Now we tell of another thread in this story. On the day Lin Jinlou left the capital with Xianglan, Tan Luhua fed Lin Jinxuan his medicine and coaxed him to sleep. She then opened her dressing case to adorn herself: a gold filigree hairpin, a jade plum blossom diadem, and gleaming pearl-inlaid gold ear pendants. Her face was heavily made up with dark brows and powdered cheeks, her lips layered three or four times with rouge. She wore a crimson full-sleeved gown with a sable fur coat and a hundred-flower patterned skirt, dressed as exquisite as jade carved from powder. From a chest, she took out a packet of broken silver and a pair of men’s shoes, wrapped in a floral kerchief. She called in Caifeng and said, "Go check if all the rooms have retired for the night." Caifeng went out and returned to report, "Madam has long been asleep, Concubine Yin’s room has also extinguished its lights. With the heavy snow blocking the doors today, every household has retired early. The Second Master is asleep as well, with Lülu keeping watch on night duty."
Tan Luhua whispered, "Go tell Lülu that I’ve been feeling unwell these past couple of days and fear passing my illness to the Second Master. I’ll sleep in the outer chamber tonight. Have her attend to him carefully, and you keep an eye on things here. If anything happens, notify me promptly." With that, she casually gifted Caifeng a jacket she had grown tired of wearing and slipped quietly out the door.
The path was naturally unobstructed, with not a soul in sight. Once she exited the side gate and reached the street, she turned into an alley and entered a house. The exterior showed slight signs of dilapidation, but inside, the air was fragrant and warm as spring. The windows were draped with sheer silk, embroidered curtains hung from silver hooks, and luxurious cushions concealed fine mats, with a small crimson table—truly a sumptuous place. Dai Rong was reclining on the bed drinking wine. Seeing Tan Luhua arrive, he quickly rose and poured a full cup, handing it to her with a grin. "My darling, it’s been so long since we last met—you must share this nuptial cup with me." As Tan Luhua closed the door, she cast a sidelong glance at him and said, "Where have you been all these days? What mischief have you been up to? Don’t tell me you’ve been seducing someone else’s wife again?"
Dai Rong pinched her cheek and said, "My heart has been filled with thoughts of you alone—how could there be room for anyone else?" He raised the cup to her lips for her to drink, then embraced her and kissed her. The two clung together, inseparable, and soon tumbled onto the bed in the throes of passion.
It turned out that after Xianglan fell ill from mistakenly consuming the sterilizing pill, the Lin residence had been plunged into gloom, frightening Tan Luhua so much that she dared not continue her secret meetings with Dai Rong. Only when Xianglan gradually recovered did Tan Luhua occasionally rendezvous with him again. This time, with Lin Jinlou away, it was a heaven-sent opportunity. Tan Luhua hastily sent a message to arrange this clandestine meeting with Dai Rong.
Once their passion subsided, Tan Luhua let out a long sigh and said, "If only we could be together every day."
Dai Rong replied, "Once your wretched husband dies, it’ll happen."
Tan Luhua scoffed, "And what if he does die? Will you divorce your harridan of a wife and marry me?"
Dai Rong chuckled and said, "Well, your husband is just a figurehead anyway. Our brief partings make our reunions all the sweeter—there’s nothing wrong with things as they are."
Tan Luhua snorted, "It’s all fine for you. I’m devoted to you wholeheartedly, but I fear your heart is separated from mine by mountains."
Dai Rong said, "Don’t you understand my feelings for you? What kind of man is Lin the Tyrant? If he found out I’ve been sneaking around with his sister-in-law, he’d tear me limb from limb. I risk my life just to see you. If you still doubt me, it wounds my heart..." Seeing Tan Luhua’s expression soften slightly, he coaxed her gently, "Darling, my dear, what about that matter I asked you for last time?"Tan Luhua sighed and stood up, fumbled inside her clothes for a while, then took out a packet of broken silver and handed it to Dai Rong, saying, "It's all here."
Dai Rong opened it and saw that it was all poor-quality, fragmented silver. He weighed it in his hand—it was only about six or seven taels. His face immediately darkened. "Why is it so little?"
Tan Luhua’s face flushed red. "I worked hard and scrimped to save this, and you still complain it’s too little... This was meant for my winter clothes. If Chen Xianglan hadn’t given me a sable coat, I wouldn’t have had any new warm clothes to wear this winter... How many times have you asked me for money? Once you said your business failed and you had no money, that you’d borrowed from loan sharks and were afraid it would ruin your future if it got out. Another time you said you needed silver to buy an official position. This time you said you got into trouble for beating someone. Altogether, I’ve given you nearly a hundred taels—even my dowry is almost gone..." As she spoke, she grew angrier and began to cry. Though she resented him, she dared not speak too harshly, afraid of angering Dai Rong and driving him away for good.
