Though Qing Lan was timid and submissive by nature, as the saying goes, "A man's heart is insatiable as a snake trying to swallow an elephant"—once greed took root, it became uncontrollable. When Qin Shi had sent a matchmaker to her family proposing that she become Lin Jinlou's concubine, her father had hesitated and wanted to refuse. But after secretly catching a glimpse of Lin Jinlou from behind a screen, she had fallen head over heels, convinced that such a talented and handsome man was rare in this world. Even if she had to remain a concubine for life, she would willingly stay by his side.
Initially, when she lived in the capital, Lin Jinlou doted on her, and the shrewd servants in the mansion all addressed her as "Madam," deliberately omitting the title of "concubine." She felt there was little difference between her and the legal wife. But upon returning to Jinling, the first thing she had to do was kneel and serve tea to the legal wife. She was also relegated to the side chambers of the eastern wing. Though her living standards were not poor, her status could not compare to that of the proper mistress. During the Lin family's banquets, she, as a concubine, wasn't even allowed to attend! The last time Lin Jinlou had intended to stay in the eastern wing, Zhao Yuechan had stormed in, smashing cups and injuring her maids. Yet Lin Jinlou hadn't reprimanded her—instead, he had followed Zhao Yuechan back to the main chambers to rest. Qing Lan said nothing, but her heart burned with anguish.
A few days ago, she had instructed her servants to organize a poetry club, hoping to shine and gain recognition. But Taitai had harshly scolded her for overstepping her bounds, even telling her to "focus on serving the Master and the Mistress properly!"
Only then did she realize that no matter how much Zhao Yuechan displeased Lin Jinlou or how coldly her husband treated her, her status as the legal wife remained unshaken. Everyone still bowed and addressed her as "Mistress," and if any scandal arose, the entire family would rush to cover it up. No matter how much Lin Jinlou favored her, Qing Lan was ultimately just a concubine—a plaything dependent on a man's favor to survive. What would happen if Lin Jinlou took a new favorite in the future? And now, she could already see his affection for her waning. She was still young and beautiful, yet merely because she was pregnant, Lin Jinlou had already set his sights on her maid.
Xianglan—lovely, graceful Xianglan, even more beautiful than herself...
Would she, too, end up like the opera lyrics: "Beauty still in bloom, yet favor already lost"?
Qing Lan clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her nails digging deep into her palm.
If she could personally deliver the account book to Lin Jinlou, the position of the Lin family's Mistress would be within her grasp. Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she had to try. With this thought, she lifted the bed board and hid the account book in the hidden compartment between the bed frames.
Just as she smoothed out the bedding, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap that startled Qing Lan into jumping up. She was not a woman of courage and resolve, and her heart wavered between fear and anxiety. She wanted to seek advice, but Wu Mama had caught a chill and, fearing she might pass it on, had gone home to recuperate. The remaining maids and servants were either untrustworthy or dull-witted. She paced restlessly, standing up and sitting down, her heart in torment.
In the main chamber of Zhichun Hall.
Zhao Yuechan delivered a resounding slap to Ying Shuang's face and scolded, "Useless wretch! I sent you to the second gate to retrieve the account book from my cousin's servant—what did you bring back instead? You're supposed to be experienced, yet you can't even handle such a simple task. What good are you?" With that, she hurled a stack of Buddhist scriptures straight into Ying Shuang's face.Ying Shuang knelt on the floor, covering her face with tears in her eyes, and said, "Please calm your anger, Taitai. I bumped into Chun Ling and Xianglan in the garden and must have taken the wrong ledger in the confusion. I was closest to Chun Ling at the time, so the account book should be in the east wing with Concubine Lan."
Zhao Yuechan grew even more furious, stepping forward to strike her several times. "Has lightning fried your brain or have ghosts eaten your soul? How could you make such a muddle-headed mistake! Of all people to lose it to, it had to fall into that little wretch's hands! If she hands that ledger to Taitai and the Master, we might as well all hang ourselves with ropes and be done with it!"
Ying Shuang kowtowed tearfully. "Taitai, I was wrong! Please spare me!"
Zhao Yuechan trembled with rage, both frightened and furious. "Spare you? How can I spare you? I’ll fetch a white silk cord right now—first strangle you, then hang myself from the rafters!"
Ying Shuang clung to Zhao Yuechan’s legs, sobbing. "How did it come to this? The ledger was just lost—it must still be in the east wing. Why not send Yin Die to steal it back—"
Zhao Yuechan scoffed. "Don’t mention that useless girl. The east wing has been on guard against her for ages."
Ying Shuang wiped her tears. "Then I’ll go ask for it back."
Zhao Yuechan spat. "Fool! If that little wretch hasn’t realized the mistake, she might still exchange it with you. But if she’s already discovered it’s something deadly, why would she ever give it back?"
Ying Shuang thought to herself, "I warned her long ago to stop lending usurious loans, but Taitai listened to that cousin’s sweet talk and kept lending money. Now that the truth is out, we’ll never escape blame. And if they trace it back and uncover the affair between Taitai and that cousin, I’d rather dash my brains out now and be done with it." She wept even harder.
Zhao Yuechan kicked her. "Crying! All you do is cry! Shut up at once!" Ying Shuang immediately stifled her sobs, choking back quiet whimpers. Zhao Yuechan thought for a moment, then exhaled deeply. "Someone! I’m going to the east wing."
