The Jiang grandmother and granddaughter bypassed the large mica-sandalwood freestanding screen and saw four maids—Shuran, Xiao Juan, Ling Qing, and Xue Ning—standing at the bedroom entrance with their hands respectfully at their sides. Hua Shan led the two inside, where Xianglan sat upright on the bed. Her phoenix hairpins were half-removed, and several Longevity Hairpins adorned her bun. She wore an Eight Treasures Brocade jacket in lotus-root gauze with gold and green shimmer, paired with a dark green skirt patterned with light golden clouds—hardly the frail, bedridden appearance of an invalid.
As soon as Jiang Xiyun entered, she caught a strong whiff of medicine in the room and involuntarily furrowed her brows. Upon seeing them enter, Xianglan made to rise, but Hua Shan hurried over to support her. Grandmother Jiang said, "No need, no need, please stay seated."
Xianglan sat back down and instructed Xiao Juan to serve tea. A faint sweat had already beaded on her forehead, and Hua Shan promptly took out a handkerchief to wipe it, but Xianglan stopped her, shaking her head. "You may go. I wish to speak with the Concubine Dowager and Fifth Miss Jiang alone." Hua Shan then withdrew with Xiao Juan.
The room fell silent. Xianglan first glanced at Grandmother Jiang, then turned her gaze to Jiang Xiyun. The girl was indeed exceptionally beautiful—skin like pure snow, hair as dark as clouds with a few strands loose at her temples, her face resembling a flower bud. Her eyes, red from recent tears, only enhanced her pitiable charm.
Jiang Xiyun, in turn, studied Xianglan closely. Without a trace of makeup, her face appeared haggard and pale, her cheeks tinged with a sickly sallow-green hue. Yet her eyes seemed all the more strikingly bright, and her lips, devoid of color, were pressed tightly together. On either side of her lay Embroidered Python Pile cushions in autumnal hues, though she did not lean against them.
Grandmother Jiang closed her eyes in silence. After observing Xianglan for a moment, Jiang Xiyun said quietly, "Might I ask why Sister Xianglan has summoned us? How is your health? Have you taken your medicine?"
Xianglan replied indifferently, "Fifth Miss Jiang, have some tea first. After crying so much outside, you must be parched. It’s quite a feat to turn off the tears so abruptly."
Grandmother Jiang’s eyes snapped open. Jiang Xiyun detected the sarcasm in her words but showed no anger. She indeed picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. "Pre-Rain Longjing Tea. Quite fine."
Xianglan gave a faint smile. Once Jiang Xiyun set down the tea bowl, she said slowly, "The commotion outside was rather loud earlier. Stuck here in this room, I couldn’t help overhearing a few things. I must say, I’ve developed some admiration for Fifth Miss Jiang—more skilled at acting and performing than any stage actress. You understand everything perfectly yet still play the innocent child, coy and clever. I truly feel inadequate by comparison."
Jiang Xiyun had never expected Xianglan to speak this way and was momentarily stunned. Her expression grew inscrutable. Chen Xianglan had always been like a deaf ear—playing dumb and mute, enduring bullying without a word, soft as bean curd. But now, every sentence carried a blade, each step cornering her. Under normal circumstances, she would never tolerate being bested by a mere Concubine, but here in Lin Jinlou’s courtyard—Jiang Xiyun swallowed her anger, maintaining a look of bewildered innocence as she asked Xianglan, "Sister Xianglan, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."
Xianglan scoffed, casting Jiang Xiyun a glance that held three parts disdain, six parts pity, and one part something indefinable. Her expression remained calm as she said, "You don’t understand? Very well. Since Fifth Miss Jiang still refuses to be forthright, I have no choice but to ask someone to have a proper talk with you." With that, she turned her head slightly and said, "Come out now."The bead curtain rustled as a twelve or thirteen-year-old maidservant stepped out. She appeared clever and lively, her hair tied in double buns, wearing a somewhat faded silver-red sleeveless jacket. She approached Xianglan, knelt, and kowtowed, addressing her as "new concubine."
