A crisp, melodious female voice reached everyone’s ears.
This voice was familiar to all—it belonged to Pei Shaofuren, the very woman they had been gossiping about, the one Scholar Pei intended to demote from wife to Qie, the one everyone wanted to Submerge in the pond!
But… how could this voice be coming from behind them?
Shocked, the crowd whirled around to see Jiang Yao standing behind them with a cheerful smile, her eyes clear and bright, looking utterly curious.
They stared as if they had seen a ghost. If Pei Shaofuren was outside, then who was the person inside the room engaging in illicit relations?
Jiang Yao continued smiling, “I found it a bit stuffy over at the Hundred Flowers Garden earlier, so I took a stroll by the lake. On my way back, I saw so many of you heading this way so animatedly, and I thought there must be some joyous occasion, so I followed along.”
She then glanced toward the room, her expression turning disdainful. “Huh, who’s in there? How dare they do such a thing.”
The crowd looked dazed and bewildered.
That’s right, who exactly was inside?
Shen Yuanwu’s face turned deathly pale.
If Jiang Yao was outside, then who was the person inside engaging in illicit relations?
Where was Hongxiu? Why hadn’t Hongxiu shown up all this time?
The identity of the person inside was already obvious. Though she didn’t understand how it had become Hongxiu inside, she was certain Jiang Yao had done something.
At this moment, she couldn’t afford to dwell on what Jiang Yao had done. She absolutely could not let anyone push open the door and see who was inside.
Otherwise, she would lose all face.
Pale-faced, Shen Yuanwu spoke to Madam of the Duke of Dingguo.
“Madam of the Duke of Dingguo, this matter is truly disgraceful. I think it’s best if we don’t involve ourselves in the affairs of the estate. Let’s return to the Hundred Flowers Garden for now.”
Madam of the Duke of Dingguo seized the opportunity to agree.
“Yes, yes, everyone should hurry back to the Hundred Flowers Garden. I will handle this matter properly and apologize for offending your ears.”
Madam of the Duke of Dingguo was furious, assuming it was some servants from the estate engaging in such behavior inside.
How utterly humiliating!
Just as she finished speaking, a guard’s announcement came from behind, “Ning Wang Dianxia has arrived!”
The crowd turned to see Ning Wang Dianxia, dressed in brocade robes and wearing a jade crown, his face strikingly handsome, walking toward them.
Ning Wang’s expression was icy. As he approached and heard the commotion inside the room, he roared, “What foul creature is in there!”
Madam of the Duke of Dingguo was somewhat afraid of her temperamental nephew.
She whispered, “Dianxia, it… it might be some servants from the estate inside…”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
Ning Wang sneered, “To engage in such debauchery within the estate, and my aunt still wants to hush it up? Such people should be dragged out and beaten to death in public, as an explanation to the guests attending the banquet. Guards, kick that door open! Gag those inside and drag them out to be beaten to death!”
The crowd fell silent, too terrified to speak.
Jiang Yao, however, couldn’t help but glance at Ning Wang, knowing he was helping her.
By gagging Hongxiu immediately, she wouldn’t be able to blurt out anything later, and no one would know it was Jiang Yao who had drugged her.
Leaving Shen Yuanwu and Pei Muzheng completely in the dark about what had happened.
The guards acknowledged the order and stepped forward to kick the door open.
Shen Yuanwu’s face was ashen. She dared to deceive Madam of the Duke of Dingguo, but she didn’t dare oppose Ning Wang, this cold-faced executioner.
As the door was kicked open, two naked figures were seen entangled together.
Hongxiu had mostly regained consciousness by then. Seeing the crowd outside, she let out a terrified scream and hurriedly covered herself.
Ma Nu was also beginning to wake up, trembling even more fearfully.
Without a word, the guards roughly wrapped the two in some random pieces of clothing, gagged them, and dragged them into the courtyard, throwing them onto the ground.
“Ah, isn’t that the Commandery Princess’s maid?”
“Eh, how does the Commandery Princess discipline her maids? How dare her maid engage in such disgraceful acts with a servant in Dingguo Duke Manor? How utterly disgusting!”
The crowd’s gazes toward Shen Yuanwu began to shift.
However, Shen Yuanwu had built excellent social connections in the capital over the years.
Some still spoke up in her defense.
“That’s just Shen Junzhu’s maid, not her! How could she possibly know her maid was such a lowly wench?”
Someone retorted, “Oh, come on! Just moments ago, the Commandery Princess was so certain it was Pei Shaofuren inside. Heh, little did she expect it would turn out to be her own maid, did she?”
Hearing this, Jiang Yao seized the opportunity. Furious, she strode up to Shen Yuanwu and slapped her hard across the face.
“Sister, what is the meaning of this? Why were you so sure it was me without even seeing who was inside? When Father brought me back, you told me you wanted us to be as close as true sisters—is this how you treat a sister? Something feels very strange about this. I was just by the lake—why didn’t you look for me there? Didn’t I tell you, sister, that I felt stifled in the garden and wanted to sit by the lake? So why were you so eager to bring everyone to the side courtyard? What were you planning?”
