Yingge gazed at him, her expression desolate and sorrowful, offering no response and making no further move for the moment.
A chilly wind swept by, and the long-threatened rain began to fall. Large raindrops struck Fu Junyi’s body and face—sparse but forceful. He felt even colder, curling up and burying his head in his knees, shielding his face from both the rain’s assault and Yingge’s piercing stare.
Suddenly, a warm drop of water fell on the back of his neck, exposed to the wind. Compared to the icy rain, it even felt scalding. Sensing something unusual, he looked up in confusion and saw that Yingge’s eyes were glistening, with traces of tears still visible on her face.
“Yingge?” he tentatively called out softly. At his voice, Yingge lowered her lashes, and two more tears fell. Fu Junyi reached out to touch the tear that had slid to her chin, once again feeling its warmth.
He immediately understood that the Yingge before him was not a vengeful ghost seeking his life but a living, breathing person. The terror that had gripped him vanished in an instant, replaced by waves of rising anger. He stood up, grabbed Yingge’s arm, dragged her into the hall, and shoved her roughly to the ground, shouting, “Where did this madwoman come from, daring to disrupt the wedding of the Tanhua!”
Yingge looked up, meeting his gaze with anger, while Shen Han and his wife, along with the assembled guests, all wore expressions of shock, seemingly completely unaware of what was happening. The music in the hall ceased, leaving only the sound of wind and rain outside and an awkward silence within.
Fu Junyi roared at Yingge again, “Why are you dressed as the bride? Where is the young lady of the Shen family?”
“I am here.” Shen Rouran’s voice came from behind a curtain to the side. Everyone turned toward the source and saw Shen Rouran step out gracefully, dressed in everyday clothes and holding several scrolls of documents.
Walking between Fu Junyi and Yun Yingge, Shen Rouran raised two of the scrolls toward Fu Junyi and said, “This young lady claims to have a marriage contract with you. These are the draft and detailed agreements drawn up during the initial marriage negotiations. Tell me, is this true or not?”
She then unfurled the two scrolls, slowly displaying them to the onlookers, before fixing her gaze on Fu Junyi, whose face had turned ashen. With a cold laugh, she threw the scrolls at his feet.
Fu Junyi glanced hastily at the scrolls, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead again. His mind was in turmoil, but he forced himself to stay composed and flatly denied it. “What draft agreements or detailed agreements! After my name was announced, many people came seeking connections, exchanging writings with me. Much of my poetry and prose has circulated in the capital. I fear someone with ill intent may have sought them out, imitated my handwriting to forge these two agreements, and then given them to you to frame me, hoping to ruin our auspicious union. I beg you to see through this clearly and not fall for the schemes of a villain.”
As he spoke, he secretly observed the people in the hall. Seeing that Yingge was the only person from his hometown present, he assumed she lacked witnesses. Gritting his teeth, he decided to accuse her of framing him. As long as he could persuade the Shen father and daughter to proceed with the wedding, once he entered the bridal chamber tonight, even if the truth came to light tomorrow, the Shen family would have no choice but to protect him.
Shen Rouran remained expressionless and continued her questioning. “Just now, I heard you call her by her given name, Yingge, and you seemed so terrified when you saw her. Surely she cannot be a stranger to you, can she?”Fu Junyi deliberately feigned hesitation, then let out a long sigh after a moment. "This young lady, I do indeed recognize her. In Mingzhou, her father brought her to visit me, asking me to teach her to read and write. Considering the impropriety of close contact between men and women, I did not agree. However, out of courtesy, I did answer a few of her questions. From this, the young lady developed some inappropriate thoughts and often pestered me. To avoid trouble, I left early for the capital to take the imperial examinations. I never imagined she would pursue me all the way to the capital, forging these documents to deceive you, madam. How audacious!"
Shen Rouran recalled the love letters Yingge had presented, knowing full well that the handwriting and literary style were identical to those he had written to her. It was impossible for anyone to imitate them so convincingly. She felt nothing but contempt for this faithless man and intended to expose his true face before everyone. However, faced with his cunning excuses, she found it inconvenient for the moment to reveal the contents of the love letters he had written to both women, so she remained silent for now.