To say that Tan Luhua lived only for Dai Rong was no exaggeration. At first, Dai Rong would give her small gifts like gold-embroidered handkerchiefs or mandarin duck pouches. But as he grew bored, he found new amusements and began to neglect her. Only after Tan Luhua cried, made scenes, and even threatened him—while still frequently giving him clothes, supplies, and money—did Dai Rong warm up to her again, sweet-talking her with vows and promises.
Seeing Tan Luhua upset, Dai Rong felt impatient but forced a smile. He hugged her to coax her, saying, "Why cry? This time it’s my fault! I deserve a beating! I deserve a beating!" He even took her hand and slapped his own face with it, finally making her tearful smile return.
Just then, someone shouted at the door, "You adulterous thief! So you’ve been giving all my son’s money to this pretty-faced scoundrel!" With a loud crash, the door was kicked open. Yin Yiniang, holding a fireplace poker, trembled with rage, her eyes bloodshot. She charged into the room and began stabbing wildly toward the bed.
Tan and Dai were horrified. Tan Luhua screamed repeatedly, clutching the blankets as she dodged. Dai Rong, stark naked, rolled off the bed and grabbed his clothes to flee, but Yin Yiniang struck him back onto the bed with the poker, cursing nonstop: "Slut! Adulteress!"
It turned out that Yin Yiniang had gotten up during the night. Worried because Lin Jinxuan had been unwell lately, she went to check on him. Finding Tan Luhua absent and Cai Feng evasive and hesitant, Yin Yiniang grew suspicious. Peering outside, she saw the bright moon illuminating a trail of footprints in the snow. Already at odds with Tan Luhua, she suspected her of sneaking off to meet a servant for some sordid affair. Seizing a poker, she quietly followed the footprints. Hearing their conversation by the window only fueled her fury, and she stormed in without a second thought.Dai Rong, having been struck several times, felt his body burning with pain and couldn't help but roar angrily, "You damned woman! If you push me too far, I'll kill you to end this once and for all!" He made a grab for the fire poker, and Concubine Yin naturally fought back with all her might. In the midst of their struggle, there was a sudden "thud." Concubine Yin's eyes widened in shock, her entire body stiffened, and she stared blankly down at her chest—the fire poker had struck her squarely in the heart. Dai Rong was instantly dumbfounded. Without thinking, he yanked the poker back, and blood gushed out from her chest with a "splash." Tan Luhua, terrified, covered her face and screamed. Concubine Yin staggered backward a few steps, swayed, and then collapsed to the ground with a loud "thud." Her legs twitched a few times before she fell silent.
The room grew quiet, with only the heavy panting of Tan and Dai breaking the stillness. Tan Luhua was so frightened that her blood ran cold. She hastily threw on her clothes, stumbled off the kang, and rushed over to check. Concubine Yin lay there with wide, unseeing eyes, already breathless. Tan Luhua trembled uncontrollably, her teeth chattering, and two streams of tears poured down her cheeks. She looked at Dai Rong and sobbed, "What... what should we do... what should we do..."
Dai Rong's mind was in turmoil as well. He grabbed a pillow towel to wipe the blood splattered on his face, threw on his clothes, and got up. First, he bolted the main door tightly, then walked over and kicked Concubine Yin's corpse before sitting down in a chair. Tan Luhua hurried over, her voice choked with tears, and asked, "What do we do? Huh? What do we do?"
Dai Rong picked up the wine jug from the table, tilted it to his lips, and drained the remaining wine in one go. Wiping his mouth, he sneered, "What do we do? We act as if nothing happened. You go back to being the Second Madam of the Lin family, and I'll return to being the Third Master of the Dai family. As for how this old woman died, we know nothing about it."
"What if the Lin family finds out..."
"Tsk, if you don't talk and I don't talk, how would they know?"
"..."
"Listen, Luhua, after this incident, we can't see each other anymore. Though I'll always care for you, this... ah, it seems our fate ends here." Dai Rong spoke while watching Tan Luhua's expression, but she hung her head, her dark hair covering her face. Softening his tone, he continued, "If only we had met before you were married. In the past, we confided our deepest feelings to each other, but now that a life has been lost, if we continue our secret meetings and the Lin family finds out, neither of us will come to a good end..."
