Jiang Dan Yun walked to the stove and quietly lifted the lid of the earthen pot slightly. With her other hand reaching forward, she gave a slight tremor, and seven or eight black medicinal pills rolled from her sleeve, falling into the medicine pot. Jiang Dan Yun felt her mouth go dry and her limbs grow numb. Suddenly, something flew in through the window, landing with a “pat” right by her feet. Jiang Dan Yun let out a startled “Oh!” Her legs went weak, and she trembled all over, nearly falling to the ground. One pill dropped from her sleeve and rolled away to parts unknown.
Both Jiang Xi Yun and Chun Ling were startled.
Zhao Lu poked her head through the window, shrinking back as she said, “My shuttlecock…”
Chun Ling immediately scolded her: “You ill-fated little wretch, kicking it into the room! What if it had fallen into the medicine pot? If you’d broken anything, you’d be in for it!”
Zhao Lu fled without even retrieving her shuttlecock.
Jiang Xi Yun hurried inside and took Jiang Dan Yun’s arm, smiling, “That gave Fourth Sister quite a fright – look how you’re sweating.” Jiang Dan Yun was trembling all over, her face as pale as gold leaf, and when touched, her hands were ice cold. Jiang Xi Yun said, “Since Sister Xiang Lan isn’t here, let’s go back. We can come talk to her another day.” With that, she pulled Jiang Dan Yun away.
Jiang Dan Yun hesitated, looking back repeatedly at the medicine pot. Through the window, she saw Chun Ling lift the pot’s lid and strain the contents through a cloth, slowly pouring the medicine into a mung bean-glazed lotus leaf bowl. Jiang Dan Yun’s heart pounded violently, and she felt weak. Her conscience struggled, but her mind was blank as she followed Jiang Xi Yun in a daze.
As for Chun Ling, being partial to Jiang Xi Yun, she wasn’t particularly attentive to her task. Medicine that should have taken two-quarters of an hour to brew was finished and poured out in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. She carried it on a lacquered tray to the room. Just then, Xiang Lan returned from the garden with Young Master De, who was hurriedly trying to put a flower he held into a vase. Xiao Juan took the medicine bowl and asked, “It’s done so quickly?” Chun Ling kept her eyes down, gave a mere “mm” in response, and left.
Xiao Juan snorted coldly and brought the medicine to Xiang Lan. Previously, Shu Ran had personally supervised Xiang Lan taking her medicine, but after seeing how obedient Xiang Lan was in taking it each time, she gradually left the task to Xiao Juan and others. Xiao Juan was careless, and the other maids didn’t dare watch Xiang Lan take her medicine too closely. Sometimes she would quietly pour it into flowerpots or the spittoon, taking it irregularly, so today she again planned to send Xiao Juan away and dispose of the medicine.
Unexpectedly, the door curtain rustled, and Lin Jin Lou entered to fetch something. Seeing him, De’er bounced over and called out sweetly, “Uncle Lin.” Lin Jin Lou patted his head, smiling, “Good lad.” Then he looked up at Xiang Lan, his eyes catching sight of the medicine on the table. He said, “Why haven’t you taken it yet? It’ll get cold soon.” With that, he handed it to her.
Xiang Lan had no choice but to accept it. Lin Jin Lou opened a chest and selected a sword, about to leave, when he saw Xiang Lan still holding the medicine bowl in a daze. He frowned and said, “Why aren’t you drinking it?”
Xiang Lan had no choice but to take a few sips. As Lin Jin Lou turned to leave, he muttered to himself, “Silly girl, really worrisome.” Once he left, Xiang Lan immediately put down the bowl and poured the remaining half bowl of medicine into the spittoon. Seeing De’er watching her with bright eyes, she winked at him and whispered with a smile, “This medicine is too bitter. Aunt Lan doesn’t like it. Don’t tell anyone, alright?”
De’er immediately pulled out his small waist pouch and dumped all its contents onto the bed, selecting a beautiful shoulder-shaped bottle and offering it to her: “I have pine nut candy here – eat this and it won’t be bitter anymore.”
Xiang Lan’s heart melted with warmth, and she hugged De’er tightly, kissing his head.
Meanwhile, when the Jiang sisters returned to Meng Fang Court, Jiang Dan Yun was in a daze, her soul seemingly lost, sitting mindlessly on her bed. She wasn’t truly malicious by nature and found that doing this deed didn’t bring the satisfaction she had imagined. Instead, she was trembling with fear, tears falling as she sat there straight and stiff, her mind churning with countless thoughts, not knowing what to do. Just then, Qing Fen came in from outside with needlework, saying, “Young Lady, I’ve finished the embroidery pattern you asked for.” Seeing Jiang Dan Yun staring blankly with a purple-flushed face, she asked worriedly, “What’s wrong with Young Lady?” She felt Jiang Dan Yun’s forehead and found it covered in cold sweat. Alarmed, she shook Jiang Dan Yun several times, crying out, “Young Lady! Young Lady! What’s wrong with you?”
Jiang Dan Yun finally came to her senses and couldn’t help crying out “Ah!” as she grabbed Qing Fen’s arm and began to sob. But let’s leave them for now.
Jiang Xi Yun went straight to Mother Jiang’s room. Mother Jiang had just seen her eldest grandson and felt reassured, and since Jiang Shang Xian had come regarding Jiang Xi Yun’s marriage, it seemed things were ninety percent settled. Her heart was filled with mixed joy and worry, but her complexion had become rosy. She sat cross-legged on the kang bed with her eyes closed, fingering Buddhist beads and mumbling prayers. Jiang Xi Yun kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the kang, and buried herself in her mother’s embrace. Mother Jiang opened her arms to hold her, patting her back intermittently.
