Jiang Xiyun, after all, possessed extraordinary depth in her heart and was no ordinary person. She lowered her head, smoothing the folds of her skirt as if trying to erase the restlessness and panic in her heart. When she raised her head again, her face was calm and serene, and she sneered repeatedly, "Since that's the case, whatever I say is useless. You've already decided it was our doing?"
Xianglan sat down on the sandalwood carved hundred-lotus Xiangfei daybed nearby, her face growing increasingly pale, cold sweat nearly soaking through her undergarments. Yet she smiled faintly and said, "As expected, Fifth Miss Jiang refuses to admit it, even unto death."
The room fell into silence for a moment, interrupted by a few coughs. Jiang Mu took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her mouth, saying, "Xi girl, come, help me. Let's go home. When guilt is imposed, words are unnecessary. Why waste breath on her?" As she spoke, Jiang Mu trembled as she stood up with her cane, and Jiang Xiyun hurried forward to support her. Jiang Mu lifted her chin slightly, her expression elegant and dignified, glanced faintly at Xianglan, and then turned to Jiang Xiyun, saying, "A mere lowly concubine dares to question you? Have you lost your mind, talking so much with her?"
Jiang Xiyun, appearing docile, bowed her head and said, "Grandmother's lesson is right." As she helped Jiang Mu walk out, Xianglan raised her voice and said, "Since the Jiang family refuses to admit it, it matters little. As the saying goes, 'courtesy before force.' I was merely informing Fifth Miss Jiang earlier. In the future, when I repay the Jiang family's actions today with some good deeds, I hope Old Madam Jiang and Fifth Miss Jiang will graciously accept them."
Jiang Mu paused in her steps, and Jiang Xiyun also turned back, a trace of alarm faintly visible on her face. Then Jiang Mu coughed and walked out without looking back. Xianglan lowered her head slightly, one hand gently toying with a doucai intertwined branch begonia cup on the small table, and said, "If Old Madam Jiang steps out of this room, within an hour, rumors will spread throughout the capital's noble families and among the common folk—tales of the Jiang sisters scheming to marry into the Lin family and poisoning the Lin family's concubine to ensure she bears no heirs. As the saying goes, 'bad news travels fast and far.' If such news spreads far and wide, distorted through retelling, what will it eventually become?"
The Jiang grandmother and granddaughter were shocked and turned around together. They saw Xianglan lift her head, her face pale with a bluish tint, looking weak, yet she smiled faintly and said, "I have no other talents, only a bit of skill in painting. If I were to depict the cause and effect of this matter in a collection of illustrations and circulate it later, it would surely become a sensational story. Who knows, perhaps some storyteller or opera performer might adapt it into a play, or some Imperial Censor might memorialize the throne about it, adding to the after-dinner chatter." Her tone carried a hint of admiration. "Let's call it 'The Many Jealousies of Miss Jiang's Poisoning, the Innumerable Wrongs of the Lin Family's Concubine.' Old Madam Jiang, Fifth Miss Jiang, how do you like the title I've chosen?"
The Jiang grandmother and granddaughter felt their hearts tremble. Jiang Mu, leaning on her cane, took a few hasty steps forward, pointed at Xianglan, and said sharply, "You... you... how dare you! If you dare do this, even the Lin family won't spare you!"Xianglan's face abruptly darkened: "How dare I not? And why should I not dare? My heart is already filled with endless hatred! I've long grown weary of living cautiously, tiptoeing around with bound hands and feet! Your Jiang family is so vicious, administering such a drug to destroy my hopes for the latter half of my life, the very foundation of my existence! Driven to such a state, what meaning is left in living for me? Now it's either the fish dies or the net breaks—let's perish together! Even if the Lin family expels me or strangles me with a rope, I couldn't care less!"
