Against the Current - Chapter 127

Chapter 127 - Slander

Here, Xia Yun was walking behind the pageboy when he suddenly noticed two women standing near the second gate. Turning his head to look, he saw they were two neatly dressed women—it was hard to tell whether they were young misses or maids. One wore a kingfisher-green gown and possessed delicate, clear features, though of only middling beauty; the other was dressed in a light purplish-pink skirt, her head adorned with pearls and kingfisher feathers, sporting a pair of watery, expressive eyes and a sorrowful expression. Though she had the appearance of a modest maiden from a respectable family, she was quite striking.

Xia Yun inwardly praised her, thinking to himself, Women from great noble households truly are different; every single one of them looks like fresh flowers and tender willows, entirely incomparable to common women of the marketplace. With this thought, he turned his head to look at her once more.

Yindie, meanwhile, felt utterly hopeless and bereft of her soul. Having spent her life cooped up in the inner residence, the only men she had ever laid eyes on were those few masters of the Lin household. Now, with a handsome young scholar suddenly turning back to look at her, their eyes meeting, Yindie felt a sudden jolt in her heart and instinctively stretched out her neck to catch another glimpse.

Xia Yun mused silently, Standing by the Hanger-Flower Gate without any sense of decorum or avoidance, she's likely just a maid. Everyone says the maids of the Lin household are exceptionally fair and pretty, and seeing them now, it's certainly true. Thinking this, he turned back to glance at her a couple more times, telling himself, Pretty as she is, she lacks any real grace or charm; she's simply no match for Xianglan's delicate elegance. Still, he turned back for one more look.

Yindie was right at the age of blossoming romantic longings and habitually indulged in flights of fancy. Now, seeing a young gentleman repeatedly turning back to look at her, she assumed Xia Yun had taken a fancy to her. Overjoyed and trembling all over, she tossed her previous heartbreak to the winds and instantly perked up. As Xia Yun and his group walked away, she continued to gaze after them from afar, asking Guiyuan, "Who were those gentlemen that just passed by? Do you happen to know?"

Guiyuan scratched his head and replied, "I caught wind of a few words earlier—they said some of the older masters and young gentlemen drank too much wine. Since they came on horseback and it's inconvenient for them to return tonight, they're going to rest in the rooms over at the South courtyard. It must be them."

Yindie pressed further, "Who is the young gentleman who walked at the very back?"

Guiyuan shook his head. "I have no idea. There are over a hundred guests here; how could I possibly remember them all? He's probably the son of some sixth or seventh-rank official. Anyone with a proper official rank of fifth-rank or higher doesn't stay over in that South courtyard section."

Yindie nodded slowly, a secret delight welling up in her heart as she thought, Wonderful! Anyone who came to feast in this household today is either wealthy or noble, and the son of a sixth or seventh-rank official is an absolute rarity. That man just now looked refined and respectable; by his dress and attire, he's bound to be the young master of some prominent family. This is truly like someone bringing you a pillow just as you're nodding off from sleep. Now that someone with a discerning eye for talent has noticed me, I wouldn't go back to the Lin family even if they begged me!

Before long, Fangfang urged Yindie to hurry along. Yindie pleaded, "Good sister, you're on duty in the Third Young Miss's room; it wouldn't do for you to be away for too long. I can just go home by myself—my family lives on the street right behind the mansion, so there's no need to look for a sedan chair, and it's only a few steps away anyway."

Seeing Yindie suddenly change her tune, Fangfang couldn't help feeling suspicious and looked her up and down.

Yindie hastily said, "I've already thought it through. What else can I do if I don't go home at this hour?"

Nodding, Fangfang let out a sigh of relief and said, "As long as you've thought it through, hurry on home. In a little while, they'll be locking the gates."

Yindie muttered perfunctory agreements.

Still uneasy, Fangfang escorted Yindie all the way to the corner gate, reiterated several instructions, and then departed. Yindie hid behind the door until Fangfang had walked far away before slipping out. The gatekeeper old woman impatiently muttered, "Are you going or staying, girl? I need to lock the gates." Without answering, Yindie picked a secluded path and skirted around toward the South courtyard. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she walked, until she finally gritted her teeth and thought, Instead of waiting for the Lin family to sell me off tomorrow, I might as well fight for my own future. I'd rather die than live a life of poverty!

