the quota of going to Mogui Mountain to Shen Yingying, but he didn’t know how to say it. At this time in his previous life, he didn’t know about the Zhong family. He only remembered that Zhao Jian ran away with him in his arms and was intercepted and almost killed by unknown white-clad monks three times.

“I’m not going to Mogui Mountain anymore, let the miss go.” Lin Xin tried to reason with Shen Lou.

“Mogui Mountain is not the same as our Huan Xinghai, the western capital of Xianyang lies at the foot of the mountain, so it’s very fun!” Zishu came over with a bowl of soup and coaxed him with a smile.

Lin Xin sniffled his nose and smelled the smell of “Po’e”. Po’e and Chitosan had similar effects, both were elixirs for nourishing the soul, but it was much more expensive than Chitosan, and it didn’t have the disgusting smell of urine like Chitosan.

Shen Lou was flipping through the letters in the sandalwood box, all the while turning a blind eye to Zishu’s arrival.

Zishu looked at the crown prince who treated her like air, stomped her feet angrily, poured out some of the overfilled soup, and handed it to Lin Xin, “Go, let the crown prince take the medicine.”

Lin Xin took the soup bowl and walked unsteadily to Shen Lou’s side, then he tilted his head to look at him, and took a sip of the concoction secretly. Po’e, Guilinggao[1], and Sanwencao, there were still other tastes that were not clear, and they were used cure everything, not just for replenishing the soul. What had happened to this man’s body?

Shen Lou put down the letter dumbfounded, how dare this little greedy cat eat anything, he even secretly drank medicine! “Does it taste good?”

“Bitter,” Lin Xin wrinkled his nose, “but my mother said that good medicine tastes bitter.”

To set a good example and not set bad precedent for the child, Shen Lou took the medicine bowl and drank it down.

Lin Xin took the empty medicine bowl and was very pleased. Judging by Zishu’s appearance, this elder son probably didn’t take his medicine properly. Shen Qingque should be only twelve years old now, and it was the time when he was in his rebellious period, so he had to coax him well.

Zishu walked away with the empty bowl contentedly, and Shen Lou picked up the letter again to read it.

Every time someone from Mogui Mountain came, they would bring a letter from the brothers of the Zhong family, most of which contained Zhong Youyu’s ramblings, while the taciturn Zhong Wumo would at most add a sentence at the end. The latest letter had invited him to climb Mogui Mountain and shoot wild geese on the Double Ninth Festival with the Zhing brothers, but it didn’t mention the century-old wine at all. Moreover, this time, the messenger even came empty-handed…

After closing the box, Shen Lou got up and took Lin Xin to see his father and also to ask him to set off immediately.

The wind and snow that had been falling for several days had stopped for a while, and the slender maple trees were all wilted and had become bare. The hundred-year-old maple tree however was unscathed, it was still full of prosperity, and slowly shedding its leaves.

“I can’t go.” Lin Xin hugged the old maple tree and refused to leave.

“Why?”

“I…” He couldn’t tell Shen Lou that he was Lin Zhenghan’s son, and the Zhong family had always wanted to arrest him. The most likely thing Shen Lou would do was to hand him over to the emperor. Lin Xin was a little worried, “I’m wearing the clothes of the prince, if someone sees me, they will kill me.”

Shen Lou was stunned for a moment, only to find that Lin Xin was wearing his clothes from his childhood. The attendants did not have a detached status in the Shen family, they were actually equivalent to disciples, but they each had their own objects of attachment. The Shen family treated them as the same family, and there was absolutely no danger of being beaten to death if they wore the prince’s clothes.

Touching that little head with some distress, he said, “It’s okay, don’t leave my side after you go out, then no one will bully you.”

Lin Xin was reluctantly taken by Shen Lou to Qiongjin, the residence of Duke Xuan.

Shen Qirui was tall and heavy-set, walking near him would give people a heavy sense of oppression, and when his cold gaze swept over Lin Xin, he suddenly let out a “huh”.

