Chapter 98: Desire is hard to measure
"Brother Jin!"

It was late at night and everyone was asleep. Luo Tianjin was in his study room, carefully studying the "Painting of the Wind and Rain". For a moment, he forgot the passage of time and was so absorbed in reading it that he didn't even notice Ling Xiaoxiao pushing the door open.

Ling Xiaoxiao walked slowly to Luo Tianjin's side with a cup of ginseng tea in her hand. It was not until she gently pushed the cup in front of him that Luo Tianjin, who was deep in thought, suddenly woke up. He turned around and saw Ling Xiaoxiao standing beside him with a smile on her face. He couldn't help but look ashamed and said with a wry smile, "Madam, how long have you been standing here? I was negligent."

Ling Xiaoxiao smiled gently, walked around behind Luo Tianjin, and gently massaged his shoulders. Ling Xiaoxiao's hands were soft as if they were boneless and as smooth as jade, making Luo Tianjin feel very comfortable, as if all the fatigue of the whole day had dissipated.

"Brother Jin, I see that you have been distracted today, what's on your mind?" Ling Xiaoxiao asked with concern.

"Nothing can be hidden from Madam." Luo Tianjin gently held Ling Xiaoxiao's hand on his shoulder and sighed, "The Golden Sword Sect and the Iron Palm Gang jointly hosted a banquet at the Xinghua Tower today. Madam, do you know what it is about?"

Ling Xiaoxiao frowned slightly and thought: "Could it be that the New Year is approaching and they are greeting each other according to etiquette?"

"No." Luo Tianjin shook his head and smiled, "They are here to lobby for others."

"Lobbyist? Why do you want to be a lobbyist?"

Facing Ling Xiaoxiao's doubts, Luo Tianjin just pointed to the north and said seriously: "North."

"Tartar?" Ling Xiaoxiao was thoughtful and understood everything after just a moment's thought. The only thing that could make the 'King of the North' so distressed and melancholy was the Mongolian court in the north.

Ling Xiaoxiao hesitated and asked, "What do they mean?"

"They want me to lead the Xianwang Mansion to submit to the Mongolian Khan." Luo Tianjin explained, "Looking at the postures of the Golden Sword Sect and the Iron Palm Gang, they are now the running dogs of the Tartars."

"This..." Ling Xiaoxiao had never expected this, and was at a loss for words. She could only ask cautiously in a low voice, "Then how did Brother Jin answer them?"

"I am a Han Chinese, how could I betray my ancestors?" Luo Tianjin's expression straightened up, and he said righteously, "Although the Song Dynasty has failed me, I will never do such a despicable thing as colluding with foreign countries."

Hearing this, Ling Xiaoxiao's expression eased a little, and she quickly responded: "Brother Jin is right. Since we are Han people, how can we abandon our ancestors and become the lackeys of foreign races? It's just that..." Ling Xiaoxiao's tone stagnated, and she looked at Luo Tianjin with worry, and said sadly, "In this case, how can they let it go?"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Luo Tianjin said with a bitter smile, "So today I neither agreed nor refused, I just played along with them. The Mongolian court wants me to surrender, just to use my status and reputation in the martial arts world to help them plot against the Song Dynasty. So they won't turn against me unless it's absolutely necessary. What's more, even if they want me to surrender, they shouldn't send the two insignificant little characters, the Golden Sword Sect and the Iron Palm Gang, so the purpose of the two families today is just to test my attitude for the Tartars. As for the future... we can only deal with it as it comes."

"This is the only solution for now." Ling Xiaoxiao looked a little embarrassed, but suddenly her eyes lit up and she asked anxiously, "Should I consult Dad about this matter?"

"Everything is calm now, so let's wait and see what happens. It won't be too late to make a decision later." Luo Tianjin politely declined Ling Xiaoxiao's kindness.

In fact, when Luo Tianjin was expanding the Xianwang Mansion step by step, he relied a lot on the protection of the Wudang Sect Leader, but now he is no longer the same as before, so he doesn't want to rely on others anymore. This is not only about the face of the Xianwang Mansion, but also about Luo Tianjin's dignity as a man.

Ling Xiaoxiao and Luo Tianjin were married, so how could she not know what he was thinking? Therefore, she did not say anything more, but just nodded gently in obedience. Then she turned her eyes to the painting of the Wind and Rain on the desk and asked softly, "Brother Jin, you have been looking at this painting all night, can you see anything strange?"

