It is said that when Song Ke returned, the young ladies scattered like birds and beasts, all retreating to the inner courtyard. Zheng Jingxian, however, slowed her steps and asked Yue'er, "Why did the Lin family's young lady quarrel with that maid in the study?"
Yue'er cast a meaningful glance and, seeing that the others had walked ahead, pursed her lips and said, "Those two Lin girls have lost their minds. After hearing from Fangsi that Eldest Master Song had bought a new maid and intended to promote her, and how highly he regarded her, they grew anxious. At Juanhua's instigation, Miss Ling seized on a trivial matter to provoke her, but who would have thought that the maid is exceptionally sharp-tongued? Even together, Miss Ling and Juanhua couldn't out-argue her alone."
Zheng Jingxian pressed further, "How exactly was she sharp-tongued?"
Yue'er then vividly recounted how Xianglan had argued with the two Lin girls and said with a laugh, "It was truly remarkable. Every word she spoke was perfectly justified—it was incredibly satisfying to hear."
Zheng Jingxian raised her eyebrows. "Oh? She certainly carries herself like a mistress, not even avoiding confrontation with proper young ladies."
Yue'er replied nonchalantly, "If you'd seen how much Eldest Master Song dotes on her, you'd understand. With someone powerful backing her, she naturally has the courage. Besides, if Eldest Master Song promotes her in the future, she'll be a secondary mistress and won't have to swallow insults anymore."
Zheng Jingxian fell silent for a moment, lost in thought, as she plucked a handful of leaves and idly played with them while slowly walking back.
To cut a long story short, the young ladies enjoyed themselves with laughter and conversation at the Song residence. After lunch, they composed some poetry before each departing in their carriages.
Juanhua assisted Song Zanchai in seeing off the guests at the door. Upon returning, the maids cleared the remnants of the feast, wiping tables and chairs until everything was tidy. Juanhua lit a piece of Dark Aloeswood Incense in the large lotus-leaf jade burner and brewed a fresh cup of Dragon Well tea. Noticing Song Zanchai leaning on the bed with her hand supporting her forehead, she tiptoed over, placed the tea on the small table by the bedside, and said softly, "If you're tired, miss, you should at least change your clothes before resting."
Song Zanchai waved her hand. "It's fine." Then she sat up and asked, "This morning, when I went to the kitchen to check on the dishes, why was everyone gone when I returned? I heard there was some commotion earlier—did you find out what happened?"
Juanhua replied, "Ah, what else could it be? Miss Ling, upon hearing that the Eldest Master had taken a liking to a maid, flew into a jealous rage and stormed into the study to make a scene. Who would have thought that Xianglan, despite her delicate appearance, is like a rose—her thorns left Miss Ling speechless. In her fury, Miss Ling nearly wrecked the Eldest Master's study, causing quite an uproar. That little minx Junxi, quick on her feet, ran to the front and watched the commotion for a long time. I'll call her in to tell you about it." She summoned Junxi to come in.
Junxi, with her playful and childish nature, had been serving in the inner quarters but had eagerly rushed to the front courtyard upon hearing the noise. Although she had only caught half of the scene, she now embellished the story with gusto for Song Zanchai. Having recently gotten along well with Xianglan and resenting Lin Dongling for damaging Song Ke's study, she exaggerated the faults of the two Lin girls tenfold. Song Zanchai listened with a deepening frown and finally waved her hand dismissively. Juanhua handed Junxi a handful of coins as a reward and sent her away.Song Tanzhai’s face turned deathly pale as she sighed and said, “Truly, the kind are bullied by the wicked. What’s so great about the Lin family? As the saying goes, ‘If you won’t do it for the monk’s sake, do it for the Buddha’s.’ We’re all relatives, yet they show no regard for our dignity. If my father were still alive, they wouldn’t dare throw a tantrum here.” The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Juanhua patted Song Tanzhai’s back to comfort her, saying, “You’ve been wronged, Miss. Fortunately, Xianglan is sharp-tongued and didn’t suffer much of a loss.”
Song Tanzhai wiped her tears and said, “No loss? My brother’s study was smashed to pieces!”
Juanhua knew that Song Tanzhai was fiercely proud and meticulous in everything she did, never tolerating a single word of criticism from others. Because of her beauty, obedience, and good sense, she was highly praised. Often, noblewomen in the capital would tell their daughters, “Look at Miss Tanzhai of the Song family—she’s the very model of a well-bred young lady. You should learn from her whenever you can!”
After Song Fang’s death, their branch of the family had declined steadily, especially after they began living separately. Some of the girls who used to play with Song Tanzhai, being snobbish, now ignored her or even sneered, “What ‘well-bred young lady’? Now she’s just from a fallen household!” Whenever Song Tanzhai heard such remarks, she would retreat to a secluded spot and cry, relying entirely on Juanhua to console her.
Now, with Lin Dongling and Lin Dongxiu causing such a scene, they had struck a sore spot, making Song Tanzhai weep again. Juanhua advised, “Let’s never invite those two sisters to our home again. The summer heat is intense, Miss—don’t cry yourself sick.”
As they spoke, the door curtain was lifted, and Song Ke entered. Seeing Song Tanzhai sobbing on the bed, he was taken aback and asked, “What’s happened?”
Juanhua replied, “The two Lin girls smashed Eldest Master’s study, and Miss is heartbroken, saying, ‘It was I who invited them today, yet I’ve ended up shaming myself and causing trouble for my brother. I shouldn’t have done it.’ She’s shedding Golden Beans as if they cost nothing. Eldest Master, please say something to comfort her.”
