Qin Shi had always been astute and meticulous, handling matters with perfect order. This was the first time Old Madam Lin had seen her in such a state. She quickly helped her up and seated her beside herself, asking with alarm and uncertainty, "What's happened to you? Could it be... could it truly be Second Girl..."
Qin Shi shook her head tearfully, clutching Old Madam Lin's hand. "Old Madam, you must stand up for me and Qi Jie'er... Qi Jie'er has suffered a calamity out of nowhere, deliberately harmed by someone..."
Old Madam Lin's face paled slightly. "What happened?"
Qin Shi sobbed, "Today, several ladies were invited to celebrate my birthday—it was meant to be a joyous occasion. Who would have thought Hongjian came to tell me that a young maid saw Sister Huan steal a peach, squeeze its juice in the washroom, hide it in a porcelain bottle, and then 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 disbelieve entirely. I had someone give Qi Jie'er two pills of medicine as a precaution. And sure enough, before long, Qi Jie'er broke out in large rashes, her entire body swollen beyond recognition... Old Madam, it's only because she took the medicine in advance that it didn't turn into a serious condition. Otherwise, what would we have done? This... this is life-threatening!"
Old Madam Lin's expression changed abruptly. "Is it true?"
Qin Shi wiped her tears. "How could it not be true? At this point, I'm willing to cast aside all dignity to speak with you. You've always thought Cao Lihuan was good, finding her charming, eloquent, and skilled at pleasing you. Out of respect for your fondness for her, we never said anything. But do you know how she behaves outside? She orders the servants around arrogantly, without a shred of the dignity befitting a young lady from a respectable family, and she enjoys venting her temper on the young maids... Let's not even mention these minor flaws. This girl is utterly audacious—she's already betrothed, awaiting marriage in her chamber, yet somehow she's taken a fancy to Brother Ting. She actively sends him poems and essays, waits for him in places he frequents, and even paid a few matrons and maids to spread rumors about her and Brother Ting! This... this..."
Smack! Old Madam Lin angrily slapped the pixiu carved on the head of the Arhat Bed. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"
Qin Shi thought to herself, I've been accumulating Cao Lihuan's misdeeds, waiting for the right moment to strike her down completely. But on her face, she maintained a sorrowful expression. "I was also concerned about the reputations of both children and worried that you would be distressed if you heard. As soon as I heard the servants gossiping, I had Brother Ting move out and directly gave the bribed maid to Sister Huan, intending it as a warning. Who would have thought my good intentions were repaid with ingratitude? Not only did Sister Huan not heed it, but she also grew to resent me, causing Second Girl to suffer such a terrible calamity... You know Second Girl best—there's no one more honest and kind-hearted than her. How could she bring herself to do such a thing..."As Qin Shi spoke, she observed Old Madam Lin's expression and indeed saw her face turn ashen. Her intuition had been correct – over the years, Old Madam Lin had become soft-hearted through vegetarianism and Buddhist prayers, fond of lively company, believing that taking in a girl merely meant an extra bowl and chopsticks, eventually adding a dowry. Would the Lin family really care about such trivial expenses? Moreover, Cao Lihuan was clever and amusing, skilled at pleasing her. Keeping her around brought both amusement and accumulated virtue, earning a good reputation – why wouldn't she agree? But no matter how ingratiating Cao Lihuan might be, she remained an outsider – not only a distant relative but also from a fallen family. Thus, even if Old Madam Lin favored Cao Lihuan, it was like keeping a pet cat or dog. Minor mischief was tolerable, and Old Madam Lin would turn a blind eye, but once it involved her own descendants, that was entirely different!
Qin Shi quickly shot a meaningful glance at Xuezhan standing nearby. Understanding the cue, Xuezhan brought over a bowl of soup and said, "Don't be angry, Old Madam. She's not worth upsetting yourself over. Have some soup to soothe your lungs."
Frowning, Old Madam Lin waved away Xuezhan's hand. "I don't want any."
"Please have some, Old Madam, to calm your anger first. Because I'm afraid... I'm afraid what comes next will only make you more anxious..." Qin Shi bowed her head, twisting her handkerchief, appearing torn between speaking and holding back.
Old Madam Lin raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What could be worse than what you just told me?"