By this time, the banquets up front had concluded, and officials of all ranks were successively taking their leave. Those who had drunk too much remained to spend the night in the Lin residence. Bright red lanterns had already been hung to illuminate the pathways, and several matronly servants, married women, and pageboys were bustling about cleaning up the leftovers. Moving on tiptoe, Yindie darted across like a wisp of smoke and stealthily crept toward the South courtyard. She saw that the lights in some of the rooms were already extinguished. Just then, Xia Yun emerged from a room, greeted by a pageboy who exchanged a few words with him before fetching a washbasin, a towel, and other items to take inside.

A surge of secret joy rose in Yindie's chest. Watching quietly as the pageboy emerged carrying the basin, she waited until the surroundings were completely deserted, then eagerly pushed the door open and stepped inside. Xia Yun was just about to loosen his garments when he was startled to see a young maiden enter the room, causing him to hurriedly pull his robes back across his chest.

Yindie stepped forward, curtsied gracefully, and smiled, "Does the young gentleman remember me?"

Xia Yun looked closely and recognized her as the beautiful maiden he had encountered at the Hanger-Flower Gate. A blush crept onto his face as he clumsily fumbled to tie his robes shut, then bowed deeply, saying, "I do not know the young lady, though I did catch a glimpse of you just now."

Yindie turned her body slightly sideways and bestowed another blessing. Xia Yun lifted his eyelids to steal a glance at her face, noticing that she possessed a fair, melon seed-shaped face adorned with two slender eyebrows, a cherry mouth, rosy cheeks, and watery apricot-shaped eyes that were currently darting an affectionate look toward him. Lowering her gaze slightly, she spoke in a coy, delicate voice, "I wonder if the young gentleman finds the accommodations here comfortable? Our Eldest Master ordered me to come and attend to you."

The sheer look of affection made Xia Yun's bones melt, and hearing Yindie's words threw him into a daze. He hastily asked, "Which master is 'your master'?"

Yindie smiled. "Who else could it be? Naturally the Eldest Master of the Lin household."

Believing that guests in wealthy households were routinely assigned maids for their personal attendance, Xia Yun did not refuse and simply replied, "Then I must trouble older sister."

Thinking that Xia Yun had given his tacit consent, Yindie felt her heart blossom with joy. She stepped forward to eagerly attend to him, bustling about to make the bed while prattling, "The moment I saw the young gentleman earlier, I knew your bearing was extraordinary. May I ask where you serve, and from which distinguished family do you hail?"

Ashamed of his humble origins, Xia Yun had no intention of revealing the truth and merely gave a vague reply that his surname was Xia. While Yindie was busy brewing tea, he stripped off his outer robe, slipped beneath the covers, and said, "I am going to sleep. Sister, you can go and shut the door."

Yindie gritted her teeth, blew out the candle in a single breath, lifted the bed curtains, threw her arms around Xia Yun, and blurted out, "I truly admire the young gentleman from the bottom of my heart, and our Eldest Master told me to come and serve you. I beg the young gentleman not to despise my humble self."

Xia Yun was utterly dumbfounded. He scrambled up in a panic and tried to push her away, but Yindie clung to him stubbornly without letting go, leaning forward to press her lips to his. If one wonders how Yindie could be so brazen, there was a reason: she was naturally of a highly affectionate and flirtatious disposition, frequently exchanging lingering glances and playful jests with some of the better-looking pageboys in the mansion. Those who liked to take advantage of her would inevitably get handsy, and she had even engaged in cheek-touching and kissing behind closed doors before. Consequently, she felt no shame whatsoever and aggressively set about making advances toward Xia Yun.

Xia Yun was a novice who had never even held a woman's hand before; how could he possibly withstand such provocation? Though he had initially tried to push her away, the moment Yindie kissed him, it was as if a paralyzing spell had been cast upon him, rendering him completely motionless. He was right in the prime of his youth and had never taken a wife, often indulging in wild daydreams of his own. Now, holding a creature of warm fragrance and soft jade in his arms, a wave of intense heat surged up from the depths of his heart. His mind clouded over, and all notions of ritual, righteousness, the three cardinal guides, and constant virtues were tossed to the winds. Twisting his arms around Yindie, he pulled her close and kissed her back passionately.

