Against the Current - Chapter 186

Chapter 186 - Talisman (Part 7)

Madam Qin spoke gently to Lin Jinlou once more, "She is someone who serves right before your grandmother's eyes. She knows how to brew an excellent bowl of soup, exchange pleasantries, and keep the old lady company over a game of cards or tiles, making her quite a delight to have around..."

Madam Qin had originally intended to persuade Lin Jinlou to let the matter drop out of deference to Old Lady Lin. Unexpectedly, supported by two matrons, Changfa's wife managed to stagger to her feet while whimpering, "Madam needn't speak on my behalf. I suppose the Eldest Young Master is furious with me... Ah, how utterly meaningless it all is, to have wasted a heart full of devoted affection looking out for the Eldest Young Master's interests..."

Mother Han hurriedly snapped, "You old hag! Will you shut your trap already!"

Lin Jinlou said indifferently, "I am indeed furious with you. Tonight itself, have her pack her bedding, strip her of her duties, and get lost. Tomorrow, I shall go personally report this to Grandmother."

Changfa's wife was instantly dumbfounded. Terrified that she would keep babbling nonsense and further disgust Lin Jinlou, Mother Han hastily ordered two matrons to haul Changfa's wife away. Having always doted on her eldest son, Madam Qin offered a few more soothing words to comfort Lin Jinlou before finally calming down.

Amidst the commotion just caused by Changfa's wife, everyone had kept their eyes fixed on her and Lin Jinlou, failing to notice Rushuang kneeling beside the multi-treasure cabinet. As their gazes met, Meimei gave an imperceptible nod, and Rushuang slightly returned the gesture before quickly lowering her gaze.

Lin Jinlou seated himself in the lower-left armchair and was just about to speak when he saw Rushuang scurry forward a few steps on her knees, knock her head twice against the floor with loud thumps, and cry out, "Reporting to Madam and the Eldest Young Master, I... I have something to say."

Lin Jinlou instructed, "Speak."

Her face flushed crimson, Rushuang cast a glance at Nuanyue, bit her lip, and said, "Madam, Eldest Young Master, this talisman was... it was planted by Nuanyue."

Nuanyue trembled violently, struck completely speechless. Cold sweat poured down her back in sheets as she pointed at Rushuang and shrieked, "You're lying! I've been staying inside the manor the whole time. When Master Cui the Daoist nun came last time, I was over at the Third Young Miss's place, and I haven't been home lately either—where on earth would I get any talisman?"

Ignoring Nuanyue, Rushuang took a deep breath before continuing, "Ever since Nuanyue was taken by the Eldest Young Master, she has constantly schemed to rise higher and catch his eye. Yet the Eldest Young Master refused to spare her a proper glance and instead favored Xiulan. Discontented in her heart, Nuanyue would cry, and whenever she locked her door, she would curse Sister Xiulan behind her back, even telling me, 'Sooner or later, I'm going to deal with that promiscuous bitch!' I tried to advise her several times, but she refused to listen. Later on, I saw her whispering about something with Luan'er. Afterward, Luan'er pulled a golden hairpin from her hair, took off a bracelet and a ring, and shoved them all into Nuanyue's hands. Finally, she fished something out from her sleeve. Nuanyue turned it over and over in her hands to examine it for a moment before quietly stashing it away in her own sleeve... I was hiding right behind the room that day, which is how I saw it all clearly."

At this point, Nuanyue went practically berserk, shrieking, "I didn't! I never did! Luan'er never gave me anything!" Her eyes bloodshot, she stared at Rushuang, scrambled to her feet, and lunged forward, crying, "You wretched minx, why are you framing me!" Before she could reach her, the matrons on either side grabbed her fiercely and forced her back down onto the floor.

Lin Jinlou demanded, "What happened next?"

With a pale complexion, Rushuang continued, "Afterward, Nuanyue always acted shady and suspicious. Since I shared a room with her, I naturally kept an eye on her and noticed she secretly snatched away samples of Sister Xiulan's handwriting, then used a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to practice copying it behind closed doors. When I asked her about it, she claimed she was merely copying scriptures, so I didn't think much of it... Later still, when the pillowcases in the room needed replacing, Nuanyue was the one who took them to be mended..."

