Upon entering the guest hall, a young monk of about six or seven years old came forward, clasped his hands and said, "Venerable lady, the vegetarian meal is not yet ready. Please come back later." Xianglan returned the salute with clasped hands and withdrew, strolling around the courtyard and looking about. She saw several red plum trees in full bloom, along with verdant pines and cypresses that appeared lush and thriving even in winter. Admiring the beautiful plum blossoms, Xianglan thought of picking a branch to place in a vase as an offering to Buddha. As she reached for a flower on the plum tree, she suddenly felt as if someone was secretly watching her. A chill ran through her heart, and she swiftly turned around, only to find the surroundings empty except for a few sparrows fluttering up into the sky.
Du Bin hid by the doorway, stealthily peeking through the crack. Beneath the plum tree stood a beauty wearing a bright red felt cloak. Even from the side, her figure was graceful and slender. When she turned her head, she revealed a face as fair as white jade, radiant and stunningly beautiful. Du Bin's fingertips tingled with excitement, and he thought to himself, "After not seeing her for so long, she's even more captivating than before. No wonder even a sophisticated man like Lin Jinlou has been utterly enchanted by this young woman. Tomorrow, I'll seize her too and ask the Marquis to bestow her upon me. If not, I should at least get a taste of her."
Meanwhile, Qin Shi and Wang Shi attended to Lin Old Madam before returning to their respective rooms. The vegetarian meal and other matters proceeded without incident. In the afternoon, Lin Old Madam, Wang Shi, and Lin Dongling went to the rear pavilion to listen to opera and enjoy various amusements, while Qin Shi continued her Buddhist devotions. By evening, having exhausted herself during the day and caught a chill from the mountain breeze, Lin Old Madam fell ill. A physician prescribed a dose of medicine, which she drank before resting peacefully. Fearing complications, Qin Shi arranged for half the attendants to escort Lin Old Madam home the next day once she showed signs of recovery.
For a while, all was quiet. On the evening of the second day, as everyone was preparing to retire, Xianglan and Hongjian stayed in the outer chamber of Qin Shi and Lin Dongxiu's bedroom. After attending to her mistress, Hongjian extinguished the lamp and went to sleep. Xianglan, however, could not sleep. She draped her clothes over her shoulders and sat up, taking out a bundle embroidered with peony patterns, which she held in her arms lost in thought. She had meticulously sewn this garment stitch by stitch over the past few months, telling others it was a needlework gift for Dingyi Shitai's birthday, but in truth, she had tailored it to her own measurements. Dingyi Shitai had now become the chief abbess at a temple in Yangzhou. Xianglan had originally planned to slip away from the Lin Family, first seeking out her senior sisters at the nearby Still Moon Temple, then traveling together to Yangzhou to join her master. She intended to bring her parents a few years later when things had settled down. However, Lin Jinlou had pierced her intentions and threatened her with her parents' safety, crushing her plans entirely. Xianglan sighed. If she couldn't leave for the time being, it would be better to offer the clothing to the temple monks as an act of accumulating merit and performing good deeds.
Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps. Lin Dongxiu emerged from the inner room, and Xianglan hurried to rise and light the lamp. Lin Dongxiu waved her hand and said softly, "No need. I couldn't sleep and heard movement outside, so I came to chat with someone." She then sat down beside Xianglan.It turned out Lin Dongxiu was also tossing and turning in bed. Since childhood, she had envied Lin Dongqi and Lin Dongling for being born from Taitai’s womb, and with her own competitive nature, she found it difficult to stand out among her sisters. While Lin Dongqi at least knew how to spare others’ dignity, Lin Dongling intentionally or unintentionally overshadowed her, often speaking with sharp words that caused her much daily frustration, secretly breeding resentment. Now that Lin Dongling was about to bring shame upon herself, Lin Dongxiu saw an opportunity to vent her pent-up anger and possibly even secure a favorable marriage for herself. Such a chance to profit from others’ conflict—why wouldn’t she welcome it? Yet... she couldn’t shake a sense of unease, feeling something was amiss but unable to pinpoint what.
Xianglan whispered, “I noticed you ate little in the evening and might be too hungry to sleep soundly. Taitai still has half a box of pastries—why not have a couple with some tea?” With that, she stood up and went to the table to fetch tea and the pastry box.
Lin Dongxiu rose, took a deep breath, and slowly paced to the door, thinking to herself, “That actor said he’d make his move tonight—I wonder when he plans to elope with Third Sister.”
Xianglan brought over the tea and asked with a smile, “What are you looking at?” Peering through the crack in the door, she saw that the third watch drum had already sounded. A half-moon hung in the sky, casting a silvery, glistening frost-like glow over the courtyard. Suddenly, seven or eight figures emerged swiftly from the opposite wing’s roof, landing lightly in the yard, each holding a gleaming broadsword. Once in the courtyard, the leader gestured, and the group headed first toward the east wing—where Wang Shi and Lin Dongling were staying.
Xianglan’s heart leaped, and she hastily covered her mouth. Turning to Lin Dongxiu, she said urgently, “Something’s terribly wrong—bandits are here. Don’t make a sound, Miss, and quickly get dressed.” She then shook Hongjian awake and hurried into the inner room to alert Qin Shi.
Lin Dongxiu had initially assumed it was Lin Dongling’s lover coming to elope with her at Night and thought Xianglan was overreacting. But when she peeked through the door crack and saw over a dozen burly men standing in the courtyard, she was terrified out of her wits. Stumbling into the bedroom, she found Qin Shi already up and cried out in a trembling voice, “Taitai, there really are bandits—they’re all carrying swords! What should we do? Didn’t Eldest Brother leave guards and watchmen…?”