The pulse on his wrist was suddenly grabbed by a big hand, and Lin Xin subconsciously wanted to draw the knife, but he just touched his waist and squeezed it hard, trying to resist the urge to break Shen Qirui’s wrist with his backhand.

“Extensive spiritual veins and high aptitude, where did this kid come from?” Shen Qirui looked at Lin Xin with the eyes of seeing a high-end spiritual sword.

“The Zhao family’s child, whose parents have died, Zhao Wanhu and his wife treated him harshly…” Shen Lou explained Lin Xin’s superficial identity.

“Reckless waste, what a wasteful waste!” Shen Qirui squeezed Lin Xin’s slender wrist, very angry.

Lin Xin put on an innocent face.

Shen Qirui took out a Luli the size of a pigeon egg from his sleeve and gave it to him, “From now on, you will be a member of the Shen family. If you practice hard, you will become a great weapon in the future.”

Holding the crystal-clear Luli, Lin Xin felt helpless as he followed Shen Lou into the carriage.

“Father rewarded you, put it away.” Shen Lou had an inexplicable smile in his eyes.

“What is this?” This Luli was polished, smooth and edgeless, and it was used by a wealthy family like the Shen family for children to play with, but it was very different from the ones that monks usually put on their swords. As a child who had never seen the world, Lin Xin couldn’t act very knowledgeable.

“Luli.” Shen Lou also took out two from his sleeve, gave them to Lin Xin, and explained the origin of the Luli to him along the way.

A long time ago, the ancient magic of immortality was lost, so the families of cultivators relied on talismans and treasures to survive. Suddenly, while chasing a deer into the mountains one day, some cultivators got the spirit stone, which looked as bright as glass, so it was named Luli.

The appearance of Luli made the immortal way flourish again, and the immortals who were almost reduced to charlatans were able to ride the sword and climb the wind again.

The Western Regions were not as cold as the Northern Regions. The autumn was crisp so they could see the geese flying south.

Mogui Mountain was indeed a mountain, the Zhong family lived on the mountain, and the capital of the Western Regions was just below the mountain. Huan Xinghai was still a certain distance from the northern capital, but Mogui Mountain was closely connected with the western capital, and it was extremely lively.

At the foot of the mountain there were crowds of people, and chariots and horses full of gold, silver, money and food blocked the mountain gate.

“Forgive me, my lord, your visit coincides with the autumn tribute. Thousands of households from the territory are all here, so it’s a bit crowded.” The messenger apologized repeatedly, and Yu Jian went to report. Knowing that Duke Xuan was coming, a group of white-clothed monks appeared immediately and drove the delivery carriages to the side of the road to make way for the Shen family.

Dukes and Marquises paid tribute to the emperor once a year, and the rules for collecting tribute from vassals varied from region to region. The Northern Region received the tributes twice, while the Western Region received it in the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, and now it was the time for the autumn tribute.

Zhong Suifeng, who was also wearing a white robe with wide sleeves and white tiger fur on his collar, ran out to greet the Shen family in a state of desperation.

“Brother Qirui, I am a little flustered at the moment, please forgive me.” Zhong Suifeng had a good-natured face, and he spoke slowly, this face could be called kind at best, but cowardly at worst.

“Why are you here too?” Zhong Youyu, who followed his uncle out to greet the guests, and on seeing Shen Lou, and instead of being surprised, there was suppressed anger on his face. Beside him was Zhong Wumo was expressionless, also looking very haggard.

Standing behind Shen Lou, Lin Xin narrowed his eyes slightly. Weren’t these two brothers and Shen Lou childhood friends who grew up wearing the same pair of pants? Why did they look like someone had killed their father when they saw Shen Lou now!

He remembered that nothing major had happened to the Zhong family in his previous life, and it wasn’t until he crushed Zhong Changye’s soul that the Zhong family began to decline.

The author has something to say:

Small theater:

Father Shen: Lin Xin will be a member of the Shen family from now on

Loulou: (⊙v⊙) Father

Shen: What are you laughing at?

Loulou: It’s okay, I just feel that the paper burned in front of your spiritual throne in the previous life was not in vain.

Father Shen: What did you say? (╰_╯)#

Xinxin: ???