Before he could finish, Tan Luhua suddenly lifted her head. Her beautiful, delicate face was now twisted with ferocity and malice. She leaned aggressively toward Dai Rong and hissed through gritted teeth, "Dai, you think you can just cast me aside? It's not that easy! I gave you my heart and soul, and I never intended to take it back so easily! Now that Concubine Yin is dead, you want to brush it off, pretend nothing happened, hide out of town for a couple of years, and then come back acting like a coward, leaving me to face life or death alone? Ha! Dream on! Even if I end up in the eighteenth layer of hell, I'll drag you down with me!"
Her words struck right at Dai Rong's hidden fears. Forcing a smile, he said, "How could that be? How could that be? Don't you know how I feel about you?" As he reached for Tan Luhua's hand, he felt it was icy cold and trembling like an autumn leaf.
Hearing Dai Rong's words, Tan Luhua's heart softened. Tears streamed down her face once more. Through her blurred vision, she gazed at his handsome features and managed a faint smile, choking back sobs as she said, "I know... you wouldn't be so heartless. You truly care for me..."Though Dai Rong had once harbored some genuine affection for Tan Luhua, it had now worn thin to near nothing. Still, he had no choice but to tread carefully and tentatively asked, "What do you mean...?"
Tan Luhua wiped away her tears, a glint flashing in her eyes. "My dear Rong," she said, "let us flee far away together!"
Dai Rong was startled. "What?"
"I still have some jewels in my possession," Tan Luhua continued. "Why don't we leave this place and start a new life elsewhere? We can raise children and stay together forever—wouldn't that be wonderful?" Then she sneered coldly, "If you refuse, at daybreak I will go to the authorities and accuse you of raping me and murdering Concubine Yin. Since I'm doomed either way, I might as well have you accompany me on the road to the underworld!"
Dai Rong felt Tan Luhua had gone mad, but hearing her words, he inwardly groaned in despair. Aloud, he said, "Very well, but we must plan this carefully..."
Before he could finish, Tan Luhua hastily began dressing and putting on her shoes. "I'll pack right away," she urged. "Let's leave before daybreak!"
Dai Rong thought to himself, "You may be insane, but I am not. Our family is about to gain powerful backing, and great things are on the horizon. The Dai family's rise is imminent—why should we fear the Lins then? What would I gain by eloping with this woman?" Recalling her earlier threat, rage surged within him, fueled by the alcohol he had consumed. "Killing one is no different from killing two," he thought darkly. "I might as well finish this cleanly tonight and be done with this wretched affair once and for all!" Driven by this thought, as if possessed, he picked up the fire poker from the floor, crept up behind her, and struck the back of her head.
Tan Luhua gasped in shock, turning her head with wide, disbelieving eyes. She swayed twice before collapsing to the ground, silent.
Seeing Tan Luhua lying in a pool of blood, Dai Rong dropped the poker and knelt beside her, shedding a few tears. "Luhua, don't hate me," he murmured. "I... I had no choice... May you be reborn into a good family in your next life. I will burn plenty of paper money for you during the festivals." With that, he stood up, hurriedly dressed, and as he prepared to leave, he remembered the packet of loose silver Tan Luhua had given him and went to retrieve it. Suddenly, he noticed her sash lying in the corner of the kang, with a pouch attached to it.
Dai Rong recognized that pouch. Tan Luhua had once boasted to him that the second young master of the Chu family, Chu Dapeng, was infatuated with her and had used the pouch to convey his affections. Chu Dapeng was one of the most dashing and celebrated figures in the capital, and Tan Luhua took great pride in this secret admiration. Unable to boast openly, she wore the pouch daily as if it were proof of her power to captivate men. Dai Rong untied the pouch, stuffed it into Tan Luhua's hand, then turned and left, closing the door behind him. For now, this matter is set aside.Xianglan, still unaware of Lin Jinlou's anger, privately thought to herself, "Tomorrow I'll just send a trustworthy person to quietly deliver the items to Song Ke's residence. There's no need for them to know who sent it, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for him and Madame Zheng. I'll have done my part." She then recalled that Song Ke had once mentioned an official named Yan currently serving in Hunan, who was an old friend of Song Ke's father and had helped their mother and son before. Perhaps she could send the money under this person's name—after all, with such great distance, there would be no way to verify it. But after further consideration, she felt something wasn't quite right. Feeling chilled by the wind, she wrapped her cloak tighter and returned to her room.
No sooner had she taken off her cloak than she saw Lin Jinlou stride in. He sprawled onto the couch, propping his feet up, with Xue Ning following closely behind. Xue Ning had noticed Lin Jinlou's dark expression after her earlier remarks and sensed trouble, though she couldn't pinpoint her mistake. She tried to catch Xianglan's eye, but Lin Jinlou frowned and waved her away impatiently, "Who said you could be here? There are already people attending to me. Get out."
