“How could your earring possibly be on my bed?” Xiang Lan coldly went over to fix the messy blankets and pillows.

Yin Die rolled her eyes and put on a smile: “I was anxious about losing my earring, so I searched everywhere. Dear sister, don’t be angry.”

Xiang Lan ignored her and focused on gathering the wet clothes under the bed. Yin Die moved closer and asked: “What did Concubine Lan say to Hua Mei before she died? Did you hear it?”

Xiang Lan glanced at Yin Die once, then picked up the wet clothes and walked out. Yin Die followed right behind her: “What did she say? Tell me.”

Xiang Lan suddenly stopped walking and turned around, looking at Yin Die expressionlessly: “Nothing much. Concubine Lan just said she felt wrong that she couldn’t see Master one last time before dying.” After speaking, she left without looking back.

Yin Die spat behind her: “Little frozen rat, what are you so proud of!” Seeing no one around, she took out the eight-treasure red-gold ruby hairpin and cursed hatefully: “This kind of thing must have been given to that little hussy by Master!” She gleefully inserted it into her hair, looking at her reflection in the water vat while muttering: “Such things, you probably don’t have the fortune to wear them, better they are in my hair.”

Suddenly she saw Bai Lu standing at the green gauze window beckoning to her, pointing toward the main room.

Yin Die’s heart skipped a beat. She ran like the wind to the main room, knelt before Zhao Yue Chan, and said: “Madam, I searched the room thoroughly but none of the blue booklets I found were what you were looking for.”

Zhao Yue Chan, who had been closing her eyes while Ying Shuang massaged her shoulders, opened them and said: “Oh? Couldn’t find it? How did you respond to me earlier, patting your chest saying you’d find it, telling me to wait here expectantly? I originally thought you were quite clever and was planning to request you for my quarters after Concubine Lan’s funeral matters were settled. Who knew you couldn’t even handle such a small task.”

Yin Die smiled apologetically: “It was too chaotic today. Someone came to change the mattress, then others came to deliver candles and paper notices. Hua Mei was also standing guard nearby. With so many people around making a mess, I could only quickly search Concubine Lan’s bedroom without looking properly. Please give me another day or half a day.” She secretly glanced at Zhao Yue Chan, seeing those peach blossom eyes in that gorgeously made-up face containing both killing intent and authority. She couldn’t help but shrink her neck, already regretting getting involved with the main house’s affairs. But since things had come to this point, there was no other way. She was only thinking about how to extricate herself when an idea came to her: “Actually, your servant feels that Hua Mei and Xiang Lan must know about this. Before Concubine Lan died, she whispered to Hua Mei for quite a while, it must have been about this booklet. Xiang Lan was standing right there. When tidying up the room earlier, those two were standing there like door gods, who knows what they were thinking.”

Zhao Yue Chan frowned.

Hua Mei was a concubine sent by Lin Jin Lou’s superior. As the saying goes, “When beating a dog, consider its master.” Hua Mei was different from the household’s ordinary serving girls. Moreover, her brother was from a military household and had been promoted to a minor military official after his sister became Lin Jin Lou’s concubine, so Hua Mei’s status was indeed different. Hua Mei was also clever and slippery, impossible to get a handle on. Though she tried to suppress her openly and secretly, Hua Mei seemed completely unbothered. If that account book fell into Hua Mei’s hands… As for Xiang Lan, she was a house-born servant girl, it wouldn’t matter to beat or punish her, but Lin Jin Lou was currently infatuated, making the situation truly thorny.

Zhao Yue Chan furrowed her brows tightly. Her eyes swept across and suddenly caught sight of the eight-treasure red-gold ruby hairpin in Yin Die’s hair. Her eyes immediately widened and she stood up abruptly, walked to Yin Die, and yanked the hairpin from her hair, demanding harshly: “Where did this hairpin come from?”

Yin Die was frightened speechless, staring blankly without being able to say a word.

Zhao Yue Chan slapped Yin Die across the face, pointing at her nose: “Speak! Where did this hairpin come from!”

Yin Die was so scared she forgot to cry, her lips trembling as she said: “This… this is… mine…”

Zhao Yue Chan grabbed Yin Die and jabbed the hairpin toward her face, cursing: “You damned cheap hussy, how dare you try to be clever in front of your master! This hairpin is yours? Bullshit! You’re not worthy to wear it. If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll stab your mouth!”

Yin Die covered her face with one hand, having already been jabbed several times, crying out in pain: “Spare me, Madam, spare me! I found this hairpin on Xiang Lan’s bed!”

Hearing this, Zhao Yue Chan’s hand paused, slowly releasing Yin Die, seeming to deflate like an unbent bow, her gaze becoming vacant. This hairpin was exactly from the set that Cao Li Huan had given her, which she had asked Qian Wen Ze to sell, eight pieces in total, making a profit of five hundred silver taels. Who would have thought that after changing hands several times, it would end up in Lin Jin Lou’s possession, spent lavishly to please a little servant girl? Even for that cheap Qing Lan, Lin Jin Lou had never been so generous!

Since Lin Jin Lou cared so much, this little hussy couldn’t be allowed to stay. Qing Lan had just died, and she had thought she would have some good days ahead, but she couldn’t let another wolf follow right after getting rid of one tiger.

Zhao Yue Chan’s temples throbbed wildly, her palms sweating as she took several urgent breaths.

