Against the Current

Li Miaozhi felt a surge of satisfaction as she watched Wang Shi depart, leaving no one in the room to restrain her. Fanning herself with a handkerchief, she sneered, "Concubine Su was quite formidable earlier—weeping, making a scene, and even causing Taitai to faint from anger. Having already vented her own grievances, does she still need others to speak up for her?"

Su Meiru wiped her tears and turned away, adopting a pitiful tone. "What does Third Mistress mean by that? I’ve already been humiliated to this extent—I’m merely enduring each day. I know I’m unwelcome, and it’s only right for Third Mistress to make me lose face like this—"

Li Miaozhi’s anger surged to her throat. Forcing a dry laugh, she retorted, "Face is something one earns for oneself. It’s not for loose tongues to stir up trouble. Right and wrong are clear to all with discerning eyes!"

Upon hearing this, Su Meiru covered her face and burst into loud sobs, beating her chest and stamping her feet. "Enough, enough! I’m nothing but a worthless person—better to die!" With that, she rushed toward the southern wall as if to dash her head against it, startling the maids and old women into hastily restraining her.

Li Miaozhi pointed sharply at Su Meiru and snapped, "Let her go and crash! I don’t believe she has the nerve to die!"

The room descended into chaos. Su Meiru wailed mournfully, crying out, "I won’t go on living!" and "Death would be cleaner!" Then she suddenly shrieked, "My poor child, come die with me!" Meanwhile, Li Miaozhi screamed furiously, "Let her die! No one stop her!" The commotion grew even wilder than before.

Xianglan remained calm and unflustered, merely frowning slightly. Li Miaozhi, after all, was young and hot-tempered, lacking patience. Ever since Li Miaozhi and Lin Dongqi had sought her out earlier to chat, Xianglan had recognized her as someone who nitpicked over trifles. Having suffered several verbal defeats from Su Meiru and bearing old grudges, Li Miaozhi could no longer contain herself.

Jiang Xiyun, however, was clever. Upon hearing from Ruizhu that Xianglan had come on behalf of Lin Zhaoxiang, her heart sank. As the turmoil erupted, her mind raced through intricate calculations, and in an instant, she adopted a terrified demeanor—trembling as she clutched her sleeves, shedding tears, and weeping softly. Suddenly, she rushed forward to tug weakly at Su Meiru’s sleeve, swaying gently as she cried, "Concubine Su, Concubine Su, all the faults are mine! If you’re still angry, punish me instead, but you must take care of yourself!"

Su Meiru’s heart sank, thinking, This wretched girl is truly difficult to deal with. Before she could respond, Li Miaozhi exploded with rage, grabbing Jiang Xiyun and saying, "Why demean yourself? There’s nothing to apologize to her for! If she wants to die, let her!"

Jiang Xiyun gently wiped her tears and choked out, "Dear sister, I beg you to persuade Concubine Su. If anything happens to her, I could never atone for it, even in death!"

Li Miaozhi glared at her in exasperation, stamping her foot and sighing, "You! You’ve always been this meek since childhood—how much have you suffered because of it!"

This nearly made Xianglan laugh aloud, though she inwardly shook her head. She stepped forward to Li Miaozhi and said, "Third Mistress, the bracelet has been found. This is hardly a serious matter—please don’t upset yourself. Today is the Old Lady’s auspicious occasion, and by reason and propriety, we should minimize conflicts. The Old Master has sent me to relay instructions. Would Third Mistress kindly step aside to sit and have some tea?"Li Miaozhi, who had been in a fit of anger, was somewhat sobered by these words. However, being the type who would return ten insults for one, she still seethed with indignation and wanted to speak further. Xianglan stepped forward, subtly gesturing toward the window, and said, "Third Mistress, why not take a seat for now?" Li Miaozhi glanced sideways at the window and faintly glimpsed a figure. Suddenly understanding, her expression shifted, and her imposing demeanor instantly deflated. She allowed her personal maid to lead her to sit aside.