At that moment, a clear, crisp female voice rang out in the hall, speaking in the Mingzhou dialect: "Ah, when Fu Tanhua topped the provincial examination in Mingzhou as the top scholar, so many matchmakers went to propose marriages on his behalf. They all returned saying that Fu Jieyuan had long been engaged to the daughter of the owner of Yun Yige Perfume Shop, praising him for choosing a virtuous wife and admiring Miss Yun Yingge wholeheartedly, unbound by considerations of social status. This was celebrated as a beautiful story in our Mingzhou. How is it that Tanhua now denies ever being engaged to Miss Yun?"
Everyone followed the voice and saw that the speaker was Zhenzhen, dressed as a palace attendant. She had originally been waiting outside the hall to serve at the banquet, and no one knew when she had entered, hiding in a corner. Only now did she step forward from the crowd, looking directly at Fu Junyi as she spoke these words.
Qiu Niang often had business dealings with people from Mingzhou and had once employed maids from there, so Zhenzhen had learned their dialect from several Mingzhou natives. She was articulate, and these words were spoken so vividly that even Fu Junyi could not detect any flaw. Assuming she was truly from Mingzhou, he inwardly groaned in dismay. Glancing at Shen Han, who was staring at him intently, he dared not show weakness. A thought flashed through his mind: he was certain Zhenzhen was Yingge's accomplice, brought here by Yingge to testify on her behalf. Immediately, he turned to Shen Han and bowed, pleading earnestly, "I do not know the young lady who just spoke, but Yun Yingge dared to cause this scene at the wedding today, so she must have planned it for a long time and brought accomplices to support her. Your Excellency, with your sharp insight, will surely not be deceived by such petty individuals, believing them based on mere words. Your Excellency is a pillar of the state, and although I am untalented, I have also received the vast grace of the Emperor, ranking among the top scholars. That we are fated to become father-in-law and son-in-law may inevitably provoke jealousy, leading some to collude with these two women to frame me, intending to ruin Your Excellency's reputation and career. Who knows? I implore Your Excellency to see clearly, not to be swayed by others, to expel these two women, and allow the wedding to proceed as scheduled, so as not to waste this auspicious day."
Upon hearing this, Zhenzhen stepped forward and said to Shen Han, "This matter concerns your daughter's lifelong happiness. I urge Your Excellency to investigate thoroughly and not mistakenly entrust your daughter to such a faithless man. Moreover, Fu Junyi's actions are not limited to this... Would Your Excellency not like to know why Tanhua became so panicked upon seeing Yun Yingge?"
"Silence!" Fu Junyi sharply interrupted Zhenzhen and pleaded with Shen Han again, "This woman harbors sinister intentions; nothing she says is credible. Please have her and Yun Yingge driven out with sticks, and do not let them continue spreading rumors."Zhenzhen gave a slight smile and looked toward Shen Rouran. Understanding her meaning, Shen Rouran addressed her father herself: "Marriage is no trivial matter. If Fu Lang was previously engaged to Miss Yun, then his marriage to me is invalid. I do not wish to marry with doubts in my heart. Until this matter is clarified, I cannot wed him."
"Marriage is no trivial matter..." Shen Han, who had remained silent until now, fixed his gaze on his daughter and slowly spoke, expressing an opinion contrary to what the women had expected. "Your engagement to the Tanhua Lang was arranged by your parents, with matchmakers involved, and all proper rites—from exchanging names to accepting betrothal gifts—have been completed. How can it be deemed invalid based on two scrolls of unknown origin?"
Shen Rouran was momentarily speechless. Shen Han's eyes then swept over Yun Yinge and Zhenzhen: "These two young ladies are clearly old acquaintances, close friends from the inner chambers. Their statements cannot serve as mutual testimony. Today, it seems the two of you have no intention of drinking this cup of wedding wine. Since that is the case, why force yourselves..." He then raised his voice and called out, "Attendants, escort these two young ladies out of the residence."
