LOT – Chapter 210 My Daughter Doesn’t Need Your Concern

After receiving the money, Lin Mo happily grabbed her father’s arm and gave it a shake. She was just about to leave when she turned around and came face to face with the stiff, rigid Lord Yan.

Seeing the stern-faced Lord Yan staring at her, Lin Mo immediately took two steps back and hid behind her father.

She asked Bai Xiao in confusion: 【Why is this Prefect of Mizhou looking at me like that? I don’t think I offended him. I even helped him a lot yesterday.】

Bai Xiao was equally puzzled: 【I don’t know either… His expression is really scary though.】

Minister Lin pulled Lin Mo further behind him protectively. Seeing Lord Yan’s expression, his own face hardened. “Lord Yan, is there something you need?”

What kind of wind has blown this man over today? Why scare the child for no reason?

Lord Yan glanced at Lin Mo behind him and said directly: “I had heard of Young Lord Lin even back in Mizhou. Minister Lin, you should discipline her more. Overly coddling a child will harm her in the long run.”

Lin Mo: …Is this man sick? My father spoiling me has nothing to do with you.

【Xiao Bai, is this man unwell? Isn’t this repaying kindness with hostility? If I hadn’t run that memorial for him yesterday, would he have slept so well last night?】

【He’s even complaining about me in front of my dad. So what if my dad spoils me? Doesn’t he have a dad? Just because his dad didn’t spoil him, he’s blaming my dad for spoiling me?!】

Bai Xiao: 【…Uh, maybe he thinks you’re too unruly. He’s famous for being rigid—way worse than Scholar Liu next door. But he was treated poorly when he was young; his father favored his younger brother more.】

【I think he’s just jealous. Ignore him. Jealousy makes people ugly—he’ll only get uglier.】

Minister Lin, who had been burning with anger, suddenly relaxed. These two little troublemakers completely missed the main point—but perhaps that was for the best. A simple-minded life was also good.

Lord Yan’s face turned red with fury when he heard the murmurs. Jealous? Him? Absolutely not! He didn’t care about “being spoiled” at all!

“Young Lord Lin is not that young anymore. She should understand basic conduct. Rules exist for a reason. I hope she behaves more properly from now on.”

That was the last straw for Lin Mo’s temper. She charged out from behind her father. “You’re sick! Don’t think you can talk nonsense just because you’re older!”

“My dad doesn’t control me—why should you? Rules? Rules are laws. Did I kill someone? Break the law? What rules did I break? You’re the weird one. If I hadn’t helped you deliver that memorial yesterday, do you think you’d be standing here comfortably today?”

“I helped you because you seemed like a good official. Don’t push your luck!”

Lord Yan was stunned speechless. His rank wasn’t low. His wife and children respected him, and even the emperor wasn’t someone who scolded others. His colleagues were never this blunt either. This was the first time in his life he’d been scolded like this.

Staring at the fuming Lin Mo, hands on her hips, neck stretched like a little fighting rooster, he pointed a trembling finger at her. “You—you are utterly unreasonable!”

Minister Lin slapped his hand away instantly.

“Lord Yan, you’re interfering far too much. My daughter may be playful, but it’s nowhere near as serious as you make it sound. Rules can be as big or as small as the person defines them. Just because you cage everything neatly in rules doesn’t mean every family does.”

“I will raise my daughter myself. No need for you to worry.”

After saying that, Minister Lin patted Lin Mo’s head as if soothing her.

“Didn’t you say you were going out with some friends? Go ahead, don’t keep them waiting. Forget what he said—consider it passing wind.”

Lin Mo nodded and, as she left, shot Lord Yan a fierce glare.

Bai Xiao: 【Hmph! Old stick-in-the-mud! No wonder your wife and kids don’t like you. They even set off firecrackers the day you died. Serves you right!】

Lin Mo: 【Wow! He’s that annoying? Even his wife and kids dislike him?】

Bai Xiao: 【Of course. He’s rigid, easily soft-hearted toward outsiders, and all the suffering falls on his family. Outside, he plays the “kind official,” but at home he enforces tons of rules. I despise men like that!】

The two continued chatting while walking, and their words drifted clearly into the ears of passing officials.

Lord Yan rolled his eyes and fainted on the spot. Minister Lin jumped in surprise.

“What are you doing?! I didn’t even touch you! You bullied my daughter and now you’re pretending I harmed you?!”

Imperial Physician Zhao hurried over: ……

The emperor soon heard what had happened. He knew Lord Yan was rigid, but he didn’t expect him to meddle this much.

Why meddle in someone else’s child-rearing? As long as the parents are fine with it, why butt in? And Young Lord Lin was delightful—simple-minded, straightforward. Without her, how would everyone’s daily life be this interesting?

Emperor Xuande was irritated. “This Yan Qian grows more rigid with age. Did the Lin family offend him? Everyone knows Minister Lin and his wife spoil their daughter. Saying such things to their faces—had it been a hot-tempered father, he’d have punched him already.”

If Lord Yan weren’t a capable official, he would have replaced him long ago.

Eunuch Li comforted him. “Your Majesty, don’t be angry. Lord Yan has been this way for years. He won’t change. But it’s best to summon him and clarify things. Otherwise, if he says something inappropriate to Young Lord Lin, it may affect the bigger matters.”

Yan Qian was carried straight to the Imperial Medical Bureau. Seeing the physicians arrive, Minister Lin snorted and left with a flick of his sleeve.

He always knew the man had no good words in him, but he didn’t expect him to redirect his frustrations like this.

It was surprising that he’d lived so many years without being assassinated.

Judging from what Mo’er and Xiao Bai said, even his own family disliked him. To live like that… truly pathetic.

Lin Mo and Bai Xiao only complained for a moment before heading off to meet the Peacock and the Foolish Beauty.

The two had already been waiting at a teahouse for a long time.

Wei Zheng’an, staring at the empty teapot he’d finished by himself, spoke helplessly: “I’ve already drunk a whole pot of tea. Why isn’t Young Lord Lin here yet? Other officials might be held back by the emperor for questioning or paperwork, but Young Lord Lin shouldn’t be, right?”