Ying Shuang responded and stepped forward, slapping Xianglan twice across the face. Zhao Yuechan frowned and snapped, "Fool! Who told you to use your hands? Fetch the bamboo paddle and beat her with that!"
Ying Shuang promptly took the bamboo paddle and struck twice— smack smack —Xianglan’s cheeks immediately swelled. After a few more blows, blood trickled from her nose and lips. Xianglan felt her face burning with pain, tears and blood mingling as she nearly fainted from the agony. Filled with resentment and injustice, she thought bitterly, Zhao Yuechan is trying to kill me with false accusations. If I confess, she’ll say I’m wicked and have me beaten to death. If I don’t, she’ll say I’m stubborn and torture me even worse. Might as well grit my teeth and deny everything.
After more than a dozen strikes, Zhao Yuechan ordered, "Stop."
Ying Shuang withdrew the paddle. Xianglan’s face was swollen beyond recognition, numb from the pain. Sobbing uncontrollably, she struggled to speak but managed to kowtow several times, gasping, "Madam, please believe me, I truly don’t know anything. Even if I had a hundred times the courage, I wouldn’t dare take my master’s belongings."
Zhao Yuechan said coldly, "Tell me—what did Concubine Lan say to Hua Mei before she died? Did you hear it?"
Xianglan’s heart sank. She lifted her tear-filled eyes to glance at Zhao Yuechan and thought, She’s so fixated on this—there must be something major behind Concubine Lan’s death. But I already lied to Yin Die, saying I heard Concubine Lan wanted to see the Master. Who knows what Yin Die whispered behind my back? Now I can’t take it back. She forced herself to speak through the pain, slurring, "I didn’t hear clearly… Concubine Lan only said she missed her parents and the Master… that she couldn’t see them one last time before dying."
Zhao Yuechan’s voice turned sharp. "Still lying to me! The paddle hasn’t done its job yet!"
Xianglan kowtowed repeatedly, crying, "Please spare me, Madam! Even if you beat me to death, I don’t know anything. Someone must have slandered me to you—I demand to confront them!" As she spoke, she glanced up at Yin Die.
Yin Die, already terrified by Zhao Yuechan’s ruthlessness, shrank back when Xianglan looked at her, waving her hands frantically. "Wh-why are you looking at me? You and Hua Mei were the only ones beside Concubine Lan when she passed… She spoke to Hua Mei for a long time—you must have heard!"
Xianglan was sharp. She quickly pieced things together, thinking, Concubine Lan must have held some damning secret about Zhao Yuechan—probably related to that indigo booklet. Ying Shuang and Chun Ling bumped into each other in the garden, both falling and mixing up the booklets in the chaos. The one Zhao Yuechan lost must contain something deadly. Concubine Lan used it against her and was silenced. Now Zhao Yuechan is hunting for that booklet—and getting rid of me in the process.
Her mind raced, and she pointed at Yin Die. "You’re lying! You were standing right beside Concubine Lan, closer than me! I was far away and barely heard anything—you should’ve heard it all!" The pain from her injuries made her words difficult, tears streaming down her face.
Yin Die’s hair stood on end. She dropped to her knees with a thud , kowtowing wildly. "This little wretch is spouting nonsense! Madam, I stood far away—the maids and matrons in the room can vouch for me! I—" She fell silent when she saw Zhao Yuechan’s darkening expression.Zhao Yuechan watched the two of them accusing each other, her lips curling into a cold smile. Her once-charming peach blossom eyes were now filled with nothing but icy disdain as she said indifferently, "Go on, keep talking. You dogs biting each other, all trying to deceive me. How bold you’ve become. If you don’t give me a proper explanation today, neither of you will get off lightly. Push me too far, and don’t blame me for being merciless—I’ll sell you both to the brothels!"
Yin Die was terrified, shrinking into a trembling heap on the ground.
