There was another reason why the Marquise acted so shamelessly.
She needed to find clues from Ye Zhen to deduce the truth about last night.
Ye Zhen’s unscathed condition indicated that something had happened to Granny Feng before she could take action.
But if Ye Zhen had undergone the Cat Torture, then she would be inextricably linked to the deaths of Granny Feng and Yun Zhou.
Granny Feng had always been meticulous in her work, leading the Marquise to suspect the latter scenario—that Ye Zhen had either saved herself or been rescued during the torture. The scratches on her body were from cats, and her fall was merely a cover-up.
As long as they tore off her dress, the truth would be clear.
Ye Zhen would then be doomed.
Several stout matrons moved to act upon the command.
Wan Xing immediately stepped in front of Ye Zhen, both furious and anxious.
Ye Zhen stood up, holding Wan Xing’s hand, and stared directly at the Marquise.
“Is Mother falsely accusing her daughter-in-law to clear her son’s name?”
Her bluntness caught the Marquise off guard.
Ye Zhen continued, “I have never missed the Morning and Evening Greetings, serving you during meals and before bedtime. I have been under your watchful eye every day—when have I ever been unfaithful? Coming to this estate was at your request. When I first arrived, I was unfamiliar with the place and had no idea my husband was still alive. How could I have harmed him? The County Magistrate is right here on the estate. He has yet to reach a conclusion, so why has Mother already convicted me?”
The Marquise’s face turned ashen.
Ye Zhen, who usually appeared meek and submissive in her presence, was now unexpectedly sharp.
This was outright rebellion.
“What a glib tongue you have! You committed adultery with a male servant. Out of consideration for the Hou Estate’s reputation and the virtue of sparing lives, I only dealt with him. I sent you to this estate to reflect, but you remain unrepentant.”
Her expression turned sinister. “As for why the County Magistrate has no conclusion, you know very well—he is in cahoots with you.”
Outside the door, the County Magistrate trembled upon hearing this, casting an incredulous look at the Master Secretary beside him.
“What does the Marquise mean? Is she saying I conspired with the Shaofuren?”
Had he become the Shaofuren’s lover? And helped her murder her husband?
The Master Secretary nodded gravely.
The Marquise was seeking revenge!
But how could a noble Marquise make such baseless accusations?
The County Magistrate grew frantic and opened his mouth to explain himself to those inside, but the Master Secretary stopped him.
The Hou Estate held high status, and Marquis Zhongyong had just won a great victory, placing them at the peak of their influence. If the Hou Estate targeted the Magistrate, he would be defenseless.
Explanations were useless in the face of power.
He whispered a reminder, “Old Madam Wang.”
Only the authority of an elder could overpower the pillow talk. That was the Magistrate’s only way out.
Upon hearing this, the County Magistrate turned and ran toward the Wang Family Estate.
Inside the room, Ye Zhen let out a bitter laugh, though inwardly she sneered.
She had known that the Marquise’s pettiness would not spare the County Magistrate.
If this were merely a dirty secret of the inner household, Old Madam Wang might not intervene. But falsely accusing an official—as the mother of a censor—Old Madam Wang would not stand idly by.
“Mother is fabricating accusations and using power to oppress others. My father, who serves with integrity, would never agree to this.”
The Marquise managed the Hou Estate, and her word was law to the servants.
She could produce as many false witnesses and evidence against Ye Zhen as she wanted.
But the County Magistrate was a court-appointed official. The Marquise could only leverage Marquis Zhongyong’s authority.
Marquis Zhongyong was not a bad man, but he trusted and doted on the Marquise, making him prone to bias.
Ye Zhen aimed to dismantle that trust.
Unaware of Ye Zhen’s intentions, the Marquise showed no fear at having her motives exposed.
“Everything I say is the truth. Your sophistry is useless.”
The County Magistrate had made Xie Yunzhou a laughingstock, and the Marquise loathed him for it.
At the same time, she believed that her Zhongyong Hou Estate could easily handle a mere County Magistrate.
The most pressing matter at hand was Ye Zhen.
Her face cold with fury, she scolded the matrons, “What are you waiting for?”
Upon receiving the order, the matrons lunged viciously toward Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen pulled out her hairpin and pressed it against her neck, addressing the silently observing matron and the physician’s assistant, “My mother-in-law slanders me, leaving me no way to defend myself. I beg you both to plead with Old Madam Wang on my behalf—ask her to report my case to the Dali Temple or the Chief of the Capital Prefecture. My innocence can be proven with one examination. For this kindness, I will repay you even if it takes my last breath.These words today were less meant for Old Madam Wang’s ears and more for Ye Zhen to use Old Madam Wang as a messenger to Marquis Zhongyong. This was to prevent him from believing the Marquise’s one-sided account and becoming her staunch ally.