Jiang Xiyun's heart was seized with anxiety and panic. Rumors were sharper than tigers; if this matter spread, she feared that even if she and Jiang Danyun didn't hang themselves, they would spend the rest of their days guarding green lamps and ancient Buddhas. Cold sweat dripped from her as she stared at Xianglan's face. If it were an ordinary concubine making such threats, she might have brushed it off with disdain, but Chen Xianglan was the highly esteemed Recluse of Orchid Fragrance. Moreover, Lin Jinlou had just gifted her paintings to high officials and noblemen a few days prior, and the cultured talents were honoring her. Now, those coming to request her paintings nearly wore out the doorstep... Jiang Xiyun widened her eyes and saw Xianglan's icy smile as she slowly nodded and said, "I'm merely a concubine, a worthless life, but I can take down the reputations of two official daughters and the prestige of the Jiang clan with me. Thinking about it, this bargain is indeed quite cost-effective."
These words struck like a heavy hammer, leaving Jiang Mu exhausted and disheartened. She swayed and nearly collapsed to the ground. Jiang Xiyun hurriedly helped her into a chair, then looked up at Xianglan with furious eyes and said, "What exactly do you want!"
Xianglan stood up, looking at Jiang Xiyun, and said, "I don't want much. Right now, I give you two paths: either we perish together, the Jiang family's reputation ruined beyond repair, and Jiang Fifth Miss left with no place to stand in this world; or..." She lifted the polychrome porcelain cup with entwined branches and crabapple blossoms from the table and held it out to Jiang Xiyun. "You drink this bowl of soup."
Jiang Xiyun looked down and saw amber-colored liquid in the round porcelain bowl, emitting a medicinal scent. She immediately understood and trembled as she said, "This is... this is..."
Xianglan sneered, "That's right. This is the 'no sons or grandsons' soup you bestowed upon me. Fortunately, a few pills hadn't fully dissolved, so I personally brewed a bowl for Jiang Fifth Miss to taste."
Jiang Xiyun's face, once as beautiful as a crabapple blossom, instantly turned pale as paper. Her eyes widened in horror, revealing for the first time a look of sheer terror and despair.
Jiang Mu glared hatefully at Xianglan, wanting to raise her cane and strike her, but her arm fell weakly. Gnashing her teeth, she said, "You... you! How vicious you are!"
Xianglan said calmly, "It's merely repaying others in their own coin. If I am to spend the latter half of my life in loneliness and hardship, why should Jiang Fifth Miss enjoy wealth and honor, surrounded by children and grandchildren, basking in familial bliss?" She handed the medicine forward, her expression unreadable, and said, "Miss Jiang, the choice is yours."Jiang Xiyun broke out in a cold sweat, her throat parched and her pulse seemingly vanished as she stared at the bowl of medicine as if it were a ferocious beast. She wanted neither choice—one was her reputation, the other her lifelong security! Dazed, she lifted her head and gazed at Xianglan’s delicate, fair face. Suddenly, a surge of resentment welled up in her chest, her eyes turning crimson without her realizing it. She sneered loudly, "I choose? Why should it be me? Hah! This marriage wasn’t my wish, and the medicine was clearly administered by someone else—what does it have to do with me? I was merely an onlooker! Why should this debt fall on my head? Everyone in this world must accept their fate, but you refuse to yield and insist on standing out. What family could tolerate such a high-ranking concubine? Holding the title of a concubine, monopolizing favor, yet wielding the authority of a legitimate wife—I fear even the future official bride would have to defer to your whims! In the short time I’ve stayed here, the Lin family has hosted banquets, and the maids and servants all say, ‘We must seek Concubine’s approval first.’ When new silks and satins arrive from the shops, the stewards outside declare, ‘We must reserve the finest for Concubine to select.’ I dislike needlework, yet I toiled by lamplight to make knee pads, pricking my fingers until they were covered in wounds. But in the blink of an eye, my elder cousin tossed them aside and went out wearing the unfinished pair you were working on! All I know is that the marriage between the Lin and Jiang families is settled, awaiting only the final step. The Lin household servants are all attentive to me, but the moment you appear, they treat you with the same reverence as they do Madam, vying to flatter you, a hundred times more fervently. You! Tell me! Who! Could! Tolerate! You?!"
