Han Mama opened and examined it, then said to Qin Shi, "This is a talisman for seeking a son. The young wives in the inner quarters often seek these—I’ve seen them a few times before."
Changfa’s wife quickly added, "How pitiful, Mei Yiniang’s foolish devotion led her to seek such a talisman—she wants to bear children for the Lin family!"
Qin Shi’s expression remained indifferent as she asked, "Are there any other talismans?"
Huamei hurriedly replied, "No, no, there’s only this one. Taoist Cui is like an immortal—her talismans are especially potent and expensive. How could we afford several with so little silver?"
After everyone searched thoroughly and found nothing suspicious, Qin Shi led the group out.
Huamei immediately shed her timid demeanor, a cold sneer playing on her lips as she sat down. Xique approached and whispered, "Madam, everyone has left. Should we wash up and retire?"
A glint of cold light flashed in Huamei’s eyes as she sneered, "Wash up? I need to change clothes again and wait for the grand spectacle."
Meanwhile, Qin Shi left the eastern wing and went to Yingge’s room. The room had already been guarded by several wives to prevent any disturbance. Yingge, uncomfortable from her monthly courses, had retired early but struggled to get up upon hearing the commotion. She hastily dressed, unable to tidy her hair in time, and was startled when Qin Shi entered.
Though Qin Shi disliked Yingge’s delicate, "ailing beauty" frailty, she pitied her honesty and remembered she had lost a child. She said, "Don’t be alarmed, and don’t trouble yourself with serving tea. We’ll just inspect and leave." She ordered the chests opened and searched, even rummaging through the kang. Sure enough, they found a talisman hidden in the pillow—upon inspection, it was one Yingge had bought from Taoist Cui for peace and health.
Trembling, Yingge asked, "Is this something bad? I even requested one for my father and sent it home a few days ago."
Seeing her fright, Han Mama comforted her, "It’s nothing serious. Don’t overthink it, but avoid seeking these in the future—Madam finds them distasteful... Rest early, alright." With that, she followed Qin Shi to Luanr’s quarters.
Luanr, alerted by the earlier noise, knew Qin Shi was coming. Though unsure of the reason, guilt made her anxious. With two steward wives already watching her room, she could only fret helplessly.
As she fidgeted nervously, Qin Shi entered and, finding the room dim, ordered the candles brightened. Relying on her past favor with Old Madam and Qin Shi’s praise for her singing, Luanr smiled and asked, "It’s so late—what brings you here, Madam?"
Qin Shi ignored her and commanded the chests and cabinets be searched.
Luanr’s heart pounded as she mustered courage to ask again, "Might I ask why you’re here and searching my things? I’ve never stolen anything."
Previously, Huamei had gossiped about Luanr with Changfa’s wife, and since Luanr often acted aloof, Changfa’s wife already disliked her. Seizing the opportunity, she glared and scolded, "Stop chattering! Did Madam ask you anything?"Luanr's face instantly flushed crimson. She wanted to retort but, fearing Qin Shi, had to swallow her anger. She watched as Changfa's wife wore a smug expression while rummaging through the chests and cabinets with increasing vigor, leaving clothes, bundles, and cosmetic boxes in complete disarray. Luanr's eyelids twitched. Under normal circumstances, she would have long lost patience and scolded them, but now she had no such inclination. Her face alternated between red and pale, her legs trembling slightly.
Before long, Han Mama indeed found another talisman hidden inside a pillow. She cut open the cloth pouch with scissors, glanced at it, and froze momentarily before her face contorted into a look of contempt. She handed it to Qin Shi. Holding it in her hand, Qin Shi saw that aside from chaotic symbols, the talisman depicted a man and a woman, both naked, embracing in a crude depiction of intercourse. Though crudely drawn, the figures were labeled with the names Lin Jinlou and Luanr.
Han Mama whispered, "Madam, I've seen such things outside before. It should be some kind of union charm for men and women. Though it's not a harmful curse, it's certainly not a proper practice."
Qin Shi's willow-leaf eyebrows shot up in fury at the sight of such obscenity, her face pale with rage. Having such a private object exposed to others, Luanr felt both frantic and mortified. Her face burned scarlet, and she buried her head desperately, shrinking toward the wall, her heart pounding even more violently.
Qin Shi let out a cold laugh and ordered, "Search again." She slowly paced over to the rosewood table, and Luanr's heart tightened in response. Qin Shi ran her fingers over the scattered rouge, face powder, and hairpins on the table before suddenly pointing at a locked stationery mirror box and saying, "Open this."
Luanr, standing in the corner, was already petrified with fear.
Qin Shi raised her eyebrows and urged, "Open it! Now!"
Cold sweat beaded on Luanr's forehead as her trembling hands fumbled to untie the key from her waist. After several attempts, she finally managed to pull it loose. Han Mama took the key and unlocked the box. The mirror layer was empty, but the drawer below contained a few pairs of earrings and three or four rings. In the bottom compartment was a cloth bundle wrapped in green fabric.
Qin Shi opened it and found another talisman inside, this one depicting a green-faced, fanged demon. Han Mama peeked at it and jumped in fright, exclaiming, "Heavens! This is terrible!"
Qin Shi's face was pale with fury as she demanded sharply, "You wretched girl! Who gave this to you? Who were you planning to curse with it?"
Seeing the talisman uncovered, Luanr felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Her hands and feet turned cold, and she was overwhelmed with shock, fear, shame, and regret. A thousand emotions surged to the tip of her tongue. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor, her eyes rolling back as she fainted.
Qin Shi, now enraged beyond measure, did not wait for Luanr to regain consciousness to question the origin of such sinister objects. She simply ordered the matrons to take her into custody and then headed toward the main residence.Pushing the door open and entering the room, she saw two elderly maids already keeping watch inside. Qin Shi noticed that Xianglan had just finished her toilette, her hair loosely coiled into a chignon secured with two or three fine gold hairpins. She wore an embroidered round-collared robe adorned with bamboo leaves and plum blossoms, paired with wide-legged white silk trousers below. Her face was entirely free of cosmetics, yet her dark hair and pale neck accentuated her lotus-like complexion, lending her an ethereal grace. Now fully blossomed, Xianglan possessed even more charm and beauty than before. Qin Shi couldn’t help but inwardly exclaim, “What a delicate beauty!” She sighed again, as if understanding why her son insisted on having Chen Xianglan by his side. Such a stunning woman evoked pity and affection even in her, softening her previous aversion by a degree or two. Yet she recalled the age-old saying that “beauty leads men astray.” While a woman’s beauty is a blessing, excessive loveliness can backfire, turning into a curse. Moreover, this young maid was quite clever and sharp-witted. If she were to bewitch Lin Jinlou, cloud his judgment, and stir up trouble, the consequences would be dire. At this thought, her expression cooled another shade, and she sat down on a round stool beside the table.
OpenNovel