Now, regarding Zhao Yuechan's father Zhao Xuede, he had recently received a secret letter from his father stating that rumors were circulating about the missing Crown Prince Qin Yunyu hiding in Jinling. The rumors were detailed and seemed credible, ordering him to remain vigilant and promptly arrest any suspicious individuals. Zhao Xuede thus took command and secretly dispatched people to investigate. This investigation unexpectedly uncovered some clues. This matter should have been reported, but Zhao Xuede was in need of political achievements at the time and feared that causing too much commotion would allow others to steal his credit. As a civil official with no reliable aides at his disposal, he found himself in a dilemma.
His eldest son Zhao Gang, who had recently received many favors from Lin Jinlou, said, "Father, why not seek out your eldest son-in-law? He has soldiers and authority. Rather than letting others benefit, it's better to benefit our own family. He would also owe us a favor."
Zhao Xuede thought this plan was excellent. Firstly, his son-in-law was family and would not have the audacity to compete for credit; secondly, he had heard that the couple had recently been at odds again. If this matter succeeded, Lin Jinlou would be grateful, and Zhao Yuechan might also have a more comfortable life. Thus, he summoned Lin Jinlou for discussion. Lin Jinlou immediately pounded his chest and promised, "Father-in-law, you're being too formal. If we truly capture the rebel, the credit will naturally be yours. I'm merely lending a few men—what’s so difficult about that?"
Zhao Xuede felt pleased upon hearing this, silently praising Lin Jinlou for his tact. The two conspired for a while, but that is a story for another time.
Now, back to Zhao Yuechan. On the day Lin Jinlou returned home, he slapped her and even brought up the matter of Qinglan's death, which involved two lives. From Lin Jinlou's tone, Zhao Yuechan deduced that he had likely guessed the truth, making her uneasy. She kept her head down for two days but noticed that Lin Jinlou took no action against her. In fact, he left early and returned late every day, sometimes even staying overnight at the military camp, neglecting even Huamei, let alone the two maids Old Madam Lin had just bestowed upon him.
Zhao Yuechan's courage swelled again, and she said to Yingshuang, "What can Lin Jinlou do to me even if he knows? Qinglan fell on her own—it wasn’t me who pushed her. And what’s wrong with me using the Lin family’s silver for usury? Many official families do it, and I haven’t seen any of them get caught!"
Yingshuang thought to herself, "Madam, others who engage in usury at least contribute some of the profits to the public coffers, but you pocket all the silver you extort! Not to mention the embezzlement involved. The most critical thing is, if this leads the Eldest Master to trace it back to your cousin and expose the affair, and then uncover that you instigated him to set the fire, you’ll have no choice but to hang yourself!" Not daring to advise too strongly, she only said, "Madam, you should still be cautious. Have you forgotten how you couldn’t eat or sleep when you lost the account book a few days ago?"
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "The Lin family wouldn’t dare touch me. Haven’t you seen that Lin Jinlou had half of his military merits snatched away? I heard the rewards from the court weren’t even enough to compensate the families of the dead and wounded soldiers... It’s all because Lin Jinlou is too arrogant, giving too much silver to the deceased, wounded, and those with military achievements. Even if he’s trying to win people’s hearts, he should act within his means, shouldn’t he? So what if he got promoted? Who relies on their official salary to live these days?"
After chatting for a while, she ordered Yingshuang, "Prepare some tribute items. We’ll go to Sweet Dew Temple to burn incense first thing tomorrow morning."Yingshuang acknowledged the order, inwardly puzzled: "Recently, the mistress has suddenly taken to Buddhism. Yet in daily life, she neither recites sutras nor copies scriptures, and seldom visits the family prayer hall. Instead, she frequently goes to Sweet Dew Temple, claiming it's to pray for the Eldest Master's safety on the battlefield. The Old Madam and Madam are pleased, saying it's good for her to embrace Buddhism and temper her disposition. Now that the Eldest Master has returned, she still visits Sweet Dew Temple diligently, this time to pray for a child. But strangely, I've never seen her kneel and pray before the Child-Giving Guanyin." While thinking this, she prepared two large food boxes.
