As the saying goes, enemies see red upon meeting. Cao Lihuan instantly stiffened, her face turning guarded. Liubei stopped before Cao Lihuan, her gaze icy though a smile played on her lips as she slowly declared, "I've come on Old Madam's orders. Old Madam says you must pack your belongings immediately. The carriage is ready at the gate—we're to escort you home."
It was as if a thunderbolt had struck Cao Lihuan, freezing her in place. Meanwhile, the matrons behind Liubei marched straight into the courtyard. Staggering, Cao Lihuan glanced inside and saw Si Shunr crouched on the ground like a dog. Her head spun, and true fear only seized her when she witnessed them carrying her possessions out of the room.
This time—this time it was real!
Huier was still blocking the matrons from taking the camphorwood chest on the kang, shouting, "What are you doing? What is this? These are our young lady's things! Put them down at once!"
Siqiao, terrified and tear-streaked, stumbled to Cao Lihuan and tugged at her sleeve, weeping, "Miss, what—what is happening? Why aren't you stopping them?"
The flesh on Cao Lihuan's face twitched. She was about to grab Siqiao and demand an explanation when Liubei's sharp voice cut through, "Old Madam has instructed that Miss Huan's belongings are valuable. We mustn't let sticky-fingered folk pilfer anything. Very well—Fangkun's wife, take two others and accompany Miss Huan's maids to tidy her rooms. Let no one claim later that missing items are our fault!" Fangkun's wife acknowledged the order and, like seizing chicks, hauled Huier and Siqiao away.
Realizing she'd get no answers here, and not daring to approach Si Shunr, Cao Lihuan turned to leave. But at the gate, she collided with Liubei. Looking up, she found Liubei watching her, a mocking smile curling her lips as she even performed a curtsey: "My dear young lady, why such haste? This is hardly the conduct of a well-bred miss from a respectable family—a true relative of the Lins. Others would laugh at such impropriety."
"You..." Cao Lihuan's face turned ashen as she glared venomously, yet she knew this was no time for quarrels. Shoving Liubei aside, she strode off. Several matrons moved to intercept her, but Liubei lightly held them back, sneering, "Let her go if she wishes. If she seeks her own humiliation, who are we to stop her?"
With wind at her heels, Cao Lihuan rushed to the main house where Old Madam resided. The maids in the courtyard seemed to expect her, for none attempted to block her path. Pausing at the main hall's entrance, Cao Lihuan took a deep breath before lifting the curtain and entering. Immediately, she wailed, "Old Madam..."
Before she could continue, Qin Shi rose and stepped forward, declaring, "Old Madam is already unwell due to Qi's illness. Do you mean to add to her distress by bursting in weeping?"
Tears brimming in her reddened eyes, Cao Lihuan protested, "If Old Madam is casting me out, haven't I the right to grieve? Am I not even permitted to cry?"
Qin Shi's expression was frosty, her lips curling. "No one forbids your tears. Can you not see Old Madam is bedridden? What if your outburst startles her?"
Cao Lihuan looked and saw Old Madam Lin indeed reclining on the Arhat Bed, her face pale, with Wang Shi seated beside her holding a bowl of medicine.
Old Madam Lin lifted her eyelids to glance at Cao Lihuan, then closed them again.Cao Lihuan gritted her teeth and fell to her knees with a thud, shuffling closer to Old Madam Lin as tears began to fall. "I know I shouldn't disturb you while you're unwell, but I truly have no choice... I beg you to tell me plainly what wrong I've committed to make you despise me so..."
Old Madam Lin kept her eyes closed for a long moment before finally speaking. "You've become too accomplished. Our Lin family can no longer accommodate someone of your stature. You know perfectly well why Third Master Ting moved out and why Miss Qi fell ill."
Cao Lihuan's heart sank, but she tearfully defended herself, "Why must you say such things, Old Madam? I... I truly know nothing of this..."
Old Madam Lin waved her hand dismissively, her face filled with such disgust that she seemed unwilling to hear more.
Kowtowing while weeping, Cao Lihuan pleaded, "Old Madam, I beg you, give me another chance. I know I was willful and foolish before, causing trouble and angering my elders without reason. But I truly know nothing about what happened with Third Cousin Ting and Cousin Qi!" Her makeup mixed with tears, making her look like a painted cat, yet there was a pitiable quality to her appearance.
Seeing Cao Lihuan's seemingly genuine tears and apparent ignorance, Old Madam Lin glanced at Qin Shi. Qin Shi gritted her teeth secretly, knowing how soft-hearted Old Madam Lin could be, and feared she might change her mind or be deceived by Cao Lihuan again. She let out a cold laugh. "Miss Huan, we're trying to spare your dignity. Must you force us to make this public?"
Furious yet weeping as if her world had ended, Cao Lihuan looked pitifully at Qin Shi. "Why would you say such things, Aunt? I know you've long... long disliked me. It's all my fault for being so useless, for failing to meet your expectations... But you can't think of me as entirely wicked from now on..." She kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead nearly bleeding.
