Yin Die gritted her teeth and said, “Her heart must be blind! That vixen who seduces one man after another… Young Miss doesn’t know, but this Xiang Lan was originally supposed to be sold off by the First Madam. Yet somehow she got lucky – not only did her whole family gain freedom, but they suddenly became wealthy, buying houses and land, and becoming people of status. That little enchantress was already unbearable before, and now she’s even worse. If I don’t teach her a lesson, how will I ever have my day?”

Cao Li Huan viewed Xiang Lan as a mortal enemy. Hearing that she was now living well and that Xia Yun was actively pursuing her, she became so angry she felt dizzy. Her teeth grinding audibly, she felt sour, bitter, hateful, and furious all at once. She cursed, “Pah! Heaven must be blind to let such a cheap woman avoid ending up in a brothel!”

Yin Die immediately found a kindred spirit and joined Cao Li Huan in cursing Xiang Lan. Cao Li Huan kept asking for details, so Yin Die explained everything from beginning to end.

After pondering for a while, Cao Li Huan’s face suddenly showed a cold smile. She said softly, “Sister, it’s not hard to get your revenge. Just do as I say…” She leaned close to Yin Die’s ear and instructed her in detail about this and that.

Yin Die was startled and said fearfully, “This… can this work? I don’t dare.”

Cao Li Huan held her hand and smiled, “What’s there to fear? I’ll handle everything. To be honest with you, my husband currently has quite some influence with the County Magistrate. If you do as I say, I guarantee nothing will go wrong.”

Yin Die still hesitated, and Cao Li Huan sneered, “Sister, why are you being so timid? I remember you as someone who wouldn’t tolerate even a grain of sand in your eye. Your whole family has suffered so terribly because of Xiang Lan, yet you can bear to let her live so well now, eating and drinking as she pleases? Can you swallow this anger without destroying her family?”

Thinking of her circumstances, Yin Die gritted her silver teeth and said, “Of course, I can’t swallow it!”

Cao Li Huan smiled, “That’s more like it. I also have a deep grudge against Chen Xiang Lan. Let’s deal with that cheap woman together. Just do as I say, and I guarantee you’ll be safe.” She then took out a silver tael from her sleeve and said, “Take this silver first, sister, buy yourself some good food and drink to calm your nerves.”

After several more words of encouragement, Yin Die finally made up her mind. The two women settled on their poisonous scheme, which we’ll set aside for now.

Let’s talk about how Chen Wan Quan sent Xia Yun home. The Xia family naturally wouldn’t let the matter rest. Chen Wan Quan offered ten taels of silver as compensation and sent some chicken, duck, and meat. Xia Yun himself felt somewhat guilty and didn’t pursue the matter too strongly. Only Jin Shi and Second Sister-in-law Xia wailed and cursed endlessly, repeatedly demanding more silver from the Chen family.

Chen Wan Quan had barely returned home when there came a “bang bang” knocking at the door. When it was opened, two fierce-looking constables appeared and immediately seized Chen Wan Quan to take him away. Madam Xue and Xiang Lan were shocked and both ran out. The constables sneered, “Chen Wan Quan dared to assault an imperial official. The County Magistrate orders him detained for trial!” With that, they pushed and shoved Chen Wan Quan away.

It turned out that Cao Li Huan had incited Yin Die to file a complaint at the county office against Chen Wan Quan for assaulting Xia Yun. Han Yao Zu initially didn’t want to handle such a minor matter. Cao Li Huan returned to the office and told Han Yao Zu, “My Lord doesn’t know, but Xia Yun has caught the eye of the Lin family – haven’t you seen how Master Lin gifted him a beautiful concubine? He serves under Your Lordship, and now that he’s been wronged, how can Your Lordship not address it? At least detain the man and give him a beating to appease the Xia family’s anger.”

Han Yao Zu thought about it and felt Cao Li Huan made sense. He nodded and said, “If that’s the case, we’ll bring him in for a beating and then release him to settle the matter.”

Cao Li Huan quickly said, “My Lord, don’t be hasty to release him. I’ve heard that Chen Wan Quan’s family has some wealth. He’s a pawnshop manager who can appraise antiques, and he’s made quite a fortune in just these past couple of years. He’s just a commoner without any backing or power. Such a fat sheep should be properly fleeced, My Lord. Shouldn’t we bleed him a little? Doesn’t My Lord need silver for seeking an external appointment?”

Han Yao Zu stroked his beard and smiled, flicking Cao Li Huan’s nose, “You are a clever little fox, thinking of even this.”

Cao Li Huan smiled coyly, “Naturally, I think only of My Lord’s career advancement.” She picked up a grape and fed it to Han Yao Zu.

As Han Yao Zu chewed the grape, he observed Cao Li Huan’s face with its long-drawn eyebrows. Due to the hot weather, her fair face had a pink flush. She smiled seductively, making bedroom eyes. She wore a sapphire blue flowered jacket that revealed glimpses of the scarlet undershirt beneath, showing a hint of snow-white skin, with an emerald green skirt below and a pair of bound feet. Although Cao Li Huan was only average in looks and figure, her flirtatious charm and understanding nature allowed her to outshine others and dominate attention. Han Yao Zu felt his passion stirring and embraced Cao Li Huan, kissing her more than ten times, saying, “My dear, one of these days when you leave that useless husband of yours, and I divorce that old tigress, let’s be husband and wife forever.”

Cao Li Huan glanced at him sideways and giggled, “Don’t let that she-devil of yours hear such talk, or who knows how she might deal with me.” As she spoke, she reached down to squeeze Han Yao Zu’s manhood.