At once, Zhao Yuechan took her maid Bai Lu and lifted her skirts as she headed to the east wing. Yin Die was under the eaves, collecting rainwater in a large earthenware jar. When she saw Zhao Yuechan approaching, she startled, lifting the curtain and calling out, "Taitai is here!"
Zhao Yuechan’s mind was in turmoil, paying no heed to the young maidservant as she strode straight inside. Chun Ling was guarding Qing Lan’s bedroom door, doing needlework. Seeing Zhao Yuechan’s aggressive demeanor, she couldn’t stop her and could only shout, "Taitai is here!" Xianglan was inside making shoes, puzzled as to why Zhao Yuechan had come to the east wing unprovoked. She peeked out and saw Zhao Yuechan storming toward the bedroom, then quickly ducked back in.
Qing Lan paced frantically in her room. Hearing Zhao Yuechan’s arrival, she panicked even more, unsure whether to sit or stand, her mind blank with no strategy in sight. Before she could compose herself, Zhao Yuechan had already swept aside the curtain and entered. Their eyes met, and Zhao Yuechan smirked. "What keeps you so busy, Qing Lan?"
Qing Lan forced an unnatural smile, stammering, "N-nothing, just sitting idly." In her panic, she even forgot to offer a seat or tea.Zhao Yuechan was an intelligent woman. Seeing Qing Lan's demeanor, she immediately understood the situation and became composed instead. She picked a chair to sit in, raised her eyebrows, and said, "I wouldn't come here without a reason. My clumsy maid accidentally swapped books with your maid in the garden." She signaled Bai Lu with a glance to hand the Buddhist scripture to Qing Lan and smiled, "Sister, is this yours?"
Qing Lan lowered her head and took the book. The indigo-blue cover contained a neatly transcribed copy of the Diamond Sutra —the very one Xianglan had lent her. Her heart pounded as she secretly glanced at Zhao Yuechan.
Zhao Yuechan sat opposite her, smiling, but her eyes were like two chilling swords, sharp and icy, making Qing Lan shiver involuntarily.
Zhao Yuechan asked, "This is yours, isn't it?"
Qing Lan forced a smile. "Thank you for bringing it back, Madam. This is indeed the scripture I lost..." She walked to the shelf, took down a few books, and flipped through them, avoiding Zhao Yuechan's gaze. "Strange, I don’t seem to have the book you lost here."
"Oh?" Zhao Yuechan raised her brows, walked over, took the books from Qing Lan, and flipped through them with a faint smile. "How odd."
Qing Lan whispered, "Perhaps your maid left it somewhere else."
Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Left it somewhere else—or did you hide it?"
Qing Lan flinched, shrinking her neck, and stammered, "Madam jests... I... I..."
Zhao Yuechan softened her tone. "Why call me 'Madam'? We live together and serve the Master side by side. Just call me 'elder sister.' Originally, there were a few others in the Master's household—all seductive troublemakers who led him astray. Out of concern for his health, I dared not discipline the Bedchamber servants too harshly, only advising him to take care. Yet, it displeased him. And because I managed the household strictly, some servants gossiped behind my back, tarnishing my reputation. I endured it all without complaint. It wasn’t until lives were lost that the Master realized those vixens were trouble and dismissed them. He knows I meant well, but he’s still resentful, so he treats me coldly. You’re clever, sister. Though I may sometimes be careless and fail to look after you properly, have I ever made things difficult for you?"
Qhao Yuechan smiled. "Exactly. In truth, I was overjoyed when you joined the household and became pregnant with the Master’s child. Heaven has blessed me with a companion. Won’t we be closer than blood sisters, sharing joy together?"
Qing Lan said, "I only ask for your kindness, Madam. I wish to serve you all my life." She moved to bow.
Zhao Yuechan quickly held her arm. "I knew you weren’t deceitful... To be honest, sister, that book of mine is very important. Please search again. If you find it, return it to me."
Qing Lan’s left hand subtly touched her belly. Steeling herself, she said, "I truly don’t have your book here."Zhao Yuechan's smile froze on her face as she thought bitterly, "It seems she's determined to keep her mouth shut and deny everything. How infuriating that she has Taitai and the child in her belly backing her up! Otherwise, I'd burn this place to the ground and be done with it. Without that ledger, the loans I just issued won't have any proof, costing me seven or eight thousand taels of silver for nothing. Losing the silver is one thing, but if Master truly finds out..." Her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze at Qing Lan grew even more venomous.
Rolls of thunder echoed across the sky, plunging the room into silence. Bai Lu whispered, "Madam, it's about to rain. Should I fetch an umbrella?"
Zhao Yuechan replied coldly, "No need. Let's go." With that, she turned and strode out the door. Qing Lan exhaled in relief and hurried after to see her off.
Standing on the veranda steps outside, Zhao Yuechan suddenly whirled around and glared at Qing Lan, her anger simmering. "You wretch! If you think you can scheme against me, I won't let you off easy either!" She took a deep breath and ordered her attendants, "Step back for a moment. I have something private to say to Concubine Lan."
Torrential rain began to pour.
This chapter is dedicated to reader Yan Sansheng's He's Jade Disc ^_^~~ Also, a plea to those sharing pirated copies: please wait at least 24 hours before reposting. Continuing to ask for pink votes—if not pink votes, then at least give me more recommendation votes!!!
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