Xianglan narrowed her eyes and slowly straightened her back further. Cao Lihuan approached, fanning herself with a haughty expression. "Well, if it isn't you. What brings you here? Don't tell me someone in your family has been locked up?"
Xianglan pretended not to hear, adjusting the hair at her temples before checking the bundle hanging from her arm.
Cao Lihuan raised her voice, "I'm talking to you! Can't you hear me?"
Only then did Xianglan look up, replying calmly, "Madam Cao, I am no longer a maid. Show some respect and courtesy. You've always prided yourself on coming from a noble family—have you forgotten a young lady's upbringing? Shouting like this is the behavior of a shrew. Have you lost all dignity after just a short time living among the common folk?"
Never having been challenged like this before, Cao Lihuan flushed crimson with rage. But noticing the redness around Xianglan's eyes—clearly from recent tears—she felt a smug satisfaction and sneered, "You and I have deep-seated hatred between us. Why bother with fake courtesy and bows? Chen Xianglan, your father has been thrown into prison, hasn't he?" She took two quick steps forward, eyes wide and face twisted with malice. "When you framed me back then, did you ever imagine you'd have a day like this? That you'd fall into my hands? Chen Xianglan, you ruined my future and wealth—don't expect me to let you off easily."
Xianglan was inwardly startled but kept her composure. Leaning in until their noses nearly touched, she raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems Madam Cao has grown quite capable. After just a few years apart, you're now passing judgments on behalf of the county magistrate."
Cao Lihuan gave a cold smile. "Offer more silver, and you might just save your father's wretched life." With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.
Xianglan stood bewildered and uneasy, but she had no time to dwell on it. She took out three taels of silver and handed it to the jailer, pleading with him to fetch a doctor for Chen Wanquan. The jailer refused the money. Xianglan added two more taels, but the jailer clicked his tongue and said, "You must have had a nightmare to cross Madam Cao. As the saying goes, 'Take money, solve problems'—but I can't interfere with prisoners here, so I can't accept your silver either."
Xianglan pressed him, "Why can't you help, sir?"
The jailer picked at his teeth. "Everyone knows Madam Cao is like half the county magistrate in this yamen. If she's given orders, how dare we interfere..." He trailed off, shook his head, and walked away without finishing.
Xianglan stood frozen for a moment, her heart heavy and suffocated, as if she were a wandering ghost. Slowly, she made her way out. Just as she stepped through the side gate, she heard someone calling her name: "Xianglan! Xianglan!"
She turned and saw a woman in a blue cotton dress hiding at the corner of the wall, beckoning to her. When Xianglan looked over, the woman called out again softly, "Xianglan!" Following the sound, Xianglan approached and realized it was Siqiao!Siqiao was now dressed as a married woman, with an emerald kerchief wrapped around her head. Her face had turned sallow, the flesh on her cheeks had hollowed out, and she looked considerably haggard. Though not yet twenty, she already bore the marks of hardship. The moment she spotted Xianglan, she immediately pulled her behind the wall, craning her neck to peer left and right. Only after ensuring no one was around did she turn back, her voice trembling as she said, "I came with Cao Lihuan. I spotted you from afar and secretly followed... Xianglan, Cao Lihuan is Magistrate Han's mistress. He dotes on her and grants her every wish. Last night, I overheard her plotting with Huier. They plan to squeeze every last coin from your family and said within a day or two they'll have your father beaten to death, leaving your family ruined and destitute!"
Xianglan was utterly shocked, her face instantly turning pale.
Siqiao, frantic with fear of being seen, glanced around again and said, "Xianglan, your father... is probably beyond saving. At least try to protect your silver..." With that, she turned to leave but paused, hesitating as she looked back. "I'm risking my life to tell you this... consider it repayment for what I owed you last time. Please don't hate me anymore..."
Xianglan's lips moved, but no words came out. She only gave a slight nod.
Siqiao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and hurried away.
Xianglan felt her legs go weak. The phrases "Magistrate's mistress," "having your father beaten to death within days," and "family ruined and destitute" echoed relentlessly in her ears. Leaning against the wall for support, the words transformed into a deafening roar in her mind.
Under the scorching sun, Xianglan grew dizzy and slid down the wall to the ground, covering her face with her hands. What could she do now? A mere commoner like her could cry to heaven and earth without receiving any aid. She couldn't just stand by and watch her father die, but what could she possibly do? She wished she could die in Chen Wanquan's place and longed to tear Cao Lihuan into a thousand pieces. Tears streamed through her fingers.
Just then, she heard someone call, "Miss Xianglan? Miss Xianglan?"
Xianglan looked up to see Shuangxi standing before her, wearing an ingratiating smile as he bent slightly to look at her.
Noticing Xianglan's tear-filled eyes and delicate, pitiable demeanor—like rain-drenched pear blossoms—Shuangxi silently marveled. No wonder the Eldest Master is so captivated by such beauty, he thought. Smiling even more obsequiously, he said, "Miss Xianglan, my Eldest Master requests your presence for a word." He pointed behind him. Following his gesture, Xianglan saw a two-horse carriage with oiled silk curtains parked at the end of the alley.