Han Yao Zu hurriedly began undressing Cao Li Huan, and they went hand in hand into the inner chamber to make love. After their cloud and rain affair was finished, Han Yao Zu ordered Chen Wan Quan to be given twenty strokes of the paddle and kept in detention. We’ll leave that for now.

When Chen Wan Quan was arrested, Madam Xue and Xiang Lan were distraught. After discussing the matter, Xiang Lan first rushed to the prison, using silver to bribe officials for information. She heard that Chen Wan Quan had been beaten but couldn’t see him. She told Madam Xue, “The Xia family filed the complaint just wanting money. We’ll have to spend more silver to resolve this and have them withdraw the charge.”

Madam Xue agreed this made sense. The next day, she prepared fifty taels of silver, and together with Xiang Lan, went to the Xia family to humbly plead. Jin Shi, Second Sister-in-law Xia, and Yin Die cursed at them viciously, demanding that Xiang Lan kowtow in apology. Xiang Lan clenched her teeth and went straight to Xia Yun’s room, where she kowtowed three times before his bed and said, “Master Xia, I apologize to you. My father’s injury to you was accidental. Our family admits fault and will compensate you. Why must you have the yamen officers arrest my father?” She then presented the fifty taels of silver.

Xia Yun was greatly shocked, only then learning that Yin Die had filed a complaint. He immediately ordered the complaint to be withdrawn. The Xia family members verbally agreed, but after Xiang Lan left, Yin Die said, “We can’t withdraw the complaint for nothing. Haven’t you seen the master is sick in bed? The Chen family must suffer!”

Jin Shi, who had been repeatedly rejected by matchmakers when approaching the Chen family, finally felt vindicated and said hatefully, “That’s right! Do they think they can settle this with just a bit of silver? No way! Do they take us for beggars?” She then praised Yin Die, saying, “You did very well. The County Magistrate greatly favors Third Son, so he’ll surely help seek justice for him.”

Second Sister-in-law Xia offered her advice, “Oh my! Did you see it? The Chen family sent ten taels yesterday and fifty taels today, spending money without batting an eye. We can’t let them off so easily. This won’t be settled for anything less than several hundred taels!”

They all agreed on this plan, keeping it secret from Xia Yun, who lay in bed with his head injury, unaware of everything.

Meanwhile, when the Chen mother and daughter returned home and waited half a day without seeing anyone released, Xiang Lan went to the yamen to inquire. She learned that the Xia family hadn’t withdrawn the complaint. When she and her mother went back to the Xia family to ask about it, Jin Shi and her Second Sister-in-law Xia just blocked the door and cursed at them, not even allowing them to see Xia Yun.

Madam Xue frowned with worry and said, “The Xia family still wants more money. We’ll have to gather more to send to them.”

Xiang Lan pondered and said, “Sixty taels is already quite a lot. The Xia family is insatiable. If you send another fifty taels, they’ll expect a hundred. Even if we spend everything we have, they won’t withdraw the complaint.”

Hearing this, Madam Xue immediately fainted. Xiang Lan was alarmed and kept calling “Mother!” while wiping her face with a wet towel and pressing her philtrum. When Madam Xue came to, she held Xiang Lan’s hand and wept, “What are we to do? Xia Yun is a government official, and as they say, officials protect their own. How can your father be rescued?”

Though Xiang Lan was also anxiously worried, she had to appear calm and comforted her mother, saying, “Mother, please don’t worry. I’ll go to the prison now to visit Father, bribe the jailers to make sure he’s treated better, and then we can plan our next move.”

She then prepared herself, changing into plain clothes and wearing only two or three pieces of jewelry. She took some silver, gathered some of Chen Wan Quan’s belongings and medicine, gave some instructions to Hua Shan, and headed straight for the yamen. After using silver to gain access, she entered the prison and saw that the cell was dark and cramped. Chen Wan Quan was lying on a pile of rotting straw, his face sallow, unconscious. His thighs were beaten raw, blood pooling beneath him, with flies buzzing around.

Xiang Lan was devastated and called out with trembling lips, “Father…” tears falling uncontrollably.

In her previous life, seeing her family for the last time before execution had been just as tragic. Her grandfather, father, and mother had all been covered in blood. Her grandfather’s ten fingers had been broken from torture, lying in the stinking, damp prison. Her father wore a cangue and couldn’t even straighten his back, yet still smiled on his face, comforting her not to cry. Now that person had become Chen Wan Quan.

Xiang Lan’s heart and gall bladder felt like bursting. She called “Father” several times before Chen Wan Quan hazily regained consciousness. He looked at Xiang Lan and only said, “My child, why have you come here? Quickly go back, this is no place for you…” before falling unconscious again.

Xiang Lan wiped her eyes, forcing back her tears, and thought to herself: “Chen Xiang Lan, in your previous life, your father was refined and cultured, with extraordinary grace, praised by all as a gentleman. In this life, your father is just a common man, selfish and cowardly, drinking and cursing with a foul mouth. One taught you the arts and spoke of righteousness and tolerance; the other only thinks of ways to marry you into a wealthy family, even delighting in having you noticed by powerful men as a concubine. Yet their love for you is the same, not diminished at all by their different perspectives. In your previous life, you couldn’t save your family, but in this life, you must rescue your loved one from this prison!”

With her resolute character, she made up her mind and walked toward the exit. Just as she reached the prison gate, before she could speak to the jailer, she saw a woman approaching. The woman was adorned with pearls and kingfisher feathers, wearing a lotus-colored double-breasted shirt with green gold-embroidered sleeves and a peach-red skirt with embroidered edges, fanning herself as she walked. When Xiang Lan looked closely, she saw it was none other than Cao Li Huan.