Jiang Xiyun fixed her gaze and immediately turned deathly pale—this was the very maid who had been kicking a shuttlecock nearby while Chun Ling was brewing medicine! Jiang Xiyun’s eyes widened, her heart leaping into her throat as if she might vomit it out any moment. A cold sweat broke out on her back.
Xianglan said, "Tell the Jiang Family’s Concubine Dowager and the young ladies exactly what you witnessed."
Chaolu straightened up and spoke crisply: "This female servant was kicking a shuttlecock outside the tea room today. Sister Chun Ling was inside brewing medicine for the new concubine. Not long after she started, Miss Dan and Miss Xi arrived. They chatted warmly with Sister Chun Ling and went into the tea room to sit. Sister Chun Ling served them tea. Miss Xi drank only a few sips before coming out, standing facing the tea room window and engaging Sister Chun Ling in conversation at the doorway. Sister Chun Ling stood with her back to the door. Then Miss Dan stood up and went over to the medicine-brewing stove, lifted the lid, and shook a few pills from her sleeve. Though I stood off to the side, I saw everything clearly. Miss Xi watched Miss Dan shake the pills into the pot but pretended not to see, laughing and talking with Sister Chun Ling while occasionally casting quick glances into the room. I grew anxious, not knowing what had been added to the decoction, so I kicked the shuttlecock through the window, startling Miss Dan. One pill rolled from her sleeve under the five-drawer cabinet. Later, Sister Shuran ordered me to find it and give it to the imperial physician, who identified it as a Sterility Pill—something that destroys one’s ability to bear children."
Xianglan’s face remained impassive as she stared at Jiang Xiyun, slightly raising her eyebrows. "And then?"
"Then I thought since the medicine had just been brewed, it wouldn’t be served to the new concubine immediately, so I hurried to find Sister Shuran. But when I rushed back, the new concubine had already taken the medicine—" She prostrated herself and kowtowed. "Heaven, earth, gods, and spirits as my witnesses! If I’ve spoken a single false word or fabricated this tale, may my throat fester with sores, and may I suffer endless calamities and die a wretched death!"
Jiang Xiyun listened, her heart pounding like a drum, her legs growing weak. She had always been exceptionally clever, her strategies flawless, never imagining a moment of miscalculation or exposure. Panic seized her. Suddenly, she heard violent coughing—Grandmother Jiang’s face had turned crimson as she coughed uncontrollably. Jiang Xiyun hurried to soothe her grandmother, thinking, "Grandmother is old and frail. I must not let her worry like this for my sake. No matter what, I must smooth this over perfectly." She calmed herself, murmuring comforting words as she fed Grandmother Jiang a few sips of tea, then turned to look at Xianglan.
Xianglan’s expression remained tranquil as she said to Chaolu, "I understand. You may withdraw."
Chaolu kowtowed once more and left.
Tear stains still marked Jiang Xiyun’s face, her bright eyes welling up again. Her voice was mournful, but her expression had taken on a guarded edge as she addressed Xianglan: "What do you mean by this, Sister Xianglan? I never conspired with Fourth Sister to harm you. Must I cut open my heart to prove it? I—"Before the words had fully left her lips, Xianglan had already stood up. She swayed slightly, feeling an excruciating pain in her lower abdomen and a fresh flow of blood trickling down. Suppressing the agony, a fine layer of sweat beaded on her forehead. Step by step, she advanced, her back ramrod straight. The large phoenix hairpin on her head swayed with each movement, its dangling pearls trembling, while the golden embroidery on her gown glimmered faintly. Gone was her usual cautious demeanor, replaced by an awe-inspiring dignity that seemed innate rather than feigned.
Jiang Xiyun felt her heart pounding as if it might leap from her chest.
