Xianglan narrowed her eyes slightly.
Hua Mei cried out, "My sister told me you only entered the household unwillingly because the Master forced you. You resent him and dream of leaving. But now that the Master treats you so kindly, even if he nearly strangled you the other day, you should still remember his affection. Why resort to such despicable methods!"
Qin Shi trembled with rage, her face dark as storm clouds.
Xianglan quickly knelt down and said, "Taitai, please consider this fairly. It's not just me who can enter this room. Senior maids, young ladies, even Concubine Mei have all been here before. How can this prove I placed the talisman?"
Changfa's wife stepped forward, hands on her hips. "How dare you talk back! Besides you living in this room, would Concubine Mei or Miss Yingge casually touch the Master's pillow when they visit the bedroom? The maids make the bed, but who among them would harbor such wicked intentions? Lianxin? Tinglan? Rushuang? Nuanyue? Chunling? Pah! Only you - with your improper appearance, you seductive little minx, always flirting shamelessly! The Master elevated your status, yet you don't know your blessings. How vile you've become, holding grudges against the Master and using such despicable means! Taitai, quickly have her taken away and punished - strip her clothes and beat her soundly! Her kneeling here defiles the ground!"
Seeing Qin Shi's face turn purple with anger, Xianglan said tearfully, "I dare not claim complete innocence, but Taitai has always been fair and reasonable. Please think carefully - everyone sees how I conduct myself daily in the household. I didn't even meet with Daoist Gu Cui when she visited. Recently I went home briefly, but I was constantly watched. Where could I obtain such harmful talismans? That's the first point. Secondly, though young and inexperienced, and though I've had disagreements with the Master, he has treated me well. What would I gain from harming him? Third, the Master favors me somewhat, so many gossip behind my back. It's quite possible someone resents or envies me enough to frame me."
After this speech, though Qin Shi still wore a stern expression, her eyes swept over several maids nearby, clearly moved by Xianglan's words.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Nuanyue quickly knelt and said, "Reporting to Taitai, I have something to say. A few days ago, I vaguely saw the young lady sewing something into the pillow. I didn't think much of it at the time, never expecting... never expecting it would be this..." She wiped her face with her sleeve, secretly applying osmanthus oil to her eyes, immediately causing tears to flow.
Hearing this, Qin Shi's face turned deathly pale. Pointing angrily, she scolded, "You seditious, smooth-talking wretch! Still trying to deceive your master with clever words? Someone has witnessed your deed, yet you remain stubbornly defiant. Utterly detestable! Take her away at once!"
The old women on both sides surged forward, dragging Xianglan outward. Xianglan stubbornly cried, "I beg Taitai to see the truth! If it was me, may I be struck by lightning and die horribly! I only ask Taitai to investigate this matter thoroughly. My wrongful accusation matters little, but if the true culprit remains by the Master's side, what if they harm him in the future? How terrible that would be!"
Qin Shi's heart felt as if boiling in hot oil, torn between fury and rage. Hearing Xianglan's words, she forcibly swallowed down the fire burning in her throat.Wu Mama quickly stopped the old women and stepped forward, whispering, "Taitai, she makes a valid point. If we wrongfully accuse someone and leave the real culprit in the mansion, we won't know how we'll die in the future."
Qin Shi closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, her expression was calm and clear. After a long pause, she said, "You claim you didn't do this—do you have evidence? If it wasn't you, then who was it?"
Xianglan turned her head sharply, her gaze burning as she looked at Nuanyue. "You say you saw me sewing the pillow—what was the scene like then? Was there anyone else who saw it with you?"
Nuanyue felt a bit flustered. She glanced sideways at Hua Mei, who was kneeling beside her, covering her face and weeping pitifully. Steadying herself, she repeated the prearranged story: "This happened three days ago. I remember it was morning, after the Master went out to practice martial arts. I went to deliver the Scented Cakes to the room, placed them on the outer table, and then glanced behind the screen. I saw Xianglan sewing a pillow by the bed. There was no one else in the room at the time, just the two of us."
Xianglan raised an eyebrow. It was true she had been sitting by the bed doing needlework that day. She knew Nuanyue must have rehearsed this story, so she wasn't panicked, but Nuanyue's account was so detailed it was hard to refute, and there was no one else to prove her innocence...
After a moment's thought, she mused, "Excellent. The fact that no one else saw means no one can confirm Nuanyue's story is true." She then sneered, "Nuanyue, your lie is quite elaborate. That morning, I wasn't in the room at all—the chrysanthemums behind the house had bloomed, and I went to admire them..."
Before she could finish, someone from behind spoke up: "Reporting to Taitai, Xianglan is telling the truth. I accompanied her to admire the flowers that day!"
Xianglan whipped her head around and saw Xiao Juan kneeling upright on the ground, saying, "I accompanied her to see the flowers that morning. Xianglan looked for a long time and didn't even say a word." After speaking, she glanced at Xianglan and lowered her head.
A warm surge rushed from Xianglan's heart. She clenched her hands inside her sleeves, turned back, took a deep breath, and said, "Exactly, I only went to see the chrysanthemums that morning..." As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and she choked up, "Nuanyue, the Master once favored you, but later he wouldn't even glance your way. You often tried to get close but gained nothing. Yet that's not my fault. You were originally accustomed to serving in the outer room; it was for your sake that I moved you to the inner room to attend to the Master's dressing and bedding. How could you frame me like this, repaying kindness with enmity? Wasn't it you who took the pillowcase to change it the other day..." Before she could finish, tears streamed down her face.
