Time flies, half a month flies by. The turmoil of the Lin family in Hangzhou gradually subsided. Only those business pretenders are secretly paying attention to the news of the Lin family, and they hope that this time the chaos of the Lin family may give some opportunities. They also paid close attention to some changes in the Lin family's business, and a series of measures promulgated by Lin Jue were also known to them through various channels.

Some businessmen were puzzled in their hearts, on the one hand, they felt that Lin Jue was going to completely introduce the Lin family into greater chaos, which was extremely fatal to the cooperation with the Lin family. On the other hand, they seem to think it's good for them. After all, once the Lin family's big fat meat falls, businessmen of all sizes will have a chance to get a piece of the pie. The Lin family occupied forty percent of the most profitable shipping business in Hangzhou, and even monopolized the Cao Yun business, giving huge oppressive power to other merchants. When Lin Ke was alive, there were few businessmen who were not threatened by the aggressive posture of the Lin family, and if the Lin family fell, they could take revenge.

For the Lin family's business enemies and enemies with personal grudges, such as Qian Zhongze, the series of situations he learned about were regarded by Qian Zhongze as an opportunity had come. Qian Zhongze once said six words unabashedly in front of the heads of several merchant families who were close to him, and those six words represented his attitude.

"Take advantage of his illness and kill him." Qian Zhongze said.

Compared with the undercurrent in the shadows, the news about the Lin family on the street slowly faded. After all, the expected chaos in the Lin family did not appear, and the attention of the people did not last. In addition, there are many hot spots in Hangzhou, and the people have already shifted their attention to other things.

The news about the upcoming Oiran Contest on August 15 has entered the final preparations, which is an annual event that the people of Hangzhou City are looking forward to. Moreover, there is some gossip circulating that this year's Oiran Contest seems to be very different from previous ones.

Regarding the new drama "Song of Long Hatred" to be staged at the Jiangnan Grand Theater, it is said that this time the two famous actors of the Jiangnan Grand Theater, Zhao Mengyue, the pillar of the Dongcheng Grand Theater, and Xie Yingying, the pillar of the Jiangnan Grand Theater, jointly performed the story of Xuanzong and the concubine of the former Tang Dynasty, which is extremely interesting.

In addition, about the upcoming triennial autumn examination of Liangzhejiang Road. Who can squeeze through that threshold and get the qualification for next year's spring. How many people here will leap into the sky and become human beings.

Wait, wait, there are still a lot of things to happen, in short, there are too many eye-catching things in this upcoming autumn, and the gossip of the Lin family has already quietly gone off the hot search list.

The Lin family's behavior is also very low-key, and one morning, the people passing by the door of the Lin family's mansion were surprised to find that a golden plaque of the 'House of Loyalty' was hung on the lintel of the Lin family. The Lin family didn't even have any celebration and publicity, but only quietly hung this plaque on the lintel, which was supposed to be an opportunity for the Lin family to regain attention, but it was quietly abandoned.

……

Half a month has passed, and Lin Bonian's vacation has come to an end, and he has to leave Hangzhou and return to the capital.

This time, as a minister, he returned to Hangzhou to announce the decree and visit relatives, which can be described as an unforgettable trip for Lin Bonian. Before he came, he thought it would be a comfortable trip home. However, when he returned to Hangzhou, he suddenly understood the hardships and hardships of this trip back to his hometown.

Lin Ke's affair with bandits scared him to the core, and in the end, Lin Ke died in front of his eyes. After that, he had to put himself and the Lin family in his consideration, and joined forces with Lin Ke to seize the position of head of the family. In fact, his heart was tormented, especially when Lin Ke had just passed away, and he was going to give his eldest brother a bigger blow, and Lin Bonian couldn't bear it in his heart. But he had to admit that that was the best opportunity for him to seize the head of the Lin family, and it was also the best opportunity to reverse the situation of the Lin family. It's just that there is still emotional guilt, especially after he was turned away from seeing Lin Boyong several times, Lin Bonian understands that his eldest brother is afraid that he will never forgive himself for the rest of his life.

