Against the Current - Chapter 77

Chapter 77 - Implication

"How could your earring possibly be on my bed?" Xianglan asked, her face cold as she stepped over to tidy up the rumpled quilt and pillows.

Yindie rolled her eyes, switching to a smile as she said, "I was frantic over losing my earring and just started tossing things around. Good sister, don't be mad."

Ignoring her, Xianglan went about gathering the damp clothes beneath the bed. Yindie crowded in right behind her, coaxing, "What on earth did Mistress Lan say to Huamei before she breathed her last? Did you hear?"

Xianglan glanced at Yindie, scooped up the wet garments, and turned to leave. Yindie trailed after her heels, wheedling, "Just tell me what they said, won't you?"

Xianglan abruptly halted her steps, turned around, and looked at Yindie expressionlessly. "It was nothing much. Mistress Lan only said that because she didn't get to see the eldest master one last time before her death, her heart harbored deep grievance." Having said that, she walked off without looking back.

Yindie spat at her back with a curse, "Little frozen rat, what are you feeling so smug about!" Seeing that nobody else was around, she pulled out the eight-treasures red-gold and ruby hairpin, muttered a resentful curse ("A piece like this was definitely given to that little slut by the eldest master!"), and blissfully pinned it into her hair. Peering at her reflection in the water vat, she muttered to herself, "With a piece like this, you clearly lack the fortune to wear it, so it's better off stuck in my hair."

Suddenly, she spotted Bailu standing by the green gauze window, beckoning to her and pointing toward the main rooms.

A shiver ran through Yindie's heart. She broke into a run, darting like a wisp of smoke toward the main rooms. Dropping to her knees before Zhao Yuechan, she reported, "Answering the Eldest Young Madam, I searched all through the room, but none of the indigo-colored booklets I found were the ones you were looking for."

Zhao Yuechan, who had been sitting with her eyes closed while Yingsheng massaged her shoulders, opened both eyes and said, "Oh? You couldn't find them? How was it you answered me just before, patting your chest and swearing you were certain to find them, leaving me here waiting to reap the reward? I originally thought you had a spark of cleverness and planned to bring you over to my quarters after Mistress Lan's funeral, but who would have thought you couldn't even handle a tiny matter like this?"

Yindie forced a flattering smile. "Today has been far too chaotic. One moment someone comes in to change the mattresses, the next someone delivers candles and joss paper, and Huamei was standing guard right there as well—with so many people bustling about and hands everywhere, I only managed a rough rummaging through Mistress Lan's bedchamber and haven't had a proper chance to search. I beg Madam to be indulgent for another day or half a day." She cast a covert glance at Zhao Yuechan. Seeing those peach-blossom eyes on that richly radiant, alluring face brimming with murderous authority and menace, she involuntarily shrank her neck back. In her heart, she already deeply regretted entangling herself with the main quarters, but things had progressed to this point, and there was no turning back. Intent solely on extricating herself, her eyes darting around as a scheme took shape, she said, "Actually, Your Ladyship, I suspect Huamei and Xianglan are most likely aware of this matter. Before Mistress Lan breathed her last, she whispered in Huamei's ear for quite a long time—most likely bringing up this very booklet—and Xianglan was standing right beside them. While tidying the room just now, the two of them stuck around like temple guardians the whole time; who knows what kind of motives they're harboring?"

Zhao Yuechan furrowed her brow.

Huamei was a concubine sent by Lin Jinlou's superior. As the saying goes, "Love the dog, beat not the master"; thus, Huamei occupied a slightly different standing than the house's homegrown concubined maids. Furthermore, her older brother was a military household registered soldier; ever since his younger sister became Lin Jinlou's concubine, he had been promoted to a low-ranking martial officer, giving Huamei's status a distinct weight. Moreover, Huamei was an extremely slippery, clever piece of work whom Zhao Yuechan could never find an excuse to manipulate. Though she squeezed and sidelined her both openly and covertly, Huamei acted as if she couldn't care less. If that ledger had fallen into Huamei's hands... As for Xianglan, she was a homegrown maid, so beating or punishing her would be of little consequence, but unfortunately, Lin Jinlou was currently doting on her intensely, making this particular situation genuinely tricky.

