Xianglan started and instinctively took half a step back. Lin Jinlou’s face was dark as he first glanced at her, then turned around with a faint smile—though his eyes remained displeased—and said to Yuan Shaoren, “What were you two talking about just now?”
Yuan Shaoren replied calmly, “I was thanking her for taking care of De Ge’er these past few days. The Concubine was reluctant to let him go when she heard I was taking him away.”
Just then, Chu Dapeng approached with a grin. “Hey, hey, why are you two brothers standing here? Everyone inside is still waiting… Oh, this must be the young madam. My respects, my respects.” He then adopted a more formal demeanor, bowing respectfully. “I’ve just had the pleasure of admiring your calligraphy and am filled with admiration. If not for other pressing matters, I would have sought your guidance personally.”
Xianglan gathered her skirts and curtsied. “You flatter me, Young Master Chu. I am quite ashamed.”
Chu Dapeng then tugged at Yuan Shaoren’s sleeve. “Brother Yuan, hurry back to the banquet. Several people were asking about you earlier—they’ve been looking for you.” With that, he lifted De Ge’er into the air, laughing. “You’ve gotten heavier, little fellow! Let’s go!”
De Ge’er giggled delightedly. Chu Dapeng, with his other arm linked through Yuan Shaoren’s, turned back to Xianglan. “Young madam, I take my leave now.” Then he pulled Yuan Shaoren away.
Once the three reached the corridor, Chu Dapeng summoned his servant and instructed him to take De Ge’er to play. Frowning, he said, “Lao Yuan, you’ve always been prudent. What’s gotten into you today? Going to see Lin Jinlou’s woman? Even though De Ge’er and the maids were there, it still wasn’t appropriate. When Lin Bawang and I passed by and saw you two standing together, he stormed over immediately. I was afraid he’d lose his temper and disregard our years of brotherhood.”
Yuan Shaoren let out a long sigh but remained silent.
Chu Dapeng patted his arm. “Enough, don’t look so sour. She’s just a woman. Chen Xianglan may be talented and accomplished, but there are others like her in this world if you look carefully. Don’t let your eyes light up every time you see her.”
Yuan Shaoren glared. “What nonsense are you spouting? ‘Eyes lighting up’? I’ve always treated her with respect—don’t project your own vulgar thoughts onto me!”
Chu Dapeng slung an arm around his shoulder, laughing. “See? You’re getting worked up. I trust your character—we’ve been friends since we were running around bare-bottomed.”
This coaxed a laugh out of Yuan Shaoren, lifting half his gloom. He pushed Chu Dapeng’s arm away. “Who’s been bare-bottomed with you? I was already studying by the time you were running around naked.”
Chu Dapeng grinned. “Fine, fine, but it’s still over twenty years of friendship, right?” Still chatting, he dragged Yuan Shaoren along.
After the three had left, Lin Jinlou turned to Xianglan, his face still dark. “What were you talking about earlier?”
Xianglan, her heart already in tatters, had no energy left to engage with him. She hung her head listlessly. “Nothing.” She turned to leave.
Lin Jinlou blocked her path, frowning. “Who do you think you’re scowling at?”
Xianglan lowered her head, broke free, and continued walking.Lin Jinlou grew angry. "I haven't even confronted you about meeting an unrelated man in private, and here you are putting on airs. You..." But then he noticed Xianglan's eyes were red, tears dripping down silently, her face full of heartbroken sorrow as she suppressed her sobs. Lin Jinlou froze, the rest of his words stuck in his throat. His voice dropped two tones as he asked softly, "You... what's wrong?" He reached out to wipe her tears, but Xianglan turned her head away, using her sleeve to dry her face while shaking off his hand. Covering her face, she hurried away.
Lin Jinlou stood rooted to the spot.
Seeing Xianglan leave, Xiao Juan quietly slipped along the wall, tiptoeing toward the arched gate. Just as she was about to reach the doorway, she heard Lin Jinlou call from behind, "You, come here!"
Xiao Juan stiffened, her shoulders slumping as she sighed inwardly at her misfortune. With lowered eyes and submissive demeanor, she approached and asked, "What does Eldest Master require?"
Lin Jinlou said, "What was your mistress discussing with that person earlier?"
Xiao Juan thought to herself, "Their voices were so soft earlier, and I was busy with De Ge'er chasing butterflies at a distance. Just keeping an eye on that little ancestor was enough to distract me—constantly worried he might bump or fall—how could I possibly have paid attention to their conversation?" But she didn't dare say this aloud. Carefully, she replied, "Nothing particularly noteworthy, really. They just exchanged greetings. Master Yuan praised the Concubine's painting and thanked her for looking after De Ge'er."
Lin Jinlou snorted. "That's all? Who are you trying to fool? Would she cry like that over such trivialities? If you don't tell the truth, I'll have you dragged out and sold off immediately."
Terrified, Xiao Juan knelt on the ground, kowtowing. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare deceive Eldest Master! Every word I said is true. I faintly overheard Master Yuan mention something about 'Lianniang'—probably De Ge'er's birth mother. Perhaps the Concubine cried out of pity for De Ge'er losing his mother at such a young age. The Concubine has always had a soft heart, as Eldest Master well knows..." As she spoke, she stole a glance upward but didn't dare look closely.
After a long pause, an "Mm" came from above. The pair of blue satin court boots standing before her then strode away. Only when Lin Jinlou was completely out of sight did Xiao Juan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling her back drenched in cold sweat. She collapsed onto the ground.