Qin Shi lowered her voice. "Just during the birthday banquet, Lou Ge'er caught Cao Lihuan's servant flirting with a maid in the courtyard. It was... rather disgraceful. When Lou Ge'er questioned him, he discovered the servant was actually having an affair with Cao Lihuan! 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 Cao Lihuan..."
"Outrageous! Scoundrel! How dare they!" Old Madam Lin was furious, repeatedly slapping the bedside. Such a scandal would tarnish the reputation of the family's young ladies if it got out. How could Cao Lihuan be so shameless! "I thought she was just overly competitive because of her family's downfall and strong will, but it turns out she's rotten to the core!"
Patting Old Madam Lin's back to soothe her, Qin Shi said, "Please calm down, Old Madam. Lou Ge'er has already handled the matter properly. Besides, she hasn't lived in the mansion for long and has moved out of our garden, so the connection isn't too strong." She cautiously watched Old Madam Lin's expression and added fuel to the fire: "Old Madam, every word I've told you is true. If you don't believe me, I'll swear a solemn oath..."
"Tell her to pack her things and get out of the Lin family immediately!" Old Madam Lin gasped for breath. "Our family has no room for such shameless relatives. Have a carriage prepared at once and send her to her brother's place. She is never to set foot here again!"
Qin Shi secretly rejoiced but feigned concern. "But what about the Old Master..."
Old Madam Lin glared. "I'll handle him! Now go!"
"Yes, yes." Qin Shi thought, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear," and hurriedly stood to leave. Suddenly, Old Madam Lin called out from behind, "Also, send for two good physicians to examine Qi. And as for Ting Ge'er – it's unfair that he moved out because of this wretched business. It must be less comfortable outside than at home. Once we've driven her out, bring him back."Qin Shi responded to each instruction, barely restraining herself from laughing aloud.
Meanwhile, Cao Lihuan felt thoroughly satisfied and triumphant as she strolled back, pleased that Lin Dongqi’s sudden illness had cut the birthday banquet short. She wondered whether Si Shunr had succeeded in his task—she had ordered him to drug Xianglan with knockout incense, roll her up in a mat, and smuggle her out along with two bundles of cloth from her room. Since Xianglan was nowhere to be seen, it seemed the plan had worked.
Swaying her fan gracefully, she approached her courtyard, only to find two stout matrons blocking the entrance, along with Shuangxi, a favored page of Lin Jinlou. Cao Lihuan’s heart sank, but she forced a smile and stepped forward. “What’s the meaning of this? Why are you all standing here? Please step aside and let me in.”
One of the matrons, her face stern, barred the way and said impassively, “Wait! Miss Huan, you’ll have to stay put. The masters have given orders—no one is allowed into this courtyard.”
Cao Lihuan raised her eyebrows. “The masters? Which masters?”
Shuangxi rolled his eyes. “That’s none of your concern, miss. The courtyard is sealed. No one enters.”
Her face darkened, and panic surged within her. Just then, a wail came from inside: “Miss! Save me! Please save me!”
Cao Lihuan’s heart jolted. This is bad! Her mind raced through possibilities—if the scheme was exposed, she could pin everything on Si Shunr, claiming the servant had acted alone out of lust to assault Xianglan. At worst, she would be blamed for lax supervision and might have to put on a tearful show before that wretched Qin Shi. Yet the fear on her face was genuine. “What on earth is going on?”
Shuangxi sneered. “You know perfectly well what’s happening, miss. Our master has already extracted a confession. We’re stationed here to protect your reputation. If you’re smart, you’ll keep quiet and behave. But if you try to cause a scene like last time—barging into Longevity Hall and injuring Liubei—you’ll have to get past me first.”
His blunt words struck her like a blow. Under normal circumstances, she would have slapped him, but guilt made her hesitate. She stared at Shuangxi, her face flushing and paling by turns.
Shuangxi snorted, not even deigning to look at her. Inside, Si Shunr continued to wail until Shuangxi roared, “What’s all the howling? Planning a funeral? Your mistress isn’t dead yet!”
Si Shunr instantly fell silent.
Cao Lihuan had no energy to quarrel with Shuangxi now. A sense of foreboding gripped her, and cold sweat trickled down her spine. She considered retreating to gather more information, but just then, Liubei approached with seven or eight matrons and serving-women in tow.
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