Lin Jinlou entered the city just as the evening watch began. Guo Renjie led him to an inn, entering through the rear courtyard and ascending directly to the second floor. Guo Renjie smiled and said, "One young lady is settled in this room, the other is next door..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Jinlou had already pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was elegantly furnished, with a dimly burning candle on the table. On the bed, a girl sat with her legs drawn up and her head buried, shoulders trembling as if weeping.
Lin Jinlou hurried over, grasping the girl's arm as he called out, "Xianglan, Xianglan, don't be afraid..."
The girl suddenly looked up, her face streaked with tears, eyes red and swollen—it was unmistakably Zidai. Both were momentarily stunned. Lin Jinlou was the first to release his grip, but Zidai only wept more bitterly, clutching his arm and crying out, "Eldest Master! My dear master, you've finally come..." Overwhelmed by sorrow, she broke into heart-wrenching sobs.
Lin Jinlou, increasingly annoyed, pulled his arm free and turned to leave. Thinking he meant to abandon her there, Zidai panicked. She threw her arms around his waist and, as he stepped forward, tumbled off the bed, still clinging desperately to his leg. Half-kneeling on the floor, she pleaded, "I beg you, Eldest Master, save me... please don’t leave your servant here..."
Lin Jinlou roared, "Let go!"
Zidai refused to release him. She looked up at his furious glare, fear gripping her heart. Yet, recalling how tenderly he had called "Xianglan" moments before, a wave of bitterness washed over her. The resentment and humiliation she had suppressed for a full day and night could no longer be contained. She thought to herself, "If not for Chen Xianglan, I might already be a Concubine in the Lin household. How could I have ended up nearly sold to a brothel, my virtue nearly lost, and now despised by the Eldest Master? That night when I entered his room to serve him water, he didn’t send me away—instead, he treated me kindly, his attitude had softened..." Rage surged through her, and through her tears, she cried, "The Eldest Master only has eyes for Xianglan, never noticing those of us who are loyal! She is the one you cherish—we dare not compare ourselves to her. But you don’t know, Eldest Master, the great turmoil at Qixia Temple was all caused by Xianglan’s doing!"
Lin Jinlou had already considered Zidai an intolerable nuisance, and these words only fueled his anger. He kicked her away, shouting, "Get lost!"
Zidai’s arm throbbed with pain from the kick, and she cried out, "Aiyo!" releasing her grip momentarily before clutching his leg again, weeping, "Eldest Master, what I say is true! One morning... I saw Zhicao holding a Brocade Pouch. She said Huamei had a dream where a deity told her to throw the pouch into Xianglan’s room to ward off disaster. Huamei has always been skilled in using Talismans and curses to harm others. I kindly advised her not to do such a thing, and Zhicao left at the time. I thought the matter was over, but not long after, smallpox broke out in the Hall of Knowing Spring. When we were burning the clothes and bedding used by Yingge, I saw a Brocade Pouch among the garments. It was embroidered with a yellow bird—a design I’d never seen before—and tied with a multicolored tassel attached to a greenish-white jade pendant carved with the character for 'fortune.' It was identical to the one Zhicao had been holding. Such an exquisite item could not be found anywhere else in the entire estate. I grew suspicious and later quietly sent someone to question Zhicao. Only then did I learn that she had indeed thrown that pouch into Xianglan’s room that day..." Her account was a mix of truth and falsehood, but with Zhicao dead, Zidai shifted all the blame onto her without remorse.Her voice grew louder as she spoke, becoming hoarse and strained: "Eldest Master! Eldest Master, think about it—the Brocade Pouch was originally thrown into Xianglan’s room, so how did it end up in Yingge’s hands? That pouch must have contained something deadly, like a Talisman or poison! Xianglan must have discovered it, but since Huamei had already gone home, only Yingge remained in the Eldest Master’s quarters. On the surface, Xianglan acted friendly with Yingge, but in secret, she used the pouch to harm her, borrowing a knife to kill. She has no tolerance for others at all! So many people have lost their lives because of her—she has the heart of a venomous snake! What a waste of Yingge’s trust in her..." After saying this, Zidai began sobbing again. She had indeed seen that pouch among the clothes Yingge burned. Because the pouch was exquisitely made, she recognized it at a glance and was immediately shocked. Suspicion grew in her heart, and soon after, people in the Hall of Knowing Spring began to die. Zidai grew panicked and went to tell Han Mama about it. Both aunt and niece believed that Huamei had hidden a malicious Talisman to harm Xianglan, but Xianglan turned the tables and used it to kill Yingge instead.
"After all, Yingge once carried the Eldest Master’s flesh and blood. Even though she wasn’t destined to enjoy such great fortune and the child wasn’t preserved, Xianglan has enjoyed the Eldest Master’s exclusive favor for so long without even laying an egg. Don’t be fooled by her aloof appearance—she must be anxious inside! As the saying goes, ‘No flower stays red for a hundred days, and no person stays fortunate for a thousand.’ The Eldest Master’s temperament is fickle—today he faces east, tomorrow west. Who knows when he might cast her aside? And what if one day the Eldest Master takes a fancy to Yingge again and she conceives? Wouldn’t Yingge then rise above her?" Han Mama took a sip of tea, adopting a shrewd and calculating demeanor as she explained to her niece. "Tsk, tsk, I knew she disliked Yingge, but I never imagined her heart could be so venomous."
"Aunt, what should we do... should we tell Madam?"
"How would we explain? There’s no proof, and the witnesses are dead. We might end up causing trouble for ourselves instead." Han Mama glared, then paused in thought. "Let’s set this aside for now. Wait until the Eldest Master’s affection for Xianglan cools before we stir the winds. She’s at the height of her influence now—we shouldn’t provoke that Buddha. Keep your mouth shut tight; this matter must not leak out."
Zidai felt somewhat disappointed. Though she agreed verbally, she couldn’t contain the secret in her heart. It was like having a chest filled with ten thousand taels of gold within reach but having to restrain herself from taking it. She clearly held evidence against Xianglan but couldn’t reveal it. Watching Xianglan flaunt her authority daily felt like having her heart clawed at and her liver scratched—an unbearable torment. Today, she finally spoke her mind and felt a wave of relief, yet she also grew uneasy, stealing a glance at Lin Jinlou’s expression.
Lin Jinlou’s face was utterly expressionless, only a ghastly pallor. Suddenly, he let out two cold laughs and said in a sinister tone, "Good, very good. You are a loyal servant, indeed..."
The voice carried no goodwill, and Zidai couldn’t help shivering all over.
"You didn’t speak of this earlier or later, but chose this exact moment to bring it up... Fine, fine, fine. I will remember your contribution." Lin Jinlou gritted his teeth as he spoke, then raised his voice and called out, "Hulai! Fetch a carriage and take this woman back for me!" With that, he strode off toward the neighboring room.The person in that room was none other than Shu Tong. Just moments before, she had heard a mix of crying and shouting from next door but couldn't make out the words, which left her increasingly anxious. Suddenly, the door slammed open with a crash, startling her terribly. She stole a glance and saw Lin Jinlou's face dark with fury, his entire body radiating a sinister and violent aura. Guilty conscience plaguing her like a thief's, she took one look at his expression and assumed Lin Dongxiu had already told him about their shared knowledge of the withheld information. Believing Lin Jinlou was now enraged, she trembled uncontrollably in terror, scrambling and stumbling as she frantically retreated to the corner of the room.
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