Xianglan sobbed pitifully, "This servant is truly wronged... I really didn’t hear what Concubine Lan said before she passed... and I wouldn’t dare steal from the master... If I’m lying, may the mistress beat me to death..." She then burst into loud wails, hoping someone would hear and come to her rescue.
Zhao Yuechan pointed at her and scolded, "Stop howling like you’re at a funeral! Gag her! You little seductress, luring men in—you deserve to be beaten to death. You thought you could sneak a taste of the master’s favor, didn’t you? Pah! I’ll break your dog legs!" Ying Shuang promptly stuffed a cloth into Xianglan’s mouth, and Zhao Yuechan ordered loudly, "Take her to the back courtyard and lock her in the small room. Keep a close eye on her. I’ll decide her fate later."
Ying Shuang then called in two sturdy maids, who dragged Xianglan away. After the commotion, Zhao Yuechan felt somewhat exhausted and was still troubled by the missing ledger. She waved dismissively at Yin Die and said, "Get out. Let me rest."
Yin Die kowtowed before scrambling to her feet to leave, but Zhao Yuechan suddenly barked, "Come back!"
Yin Die hurriedly turned around, standing with her hands clasped obediently. Zhao Yuechan glared at her and said, "If even a single word of this gets out, it’ll be on your head. Remember this—search Concubine Lan’s room inside and out. If that ledger isn’t found, you’d better watch your skin!"
Yin Die shuddered in fear and hastily agreed before scurrying away.
Not long after, Ying Shuang returned to find Zhao Yuechan sitting on the kang, massaging her temples. She tiptoed over, poured a cup of tea, and placed it gently on the kang table before whispering, "Mistress, even after all those threats and the beating, Xianglan still wouldn’t confess. It seems she truly doesn’t know what Concubine Lan said before she died..."
Zhao Yuechan frowned slightly. "What does it matter if she’s innocent? That maid can’t stay here anyway."
Ying Shuang hesitated. "Does the mistress really plan to sell her... sell her..." The word "brothel" lingered on her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Zhao Yuechan sneered. "The brothel? I’d like to, but that old hag is in charge now. Every move I make is being watched—it’s not so easy. In a few days, once things settle, we’ll quietly arrange for a slaver to come during that wretched woman’s funeral. Sell the girl far away to a brothel. Only then will I have peace."
Ying Shuang dared not argue, forcing a smile instead. Zhao Yuechan mused, "Qing Lan and that bastard died at just the right time. No witnesses, and a thorn in my side removed—it’s saved me trouble. But until that ledger is found, I won’t rest easy." She reclined on the kang, lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Fetch me paper and brush. I need to write a letter to my cousin. Tell him to meet me tonight or tomorrow night, at exactly hai hour, in the small passage room by the west gate of the estate."
Ying Shuang wanted to advise against it but bit her lip and stayed silent.
Zhao Yuechan drifted into thought again before asking, "Has that little minx Hua Mei made any moves?"Ying Shuang quickly replied, "Bai Lu has been keeping watch every moment—not even a fly could slip out unnoticed."
Zhao Yuechan nodded and said, "Later, announce that some jewelry has gone missing from my room and that every chamber must be searched. Take some people and thoroughly comb through her quarters."
Ying Shuang promptly assured her, "Rest assured, mistress. We’ll search every nook and cranny until it’s spotless."
Whatever further schemes the mistress and her maid concocted shall be set aside for now. Meanwhile, Hua Mei, while assisting with the funeral arrangements in the eastern wing, quietly slipped the ledger hidden beneath the bed plank into her sleeve. Returning to her room, she opened it and was immediately startled. Bolting the door, she flipped through the pages one by one, then let out a series of cold laughs. "No wonder Qing Lan risked her life for this thing. She was delusional—such a golden opportunity has now fallen into my lap instead."
After sitting in her room, turning the matter over in her mind, she changed into fresh clothes and dusted another layer of powder over her face in the mirror, making herself appear even paler and more haggard. Concealing the ledger close to her body, she called Xi Que in and gave her some instructions. The two then headed toward Qin Shi’s quarters.