Gui Yuan peeked around the doorway, and seeing no one about, darted over. "Sister Xiao Juan, in this sweltering heat, are you kneeling for fun?"
Xiao Juan glared at him. "Nonsense! Hurry up and help your sister to her feet!"
Gui Yuan quickly assisted Xiao Juan up and asked, "Are you thirsty? Shall I bring you some tea to calm your nerves?"
Xiao Juan, straightening her clothes and hair, replied, "Now that sounds like a considerate thing to say." She followed Gui Yuan to the rear Covered Corridor and sat down. Shortly after, Gui Yuan brought over a cup of tea.
After taking a couple of sips, Xiao Juan heard Gui Yuan say, "Today, Eldest Master took the Concubine's painting to the front to show it off. Who knows how the Jiang family will react? These past few days, the servants and staff in the mansion have been gathering and whispering among themselves, but they scatter as soon as they see me."
Xiao Juan sneered. "I can well imagine what those gossips are chattering about. They're all opportunists, every last one of them. May their tongues rot." She then said to Gui Yuan, "Now that the Jiang family has arrived, everyone in the mansion is restless and watching our every move. We mustn't make any missteps and cause more trouble for our mistress."Gui Yuan said, "That's only natural." Then added, "I just saw Master Lu instructing a servant to send a message to Mengfang Courtyard, probably about how the Eldest Master is showing favor to his concubine."
Xiao Juan was taken aback, then shook her head with a bitter smile. "Seeing Madam in such circumstances sometimes breaks my heart, yet there's nothing I can do. Madam says the Jiang family may appear gentle, but they're not easily manipulated. I suspect something is about to happen." As she spoke, she turned her head to gaze toward Mengfang Courtyard. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and heavy rain began pouring down.
Inside Mengfang Courtyard, Lu Chaozong's servant knelt outside the beaded curtain and reported: "...That's the situation. My master said that after Da Nǎinai asked him to praise Fifth Miss's virtues here, they turned around and showed favor to their own concubine. He feels too ashamed to stay any longer." Having said this, he fell silent.
Everyone in the room grew quiet, broken only by a crack of thunder. Jiang Mu let out a pained groan and slumped against the bed's headrest. The crowd panicked and rushed to attend to her, finding her complexion ashen and spirit weary.
Jiang Xiyun knelt on the floor with tear-filled eyes. "Grandmother, grandmother, are you alright? It's... it's your unfilial granddaughter's fault!"
Jiang Mu gritted her teeth and shook her head. Liu Su brought over a cup of water and two pills, helping Jiang Mu take them. Jiang Mu emitted a heavy, muffled groan from her chest, then closed her eyes and leaned against the pillow without speaking.
Jiang Feiyun sat on the kang, using one hand to gently fan Jiang Mu and the other to soothe her chest. Jiang Xiyun knelt by the bedside holding Jiang Mu's hand, tears streaming down her face. Having been raised by Jiang Mu since childhood, their bond was exceptionally deep. Suddenly noticing Liu Su signaling to her, Jiang Xiyun stood up, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and went out to ask, "What is it?"
Liu Su looked around cautiously and, seeing no one nearby, quickly pulled Jiang Xiyun into the small tea room, shutting the windows and door tightly. Jiang Xiyun asked in surprise, "Sister Liu Su, what are you doing?"
Liu Su frowned with concern. "Fifth Miss, I just learned something. I wanted to report it to Old Madam, but in her current state... Yet not speaking up feels wrong, as it seems important. First Miss is married now and will be leaving with her husband soon. After much thought, I decided to consult you first. You've always been clever and discreet."
Jiang Xiyun said, "Don't flatter me yet. What exactly is the matter?"
Liu Su lowered her voice. "Just now, Fourth Miss and Qingfen returned from outside. Fourth Miss was tired and went to bed. Qingfen was watching by her bedside, distracted. When I went to ask her, she pulled me aside and whispered that there's trouble at Second Madam Lin's place - the maids are vying to become concubines and competing for favor, which led to a scandal involving a medicine that causes infertility. While Second Madam Xuan was scolding them, the medicine fell under a stone table, and Fourth Miss secretly picked it up. When Qingfen asked why she took it, Fourth Miss told her not to ask... Qingfen has always been timid and is now terrified that Fourth Miss might make a wrong move in a moment of folly, harming others and herself, and implicating Qingfen too. But she dares not speak up, afraid that Fourth Miss would resent her if this came out. Since Qingfen is close to me, she begged me to help her decide what to do. I intended to tell Old Madam, but in her current condition..."Jiang Xiyun was momentarily taken aback, then nodded slowly as if lost in thought, murmuring to herself, "So that's how it is..." While pondering, she grew absent-minded and gradually sank onto the stool. Her gaze fixed vacantly on the stove until soon the water in the kettle began boiling with bubbling sounds.
Snapping back to reality, clarity returned to her eyes as she told Liu Su, "Sister Liu Su, you must never mention this to Grandmother. Her health is already failing - adding another disturbance might cause trouble. I'll keep an eye on this matter myself." She added meaningfully with another nod, "Rest assured, sister, I know what to do."
Liu Su breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Jiang Danyun might resort to using medicine against her sister out of jealousy. Seeing Jiang Xiyun's understanding, she smiled and said, "It's good that you know, miss."
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