Qin Shi had always been meticulous and composed in her actions, so it was the first time Lin Old Madam had seen her in such a state. She quickly helped her up and seated her beside her, asking with alarm, "What’s happened to you? Could it be... could it really be Second Girl...?"
Qin Shi shook her head tearfully, clutching Lin Old Madam’s hand. "Old Madam, you must stand up for me and Qi Jie'er... This time, Qi Jie'er has truly suffered an unexpected calamity—someone deliberately harmed her..."
Lin Old Madam’s face paled slightly. "What do you mean?"
Qin Shi sobbed, "Today, several ladies were invited to celebrate my birthday—it was supposed to be a joyous occasion. But then Hongjian came to me and said a little maid had seen Huan Jie'er steal a peach, squeeze its juice in the washroom, hide it in a porcelain bottle, and later mix it into the grape wine to trick Qi Jie'er into drinking several large cups... I was half-believing, half-doubting, but I didn’t dare ignore it, so I had someone give Qi Jie'er two pills of medicine beforehand. And sure enough, before long, Qi Jie'er broke out in large rashes, her whole body swollen beyond recognition... Old Madam, thank heavens she took the medicine in advance—otherwise, what if it had turned into a serious illness? This... this could have been fatal..."
Lin Old Madam’s expression darkened. "Is this true?"
Qin Shi wiped her tears. "How could it not be true? Now that things have come to this, I’ll risk losing face to speak plainly. You’ve always thought Cao Lihuan was a good girl—clever with words, skilled at pleasing you—and because of your fondness for her, we never said anything. But Old Madam, do you know how she behaves outside? She orders servants around with no regard for the dignity befitting a young lady of good breeding, and she enjoys venting her temper by beating the maids... We’ll overlook these minor flaws, but this girl is utterly audacious! Despite being betrothed and awaiting marriage, she somehow took a fancy to Ting Ge'er—sending him poems, lurking in places he frequents, even paying off a few maids and old women to spread rumors about them! This... this..."
Smack! Lin Old Madam angrily struck the carved pixiu on the headboard of her luohan bed. "Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?"
Qin Shi thought to herself, I was saving Cao Lihuan’s misdeeds for a decisive blow. But outwardly, she maintained a sorrowful expression. "I was concerned for both children’s reputations and feared upsetting you, Old Madam. As soon as I heard the servants gossiping, I had Ting Ge'er move out and even sent the bribed maids directly to Huan Jie'er as a warning. But my good intentions were repaid with ingratitude—not only did Huan Jie'er ignore it, she resented me and took it out on Second Girl, who suffered such a terrible ordeal... You know Second Girl best—there’s no one more kind-hearted. And yet... she could do this to her..."Qin Shi spoke while observing Lin Old Madam's expression, and indeed saw the old lady's face turn ashen. Her guess had been correct—over the years, Lin Old Madam had softened her heart through vegetarianism and Buddhist devotion. Fond of liveliness, she considered taking in a girl merely an extra bowl and chopsticks, and eventually an additional dowry. Would the Lin family really mind such trivial expenses? Moreover, Cao Lihuan was clever and amusing, adept at pleasing her. Keeping her around brought both personal amusement and the accumulation of virtue, earning a good reputation—why not? But no matter how skillfully Cao Lihuan fawned and flattered, she was ultimately an outsider, a distant relative from a fallen family. Thus, even if Lin Old Madam doted on Cao Lihuan, it was akin to keeping a pet. Minor misbehavior could be overlooked, but once it involved her own descendants, it was a different matter entirely!
Qin Shi quickly shot a meaningful glance at Xue Zhan standing nearby. Understanding, Xue Zhan brought over a bowl of soup and said, "Old Madam, don't be angry. She's not worth it. Drink some soup to soothe your lungs first."
Lin Old Madam frowned and pushed Xue Zhan's hand away. "I don't want any."
"Old Madam, please drink a little to calm your temper first, because I fear... what I have to say next will only upset you further..." Qin Shi lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief nervously, appearing hesitant to speak.
Lin Old Madam raised her brows in surprise. "What could be worse than what you just told me?"