Qin Shi looked down at Cao Lihuan coldly, then lifted the door curtain and called outside, "Let her in."
A maid entered with her head bowed. The moment Cao Lihuan saw her, her pupils contracted sharply.
It was actually Xianglan!
Xianglan, neatly dressed and properly groomed!
Xianglan knelt respectfully without even glancing at Cao Lihuan. "Greetings to Old Madam, First Madam, and Second Madam." She moved naturally, her expression calm and composed, showing no sign of distress. Cao Lihuan's heart tightened.
Qin Shi said indifferently, "Speak."
Xianglan kept her head bowed. "Miss Huan once gave me an envelope and ordered me to deliver it personally to Third Master Ting. Regardless of what was written inside, this constitutes an improper private exchange. Moreover, rumors about Miss Huan and Third Master Ting had already been circulating in the household. I didn't want to deliver it, but Miss Huan forced me and even sent a maid to secretly follow me. Not long after I delivered the letter, Third Master Ting moved out of the garden."
"You—you're lying!" Cao Lihuan's eyes flashed with venom."I am not speaking nonsense. If there is a single lie in my words, may I be struck by lightning and have my throat fester with sores!" Xianglan suddenly turned her head to look at Cao Lihuan, her gaze innocent and even somewhat simple-minded. "Miss even conspired with Huier, planning to move to the Cuiju Residence because it is closer to the Woyun Courtyard where Third Master Ting lives. Later, when Madam brought Siqiao to reprimand Miss, Miss was very indignant and once said, 'I would rather be a high-ranking concubine in the Lin family than live in poverty.' She also said that even if she is only a high-ranking concubine for now, the position of the principal wife will eventually be hers."
Old Madam Lin's expression grew increasingly grim, while Wang Shi's face turned livid with anger. Qin Shi, however, looked pleasantly surprised—she had thought Xianglan was a dull and unresponsive girl, but who would have expected her to speak so clearly and sharply, each word striking like a blade!
Cao Lihuan wanted to rush forward and tear Xianglan's face apart, shouting loudly, "You little wretch! You're lying! You're slandering me! You're lying!"
Xianglan still maintained an innocent, unworldly expression as she looked at Old Madam Lin's face. "I am not speaking nonsense. These are things I overheard by accident while working in the room when Miss Huan was speaking privately with Huier. I even advised her that she was already engaged to Young Master Ren and that marrying out would make her a proper wife. But Miss wouldn't listen and instead scolded and hit me for meddling, so I had no choice but to stop speaking."
"Old Madam, Old Madam, don't believe her!" Cao Lihuan scrambled on her knees to cling to Old Madam Lin's legs. "This maid is wicked-hearted, lazy, disobedient, and dishonest. I disciplined her strictly, and she holds a grudge, so she is taking revenge out of spite..." She put on a heartbroken expression and looked at Xianglan, sobbing pitifully, "I was only strict with you, why must you... why must you..."
Before she could finish, Xianglan burst into loud sobs, crying even more sorrowfully than Cao Lihuan. "Miss, how can you say such things? The clothes on your body, the handkerchiefs in your hand, your wedding dress, and dowry—all of them were embroidered by me. And the tasks of heating water, sweeping, and watering the flowers were all done by me too." She raised her hands as she spoke. "If Old Madam doesn't believe me, look at the needle marks on my hands. Miss, in all conscience, tell me, which of them—Huier, Huairui, or even Siqiao later—did more work than I did? I may not be to your liking because I am foolish, but you shouldn't dislike me just because I gave you honest advice... Today, in front of Old Madam and Madam, I am speaking these words. Otherwise, when have you ever heard me gossiping behind your back? When have I ever spoken ill of you? I am saying this only so that Old Madam and Madam can advise you properly..." Her crying was genuine, stirred by the memories of past grievances, and she was truly heartbroken.
Qin Shi almost wanted to clap and cheer. This little maid was exceptionally clever and eloquent. Originally, betraying her mistress and reporting secrets was somewhat dishonorable, no matter how one looked at it. But by deliberately acting innocent, she made people believe she had no ulterior motives. With just a few words of explanation, she turned the situation into "she gave honest advice, but her mistress wouldn't listen, so she had no choice but to tell the elders and let them discipline her."Xianglan wiped her tears with her sleeve and continued with a choked voice, "Later, the young lady became increasingly... confused. During today's birthday banquet, she secretly took a peach from the table, claiming she needed to relieve herself. I followed behind and saw her squeezing peach juice into a porcelain bottle in the washroom. When she returned to the banquet, she used her sleeve as cover to pour the peach juice into the wine and coaxed Miss Qi into drinking several cups. At first, I was puzzled, but then I suddenly remembered that during Miss Qi's last visit with Miss Huan, she had mentioned she couldn't touch or eat peaches. Fearing something might happen to Miss Qi and worrying Old Madam and Madam, I went out and happened to meet Sister Hongjian, so I told her."
As soon as the words were spoken, the room fell silent.
Cao Lihuan's body went limp, feeling as if all the blood in her veins had turned cold.
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