Jiang Xiyun’s eyes blazed with fury, her entire body trembling as another layer of cold sweat broke out. Whether from anger or fear, she couldn’t tell. Her fingers dug deeply into her palms, a torrent of words stuck in her throat, nearly making her scream aloud. Her eyes wide, tears streamed down her face: "I didn’t want it to come to this either, but I’ve long been filled with hatred. In front of others, I must pretend to be adorable and obedient, swallowing every grievance and feigning ignorance, acting as if I’m happy!"
Xianglan, however, showed no anger. Instead, her expression remained calm and indifferent, her eyes seeming to hold both pity and cruelty. She stared at Jiang Xiyun and asked quietly, "Finished?"
"No!" Jiang Xiyun wiped her tears away and sneered, "Chen Xianglan, you are a thorough fool. Since you are a concubine, you should act like one—using your looks to please men, flattering your master, and submitting to the legitimate wife. Even if you are as beautiful as a celestial being, even if you excel in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, even if you are the most talented woman in the world, so what? You were born a servant—that is your status. No matter how virtuous the mistress is, as long as she isn’t dead, ‘better you die than me’—who has time to pity you? If you overstep your bounds as a subordinate, you deserve to die!"
Xianglan took a step forward and let out a scornful laugh. "Your little grievances, in my eyes, are nothing more than a fart. There are countless pitiable people in this world, many suffering a thousand times worse than you, yet I’ve never seen anyone resort to such cruelty. And because of your petty resentment—because I am a fool, I overstep, I deserve to die—you think you can dispose of me? Administer medicine that would leave me barren?"
"The medicine wasn’t administered by me. I did not harm you.""Yet you cannot escape responsibility either!" Xianglan stared defiantly at Jiang Xiyun. "'Rather others die than myself'? Such words actually came from the 'innately kind-hearted' Fifth Miss Jiang. I originally thought you were merely pragmatic and slick—'speaking but three-tenths of one's mind to others, never baring one's heart fully'—at most lacking sincerity. Now I realize you are utterly unworthy of the label 'innately kind-hearted'. For your own gain, you instigated from behind the scenes, tacitly condoned your sister's drugging scheme, and afterward played the innocent victim with coy pretenses. Your conduct is even more repulsive than Fourth Miss Jiang's. Kind-hearted? Pah! You orchestrated this sinister, vicious plot without a shred of remorse, self-righteously justifying it with countless excuses while trampling on others' blood and tears—all for selfish interests! Yet you still consider yourself blameless, thinking sparing my life proves your benevolence and purity. So today you harm others, yet tomorrow you'll still stamp your forehead with 'innately kind-hearted' and 'noble and open-hearted'!"
With each accusation, Xianglan advanced a step. Jiang Xiyun, tears blurring her vision, faltered helplessly and retreated repeatedly.
Suddenly, Mother Jiang's hoarse voice cut sharply through: "What—has my granddaughter done wrong?" Xianglan turned to see the old woman trembling violently, slumped in her chair. "If she didn't employ thunderous means, would she later allow you to climb over her head and tyrannize? How could she command respect in the future!"
Xianglan's gaze swept toward Mother Jiang: "There are countless ways to establish authority through discipline, yet she chose the most vicious."She sneered, walking up to the old woman and leaning down slowly, looming over her." "Years ago, an official in the Ministry of Personnel had several subordinates who defied authority yet had powerful backing. Instead of wielding power openly, he feigned friendship while secretly manipulating them into causing troubles until superiors erupted in fury. Those subordinates were dismissed and exiled, their families ruined—one died on the journey two months later. The official pretended grief over his 'failed supervision', received only light punishment, and emerged unscathed, still praised as a 'refined scholar' and 'benevolent gentleman'. Such tactics mirror Fifth Miss Jiang's exactly. Later, Chief Grand Councilor Lord Shen uncovered the truth and sighed, 'Talented but virtueless—this man is dishonest, unworthy of association.' Thus, the official stagnated for five years until Lord Shen passed away, whereupon he employed every trick to soar through the ranks... This man was your eldest son, Jiang Xuefan."