While the two of them were engaged in this fiery embrace inside the room, they failed to account for Young Master Han Guangye resting in the inner chamber. Having drunk too much wine earlier, he had tumbled into bed to sleep, but he had now awakened with a raging thirst. Vaguely remembering that he was in the Lin residence, he did not cry out for water; instead, he rolled out of bed and padded barefoot in search of a teapot to pour himself a drink. Suddenly catching the sound of movement outside, he paused to listen closely and actually heard the distinct sounds of kissing and a woman's breathless panting.

Han Guangye's eyes instantly widened into complete circles. Breaking out in a cold sweat that thoroughly sobered him up, he thought to himself, My dear mother and Jade Emperor! The person staying in this outer room is supposed to be Xia Yun—why on earth would there be a woman in there with him? This is the Lin household! Could this fellow be so colossally bold as to seduce and defile a woman of the Lin family?

At that moment, he heard Yindie's sweet, simpering voice: "I truly adore Young Master Xia, so I beg you to show me mercy..."

Hearing these words, Han Guangye felt the world spin around him until his legs turned to jelly. Though he was a good-for-nothing lacking in real scholarship, he fully understood the gravity of the situation. Flashing through a half-dozen terrifying thoughts in an instant, he sneered inwardly, Xia Yun, you bastard, your lust has no bounds, but don't you dare drag me down with you! The smartest thing I can do right now is distance myself entirely! Moving with extreme stealth, he slipped back the door bolt and darted out. As soon as he reached the ceremonial gate, he bumped right into Lin Jinlou, who was heading toward the main hall with a couple of pageboys carrying lanterns.

Taking two quick steps forward, Han Guangye felt his knees buckle and dropped straight to his knees before Lin Jinlou, crying, "This grandson of yours is guilty of a capital crime! I beg Grandpa to spare my life."

Lin Jinlou halted his steps and looked down. Jixiang immediately stepped forward to bring the lantern closer, and Lin Jinlou furrowed his thick brows as he asked, "Who are you..."

Han Guangye hastily answered, "Grandpa's memory is vast and noble—I am the son of Han Yaozu."

After a brief moment of thought, Lin Jinlou relaxed his brow, laughed, and scolded, "So you're Han Yaozu's boy. Your old man wanted to acknowledge me as his godfather, and while I haven't even agreed yet, you're awfully quick to start shouting 'grandpa'."

Han Guangye beamed with obsequious smiles. "Whether my old man has the good fortune to recognize you as a father or not, in my heart you are already my true grandfather."

Lin Jinlou glanced at Jixiang and Shuangxi beside him, gestured toward Han Guangye with a finger, and chuckled, "Look at this, isn't this fellow playing the grandfather-pleasing sycophant to absolute perfection?"

The pageboys broke into laughter as well, while Han Guangye kept up a steady stream of ingratiating grins.

Giving him a light kick, Lin Jinlou instructed, "Don't go around telling outsiders that I'm your grandfather. Get up and speak."

Han Guangye scrambled to his feet, shrinking his neck into his shoulders as he stammered, "Yes, yes, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." He rushed to add, "The person I brought along has stirred up a monstrous disaster, though it has nothing whatsoever to do with me! If Grandpa is furious, feel free to punish that turtle's egg... My father couldn't come today, so he sent the newly minted provincial graduate Xia Yun to keep me company. I drank too much at the banquet and had no idea how I even got carried back to bed. Just now, feeling thirsty, I got up to look for tea, only to hear a woman talking outside. When I pricked up my ears and listened closely, it turned out that turtle's egg Xia Yun was bedding a woman in there! I bolted right out..." With a face full of woe, he whined, "This matter has not the slightest connection to me! My father only brought him along because of his youth and success in the exams out of an appreciation for talent—tomorrow morning I'll chase him right out of the yamen!"

Lin Jinlou paused, thinking, If a domestic servant from the household really got mixed up in such business, it would cast a poor reflection on the Lin family name if word got out. He instructed Han Guangye, "This has nothing to do with you. Keep your mouth firmly shut; if so much as a whisper of this leaks out, the consequences fall entirely on your head."

Han Guangye frantically drew his neck in and promised, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

Lin Jinlou murmured a few instructions in a low voice to Jixiang, dispatched him and Shuangxi on their way, and arranged for Han Guangye to be lodged in a separate quarter.

Meanwhile, Xia Yun was still locked in his passionate embrace with Yindie. Though he had been momentarily blinded by lust, he was fundamentally a clever man who deeply feared the Lin family's power and worried over his own reputation; thus, he had not dared to actually consummate the act. Just then, however, the door was shoved open and someone strode in carrying a lantern, demanding, "Is Scholar Xia present?"