Hua Mei's heart sank. She lowered her head and thought, "Just moments ago, she was so aggressive, and now she's crying on cue—I've underestimated her all along. Nuanyue has been carefully watching for times when she was alone in the room lately, but I never expected she'd know how to win people over, getting a young maid to falsely testify for her and even turning the tables in the end."Nuanyue was startled and, feeling guilty, pointed at Xianglan and cursed, "You... you're talking nonsense, making false accusations!" She kowtowed repeatedly, her head thumping against the floor, and pleaded, "Taitai, please see clearly, it wasn't me, it wasn't me!" Pointing at Xianglan again, she cried, "It was her, it was her! Xiao Juan is close to her, so she lied! Everyone knows she entered the household unwillingly, crying every other day, getting beaten and scolded for not serving the Master well, nearly strangled to death by the Master. Who else but her, filled with resentment, would be vicious enough to harm the Master? Only she would wish for the Master's death." Unable to keep her composure, she grew increasingly flustered, her words becoming incoherent.
Qin Shi's eyelids twitched slightly.
Hua Mei inwardly cursed Nuanyue for being hopeless, like mud that couldn't be plastered on a wall. She lowered the sleeve covering her face, her eyes red and expression sorrowful, saying, "Sister, with the evidence right before us, why cling to denial until faced with utter ruin?" She picked up the talisman from the floor and added, "The handwriting on this talisman is identical to your usual writing. If it wasn't you, who else could it be?"
Nuanyue's forehead was already bruised, and her eyes darted around nervously as she stammered, "Y-yes, it was her!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Shi immediately ordered someone to fetch samples of Xianglan's usual handwriting for comparison, which proved to be exactly the same.
Qin Shi threw the large characters in front of Xianglan and sneered, "What do you have to say for yourself now?"
Xianglan's gaze remained clear as she said, "Please allow me to write a few characters, Taitai." Without waiting for permission, she stood up, walked to the table, dipped a brush in ink, and swiftly wrote on a piece of paper. She then presented it to Qin Shi, saying, "Please take a look, Taitai.Qin Shi examined it and saw the characters "death and extinction" written in regular script, cursive script, clerical script, running script, Yan script, and seal script. The regular script was further divided into Liu and Yan styles, in both large and small characters, all elegantly structured and powerfully executed.
Qin Shi was astonished. It was rare for even well-bred young ladies to master one calligraphic style, and even Lin Changzheng, a Successful Candidate in the Imperial Examinations, might not be able to write like this. Yet Chen Xianglan, a girl of humble origins, had effortlessly produced such graceful and unrestrained writing, truly earning newfound respect.
Xianglan knelt down and said calmly, "Taitai, as you can see, though I am untalented, I am familiar with several calligraphic styles. The regular script on the talisman is my usual handwriting, which is why someone framed me. If I truly had ill intentions, I could have written in a different style or deliberately scribbled poorly—who would have suspected me then?"
Qin Shi looked at Xianglan's strikingly beautiful face and met her bright, piercing eyes, which resembled cold stars in the sky or a deep, dark pool that could easily captivate one's soul.
Their gazes locked for a moment before Qin Shi lowered her head to examine the page of characters in Xianglan's hand.
Nuanyue grew anxious and shrilly exclaimed, "This is your scheme, isn't it? Just a diversion!"
Xianglan glanced at Nuanyue, her eyes seeming to carry a hint of mockery, then straightened her expression and said to Qin Shi, "Taitai, I have a few more words to say."
Qin Shi was taken aback, studied Xianglan for a moment, and nodded slightly.Xianglan turned around, her gaze sweeping over Nuanyue's pale face and Hua Mei's sorrowful expression before glancing at the maids and old women kneeling on the ground. She sighed and said, "There's no perfect circle in this world that cannot be broken. I believe in the retribution of hell and the underworld. Some words have been buried in my heart for a long time. Since things have come to this, I might as well speak openly before Taitai." She fixed her eyes on Hua Mei and asked, "Hua Mei, lift your head. I ask you, you should have been asleep long ago at this hour. Why did you suddenly come to the Main House?"
Hua Mei secretly seethed with hatred. Though she knew Xianglan was eloquent, she had always regarded her as a tearful, bullied weakling. Who would have thought that at this critical moment, she would remain composed, overturning all her plans and even carving out a sliver of hope for herself. With tearful eyes and droplets still clinging to her rosy cheeks, Hua Mei spoke in a pitiful, aggrieved tone: "Sister, your words are so sharp. I heard the commotion in the room and knew something had happened. I couldn't rest easy, so I came to check. When I saw this talisman and the words on it, half my soul was frightened away. Then I remembered how you've always harbored resentment toward the Master, and in my concern, I lost my composure and cried out, feeling it was unjust to the Master and wanting to plead for leniency on your behalf..." She broke into sobs again, weeping sorrowfully, and continued between sniffles: "Whoever placed this, their heart must be blackened! My poor Master..."
This scene was difficult to write. I revised it many times and spent a long time on it. I wanted to make it brilliant, but even after reading it over and over, I'm not satisfied. It's only barely acceptable now—please forgive me! Thank you to zhaolushd for the Peach Blossom Fan, to Mingzixi for the sachet, and to Maomi TTT, Mingzixi, Jianhemeigui, and Chenxiangyun for the Peace Talismans. Also, thank you to everyone for the pink votes and review tickets ^_^
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