Matron Han opened it to look and said to Madam Qin, “This is a talisman for conceiving a child. The young wives in the inner quarters often ask for these. I’ve seen them several times before.”

Long Fa’s wife quickly said, “How pitiful is Concubine Mei’s dedication, seeking such a talisman? She wishes to continue the Lin family lineage!”

Madam Qin’s expression remained indifferent as she asked, “Are there any other talismans?”

Hua Mei hastily replied, “No, no, there’s only this one. Daoist Cui is like an immortal, and her talismans are especially effective but particularly expensive. Who would have enough silver to request several?”

After everyone searched thoroughly and found nothing suspicious, Madam Qin led them out.

Hua Mei’s demeanor instantly changed. Her timid appearance completely vanished, replaced by a cold smile as she sat down. Xi Que approached and whispered, “Madam, everyone has left. Shall we prepare for bed?”

A cold light flickered in Hua Mei’s eyes as she sneered, “What preparation? I need to change clothes again to watch the grand show.”

Meanwhile, after leaving the east wing, Madam Qin went to Ying Ge’s room. Several servants had been watching the room, preventing any disturbance. Ying Ge had been experiencing her monthly cycle these past few days and wasn’t feeling well, having already retired for the night. Hearing the commotion, she struggled to get up, fumbling to put on clothes, with no time to arrange her hair. She was startled when Madam Qin entered.

Though Madam Qin disliked Ying Ge’s “delicate beauty” act of weakness, she still pitied her honesty and the fact that she had lost a child. She said, “Don’t panic and don’t bother with tea. We’ll just search and leave.” She ordered people to open the boxes and chests for inspection, and then search the bed. Indeed, they found another talisman in the pillow, which turned out to be one Ying Ge had bought from Daoist Cui for peace and health.

Seeing Madam Qin take the item, Ying Ge trembled and said, “Is this something bad? I even bought one for my father and had someone take it home a few days ago.”

Matron Han, seeing how frightened she was, consoled her: “It’s nothing serious, don’t overthink it. Just avoid getting these in the future, as they upset the Madam… Get some rest now.” She then followed Madam Qin to Luan Er’s room.

The earlier commotion had already alerted Luan Er to Madam Qin’s impending arrival. Though unsure of what was being searched for, she felt guilty and anxious. However, with two household managers watching the room, she couldn’t do anything but worry.

While she was fretting, Madam Qin entered. Seeing the room dim, she ordered the candles to be brightened. Luan Er, relying on her former favor with the Old Madam and having once earned Madam Qin’s praise for her singing, smiled and asked, “It’s so late, what brings Madam here?”

Madam Qin ignored her and ordered people to open all boxes and cabinets for searching.

Luan Er’s heart pounded as she gathered her courage to ask again, “May I ask why Madam is here? Why are you searching through things? I haven’t stolen anything.”

Long Fa’s wife, who had previously gossiped about Luan Er with Hua Mei and had long disliked Luan Er’s superior attitude, seized the opportunity to glare and rebuke her: “How dare you speak so much! Did Madam ask for your opinion?”

Luan Er’s face immediately reddened. She wanted to argue back but feared Madam Qin, so she swallowed her anger. Seeing Long Fa’s wife’s triumphant expression as she ransacked through clothes, bundles, and cosmetic boxes, leaving everything in disarray, Luan Er’s eyes trembled. Usually, she would have lost patience and scolded them, but now she had other concerns, her face alternating between red and white, her legs slightly shaking.

Soon enough, Matron Han found another talisman in the pillow. She cut open the cloth wrapper with scissors to look, was momentarily stunned, then showed a contemptuous expression as she handed it to Madam Qin. Looking at it, Madam Qin saw that besides the chaotic symbols, it depicted a naked man and woman embracing in an intimate position. Though crudely drawn, the figures were labeled with the names Lin Jin Lou and Luan Er.

Matron Han whispered, “Madam, I’ve seen such things outside before. It’s supposed to be some kind of union charm. Though it’s not meant to harm anyone, it’s certainly not proper.”

Upon seeing such an obscene item exposed, Madam Qin’s eyebrows rose in anger, her face pale with rage. Having such an intimate item seen by others, Luan Er felt both anxious and ashamed, her face burning red as she buried her head and shrank against the wall, her heart pounding even more violently.

Madam Qin gave a cold laugh and ordered, “Search more.” She slowly walked to the red wooden table, while Luan Er’s heart continued to race. Madam Qin touched the scattered rouge, powder, and hairpins on the table, then pointed to a locked stationary mirror box and said, “Open this.”

Luan Er stood in the corner, appearing terrified.

Madam Qin raised her eyebrows and urged, “Open this! Quickly!”

Cold sweat had broken out on Luan Er’s forehead as she trembled to undo the key from her waist, fumbling several times before getting it loose. Matron Han took the key to unlock it, and upon opening the mirror box, found the mirror layer empty, but the drawer below contained several pairs of earrings and three or four rings, and in the bottom compartment was a green cloth wrapper.

Madam Qin opened it to find another talisman, this one depicting a green-faced demon with protruding fangs. Matron Han peeked and jumped in fright, exclaiming, “Heavens! This is terrible!”

Madam Qin’s face turned pale with anger as she demanded harshly, “You worthless creature! Who gave you this? Who were you planning to curse?”

When Luan Er saw that talisman discovered, she felt as if she’d fallen into an ice pit. Her hands and feet turned cold, overwhelmed by shock, fear, shame, and regret. A thousand sensations rushed to her tongue as her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes rolling back as she fainted.

Madam Qin, now furious, didn’t wait for Luan Er to regain consciousness to question where such demonic items came from, but ordered the servants to take her into custody, then proceeded to the main chamber.

Pushing open the door, she found two elderly servants already guarding the room. Madam Qin saw that Xiang Lan had just finished washing up, her hair loosely bound in two or three delicate gold pins, wearing a round-collared robe embroidered with bamboo leaves and plum blossoms, with white silk wide-legged trousers beneath.

Her face was completely free of makeup, yet her black hair and white neck only enhanced her lotus-like complexion, giving her an ethereal air. Xiang Lan had now blossomed, possessing even more charm and beauty than before. Madam Qin couldn’t help but admire in her heart, “What a lovely young woman.” She sighed again, seemingly understanding why her son insisted on having Chen Xiang Lan by his side.

Such a beauty would inspire tenderness and love even in her, diminishing her previous feelings of aversion. But then she thought of how throughout history, “beauty leads to downfall.” While being beautiful was generally good for a woman, if one was too beautiful, it could become a liability. Moreover, this little maid was quite clever and intelligent. If she were to bewitch Lin Jin Lou into losing his senses and then provoke trouble, that would be disastrous. With these thoughts, her expression cooled again as she sat down on the round stool by the table.