Zhao Yuechan knitted her brows tightly. Sweeping her gaze sideways, she suddenly caught sight of the eight-treasures red-gold and ruby hairpin pinned in Yindie's hair. Her eyes widened instantly, and springing to her feet with a start, she strode over to Yindie, snatched the hairpin right out of her hair, and demanded in a harsh, ringing voice, "Where did you get this hairpin?"

Yindie was struck dumb with fright, staring blankly and unable to utter a word.

Zhao Yuechan delivered a sharp slap across Yindie's face, pointed straight at her nose, and barked, "Speak! Where did you get this hairpin?"

Too terrified even to cry, Yindie trembled at the lips and stammered, "Th-this is... mine..."

Clutching Yindie by her clothes, Zhao Yuechan jabbed the hairpin against her face and cursed, "You heaven-forsaken, worthless slut! How dare you try to pull tricks in front of your mistress! This hairpin is yours? My foot! You're not even worthy to wear it! If you don't speak the truth right now, I'll pierce your mouth to shreds!"

Shielding her face with one hand—already pricked in several places by the frantic jabbing—Yindie burst into bitter tears and screamed, "Madam, spare my life! Madam, spare my life! I found this hairpin on Xianglan's bed!"

Hearing this, Zhao Yuechan's hand froze. She slowly released her grip on Yindie, collapsing like a slackened bow, her gaze vacant and glazed. This very hairpin was part of the set Cao Lihuan had given her, which she had then entrusted to Qian Wenze to sell off—a total of eight pieces that had easily netted her five hundred taels of silver. Who would have thought that after taking such a roundabout journey, it would end up in Lin Jinlou's possession, scattered away with a thousand pieces of gold just to amuse a little maid! Even for that wretched little creature Qinglan, Lin Jinlou had never shown such extravagance!

Since Lin Jinlou cared for her to this extent, this little wretch could no longer be allowed to stay. Qinglan had just died, and Xianglan clearly saw a few days of good life ahead of her; she could not have one tiger just leaving the front gates only to have a wolf trailing in behind.

Zhao Yuechan's temples throbbed violently, her palms slick with sweat, as she took a few hurried, ragged breaths.

Yingsheng hurriedly stepped forward to steady Zhao Yuechan, murmuring softly, "Don't be upset, Madam, preserving your own health is what matters most." She settled Zhao into a chair and busily poured a cup of tea.

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by Yindie's muffled sobbing.

Drawing a long, ragged breath, Zhao Yuechan clenched her teeth and ground out every single word: "Xianglan... this little whore certainly has her methods."

Kneeling, Yindie crept forward a few paces and pleaded, "What Madam says is true. She is an utterly clueless creature; the last time the Eldest Young Madam went to the east wing, she served a bowl of hot tea and even let Madam scald her hand."

Yingsheng stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Madam shouldn't lower herself to match wits with such a seductive siren. She's high-handed—Madam, you've forgotten, back when this Xianglan entered the manor, the eldest master drew a circle around her name; I'm afraid he already had designs on her back then."

Catching the faint mention of the "eldest master," Yindie grew even more bold. Hastily wiping the tears from her face, she laid it on thick with exaggeration: "The last time Xianglan burned her face, the eldest master specially dispatched someone to deliver a box of... what do they call it... Crystal Jade Orchid Snow Ointment. I heard it was just bestowed by the palace at the start of the year, terribly precious, yet the eldest master handed it over to her without blinking an eye. Ever since that little slut got the ointment, she walks around as if she has the wind at her back, not even looking at us properly anymore. I couldn't stand it, so I gave her a couple of cautionary words, telling her that the eldest master only gave her face for the sake of sparing the Eldest Young Madam's dignity, and warning her not to get too full of herself. And do you know what she told me in reply? She told me the eldest master doesn't give face to just anyone; if he hadn't felt pity and affection for her, how could he possibly have given her an ointment bestowed by the palace? Just listen to that—listen! Is that anything a decent person would say? Now that the eldest master is about to elevate her, she's even more puffed up with her own importance, refusing to do any chores at all and spending all day copying those damned Buddhist scriptures, genuinely treating herself as if she were a mistress waiting to be worshipped. Even Mistress Lan had a soft disposition and, unlike Madam who refuses to tolerate a grain of sand in her eye, she just indulged that little slut. Oh, my heart still aches with anger just thinking about it!" Seeing Zhao Yuechan's expression grow darker and darker, Yindie felt a surge of delight. Why was it that whenever she presented the eldest master with a sachet or straightened his clothes, she met with jealousy and exclusion, even getting beaten while offering cold comfort to his cold shoulder? Yet that silly, bumbling Xianglan was doted upon by Lin Jinlou. She simply refused to accept it!