Ying Shuang hurriedly went to support Zhao Yue Chan, saying softly: “Madam, don’t be angry, taking care of yourself is most important.” She helped her sit down in a chair, and then quickly poured a cup of tea.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only Yin Die’s soft sobbing audible.

Zhao Yue Chan let out a long breath, gritting her teeth word by word: “Xiang Lan… this little whore certainly has skills.”

Yin Die crept forward on her knees: “Madam speaks truly. She’s extremely inconsiderate. Last time when Madam went to the east wing, she poured you a cup of hot tea and even scalded your hand.”

Ying Shuang came close and whispered: “Madam, don’t lower yourself to the level of that bewitching fox. She’s quite skilled. Madam, don’t you remember? When Xiang Lan first entered the household, Master circled her name, he must have had designs even then.”

Yin Die vaguely heard the word “Master” and became more animated, hurriedly wiping away her tears and embellishing: “Last time when Xiang Lan burned her face, Master specially sent someone to deliver a box of… what was it called… Crystal Magnolia Snow Cream. I heard it had just been bestowed by the palace at the beginning of the year, extremely precious, but Master gave it to her without batting an eye. Ever since that little hussy got the cream, she’s been walking with her nose in the air, not even looking at us properly anymore. I couldn’t stand it and tried to warn her, telling her that Master only gave her face for Madam’s sake, and not to get carried away. Guess what she said to me? She said Master doesn’t give a face to just anyone, if he didn’t have tender feelings for her, how could he give her palace-bestowed cream? Just listen to that, is that something a proper person would say? Now that Master wants to elevate her status again, she’s even more pleased with herself, doesn’t even do her work anymore, just copies some scriptures all day, really treating herself like a proper lady. Concubine Lan was too soft as well, not like Madam who doesn’t tolerate nonsense, she just indulged that little hussy. Oh my, even thinking about it now makes my chest hurt!”

Seeing Zhao Yue Chan’s face growing darker, Yin Die was greatly pleased inside. Why should she face jealousy and ostracism just for giving Master a purse or fixing his clothes? Getting cold shoulders from Master and even beatings. Xiang Lan was both stupid, yet Lin Jin Lou favored her. She just couldn’t accept it!

Zhao Yue Chan said to Yin Die: “Alright, you may go. I’ll give you one more day to find that booklet for me. Don’t let anyone else know, or else watch out for your hide!”

Yin Die secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave when she heard Zhao Yue Chan call: “Wait, go bring Xiang Lan to me, quietly, don’t let anyone see.”

Yin Die answered and left.

By now the east wing was decorated entirely in white, with the small hall set up as a spirit hall, brightly lit with candles. Xiang Lan had changed to white hair ties and wrapped plain white cloth around her waist. She was sitting on a small stool keeping vigil for Qing Lan when suddenly Yin Die came in and said to her: “Come with me, Madam has questions for you.”

Seeing Yin Die’s unfriendly expression, Xiang Lan felt a sudden shock, vaguely feeling this summons boded ill, thinking to herself: “Why would Madam suddenly call for me?” Looking around, there was no one else in the hall except her, though she could faintly hear Xiao Juan and Chun Ling talking inside the room.

Xiang Lan had no choice but to follow Yin Die. When they arrived at the main room, they saw Zhao Yue Chan sitting formally on the large kang bed behind the emerald gauze screen, her black hair piled high with a pair of kingfisher feather hairpins decorated with pearl tassels, her face heavily made up, wearing dripping white jade earrings that swayed alluringly with each movement, her powdered face containing an imposing air of sharp authority. Ying Shuang stood beside her, serving in complete silence.

Xiang Lan trembled fearfully, kneeling and kowtowing: “Paying respects to Madam.”

Zhao Yue Chan said nothing, deliberately letting Xiang Lan kneel while looking her up and down. She saw Xiang Lan still wearing old clothes, showing no signs of flaunting favor through fancy dress. Her face was beautiful, though her eyes were somewhat swollen from crying, giving her a particularly pitiful charm. However, now upon seeing her, she seemed rather timid, not as lively as Yin Die. She said: “Do you know why I called you here?”

Xiang Lan shrank back slightly, kneeling with her head lowered: “This servant does not know.”

Zhao Yue Chan sneered: “Looking like a sick kitten, but such skillful methods at seducing men.”

Xiang Lan was stunned, glancing at Yin Die, not knowing what she had instigated. During this moment of hesitation, Zhao Yue Chan continued: “Let me ask you, Ying Shuang dropped a blue booklet in the garden, do you know where it is?”

Xiang Lan wondered secretly: “Why is she asking me about this?” But said aloud: “This servant has two blue booklets for copying Buddhist scriptures. Later Concubine Lan borrowed one, and the other is in this servant’s room.”

Seeing her confused expression that didn’t seem feigned, Zhao Yue Chan knew she was unaware, and sneered: “We’ll set aside the booklet for now, but you certainly have quite the pair of sticky fingers, daring to take your master’s things!” She brought out the eight-treasure red-gold ruby hairpin and said, “Where did this come from?”

Xiang Lan saw this and kowtowed: “This was bestowed by Master. This servant is wrongly accused, and would never dare to take even a blade of grass or piece of wood from the master’s quarters, please investigate clearly, Madam!”

When Zhao Yue Chan heard “bestowed by Master,” she hated her even more, spitting viciously: “Low-class, worthless hussy! Still daring to lie! Think I’m easily fooled? Seems you won’t tell the truth without punishment. Ying Shuang, go, slap that mouth!”