Cheng Yong's face turned a blotchy mix of red and green. The fierceness in his eyes seemed to turn into sharp blades, ready to stab at the Rong family.
His stuffy and boring wife had been like a dead person for eight years, shutting herself up in the Buddhist hall all day long, knocking on the wooden fish.
But as soon as Cheng Simian came back, she seemed to come back to life like a resurrected corpse. She took off her Buddhist robe and put on gorgeous dresses. Her face glowed, and her words were aggressive!
"Father, if I had really entered the Marquis Mansion through the side gate that day, would those gossiping people outside say that our family has bad morals?"
Cheng Simian's light - hearted rhetorical question left Cheng Yong speechless.
"The Duke's Mansion values the family morals of a family most when making marriage alliances. Whether Liang Yuchuan wants to marry you is one thing, but whether he can pass the test of the old lady in the Duke's Mansion is another. If the news that the concubine in our family is in charge and bullying the mistress and the legitimate daughter gets to the old lady's ears, do you think this marriage will still work?"
Cheng Yong's angry look disappeared instantly, as if he was doing a face - changing act. A "loving" smile squeezed out on his fat face.
"Mian Mian, you are really thoughtful. I was indeed wrong. I'll go and teach Miss Yu a lesson later and tell her to behave herself!"
A sharp light flashed in Cheng Simian's eyes. She picked up the fabric in her hand again and carefully examined the stitches and patterns on it.
This was just like Cheng Yong. Only when his own interests were involved would he show a bit of sense.
She disdained to pander to that false "love".
Seeing that neither the mother nor the daughter paid any attention to him, Cheng Yong scratched his nose and left dejectedly.
When he reached the door, he turned back. "Three days later, I'll host a banquet for the eldest young master of the Duke's Mansion. Mian Mian, you should dress up nicely. Don't let me down!"
As soon as Cheng Yong left, Lady Rong became worried.
"Mian Mian, are you really going to marry Liang Yuchuan? He is a fickle villain. For his own selfish desires, he even betrayed the old duke. The old duke drove him out. I heard that he hasn't been able to enter the Duke's Mansion for more than a year. Even during the Spring Festival ancestor - worship ceremony this year, the old duke didn't allow him to go back."
Cheng Yong wanted to marry Mian Mian to Liang Yuchuan to curry favor with the future "young duke".
How could Lady Rong bear to watch her daughter jump into the fire pit?
Cheng Simian remembered her short conversation with Song Wanchu.
Sometimes, the relationship between people is really wonderful.
The first time they met and the first time they talked, they established deep trust in each other.
Cheng Simian was calm.
Song Wanchu said she could do it, and she surely would.
"Mother, please don't worry. I have my own way to deal with this."
She selected a few pieces of less bright fabric.
In the afternoon, she left the Marquis Mansion with only her maid Shuyi.
Song Wanchu had given her an address.
The carriage drove into the alley, turning this way and that, making people dizzy.
This place was quiet, but not out - of - the - way. It had a sense of a hermit living in the bustling city.
It was obvious that Song Wanchu lived here to avoid being known.
But she had told her this secret place without any hesitation.
Cheng Simian's trust in Song Wanchu deepened.
The carriage stopped in front of a mansion.
Shuyi stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The door opened, and Cheng Simian was quite surprised.
It was actually Song Wanchu who came to open the door herself.
It was as if she had been waiting for her on purpose.
"You came just in time. Do you want to hear some interesting things?"
Cheng Simian showed a fresh smile. "I'd like to hear the details."
Song Wanchu invited her into the house.
Normally, guests would be entertained in the main hall, but Song Wanchu led her straight into the boudoir and pulled her to sit on the small couch by the window.
There were already tea, snacks and fruits on the small tea table.
Song Wanchu shouted towards the door, "Zhou Sheng, you can come in now."
Zhou Sheng walked to the door of the boudoir and stopped.
Unless there was a special situation, a guard like him generally couldn't enter the mistress's boudoir.
"Madam, last night Yu Huiyan secretly left the Duke's Mansion through the side gate and went all the way to Liang Yuchuan's mansion. The two of them stayed together until dawn. Yu Huiyan came out disheveled and then secretly returned to the Duke's Mansion."
Even as calm and composed as Cheng Simian, she opened her eyes wide in surprise when she heard such explosive news of an affair.
"That Yu Huiyan always claims to be the second mistress of the Duke's Mansion, right? Liang Yuchuan is her elder brother - in - law. The two of them..."
Song Wanchu had dealt with Yu Huiyan for many years and had already seen through her false and selfish nature.
"Maybe she didn't know that Liang Yuzhou had come back. She was not willing to be a widow all her life and wanted to fight for a way out for herself. It's a pity that she chose the wrong person."
Song Wanchu didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy for her.
Back then, it was she who had made her own decision to put on the wedding dress and wanted to get married to Liang Yuzhou.
She knew that Liang Yuzhou had no romantic feelings for her, but she still took a desperate gamble.
Liang Yuzhou became a monk on the spot, making her the biggest laughingstock in the capital.
Wasn't all this her own doing?
Cheng Simian gradually calmed down and gently raised the corner of her lips. "This news came just in time."
Song Wanchu picked up two salt - pickled preserved plums and put them in Cheng Simian's tea. She smiled sweetly. "I'm glad it's useful to you."
She didn't ask more questions and just waited to watch the show.
Cheng Simian took a sip of the tea. "I heard that the case of Young Master Wen will be heard in court the day after tomorrow?"
She talked about Wen Congbai's murder case calmly and generously.
There was a look of indifference in her eyes, as if Cheng Jingxuan, who had been killed, had nothing to do with her.
Song Wanchu didn't hide anything either. "All the key witnesses will testify in court. Wen Congbai had a justifiable reason for killing, so the situation is favorable to him. But there is still a lack of a witness who can identify the Princess as the mastermind behind the scenes. Liang Yuzhou is still looking for evidence."
Cheng Simian thought thoughtfully.
"It's crucial for the Crown Prince that the Wen family wins this lawsuit."
She seemed to be muttering to herself.
Song Wanchu had already heard about the Crown Prince killing the head steward in the Wude Marquis Mansion to support Cheng Simian.
She was very curious. The Crown Prince was not a man who was indulged in beauty. What method did Cheng Simian use to make the Crown Prince willingly become the blade in her hand to clean up the inner house?
Cheng Simian glanced at her. There was a sly smile on her delicate eyebrows. "I just happened to give a painting that suited the Crown Prince's taste, and that's why the Crown Prince was willing to help me."
She took a sip of the sour and sweet tea. "We're even now."
Song Wanchu raised her eyebrows slightly. "Did you say this, or did the Crown Prince?"
"The Crown Prince didn't say it clearly, but his words implied this meaning."
Song Wanchu thought to herself. It seemed that Mian Mian didn't really want to be even with the Crown Prince.
Could it be that she had some feelings for the Crown Prince?
...
In the Supreme Court, Shi Jinglu sat upright in the main hall, looking solemn. His eyes swept around, and the noise immediately disappeared.
He slapped the gavel and said in a deep voice, "Bring in the criminal!"
The sound of shackles rubbing against the ground rang out. Wen Congbai walked onto the main hall calmly.
He looked a bit disheveled and haggard, but his noble bearing remained unchanged, and his back was still straight.
Cheng Yong stared at Wen Congbai with eyes full of hatred, as if he wanted to eat him alive.
His son had died an unclear death. He must win this lawsuit for the Princess.
Wen Congbai must die!