Xianglan maintained a solemn expression but remained silent. Yin Die wept and wailed for a while before kneeling on the ground, secretly lifting her head to glance at Xianglan. Their eyes met briefly before Yin Die quickly lowered her head again. Seeing Yin Die's sobs subside, Xianglan spoke calmly, "Yin Die, we used to know each other as maidservants in the Lin Family. How did you end up in the Xia household?"
Yin Die cried until she was breathless, appearing utterly pitiful as she shook her head, unable to speak. Xianglan handed her own handkerchief over, her face equally composed. "Wipe your tears first. I never had any marriage arrangement with Young Master Xia—my mother even asked matchmakers to find me a suitable family, as everyone knows. Yet today you show up at my doorstep, calling me 'Mistress,' banging on the door and causing a scene with all your dramatic skills. Shouldn't I ask for an explanation?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the onlookers nodded in agreement. A woman holding a child shouted from the crowd, "She's right! We need to hear the whole story."
Yin Die was taken aback. She had assumed that in such a situation, Xianglan would feel too ashamed to show her face, shutting herself indoors to cry in humiliation. She never expected such composure. Biting her lip, she finally said, "Master Lin gifted me to Recommended Man Xia."
Xianglan nodded slowly, drawing out her words. "I see. So you're a concubine bestowed by a superior." Yin Die possessed some beauty and talent, having been born into generations of Lin Family servants, which allowed her to work in Knowing Spring Pavilion where male guests were rarely seen. Only sixteen or seventeen and not yet of marriageable age, she had been given by Lin Jinlou to an obscure Recommended Man—the implications were rather profound.
Resentment burned in Yin Die's heart. Seeing Xianglan's faint, mocking smile only fueled her anger, though she maintained a pitiful expression and wept, "I beg you, Miss, have mercy on someone as ill-fated as me..."
Xianglan replied, "You and I have no connection whatsoever—there's no question of mercy. Xia Yun and I are merely passersby in each other's lives. By coming to my door, you’re likely weeping and kneeling in the wrong place."
Yin Die stubbornly refused to rise, kowtowing repeatedly with a thudding sound, tears streaming down her face. "My master admires you, Miss. He repeatedly sent family members to inquire about you, and you seemed interested in him too—you even specially gifted him a brocade flower. He treasures it like nothing else. Now, because of me, you’ve suddenly turned cold toward him, and he wants to sell me off. I... I beg you to show mercy!"
Xue Shi, flushed with anger, rushed out from the doorway. "Nonsense! When did my daughter ever give him a flower? How dare you slander her like this—aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?"
Yin Die wailed as if her heart would break, swearing to the heavens, "If I’ve spoken a single false word, may a festering sore grow in my throat and rot my neck!"
Xianglan sneered inwardly. "The only brocade flower I ever gave was to Third Miss Xia, and it was presented in the presence of elders. The Xia Family truly schemes well—do they mean to trap me with a mere flower?"
Yin Die continued weeping mournfully. "Miss, my master’s feelings are genuine. I ask for nothing else—if you could only keep me to serve you in the future, I’d work like an ox or horse..."
Xianglan erupted in fury. "Silence! I’ve stated multiple times that marriage between Xia Yun and me is out of the question. What nonsense about serving? Take your pleas to Xia Yun’s future lawful wife. If you continue dragging me into this affair, I’ll file a lawsuit at the Government Office for defaming my reputation!"Xianglan had always been amiable and smiling, so Yin Die thought she would be easy to handle. She never expected such harsh words and was momentarily stunned. Noticing the onlookers pointing and whispering from the corner of her eye, she thought to herself, "What's done is done. Even if Xianglan is innocent, it's hard to prove it now. Hmph, even if she's thick-skinned enough not to kill herself, she'll never marry into a respectable family. I just need to play the victim." Tears streamed down her face like rolling melons as she said mournfully, "Are you forcing me to die with such words, miss?"
Xianglan looked coldly at Yin Die and said sternly, "You were given as a concubine by Master Lin. As a concubine, you should know your place! A mere servant, yet you dare to meddle in your master's affairs? Truly, you have no sense of propriety and harbor wolfish ambition! I have nothing to do with Xia Yun, and even if I did, as a servant, you shouldn't be shouting behind your master's back, causing a scene at my doorstep and tarnishing my reputation! One moment you're crying, the next you're kowtowing and begging for mercy, then threatening to die—as if I've been oppressing you. I am an innocent person, yet you've splattered me with mud for no reason, making the neighbors point and gossip. Yin Die, don't think you can just cause trouble here and walk away. The Xia family must give me an explanation for this!"
Yin Die's face turned pale. Gnashing her teeth, she cried, "Your words are piercing my heart, miss... You keep calling me a 'servant,' but have you forgotten your own origins?"
Before she could finish, Xia Yun rushed out of the crowd in a fury, grabbed Yin Die's arm, and snapped, "Shameless wretch, what are you doing here?"
Yin Die's heart sank, filled with hatred. Her tears flowed even more uncontrollably as she sobbed incessantly.
Xia Yun looked up at Xianglan, his face flushed red, and stammered, "Miss Chen, I'm sorry..."
Xianglan said calmly, "It's good that you're here, Recommended Man Xia. In front of everyone today, I must ask you: just now, your concubine repeatedly called me 'madam.' Have you and I ever been engaged?"
Xia Yun glared fiercely at Yin Die, feeling utterly humiliated, and lowered his head. "No."
Xianglan asked, "Have we ever had any improper dealings?"
