When Shu Ran arrived at Mengfang Courtyard, Jiang Danyun had long been awake. After taking a dose of mind-calming medicine, she was now reclining on the bed. Shu Ran approached with a smile and said, "Miss Dan, Madam is chatting and laughing with everyone in the front hall, but you're not there. She says she has something excellent to give you. Come with me quickly." Jiang Danyun was initially unwilling, but then Shu Ran raised her voice sharply, "You blind fools! Hurry up and help your Miss Dan!" Immediately, two matrons emerged from the sides and half-supported, half-dragged Jiang Danyun away.
Qingfen was terrified and hurriedly informed Jiang Shangxian. Upon hearing that his sister had been taken away by the Lin family while she was still unwell, Jiang Shangxian flew into a rage and rushed after them. Unexpectedly, he was intercepted halfway by Shuangxi and several servants. Shuangxi wore a half-smile as he said, "Eldest Master Jiang, you cannot enter the inner quarters. However, our master has instructed that you come with me." With these words, he led Jiang Shangxian away. For now, we shall leave this aside.
Meanwhile, when Jiang Danyun arrived at the Hall of Flourishing Spring and saw the scene inside, her heart turned cold, her lips grew pale, and her legs weakened so much she could barely stand. Jiang Xiyun was sobbing quietly. The moment she saw Jiang Danyun arrive, she stood up and, with tears in her eyes, said, "Fourth Sister, they claim that you and I conspired to drug Eldest Cousin's concubine. How... how could that be possible?" She stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Danyun's hand, and shook it while crying, "Fourth Sister, speak up! When did we ever conspire? How could we possibly drug Eldest Cousin's concubine? Even if we were foolish, we would never do such a thing! What about Father's official reputation, the family's honor, and our own dignity—do they mean nothing?"
Jiang Danyun was already terrified, but upon hearing Jiang Xiyun's tearful words, which subtly guided her, she immediately understood the situation and regained some clarity. Lowering her head, she gritted her teeth and said, "That's right... how could we have done such a thing? And when did we ever conspire?"
Jiang Xiyun gently wiped her tears and said plaintively, "Exactly. That day, Fourth Sister and I were merely taking a stroll and happened to pass by the Hall of Flourishing Spring. We only exchanged a few words with Chunling. Aunt and Eldest Cousin, considering the friendship between the Lin and Jiang families and the elders' affection for us, why would I resort to such a despicable plan?"
Jiang Danyun was already intimidated, especially by Lin Jinlou's sinister gaze, which made her feel icy cold all over. Her hands trembled slightly in her sleeves as she was filled with regret, resentment, and fear. Tears unconsciously streamed down her face. Jiang Xiyun gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and Jiang Danyun shuddered, sobbing softly, "Yes... how could we ever do such a thing..."
Chunling had long been convinced that the Jiang sisters were in cahoots. Seeing Jiang Xiyun feigning innocence and hearing Jiang Danyun echoing her words, she nearly ground her teeth to dust. Stiffening her neck, she cried out, "You wicked and treacherous things, struck by lightning! You two sisters conspired to play tricks and commit shameless, lawless, and immoral deeds, then pinned the blame on me! Your consciences have been fed to the dogs! Even if I die, my vengeful spirit will never let you off!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like rain, each word dripping with blood and anguish.Jiang Danyun shrank back in fear behind Jiang Xiyun, her face pale with guilt and terror. Seeing this, Jiang Xiyun quickly pulled Jiang Danyun to kneel, crawling forward on her knees until she reached Jiang Mu. Clutching the elder’s legs, her eyes brimming with tears, she cried pitifully, "In broad daylight, I have never conspired with Fourth Sister to harm anyone! Yet now, under these circumstances, I cannot defend myself. If this is how it must be, I would rather die!" Her face a mask of heartbreak, she wept like a rain-drenched pear blossom, turning to Chunling and saying, "Chunling! I have always treated you well. When you complained behind your mistress’s back about how poorly she treated you, I even tried to comfort you with kind words. Why are you now insisting that my sister and I conspired?" She then looked at Qin Shi and Lin Jinlou, her expression full of grievance and sorrow. "Aunt, Cousin, you know how cautious I have always been in conducting myself and how deeply I value our family’s reputation. How could I possibly do such a thing? Perhaps someone else deliberately created this situation, spreading rumors to sow discord!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Su stepped forward and pointed at Chunling, scolding, "It must be you, you wicked servant, holding a grudge against your mistress and resorting to despicable tricks! Seeing our young lady come to speak with you, you seized the chance to frame her! Don’t think the Lin family will let this slide—even the Jiang family won’t spare you! Who’s to say you and your mistress aren’t in cahoots, plotting to pin this on us?"
Lin Jinlou cut off Liu Su sharply, demanding, "Fourth Cousin, speak up. What really happened?"
Jiang Danyun had already collapsed to the floor, trembling uncontrollably. Overwhelmed by fear and desperate to clear herself, she burst into tears, sobbing, "It wasn’t me! It definitely wasn’t me! It was... it was..." She stammered, glancing up at Chunling, who appeared wretched with disheveled hair and a face twisted in venomous hatred, then looked at Jiang Xiyun... Unable to bear the sight, Jiang Danyun buried her face in the ground and wailed, "How could I have done this? I’ll be going home with Big Brother soon—what grudge could I possibly hold against Xianglan? It’s not as if I’m the one marrying into this family, so why would I want to harm her?"
Lin Jinlou said coldly, "Are you implying Fifth Cousin is behind this?"
Jiang Xiyun’s heart seethed at his words, but she cried even more bitterly. Crawling on her knees to Qin Shi, she clutched the hem of Qin Shi’s robe, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded mournfully, "Aunt, Aunt, I have never conspired to harm anyone! Before this, Chunling already held a grudge against Concubine Lan and mentioned it to me several times. I always tried to soothe her and grew closer to her because of it. Who could have known... who could have known it would lead to such disaster?" Her expression one of utter devastation, she turned to Jiang Danyun and implored sorrowfully, "Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister, why would you say such things? Why are you treating me like this?"
Jiang Danyun, who had long envied her younger sister’s marital prospects and initially sought to frame her, never expected the situation to spiral out of control. Terrified out of her wits, Jiang Xiyun’s tearful accusations felt like ice water poured over her head, freezing her to the core. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted once more. Jiang Mu and Liu Su hurried over to attend to her, pinching her philtrum and rubbing her chest. Jiang Mu cried out, "My child! My dear!" as if her heart were breaking. After a moment, Jiang Danyun opened her eyes and let out a faint sigh. Jiang Mu wiped her tears, lamenting, "What sin! What sin! Are you trying to drive her to her death?" Meanwhile, Jiang Xiyun wept bitterly at Qin Shi’s feet, and Chunling sobbed quietly under her breath.At this point, there was no way to inquire further. Qin Shi quickly instructed the maids to carry Jiang Danyun back on a spring bench. Amid the commotion, Hua Shan emerged and announced loudly, "Our Concubine says she invites Old Madam Jiang and the fifth Jiang young lady to her room for a talk."
The room fell abruptly silent. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Hua Shan. Jiang Mu and Jiang Xiyun stared at each other, stunned. Hua Shan raised her voice again and repeated, "The Concubine says, please come in for a talk, Old Madam Jiang and the fifth Jiang young lady."
Lin Jinlou snorted coldly, stood up, and strode away with a flick of his sleeve.
While Jiang Mu was still in a daze, Jiang Xiyun stepped forward to support her and said slowly, "Let’s go, let’s go in and see."
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