Qiang Wei was standing at the doorway, hanging a brocade pouch talisman to ward off illness. Seeing Hua Mei approach, she stopped her and asked, "What brings you here, miss? Taitai isn’t feeling well—she just took medicine and has fallen asleep."
Hua Mei wore a tearful expression. "I know Taitai must be grieving terribly after Concubine Lan’s passing, and her health has suffered because of it, but... but I..."
Qiang Wei asked, "What’s the matter, miss?"
Hua Mei pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes. "I just received word from home—my father took a bad fall, and his condition is worsening. They’re asking me to return and see him..." As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and she broke into muffled sobs.
Xi Que patted Hua Mei’s back soothingly. "Don’t cry, miss. You’ll make yourself ill." Then, looking up at Qiang Wei, she added, "Miss wishes to return home, but with Concubine Lan’s recent passing, the household is in disarray. The young mistress is also unwell and isn’t receiving visitors, so miss has come to ask Taitai for leave."
Qiang Wei said, "This is a serious matter. Wait here a moment." She turned and went inside to find Hongjian, relaying the situation. Hongjian frowned in thought before saying, "Taitai has just fallen asleep—there’s no need to disturb her over such a small matter. If Hua Mei’s father is in critical condition, refusing her leave would be heartless. Let her go. Following the usual practice, withdraw twenty taels from the accounts for her to take home for medicine and treatment. I’ll inform Taitai later."
With this decision, Qiang Wei went back to relay the message to Hua Mei.
Hua Mei and her maid naturally expressed profuse gratitude. Weeping, Hua Mei said, "My dear Taitai is truly a bodhisattva—she even granted me silver. There’s no one in the world as compassionate as her." With that, she knelt on the steps and kowtowed three times toward Qin Shi’s room.
Qiang Wei thought to herself, "No wonder everyone says Hua Mei from the Master’s quarters is the most eloquent and capable. Seeing her today, she truly is sharp and well-mannered." She hurriedly helped Hua Mei up, saying, "The ground is cold—get up quickly."
Hua Mei grasped Qiang Wei’s hand. "Dear sister, Concubine Lan’s death was so tragic. We were like sisters—I felt an indescribable bond with her. My heart aches as if it’s been gouged out. And now, hearing about my father’s accident, my legs are trembling so badly I can barely stand. May I shamelessly ask you to support me for a while?"
Qiang Wei, a second-tier maid in Qin Shi’s household, was kind-hearted and soft-spoken. Seeing Hua Mei in such a state, she and Xi Que supported her on either side, escorting her all the way to the inner gate and watching as the mistress and maid boarded the carriage before turning back.The moment Hua Mei stepped into the carriage, her pitiful and delicate expression vanished completely. Lifting the curtain, she said to the coachman, "Drive quickly, and you'll get double the reward."
Xi Que used a handkerchief to dab the fragrant sweat from Hua Mei's temples and whispered, "Will the Mistress and the others come after us?"
Leaning against the carriage wall, Hua Mei took out the booklet and gently stroked it, replying calmly, "Not so soon. We must take advantage of her unpreparedness and slip away in the chaos. We'll hide at home for a couple of days and return only after the Master comes back."
Xi Que gave a soft "Mm" and picked up a fan to cool Hua Mei.
Hua Mei slightly closed her eyes.
Thank you to Yan Sansheng for two Peace Talismans, Hua Xiyue Xi for a Peace Talisman, yu21yu21 for 12 PK votes, Le Dalle for digging it up, Tao Hua Xie for 1 PK vote, and another classmate who cast 50 PK votes for me (was it classmate 05111039283? Or someone else?). Forgive me for being useless—I don’t know how to check the records. Can someone teach me? I bow in gratitude here. I’m sorry for making everyone spend, but please continue to cast pink votes for me! Because I write slowly, I’ve set 30 votes for an extra update. Please support me! Also, Xiao He has a bad habit—the update times aren’t fixed. Please forgive and bear with me!
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