Jiang Xi Yun said in a muffled voice: “Grandmother, I… my heart feels so heavy… Have I become a bad person? I heard early on from Liu Su that the Fourth Sister had gotten pregnancy-preventing medicine from the Second Sister-in-law. Fourth Sister is jealous by nature and envies my marriage prospect. I feared she would give it to me to eat, so I guarded against her day and night, and she failed to succeed several times. Of course, I dislike Xiang Lan when Elder Cousin keeps elevating her position! Moreover, my Aunt-in-law protects her, so even after I marry, I might not be able to subdue her. I fear my days will be constrained everywhere, like a puppet. I… I deliberately dropped hints to Fourth Sister about Xiang Lan taking medicine daily and specifically led her there when Chun Ling was on duty. Fourth Sister couldn’t give me the medicine, and with her vengeful nature, she would likely give the medicine to Xiang Lan and frame me, trying to ruin this marriage. I used her as a weapon… I, I schemed against people, but… but I didn’t want to do this!” As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Mother Jiang lovingly stroked Jiang Xi Yun’s shoulders, softly comforting her: “Xi’er, don’t cry, good granddaughter… Grandmother knows everything, knows it all… Liu Su told me everything early on.” She lifted her granddaughter’s tear-streaked face, which was still as beautiful as flowers and jade, and said, “Who in this world doesn’t want to live righteously? Who doesn’t want to live peacefully? But how many can do so?”
Jiang Xi Yun stared straight at Mother Jiang, seeing her weathered face with its new wrinkles making her look even older, and her heart ached as tears rolled down like melons. Since she discovered Chen Xiang Lan’s elevated status, she has been constantly thinking. That girl was beautiful and accomplished in the four arts, and though she felt those romantic pursuits were useless, Lin Jin Lou liked them, what’s more, Xiang Lan’s strengths were her weaknesses. How could such a favored concubine not make her feel like sitting on pins and needles? She had originally planned to deal with it slowly after marriage, but Madam Qin’s words defending Xiang Lan that day had doused her with cold water, completely crushing her spirit. That’s why she had thought of this method…
Jiang Xi Yun felt desolate inside and hated herself for leading Jiang Dan Yun to do such a thing. She cried, “This matter must have an explanation. If we want to preserve the Jiang family’s reputation, Chun Ling will have to take the fall. She was completely loyal to me, yet I… schemed against her…”
Mother Jiang said matter-of-factly, “This couldn’t be helped.”
Jiang Xi Yun was startled.
Mother Jiang’s eyes flashed with sharp light as she said, “Let me ask you if Chun Ling hadn’t betrayed her master, would you have acted this way? With Chun Ling’s nature, would you dare use her in the future? If our Jiang family’s status were equal to the Lin family’s, would you worry so much about a mere concubine?”
Jiang Xi Yun choked, “Of course not. Among Xiang Lan’s maids, only she actively approached us. Someone like that, naturally I wouldn’t dare to use… If our family were equal to the Lin family, Grandmother would naturally speak with the Lin family’s Madam. If not sending Chen Xiang Lan away, at least they wouldn’t elevate her to such a position.”
Mother Jiang’s expression remained calm as she slowly said, “At least your mind is still working. Our Jiang family was already inferior to the Lin family, and now we’re further weakened. You’re a daughter of a concubine, your maternal family lacks influence, you’re not close to your stepmother, your birth mother’s status is humble, your full brother is far away in Zhejiang, and I’m just an old woman now. Your father still hopes to use your marriage to maintain good relations with the Lin family and help the whole family in the future. You should understand all these layers of concerns. After you marry into the Lin family, if you want to live comfortably, you need to keep your eyes sharp.”
Jiang Xi Yun froze, forgetting to wipe her tears as she stared blankly.
Mother Jiang reached out and slowly wiped the tears from her granddaughter’s face, her gaze loving as she said, “Lin Jin Lou is infatuated with Chen Xiang Lan and is determined to have her bear children, completely disregarding our family’s face. If she bears a firstborn son in the future, how awkward would that be for you? If you don’t scheme now, you’ll have to live a life of compromise in the future, yielding everywhere, speaking softly and humbly – would you be willing?”
Jiang Xi Yun’s lips trembled, unable to speak.
Mother Jiang heaved a long sigh, then suddenly roused herself and said coldly, “There’s nothing to feel guilty about in scheming against people. The medicine was given by your Fourth Sister, it has little to do with you. You didn’t deliberately harm anyone – it’s just that maid Chun Ling and that Chen Xiang Lan, nobody’s lost any flesh… Hmph, you have more wit than Chen Xiang Lan, and better comprehension too. Since childhood, you’ve known how to read people’s expressions and how to build relationships. What can she do? Just stays in her room all day writing a few characters, painting a few worthless pictures, shedding tears in the wind, acting pitiful, shrinking back, being stubborn and obstinate. What good is being honest and simple-minded? Even if she were a young lady from a noble family, ask yourself which wealthy family would want such a woman as a wife. Let me ask you, if you have a daughter in the future, would you want her to be like her or like you? If you have a son in the future looking for a daughter-in-law, would you want someone like Chen Xiang Lan or someone like you?”
Jiang Xi Yun was dumbfounded, stammering without making a sound.
Mother Jiang slowly said, “It’s just that Chen Xiang Lan is quite good at winning people’s hearts. Think carefully about how to control her after you marry in.”
Jiang Xi Yun said in a daze, “She probably won’t be able to bear children anymore – she’ll be nothing but window dressing in the household…”