Mother Jiang stared at Xianglan in shock, her eyes wide.
Xianglan straightened and declared, "As the saying goes, 'Grass bends where wind blows; subordinates follow their superiors' example.' So your eldest son's ways and your granddaughter's ways were taught by you, Madam Jiang. All praise you as stern-faced yet tender-hearted, devoutly Buddhist, and proud of handling matters with integrity—highly respected among noble families. You lectured freely on other young ladies' character, yet when it concerns your own, you eagerly urge your granddaughter to be ruthless and calculating, refusing to suffer any loss even at morality's expense. Selfish and self-serving, you trample on others' blood and tears for your own comfort—is this the Jiang family's upbringing?" Studying the wrinkled, despondent old woman, Xianglan suddenly felt pity and sorrow. She reached out and touched the exquisitely carved bodhi seed rosary of eighteen arhats pinned to Mother Jiang's collar, murmuring, "Pitiful, pitiful. You've worshipped Buddha for decades, yet never learned compassion."After speaking these words, Xianglan straightened up and locked eyes with Jiang Xiyun. Suddenly, she raised the bowl of medicine and drank it all in one gulp. Jiang Xiyun stared in stunned disbelief, only to see Xianglan wipe the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, fix her gaze upon her, and sigh softly, "This is merely a tonic for nourishing yin and boosting energy. I disdain engaging in such sinister and malicious deeds. But look, a single bowl of fake medicine has forced out so many truthful words."
Jiang Xiyun was immediately frozen in place, her eyes becoming dazed and bewildered.
Xianglan, drenched in sweat and having exhausted all her strength, said, "I have said all I need to say. Please invite Madam and the Eldest Master to come out." After speaking, she could no longer utter another word and could no longer conceal her weakened state. Her body tilted, and she leaned against the Xiangfei couch.
Lin Jinlou rushed out from the small compartment behind the bedroom, pulled Xianglan into his arms, and carried her horizontally to the bed. Seeing Xianglan drenched in sweat and her complexion worsening, he anxiously cried out, "Quickly summon the imperial physician! Bring the imperial physician here!"
The Jiang family grandmother and granddaughter were greatly startled. They then saw Qin Shi emerge from the compartment alongside another young man—it was none other than Jiang Shangxian!
Qin Shi's eyes were red, as if she had been crying, but her expression was as cold as ice as she said, "Earlier, Xianglan sent a maid to invite me, saying the Eldest Master was questioning outside but ultimately couldn't continue. She wanted to speak privately with Yi Lao Taitai and Miss Xi, and asked Lou Ge'er and me to listen secretly from the compartment. Later, your family's eldest son insisted on barging in, so we simply had the servant invite him to serve as a witness. I never expected to hear such things."
Jiang Shangxian's face flushed and paled alternately. Earlier, in the compartment, he had been bound hand and foot by a servant, his mouth gagged, unable to make a sound. He looked up at his grandmother and sister, his gaze flickering with complex emotions, before finally lowering his head again.
Xianglan called out from the bed, "Madam! Madam!"
Qin Shi approached and asked, "What is it?"
Lin Jinlou also grasped Xianglan's hand and asked, "Where are you feeling unwell?"
But Xianglan did not look at Lin Jinlou, instead fixing her gaze on Qin Shi and saying, "Madam, Madam, I truly mean what I say. Today, I asked everyone to witness me tearing apart all pretense with Miss Jiang Wu, making us irreconcilable like fire and water, all because I am merely a lowly concubine. The Lin and Jiang families have already engaged an official matchmaker, and the marriage is inevitable. If Madam remembers any past kindness from me and wishes to prevent me from having even a place to stand in the future, I beg you to let me go..."
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