Chapter 7: Confrontation

  "Si Ya has arrived." Old Lady Lin gestured for her to stand up, but her eyes darted towards Lu Shi and Liu Shi on the side, saying lightly: "Yesterday at Rong Sheng Tang's flower hall, all of you sisters were present. Jin Jie said that if Ruo Jie smashed a plate at her, Ruo Jie said that Jin Jie insulted her first. I'm asking you, what really happened?"

  "Need you ask? We all know that our sister-in-law is a sensible person, but she was just joking with her sisters. But if she didn't forgive and instead scolded them and even threw plates at them, it's no wonder that when our sister-in-law came back, her face wasn't right, and after seeing the doctor, they said she had been frightened out of her wits!" Madam Lu couldn't help but interrupt, her eyebrows furrowed in indignation.

  "We were all raised in the same household as sisters, what kind of situation can't be resolved properly? Why must you resort to such vicious and cruel actions, it's truly chilling!"

  Liu heard this and her calm face was also somewhat unbearable, but she wisely knew not to argue with Lu, instead looking at Lin Lao Tai Tai with tears in her eyes, saying: "Mother, we sisters grew up by your side when we were young, you taught us bit by bit, what kind of people are we? You're still unclear about that? Although her temper is a bit worse, has she ever started any trouble all these years?"

  As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Lin Jinming, and she said with a pained expression: "Jin sister said those dirty words to slander Ruo sister, that's fine, I didn't plan on making a fuss about it. But how could she falsely accuse Ruo sister of throwing a plate at her? Look at Jin sister, she's perfectly fine, not even a scratch!"

  "Who is spitting blood at people?!" Lu was about to retort, but saw Old Lady Lin fiercely slap the carved wooden tea table, causing the set of celadon lotus leaf tea utensils on it to vibrate loudly, scaring her into immediate silence.

  "I'm letting Siyi speak, what are you two interrupting for?!"

  "Mother is angry, it's the daughter-in-law who has overstepped." Lu Shi and Liu Shi hurriedly apologized.

  Lin Zhaoyan looked at her, feeling strange in her heart. Although the three houses and the main house had never gotten along, they had always maintained a polite facade. It was unprecedented for them to have such a big falling out.

  There's also Lin Jinming, yesterday's matter was clearly her fault from the start, spreading it out might harm Lin Ruoyan, but for her, there's no benefit at all, why would she be foolish enough to tell this to Old Lady Lin?

  If this matter is really stirred up, one speaking out of turn and the other having a violent temper are not good candidates to enter the palace. Old Lady Lin considers the entire Hou Mansion and it's impossible for her to let such a girl be by the Empress Dowager's side.

  Lin Zhaoyan thought back to the attitude of Wan Niang and Lin Xingyan yesterday, and had some doubts that it was their doing. But thinking again, she felt it was impossible.

  Although Wan Niang is sinister and vicious, she would do such a thing as killing two birds with one stone. However, Lu Shi and Liu Shi are not foolish, how could they be led by the nose? This matter, as long as Lu Shi thinks carefully, knows that making trouble to Lao Tai Tai has no benefit at all, so why still have an air of righteousness and confidence?

  Originally, she wasn't worried about this matter at all yesterday, but now it seems that someone must be secretly manipulating things, with the goal of preventing both Lin Jinming and Lin Ruoyan from entering the palace.

  "Fourth Young Mistress, you'd better tell me the truth about what happened yesterday. If there's even half a lie, it won't be just a matter of copying scriptures as punishment." Old Lady Lin's face turned cold, her voice like a frozen lake on a winter day, seemingly calm but actually filled with a chilling intent.

  Lin Zhaoyan knew that many sisters were present at the matter yesterday, and even if she wanted to lie, she couldn't. Moreover, she didn't want Lin Ruoyan to get involved in the muddy waters of the palace, so it was best this way.

  "In response to Grandmother's words, Fifth Sister indeed wanted to throw a plate at Third Sister yesterday..."