A piercing, shriek tore from Nuanyue's throat as she wailed, "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! It was Meimei! She gave me the talisman, and she's the one who coached me on what to say! Rushuang, Rushuang, I never wronged you, I always treated you like my own biological sister! Why! On! Earth! Are! You! Treating! Me! This! Way!" Her voice echoed through the night sky, sounding exceptionally bone-chilling.

Frowning, Madam Qin flashed a look, and Nurse Wu immediately stepped forward to stuff a rag into Nuanyue's mouth. Nuanyue could only let out muffled whimpers as she struggled violently, massive teardrops rolling down her cheeks while she glared viciously at Rushuang.

Lowering her head as if afraid to meet Nuanyue's gaze, Rushuang said, "Nuanyue once said that since Sister Xiulan and Aunt Meimei are on bad terms, if anything happened, Sister Xiulan would naturally suspect Aunt Meimei and assume she was the mastermind, giving Nuanyue a readymade scapegoat..."

Suddenly, Lin Jinlou let out a sharp, cynical snort of laughter, lazy and mocking as he drawled, "Well, aren't you a clever little servant? Such a well-rehearsed story—why didn't you speak up with it earlier?"

Color draining from her face once more, Rushuang trembled uncontrollably and stammered, "Your maidservant sensed something was amiss earlier, but didn't dare jump to conclusions. It wasn't until Sister Xiulan began suspecting Aunt Meimei that I suddenly realized how wrong all of this was... Your maidservant deserves death; please punish me, masters." With that, she began knocking her head against the floor again with loud thumps.

Unbothered, Lin Jinlou let her continue prostrating herself.

Putting her all into it, Rushuang smashed her forehead against the flags a few times until the skin broke and beads of blood began to roll down.

Being a woman after all, though Madam Qin possessed ruthless methods, years of peaceful living had softened her heart somewhat, and seeing this, she found it hard to bear.

Meimei burst into ragged, choking sobs, wiping her tears with her sleeves as she choked out, "Madam, Eldest Young Master, you must have heard... I truly knew nothing of this matter. Though I wrongfully accused Sister Xiulan just now, it was only because I was panicked for a moment, blinded by concern... If there are a thousand faults, they are all my fault... It's all my fault, I deserve to die for almost implicating Sister and allowing wicked opportunists to exploit the situation... Wuwuwu..." Weakly kneeling on the ground, her gaze brimming with genuine-seeming emotion and heavy tears, her slender shoulders heaved as she wept with the poignant grace of pear blossoms drenched in rain. Her weeping started as soft sobs before swelling in volume until it sounded utterly heart-wrenching, as though she were truly consumed by remorse for wrongly accusing Xiulan and wished nothing more than to slice her own throat right then and there.

Looking suspiciously between Nuanyue, the incessantly kowtowing Rushuang, and Meimei—who was curled up and weeping inconsolably—Madam Qin was just about to speak when Lin Jinlou stood up, walked over to the doorway, and called out, "Which boy is on duty out here in the corridor?"

The moment he shouted, a matron immediately answered, and before long, Guiyuan came running over while tying his waistband. Dropping to his knees, he babbled continuously, "Eldest Young Master, it's me, your little servant."

Lin Jinlou commanded, "Go fetch Jixiang."

Acknowledging the order with a quick assent, Guiyuan dashed off.

Jixiang had just fallen asleep when Guiyuan burst into his room like a whirlwind, whipped back Jixiang's cotton quilt, and yelled, "Manager Master Xiang, my good brother, you're still sleeping? Hurry up and get up!"

Rubbing his sleep-heavy eyes, an irritated Jixiang propped himself up, swung a hand against the back of Guiyuan's head with a smack, and grumbled, "What kind of disturbance are you stirring up in the middle of the night? Are you waking the dead?"

Guiyuan blurted out, "Something's happened in the back courtyard! It's blazing with lights out there, and the Eldest Young Master wants you over right this instant."

The moment he heard that, all trace of sleepiness vanished from Jixiang's mind. He immediately felt around for his clothes while complaining, "You little monkey, why didn't you go light a candle first? How am I supposed to dress in pitch darkness?" Muttering under his breath all the while, he didn't dare delay in the slightest. Dressed at last, he hurried over to the Zhichun Pavilion. Pushing into the courtyard, he saw it indeed ablaze with light and knew trouble was afoot. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he hunched his shoulders, kept his head lowered, and stepped with extreme caution into the main hall, not even daring to let his eyes wander as he dropped respectfully to his knees.