All was silent around them. Then, like a stirred hornet's nest, everyone began whispering among themselves. Xianglan was momentarily stunned, her gaze fixed straight at Xia Yun like two deep pools, radiating an aura of unassailable dignity. Their eyes met briefly before Xia Yun, ultimately feeling guilty, slightly averted her gaze.
Xianglan's voice was clear and bright as she spoke slowly: "Recommended Man Xia, the gods watch from above. You must speak with a clear conscience. As a gentleman who has studied the classics for so many years, would you really stoop to the level of filthy scoundrels, slandering an innocent young woman without cause?" With that, she took a step forward. "Since you've made such accusations today, I would rather die than let this stand. Do you dare come with me right now to the Lin residence and confront Master Lin face to face? If I am not chaste, I will dash my head against the wall immediately. But if you are falsely accusing me, you shall pay with your life!"
Xia Yun stood frozen as Xianglan descended the steps, her sharp gaze like an unsheathed sword, demanding: "Do you dare? Do you dare?"
Xia Yun hadn't expected such a delicate-looking girl to challenge her so fiercely. She retreated awkwardly several steps. But Yin Die scrambled up from the ground and positioned herself in front of Xia Yun, shoving Xianglan hard while sneering: "Oh, such big talk! Want to go see Master Lin? Pah! Who doesn't know what kind of fox spirit you are? Earlier in the residence, you were already batting your eyes and seducing gentlemen, you damned whore! Playing both sides, flaunting yourself all over, constantly trying to climb into the master's bed - that's why the madam drove you out! And now you put on this act of chaste martyrdom? Everyone knows you're a slut!"
While cursing, Yin Die reached out to grab Xianglan. She had long hated Xianglan to the bone, convinced that all her current misery was caused by her. Seeing Xianglan living so well only made it more unbearable, and she wished she could scratch that jade-like face to shreds. As she reached out, Xianglan caught her by the wrist. Just as the struggle reached its peak, someone from the crowd shouted angrily: "You shameless, vile wretch! How dare you bully my daughter! You beggar's spawn, painted harlot, tongue-wagging bitch! I'll fuck your ancestors!"
Before the words faded, Chen Wanquan burst out from the crowd like a whirlwind, rushing up to Yin Die and immediately striking her. Two slaps across the face left Yin Die's cheeks swollen as she covered her head, screaming.
Chen Wanquan continued hitting her while pulling her hair, cursing all the while: "My daughter is pure and precious, too good for many suitors who sought her hand - she should be worshipped like Guanyin! You're the shameless one who crawled into gentlemen's beds and got driven out! Because of you, your whole family was sold off! Instead of hiding in some corner with your tail between your legs, you come making trouble at my doorstep! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll never learn your place!"
It turned out Chen Wanquan had gone out for drinks at noon and was returning home somewhat dazed when he saw the crowd gathered at his door. Pushing through, he discovered the commotion at his home, just in time to see Yin Die grabbing Xianglan and hurling insults. Though normally timid and incompetent, Chen Wanquan dearly loved his daughter and, fortified by alcohol, found the courage to charge forward. Coming from the streets, he knew all the foulest language, and his slaps left Yin Die completely disoriented.Xia Yun saw the situation escalating out of control and hurried forward to grab Chen Wanquan’s arm, saying, “Let’s talk this through calmly. There’s no need to resort to violence.”
Chen Wanquan dared not strike Xia Yun, but he roared in anger, “Nonsense! Why didn’t you stop her when she was clawing at my daughter? Recommended Man Xia, have all the teachings of the sages you studied gone to the dogs?”
Xue Shi also rushed over, seizing Xia Yun and shouting, “Recommended Man Xia, back when you were down on your luck, our family helped you time and again. Later, when you rose to prominence, we never came around to freeload off you. Have you forgotten all the kindness we showed you, like an ungrateful wolf? Now you spout such venomous words, letting others slander my daughter and ruin her life—what evil intentions lie in your heart!”
Xia Yun’s face flushed crimson. In truth, he regretted his words as soon as he had spoken them. Yet, despite his guilt, he thought to himself, “If Xianglan hadn’t humiliated me, I would never have said such things!”
Yin Die burst into loud sobs, throwing herself against Chen Wanquan’s chest and crying, “Go on, beat me to death! Beat me to death! I don’t want to live anymore!” She clawed at his hands, her legs kicking wildly.
Xianglan refused to let her father suffer. She seized both of Yin Die’s hands and signaled with her eyes for Hua Shan to grab Yin Die’s legs, all while pleading, “Father, please stop hitting her. Stop!”
Seeing Xia Yun standing there helplessly, Yin Die wailed again, “My husband! You see me being beaten and cursed, yet you don’t lift a finger to help me. How wretched my fate is!”
Xia Yun gritted his teeth, wrapped his arms around Chen Wanquan’s arm, and said, “Uncle Chen, let’s talk this over. Please let go first…”
Chen Wanquan’s arm ached from the grip, so he released Yin Die and shoved Xia Yun away, snarling, “Get lost!”
Xia Yun, unable to steady himself, slipped and fell, his head striking a brick on the ground. He immediately lost consciousness. Yin Die screamed, “Husband! Husband!” Seeing Xia Yun unconscious, she shrieked at the top of her lungs, “Help! Murder! Murder!”
Chen Wanquan was stunned. Xue Shi and Xianglan rushed over to check on Xia Yun. They saw no blood on his head, but a large lump had swollen on the back of it. Xianglan urgently said to Chen Wanquan, “Go fetch a doctor!”
Only then did Chen Wanquan snap out of his daze. His legs felt weak, and he stumbled as he ran to find help.