Lin Bonian is actually a very contradictory person, sometimes he feels that his actions are correct, he must reverse the situation of the Lin family, and he has a clear conscience. But sometimes, he was irritable and blamed Lin Jue for forcing him to do this thing that made him feel uncomfortable. But sometimes, he was glad that he had really become the head of the family, a position he had never thought of, but after becoming a house, this feeling was also very good. When everyone calls themselves the head of the house, that feeling is even different from being a member of the court who is the deputy envoy of the three divisions.

During this time, Lin Bonian was in this strange mood repeatedly, full of melancholy for a while, full of pride for a while, self-blame and regret for a while, and justified for a while. In short, Lin Bonian has never been so confused and chaotic in his life.

For Lin Jue, Lin Bonian's feelings about him are very complicated. On the one hand, he believes that Lin Jue is definitely the best among the younger generation of the Lin family, and his ability and resourcefulness are beyond doubt. But on the other hand, he also has some faint fears and worries. Lin Jue acted ruthlessly and decisively, even if it was for his own Lin family, he would never be soft and unscrupulous. Moreover, the meticulousness and planning of his actions are really frightening, it can be said that whether it is Lin Ke's death or his forced to turn the Lin family upside down with him, it is the result of his careful planning. Lin Bonian even thought back to these things for a while, thinking that he was just a pawn for Lin Jue to achieve these goals.

However, Lin Bonian worked hard to get rid of this negative view, because, at this moment, all he could rely on was Lin Jue. Whether it is his family affairs after leaving Hangzhou and the Lin family's business, or the relationship between Lin Jue and Liang Wangfu in the future, Lin Jue is the person he must woo.

In short, if you talk about gains and losses, you have gained a lot from this trip back to Hangzhou, and what you have lost is nothing more than the friendship between you and your eldest brother for many years. Which is more important, but it is also quite difficult to calculate.

July will be gone, and autumn will be stronger. The night before Lin Bonian's departure, he went to see Lin Boyong again. This time, Lin Boyong did not refuse. It's just that some servants said afterwards that the eldest master and the second master just sat opposite each other that night, silent. The two of them sat until it was dark, and they didn't seem to say much. Later, the second master said goodbye and left, but the eldest master was sent out of the door with a cane, watching the second master's car drive far away and still standing at the door and watching.

This was the first time that the two old brothers of the Lin family got together without a lively and hearty laugh, and it was also the first time they stayed together all night. The second master came back, although the eldest master talked many times about the night of the bed, but he never really stayed together all night.

Lin Jue frowned for a long time when he learned of this incident, and he called this farewell between the two uncles of the Lin family the final reconciliation and eternal break. Lin Boyong is not a fool, he should have figured out some things during his closed-door period, and he should also understand his failures when he was the head of the family. But even so, the close brotherhood between him and Lin Bonian was forever broken and irreparable. But they are brothers after all, and the breakdown of their relationship does not mean that they can't understand each other's actions, so Lin Boyong's seeing Lin Bonian is a kind of reconciliation and understanding. And this scene may only happen to Lin Bonian, if you go to see Lin Boyong by yourself, I am afraid that you will be closed forever.

On the pier outside the North Gate, Lord Qincha was preparing to board the ship. Hangzhou officials still came to see each other, and the scene was still grand and lively. But there were few people in the crowd, Lin Boyong's father and son, and the prince did not show up, but only sent the little prince to come, but the prefect Yan still appeared in the crowd with a serious face, wearing the same clothes and maintaining the same attitude as when he greeted the arrival of Lord Qincha.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Lin Bonian called Lin Jue to the bow of the boat, looking at the golden water surface of the canal when Chaoyang was born, Lin Bonian frowned slightly, as if he had all kinds of thoughts.

"Lin Jue, I'm in the capital, and I can't take care of things at home. We can only communicate by letters. After I'm gone, I'm afraid you'll have to pick up on the trivial matters at home. I thought about it and thought, I can't ask my eldest brother to come out to take charge, first, he may not be willing to care, and second, ......" Lin Bonian stopped talking with a deep groan.

"Second...... The Lin family can't go down the old path anymore. Lin Jue made up for him.