Xue Ning dared not speak a word, her face filled with worry as she retreated.
Xianglan stepped forward, poured hot water from the copper kettle into a basin, wrung out a warm towel, and approached to wipe Lin Jinlou's face. Frowning, she asked, "Did you drink again tonight?" After a pause, she added, "Who was kneeling at the courtyard gate earlier? Making such a scene in public is hardly appropriate."
Lin Jinlou removed the towel from his face and squinted at Xianglan. "What's the matter? You can't stand seeing a prostitute cling to me, but it's perfectly noble for you to ask Lao Yuan about your old flame's whereabouts?"
Xianglan was taken aback. Her round, bright eyes fixed on Lin Jinlou as she bit her lip and lowered her head in silence, turning away to brew tea for him. Lin Jinlou felt as though he had punched a ball of cotton—his anger only grew more intense. Gritting his teeth, he tugged at his collar, stood up, and strode over. "Speak!" he demanded.
With her back to him, Xianglan said, "If I told you I wanted to repay Song Ke's kindness by sending him silver through a messenger, would you agree?"
Lin Jinlou sneered, "Nonsense! Why should I agree? I've already told you—never mention Song Ke's name again!"
Xianglan stood motionless, silent.
"What, cat got your tongue? Huh? Do you desperately want to follow that Song Ke to Guizhou? Do you want to kneel and beg me to let you become his concubine?"
Xianglan's face turned pale, and tears welled in her eyes. She glanced back and saw Lin Jinlou snickering coldly, but his smile was so terrifying it seemed he was grinding his teeth.
A sharp pain shot through Lin Jinlou's chest, his fury pounding at his temples. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he reopened them, all he saw was Xianglan's ashen face and helpless demeanor. The rage became unbearable—jealousy, resentment, and sorrow merged into a consuming fire that threatened to devour him whole. He had treated this woman with utmost kindness and had almost believed she held some affection for him. Yet, in the end, it was all his own wishful thinking. At the slightest hint of news about Song Ke, her heart would flutter away. No matter how humbly he lowered himself or how tenderly he acted, it was all in vain.
Wishful thinking!
These four words weighed on his heart, nearly crushing him. With a sweep of his hand, he knocked the teacup from Xianglan's grasp. It shattered on the floor with a loud crash.Xue Ning hurried in upon hearing the commotion, but Lin Jinlou pointed at her nose and roared, "Get out! Who told you to come in? You brainless wretch!"
Having never seen Lin Jinlou's face so dark with fury, Xue Ning was so frightened her knees went weak, and she hastily retreated.
When Lin Jinlou lost his temper, he was like a trapped beast—no reasoning could reach him. Even now, Xianglan dared not look at him in his rage and quietly stepped backward. Lin Jinlou grabbed her and pulled her close, demanding, "I'm asking you—do you want me to grant your wish to become that bastard's concubine?"
Tears welled in Xianglan's eyes as her lips trembled. "I don't want to be anyone's concubine."
Lin Jinlou sneered, his chest already a churning sea of rage. He knew full well that Xianglan didn't want to stay in the Lin household at all—not even a single strand of her hair. She wished to flee far away, preferably never laying eyes on him again. Even after taking that sterilizing pill and lying weakly on her sickbed, she had still begged to leave the estate. She would rather live as a nun, keeping company with an ancient Buddha and a solitary lamp, than remain by his side to enjoy wealth and luxury. She had even gone to great lengths to inquire about Song Ke's whereabouts. So that was it—in her heart, he was nothing but a scourge to be avoided, the root of her misfortune, at best merely the "benefactor" to whom she owed a debt of gratitude. Lin Jinlou gritted his teeth. He, a man who had dominated his era and basked in glory, who commanded respect if not outright power in court, was actually looked down upon by this woman. Her heart belonged to another; even if he tore out his own heart to offer her, he couldn't win her back. He wanted to strangle this heartless woman, yet if she so much as gave him a pleasant look, he would be elated all day. A single word from her could enrage him like this—when had he ever fallen to such a pitiable state? He felt utterly helpless. He hated how she trampled on his dignity and wished he could tear her to pieces, but though he raised his hand, he couldn't bring it down. This girl was so exquisite, so deeply loved by him, and her actions commanded his respect. Even knowing she wanted to escape him, he still kept her bound to his side.
Xue Ning closed her eyes, but the expected slap never came. Hesitantly, she opened them to find Lin Jinlou staring fixedly at her, his eyes bloodshot. Just then, the door was pounded loudly, and someone cried out urgently, "Eldest Master! Eldest Master! Something terrible has happened at home!"
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