The crowd gathered around, some suggesting pressing his philtrum, others rubbing his chest. But because Xia Yun was a Recommended Man, no one dared to touch him. After a moment, Xia Yun groaned and regained consciousness. Xianglan let out a sigh of relief, thinking to herself, “This is bad. The Xia family is not to be trifled with. I’m afraid we’ll have to spend silver to buy peace now.” Aloud, she instructed Hua Shan to fetch water from the house for Xia Yun to drink.
Soon, the doctor arrived. He applied medicine to the wound on Xia Yun’s head, wrote a prescription, and handed over a few medicinal pills, saying, “The injury isn’t serious, but he needs rest and should avoid moving around unnecessarily. In the coming days, he may experience nausea, dizziness, and weakness—just let him rest more. Dissolve these pills in yellow wine and apply the mixture to the affected area. The swelling will gradually subside.”
Chen Wanquan repeatedly agreed. He borrowed a door plank from a neighbor, spread a mattress over it, and carefully placed Xia Yun on the plank to carry him home.Before the doctor arrived, Yin Die had already slipped away quietly. The entire incident at the Chen family today was a scheme she had privately devised—first, to ruin the matter between Yun and Lan, cutting off Xia Yun's hopes; second, to tarnish Xianglan's reputation and vent her own resentment. She never expected things to escalate to this point. Secretly thinking that if anything happened to Xia Yun, the dozen or so members of the Xia family would surely tear her to pieces, she grew increasingly frightened and decided to sneak back first to play the accuser, weeping and shifting all the blame onto the Chen family.
Preoccupied and distraught, she walked back in a daze, failing to notice the sedan chair approaching ahead and colliding head-on with the maid walking beside it. The maid exclaimed "Hey!" and planted her hands on her hips, scolding, "Who is it? Walking without eyes!"
Yin Die looked up and saw a maid with a round, silvery face, narrow eyes, a small nose, heavily made up, and a plump figure. Dressed elegantly in fine silks, she puffed out her chest, accentuating her fleshy bosom. As their eyes met, Yin Die froze and called out, "Sister Hui'er?"
Hui'er was also taken aback, staring for a long moment before saying, "Is that you, Yin Die? Your face... what happened to it?"
Just then, the sedan curtain was lifted, and Cao Lihuan asked impatiently, "What's going on? Are we moving or not?"
Hui'er hurriedly replied, "Madam, I've just run into Yin Die, who works at the Knowing Spring Pavilion."
It turned out that during her time with the Lin Family, Hui'er was one who loved to scheme and climb social ladders, familiar with all the maids at the Knowing Spring Pavilion. Though Yin Die had not been influential back then, she was fond of boasting about herself. Hui'er knew that Yin Die came from a family of long-serving servants, with parents holding respectable positions and a cousin who was favored by Lin Dongling, so she deliberately befriended her, occasionally offering small favors. Yin Die, being greedy for petty gains, grew close to Hui'er, and the two shared some past camaraderie.
Yin Die bowed and said, "Greetings, Cousin."
Hearing she was a maid from the Lin Family, Cao Lihuan ordered the sedan bearers to set down the chair and put on a smiling face, saying, "So it's Miss Yin Die! What brings you here? Oh my, let me see, what happened to your face?"
Yin Die swallowed her shame and sighed, "It's a long story." After speaking, she tried to leave.
Hui'er and Cao Lihuan exchanged a glance, and Hui'er grabbed Yin Die's arm, smiling, "Sister Yin Die, are you still working at the Knowing Spring Pavilion?"
This question struck a sore spot. Yin Die forced a smile and said, "No, not anymore. Last time, during the grand feast hosted by the elder master for officials in Jinling, Master Lin took a liking to Xia Yun, the young Recommended Man, and betrothed me to him."
Both Cao Lihuan and Hui'er were startled and exchanged another glance. Cao Lihuan then stepped out of the sedan, took Yin Die's hand warmly, and said, "I had heard that Clerk Xia from the Government Office took a beautiful Concubine. My husband even specially sent a congratulatory gift for Clerk Xia's new marriage. Who would have thought fate would twist and turn, bringing such fortune to you, sister? Clerk Xia even mentioned holding a grand banquet for you at the end of the month—clearly, you hold a special place. Clerk Xia is young, handsome, and full of talent—a match hard to find even with a lantern. In the future, when he becomes an official, you'll enjoy a life of luxury."
Yin Die, being vain by nature, was pleased by Cao Lihuan's words and smiled, "It's not that good... Ah, no matter how much I enjoy prosperity, I'm still half a servant."
Cao Lihuan said, "Don't say that. I see great fortune in you—who knows, you might even be elevated to wife status one day."Yin Die was pleased by these words and felt closer to Cao Lihuan. Seeing Yin Die’s expression soften, Cao Lihuan asked, “But... what happened to your face, sister?”
Yin Die said bitterly, “It’s all because of that little wretch Xianglan! The one who used to serve our young lady. Somehow, she bewitched my husband, and he actually wants to marry her! As if she’s worthy! That wretch refuses to marry any man who has a concubine. I was afraid my husband might foolishly divorce me in a moment of confusion, so I went to the Chen family to confront her. But who would have thought her father would beat me and even injure my husband, leaving him bleeding from the head!”
Cao Lihuan was shocked and exclaimed, “Xianglan? Is Xia Limu going to marry Xianglan?”
As is customary on Qidian’s Female Channel, there are double pink vote events during three periods each year: April 28–May 7, September 28–October 7, and December 28–January 7 of the following year. Please save your pink votes until the end of the month during the double event! One vote counts as two!!! Vote more to support us~ Thank you to Hua Xiyuexi and yu21yu21 for two Peace Talismans, and to Little Monster ABC and Twilight Star for their Peace Talismans. Thank you, everyone~ Cao Lihuan’s foreshadowing has finally connected ^_^
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