Lin Bonian squinted at Lin Jue and said, "It's good that you understand." When I came back this time, I didn't expect so many things to happen in my family, and the reason why I agreed to your plan to get the position of head of the family was not because of selfish thoughts, nor was it forced by you. I just can't watch the Lin family go to ruin, so I'd rather take the position of the head of the family in the name of injustice. Understand this verse in your heart. ”

Lin Jue arched his hand and said: "My nephew understands that what my nephew said that day was inappropriate, and I ask the second uncle to forgive me." ”

Lin Bonian waved his hand and said: "There is nothing to forgive or not forgive, your heart is for the sake of the Lin family, and there is nothing wrong with it." It's just that what I want to warn you is that you don't have too much scheming and too many eyes, especially for your own family, it's even more inappropriate. If you don't understand this, I'm afraid you'll go astray in the future. As your second uncle, as the head of the Lin family, I must warn you about this. ”

Lin Jue nodded silently, this time the serial plan was indeed too intense, and there was indeed something inappropriate, I think Lin Bonian also felt this, so he said these words to warn himself. Of course, after plotting all this with Lin Jue, Lin Bonian said such things again, which inevitably gave people a sense of hypocrisy. But Lin Jue didn't want to dwell on these things, he just nodded yes at the moment.

"Things at home...... It's up to you. There is no way to do it. You can write to me about the big things, and you can decide to deal with some trivial things. ”

Lin Jue nodded and said: "Second uncle, don't worry, I will discuss and decide with the uncle in the clan, and major matters must be written to ask the second uncle to show me." The second uncle actually doesn't have to worry, the Lin family is actually nothing serious. It's just that there are some troubles in business, and I want to ask my uncle to take care of it, but I'm afraid he won't. The two sons of the long house can't be trusted, who will take care of it, this is a problem. Second uncle, what do you say? ”

"I mean, you will continue to be the chief steward, haven't you made a lot of arrangements in the past six months? If you change people, I am afraid that these arrangements of yours will be abolished, back and forth, causing panic and confusion, what good will it do to the Lin family's business? If you can control the scene, you have to be more responsible. Besides, it is not appropriate to invite the eldest brother to come out and preside over the affairs, and you naturally understand the reason. ”

Lin Jue sighed and said, "I'm a cocoon, I'm not interested in doing business at all." I still have to take the autumn exam. ”

Lin Bonian said in a deep voice: "I know that you have to prepare for the Qiu Yu exam, but are you really sure that you want to give up this place to Lin Youde?" If you don't need to take the Autumn Exam, you can focus more on your business and family. ”

Lin Jue said with a smile: "The water that was spilled out of the words was spilled, let alone in front of so many people. Lin Bonian frowned and said: "Sometimes you don't need to care too much about face, I tell you, I have seen a lot of things that don't count." In the capital, some people have achieved the status of the prime minister's privy envoy in their official positions, but they still don't talk about it? That's it, I don't advise you, I just don't think you have to be rash. If the autumn is not successful, it will make a bigger joke. ”

Lin Jue smiled: "That's really a joke, so I have to spend some time studying for the exam." ”

Lin Bonian glared at Lin Jue and said, "Don't go around the bend with me, do you think I don't know that you are already ready?" What do you mean by forming that 'council' of old treasurers? Isn't it for you to take care of the business chores? So that you can be the big steward of the hands? Since there is a business meeting, you can naturally have a lot of free time, how? Do you have to point it out? ”

Lin Jue's face burned slightly, but he also admired Lin Bonian's vicious eyes, and he actually saw his intention to fight. Although the formation of the affairs committee is to deal with those trivial affairs, it is not Lin Jue's preparation. Lin Jue originally felt that he should ask Lin Boyong to go out of the mountain to continue to be in charge of business, but soon understood that this was no longer possible, and he was afraid that he could only continue to do it, so the affairs committee was his agent, and Lin Jue never wanted to be trapped in those business things every day.

