As soon as Lin Zhaoxiang left, the room fell into abrupt silence. Old Madam Lin’s face was pale, her expression weary. She let out a long sigh and slumped against her pillow. Qin Shi, fearing something might be amiss, hurried over to attend to her, while Wang Shi had already led the female relatives out to rest in the side chamber. Moments later, when Qin Shi returned, Wang Shi immediately approached her and asked in a low voice, “How is she?”
Qin Shi took her hand and led her to a secluded spot before replying, “The Old Madam was so frightened her face turned pale. She kept sighing, unsure of what to do. I was afraid something might happen to her—that would surely spoil the birthday celebration. I offered some comforting words, and now Xuezhan and Liubei are attending to her. I’m sending someone to search for the bracelet. Please keep an eye on things here.”
Wang Shi readily agreed. After further discussion, Qin Shi departed.
In the side chamber, everyone had settled down, and hushed conversations began in small groups. Xue Ning entered again to serve tea. Lin Dongxiu sat on the edge of the kang, holding a teacup and blowing on the steam. With a faint, mocking smile, she said, “Did you hear? The bracelet was lost in the inner room of the main hall. I haven’t even touched the doorframe of that room. Everyone who went in today knows who they are, right?”
Her words instantly silenced the room. Lin Dongxiu was no longer the person she used to be; her presence had grown more imposing, even surpassing that of Lin Dongqi and Li Miaozhi, and her tone was sharp and aggressive.
While others remained quiet, Lin Dongwan’s face darkened immediately. “What are you implying, Fourth Sister? Are you suggesting that one of us is a thief?” She had always disliked Lin Dongxiu. Among the married daughters, Lin Dongqi, born of the Madam, had climbed to a higher social standing, which was somewhat acceptable. But what was Lin Dongxiu? She used to trail behind others like an eager lapdog. Now, married to Marquis Yongchang, she had transformed into someone arrogant and full of herself. Today, she had been insinuating things and even dared to show her displeasure! If Lin Dongwan didn’t speak up to curb her arrogance, that little wretch might forget her place entirely!
Lin Dongxiu, suppressing her anger, wore a false smile and retorted, “I didn’t witness it myself, so I wouldn’t dare accuse anyone of being a thief. But I do know who’s the type to scheme against their own family for petty gains. Eldest Sister, do you know who I mean?”
Lin Dongqi, startled, tugged at Lin Dongxiu’s sleeve and said, “Have you had too much to drink? What nonsense are you spouting?”
Lin Dongwan, with a guilty conscience, felt the remark strike a nerve. Her face flushed crimson, and she sprang to her feet, taking two steps forward as she pointed angrily and said, “Explain yourself clearly today! If you’re accusing someone of theft, you’d better have proof. I’m standing right here—go ahead and search my clothes! If I stole that bracelet, I’ll kneel and kowtow to you!”
Li Miaozhi and Lin Dongqi hurried over to intervene. “Enough, enough! Today is a joyous occasion. We’re all sisters—why cause a scene? Calm down.” “Fourth Sister often speaks without thinking. Why take her words to heart?”
Lin Dongwan had intended to use the “proof” argument to deflect the accusation, but Lin Dongxiu refused to let it go. She chuckled scornfully and said, “Eldest Sister, you’re quite skilled at this. I never said you were the thief. I was referring to those who love to scheme for petty gains against their own family… Tsk, who’s to say they wouldn’t even target the Old Madam and steal her bracelet?”Lin Dongwan's face flushed with humiliation once more. She stepped forward, pointing and saying, "You keep talking about greed and scheming against family—clearly you're aiming at someone! Why don't you just lay it all out today instead of letting it fester in your heart? Yes, I had too much to drink and rested in the inner room, but I was asleep the whole time. Second Sister, Sister-in-law, and Miss Xiyun were all in the room watching!"
Su Meiru sat smiling on an embroidered stool, cracking melon seeds. Jiang Xiyun remained silent in the corner. Li Miaozhi hurriedly tried to calm Lin Dongwan, while Lin Dongqi anxiously offered a few words of comfort before moving to Lin Dongxiu's side and whispering, "My dear lady, please say less. Do you really want to start a fight? If Old Madam finds out, won't that just add another problem?"
