Against the Current

Li Miaozhi felt a surge of satisfaction as Wang Shi departed, 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 driving Madam to faint. Since she’s already vented her grievances, what need is there for others to intervene?"

Su Meiru wiped her tears and turned away, affecting a pitiable demeanor. "What does Third Young Mistress mean by this? I’ve been humiliated to such an extent that I’m merely enduring each day... I know I’m loathsome, and it’s only right for Third Young Mistress to strip me of all dignity."

Fury surged up Li Miaozhi’s throat. Forcing a laugh, she retorted, "Dignity is something one earns for oneself—it’s not for wagging tongues to dictate. Who’s right and who’s wrong, everyone sees clearly!"

Su Meiru covered her face and burst into loud sobs, beating her chest and stamping her feet. "Enough, enough! Since I’m nothing but a worthless wretch, I might as well die!" With that, she rushed toward the southern wall to dash her head against it, sending maids and elderly servants into a panic as they hurried to restrain her.

Li Miaozhi pointed at Su Meiru and snapped, "Let her 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!" Soon after, she shrieked, "My poor child, come die with me!" Meanwhile, Li Miaozhi screamed in rage, "Let her die! No one stop her!" The tumult 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, Xianglan had recognized her as someone who nitpicked over trifles. Having suffered repeated 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 Lin Zhaoxiang’s behalf, her heart sank. Witnessing the commotion, her mind raced through intricate calculations, and she swiftly adopted a terrified demeanor—trembling as she clutched her sleeves, shedding tears, and weeping softly. Suddenly, she darted forward to tug weakly at Su Meiru’s sleeve, swaying gently as she pleaded through sobs, "Concubine Su, Concubine Su, all the faults are mine! If you’re still angry, punish me instead, but please, you must take care of yourself!"

Su Meiru’s heart sank, thinking, This wretched girl is truly hard to deal with. Before she could respond, Li Miaozhi exploded with rage, pulling Jiang Xiyun back. "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 so meek since childhood—how much have you suffered for it!"

This nearly drew a laugh from Xianglan, though she inwardly shook her head. Stepping forward, she addressed Li Miaozhi: "Third Young Mistress, the bracelet has been found. This is hardly a serious matter—please don’t upset yourself. Today is Old Madam’s joyous occasion, and by reason and propriety, we should minimize conflicts. Old Master has sent me to relay instructions. Would Third Young Mistress kindly step aside to sit and have some tea?"Li Miaozhi, still fuming from earlier, had mostly regained her composure upon hearing these words. Yet, being someone who would return ten insults for every one she received, she remained indignant and wanted to speak further. Xianglan stepped forward, subtly gesturing toward the window with her eyes, and said, "Third Young Madam, why not take a seat first?" Li Miaozhi glanced sideways at the window and faintly glimpsed a figure there. Suddenly understanding, her expression shifted, and her imposing demeanor diminished. 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? With your pregnancy progressing, taking care of yourself and protecting the young master 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 a clever person. You must know the saying, 'Savor fine wine when slightly intoxicated; admire beautiful flowers when half in bloom.' In all matters, one must know when to stop. 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 prominent family. Truly breaking with her would be like destroying a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of your own—why go to such trouble? She is Old Madam’s relative, and today is Old Madam’s birthday. You should know where to draw the line."

Su Meiru’s crying grew even quieter, leaving only the occasional shudder of her shoulders. Xianglan took the opportunity to help her sit in a chair and then ordered, "Hurry and bring a calming tea for Concubine Su!"

Xianglan straightened up and glanced around. Seeing Jiang Xiyun still looking aggrieved and weeping incessantly, she walked straight over, turned her back to the others, and faced Jiang Xiyun. She said quietly, "Fifth Miss Jiang, let’s speak plainly. That matter is clear to both of us. Not exposing it now is a courtesy to each other." At these words, Jiang Xiyun abruptly looked up at her.

Xianglan’s expression remained calm. "The Lin family is magnanimous. Allowing you here 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 worse words, you should endure it. Do not forget why you are here today."

Jiang Xiyun’s clear, round eyes fixed on Xianglan, and she gritted her teeth secretly. She had seen Xianglan signaling to Li Miaozhi earlier and had discreetly glanced toward the window, knowing that someone—likely Lin Zhaoxiang—was standing there. 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 something I’ve been meaning to ask you: Is Fifth Miss Jiang’s habit of acting coy truly innate to her nature, or is there another purpose behind it?"