The surrounding women also began to sense something amiss.
Shen Junzhu had indeed told them that Pei Shaofuren had gone to rest by the lake.
But when she led them out to search, she merely glanced toward the lake from the main path—without even getting a clear look—and declared no one was there, suggesting they move forward.
And she almost directly guided them to the side courtyard.
As if she knew something would happen there?
Heavens, could this entire “adultery trap” have been orchestrated by the Commandery Princess for her own sister?
But something went wrong in the process, backfiring, and it turned out to be the Commandery Princess’s own maid?
The crowd was astounded.
Shen Yuanwu’s face was struck so hard it jerked to the side. She clutched her stinging cheek in pain.
It hurt so much—since when did that wretched woman have such strength?
She felt her face swelling up!
Meanwhile, Jiang Yao, her eyes red, turned and—amid everyone’s gasps—slapped Pei Muzheng hard as well.
Neither of them would be spared—both deserved their share of slaps!
Before Pei Muzheng could react, Jiang Yao immediately began to sob.
“Husband, just on my sister’s word, you were ready to demote your wife to a Qie? You don’t trust your own wife, but you instantly believe your wife’s sister? The two of you are so peculiar—it makes me wonder if you’re conspiring to do something. Without even knowing who was inside, you were ready to degrade me to a Qie. Could it be you want to marry this sister of mine instead?”
She wept while casting suspicious glances between Pei Muzheng and Shen Yuanwu’s faces.
Jiang Yao cried pitifully on the surface, but inwardly she sneered.
Since these two scoundrels wanted to frame her, she’d let them taste the bitter consequences themselves.
The seeds of doubt had been sown.
Henceforth, whenever anyone recalled Pei Muzheng marrying Shen Yuanwu, they would remember this day and suspect the adultery trap had been their scheme for Jiang Yao—one that unexpectedly went awry.
Moreover, Jiang Yao would never give Shen Yuanwu the chance to marry honorably into the Pei family.
Even if we were to separate, I must first dig a pit for these two scoundrels. Thinking of entering as the legitimate wife? Not a chance.
Pei Muzheng was struck so hard by the slap that his ears rang, his face throbbing with pain.
He had been pondering why the person in the room had turned out to be Hongxiu when suddenly, after being slapped and hearing those words, his expression instantly darkened.
Could it be that Jiang Yao had discovered something?
Madam of the Duke of Dingguo also snapped angrily, “Exactly! I found this whole affair strange from the start. Who goes looking for someone and heads straight to the side courtyard? As the younger sister and husband of Pei Shaofuren, you didn’t even see who was inside, yet you were so sure it was her—almost as if you knew in advance! What exactly is going on with the two of you?”
She was thoroughly annoyed with them, especially since Shen Yuanwu had tried to deceive her earlier!
Making her think it was all her own servants inside, nearly causing her to lose all face!
It truly infuriated her.
From now on, when hosting banquets, she would definitely not invite these two again!
The crowd suddenly saw the light.
Indeed, it was all because of what these two had said.
They had instinctively assumed the person inside was Pei Shaofuren.
Hongxiu and Ma Nu were still struggling desperately.
Hongxiu stared fixedly at Jiang Yao, her entire body trembling. She wanted to tell everyone the truth.
It was this wretched woman who had forced her to drink the medicine!
Ning Wang had already turned away in disgust.
“What are you waiting for? Execute them with the rod immediately.”
The guards brought over the boards and began the punishment.
The dull thuds of the boards striking the two, along with the blood seeping through their thin clothing, made everyone pale.
Ning Wang instinctively glanced at Jiang Yao and saw her small face had turned ashen.
He couldn’t help but frown. Was she too timid? Perhaps he shouldn’t have let her witness this.
Gradually, both of them fell silent.
Only then did Madam of the Duke of Dingguo turn her focus to Shen Yuanwu.
“Shen Junzhu, you allowed your maid to engage in such filthy behavior in our manor. Shouldn’t you give me an explanation?”
Shen Yuanwu had already lost all face and had no defense left.
She could only weep and apologize to Madam of the Duke of Dingguo.
Madam of the Duke of Dingguo snorted, “In that case, Shen Junzhu, take your executed maid and leave. From now on, you are not welcome in our Dingguo Duke Manor.”
Shen Yuanwu’s face grew even paler, and she could only leave the manor in tears.
Pei Muzheng had also suffered a great loss of face, but with his colleagues and superiors present, he couldn’t simply storm off.
Ning Wang also left with his guards.
Jiang Yao stole a glance at Ning Wang’s retreating figure.
She felt somewhat worried, wondering if his headache had eased this time.
But now was not the right moment to approach him.
Having just been reborn, she had no desire to stay longer at Dingguo Duke Manor for socializing. After offering her apologies to Madam of the Duke of Dingguo, she also returned home early.