Xianglan struggled to her feet. Shuangxi instinctively moved to support her but quickly withdrew his hand, remembering something. Instead, he urged, "Take your time, miss." When he saw her heading in the opposite direction, he hastily blocked her path and said with an apologetic smile, "Where are you going, miss? Our master is waiting in the carriage. You should know, the Eldest Master set out immediately upon hearing about your family's troubles. If he speaks up, it'll carry more weight than an imperial decree—Han Yaozu, that old fool, would be scared out of his wits... Please go, won't you?"
Xianglan hesitated at Shuangxi's words, but then the sound of hoofbeats approached as Jixiang drove the carriage over. The curtain lifted, revealing a handsome yet stern face. Xianglan felt her chest tighten. Though her expression remained calm, she secretly clenched her fists. Lin Jinlou raised an eyebrow, scrutinized Xianglan from head to toe twice, then simply beckoned before letting the curtain fall.Shuangxi immediately knelt on the ground, while Jixiang slightly bent forward and extended her arm, smiling as she said, “Please get in the carriage, miss.”
Xianglan had no choice but to lean on Shuangxi’s arm and step on her to board the carriage. Lin Jinlou was reclining against a heart-patterned satin headrest, a faint smile playing on his lips. In front of him was a small table set with tea and delicate snacks.
Xianglan sat far away at the edge and softly called out, “Eldest Master Lin.”
Lin Jinlou nodded with a smile, pushing a cup of tea on the table toward Xianglan. “Half a year ago, you were still lively and bold enough to threaten me with a hairpin. Why do you look so withered today, like an eggplant beaten by frost?”
Xianglan glanced at Lin Jinlou. This man appeared noble, dignified, and elegant, but in reality, he was ruthless and devoid of gentlemanly principles. Now that her family had fallen into hardship and she was at her most helpless, his arrival surely meant he intended to take advantage of the situation. She tucked her hands into her sleeves, digging her nails into her palms.
Seeing Xianglan bow her head in silence, Lin Jinlou calmly sipped his tea, composed and at ease.
After a long while, Xianglan, still with her head lowered, whispered softly, “My father has been wrongly accused and thrown into prison…”
Lin Jinlou had been waiting for these very words, yet he showed no reaction, merely raising his teacup to take another sip.
Xianglan stole a glance at Lin Jinlou, licked her dry lips, and murmured, “Cao Lihuan has become the magistrate’s mistress. She hates me to the core and wants to ruin my family. My father was beaten and now lies in prison, barely breathing, with no one allowed to treat him…” Her voice choked, and she quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve.
Lin Jinlou reached out and lifted Xianglan’s chin with his finger, his voice low. “Want to get your father out, hmm?”
Xianglan uncomfortably pulled away. Lin Jinlou lowered his arm, leaned back against the headrest, and chuckled softly. “Don’t be like this, little Xianglan. Count on your fingers—how many times have I saved you? And now I’ve come to you again. You ungrateful little thing, not only do you refuse to appreciate kindness, but you also don’t know what’s good for you.”
Xianglan was taken aback. It was true that Lin Jinlou had saved her before, and she ought to be grateful. But this man was too dangerous, his intentions too blatant, making her want to flee as far away as possible.
Lin Jinlou shifted closer, leaning in beside Xianglan, his breath brushing against her ear. “Listen carefully. Before, I let you roam free and didn’t bother with you, but this time is different. I’ll get your father out of prison, and if there’s anyone you can’t stand, I’ll deal with them to vent your anger. But if you act up or cause trouble again, I’ll truly lose my temper and punish you severely. Understood?”
Though a smile lingered on his face, his expression and tone carried an undeniable authority that brooked no defiance. Xianglan wanted to say, “My father doesn’t need your help,” but she truly had nowhere else to turn. The image of Chen Wanquan lying helpless in prison flashed before her eyes. Yet, the price Lin Jinlou demanded was too steep. Her vision blurred again, and she bit her lip hard.
Lin Jinlou wiped the tears from her cheek with his fingertip and laughed. “Oh, why are you crying again? Tears of joy?”
Xianglan wiped her face, composed herself, and looked up at Lin Jinlou firmly. “I will not be a concubine.”Lin Jinlou was taken aback, then sneered coldly. Before he could speak, Xianglan continued, "If Eldest Master saves my father, I will naturally... offer myself in return. Whether as a maid or an outside mistress, I only beg that after three to five years, when you grow tired of me, you'll let me go... I won't remarry. After seeing my parents to their final rest, I'll go to Tranquil Moon Temple to shave my head and devote myself to spiritual practice, spending the rest of my life with the dim lamp and ancient Buddha."
Lin Jinlou narrowed his eyes, staring at the girl's delicate and beautiful face. She was truly stunning, like a lovely flower reflected in water or moonlight shimmering on a cold pond. Despite such a calamity, she still sat upright with her back straight, without a trace of despondency. The women he had possessed—whether seductive and alluring, charming and captivating, or radiant as peach blossoms yet cold as ice—none could match her elegant grace. She was like a quiet orchid in bloom, making it hard for him to let go time and again. Even when he occasionally forgot her, she would quickly come to mind. Other women, when favored by him, acted as if their ancestors had accumulated virtue to bring glory to their families. Yet this one was like an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. A surge of anger suddenly rose in Lin Jinlou's heart. He leaned forward until his nose almost touched Xianglan's and said indifferently, "Bargaining with me? Are you even worthy?"
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