My Sword Immortal Wife Has Gone Berserk - Chapter 12:

Chapter 12: When Autumn Comes, All Flowers Shall Wither

The man strode in with the bearing of a dragon and the power of a tiger. Even though he was stretching lazily, he still exuded an aura of authority that came from years in a high position. The moment he entered the hall and his gaze landed, he saw Lin Ce.

“You? Why are you here?”

Lin Ce bowed respectfully, his posture humble as he said, “Greetings, Uncle.”

The man before him was his second uncle, Li Jingchun.

Li Jingchun, now in his middle age, had lines etched onto his face by time, yet his refined features were still discernible. If he were twenty years younger, he might have been one of the most charming free spirits in Bianjing. But what caught Lin Ce’s attention was the faint fragrance lingering on his body. As he bent over, he caught a whiff of it and his eyes flickered.

He raised his head and locked eyes with Li Jingchun.

Li Jingchun was unaware, his expression stern as he sat at the head of the hall. But Lin Ce’s pupils contracted sharply.

“Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion!”

Those three words sprang to Lin Ce’s mind, and he took a deep breath.

That scent came from Bianjing’s most renowned pleasure house, the Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion, and was exclusive to the courtesan floor. Every generation of courtesans there used a special fragrance that often lingered on their clothes.

Li Jingchun was wearing that scent.

The reason Lin Ce recognized it was because the Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion belonged to the Lin family. Before leaving Yuzhou, his grandfather had specifically told him that if he ever encountered trouble in Bianjing, he could go to the Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion for help.

Now, knowing that Li Jingchun had been there, Lin Ce found it both amusing and exasperating.

Li Jingchun was known for his upright and incorruptible image. His entire family lived with caution. Even receiving a gold hairpin from a nephew had to be thoroughly considered as potential bribery.

Yet he had spare money to spend in the Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion?

And he went straight for the courtesan?

That place was known as Bianjing’s extravagant gold-squandering den!

“Uncle, you…” Lin Ce felt a wave of helplessness. He realized he didn’t fully understand this uncle. Was it truly in men’s nature to always crave what they couldn’t have? Were wildflowers always more fragrant than those at home?

“What are you trying to say?” Li Jingchun looked puzzled and gave Lin Ce a strange look.

“Nothing. I just thought you looked thinner, Uncle. You should eat more and nourish your health,” Lin Ce said, taking a deep breath. He noticed the suspicious looks from Jia Xifeng and Li Jiayin.

This matter couldn’t be exposed just yet. Since he would be living at the Li residence for some time, he would inevitably have to help Li Jingchun cover his tracks.

Uncle, you wouldn’t want Aunt to know about your visits to the Fragrant Butterfly Pavilion, would you?

And as for entering the Imperial Library Pavilion…

Lin Ce had already made up his mind and thought of how to convince Li Jingchun.

“By the way, why did you come to Bianjing? Don’t you know the Emperor is furious? The Old Grain Transport Case involving your Lin family hasn’t even been concluded yet!” Li Jingchun finally steered the conversation back to the main topic. He frowned deeply, his expression severe.

“Prime Minister Lin has stepped down and retired to Yuzhou. But your Lin family still has deep roots and influence. Don’t act recklessly and stir up trouble, or you’ll bring disaster upon yourselves.”

Li Jingchun snorted coldly. With years of experience as an official, he knew well the art of self-preservation. His warning was a precautionary jab at Lin Ce.

“Jingchun, you’re being too sensitive. I think Lin Ce is just here in Bianjing for leisure, right, Lin Ce?” Jia Xifeng quickly tried to smooth things over.

As the saying went, one shouldn’t scold someone right after accepting their gifts. She had just taken the gold hairpin and felt awkward reprimanding Lin Ce now.

“You don’t need to defend him. What? He gave you something?” Li Jingchun snorted again.

Jia Xifeng quickly hid the gold hairpin behind her, looking embarrassed.

Lin Ce didn’t intend to hide anything.

Since he had come to Bianjing, it was time to make his first move.