This question left Jiang Xiyun stunned.Xianglan looked at her with a hint of disdain in her gaze, but more so with pity: "Acting coy and seeking favor from those dearest to you out of genuine affection is natural and endearing; but when it becomes a skill, a technique to gain unearned advantages and possessions, it becomes shameful. You know best in your heart how much sincerity lies behind your actions. Do you know, whenever I see you putting on airs around those who can benefit you, I pity you in my heart—trading away the beautiful aspects of human nature is the saddest thing in the world. Your performance here 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 said, "What do you know? You understand nothing... nothing at all... Do you think I want this...?"

Xianglan replied calmly, "Willing or not, it is the path you chose. There is no need to look at me like that. You are clever—the few people in this room combined are no match for you. You know perfectly well what I meant earlier. Since that is the case, you should restrain your tears. If this escalates, you will not emerge unscathed."

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

The room fell into silence, save for Su Meiru’s continued sobs.

Xianglan let out a long sigh, relieved that Miao, Mei, and Xi were all intelligent enough to grasp her meaning without unnecessary disputes, saving her considerable effort.

Lin Zhaoxiang, standing outside the room, nodded slightly. Earlier, when the room was in chaos, Xianglan—despite her awkward position—had neither invoked authority nor resorted to intimidation or harsh words. Though her voice was too soft for him to catch her exact words, he observed her gentle tone and calm demeanor. Given that everyone present was shrewd, she had managed to resolve the situation with just a few remarks.

Lin Dongqi, supporting Lin Zhaoxiang, noticed him nodding and shaking his head and asked quietly, "Grandfather?"

Lin Zhaoxiang glanced at her and sighed. "Qi girl, remember this: those who can quiet a room with a soft voice are more formidable than those who rely on loudness or imposing authority to control a situation. No wonder even that unruly Lou'er has been tamed by her."

Before he finished speaking, Qin Shi arrived hurriedly with Hongjian and Shu Ran. Seeing Lin Zhaoxiang by the side room, she approached quickly and said, "Old Master, why are you here?"

Her voice alerted those inside the room. Lin Zhaoxiang coughed lightly and, supported by Lin Dongqi, slowly walked to the door. Ruizhu lifted the curtain promptly, and Lin Zhaoxiang stepped inside, followed closely by Qin Shi and the others.

Lin Zhaoxiang took a seat, his gaze cool as he scanned the room.

Su Meiru, already grasping the situation, softened her knees and knelt immediately, weeping pitifully. "Old Master... I beg you to uphold justice... Humiliating me is one thing, but now the entire Lin family’s honor is at stake..." Her words choked off, leaving her breathless and utterly wretched.Seeing Su Meiru weeping as pitifully as a rain-drenched pear blossom, Jiang Xiyun promptly knelt on the other side. Her face was full of sorrow and grievance, yet she stubbornly held back her tears, saying, “I had a misunderstanding with Concubine Su in our words, which angered her. If she falls ill because of this, then I am truly at fault... All the blame lies with me alone... But I truly feel wronged. It was merely a careless, offhand joke, perhaps an inadvertent slip of the tongue. Why must Concubine Su take it to heart? When I spoke of Lord Jia’s matter, it was common knowledge in the capital. If someone else brings it up tomorrow and Concubine Su takes it to heart again, then, then...” Jiang Xiyun could not continue, choking back sobs as she turned her face away and wept behind her hands.

Li Miaozhi could not help stepping forward and said, “Indeed, Old Master, this was nothing more than an unintentional remark, just a bit of jest.” As she spoke, she glanced at Su Meiru. “But some people, perhaps burdened by guilt, hear such things and feel as if they are being mocked.”

Lin Dongxiu let out a sudden chuckle, muttering to herself as if speaking to no one in particular, “A real joke or a fake one? Do they think everyone else is a fool who can’t tell? Only someone truly mad would eagerly pick up insulting words and apply them to themselves.”

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

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

Jiang Xiyun did not remain idle either. She crawled on her knees a few steps closer to Lin Zhaoxiang, clutching the hem of his robe as tears streamed down her face like rolling melon seeds. In a voice full of misery and sorrow, she said, “Old Master, every word I speak 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 that if word got out, it would spoil the joyous atmosphere of your and Old Madam’s birthday banquet. Who would have thought that Concubine Su would bring this matter to Second Aunt, causing her to faint from anger? My heart is filled with remorse, and I have been apologizing to Concubine Su ever since...” Her face was a picture of heart-wrenching grief as she wept bitterly. Turning to Su Meiru, she pleaded mournfully, “Concubine Su, Concubine Su, I apologize to you once again. If you are still angry, scold me, hit me, kick me—if it pleases you, do whatever you wish.” As she spoke, tears continued to fall, her sorrow palpable and profound.