Xia Yun was so startled he nearly tumbled off the bed, while Yindie lost her wits entirely and shrank motionless into the corner of the wall. Someone stepped forward and violently ripped back the bed curtains. Yindie shrieked in terror and curled inward against the wall, while Xia Yun realized the situation was catastrophic as cold sweat began to pour down his forehead.

Shuangxi strode forward, grabbed Yindie by the hair, and yanked her out into the open. The moment he laid eyes on her face, he froze for a second. He recognized all the maids of the Zhisun Lodge, and a cold sneer broke across his face. "Splendid, absolutely splendid." Trembling like a leaf, Yindie wrapped her shaking hands tightly around her unfastened garments.

Jixiang returned to report to Lin Jinlou, saying, "Eldest Young Master, it's Yindie from Zhisun Lodge."

Lin Jinlou raised an eyebrow. "Which one is Yindie?"

Being sharp-eyed and quick-witted, Jixiang was already aware that Yindie had displeased Lin Jinlou and was slated for expulsion, so he chimed in, "She's the maid who pilfered that golden horse pendant, the one you ordered to be driven out of the mansion."

Lin Jinlou let out a cold laugh. "So it's her. What incredible gall! I was just about to kick her out, and the moment she turns around she starts acting like a bitch in heat, actually daring to seduce a male guest."

Jixiang watched Lin Jinlou's expression and probed, "Then as for this matter..."

Lin Jinlou commanded, "A favor made with borrowed flowers—give her to that fellow surnamed Xia. Tomorrow morning, have her entire household cleared out and sold off; no one is to remain."

Jixiang hesitated. "Her father is one of the secondary estate stewards..."

Lin Jinlou cast a cold glare at him. Jixiang immediately slapped his own face and corrected himself, "Yes, understood! Anyone capable of raising a daughter like this clearly isn't any good. Dogs like that should all be sold off together so they stop stirring up domestic chaos!"

Back in the guest room, Xia Yun was consumed by panic when Jixiang entered and announced, "My Eldest Young Master says that since Scholar Xia wishes to elevate Yindie, she is hereby bestowed upon Scholar Xia as a gift." With that, he clapped Shuangxi on the shoulder and led his men straight out.

Yindie finally recovered her wits, feeling as though she had just emerged from a bizarre dream, which was immediately followed by a wave of radiant delight. She threw her arms around Xia Yun's arm and began acting spoiled, but Xia Yun sensed something was terribly wrong and repeatedly interrogated her, "Were you really sent by the Eldest Master of the Lin family to serve me? Then what on earth just happened?"

With Yindie giving evasive, muddled answers, Xia Yun finally pieced things together. Terrified that the Lin family might hold a grudge and ruin his entire future, he slapped his thigh in despair and cried, "You've ruined me!" Wrapping his outer robe around himself, he paced the room in heavy sighs.

Before long, Jixiang returned to deliver Yindie's deed of sale. Trembling with fright, Xia Yun cautiously inquired about the situation, to which Jixiang with a reassuring smile replied, "Scholar Xia need not panic. My Eldest Young Master took pity upon your talent and, seeing that Scholar Xia has taken a liking to this girl, specifically decided to present her to Scholar Xia as a gift."

Though still bewildered, Xia Yun felt his heart finally settle back into his chest. Hearing that Xia Yun was a successful provincial graduate, Yindie felt an even greater surge of joy; turning as gentle as flowing water and wrapping her words in sweet affection, she cooed, "Our Eldest Master saw how young you were when you passed the exams and wanted to give you a boost, which is why he sent me to wait upon you."

Shifting rapidly from terror to delight, Xia Yun thought Yindie's face looked all the more exquisite and delicate beneath the candlelight, and the two of them formally consummated their union that very night.

The next morning, Xia Yun took his leave accompanied by Yindie, casually telling Han Guangye that the girl had been a gift from the Lin family. Upon laying eyes on Yindie's striking appearance, Han Guangye felt half his body go numb with envy, casting lingering, covetous glances at her from top to bottom. However, mindful of Lin Jinlou's stern warning, he did not dare utter a single extra word, and the group departed the Lin residence—but we shall leave them for now.