  "Lin Zhao Yan!" Lin Ruo Yan, who had been kneeling on the ground without saying a word, suddenly lifted her head and glared at Lin Zhao Yan with venomous eyes, gritting her teeth: "You just can't bear to see me do well, you just want to see me make a fool of myself, don't you!"

  "Easy, sister!" Mrs. Liu suppressed the anger in her heart, signaling Lin Ruoyan to calm down, then turned to Lin Zhaoyan and said coldly, "Fourth daughter, didn't I teach you to be cautious with your words?"

  Lin Zhaoyan lowered her eyes and said lightly: "What Zhaoyan said is all true."

  Lu Shi let out a cold laugh, "Always saying that my sister Jin was wronged by Ruo, but these four maids are her own sisters, born from the same mother's womb after ten months of pregnancy. Could it be that she would also wrong her own younger sister?"

  Liu heard the sarcasm in Lu's words and her face suddenly turned iron-green.

  Lin Zhaoyan secretly sighed, and in that case, Liu Shi and Lin Ruoyan would probably resent her even more. The three women, mother and daughters, would truly become estranged from each other.

  With so many sisters present, who wouldn't be called but instead she was summoned as a witness, Lu's intentions were obvious.

  But how could Lin Zhao let her have her way?

  She raised her head again, looking at Old Lady Lin and said: "However, Grandmother, Fifth Sister did not really smash it, but she did so because Third Sister insulted Fifth Sister first, using the fact that Fifth Sister was rescued by Xiao Wangye's son to belittle her reputation. Fifth Sister tolerated it several times, but Third Sister still wouldn't let up, and even mocked Mother for being a bad parent."

  She said, and then paused again, with a slightly puzzled expression, "But San Jie seems to have forgotten that Wu Mei was raised by her grandmother since childhood, what does she have to do with her mother?"

  This means that Old Lady Lin's education was not proper.

  As expected, Old Lady Lin's face immediately turned iron-green, and she pointed at Lin Jinming, who was kneeling below, scolding: "You good-for-nothing! You've wasted all these years reading poetry and books, and yet you can say such filthy and treacherous words that are rebellious and disloyal!"

  Lin Jinming's face turned pale and he hastily said, "Grandmother! Grandmother, I didn't mean it that way, she was framing me, Lin Zhaoyan was framing me!"

  "Didn't I wrong Third Sister? That day, there were so many sisters. If we call them all over to confront her, wouldn't that be the end of it?" Lin Zhaoyan lowered his head, covering up the disdain at the corner of his mouth, and said lightly: "I'm afraid by then Third Sister will be even more unable to show her face."

  Lu immediately clenched her fists, and although her expression was unpleasant, she did not retort a single sentence.

  Lin Zhaoyan continued slowly, "Although the fifth sister is a bit impatient and impulsive, she lacks consideration in her actions. But what the third sister has done is really unbearable. Not to mention the fifth sister's proud nature, even I, Lin Zhao, have grievances in my heart."

  Liu was relieved at first, but upon hearing this, she gave Lin Zhaoyan a sideways glance. This girl is really adding fuel to the fire by saying such things!

  So he hastily spoke to Mrs. Lin, trying to please her: "Mother, we sisters are usually very filial to you, when we heard that Jin sister was belittling you, we naturally couldn't bear it, and in the heat of the moment, we did something wrong, which is also understandable."

  "I didn't mean to belittle my grandmother at all!" Lin Jinming's anger rose, and he pointed sideways at Lin Zhao Yan, indignantly saying: "Lin Zhao Yan, what do you think you are? You're not trying to help Lin Ruoyan, but rather yourself! That day when you cursed me that I would get into trouble, how can you explain it now?"

  The Lin family's old mansion was a place where such evil and heretical things were most taboo, and Lin Zhao Yan's crow mouth was always one that made people feel disgusted.

  At this moment, both Lu Shi and Old Lady Lin turned pale.