Тhе lаdiеs and yоung missеs рrеsеnt, who alwaуs dеlighted in novеlty, werе аstоnishеd tо lеarn of а pavilion with a long cоrridоr and еagеrlу ехprеssеd thеir dеsirе to visit аnd admire the sсеnerу. Madam Zhоu smiled and sаid, "In that cаsе, рlеаsе fоllow me, lаdiеs and уоung missеs."
Cоncubinе Мei, walking аt thе verу back, felt а sense of susрiсiоn. Hеr intuition told her sоmеthing wаs amiss. Sinсе hеr misсаrriаge, Маdam Zhоu had kеpt a lоw prоfilе, rеcuреrаting in Dоve Treе Courtyard. Yet nоw, with Madam Dа Zhou's arrivаl, she wаs bustling аbout еverywhere, which was undeniably suspicious. Leading everyone to a small cottage that was seldom visited only deepened her unease. She whispered to Jiao Meng beside her, "She's acting strangely today. Who knows what she's up to?"
Jiao Meng replied softly, "There's no need for you to worry, Concubine. Now that you are with child, she wouldn't dare lay a finger on you no matter what. If there's any trickery today, just sit back and watch the show."
Concubine Mei nodded. "That's true."
Meanwhile, Madam Zhou led the group only a few steps before turning onto a flower-lined path, where a small, exquisite black-and-white pavilion came into view. With its upturned eaves and corners, it was indeed charming. The pavilion connected to a long corridor adorned with carved railings, a design that was quite ingenious. To the right of the pavilion stood a small cottage, unremarkable in appearance, its windows curtained so that nothing inside could be seen. Noticing the admiration and delight on everyone's faces, Madam Zhou took the hand of the lady who had earlier been splashed with tea and began walking toward the cottage. As she walked, she turned back and said, "Ladies and young misses, please feel free to enjoy yourselves for now. I will accompany this lady to the cottage to wait for the maid to bring fresh clothes. Later..." Her words trailed off as her steps suddenly halted, her expression turning grim.
Seeing her change in demeanor, the others were puzzled. The lady she had been holding onto now wore an awkward expression, her face flushing and paling as if she had encountered something deeply embarrassing.
The more they wondered what was happening, the more curious they became. Gradually, everyone fell silent, and in that quiet, they noticed something unusual.
Amidst the stillness, strange sounds emanated from the cottage. Upon closer listening, it was unmistakable—the low, panting breaths of a man intertwined with a woman's voice, passionate and intimate, enough to make anyone blush.
It was clear what was happening inside, but who could be so shameless as to engage in such indecent acts in broad daylight? The ladies' faces filled with disdain, yet their curiosity about the identities of those inside only grew stronger.
Just as they were unsure how to proceed, Zhuang Shiyang unexpectedly approached from a distance with a group of male relatives. Seeing them all standing silently before the cottage, he asked in surprise, "What's going on?"
Madam Zhou replied with hesitation, "Master... please listen for yourself."
As Zhuang Shiyang approached the cottage and clearly heard the lewd sounds inside, his fury erupted. "Who is in there? Such shamelessness! Drag them out and let me see! I want to know who dares to be so bold!"
Behind Zhuang Shiyang stood many officials and ministers. In an instant, officials from various ranks witnessed this scandalous affair, which had taken place in his own backyard. Zhuang Shiyang's anger was understandable. Regardless of who was inside, he would punish them severely for humiliating him in front of these officials. If a censor were to submit a memorial accusing him of lax household management, his official career would be over.Just as they were about to push the door open and enter, a sharp-eyed maid suddenly exclaimed, "Isn't that Fourth Miss's hairpin?"
At these words, everyone present erupted in an uproar. In his momentary shock, Zhuang Shiyang forgot all about pushing the door open. This meant the identity of the woman inside remained unknown—she was none other than Zhuang Hanyan, the Fourth Miss of the Zhuang family. Some of the ladies and young misses present began to show looks of disdain. Such a wanton woman, engaging in indecent acts in broad daylight, was truly shameless.
Madam Zhou took two steps back, feigning astonishment. "How could it be Fourth Miss? She has always been so proper and well-mannered, the most chaste of all. How could she do such a thing?"
Madam Da Zhou patted her shoulder. "Sister, don’t let your grief harm your health. Hanyan has always been such a good girl. To do something like this... she must have lost her senses for a moment."
Though these two sisters appeared to be defending Hanyan on the surface, their coordinated remarks actually confirmed that the person inside was indeed Hanyan. They even implied that Hanyan was exceptionally good at putting on a facade, a person whose outward appearance did not match her true nature. As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd buzzed with even more discussion, everyone beginning to criticize Hanyan’s faults. At the same time, they praised Madam Zhou’s magnanimity even more. Rumors had it that this concubine constantly made things difficult for the legitimate daughter of the Zhuang family, but now it seemed that wasn’t entirely true. In such a situation, she still tried her best to defend her. If it were anyone else, who would do such a thing?
When Li Jiaqi heard that the person inside was Hanyan, a flicker of delight flashed in her eyes, followed by contempt. "I always knew she was no good. Now it seems she doesn’t even know how to write the words 'shame'!"
Standing at the very back of the women’s group, Concubine Mei gently touched her stomach, suddenly understanding. So, today’s trap was set for Zhuang Hanyan. She glanced at the Zhou sisters, who couldn’t help but reveal smug expressions, and felt a twinge of doubt. Although she could watch this scene unfold as a mere spectator, Hanyan was now on her side. Striking at Hanyan would only embolden Madam Zhou, making her own position in the household even more precarious in the future. Even though she was currently pregnant and temporarily free from trouble, only she knew whether there was truly a child in her belly.
More importantly, she had a feeling that today’s events wouldn’t unfold according to Madam Zhou’s plan. Hanyan had recently turned the tables several times in surprisingly brilliant ways, making her realize that the once weak and easily manipulated girl was now completely different—she had her own strategies and cunning. So, would today’s events really go as Madam Zhou imagined?
Probably not. Lost in thought, she slowly stepped forward and smiled gracefully. "We haven’t even seen clearly who’s inside yet. Why is Sister Zhou so eager to conclude it’s Fourth Miss?"
A cold, clear male voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. "Seeing is believing."
To think there was still someone speaking up for Hanyan at a time like this. Everyone turned to look and saw that it was none other than Xuan Qing Prince, Fu Yunxi. They couldn’t help but wonder: why would the usually aloof and detached Xuan Qing Prince, who rarely concerned himself with worldly affairs, take an interest in such vulgar matters today? And someone else’s family affairs, no less.Upon hearing this, Deng Chan cast a grateful glance at Fu Yunxi and spoke up loudly, "That's right, Han Yan isn't that kind of person. Why not push the door open and see for yourselves? If the person inside isn't Han Yan, wouldn't that be deliberately tarnishing her reputation?" Though she said this, her heart was filled with deep worry. She had indeed seen that hairpin on Han Yan's head before—it was undoubtedly hers. While she couldn't believe her close friend would do such a thing, if Han Yan had fallen into someone else's trap... she couldn't help but feel uncertain.
The Seventh Prince stood close to Fu Yunxi. Seeing Fu Yunxi speak up in defense of Han Yan, he smiled meaningfully. "Uncle seems quite concerned about Fourth Miss Zhuang's affairs." He toyed with the jade pendant at his waist, leaned closer to Fu Yunxi's ear, and whispered, "I recall that Uncle left the banquet for a while in the middle. If Uncle weren't standing before me now, I might have truly thought that the one inside, indulging in pleasure with Fourth Miss Zhuang... would have been Uncle."
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