The Glory

Маdаm Zhou was nоw аt а соmplete lоss, whilе Madаm Da Zhou hаd оnlу оnе thоught in her mind: theу had lost!

Meanwhile, Wеi Rufеng felt а clаmоr оf nоise in his еаrs аnd strugglеd tо oрen his eyеs. Нe disсovered hе was cоmpletеlу nаkеd аnd wаs instаntly startlеd. Lоoking аrоund, hе saw mаny реoplе gаtherеd, all watching thе spectасlе with amusеment. Instinctivelу, hе triеd to grаb his сlоthеs аnd lеavе thе plаcе.

Zhuangshan grаbbed his slееvе: "Young Маstеr... уou can't..."

Аs soon as these wоrds were spоken, the еxрrеssions оf the onlookers toward Wei Rufeng turned peculiar. From Zhuangshan's tone, it seemed as though the young master had forced himself upon her...

Caught by Zhuangshan, Wei Rufeng was taken aback. He recalled what had just happened and felt a chill in his heart. Turning to Zhuangshan, he asked, "Why is it you?"

Zhuangshan was puzzled by his words, unable to grasp their meaning. There was no time to ponder, but she knew she must seize this opportunity in front of these distinguished guests to secure a position for herself. If she could become a concubine in the Prince Wei's household, the loss of her innocence would be worthwhile—even a blessing in disguise! Ever since the incident with the bandits, she had realized her dream of marrying into a noble family was likely shattered. Now, with such a golden opportunity before her, how could she not seize it? She gazed at him tenderly and said, "Young Master... surely you don't intend to deny it..."

Wei Rufeng felt a coldness spreading through his heart. If it was Zhuangshan by his side, then where was she...? He turned his head and saw Han Yan standing among the crowd outside the room, looking at him calmly as if he were a stranger. The mockery and indifference in her eyes stirred a sense of indignation within him.

Could it have been her doing?

No... impossible. She was the victim and couldn't have known his plan. But how did Zhuangshan end up in his bed? This...

Today, when he came to the Zhuang residence, he had been looking forward to seeing Han Yan. Although Han Yan had repeatedly expressed her unwillingness to marry him, the more she resisted, the more determined he became to win her over. Upon arriving at the Zhuang residence, he had intended to speak with Han Yan but accidentally overheard two maidservants talking. Their conversation mentioned "Fourth Miss," which caught his attention. He quietly approached and listened to the entire exchange.

He learned of the scheme between Madam Zhou and Madam Da Zhou—they intended to ruin Han Yan's innocence and force her to become Zhang Wei's concubine!

Upon hearing this plan, Wei Rufeng was both furious and resentful. In his heart, he had already claimed Han Yan as his woman. The fact that these people harbored such designs on her and devised such a sinister plot to frame her infuriated him. Initially, he planned to teach the Zhou sisters a lesson and then warn Han Yan at the Clear Autumn Pavilion. However, on his way to the Clear Autumn Pavilion, he changed his mind.

Han Yan had always disliked him and was unwilling to marry him. Though he didn't understand why, her attitude was resolute, so much so that even the usually confident Wei Rufeng couldn't be certain she would become his consort.

Yet, the Zhuang family possessed something they desired. His father had also mentioned that an alliance with the Zhuang family would be a beneficial bargaining chip for the Prince Wei's household. Moreover, now that he had taken an interest in Han Yan, he was even more unwilling to let her go. But Han Yan was no ordinary woman.She was clever and astute; even at a young age, her methods were no less impressive than those of grown men. Last time, she had firmly told him that she would definitely not become the future Princess Consort of Prince Wei's mansion. He had actually believed that Han Yan would keep her word—this young girl would surely find a way to reject this marriage arrangement.

He had been thinking all along about how to make Han Yan willingly marry him. Now, upon hearing the plan of the two Zhou sisters, an idea formed in his mind.

If it were him who had intimate contact with Han Yan... If their affair were exposed before everyone, then Han Yan would have no choice but to marry him for the rest of her life! Although she might have to enter as a concubine at first, if he pleaded with his father, even the position of Princess Consort could be given to her.

Wei Rufeng thought this way: with Han Yan's reputation ruined, naturally no other family would want her, and if he offered the position of Princess Consort as a betrothal gift, Han Yan would surely willingly put on the wedding dress for him. So, at the banquet, he paid close attention to Zhang Wei's every move. Seeing Zhang Wei leave his seat, he followed him to the small cottage, knocked him unconscious, threw him outside the Zhuang residence, and had someone guard him. The room was extremely dark, with no lights on. As soon as he entered, he felt his whole body grow hot. Vaguely seeing someone on the bed, he groped his way over. What happened afterward, he couldn't remember. He only knew that when he woke up, the person beside him was Zhuangshan.

Now, thinking back, there must have been some kind of aphrodisiac incense lit in that room. He had never intended to lay a finger on Han Yan. What he hoped for was nothing more than Han Yan willingly marrying him. Besides, he prided himself as a scholar, upholding the integrity of a learned man; taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation was something he would never do. Yet, he hadn't realized that scheming to ruin Han Yan's chastity was itself an act of taking advantage.

But what Wei Rufeng still couldn't understand was: why had the person lying beside him turned into Zhuangshan?

Seeing Wei Rufeng remain silent, Zhuangshan thought he didn't want to take responsibility. Anxious, she grabbed Wei Rufeng's hand, two clear tears streaming down her cheeks: "Your Highness... now that Yu'er's purity is gone... what are your plans?"

Wei Rufeng turned away in disgust. Seeing Zhuangshan's pitiful, sorrowful appearance, he felt increasingly irritated. Glancing outside at Han Yan, who appeared completely unperturbed, for some reason, a surge of resentment rose within him.

She must be quite pleased to see things turn out this way today. Han Yan didn't like him—this was a fact she had personally admitted. Now that he was involved with another woman, she must be delighted, even if that person was her own sister, she wouldn't care at all!

What a vicious woman. Thinking this, Wei Rufeng sneered coldly: "What needs to be done, this Prince will not neglect any of it." After saying this, he put on his clothes and strode out. Prince Wei glared at him gloomily, but Wei Rufeng ignored him. Only when passing by Han Yan did his steps pause slightly, and he whispered: "Fourth Miss, don't rejoice too soon... hmph!"

His words were spoken very softly, inaudible to others except for a few who were skilled in martial arts. The Seventh Prince's expression turned extremely unpleasant. He walked up to Han Yan, his sinister gaze sweeping over her from head to toe. That predatory look made Han Yan very uncomfortable. Then, he spoke coldly: "Fourth Miss Zhuang, at critical moments, you always manage to surprise people."Did the Seventh Prince think she had schemed against Wei Rufeng? Han Yan smiled faintly, offering no reply. Yet she too found it strange—Wei Rufeng’s appearance here had nothing to do with her, and the reasoning behind it truly eluded her.

Seeing Han Yan show little reaction, the Seventh Prince grew even more displeased. He turned to Fu Yunxi beside him and said, “I will remember Uncle’s words today. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—I only hope Uncle can remain that oriole!” With that, he ordered his attendants, “Return to the palace!”

With today’s farce having played out to this point, the ladies and young misses had seen enough to satisfy their curiosity and began taking their leave from the host. Only Zhuang Shiyang wore an awkward expression. He had originally hoped to turn the tables on his demotion, but instead, he had only worsened his situation, becoming a laughingstock in front of everyone. Yet the one responsible for this could not be scolded or struck—who would dare lay a hand on anyone from Prince Wei’s household?