Immediately, maidservants stepped forward, seized Yingge and Zhenzhen by their arms, and began to drag them away. As the two women struggled, another voice rose from the crowd—a low, slightly aged female voice, not loud but steady in tone, its words cold, stern, and carrying an inherent authority: "Wait. This old woman also has a document. Perhaps the Councilor should review it before expelling these two palace attendants."
Shen Han looked up in surprise, and his gaze met that of Pei Shangshi, who slowly raised her head.
Although Pei Shangshi had been tasked with overseeing the wedding banquet affairs, she did not need to personally manage the dishes. She had not appeared at the Shen residence in the preceding days, entering only half an hour before the wedding began. Until now, she had merely observed the events in the hall with a cold eye. It was only upon seeing Shen Han about to expel the two women that she decided to speak.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she walked slowly to Shen Han, raised a hand, and showed him the document she held.
Shen Han took it and examined it closely, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
Pei Shangshi did not keep the onlookers waiting long and directly stated the document's contents: "This is a deed for a house, with the owner listed as Yun Yinge."
Fu Junyi stared intently at the deed, his face gradually turning ashen.
Pei Shangshi lowered her eyelids slightly and said, "This house was bought by the owner of the Yun Yige Perfume Shop as a dowry for his daughter. And now, residing within it is..." Only then did she cast a cold glance at Fu Junyi, adding, "the Tanhua Lang's mother."
"This... this... it was Lady Yun, Lady Yun..." Fu Junyi attempted to argue again, but for the moment, he could not find a convincing reason.
Pei Shangshi retorted, "Lady Yun gifted it to you? Hmm, it seems Lady Yun holds great respect for teachers and education, to simply hand over a house after only a few lessons from the Tanhua Lang."
Although Fu Junyi did not know her identity, her attire and demeanor made it clear she was no ordinary noble. He dared not refute her casually and could only remain silent, appearing quite disheartened.Pei Shangshi then turned to Shen Han and said, "That Yun Yinge is a palace attendant in my Bureau of Palace Provisions. She refused twice to serve at banquets for the top three presented scholars and the families of councilors, even accepting punishment for it. When I learned of this, I couldn't help but feel puzzled. Coincidentally, there was a eunuch in the palace who was traveling to Mingzhou on official business, so I asked him to inquire about Yun Yinge's background while he was there. The eunuch went to the Yun family and, after just a few words, learned about Yingge's past. Her parents mentioned Fu Junyi with great indignation, openly regretting that after the engagement, they had provided him with generous funds and property, only to end up raising such an ungrateful man. They then entrusted the eunuch with the deed to the house to pass on to Yingge, saying it was her asset and would remain hers no matter where she went."
Shen Han, his expression cold, asked quietly, "So, Yun Yinge's actions were instructed by the Director of Palace Food?"
Pei Shangshi shook her head. "I only heard about Yun Yinge's story from the eunuch this morning. The deed was received before his departure, so I brought it with me, originally intending to give it to Yingge when I saw her. I never expected the situation to escalate like this, but it can serve as some evidence."
Zhenzhen's face lit up with joy. "In that case, the eunuch must have also told the Director of Palace Food about Fu Junyi's attempt to harm Yingge, right?"
Pei Shangshi did not answer but looked at Yingge and instructed, "You tell it yourself."
Yingge bowed slightly to acknowledge the order and then recounted how Fu Junyi had deceived her into drowning herself in front of everyone. The guests sighed in dismay, their gazes toward Fu Junyi filled with boundless contempt.
In his panic, Fu Junyi tried to deny it again, pointing at Yun Yinge and shouting, "Utter nonsense..."
"Tanhua Lang," Pei Shangshi said, her gaze steady and authoritative as she looked at him, "I am a palace official, often serving by The Emperor's side. If His Majesty asks about today's events in the future, I will report exactly what I saw and heard. Whatever Tanhua Lang wishes to say, please weigh every word carefully. If even one word is untrue, it may be considered deceiving the sovereign."
Fu Junyi's previously sharp gaze faltered at this. He lowered his head dejectedly and swallowed all the words he had intended to refute Yingge.
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