"Isn't it the council that you want me to take care of it? They can only deal with small things, and they don't dare to call the shots on big things, and I can't let them call the shots. That's it, I'm doing it. As for studying for the exam, I just squeezed out the time. A saint once said that time is water in a sponge, and there is something to squeeze it after all. ”

Lin Bonian smiled and said, "Which saint said this?" Why haven't I heard of it? ”

Lin Jue said: "The miscellaneous books I read were said by a sage surnamed Lu. In short, it's just a little harder, and the second uncle can rest assured. ”

Lin Bonian smiled and said: "That's good, I will let Lin Chang come to Hangzhou after I return to the capital, and when the time comes, he will represent me, and you brothers will discuss things." ”

Lin Jue was slightly stunned when he heard this, nodded and smiled. Lin Chang is Lin Bonian's son and Lin Jue's cousin, Lin Bonian asked Lin Chang to come back to Hangzhou, which is to train the next generation. No matter how high-sounding he said, this act alone betrays selfishness. With the position of the head of the family in hand, Lin Bonian is afraid that he will never pass this position to the big house again.

Seeing Lin Jue's strange smile, Lin Bonian was a little weak-hearted, and said: "Don't think about it, I asked Lin Chang to come, but I didn't want to take the place of you." On the contrary, Lin Chang's ability is not as good as yours, and I am afraid that the business will be a mess in his hands. I just asked him to come here for me to show that my second room was with the Lin family. ”

Lin Jue smiled and nodded, "Nephew understands." ”

Lin Bonian nodded and said, "Okay, you go back, it's time for me to leave." If there is anything else, I will return to the letter. ”

Lin Jue said goodbye and turned to get off the boat. Lin Bonian ordered his entourage to pull anchor and set sail, and the official ship set sail from the shore, and with the help of the south wind, it went straight to the north.

……

After Lin Bonian left, the Lin family actually fell into a situation of no owner.

The old family owner Lin Boyong has already moved out of the Lin Mansion and closed the door in the other garden, thanking guests, recuperating and thinking. The eldest son of Changfang died of illness, and the second son Lin Song and the third son Lin Run lost their father's blessing and their status was embarrassing. Although they did not move out of the Lin family's mansion, they spent every day in and out of the fireworks and willow alleys, drinking all over the body, and talking in a weird manner. They are neither qualified nor capable of taking charge.

Lin Quan, the eldest son of the third room, has recently changed like a different person, originally he wanted to re-take charge of several stores of grain, oil and cloth, but Lin Jue told him that there would be pressure to be in charge of the shopkeeper, after all, the elimination system is not just talking, if he does not manage well, he has to relieve his position but it is not beautiful. It's better to do another position, not involved in business, but comfortable. Lin Quan thought about it for a long time and felt that what Lin Jue said was reasonable, so he took the position of captain of the Lin family's security team with peace of mind. Every day, his duty is to take more than 30 recruited ruffians to patrol the docks, not only to deal with the ruffians who are making trouble outside, but also to maintain the order of his family's business. Lin Quan only worked for a few days, and then he fell in love with this new position, because it was too much in line with his idle and casual personality, and he could also play majestic, which was very suitable.

However, in the affairs of the family, Lin Quan naturally can't be the person in charge.

Lin Jue is the only person who can be in charge, although his identity is only a three-room concubine, and he was originally the one who is the least likely to be in charge, but now the Lin family and the outside don't see it that way, they have seen Lin Jue's ability.

It's just that Lin Jue is just a young man who is not as young as a weak crown after all, can he handle internal and external affairs fairly? This is everyone's biggest doubt. And this doubt is also written on everyone's face.

Lin Jue naturally understands the psychology of everyone. No matter how bad Lin Boyong was to them in the past, there is always a leader inside and outside the Lin family. The Lin family is like a flock of sheep, even if the head sheep often used horns to top people, even if it would lead them to the edge of the cliff, at least the other sheep don't have to think about it, just follow it. And now, the head sheep is gone, and the other sheep are stumbling like blind men, not knowing where to go. This panic is psychological and cannot be avoided.

If Lin Jue wants to be the head of the sheep, he must first make all the sheep believe in him, be willing to follow him, and tame the unruly ones in the flock.