Xianglan then approached Su Meiru and said gently, "Alright, don’t cry anymore. What if you harm your health? As your pregnancy advances, taking care of yourself and protecting the baby boy in your womb is what truly matters."

Upon hearing Xianglan’s soothing words, Su Meiru felt as if she had met a kindred spirit. She buried her head in Xianglan’s shoulder and wept even more uncontrollably.

Xianglan stroked Su Meiru’s hair and whispered in her ear, "Concubine Su, you are an intelligent person. You must know the saying, 'Savor fine wine when slightly intoxicated; admire beautiful flowers when half-bloomed.' One must know when to stop in all matters. Today, you have shown enough authority, voiced enough grievances, and gained the upper hand. It’s better to quit while you’re ahead—prolonged advantage may lead to loss."

Su Meiru shuddered, and her sobs gradually softened.

Xianglan continued softly, "If this escalates, both sides will suffer. Jiang Xiyun is, after all, a young lady from a wealthy family. Truly breaking with her would be like inflicting a thousand losses on the enemy at the cost of eight hundred to yourself—why bother? She is a relative of the Old Madam, and today is the Old Madam’s birthday. You should know where to draw the line."

Su Meiru’s crying grew even quieter, only her shoulders trembling slightly. Xianglan took the opportunity to help her to a chair and ordered, "Hurry and bring a bowl of calming tea for Concubine Su!"

Xianglan straightened up and turned to look. She saw Jiang Xiyun still wearing a wronged expression, weeping incessantly. She walked straight over, turned her back to the others, and faced Jiang Xiyun, saying quietly, "Miss Jiang Fifth, let’s speak frankly. That matter is clear to both of us. Not exposing it now is to save face for each other." At these words, Jiang Xiyun abruptly lifted her head and stared at her.

Xianglan’s expression remained calm. "The Lin Family is magnanimous. Allowing you to come this time is to restore your reputation. For that alone, you should be grateful and know contentment. No matter how lacking Concubine Su may be, she is now part of the Lin Family. As the saying goes, 'If not for the monk’s sake, then for the Buddha’s.' Even if she provokes you with words, or worse, you should endure it. Do not forget why you are here today."

Jiang Xiyun’s clear, round eyes fixed on Xianglan, her teeth clenched secretly. Earlier, she had seen Xianglan signaling to Li Miaozhi and had stealthily glanced toward the window, knowing that someone—likely Lin Zhaoxiang—was standing there faintly visible. Realizing she was in a difficult position and could not admit anything now, she put on a pained expression and whispered, "I know you resent me—but I truly have been wronged this time—" Tears rolled down her cheeks again.

Xianglan stared at her for a moment before suddenly saying, "Miss Xi, there’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you: Is Miss Jiang Fifth’s habit of acting spoiled truly innate, or does it serve another purpose?"

This question left Jiang Xiyun stunned.Xianglan looked at her, her gaze tinged with disdain but even more so with pity: "Acting coquettishly and seeking favor from those dearest to you out of genuine affection is natural and endearing; but if it becomes a skill, a technique to gain unearned benefits and possessions, then it becomes shameful. How much sincerity lies behind your actions, you know best in your heart. Do you know, whenever I see you putting on airs around those from whom you can curry favor, I pity you in my heart—trading the beautiful aspects of human nature is the saddest thing in the world. What you're doing here now is no different."

Jiang Xiyun felt as if struck by a blow. Her eyes reddened as she glared at Xianglan, her gaze growing sharper, yet tears streamed down her face. Trembling, she bit her lip and said, "What do you know? You understand nothing—you know nothing at all—do you think I want this—"

Xianglan said calmly, "Willing or not, it's the path you chose yourself. There's no need to look at me like that. You're shrewd—everyone in this room combined is no match for you. You know perfectly well what I meant earlier. Since that's the case, you'd better hold back your tears. If this escalates, you won't come out clean either."

Jiang Xiyun's fair, plump hands clutched her handkerchief tightly. She bit her lip and stopped crying.

The room fell into silence, with only Su Meiru still sobbing softly.

