Against the Current - Chapter 188

Chapter 188 - Talisman (Part 9)

Luan'er had a fiery temper to begin with. Originally intending to plead a bit further, she heard the utter ruthlessness in Lin Jinlou's words, and a wave of pure despair surged from the bottom of her heart. Abandoning all caution, she threw caution to the wind and snapped, "The Eldest Young Master says I am making a spectacle of myself, but how much genuine sincerity has the Eldest Young Master ever shown me? You merely fancied me for a few fresh days before letting Chen Xiulan bewitch your soul, treating me like a stray cat or dog, or a blade of grass—playing with me when you are in a good mood, and casting me aside when you are not. Even a clay figurine has three parts of spirit, let alone a living human being. No matter how many faults I have, my devotion to the Eldest Young Master has always been entirely sincere. I dare beat my chest and say: among all the girls in this entire manor, which one could possibly match my true, heartfelt feelings for you? I have thought of you and yearned for you with every waking breath, yet when has the Eldest Young Master ever cared for my sincerity? Where am I lacking compared to Chen Xiulan? I refuse to accept this! On what grounds is this fair!"

Lowering his gaze to look at Luan'er's tear-stained face, Lin Jinlou suddenly let out a short, dry chuckle, speaking in a light tone, "You refuse to accept this? Then I shall tell you. On the grounds that I am the master, and you are a servant. Pretty slave girls like you who can sing and play the pipa are a dime a dozen; once you are gone, there will always be another. Someone who serves me with absolute devotion, who is even more comely, can play and sing better, and yet understands the proper duties of a servant—do you understand now?"

It was as though a thunderbolt had cracked directly above Luan'er's head. Stunned and dumbfounded, she stood frozen in place as teardrops rolled down her face and slammed hard against the floor.

Lin Jinlou said slowly, "In consideration of the affection we once shared, you may take whatever things I have ever bestowed upon you. If you are willing, we can simply say you requested leave to return home to be married. This is also out of regard for the years Shuran spent serving me without complaint. Take care of yourself." With those words, he ordered someone to drag Luan'er away.

Her face streaming with tears, Luan'er suddenly broke free from the grip of those holding her, sprang to her feet, and lunged desperately toward the side. Two matrons hurried forward to grab her arms, but with a sickening thud, Luan'er managed to smash her head against the wall anyway. Xiulan was utterly startled, gasping aloud in shock. Running out from the room to take a look, Nurse Wu instantly lost half her wits with fright, her legs turning to jelly as she shrieked, "This is a disaster! Luan'er has gone and taken her own life!"

The shout sent shockwaves through everyone present. In the western inner room, panic gripped Madam Qin, causing her to leap immediately to her feet. Two or three seasoned older matrons rushed over posthaste, and Xiulan hurried over as well. A knot of matrons had crowded densely against the wall, revealing only a single slender, pale hand extending from the floor, wearing a gold-wire agate bracelet that made the crimson nail polish on her fingers look all the more vivid and striking. Meanwhile, fresh blood splattered across the adjacent wall like scattered peach blossoms, a sight that made one's heart skip a beat.

Mother Han cried out, "She's still breathing! She's still breathing! Go call a doctor! Quickly, go call a doctor!" Even as she shouted, she yanked up the cotton-damask seat cushion cover from an armchair and pressed it tightly over Luan'er's head. Working in a frantic flurry, the crowd lifted Luan'er onto the Luohan bed on the left side of the main hall, dispatching people to fetch injury ointments and summon a physician amid the utter chaos.

Lin Jinlou ordered someone to fetch medical salves. Turning his head, he caught sight of Xiulan standing there with a face as pale as a sheet. Frowning deeply, he pointed at her and barked, "Who told you to come out! Get back inside right now!" The harsh snap made Xiulan jump with a start.

Nurse Wu gave her a tug, whispering softly, "This is no place for you to linger. Go attend to Madam."

With no other choice, Xiulan turned back. Though she had never liked Luan'er, she had never truly hated her either, viewing her merely as an insignificant, trifling personage. Yet witnessing her fate today left her with an unnameable mixture of emotions—sighs, pity, sympathy, and a sorrowful dread for her own future flooded her heart all at once. Turning her head back for a glance, she saw a spreading pool of blood slowly oozing out from the spot where Luan'er had fallen.