Luo Tianjin smiled bitterly and said, "This map has been in Mo Cen's hands for more than 20 years, and he has never discovered the secret. I have only looked at it for a while, how can I see anything strange?"

"No rush!" Ling Xiaoxiao comforted, "Anyway, the map has been retrieved, Brother Jin, you can slowly figure it out later."

"If I can really crack the secret hidden in this picture, maybe I can turn passivity into initiative, at least I won't be led by the nose anymore." Luo Tianjin suddenly said something seemingly irrelevant, "Of course, the premise is that this picture is really the picture of shocking wind and rain."

Ling Xiaoxiao knew that Luo Tianjin was in a bad mood today, so she naturally didn't ask him questions to annoy him. Instead, she kept changing the subject and said, "This Liu Xunyi... Brother Jin's attitude towards him is different from that of other outsiders. He is hot and cold, and seems to have a preference for him."

"Haha..." Luo Tianjin laughed loudly, "At such a young age, he dared to go to the Western Regions alone, and saved his life in the melee between the various parties, and finally brought back the Jingfenghuayu Tu. How many young people in the martial arts world today can do this? What do you think, Madam?"

"He does have some courage." Ling Xiaoxiao replied calmly, but for some reason, from her tone it seemed that she had no good impression of Liu Xunyi.

"That's right. This boy is a rare talent. With some training, he may become a great man in the future. And... Madam, didn't you see that our precious daughter seems to be surprisingly fond of fooling around in front of Liu Xunyi?"

Ling Xiaoxiao was stunned, but she quickly understood the hidden meaning of Luo Tianjin's words, and said with surprise: "Brother Jin means that Yu'er has feelings for this boy named Liu..." "Eh!" Before Ling Xiaoxiao could finish her words, Luo Tianjin waved his hand and smiled, "As the saying goes, girls cannot be kept when they grow up. My daughter is now at the age of falling in love. It's not surprising that she is a little curious about Liu Xunyi, or even has some different feelings about him. Haha... Yu'er is the apple of our eye, how can I easily give her to someone else? As for whether Liu Xunyi is a dragon or a worm, I can't make a hasty judgment now." Although Luo Tianjin's words were polite, Ling Xiaoxiao still heard his true meaning.

Luo Tianjin wanted to train Liu Xunyi into a great man before he was willing to entrust his daughter to him.

Ling Xiaoxiao looked embarrassed and asked, "Brother Jin, you and I both know that Fang Da has always been in love with Yu'er, and Liu Xunyi is Fang Da's sworn brother. In this case, won't they turn against each other?"

"Madam, you and I are experienced people, and we know that the key to a relationship between a man and a woman is fate." Luo Tianjin explained, "Although I raised Fang Da and I always treated him as my own son, Yu'er only has a brother-sister relationship with him, and no romantic feelings at all. Can we force this kind of thing? Moreover, although Fang Da has a kind character and is generous, he lacks real talent and knowledge. If Yu'er marries him, I'm afraid... I'm afraid that she will suffer with him in the future."

Luo Tianjin said the last sentence very reluctantly, and it was obvious that he had feelings for Lin Fangda. But it was also because of this that Luo Tianjin felt even more helpless and lost, as if he was angry at Lin Fangda for not fighting back.

"Liu Xunyi is different." Luo Tianjin continued thoughtfully, "This boy's martial arts and intelligence are both outstanding among the younger generations I have seen. Although I only met him once in Jiangnan, I saw immeasurable potential in this boy. What's more, in him... I seem to see some of my own shadow in the past."

Luo Tianjin's words shocked Ling Xiaoxiao. Although she could see that Luo Tianjin had a special preference for Liu Xunyi, she never expected that he would speak so highly of her.

Ling Xiaoxiao knew that Luo Tianjin had an arrogant personality. There were not many people in the world that he could look up to, and even fewer among the younger generation. Even Lu Tingxiang from the Jiangnan Lu Mansion, in Luo Tianjin's opinion, was able to achieve what he has today because of the influence of his ancestors.

Today, Luo Tianjin suddenly placed such high hopes on an unknown Liu Xunyi. If he was not confused, it must be that Liu Xunyi really had some extraordinary qualities.

