February 16th: Arriving in the Capital

Chapter 2.16 Arriving in the Capital

The capital in July was shrouded in the sweltering heat of midsummer.

Yet, unlike Lin Rui’s modern memories, it did not seem all that hot.

Perhaps because it was already dusk, the pedestrians on the streets, though numerous, walked with a hurried and impatient pace, eager perhaps to reach their homes before nightfall; quite the contrary, many joyful children were carefree, excitedly chasing and frolicking by the roadside.

The scenery was quite ordinary—or rather, hardly scenery at all, at least in Lin Rui’s eyes.

There was almost no greenery along the streets. Although the main thoroughfares were paved with bluestone and free of excessive litter and debris, they were perpetually blanketed in a layer of fine dust. A light breeze would send it swirling across the ground, and a sudden gust would fill the air with withered yellow, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to a modern metropolis.

And this was just the Inner City.

As the capital of the Great Zhou and the primary seat of virtue, the city had long been characterized by the saying: "The east is wealthy, the west is noble; the south is poor, the north is humble." This adage, passed down from the former Ming dynasty to the present day, summed up the situation with fair accuracy.

Within the Inner City, the East District was mostly comprised of wealthy households and estates, while the West District was primarily the domain of official residences.

The Outer City was actually inhabited by commoners, though by comparison, the North District was somewhat worse off than the South District.

Speaking purely of the roads, most of those in the Inner City had already been paved and were equipped with reasonably adequate drainage systems, making them passably good overall; the Outer City, however, was far inferior, with both roads and other auxiliary facilities cobbled together as best as could be managed.

The city was like this, and its surroundings were no different. As the old saying went, "the inexhaustible coal of the Western Hills," which sounded quite inspiring, actually stemmed from the fact that as the capital for both the Ming and Zhou dynasties, spanning over two hundred years of continuous development to the present day, the trees had long since been burned away.

Barren mountains, bald ridges, and flying yellow dust—such was the reality. Without coal, people would not even have had food to eat.

Therefore, the fuel used in a household was one of the "standards" distinguishing social status. Ordinary folk mostly burned various types of coal, while wealthy families and households basically purchased firewood, with a market cost difference of about threefold, though practically speaking, it amounted to five times as much.

Hanlin Street.

Naturally, this belonged to the Inner City, and as the name implied, the surrounding area was mostly inhabited by civil officials.

The Lin family’s old residence happened to be situated on the north side of the main thoroughfare. It appeared to have been recently renovated; the exterior walls were all freshly pointed with white lime, the lintel had been newly painted, and many construction marks that had yet to fade could still be seen around it.

A line of carriages slowly came to a halt in front of the grand gate. Lin Rui leaped down from his swift horse and gave instructions to draw the carriage curtains.

After a long while, when everything was finally prepared and unauthorized personnel had withdrawn, the doors of the carriages opened one after another. Disregarding her usual decorum, Jia Min was the first to step down, looking up with a complex expression at the plaque directly above the main entrance.

"Lin Residence, inscribed by Lin Ruhai."

Things remained, but the people were gone.

"Madam!" Lin Rui hurried to the front of the gate, waving his hand to signal the You sisters to step forward and support her.

"How many years it has been!" Jia Min’s tone was laden with complex emotions, and she could not help shedding tears as she spoke. "I thought I would never return in this lifetime, yet today, there is unexpectedly a chance to see it once more. I wonder what it looks like inside now."

"Madam can rest entirely assured. Seeing that this outer wall has been tended to, the interior surely lacks nothing either. I expect this was arranged by the Rongguo Estate." Given her emotional state, Lin Rui could only offer auspicious words suitable for a homecoming. "Once we are settled, we must go and thank them properly."

"Well said." Jia Min nodded and, with his "assistance," pushed open the heavy doors with effort.

***

Unexpectedly, before they could even step inside, they spotted a young man standing right in the central courtyard.

Albeit, his appearance was truly not much to look at.

Judging purely by his features and attire, he could definitely be considered a "noble young master." Dressed in a light blue men’s long gown, with his hair tied in a topknot and stepping into expensive boots, his face was as fair as jade, smooth-cheeked and without facial hair, fully worthy of his birth and upbringing.