"At this point, is Fifth Miss Jiang still determined to perform The Injustice to Dou E ?" Xianglan's voice was icy as she looked down at Jiang Xiyun. "I know exactly what you're thinking. It's nothing more than killing with a borrowed knife—yes, you certainly didn't conspire with Fourth Miss Jiang. Let me guess—you knew Fourth Miss had this poison, and you knew she was always jealous of you and wished you harm. So you devised a plan, subtly provoking her in public and private, fueling her envy until she resolved to plant the poison and frame you. After that, you went along with it, accompanying Fourth Miss to Chun Tang Hall and deliberately engaging Chun Ling in conversation, ensuring Fourth Miss had the opportunity to administer the poison. Earlier in the hall, when Fourth Miss implied you were behind this, it conveniently cleared you of any suspicion of collusion with her. Am I right?"
Jiang Xiyun's face turned deathly pale. She sprang to her feet, lips trembling, but before she could speak, Xianglan took another step forward. Slightly taller, she gazed down into Jiang Xiyun's eyes. "Fifth Miss Jiang, what a brilliant scheme you've concocted. Today, the Master and your elder brother personally visited to request Duke Zhenguo's endorsement through the Official Matchmaker. Once the matchmaker confirms it, this marriage will be set in stone. Unless the Lin Family is willing to sever ties with the Jiang Family, there's no chance the engagement will be called off. You believe your beauty is unparalleled, that you know how to charm, and that once married, you'll have countless ways to win your husband's affection back. Moreover, you've long since gauged my temperament, convinced that I'm weak and prone to weighing pros and cons. By seizing this opportunity to destroy my chance of bearing children, you ensure that in the future, I'll have to rely on your mercy—forced to flatter and please you at every turn, lacking the courage for righteous fury or the means to confront you. I'd have no choice but to endure humiliation and swallow my pride, living a life of submission. Isn't that so?"
Here, Xianglan fell silent. Suddenly, she couldn't hold back a soft, bitter laugh. The laughter sent sharp pains through her lower abdomen, and cold sweat mingled with tears streamed down her face.
Jiang Xiyun was utterly stunned. She never imagined Xianglan could deduce everything so accurately. Struggling to maintain composure, she insisted, "I didn't... I didn't—it wasn't like that—" She felt a slight tug on her sleeve and glanced sideways to see Grandmother Jiang breathing heavily, watching her with an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
Instantly, Jiang Xiyun steadied herself, regaining her composure. She took a deep breath and said coldly, "Nonsense. You've gone mad." But then she saw Xianglan's smile vanish, her stunning face now expressionless, though those limpid, captivating eyes narrowed slightly—fixed intently on her!
Jiang Xiyun suddenly realized the look in those eyes was terrifying, like a sharp sword unsheathed, its deadly aura palpable. Startled, she involuntarily retreated half a step.Xianglan stepped forward, nearly nose to nose with Jiang Xiyun, and slowly tucked the stray strands of hair behind Jiang Xiyun's ear with one hand. Jiang Xiyun instinctively shrank back. "Fifth Miss Jiang, your schemes are exquisitely calculated—you've accounted for nearly everything. Eliminating your greatest threat, preserving your pristine reputation without a trace, framing Chun Ling and Miss Dan to take the fall. As for me, manipulated by your designs, even if I were to uncover the truth someday, I'd still owe you a lifetime of gratitude for your magnanimity in sheltering me, granting me a foothold in the Lin Family—to harbor ten thousand cunning thoughts at such a tender age, with methods so ruthless... In two lifetimes, I've never seen any woman in the Inner Chambers surpass you. Tsk, tsk, what a pity, what a pity... you merely miscalculated one thing."
Jiang Xiyun jerked her head up abruptly. Xianglan suddenly took a step back, a hint of vindictive pleasure in her faint smile: "Your miscalculation lies in this: the favors you intended to bestow upon me in the future as the Lin Family's eldest young mistress—I! Don't! Give! A! Damn!"
Jiang Xiyun stared dumbfounded, gaping at Xianglan as if beholding a madwoman.
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