The next morning, she set off with Zhao Yuechan by carriage to Sweet Dew Temple, but that is not to be mentioned for now.
Now let us speak of Xianglan. As the year's end approached, every household began preparing for the New Year. Since Song Yima and Song Tanzhai were staying at the Lin residence for the festivities, Xianglan, along with maids and elderly servants, thoroughly cleaned the Song household. They replaced the door gods, couplets, lanterns, and renewed the peachwood charms. When the estates and shops sent their New Year tributes, Xianglan selected the presentable items, loaded half a cart, and sent them to the Lin residence for Song Yima to use as gifts. The remainder she distributed among the servants and maids for their New Year celebrations, also wrapping red envelopes with their end-of-month bonuses.
In her spare time, she counted the days and realized the Spring Examinations were just over a month away. Anxious about Song Ke, she decided to visit a temple—first to pray for safety in the coming year, and second to seek blessings for Song Ke's success in the exams. Her master, Dingyi Shitai, had traveled south months earlier and had not yet returned, so Xianglan did not go to Tranquil Moon Temple. Early one morning, she prepared four types of pastries and four kinds of fruits, packing them in food boxes and baskets. She ordered a carriage, took along the gatekeeper Old Wang and his wife, and went to Sweet Dew Temple to burn incense.
Sweet Dew Temple, built on a mountain, was an ancient monastery over a century old, with thriving incense offerings. When Xianglan arrived, the sky was still dim, and the temple gates had just opened, so there were few people. Old Wang waited in the carriage while his wife accompanied Xianglan as she paid respects to every Buddha and Bodhisattva in the temple. She inscribed a peace plaque, requested a peace charm, and donated incense money before leaving the main hall.
Soon, Xianglan grew thirsty and asked a young novice for water. Having donated generously, she was respectfully invited by the novice to rest in a quiet guest hall in the rear courtyard, where he personally served them tea.
Xianglan removed her cloak hood, took a sip of the warm tea, and smiled. "The tea here is brewed with mountain spring water—it truly has a unique flavor, warming and comforting."
Old Wang's wife laughed. "Indeed, after being cold for so long, this finally warms us up." Concerned about her husband waiting outside in the cold, she made an excuse: "Miss, please take your time. I have a stomachache and need to use the privy." She left the room, found a monk to ask for another bowl of hot tea, and brought it to Old Wang.
Xianglan set down her tea bowl and went to the rear courtyard to admire the plum blossoms, which bloomed like radiant brocade, exceptionally elegant. As she strolled, she marveled at the serenity of the meditation rooms. Gazing up at the towering pagoda, she unconsciously passed through an arched gate and found herself near the monks' quarters. Just as she was about to turn back, she faintly heard the sounds of a man and woman moaning from inside a room.Xianglan was greatly startled. She crept closer, poked a hole in the window paper, and peered inside. To her shock, she saw Zhao Yuechan kneeling on the bed with her hair slightly disheveled, a golden hairpin about to slip from her head. Her brows were furrowed, her beautiful eyes half-closed, and her expression was one of intoxicated ecstasy. She was completely naked, wearing only a water-red embroidered mandarin duck bellyband around her neck that jingled as she moved. Her full, round, pale breasts swayed back and forth like ripe peaches. Behind her was a young monk with handsome features and a strong physique, kneeling on the bed with his hands gripping Zhao Yuechan’s slender waist as he thrust vigorously forward.
Zhao Yuechan moaned incessantly, saying, "Darling, go deeper..."
The monk laughed and said, "Deeper? With the way you are, you’re no noble lady—you’re nothing but a cheap whore from the brothels." As he spoke, he intensified his movements.