Er... upbringing—

The long gown did not seem to have been put on with any care; it was crooked and rather slovenly. His topknot was somewhat casual, with several stray strands of hair floating wildly about, and his face still bore the lingering traces of intoxication. His complexion looked truly poor, casting an almost "greasy" sheen against the setting sun.

The group of female attendants at the door hurriedly turned around to shield themselves from view, and Lin Rui stepped forward irritably to block the way.

"You... pray, who might you be, sir?" The man was clearly startled, just about to flare up in anger when he caught sight of an exceptionally handsome young man, slightly taller than himself, glaring at him with annoyance. Most importantly, the fellow had already placed his hand upon the hilt of his sword, frightening the young man into becoming considerably more courteous on the spot.

"Brother Lian?" Just as Lin Rui was about to question him, a somewhat puzzled inquiry came from behind him.

"Does Madam know him?" Lin Rui understood immediately upon hearing this, but still sought confirmation.

"Are you Lian-ge'er?" Jia Min nodded, stepping forward to stare fixedly at the man. Then, pausing slightly, she raised her hand and struck him across the face. A crisp "slap" echoed through the entire courtyard. "What kind of state is this? Is this how your eldest uncle taught you propriety?"

"You—" Jia Lian was completely stunned by the blow, which also seemed to sober him up a great deal. Staring cautiously at Jia Min for a moment, he stammered foolishly, "Aunt? Have you returned? Why didn't you send word so that your nephew could take people to welcome you..."

"Greetings, Second Brother Lian!" Since they were aunt and nephew conversing, Lin Rui did not wish to appear impolite.

"Step aside!" Jia Min was visibly displeased. "Anping, take him away to sober up!"

"Yes, Madam!" Suppressing a smile, Lin Rui stepped forward and hooked his arm firmly through Jia Lian's, dragging him away from the main courtyard by sheer force. "I must ask Second Brother Lian to lead the way; your younger brother has just returned and is not quite familiar with this courtyard."

Fortunately, Jia Lian was not a stubborn fellow—and more importantly, knowing Jia Min’s temper, he dared not say much more and obediently pointed the way. Once the two of them had left, the newly arrived company began entering the courtyard one after another, their movements considerably hastened, likely due to the earlier collision.

Over here, having two men made things much more convenient.

"Could you be virtuous younger brother Anping?" Once they entered the front courtyard of the Eastern Wing, Jia Lian finally recovered the bearing and etiquette of an aristocratic scion, though his disheveled attire ruined the effect entirely. "I have long heard my uncle and aunt praising you repeatedly in their letters. Never did I imagine I would have the fortune to meet you today."

"I never expected our first meeting would be quite like this either." By comparison, Lin Rui spoke much more casually. Although it was their first time meeting, he had long since known everything about this man. "And I certainly didn't expect Second Brother Lian to pull such a stunt."

No matter how thick-skinned Jia Lian was, hearing this still brought a flush of heat to his aged face.

"I was merely having a few drinks with some brothers..." He stammered half an explanation before trailing off. Having already received a slap across the face, what good would further excuses do? "Well... thank you for taking care of things all along the journey, virtuous younger brother."

"It was merely my duty!" Lin Rui smiled and offered a conventional polite phrase, conveniently helping to straighten the other man's garments.

"Why didn't you send word in advance?" After a brief flurry of activity, Jia Lian's appearance was finally somewhat restored, and the grievance in his tone was genuine. "It’s only a short distance from Tongzhou to the capital; wouldn't it have been proper for me to take people to meet you?"

"We didn't take the Grand Canal, which is why we arrived a few days later than expected." Lin Rui's reply left him visibly stunned. "Before setting out, I paid a visit to Second Uncle of the Xue family in Jinling. We took their sea vessel, landed at the port of Tianjin Zhen, and then entered the capital."

"Is that so?" Jia Lian knew virtually nothing about the open sea.

"When one has close relatives, why not make use of them?" Lin Rui smiled with a casual evasion, then finally brought up the main business. "Your younger brother does not know how this residence has been renovated. Are there any particular matters requiring attention?"