Qin Shi immediately panicked, hastily grabbing a cloak. Just then, faint noises came from the door, as if someone was tampering with the bolt. Hongjian’s legs had gone weak, and she clung to Lin Dongxiu, both trembling in fear.Xianglan thought to herself, "The guards haven't made a sound—something must be wrong." Her hands and feet turned icy cold, her heart pounding so violently it felt ready to leap from her throat. Yet seeing the panicked expressions of the other women in the room, she forced herself to calm down and whispered, "Before the intruders realize we're aware of them, let's slip out through the back door of the meditation room. There's a gate in the rear courtyard leading to the monks' quarters, where a few young monks reside. This morning, the old mistress took over twenty guards home with her, but there are still more than twenty left in the front courtyard. We'll call them to come rescue us quickly." After speaking, she turned back, grabbed the thick cotton monk's robe she had sewn and draped it over herself, closed the door to the meditation room's bedroom, and went to the rear tea room. Sure enough, there was a door there. She slid open the bolt and gently pushed it ajar, finding the outside eerily quiet. Hurriedly supporting Qin Shi, they stumbled out. After just a few steps, a piercing scream rang out—vaguely resembling Zidai's voice—crying loudly, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm just a maid! The Taitai, young ladies, and the Master's concubine are in the next room! Retribution has its master—don't bring it upon me!"
This outcry provoked a burst of barking, and the courtyard instantly descended into chaos. Then, Zidai fell silent. Shutong, who shared the room with her, was likely in grave danger as well. Lin Dongxiu felt a chill run through her entire body.
Xianglan's heart sank. Such a commotion should have alerted the guards and attendants, yet the outside remained deathly quiet—clearly, the assailants had prepared for this. Gritting her teeth, she tightly gripped Qin Shi's arm and charged forward without looking back. Upon reaching the rear courtyard's small gate, she found it locked. Behind them, the noise grew louder, with faint sounds of kicking doors and footsteps approaching. Lin Dongxiu's cheeks were streaked with tears, on the verge of sobbing, swaying unsteadily as if about to collapse. In their panic, Xianglan suddenly spotted a tall pile of firewood in the corner and was overjoyed. She quickly helped Qin Shi over to climb the woodpile.
Fortunately, as it was the temple's inner courtyard, the wall wasn't high. The four of them scrambled onto the wall, closed their eyes, and jumped down, landing in a soft, flowerbed-covered patch of mud. Xianglan scanned the surroundings and said, "Since we arrived at this temple, the monks have been driven out—even the abbot went to stay elsewhere. Only young monks under ten remain, utterly unreliable. When I was young, I visited Qixia Temple with my mentor and vaguely recall that the monks' quarters are right next to the Scripture Repository. It's a very secluded spot—let's go hide there."
From earlier, Xianglan had become the pillar of support for the four of them. No one objected, and they helped each other to the Scripture Repository. Xianglan poked a hole in the window paper, reached in to undo the latch, and helped Qin Shi and the others climb through. When it was her turn, Hongjian reached out to pull her in, but Xianglan said, "The Scripture Repository has a second floor. Go hide up there—they won't find this place for a while." As she spoke, she began to close the window.
Qin Shi urgently asked, "My child, what are you going to do?"
Xianglan replied, "They'll search here eventually. We can't just wait to die. I'm going to the Bell Tower to ring the bell. The monks of Qixia Temple are lodging nearby—if they hear the bell, they'll know something's wrong at the temple. Once they come, Taitai will be saved."
Qin Shi was stunned and hurried forward to grasp Xianglan's hand: "But if the villains hear the bell, they'll surely come for you! Come hide with us—with all the noise earlier, the guards and attendants in the front courtyard should have heard by now."Xianglan shook her head: "The guards in the front courtyard are likely useless now..." Qin Shi's face changed color, but then she saw Xianglan smile at her and lower her voice: "If anything should happen to me... I beg Taitai to treat my parents kindly and find someone to care for them in their old age..." After speaking, she closed the window and left.
Qin Shi stood frozen, while Hongjian burst into tears, sobbing out: "Such great virtue and righteousness, Miss Xianglan..." Covering her mouth, her whole body trembling, she had already become a weeping mess. Then she saw Qin Shi sliding down along the wall to sit on the floor. Hongjian hurried to pull her up, crying softly: "Taitai must take care of yourself. At the very least, let's go upstairs first, so we don't betray Xianglan's heartfelt intentions." She forcibly helped Qin Shi up and guided her through the darkness toward the staircase.
Qin Shi seemed dazed, and after a long while sighed: "I wronged her before..." Before she could finish speaking, tears fell like rain.
Lin Dongxiu followed behind, her face already streaked with tears, stuffing her fist into her mouth unable to speak. She never imagined things would come to such a terrible state. Clearly it was her third sister who wanted to elope with an actor, so how could it have attracted villains? If she had known this would happen, she should have told Qin Shi from the very beginning. But now that things had reached this point, she couldn't say another word, could only bite her lip hard and let tears fall in continuous streams.
The half-moon hung high in the cold, bleak wind. Xianglan ran desperately to the Bell Tower, arriving breathless at the top while supporting herself on the stairs. Embracing the bell hammer, she struck the great bell, creating a series of "dong-dong-dong—" deafening bell peals that shook everyone to their core. Du Bin immediately changed color, exclaiming: "Disaster!" and instantly led his men rushing toward the Bell Tower.
Finally finished writing this chapter, whew—
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