Xia Yun thought to himself, "Xianglan once gave me a flower, but it was through Second Sister-in-law. As a young lady, she's too shy to mention it openly." He also shook his head. "No."
Xianglan continued, "Just now, Yin Die also claimed that because of me, you intended to sell her. Is that true?"
Xia Yun was taken aback. Yin Die had been given to him by the Lin Family, so her status was special. Moreover, she was beautiful, and they were in the midst of a passionate affair. Even if Yin Die was prone to tantrums, he couldn't bring himself to let her go, let alone sell her.
Seeing the expression on his face, Xianglan understood. She said, "The neighbors all heard her say that you were going to sell her because of me."
Xia Yun immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Xianglan breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, everything is clear. But your beloved concubine has caused quite a stir and splattered me with mud. What should be done about it?"
Xia Yun, suppressing his shame, bowed deeply. "It was my failure to discipline her properly. I beg for your forgiveness."Xianglan accepted the greeting with a slight sideways turn, her tone icy. "I had thought Recommended Man Xia was a reasonable official who would properly manage his Inner Chambers. As the saying goes, 'Regulate the family, govern the state, bring peace to the world'—clearly 'regulating the family' comes first. Otherwise, today she comes weeping at my doorstep, tomorrow at someone else's, everywhere slandering young ladies of having past relations with Recommended Man Xia—what kind of propriety is that? If this spreads, would it bring any glory to Recommended Man Xia's reputation?"
Xia Yun felt alternating waves of heat and chill, thinking he had never been so humiliated in all his years. The murmurs around him made him wish to die of shame, yet every word Xianglan spoke was justified, leaving him no room for rebuttal. He could only listen, his hatred for Yin Die growing fiercer. Glancing up slightly, he saw Xianglan's stern expression and cold, piercing eyes, which twisted his heart. He kicked Yin Die viciously and roared, "You wretched, lowly creature! You've utterly disgraced me! Wait until we return—I'll thrash you properly! How dare you fabricate lies and stir up such a scene! Apologize to Miss Chen at once!"
Yin Die whimpered in pain and crumpled to the ground, her resentment deepening. Xia Yun had always been gentle with her, never uttering a harsh word, yet today he had kicked her for that little slut Chen Xianglan! She lay sobbing on the ground, refusing to respond.
Xianglan was also startled, never expecting the previously refined Xia Yun to erupt in such fury. Seeing Yin Die curled up pitifully, she felt a twinge of sympathy, thinking to herself that the pitiable often have their own hateful traits.
Seeing Yin Die ignore him, Xia Yun felt even more disgraced. He struck her twice and snapped, "Are you deaf? This mess started with you, and now you play innocent?"
Bystanders chimed in, "Indeed, her master is apologizing, yet she puts on airs!"
"She has a pretty face but loves to stir trouble. If this gets out, who would dare marry into the Xia family?"
"He's a Recommended Man—finding a match shouldn't be hard."
"Pah, what do you know? He may be a Recommended Man, but his family is dirt-poor with nearly twenty mouths to feed, and his mother is a shrew. What family of means would wed their precious daughter to such a household?"
Each word pierced Xia Yun's ears. Proud of his reputation, he felt his lifelong honor crumbling. Rage surged within him, and he struck Yin Die again, blaming not only her but also Xianglan. He thought bitterly, "Killing is a quick end—if she held no affection for me, why must she humiliate me so?"
Xianglan had no desire to watch Xia Yun beat his Concubine further. She waved a hand and said, "Enough. Recommended Man Xia's apology suffices. Please both take your leave." With that, she signaled Hua Shan to help Xue Shi inside.
Xia Yun, swallowing his shame, was about to leave with Yin Die when he overheard more comments: "Recommended Man Xia is quite the ladies' man—unsatisfied with such a beauty as his Concubine, he covets the Chen family's daughter. I heard matchmakers came twice, but the Chens refused. Today he shamelessly showed up at their door."
"Tsk, tsk, no wonder they say the more educated, the more cunning..."
Xia Yun's face flushed crimson. Just then, Xianglan called out, "Recommended Man Xia."Xia Yun halted in his tracks. He heard Xianglan say, "When your younger sister previously visited our home, I gave her a flower in front of the elders. Later, Yin Die repeatedly claimed I had privately gifted it to you. This is absolutely untrue. I request that you, Recommended Man Xia, return and burn that flower."
Upon hearing this, Xia Yun felt as though a thunderbolt had struck his head. So all these days, his efforts to persuade Second Sister-in-law Xia to propose the marriage—spending so much wasted silver—had been nothing but his own wishful thinking. He now realized Xianglan held not the slightest affection for him. Earlier, his apologies and bows were partly due to Yin Die's fault, but more so because of his fondness for Xianglan, intentionally taking her side to appease her. But now, hearing these words, he thought bitterly, "With my talents, destined for high office and great achievements—how many young maidens and married women admire me daily! I didn't disdain your humble origins, tarnished reputation, or entanglements with two men. How dare you look down on me!" Shame and fury overwhelmed him, boiling into rage until he lost control of his words. Coldly, he retorted, "Rest assured, Miss. Though I, Xia, may lack talent and come from poverty, I still possess some dignity. For someone like you, who has had improper dealings with Master Lin and Master Song—even if I were to degrade myself, I would scorn to associate with such a person!"
A greater storm was imminent... Thank you yu21yu21 for the two little yellow chicks, Big Bear Fool, and chljyaa for the Peace Talisman.
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