"Could such a minor task possibly be botched?" Mentioning this, Jia Lian finally regained his confidence. "I personally entrusted friends to find the finest masons and carpenters, and even secured several master craftsmen from the Ministry of Works' Bureau of Construction and Accounts. It will certainly not delay anything!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Second Brother Lian!" Lin Rui bowed deeply and sincerely. "As for the expenses, please do not stand on ceremony. Do send the accounts over; your younger brother would by no means allow Second Brother Lian to suffer any loss!"

He was not acting out of casual extravagance, but rather wished to avoid owing a favor over such trivial matters.

Even though he knew very well that the man before him had undoubtedly pocketed a tidy sum from the funds allocated by the Rongguo Estate.

"What kind of talk is that? Do family members need to draw such clear lines?" Jia Lian immediately darkened his expression.

Men of their background prized saving face above all else.

"Why is Second Brother Lian being so polite? Even true brothers must settle accounts clearly, must they not?" Lin Rui smiled with one more remark and pressed the matter no further, knowing he could hardly carry several thousand taels of silver on his person. "Now, I must still trouble you to show me around so I can familiarize myself with the courtyard."

"That’s more like it!" Thinking that Lin Rui had dropped the subject of accounts, Jia Lian’s expression brightened considerably. "Aunt’s estate is not small. It is divided into four courtyards deep and three wings across—east, west, and center. Where we are standing right now is the front courtyard of the Eastern Wing, which directly faces the front courtyard of the Western Wing; both are prepared for the servants.

If nothing unexpected happens, virtuous younger brother Anping will reside in the middle courtyard of the Eastern Wing in the future, while the middle courtyard of the Western Wing is reserved for guests. The first two courtyards in the center are connected and considered the main compound. The three wings of the third courtyard—east, center, and west—are naturally the inner quarters, all separated by moon gates, to be arranged as Aunt sees fit. The final courtyard is a garden spanning the entire width."

Upon hearing this, Lin Rui understood immediately that Lin Ruhai had indeed not neglected the proper "rules and rituals."

It was true that the Lin family had held titles of nobility for four generations, but that belonged to the direct primary branch and had nothing to do with collateral branches.

This estate certainly could not be the "old Lin family residence," because Lin Ruhai's ancestors had never passed down enough property to afford purchasing such a luxurious mansion in the capital. That required not only wealth, but also connections and political influence.

Now that Lin Ruhai had passed away, everything could be turned over to a new page; otherwise, complications might arise.

Of course, none of this concerned Lin Rui—or rather, it did, for to say otherwise would be overly coy. He was now the universally acknowledged heir of the Lin family, and heaven knew how many people looked on with envy and jealousy.

Having placed third in the imperial examinations and served as an official for over a decade, Lin Ruhai possessed personal connections and political networks spreading all across the imperial court, along with countless classmates, fellow townsmen, and friends. Although these could not possibly all be inherited in full, whatever fragment remained would be more than enough to keep anyone comfortably fed and provided for.

Not to mention the vast amount of property and silver that had practically fallen into his lap.

Yet, he had never openly gone through the formal adoption procedures. This was decided after consulting with Jia Min: he would continue to carry on the family lineage under the guise of a "clan nephew" removed by eight degrees, avoiding any disruption to his upcoming official career. Otherwise, had he truly been "adopted," he would have been required to observe three years of mourning.

By the time the mourning period ended, his chances would have grown stone-cold a hundred times over.

Then there was his marriage to Lin黛玉 (Lin Daiyu). Although it had never been made official through public rites, it was the tacit understanding of both parties.

Once adopted, the two of them would become "brother and sister," and how could that be resolved?

Were they supposed to become brother and sister just because they were lovers?

As they conversed, the two men stepped into the middle courtyard of the Eastern Wing, whereupon Lin Rui was left speechless.

Before even entering the rooms, the pungent and offensive stench of alcohol hung heavily in the courtyard air.

"Second Brother Lian?" Lin Rui cast a speechless glance at him.

"Well then... you carry on, your elder brother will come to pay his respects another day!"