These words left Lin Dongling speechless. She wanted to say she dared, but Duke Xian’s maid was right there beside her; yet if she said nothing, she would be caught in a dilemma. Seeing the situation turning sour, Lin Dongxiu chimed in, "We’re discussing your disrespect toward your superiors, so why are you dragging Duke Xian’s household into this? Duke Xian’s household would never tolerate a troublemaking servant like you!"
Xianglan, however, acted as though she hadn’t heard Lin Dongxiu’s words. Her eyes fixed solely on Lin Dongling, she stepped forward and said, "Young lady, do tell us—do you dare or not? If you dare, then go to Duke Xian’s ancestral home in Jiangnan and cause a scene there too, throwing pastries in his maids’ faces. If you truly do that, I’ll kneel on the ground, bark like a dog, and crawl a full circle around Jinling City. But if you don’t dare, then you’re looking down on our Song family. I’ll report this matter to the Eldest Master, and we’ll have a proper discussion about it."
By now, Lin Dongling was already regretting her actions. She felt as though she were being roasted over a fire. She never expected a lowly maid to be so aggressive, backing her into a corner, exploiting her weak points, and piling accusations on her until she was left tongue-tied.
Lin Dongling sneered, "Look at you—daring to make bets with your masters! How dare you! Given how you’ve repeatedly shown disrespect today, I ought to report you to Auntie and have her discipline you severely! Not to mention, there was something dirty in the pastries you made. Our masters are all precious—if any of them fell ill from eating them, your worthless life wouldn’t be enough to make up for it!"
Upon hearing this, Xianglan lowered her head and said, "Then let’s take this pastry to Madam and have her judge whether there’s anything dirty in it that could cause someone’s death." As she spoke, she moved to pick up the pine nut cake.
Lin Dongling grew anxious—there was nothing wrong with the pastry; she had simply used it as an excuse to pick a fight. If this went on, her scheme would be exposed. Just as she was at a loss, Lin Dongxiu quickly stepped forward, reaching the cake before Xianglan could, and stomped on it, crushing it to pieces and nearly stepping on Xianglan’s hand in the process.
Xianglan stood up and glanced at Lin Dongxiu, whose face was flushed and breathing heavy. She straightened her posture, smoothed her hair, and adjusted the half-sleeve of her robe embroidered with pale tea-rose and peony blossoms. With dignified composure, she said, "In that case, we all know the truth about this pine nut cake. If we continue to argue, it will only make everyone lose face. I have a proposal: the young ladies may leave now, close the door behind you, and we’ll pretend this never happened. Madam won’t know, the Eldest Master won’t know, and neither will Miss Tan. What do you think?" She thought to herself, "Lin Dongling is just an immature child—why should I stoop to her level? It’s better to settle this peacefully. Since they haven’t gained any advantage, I’ll give them a way out and let the matter drop."
Lin Dongxiu breathed a quiet sigh of relief and was about to leave, but Lin Dongling, unwilling to accept defeat, felt that leaving in such a humiliating manner was too shameful. She swept her hand across the desk, sending books, calligraphy copies, brush stands, and other items clattering to the floor. Xianglan, knowing the inkstone was a treasured possession of Song Ke’s, rushed forward to catch it, but Lin Dongxiu shoved her from behind. Losing her balance, Xianglan hit her head against the table, and the inkstone fell, staining her pomegranate-red skirt with a large black blotch before rolling away across the floor.Lin Dongling felt a sense of satisfaction upon seeing Xianglan in such a disheveled state. She snorted and said, "Serves you right for using your bewitching charms to seduce others all day! If I ever catch you coaxing Cousin again, I’ll be the first to make you pay!" Turning to leave, she noticed the three maids still standing at the door and shoved them aside. "What are you all gawking at here? Come back with me." Mid-sentence, her words caught in her throat as she saw Song Ke approaching her. "What’s going on?" he asked.
Lin Dongling stammered, unable to form a coherent reply, breaking out in a cold sweat from anxiety. Lin Dongxiu, ever shrewd, refused to show herself and hid behind the door, pretending to be absent. Meanwhile, Zheng Jingxian, noticing that Dongling, Dongxiu, and her own maid Yue’er were missing, came out to search for them. Following the noise, she arrived at the study but remained standing beneath the grape arbor, watching from a distance.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Song Ke craned his neck to peer into the room. The floor was in disarray—books scattered everywhere, the large blue-and-white porcelain brush washer shattered to pieces, and brushes rolled all about. Xianglan sat on the floor, a large ink stain on her skirt, rubbing her head as she slowly stood up and bent to pick up the inkstone.
Song Ke’s expression instantly darkened. He pushed aside Lin Dongling, who stood in his way, strode into the room, and pulled Xianglan up by the arm. "What happened? Did you fall? Where are you hurt? Let me see."
His sudden movement caused the inkstone Xianglan had just picked up to fall to the floor again. "Oh no, the inkstone fell again. What if it’s broken?" she fretted.
Song Ke gripped her arms firmly. "It’s just an inkstone. Even if it breaks, it’s not a big deal. Sit down first and let me check where you’re injured." He pressed her into a chair and examined her carefully.
Xianglan said, "It’s nothing. I just bumped my head against the table earlier."
