Against the Current

Jiang Xiyun supported Jiang Mu as they arrived at the Hall of Flourishing Spring. There they saw Qin Shi and Lin Jinlou, both with faces as dark as storm clouds. Chunling was prostrate on the floor, her complexion as pale as gold leaf, moaning incessantly and barely able to kneel upright. Shu Ran stood to the side, serving tea.

Jiang Mu glanced at Chunling and asked in surprise, "What is going on here? Is this some kind of triple tribunal?" With Jiang Xiyun's support, she sat down.

Lin Jinlou did not rise to greet her but said grimly, "Today, an evil wind has blown through this household—someone actually dares to play tricks right under my nose. Yi Lao Taitai, you tell me, does this not take the courage of a bear or leopard? If I don't deal with this properly, people will think Lin Jinlou is a coward. Tsk, tsk, tsk—how could I face others if word got out?" As he spoke, there was a sharp crack—he had snapped a folding fan in his hand.

Jiang Xiyun glanced up slightly and saw Lin Jinlou's chilling smile. She shivered involuntarily. Though Lin Jinlou had always carried an imposing and arrogant air, he had hitherto treated the Jiang family with warmth and kindness, like a gentle spring breeze. This was the first time she had seen him show his wrath, and it inspired instinctive fear—like a man-eating beast, utterly different from any man she had ever met. A sudden dread stirred within her.

Jiang Mu remained calm and said, "Lou Ge'er, have some tea and calm down. Be careful not to let your anger make you ill." She then turned to Qin Shi and asked, "I wonder why my granddaughter-in-law summoned my two granddaughters? Dan Yatou has been unwell and is now bedridden with illness." She sighed deeply. "Ah, but since Lou Ge'er called for us so urgently, I assumed there was something important, so I accompanied them here."

Hearing Jiang Mu steer the conversation elsewhere, Qin Shi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What illness does Dan Jie'er have? Is it serious?"

Jiang Mu replied with concern, "She fainted earlier and only woke after we pressed her philtrum. She says her chest hurts, and we've already called for a physician."

Qin Shi asked, "How could someone so young develop chest pains?"

Jiang Mu shook her head and sighed. "The child has a weak constitution. Perhaps she ate something too cold last night that she couldn't digest, and it accumulated in her chest. Today, the wind aggravated it and brought on the illness."

Qin Shi sighed along with her.

Lin Jinlou tossed the broken fan aside and sneered coldly without a word.

Jiang Xiyun felt a flutter of panic but quickly composed herself. Chen Xianglan had a delicate, pitiable appearance and was known to be prone to tears, yet she was clever. She might figure out the connection and complain to Lin Jinlou... Fortunately, Jiang Xiyun had never openly quarreled with Chen Xianglan, especially in front of Lin Jinlou, always maintaining a harmonious facade. In this matter, she had merely gone with the flow and acted discreetly. Even if the truth came out, she could extricate herself. But she wondered what would become of Jiang Danyun. She glanced at Chunling, who was trembling all over, and sighed softly. Comforting Jiang Mu in a gentle voice, she said, "Grandmother, don't worry about Fourth Sister..." Then she took out a pair of shoe inserts and presented them to Lin Jinlou, her face breaking into an adorable, pleasing smile. "Auntie, the weather is getting colder. I made these thick, fleece shoe inserts—they'll keep your feet warm in your shoes." Her bright eyes blinked as she looked at Qin Shi's face. Seeing her indifferent expression, she pouted slightly and said in a charming, coquettish tone, "It's just that the fleece is so thick—every time I push the needle through, it hurts my fingers." She spread her hands to show Qin Shi.Qin Shi lowered her head and saw red marks on the pale fingers, clearly caused by the thimble during needlework. She couldn't help but hold the hand and stroke it repeatedly. Earlier, Lin Jinlou had asked her to come to the main hall, instructed her not to comment on anything, and repeatedly urged someone to fetch the Jiang sisters. Qin Shi felt uneasy, vaguely guessing something but not daring to confirm it. She feared Lin Jinlou might let things spiral out of control, yet the thought that the Jiang sisters were involved also made her uncomfortable, which was why she had been rather distant with Jiang Xiyun earlier.

However, Qin Shi had always appreciated Jiang Xiyun's coquettish and ingratiating ways. Now, seeing the innocent expression on that delicate face and recalling how the girl was usually obedient, perceptive, sincere, and amiable, she felt she must have guessed wrong. She said, "Good child, you've had a hard time," then shot Lin Jinlou a glare and added, "Dan is ill, yet Yi Lao Taitai and Xiyun have come all this way. What on earth is so important that you must discuss it now?"

Lin Jinlou smiled and said, "There's been quite an interesting incident in the household today, so I specially invited Yi Lao Taitai and cousin to hear about it." He tilted his chin toward Chunling and said, "Speak."

Jiang Xiyun's heart sank, thinking, "It's happening!"

Chunling immediately broke down, sobbing, "Eldest Master! Every word I said earlier was true! I didn't put the sterilization pill in Concubine's medicinal brew—if I'm lying, may the heavens strike me dead! I was the one brewing the medicine; if anything happened to Concubine, I wouldn't survive either. Why would I do something so self-destructive?"

Lin Jinlou said coldly, "If not you, then who?"

Chunling cried breathlessly, "When I was brewing the medicine... only the two Jiang young ladies entered the tea room..."

Lin Jinlou said slowly, "Oh, so you're implying these two intended harm to your mistress? I've heard from the maids that you've had disagreements with Concubine and are quite close with the Fifth Jiang young lady." After speaking, he looked up and gave Jiang Mu and Jiang Xiyun a meaningful glance.

