Inside the new room, festive wedding dresses and auspiciously embroidered veils lay scattered across the floor.
The woman, who should have been sitting on the bridal bed waiting for him to lift her veil, was lying disheveled on the couch. This scene was difficult to misinterpret.
With a cold expression, Feng Yihan grabbed at the collar of Yan Chuoge and demanded, "Tell me, who is that adulterer?!"
Immediately, without any investigation, she was labeled as an adulterous wife.
Yan Chuoge's eyes widened in disbelief as tears fell unchecked. She shook her head vigorously, pleading, "I did not do it, your Highness, please believe me. Someone must have set me up... Look, my Maiden's Sand is still intact..."
In her desperation, she rolled up her sleeves to show the Maiden's Sand as proof of her innocence, but her delicate arm was utterly spotless.
Yan Chuoge blanked out, completely unaware that the lecherous sons of nobles brought by Feng Yihan were greedily eyeing her beautiful arm.
Feng Yihan contemptuously tossed her onto the ground.
His original plan was merely to create an illusion of this woman's infidelity, an excuse to leave the capital. He had once felt somewhat guilty, planning to compensate her properly when he returned. However, he never expected this woman to be so lustful, genuinely surrendering herself to that servant.
"Shameless woman! You are still trying to deceive me when the truth is right before my eyes! Since you refuse to reveal who your lover is, prepare to receive my letter of divorce."
His hateful gaze tore at Yan Chuoge's heart. The thought of her scandal becoming public, and the shame it would bring to her family and kin, was unbearable.
She pleaded humbly, "Your Highness, please believe me this once. If you send someone to investigate right now, my innocence can be proven."
Feng Yihan would definitely not have gone to check up on the matter. With a look of impatience, he said, "Are you still unsatisfied with the green hat on my head?"
This was indubitably tantamount to declaring her a promiscuous woman.
A twinge of pain shot through Yan Chuge's heart. It wasn't until then that she realized the sixteen years of self-discipline and restraint in her life were worthless in his eyes.
She was betrothed to Feng Yihan from a young age, and from as early as she could remember, she was brought up in his house, constantly reminded of the duties of a wife, trying to live by the three obediences and four virtues, all in the hopes of being a qualified imperial princess consort.
But who could have anticipated, that eight years ago, Feng Yihan and Prince Rong went to the border to provide support, only to be ambushed by the enemy. The dreadful news of both father and son falling in battle was received back home.
She became a widow at their house — known by all the people in the capital.
But now she was already of age, originally thinking she had to marry into the Prince Rong's house carrying Feng Yihan's tablet, tragically living as a widow. Thankfully, Feng Yihan returned safely just before the wedding.
She thought heaven had finally shown her mercy. However, now, inside the new room of Prince Rong's house, she was being humiliated. He wouldn't even bother to investigate, and openly, in front of everyone, passed judgment on her.
Desperate, she closed her eyes, "I know what to do…"
Anyone could tell that her words were ominous, however, Feng Yihan callously turned and walked away.
Bearing the scandal of the daughter of the Duke of Shengwen's house committing adultery on her wedding night, as the news spread throughout the capital, it distracted from the Emperor’s order for the Crown Prince to investigate the rebellion of the second Prince. He had to flee the capital immediately.
The Prince Rong's house was implicated in the second Prince's rebellion. The Emperor's order for a severe investigation obviously meant to eradicate them all.
As soon as he left, those guests, who came over to spectate, began prying into the courtyard unabashedly.
With Yan Chuge crawling on the ground, she laboriously picked up the clothing on the floor to cover herself.
Seeing this, the maids in the courtyard opened their mouths and jeered, "She has the guts to sleep with another man on her wedding day. Who knows how desperate she must be?"
"And she claims she's not a heartless lover, even her chastity armor is gone, who knows how long she's been committing adultery with someone else!"
Another maid echoed, "Exactly! And they say the manners of the Saint Wen Residence are good, but I think these scholars are the biggest hypocrites!"
"Thankfully, the young master discovered it, otherwise if our young master married such a dissolute woman, wouldn't that be a disgrace to us?"
These malicious words buzzed around her, stinging Yan Chu Ge like so many sharp darts.
If such deep malice could come from a few ignorant maids, what great humiliation would the Saint Wen Residence suffer when the matter got out?
No matter what, it was in no way her turn to be discussed this way by the servants. These maids wouldn't dare gossip if it weren’t for their masters' instruction.
Yan Chu Ge barely managed to close her desolate eyes. She knew, the Prince Rong's residence would not give her any way out.
She slowly put her tedious wedding gown back on, arranging her hair bun in front of the mirror.
Seeing this, the maids started speaking maliciously again, "So she really is a dissolute woman, we haven't wronged her at all.
"Look at her, at a time like this, she couldn't resist flaunting herself. She doesn't think she could seduce the young master like this..."
With a loud bang, Yan Chu Ge smashed her head into a pillar in front of a group of maids.
The maids panicked!
"Help! The young master's wife has harmed herself!"
Her crimson wedding gown was neatly draped over her body as if trying to maintain a last bit of dignity for its mistress.
Even the scorching blood was trying hard to cleanse the mistress' disgrace.
The girl dressed in a soft beige dress gasped, covering her mouth, "Oh my God, Auntie, she can't really be dead, can she?"
"If she's dead, she's dead. What's the big deal? We let her in just to put on this adulterous play, allowing Yi to leave the capital legitimately. Ya, keep away from her. Be careful not to let this lowly girl's bad luck impact the child in your belly."
The woman in the elaborate robe was none other than the mother of Feng Yi Han, the Honorable Princess. She appeared completely solemn with not a hint of panic, as if she did not care about Yan Chu Ge's death at all.
"Yi, while the news of this slut's death has not spread, take Ya away immediately. Keep in mind that wherever you go, you are running away from home because of this lowly girl. The fact that the second prince is planning a rebellion has nothing to do with you. Leave now, and don't come back until you're notified by your father!"
The soft sound of footsteps could be heard followed by a soft, tender voice reaching Yan Chu Ge's ears, "Yan Chu Ge, don't blame me. Blame yourself for standing in the way of me and my unborn child."