His thrusts made Zhao Yuechan cry out twice in succession. She turned her face toward him, casting seductive glances, and said in a husky voice, "I am a cheap whore, but don’t dirty yourself for my sake and defile this sacred Buddhist place."
Her wanton demeanor only aroused the monk further. He said wildly, "You are my Buddha, my goddess." He leaned in, and the two kissed noisily, their lips and tongues smacking together.
It turned out that ever since the incident with the account book, Zhao Yuechan had become cautious and vigilant. Yingshuang had advised her, "Madam, why trouble yourself with lending money and associating with Young Master Qian? It’s bound to cause trouble sooner or later. He’s no good person. You should lay low for now and stop these dealings." At the time, Zhao Yuechan was already feeling guilty and fearful, so she took Yingshuang’s advice and gradually reduced her meetings with Qian Wenze.
Qian Wenze, however, grew anxious. Zhao Yuechan was his financial lifeline, and with her ignoring him, his funds began to run low. He was a spendthrift, squandering money on food, drink, gambling, and women. Before long, he had exhausted his silver and began scheming to extract money from Zhao Yuechan again. After much thought, he concluded that since she was a woman of loose morals, she would not be content to remain alone. If he could introduce someone new to tempt her, he would be halfway to success. So, he sought out his old friend Hao Qing for advice.
Hao Qing had once come from a wealthy family, but after his father’s death, he squandered most of the inheritance. He was handsome and well-endowed, making him a favorite among the courtesans in the brothels. Qian Wenze repeatedly praised Zhao Shi’s beauty and charm to Hao Qing, who was immediately captivated and pressed for more details. Qian Wenze devised a plan: Hao Qing would shave his head and disguise himself as a monk. After bribing the Sweet Dew Temple with a large sum of money, he took up residence in one of the monastic cells. Qian Wenze then lured Zhao Yuechan to the temple and introduced the two.
Hao Qing was a skilled seducer, and Zhao Yuechan was already a woman of loose morals. The two exchanged flirtatious glances and quickly developed mutual interest. As soon as Qian Wenze found an excuse to leave, the pair became intimate, clinging to each other like glue. In this way, Qian Wenze managed to keep Zhao Yuechan under his control. Though he regretted having to share such a beauty with another man, silver was his priority. Hao Qing pretended to be a monk forced into the monastic life due to family hardships, coaxing Zhao Yuechan into providing money for lending. Though the returns were not as substantial as before, it was better than nothing. The three of them indulged in pleasure at the Sweet Dew Temple, drinking and engaging in debauchery, the details of which are too scandalous to recount.
Little did they expect that Xianglan would stumble upon them and witness everything with her own eyes.Xianglan was instantly stunned, her mouth agape and face flushing crimson. She took two quick steps backward, thinking, "Oh no! I've stumbled upon Zhao Yuechan's scandalous affair. If she spots me, that venomous woman will surely find a way to eliminate me. I must flee this dangerous place immediately!" She hastily turned to run, pulling her hat back over her head. After a few steps, she glanced back and couldn't help feeling a twinge of schadenfreude, thinking, "As the saying goes, 'To get by, one must bear a touch of green on the head.' Eldest Master Lin has become a grand cuckold—this is his retribution for all his carousing and debauchery. If he knew, he'd probably be driven mad with rage!" She covered her small mouth with her hand, giggling softly. But then she remembered that Lin Jinlou had once saved her, and she shouldn't mock him like this. Pressing her lips together, she continued on her way.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted as seven or eight officers thundered over, rushing forward to surround the entrance of the lodge, followed by a troop of men. Xianglan quickly ducked and hid against the wall, peeking out. The shock she felt upon witnessing Zhao Yuechan's illicit rendezvous earlier was merely a gentle breeze compared to the thunderbolt she experienced now—for among the three figures strolling calmly at the rear, one was unmistakably Lin Jinlou!
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