In her previous life, Marquis Zhongyong had trusted the Marquise completely, harboring no doubts about her accusations and allowing her to handle the matter as she saw fit.
The matron had initially thought Old Madam Wang was overthinking things, but now she pleaded in alarm, “Shaofuren, please don’t act rashly.”
She understood this stepmother—far from being benevolent—and if Ye Zhen were truly unruly, she would have been dealt with long ago. The so-called “verification of innocence” was likely a scheme to destroy her reputation.
A widowed woman losing her virtue would face eternal damnation. If Ye Zhen were burdened with the charge of murdering her husband, the rumors about Xie Yunzhou being killed in a crime of passion by a guard could be overturned.
The Marquise was sacrificing Ye Zhen to cover up the scandal.
Old Madam Wang had given instructions, so she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
After offering a slight bow and introducing herself, she said, “Marquise, since the authorities have already been notified, perhaps we should wait to hear what they have to say…”
The Marquise cut her off, “I’ve heard Old Madam Wang is in poor health and cannot be left unattended. Matron, you may return.”
The reason she had acted against Ye Zhen without clearing the room was that she was certain Ye Zhen had something to hide, and it was better to have witnesses. She hadn’t expected the old matron from the Wang family to dare interfere.
A mere old matron wouldn’t ruin her plans. At worst, she would apologize to the Marquis afterward—after all, she and the Marquis were family.
Ye Zhen didn’t place all her hopes on the matron. She kept pulling Wan Xing back toward the door.
The Marquise lost patience and signaled the matrons to advance, regardless of whether Ye Zhen lived or died.
The matrons, now without restraint, swarmed forward.
The matron sent the physician’s assistant to deliver a message and spread her arms to shield Ye Zhen and her maid. “I beg you, Marquise, to reconsider.”
Xie Yunzhou’s affair was already widely known. The Marquise’s actions were unwise—if political rivals of Marquis Zhongyong seized upon this mistake, it could implicate the entire marquisate.
The Marquise wasn’t unaware of this.
But she and Xie Yunzhou were mother and son—their fates were intertwined. Saving Xie Yunzhou’s reputation was saving herself.
The Marquis’s military merits were enough to offset any foolish mistakes she might make in the throes of grief over losing her son.
Seeing that Ye Zhen and her maid were about to retreat beyond the manor, she shoved the matron aside. “Quickly, seize this vicious woman who murdered her husband!”
This was a matter of the marquisate’s internal affairs—no need for the authorities to judge. She could act as the magistrate herself and seek justice for her son.
The matron stumbled from the push and nearly fell sideways.
Ye Zhen turned back to catch her.
An elderly person couldn’t withstand a fall. Ye Zhen didn’t want to implicate her.
Because of this delay, she was seized by two matrons.
“Miss!”
Wan Xing clenched her fists.
If her mistress gave the order, she would fight their way out. Once her mistress was safe, she would return and kill the Marquise to avenge her.
Ye Zhen signaled her to wait a little longer.
The Marquise was so bold and unafraid simply because she knew Ye Zhen had no one to back her.
But Ye Zhen was supposed to be the legitimate daughter of a first-rank general’s household—a presence even Marquis Zhongyong would have to tread carefully around.
Instead, her uncle and aunt had swapped her identity, reducing her to the daughter of a minor official, vulnerable to anyone’s bullying.
Her mother was the first female war god personally enfeoffed by the emperor, leaving countless retainers before her death in battle, yet these were used by her cousin who stole her identity to attack her.
Today, if she were dragged back to the room by the Marquise, her uncle and aunt—her adoptive parents—would not only refuse to rescue her but would instead help the Marquise cement her tarnished reputation.
Just like in her previous life.
Ye Zhen had no one to rely on but herself.
Martial arts were her trump card, not to be revealed until the last moment. For now, using her wits was sufficient.
Sure enough, events unfolded according to her plan.
More and more onlookers gathered outside the estate, and the County Magistrate had invited Old Madam Wang.
Accompanying her was a masked man.
Tall and graceful, with an unrestrained demeanor, he had not even arrived when he repelled the two matrons grabbing Ye Zhen.
His tone was mocking, “What trick is the Marquise playing today?”