Lin Dongxiu sneered, "I'm not afraid of Old Madam knowing. What if it blows up? It'd be perfect for the elders to judge who's right—she's the one who's gone mad!"
Xianglan approached and said softly, "If this really escalates, it'll tear apart the sisters' relationship. Eldest Sister may not care—the Lu family is already an empty shell—but you represent the face of Marquis Yongchang. If word gets out that sisters were squabbling at Old Madam's birthday banquet, regardless of who's right or wrong, it's Fourth Sister who'll lose the most face. That would hardly be worth it."
These words made Lin Dongxiu fall silent. She didn't respond, merely sneered slightly, picked up her tea to drink, and gazed out the window. Xianglan breathed a sigh of relief. With someone like Lin Dongxiu, discussing sisterly affection or noble principles would mostly be like casting pearls before swine—it was better to appeal to practical interests.
Meanwhile, Li Miaozhi had managed to persuade Lin Dongwan to step back. Lin Dongwan, feeling guilty, didn't dare make too big a scene and was merely putting on a show. She sat down fuming, her face flushed crimson, tears welling up as she choked out, "Just listen to what Fourth Sister is saying! Every word is aimed at me. Now that you've climbed high and married into wealth, you look down on your elder sister? Have you forgotten how you used to coax me into doing your hair when we were young?"
Xianglan thought to herself that Lin Dongwan, being several years older, certainly knew how to make Lin Dongxiu appear in the wrong with such words.
Lin Dongxiu indeed grew furious, her willow-leaf eyebrows shooting up as she prepared to retort. Xianglan quickly tugged her sleeve and whispered, "Just let her save face. Everyone in this room knows each other's backgrounds—why spell everything out?"
But how could Lin Dongxiu bear to lose? She sneered slightly and said, "Indeed, dear sister, so you still remember our childhood affection. Since that's the case, dry your tears—it looks as if I've bullied you."
Hearing this, Lin Dongwan cried even harder. Li Miaozhi and Lin Dongqi rushed to comfort her, while Lin Dongxiu sneered without another word. Su Meiru wore the expression of someone watching a play, and Jiang Xiyun naturally kept her distance from the affair.
Xianglan slightly furrowed her brows. Family disputes were never good—best to stop them whenever possible. She went to Lin Dongwan's side and said softly, "Eldest Sister, what's the most urgent matter at hand right now?"
Lin Dongwan ignored her, shoulders shaking as she covered her face with a handkerchief.
Having spent recent days coaxing Lin Jinlou like a child, Xianglan had developed immense patience. She thought that even if Lin Dongwan threw a tantrum, it couldn't compare to Lin Jinlou's unreasonable behavior. She continued, "The most pressing matter now is recovering the items bestowed by the Crown Prince. Old Master and Old Madam are both anxious about this. If they find out Eldest Sister is here crying and investigate further, adding to their troubles, that wouldn't be good at all."The phrase "thorough investigation" made Lin Dongwan's heart sink. She immediately stopped crying with a jolt, wiping her tears with a handkerchief while clutching Xianglan's hand, sobbing, "Everyone should know perfectly well what kind of person I am. How could I possibly steal Old Madam's belongings? When I entered the room, the glass bracelet was already there. Later, when I left, Miss Xi was still having her meal in the room."
Before she could finish, Su Meiru spoke with deliberate cadence, "So it seems the Jiang family's young lady was the last to leave? No wonder, no wonder..."
The crowd froze. Lin Dongwan instantly understood Su Meiru was harboring resentment against Jiang Xiyun for causing her trouble earlier. Jiang Xiyun's heart sank—she was the only outsider in the room, and given the past conflicts between her family and the Lins, she feared being implicated. Startled, she stood up, took a step forward, and glared coldly at Su Meiru, demanding, "Concubine Su, what do you mean by that? You must explain yourself clearly! What exactly do you mean by 'no wonder, no wonder'?"