Song Ke looked closely and indeed saw a red, swollen bump on her forehead. He sighed in relief. "Fortunately, it’s not serious. Wait here, I’ll get some ointment." Without another word, he fetched a small enameled circular box from a drawer, dipped his finger in it, and personally applied the ointment to Xianglan’s forehead, as if no one else were present.
Xianglan dodged left and right. "Let me do it myself," she insisted repeatedly before Song Ke finally relented.
This scene made Dongling and Dongxiu burn with jealousy on the spot. Song Ke turned and asked, "What exactly happened just now?"
No one answered. He asked again, "What is going on here?"
Lin Dongxiu glanced at Song Ke, then lifted her eyes to look at Lin Dongling. Xianglan thought coldly to herself, "Fourth Miss is truly cunning. With just one look, she shifts the blame onto her sister. Even if she wasn’t the one causing trouble, she was the most despicable, fanning the flames and jumping around earlier."
When Song Ke asked a third time, slightly raising his voice, "What is the meaning of this?" silence fell over everyone.
After a long pause, Lin Dongling stiffened her neck and declared, "I just found something dirty in the pastries I was eating. I heard Xianglan made them, so I came to question her. Who knew she’d be so insolent and disrespectful repeatedly? In a fit of anger, I swept the table clean. If I broke any of your beloved items, Cousin, I apologize and will buy you a better one to replace it!"Song Ke furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing this and glanced back at Xianglan, who gave a faint shake of her head. Turning away, Song Ke maintained a gentle tone: "What kind of talk is this, cousin? They're just the Four Treasures of the Study, hardly worth anything. Between family, why speak of compensation? Only..." His voice grew firmer, "Xianglan is a maid of the Song household. If she's done wrong, you should inform either me or Madam. Taking matters into your own hands would be overstepping. Moreover, the front courtyard is where men reside. You shouldn't have rushed here so recklessly. If male visitors had seen you and later spread gossip, I'd find it difficult to face your mother."
Lin Dongxiu, ever perceptive, immediately responded: "Cousin, we were wrong. Please don't be angry—I apologize properly." She performed an elegant curtsy, then looked at Xianglan: "Sister Xianglan, please forgive my youthful thoughtlessness."
Xianglan thought to herself how skillfully Lin Dongxiu shifted with the wind—truly a talent—while feigning a smile: "It's nothing. I also apologize to you, miss." She bowed in return, and Lin Dongxiu hastily reciprocated.
Lin Dongling pouted, convinced of her own innocence. Yet seeing Lin Dongxiu's apology soften Song Ke's expression, she reluctantly bowed to him: "This cousin was wrong—I apologize to you," dipping in a slight curtsy. Still resentful toward Xianglan and unwilling to apologize to a maid, she pretended not to see Xianglan and stepped aside.
Song Ke said, "In that case, please return now." Lin Dongxiu exited first. Though Lin Dongling seemed reluctant, Song Ke had dismissed them, so she had no choice but to leave.
Closing the door, Song Ke approached Xianglan to examine her forehead: "Let me look again. Where else are you hurt?"
Xianglan stood up: "Just my head." She sighed, looking at her skirt: "This newly made dress is already stained with ink. I wonder if it'll wash out."
Song Ke was caught between laughter and exasperation: "You truly 'value possessions over life'! What matters is that your head's unharmed, yet you fret over some new skirt. We'll have several more made tomorrow."
Xianglan stuck out her tongue without replying. This was the first nice fabric she'd had for new clothes in this lifetime, especially since Song Ke had personally selected the bolt of cloth—of course she cherished it. Glancing up, she saw Song Ke already bending to tidy the fallen items and joined him. Biting her lip, she asked, "Did you believe what your cousin said earlier?"
Song Ke looked at Xianglan, placing the books on the table, his eyes clear as water: "I know you're not the type to make unreasonable demands. Whatever she said, I took it as a child's tantrum. I'm aware of her domineering nature that follows every whim... You were wronged today."
Warmth spread through Xianglan's heart. She gazed at Song Ke, speechless for a long moment, all her earlier grievance vanishing. She smiled radiantly: "No grievance. It's just your two cousins, stirred up by that little vinegar jar, overturned the big vinegar vat together, and I, the pond fish, suffered for it." Planting her hands on her hips, she imitated Lin Dongling's expression and manner vividly: "'Stop using your bewitching charms to seduce people all day! If you keep advising cousin in the future, I'll be the first to not let you off.' Ah, tell me, haven't I been unjustly accused for nothing?"Song Ke immediately understood, his brows furrowing deeply as he slapped the desk angrily and said, "Foolish! I repeatedly warned her not to speak of your affairs in the Song family to outsiders, yet she turned a deaf ear and even brought someone to the study!"
Xianglan sighed and said, "What is destined cannot be avoided. You can't wrap fire in paper—sooner or later, it will spread. I only hope Lin Jinlou will forget about me, so we can live a few peaceful days."
Song Ke forcibly suppressed his anger and comforted her, "He's suppressing bandits in Zhejiang and won't be back for a while. It might even take three to five years. Once I pass the imperial examination, we'll move the entire family away. The world is vast—how could the Lin family's influence possibly overturn heaven itself?"
Xianglan nodded but still felt somewhat unsettled. She tidied the room with Song Ke, unaware that the turmoil to come would be stirred up by another person entirely.
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