Song Ke said, “Sister, don’t be like this. We’ve long known what Third Miss of the Lin family is like. It’s not your fault, so why blame yourself?”
After comforting her for a while, she finally calmed down. Song Ke looked at Song Tanzhai’s reddened eyes and sighed inwardly. The proud often suffer the deepest humiliation—his sister’s excessive pride might not be a good thing. Then he recalled the first time he saw Xianglan, when Cao Lihuan had slapped her twice across the face without reason, scolding and berating her. Yet Xianglan had endured it all. Later, in her leisure moments, she spoke to him of her past in the Lin mansion, and he learned that her forbearance had been to bide her time for a decisive strike, to escape that living hell forever. A faint respect stirred in his heart. If it had been his sister who suffered such abuse, she would likely have taken her own life on the spot.
Though the Lin girls were at fault for today’s incident, without a traitor within, no outside devil could have been invited in. It was time to set things in order. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I have a favor to ask of you, Sister. I’d like to borrow someone from you.” He discussed the matter with Song Tanzhai, but that is a story for another time.
Meanwhile, Fangsi had incited Lin Dongling and Lin Dongxiu to cause trouble for Xianglan, intending to use them as pawns to curb Xianglan’s influence and vent her own resentment. Little did she expect the situation to spiral out of control, growing increasingly chaotic. Not only did Lin Dongling throw a fit in the outer study, but she also smashed a table full of items, all witnessed by Song Ke.She was terrified of being spotted by Song Ke and hastily slipped away. Later, she inquired and found that Song Ke had merely brushed the matter aside lightly. A sliver of hope sprouted in her heart, wishing the incident would end there. But just now, when she went to the front study under the pretext of delivering something, Song Ke didn't even glance at her—his expression cold and aloof, a demeanor she had never seen before. Her heart sank; Song Ke had always treated others with warmth, and this change surely meant he was displeased with her...
Fangsi recalled the time right after the old master passed away. Song Ke was just a boyish youth then, and everyone took advantage of his youth and handsome looks. Bold, cunning servants stole household items to sell, while others, bribed by other branches of the Song family, leaked information about the family's situation and assets. When Song Ke found out, he dragged a senior servant who had come to report secrets out in public and personally whipped him with a rattan cane until he was covered in blood.
Later, some longtime servants, relying on their seniority and egged on by others to dampen the young master's authority, knelt in a dense crowd at the main residence's entrance, wailing and lamenting, saying things like, "If you disregard the dignity of us old servants, we beg to be dismissed!" They even invoked the old master's spirit, claiming he would not rest in peace.
A crowd had gathered at the door, eagerly awaiting the spectacle. Unexpectedly, Song Ke let them kneel from morning until night, until several collapsed from exhaustion. The next dawn, he brought out a roster of the troublemakers, summoned a slave dealer, and swiftly dragged those servants out of the courtyard to be sold off, dealing with them harshly. Everyone was stunned that a young scholar not yet of age could wield such ruthlessness, and discussions erupted. Yet, from then on, this branch of the Song family quieted down. The remaining servants either quietly requested transfers to other branches or paid to buy their freedom, and Song Ke did not stop them. Within two months, almost no one was left in the household. Song Ke then doubled the monthly allowance for the remaining servants. Song Yima once advised him to hire more people, but Song Ke merely said indifferently, "Fewer people are better; a simpler household brings peace." Not long after, Song Ke suddenly announced that their branch would separate from the main family, and she realized then that he had quietly accomplished such a major feat on his own.
Her mother had pinched her ear and said, "Our Eldest Master will achieve great things in the future—he's destined to stand out. If you're fortunate, serve him for life, and you'll enjoy a life of luxury and status."
Secretly, she had long harbored feelings for him; Song Ke often appeared in her dreams, and she felt that as long as she could be with him, even a life of hardship would be worth it. She knew the Eldest Master would eventually marry a proper wife and had long prepared herself to serve the future mistress with humility. But who could have expected Chen Xianglan would appear out of nowhere and steal her position? How could she not resent it!
Fangsi, restless, was doing needlework in her room when someone suddenly bumped her arm, causing the needle to prick her finger. She cried out in pain and quickly sucked on it. Guo Mama scolded her, "What's wrong with you? I called you several times, and you didn't hear. Madam will wake from her nap soon—go cut some fresh fruit into small pieces and bring them over."Seeing Fangsi sitting motionless, still looking utterly distraught, Guo Mama asked, "What's wrong with you? You look like you've lost your soul."
Noticing there was no one else in the room, Fangsi grabbed Guo Mama's sleeve and whispered, "Mother, I... I've made a terrible mistake..." She then recounted the entire sequence of events.
Guo Mama was immediately horrified. Furious, she repeatedly poked Fangsi's forehead, gritting her teeth while trying hard to suppress her voice: "You foolish child!" How could you cause such trouble! And why didn't you tell me earlier after causing it!"
Fangsi hunched her shoulders and murmured, "Perhaps... perhaps the Eldest Master hasn't guessed it was me who spoke... After all, there's no concrete evidence."
Guo Mama snapped angrily, "Do you think the Eldest Master is one of those muddle-headed men? You wretched girl! Come with me at once to kneel before the Eldest Master and beg for mercy. My lifelong dignity is about to be ruined by you!"
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