Su Meiru hadn't expected Jiang Xiyun to confront her directly. She paused briefly, then patted her chest and smiled sweetly, "Oh my, Miss was as gentle as a flower in front of Old Madam earlier—I never imagined you could be so fierce. You've quite frightened me. When I said 'no wonder, no wonder,' I didn't mean anything else. I just recalled some vague rumors I heard upon arriving in the capital—things like fearing future rivalry in favor and administering potions to cause infertility. Now that this bracelet has gone missing, considering past behaviors, I couldn't help but feel suspicious."
Xianglan was stunned, thinking to herself that Concubine Su and Jiang Xiyun had never met before—what grudge could they possibly hold? These words were ten times more venomous than Lin Dongxiu's earlier insinuations, striking directly at the vital point.
Jiang Xiyun's face immediately flushed crimson with rage. Trembling all over, her chest heaving, she was accustomed to leaving others speechless with her words—never had she imagined a mere concubine of the Lin family would use such harsh remarks to humiliate her.
Seeing the situation turning sour, Li Miaozhi hurried forward to mediate, "What is all this talk? I must be foolish—I can't understand a word of it. Concubine Su, you've been out for quite some time and must be tired. You should go back and rest now."
"Thank you for your concern, Third Young Madam, but I'm not tired at all." Su Meiru looked at Jiang Xiyun with contempt, then lowered her head to gently stroke her belly, murmuring softly, "My dear, don't be afraid. Stop kicking me now." Raising her head, she gave Jiang Xiyun a charming, faint smile and said, "I was only joking, Miss Xi. Please don't take it to heart."
A cold laugh echoed in Jiang Xiyun's heart. She slowly lifted her head, her expression calm and relaxed, a slight smile playing on her lips as her dimples faintly appeared. She sat back down leisurely and declared loudly, "Concubine Su was just telling me about the rumors in the capital—why would I take them to heart? Speaking of rumors, I heard a few stories recently too. They say the former Minister of War, Lord Jia, failed to maintain strict household discipline, allowing his sons and grandsons to stir up scandal—father and son sharing a mistress, a son taking his father's concubine. The censors impeached him severely. Lord Jia was so enraged he nearly fainted, never realizing he had such disgraceful descendants. He personally enforced family discipline, and that very night, the concubine was dragged away and sold off—no one knows where she ended up. Ah... Pitiful Lord Jia, at his age, still had to write a confession of his faults for the Emperor's review, utterly shamed."
The room fell into silence. Everyone present was clever enough to understand that Jiang Xiyun's words were a veiled mockery of Su Meiru's alleged improper relations with both uncle and nephew.Jiang Xiyun turned her head to Su Meiru with a gentle smile, saying, "I was merely sharing an amusing anecdote about others. In my view, it's the Lin family men who are truly blessed to have a Concubine like you, Sister Su, who is both pleasing and sharp-tongued." The phrase "Lin family men" once again made Su Meiru lose face.
Su Meiru's expression shifted briefly before she smiled as warmly as a spring breeze, though her hand clenched the handkerchief tightly in her sleeve. She replied, "It is I who am fortunate to have encountered a kind-hearted principal wife who never forced me to drink medicine that would leave me childless." As she spoke, she glanced at Xianglan.
In truth, ever since the two of them began their confrontation, Xianglan had felt deeply uncomfortable. Each sentence was laden with hidden meanings, sharp as blades, piercing to the core—all merely to gain the upper hand and vent their frustrations. What's more, she herself had been dragged into it, like a stick stirring up the bitterness and resentment that had long settled within her. She took a slow breath, met Su Meiru's gaze for a moment, and was just about to speak when Lin Dongxiu stood up and pulled Xianglan outside, whispering, "You're thinking of mediating again, aren't you? Don't be foolish. Su Meiru and Jiang Xiyun—neither of them is any good. Now that they're at each other's throats, we might as well sit back and enjoy the show! Earlier, I counted on my fingers: no matter who in this room took Old Madam's bracelet, if word got out, it would be a scandal for everyone—except Jiang Xiyun, since she's an outsider. In my opinion, it's most likely that little minx who has sticky fingers. Let them quarrel—don't rush in to mediate, or you'll end up stained by their mess."
Just as she finished speaking, Wang Shi entered, supported by her maids Yingluo and Hu Po.
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