Inside the western inner room, Madam Qin's heart hammered against her ribs. She had originally imagined this to be nothing more than a minor disturbance stirred up by restless maidservants, yet who could have foreseen it escalating step by step to such horrifying lengths, even reaching the brink of taking a life? Terrified that a death during the ancestor-worship season would bring bad luck, she hurriedly commanded the kitchens to brew up ginseng soup to sustain life, and ordered her chests opened to find fine linen to bandage Luan'er's wounds.

After a short while, the main hall quieted down. Mother Han walked in and reported, "The bleeding has stopped, and she has been carried back to her own room. She is still unconscious, though, so the medicine cannot be forced down her throat yet. The physician has already examined her and written a prescription, saying that fortunately someone pulled her back just as she struck the wall—although blood was drawn, her life can be saved, but whether this will leave behind any lingering illness remains to be seen."

Madam Qin pressed her palms together in a silent chant to Buddha, then asked, "What did the Eldest Young Master say?"

Mother Han replied, "The Eldest Young Master said that at first light tomorrow, they are to use a wooden plank to carry Luan'er out and have her parents take her away."

Sighing softly, Madam Qin murmured, "Very well, let it be as he says. Since she harbored such malicious intentions, we cannot blame the masters for lacking benevolence... The girl was a fool through and through."

Noticing Madam Qin's wretched complexion, Mother Han chimed in hastily, "What Madam says is true. After committing such an outrage, the fact that the master didn't deal with her severely is already a stroke of immense good fortune—what more could she possibly expect?"

Sighing once more, Madam Qin sat quietly in silence for a moment before standing up and walking out into the main hall. Xiulan, who had been standing near the doorway, followed closely behind her.

The area had already been cleared; the blood on the floor had been washed away, though faint splatters remained visible on the wall. Lin Jinlou sat perched on high, with only a single person kneeling before him—Huamei.

Tapping two fingers rhythmically against the armrest, Lin Jinlou kept his eyes fixed entirely on Huamei, maintaining a heavy silence.

Seemingly sensing Lin Jinlou's piercing gaze, Huamei fought desperately to keep herself composed, yet she could not stop a slight, involuntary tremor from wracking her frame as her heart hammered wildly against her ribs. Suddenly, she heard Lin Jinlou's voice ring out directly above her head, "Rushuang claimed the talisman was planted by Nuanyue. I chose to believe it."

Huamei jerked her head up sharply, locking eyes with Lin Jinlou's glittering gaze and his intimidating, unsmiling face. Struck with sudden terror, she hastily lowered her head again.

Madam Qin looked over at Lin Jinlou in astonishment, opening her mouth as if to speak, but a gentle tug from Mother Han stopped her short. Xiulan furrowed her brow slightly. Although Huamei had found a scapegoat in Rushuang to extricate herself, any person of sense could easily see through the ugly deception. Yet Lin Jinlou had bypassed further questioning, dragging Rushuang off to be beaten without a second thought, heavily punishing Nuanyue, and declaring that he believed Huamei—making it abundantly clear that he had no desire to pursue the matter any further.

Coldly, Lin Jinlou continued, "Yet you leaped about behind the scenes, falsely accusing the innocent and doing your utmost to plunge everything into chaos, even inciting Qinglan in the past. Clearly, I have been too lenient in my discipline of you recently. You will no longer hold the position of concubine. If you pull another stunt like this, I will cast you out of the manor entirely. Originally, I was hoping Qinglan might bear the eldest son, which is why I let her reside in the eastern wing; for you to continue living there lacks proper standing and justification. Starting tomorrow, you are to move into the room Luan'er vacated. From this day forward, you are confined to your quarters, and every day you will go to the ancestral hall to kneel and burn incense for one full hour. Go find the senior matrons later to receive your punishment—fifty slaps across the face."

Huamei's face turned deathly pale, a crushing weight sinking into her stomach. Yet she bowed submissively and kowtowed, replying, "It was my fault, the Eldest Young Master's punishment is entirely just. I beg the Eldest Young Master to let go of your anger and take good care of your health."

Lin Jinlou barked, "Do not stay here in my sight and ruin my mood—get lost and kneel out in the courtyard!"

Huamei's legs had long since gone numb and swollen from kneeling, throbbing like needles were being driven into them, making it nearly impossible for her to stand. Yet the room remained deathly quiet, with not a soul stepping forward to offer her support. Finding the sight too much to bear, Madam Qin ordered two matrons to drag her up and haul her bodily out the door.