To return to Yindie: after experiencing passionate intimacy with Xia Yun the previous night, she was still feeling rather shy and coy along the journey home. However, the moment she stepped through the gates of the Xia household, a large white goose lunged forward with outstretched neck as if to peck her. Yindie shrieked at the top of her lungs and nearly collapsed to the ground, prompting Xia Yun to shout a hasty reprimand to chase the goose away. With her heart still fluttering in her chest, Yindie looked around and took in the narrow, aging courtyard alongside the squealing, wild-running children. Sitting in the middle of the courtyard was a stout, coarse-looking countrywoman dressed in crude garments, busy rubbing kernels off an ear of corn. Catching sight of the two of them, she stood up, hurried forward, and smiled, "Third Brother is back?"

The world went completely dark before Yindie's eyes, and she nearly fainted on the spot.

When the family caught sight of Yindie, they were astonished and began bombarding them with questions. Though Xia Yun tried his utmost to maintain a casual air, he could not hide his smug pride as he announced, "This is a maid gifted by the Lin family, whom I am taking as my concubine."

Second Sister-in-law clucked her tongue and remarked, "As expected of a gift from a wealthy noble household—her face is carved out so prettily."

Third Sister reached out a hand to touch Yindie's hair, exclaiming, "The flower she's wearing in her hair is even prettier than Xianglan's!"

Madam Jin also hobbled over to feel Yindie, muttering, "Her hips aren't round; I'm afraid she won't be good at bearing children."

Noticing Madam Jin's rustic, impoverished attire—resembling nothing so much as a menial kitchen drudge from the Lin household—Yindie recoiled in disgust and snapped, her brows knit in a scowl, "Don't touch me!"

Madam Jin's expression instantly darkened as she sneered, "What kind of golden, precious treasure are you? You're nothing more than a serving maid, and I can't even touch you?"

Xia Yun's face darkened as well, and he scolded, "What are you saying? She is my mother, and you ought to be kowtowing to her!" He instantly demanded that Yindie drop to her knees and kowtow.

It was only then that Yindie realized she had been utterly blind and mistaken the east wind for the west, and she let out a piercing wail of despair. As Yindie cried to high heaven and earth, every member of the Xia family knitted their brows and glared in annoyance. Fortunately, Xia Yun was a kind-hearted soul at heart; though displeased by Yindie's public display of disrespect, he still felt a fondness for her and led her off to his own quarters. The moment Yindie laid eyes on that tiny, cramped side-room, grief welled up within her once more, and she collapsed onto the bed in a fresh fit of howling tears.

To make a long story short, Yindie had no choice but to resign herself to following Xia Yun. When she heard rumors that her entire family had been sold off into servitude, she grew even more panicked and settled down in the Xia household by keeping strictly hidden inside her room. Because she was a gift from the Lin family, Xia Yun had explicitly instructed his relatives not to give her too hard a time. Though the Xia family members remained dissatisfied, they contented themselves with dropping a few cold, sarcastic remarks here and there. As Xia Yun was still in the honeymoon phase with Yindie, he smoothed things over with gentle patience, and despite her grievances, Yindie gradually grew accustomed to her new life after a couple of awkward days.

One afternoon while Yindie was taking a nap, hovering in that hazy state between sleeping and waking, she overheard Second Sister-in-law talking outside: "... It's not that I'm unwilling to help with the younger brother's affairs, but the Chen family simply refuses to give us any face. I went there with the matchmaker, and they wouldn't even open the door."

Xia Yun replied, "A few days ago I gave Second Sister-in-law two taels of silver, and you patted your chest and swore there'd be no problem..."

"A few days ago was a few days ago, and today is today. Did the younger brother bring a pretty little beauty back from the Lin household a couple of days ago? Tsk tsk, I hear Xianglan's mother has also hired a matchmaker to look around for a suitable match. I've caught wind of their terms: first, she will not be a concubine to anyone; second, she will not marry a man who already has a concubine. As for your business, younger brother, I'm afraid it's going to be a tough sell..."

"Did the Chen family really say that?"

"Would I lie about a thing like that? If you don't believe me, younger brother, go ask them yourself!"

"Then... then..."

Second Sister-in-law let out a cold laugh. "If the younger brother is willing to part with that little beauty, I might be thick-skinned enough to go back and ask the Chen family again." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Xia Yun hurried out after her, calling out, "Second Sister-in-law, don't leave, let's talk about this..."