Xianglan let out a long sigh, relieved that Miao, Mei, and Xi were all clever people who understood with just a hint, saving her much trouble without any unnecessary entanglement.

Lin Zhaoxiang stood outside the room and nodded slightly. Earlier, when the room was in chaos, Xianglan—despite her awkward position—had neither invoked the authority of elders nor put on a commanding presence, nor had she spoken harshly. Her voice was too soft for him to hear clearly, but seeing her speak gently and kindly, and given that none present were easy to deal with, she had managed to resolve the situation with just a few words.

Lin Dongqi stood beside Lin Zhaoxiang, supporting him. Seeing him nod and shake his head, she asked quietly, "Grandfather?"

Lin Zhaoxiang glanced at Lin Dongqi and suddenly sighed, "Qi Jie'er, remember this: compared to those who raise their voices and impose their authority to control a situation, those who can make others listen quietly with soft words are far more formidable. No wonder even that Overlord Lou has been tamed by her."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Shi arrived hurriedly with Hongjian and Shuran. Seeing Lin Zhaoxiang standing by the side room, she quickly approached and said, "Old Master, what brings you here?"

This exclamation alerted those in the side room. Lin Zhaoxiang coughed lightly and, supported by Lin Dongqi, slowly walked to the door. Ruizhu had already lifted the curtain, and Lin Zhaoxiang stepped inside, followed closely by Qin Shi and the others.

Lin Zhaoxiang entered the room, took a seat, and swept his cold gaze over everyone present.

Su Meiru, having grasped the situation, immediately went weak in the knees and knelt down, weeping pitifully, "Old Master—I beg you to uphold justice—insulting me alone is one thing, but now the entire Lin Family's honor has been tarnished—" Before she could finish, her words choked in her throat, leaving her gasping for breath, a truly pitiable sight.Seeing Su Meiru weeping like a rain-drenched pear blossom, Jiang Xiyun quickly knelt on the other side, her face full of sorrow and grievance, yet stubbornly holding back tears. "There was a misunderstanding in words between me and Concubine Su, which angered her. If this harms her health, then I am greatly at fault—all the blame is mine alone. But I truly feel wronged. It was merely an offhand, thoughtless joke, perhaps an improper remark. Why does Concubine Su take it to heart? When I mentioned Minister Jia's affair, everyone in the capital knows about it. If someone else brings it up tomorrow and Concubine Su takes it to heart again, then, then—" Jiang Xiyun couldn't continue, choking up as she turned away to cover her face and weep.

Li Miaozhi couldn't help stepping forward. "Indeed, Old Master, it was an unintentional remark, just a bit of jest." She glanced at Su Meiru. "But some people, perhaps feeling guilty inside, hear such things and think they're being mocked."

Lin Dongxiu let out a snort, muttering as if to herself, "Real jest or fake jest? Do they think everyone else is a fool who can't tell? Only someone mad would eagerly pick up insulting words and apply them to themselves."

Lin Dongqi quickly jabbed Lin Dongxiu, who rolled her eyes and reluctantly fell silent.

Su Meiru said nothing, only shaking her head, weeping even more pitifully.

Jiang Xiyun didn't rest either, crawling on her knees to Lin Zhaoxiang and clutching the hem of his robe, tears falling like melon seeds. Miserably, she said, "Old Master, every word comes from the depths of my heart. I was merely sharing an amusing anecdote and had a brief quarrel with Concubine Su. I intended to apologize afterward, fearing it would spread and upset you and Taitai during your birthday celebrations. Who knew Concubine Su would mention this to Second Aunt, making her faint from anger? My heart is full of guilt, so I've been apologizing to Concubine Su all along—" Her face a picture of heartbreak, she wept bitterly, turning to look at Su Meiru and pleading mournfully, "Concubine Su, Concubine Su, I apologize to you once more. If you're still angry, scold me again, hit me a few times, kick me a few times—if it pleases you, do whatever you wish." As she spoke, tears fell incessantly, full of sorrow and despair.