Zhao Yuechan told Yindie, "All right, you may return. I'll grant you one more day—find that booklet and bring it to me. And don't let anyone else know, or else mind your skin!"

A secret weight lifted from Yindie's chest. Just as she was about to leave, she heard Zhao Yuechan call out, "Wait. Go bring Xianglan to me. Do it quietly, without letting anyone see."

Yindie acknowledged the order and left.

By now, the east wing was entirely draped in plain white mourning cloth, with the small parlor converted into a mourning hall ablaze with candlelight. Xianglan had changed into a white hair-cord, wrapped plain white silk around her waist, and sat on a small wooden stool keeping watch over Qinglan's bier when she suddenly saw Yindie walk in and say to her, "Come with me, the Eldest Young Madam has words for you."

Noticing Yindie's unkind expression, Xianglan felt a sudden jolt in her chest, sensing vaguely that this trip spelled more danger than fortune. Why on earth is the Eldest Young Madam calling for me out of the blue? she thought. Raising her eyes to look around, she saw no one else in the hall besides herself, save for the faint sound of Xiaojuan and Chunling talking in the inner room.

With no other choice, Xianglan had no option but to follow Yindie. Upon reaching the main rooms, she found Zhao Yuechan sitting squarely upon the large kang within the green gauze partition, her dark hair coiled high and secured with a pair of double-stranded kingfisher-blue phoenix hairpins dripping with pearl-and-tassel fringes. Her face was made up with exceptionally vivid cosmetics, and water-drop white jade earrings swung from her earlobes with immense flair. Her powdered face was etched with authority, radiating a sharp, piercing aura. Yingsheng stood nearby, attending to her in hushed, bated silence.

Putting on a thoroughly trembling and terrified appearance, Xianglan dropped to her knees, kowtowed, and said, "May the Madam enjoy a thousand years."

Zhao Yuechan said nothing, purposely leaving Xianglan kneeling there while she looked her up and down from head to toe. Seeing that Xianglan was still dressed in her old clothes, completely devoid of any ostentatious styling born of favored status, and noting that her exceptionally beautiful face—with eyes slightly swollen from crying—possessed a unique, touching vulnerability, but that she currently shrank back timidly and lacked even Yindie's lively energy, Zhao Yuechan finally spoke: "Do you know why I summoned you here?"

Xianglan shrank back slightly, lowering her face toward the ground as she knelt and said, "This maid does not know."

Zhao Yuechan sneered, "Looking like a sick little cat, yet you've certainly got impressive methods, knowing so well how to seduce men."

Stunned by these words, Xianglan cast a glance at Yindie, wondering what she had stirred up in the background. Amidst her hesitation, she heard Zhao Yuechan say again, "Let me ask you this: Yingsheng dropped an indigo-colored booklet in the garden—do you know where it's kept?"

A secret wave of wonder crossed Xianglan's mind. Why is she asking me about that? Aloud, she replied, "This maid does have two indigo booklets used for copying Buddhist scriptures; Mistress Lan borrowed one earlier, and the other is still in my room."

Seeing the genuine bewilderment on Xianglan's face, which bore no sign of pretense, Zhao Yuechan knew she was entirely in the dark. She sneered, "Never mind the booklet for now—you certainly have unclean paws, daring to arbitrarily steal and take things belonging to your masters!" With that, she flashed the eight-treasures red-gold and ruby hairpin and demanded, "Where did this thing come from?"

Upon seeing the item, Xianglan kowtowed and said, "This was a trinket bestowed by the eldest master! Your maid is wronged; I would never, ever dare lay a finger on a single blade of grass or a single tree in the master's chambers. I beg the Eldest Young Madam to clear my name!"

Hearing the words "bestowed by the eldest master" only fueled Zhao Yuechan's hatred further. Spitting fiercely, she cursed, "You base, worthless hussy! You still dare to lie to my face? Do you take me for a fool who's easy to hoodwink? It seems you won't speak the truth until you taste some punishment. Yingsheng, go on—give her a good slap across the mouth!"