"Brother Jin, I haven't seen you talk about a junior so seriously for a long time." Ling Xiaoxiao said in a strange tone, "The last time was when Xuan'er was celebrating his coming of age. You also taught him so seriously."

"Really?" Luo Tianjin smiled awkwardly and explained, "Perhaps it's because there are so few young talents in the world today, and I occasionally meet one. I am so eager to love him that I forget myself a little, right? Haha..."

Ling Xiaoxiao looked at Luo Tianjin with complicated eyes, and said with a smile: "Although this is the first time I met Liu Xunyi, I have some understanding of him from you and Yu'er. Seeing his words and deeds with my own eyes today is not bad. If you can make him return to his heart, you may be able to entrust him with important tasks in the future."

"Oh?" Luo Tianjin looked at Ling Xiaoxiao with interest and asked, "Could it be that Madam also saw that this boy's heart is not honest enough?"

"After serving Brother Jin for so many years, I have learned some skills in guiding people." Ling Xiaoxiao said with a smile, "He seemed to be overjoyed to enter the Xianwang Mansion, but in fact, he had other thoughts hidden, so he couldn't be honest with us. Today, he showed hesitation at least three times between his eyebrows, which shows that he has other thoughts."

"That's right!" Luo Tianjin said seriously, "This is exactly my biggest concern about him. I want to cultivate him, not only because Yu'er has a crush on him, but also for our Xuan'er. Xuan'er is my only son, and everything I have in the future will be handed over to him. If I can't cultivate a few brave and resourceful helpers for him, I'm afraid that with Xuan'er's literary character, he will have a hard time inheriting the family business in the future."

"So Brother Jin's intention is to win over Liu Xunyi. Not only does he intend to recruit him as his son-in-law, but he also wants him to stay in Prince Xian's Mansion forever to assist Xuan'er?" Ling Xiaoxiao suddenly realized.

"That's right." Luo Tianjin replied, "If that's true, Xuan'er and Yu'er will definitely be able to be brothers and sisters in the future, and we can rest assured a hundred years later."

Ling Xiaoxiao said helplessly: "I'm afraid that the falling flower has intentions, but the flowing water is ruthless. Since Liu Xunyi has such talent, how could he be willing to be inferior to others? What's more, we know nothing about his origins. We don't know whether he has hidden secrets or even evil intentions. Brother Jin, you once taught Xuan'er that if you want to recruit talents, you must first recruit people's hearts. The more outstanding the person's talent, the harder it is to win his heart. Do you think Liu Xunyi's heart... can be won?"

"That's why I want to dampen his spirit today." Luo Tianjin chuckled, "Liu Xunyi thought he had found the Jingfenghuayutu and made great contributions to our Xianwang Mansion, so he should be rewarded. But I didn't want to reward him. Instead, I deliberately ignored him and put him next to Lin Fangda to do some unremarkable tasks. After some time, I will train him personally after he has regained his edge."

"Then... Brother Jin, can you trust him?"

"If I trusted him, why would I just let him do some insignificant chores?" Luo Tianjin smiled mysteriously, "During this period of time, I will not only sharpen his edge, but also send people to find out his background. If his origin is beyond doubt, he is just a wild horse with a proud heart. As long as the method is right, he will be subdued. But if his origin is suspicious, no matter how talented he is, I will never keep him around to avoid trouble." At the end, Luo Tianjin's eyes clearly flashed with a hint of coldness, "And if this boy can't be used by me, he can never be used by others."

"It turns out that Brother Jin already had a comprehensive plan. It seems that I was worrying too much." Ling Xiaoxiao said admiringly, "I believe in your vision. Yu'er has you as her father to protect her, and she will definitely not be wronged in the future. However... if Liu Xunyi really wants to hide something, ordinary people may not be able to find out his background. I wonder who Brother Jin plans to give this task to?"

Hearing this, Luo Tianjin gently put his arm around Ling Xiaoxiao's waist and said softly, "Madam, have you forgotten that today I deliberately summoned a person who has nothing to do with Quanzhou to meet Liu Xunyi?"

Ling Xiaoxiao's eyes gleamed, and she suddenly realized: "Brother Jin is talking about... Jiang Yiwei!"

……

(End of this chapter)