Yindie bolted upright from the bed, her teeth clenched in bitter hatred as she hissed, "Pui! That poor, black-hearted, worthless hypocrite Xia Yun is actually planning to marry someone else! I suffered through all sorts of humiliation to follow a penniless provincial graduate like you so I could live as a respectable primary mistress, and yet you treat me like dirt while plotting to make me a concubine—not in a million years!" Biting her lip, she muttered to herself, Chen Xianglan? Could that be that very same little hussy?

Seizing the first available opportunity, she pried information out of Second Sister-in-law by bribing her with a dozen copper coins. Second Sister-in-law gladly spilled the details: "The Xianglan the younger brother has his eye on used to be a maid in the Lin household too. Oh, my goodness, things are different now—their family is quite well-off these days! They bought a fairly large residence, she wears gold and silver, eats all the finest food, and her father is now the head manager at a major pawnshop. She gets carried to and fro in a sedan chair morning and night. Tsk tsk, you were both maids in the Lin household back then, but Xianglan truly has the destiny of a young noble lady!" With a sway of her hips, she sashayed away.

Yindie's face turned white with rage as she harbored vicious resentment. That bitch Chen Xianglan! She plotted against me back in the Lin family, and getting driven out by the Eldest Master was entirely her doing! Now she's haunting me like an unlaid ghost, getting my whole family sold off into slavery, and now she's even trying to steal my man? I'll make sure you die without a burial place! Mulling it over in her mind, a malicious plot began to take shape.

Meanwhile, Xianglan had been living in peace and quiet behind shut doors. Though her thoughts of Song Ke had gradually faded, she had grown noticeably thinner on account of the ordeal. Cherishing their daughter dearly and finding their household finances increasingly prosperous, the Chen couple discussed purchasing a small maid and entrusted a human trafficker to bring over a few young girls for inspection. Xianglan went out to look them over personally and selected a nine-year-old girl with a fair and pretty complexion, naming her Huashan. The girl assisted with ink-grinding and household chores, proving to be quite sensible and neat.

One day, while Xianglan was tending to the flowers in her courtyard, she suddenly heard someone knocking on the front gate. Huashan called out several times, but no one answered; instead, someone outside began wailing loudly, "Please let this humble servant see the Chen young miss! If you don't open the door, I'll smash my head against this stone and die right here!"

Startled, Xianglan laid her pruning shears down on a stone bench and opened the gate to take a look. There she saw Yindie kneeling on the threshold, who immediately began kowtowing with loud thuds the moment she laid eyes on Xianglan, drawing curious neighbors out onto the street to peer and point.

Yindie wept and howled, "Chen Young Miss, this servant knows that you and Scholar Xia Yun are already betrothed, but you refuse to tolerate a concubine in the household! Now Master Xia wants to sell me off, so I beg the young miss to grant me a path to survival! Mis... no, Eldest Mistress, please show mercy!"

Xianglan was utterly dumbfounded. She had never expected that Yindie would track her down here, spouting a string of wild nonsense about "Xia Yun" and "betrothal." Seeing the surrounding crowd whispering and pointing fingers, she frowned deeply, stepped forward to pull on Yindie's arm, and demanded, "What nonsense are you babbling? When have I ever been betrothed to the Xia family?"

Refusing to budge, Yindie wept bitterly, "It's precisely because of this servant that the Eldest Mistress is angry and wants to break off her engagement with Master Xia. Eldest Mistress, I was bestowed upon Master Xia by the Lin family; to him, I'm just a toy or a decoration, while his heart belongs entirely to you! I only beg the young miss not to chase me away... If the young miss refuses, I'll smash my head right here and die..." With that, she broke out into earth-shattering wails.

Hearing the commotion from inside, Madam Xue emerged. Upon hearing Yindie's words, her face turned pale with fury as she cursed, "Shameless, wretched hussy! Our daughter is an untainted maiden who has never been promised to anyone. Where did you crawl from to brazenly sling mud with your poisonous tongue? Get out of here right this instant!" Her legs turning to jelly as she spoke, she nearly collapsed onto the ground.

Xianglan's heart sank as she thought, Yindie was never a good person to begin with, and now she's deliberately trying to ruin my reputation. Beckoning Huashan over, she instructed, "Go to the yamen and find Scholar Xia. Tell him his concubine has run over to our house to cause a scene." Huashan immediately scurried off.

Xianglan turned back around, her face already settling into a very different expression.