Qin Shi lowered her voice. "During the birthday banquet earlier, Lou Ge'er caught Huan Jie'er's servant flirting with a maid in the courtyard. It was... quite improper. When Lou Ge'er questioned him, he discovered the servant was actually involved with Huan Jie'er! They took advantage of today's festivities to sneak in for a rendezvous, but the fool had drunk too much and mistook the maid for Huan Jie'er—"
"Outrageous! Disgraceful! How dare they!" Lin Old Madam was furious, slapping the bed frame repeatedly. Such a scandal would tarnish the reputation of the family's young ladies. Cao Lihuan had sunk to such shameless depths! "I thought she was just overly competitive because of her family's decline, but it turns out she's rotten to the core!"
Qin Shi patted Lin Old Madam's back to soothe her. "Old Madam, please calm down. Lou Ge'er has already handled the matter discreetly. Besides, she hasn't lived here long and has moved out of our garden, so the connection isn't too strong." Then, cautiously studying Lin Old Madam's expression, she added fuel to the fire: "Old Madam, everything I've told you is the absolute truth. If you don't believe me, I'll swear an oath—"
"Have her pack her things and get out of the Lin household immediately!" Lin Old Madam gasped for breath. "Our family has no room for such shameless relatives. Arrange a carriage at once and send her to her brother's place. She is never to set foot here again!"
Qin Shi inwardly rejoiced but feigned concern. "But what about the Old Master..."
Lin Old Madam glared. "I'll handle him! Now go!"
"Yes, yes." Qin Shi thought, This is exactly what I was waiting for. She hurriedly rose to leave when Lin Old Madam suddenly called after her, "Also, summon two good physicians to examine Qi Jie'er. And Ting Ge'er—it's unfair that he had to move out because of this mess. It must be uncomfortable outside. Once she's gone, bring him back home."Qin Shi agreed to everything, barely managing to suppress her laughter.
Meanwhile, Cao Lihuan was in high spirits after Lin Dongqi's sudden illness had cut the birthday banquet short. She strolled back triumphantly, wondering whether Si Shun'er had succeeded in his task. She had instructed him to drug Xianglan with knockout incense, roll her up in a mat, and smuggle her out along with two bundles of fabric from her room. Since Xianglan was nowhere to be seen, she assumed the plan had worked.
Fanning herself leisurely, she approached her courtyard only to find two burly matrons guarding the gate, accompanied by Shuangxi, a favored page of Lin Jinlou. Panic flashed through Cao Lihuan as she forced a smile and stepped forward. "What's everyone standing around for? Let me through, mothers—I need to get inside."
A grim-faced matron blocked her path, stating flatly, "Hold on! Miss Huan must wait here. The masters have ordered that no one enters this courtyard."
Cao Lihuan's eyebrows shot up. "The masters' orders? Which masters?"
Shuangxi rolled his eyes. "None of your concern, miss. The courtyard's sealed—no one gets in."
Her face darkened instantly, her unease growing. Then came a wailing cry from inside: "Miss! Save me! Help!"
Her heart lurched—disaster! A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind. If exposed, she'd pin everything on Si Shun'er, claiming the vile servant had acted alone to assault Xianglan. At worst, she'd face negligence charges and endure a tearful confrontation with that wretched Qin Shi. Yet her horrified expression was genuine. "What on earth is happening?"
Shuangxi sneered. "You know best, miss. Our master's already gotten the truth. We're here to protect your reputation. If you're smart, you'll stay quiet. If you think you can storm this place like you did the Hall of Longevity and Joy when you injured Sister Liubei, you'll have to get through me first."
The blunt words struck like a slap. Normally, Cao Lihuan would have retaliated instantly, but guilt paralyzed her. She stared at Shuangxi, face alternating between pallor and flush.
Shuangxi snorted, refusing to spare her another glance. Inside, Si Shun'er's howls continued until Shuangxi bellowed, "Shut your trap! Who died? Your mistress isn't dead yet!"
The wailing ceased abruptly.
Cao Lihuan had no energy left for Shuangxi. A cold sweat trickled down her spine as she sensed danger. She was about to retreat to gather more information when Liubei appeared, leading seven or eight matrons and maids.
－－－－－－－－－－－
Thank you to bubu8915 for the Peace Talisman and to Ma Xi Ban Xiao for the cake =3=
Please click, comment, bookmark, and vote—no payment required! ^_^
OpenNovel