Chunling was filled with hatred. Earlier, she had been beaten half to death when Shu Ran hurried over to whisper a report to Lin Jinlou. Lin Jinlou stood and went to the bedroom, and Shu Ran leisurely approached her, sneering, "Why bother? Clearly, the Jiang sisters can't stand Concubine. They set a trap together—one lured you into talking, the other drugged the medicine, and then they pinned the blame on you. And here you were, worshipping a venomous snake as a bodhisattva all along." Chunling wasn't utterly foolish; after thinking through the sequence of events, she found Shu Ran's words perfectly accurate. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, so she gritted her teeth and said, "I may have grievances against Concubine, but I wouldn't dare use such a vile, lineage-ending drug! Only those two young ladies came during the brewing—they must be the ones who put the medicine in!"

Jiang Mu was enraged, slapping the armrest and pointing as she scolded, "Nonsense!" Then she broke into a fit of violent coughing.

Jiang Xiyun patted Jiang Mu's back to soothe her, then looked up with wide, innocent eyes, glancing at Qin Shi, then at Lin Jinlou, and finally at Chunling. She said in a dazed tone, "Chunling... what grudge do I have against you? How could you say such things?"Chunling wept bitterly, "I always thought you were a good person, never imagined you were hiding such treachery! You and your sister—one deliberately lured me to the doorway to chat, while the other drugged me inside. I curse my blindness! Why did I ever befriend you?" Her voice grew increasingly shrill as she glared at Jiang Xiyun, her eyes seeming about to bleed.

Jiang Xiyun looked blankly at Lin Jinlou and Qin Shi, tears suddenly welling up and falling like melon seeds. Biting her lip without making a sound, she sobbed, "Does Aunt and Eldest Cousin truly believe I'm the kind of person who would harm others?"

Qin Shi, recalling Jiang Xiyun's dignified demeanor and clever obedience, found it hard to believe she could do such a thing. She said to Lin Jinlou, "Perhaps there's some hidden circumstance?"

Chunling struggled forward on her knees, crying, "I beg Madam and Eldest Master to summon Fourth Miss Jiang! I fear she's feigning illness out of guilt!"

Liu Su stepped forward, pointing and scolding, "Nonsense! Our Fourth Miss is lying unconscious in bed, gravely ill! How dare you spout such lies and slander our young lady's reputation!"

Chunling gnashed her teeth loudly, shouting vehemently, "I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!" She then kowtowed repeatedly to Qin Shi and Lin Jinlou, weeping until her voice grew hoarse, "Madam, Eldest Master, if I did this, I'd willingly accept death by a thousand cuts... This servant... this servant is truly wronged!" Her head struck the ground with loud thuds, soon drawing blood.

Jiang Xiyun slowly clenched her hands inside her sleeves. If the Lin family had let this pass and used Chunling as a scapegoat, the matter would have vanished like a stone tossed into a lake, creating only a few ripples. But Lin Jinlou's current stance—insisting on investigating openly, even at the cost of breaking decorum—was beyond her expectations. Jiang Danyun was now terrified out of her wits; if brought here, she might cause further complications. As for Chen Xianglan, she was merely a concubine of servant origin...

Biting her lip, she raised her head and gazed at Qin Shi with childlike devotion, saying, "Aunt, you've always been wise. Fourth Sister is truly ill..."

Qin Shi sighed and patted Jiang Xiyun's hair. Just as she was about to speak, Lin Jinlou commanded Shu Ran, "Go check on Fourth Miss Jiang's condition. If she's still breathing, carry her here on a bench if you must!"

Mother Jiang instantly flushed crimson with rage. Slapping the table, she stood and pointed at Lin Jinlou, furious. "You! How dare you!" She then sneered, "Fine, fine! Well done, General Lin Jinlou! Investigating cases right at our Jiang family's doorstep, brandishing weapons against relatives. You've certainly made something of yourself—daring to act wildly before your elders! Fourth Girl is a member of our Jiang family. I'd like to see who dares lay a finger on her today!" Turning to Jiang Xiyun, she said, "Fifth Girl, we're not staying here. Pack our things—we're leaving with your eldest brother!" Seeing the situation deteriorating, Qin Shi hurried forward to mediate. Mother Jiang coughed violently, swaying as if about to faint. Qin Shi quickly helped her sit, while Jiang Xiyun, tears in her eyes, clung to Mother Jiang's arm, weeping incessantly.

Lin Jinlou stood calmly nearby, steady as a rock, his face devoid of expression. He declared, "I will get to the bottom of this case today. If I've truly offended, I'll bear the blame and accept any punishment from Yi Lao Taitai afterward. But if anyone dares to play tricks within my household..." With that, he drew a treasured sword from his waist with a sharp ring and flung it. The blade embedded itself squarely in a nearby tree, gleaming coldly and striking fear into all who saw it.Everyone was shocked, holding their breath and not daring to cry or speak. Lin Jinlou coldly scanned the surroundings and said, "No matter who he is, even if the Emperor himself were summoned today, it would be useless!" He then called out sternly, "Shu Ran!"

Shu Ran hurriedly stepped forward.

Lin Jinlou said, "Go and invite Fourth Miss Jiang over!" Shu Ran acknowledged and withdrew.

Qin Shi was so anxious her eyes turned red, fearing Mother Jiang might be overwhelmed with anger. She stepped forward and grabbed Lin Jinlou's sleeve, whispering, "Lou Ge'er, why... why must you do this! No matter who did it, things have already come to this. Why offend Jiang Jia? You..."

Lin Jinlou looked at Qin Shi and suddenly said, "The young lady of Jiang Jia is a person, and my concubine is also a person. She even saved you and your sister!" With just this one sentence, Qin Shi was stunned.

Lin Jinlou turned around and sat back down, picking up a cup of tea beside him and taking a sip. He then added, "The tea has gone cold. Someone, go and replace the tea for all the masters."