“Uncle, I already became a juren in Yuzhou. According to court regulations, you can recommend me to enter the Imperial Library Pavilion,” Lin Ce said with a calm smile. “Grandfather started from humble beginnings and rose to Prime Minister. Why can’t I do the same?”

“The Lin family’s rise in the officialdom all these years has been due to my grandfather.”

“Now that he’s retired, it’s time for me to do something.”

His words were calm and composed, but they struck with the force of thunder.

Jia Xifeng and Li Jiayin looked at him in shock, while Li Jingchun’s eyes flickered with deep thoughts.

In Lin Ce, they seemed to see the figure of Prime Minister Lin during his prime—ambitious, proud, and majestic.

But things were different now.

The Lin family bore the shame of the Old Grain Transport Case, a case that had seen heads roll and caused panic throughout the court. Anyone associated with the Lin family scrambled to write letters to the Emperor, declaring they had cut ties.

Li Jingchun was one of the first to do so.

“Do you even understand what you’re saying?” Li Jingchun straightened his posture and scanned Lin Ce from head to toe. “If you’re just here to wander around Bianjing, I can guarantee your safety.”

“But if you enter officialdom, neither I nor Prime Minister Lin can protect you.”

No one could decipher the Emperor’s intentions. He had executed a batch of Prime Minister Lin’s students but spared the Prime Minister himself.

The Prime Minister’s resignation seemed like a silent agreement between sovereign and subject.

If Lin Ce entered politics now, it would only add uncertainty to an already volatile situation.

“Do you know how many people are watching the Lin family? What makes you think I’d help you enter the Imperial Library Pavilion?” Li Jingchun pressed harder, standing up with anger flashing in his eyes.

“Back then, your mother… in order to protect you, she didn’t hesitate to…” At that moment, Li Jingchun choked up, falling silent. He clenched his fists and glared at Lin Ce. “And now you want to walk into death? Isn’t that betraying the Lin family? Betraying your mother’s sacrifice?”

Jia Xifeng and Li Jiayin were terrified.

It was the first time they had seen Li Jingchun so furious.

But Lin Ce remained unmoved.

He needed a reason strong enough to convince Li Jingchun.

“The path ahead is long. The shame the Lin family bears, I will cleanse it,” Lin Ce’s voice was quiet but filled with confidence.

“And how exactly will you do that?” Li Jingchun stepped forward, his powerful presence pressing down like a mountain.

But Lin Ce met his gaze without flinching.

“When autumn comes on the eighth day of the ninth month, as my flowers bloom…” Lin Ce spoke with unwavering resolve.

“All other flowers shall wither!” he declared.

Though his body was frail, the courage and ambition radiating from him made Li Jingchun think he was witnessing a seasoned veteran instead of a youth. That firm gaze showed maturity and composure as if everything was already in his grasp.

Li Jiayin’s beautiful eyes widened. She stared at Lin Ce, mesmerized.

Just those two lines told her that her cousin was no ordinary man.

“What ninth month? What withering flowers?” Jia Xifeng looked puzzled. She hadn’t read many books and couldn’t make sense of it. Li Jiayin sighed and handed the scripture in her hands to Jia Xifeng.

At that moment, Lin Ce’s face suddenly turned pale. He coughed several times, pulled out a handkerchief, and covered his mouth. After calming himself a bit, he wiped his lips.

Though his movements were quick, Li Jingchun still caught sight of the bloodstains on the cloth and the red marks on Lin Ce’s lips.

“The thirteenth… of April…” Li Jingchun suddenly restrained his aura, his gaze softening with worry.

“Yes, the moon will be full soon,” Lin Ce replied with a faint smile. Despite his sickly complexion, a trace of chilling frost crept across his face.

As if his features had been carved from ice, his body trembled slightly.

Li Jingchun reached out and pressed his fingers to Lin Ce’s wrist, carefully examining him.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Recommend me to the Imperial Library Pavilion.”

“That simple?”

“That simple.”

The two lowered their voices and fell into silence.

“Then I’ll look forward to this… withering of all flowers.”