Chapter 1 Catching Adultery

The Prime Minister's Residence, Yujian Residence.

The courtyard was decorated with bright red silk. The "double happiness" character pasted on the lantern in front of the corridor was probably not hung properly. It was blown by the wind and fell off, landing on the artificial hill and pond not far away.

Meng Lingge was dressed in a bright red wedding gown, adorned with a gold crown and jade hairpins. As she walked, she caught a glimpse of the "double happiness" character submerged in the water, and a sudden, ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

Calming herself, Meng Lingge lifted her skirt and quickened her pace, making the maid Dongqing in her peach-colored dress have to jog to catch up with her.

The two took a shortcut and went straight to the Jade Green Residence. The courtyard was empty, without even a maid, only the sound of lingering, seductive music coming from the master bedroom.

The female voice was alluring, while the male voice was husky.

Meng Lingge frowned slightly, raised her index finger to her lips to signal Dong Qing to be quiet, and moved slowly to the window of the master bedroom.

"Little vixen, is it safe here today? Once I marry Lingge, I'll be able to visit the Prime Minister's residence frequently. There will be plenty of opportunities then, so why rush things?"

Separated only by a window, she could hear it even more clearly, and Meng Lingge was almost certain that the male voice was Guan Yi'an, the man she was to marry that day.

Guan Yi'an was usually a gentle and polite gentleman in front of her, but now his voice was as frivolous as a lecherous brothel boy.

Soon, a woman's soft, seductive breath came from inside: "Brother Yi'an, all the servants in the manor are busy with your and my elder sister's wedding. Even my servants have been sent away. As long as Brother Yi'an is gentle, no one will find out."

“From childhood to adulthood, the best things in the mansion were always chosen by my eldest sister first, and what was left over was what my third sister and I got. I clearly had my eye on Brother Yi’an first, but my eldest sister still snatched it away. On the surface, I couldn’t win against her, but on Brother Yi’an’s wedding night, Yan’er insisted on getting there before her.”

"Besides, when will we ever experience the same thrill as today?"

With a slight tremor at the end of her sentence, the woman shifted her tone three times in each sentence, her voice soft and melodious, making the listener feel weak all over.

The last sentence clearly excited the man even more, and the sounds coming from inside became increasingly obscene.

Meng Lingge's face was cold and stern. She had never expected that her usually timid and obedient second sister would have such an absurd and shameless side.

It was really exciting.

She, the bride, was dressed in her phoenix coronet and wedding gown, waiting for Guan Yi'an to come and marry her, but instead, he was in her mansion having sex with her second sister in bed.

“Miss…” Dongqing tugged at Meng Lingge’s sleeve, her face full of worry.

The auspicious time was approaching, but the new son-in-law had become involved with the second young lady. How could the young lady save face? Dongqing was furious and wanted to rush in and beat the two of them up, but she was worried that if things got out of hand, it would damage the young lady's reputation.

With a cold look in her eyes, Meng Lingge pulled Dong Qing and quietly left the courtyard.

Dongqing's eyes reddened, and she said unwillingly, "Are you just going to let this go, Miss? Young Master Guan and Second Miss are shameless. How could they... how could they treat you like this?"

"You said it yourself, they're shameless, so naturally they're capable of anything." Meng Lingge lowered her eyes, her voice turning cold.

"Since Guan Yi'an and Meng Huanyan are looking for excitement, let's give them even more. Send a few servants to the front yard and shout that a thief has broken into Ya Cui Residence. The thief is highly skilled in martial arts and has excellent lightness skills. The bigger the commotion, the more people who know, the better."

Many guests have already arrived in the front courtyard, but the wedding banquet has not yet begun, and the guests are currently chatting idly. Among them are certainly many military officers from the court. On the day of the Prime Minister's wedding banquet, a thief broke into the Prime Minister's residence. This thief not only disregarded the Prime Minister's residence but also humiliated all the military officers.

They wouldn't miss this exciting event, nor would they let this opportunity to show off their skills in front of everyone slip by.

“Miss, if this matter escalates to the front yard, there will be no turning back.” Dongqing was conflicted and uneasy.

If the young lady had acted as if this had never happened, she would have felt sorry for her. But it was also inappropriate for the young lady to make this matter known to everyone.

Although it was the second young lady and young master Guan who committed the disgraceful act, if it gets out, the young lady will also be ridiculed.

Even more seriously, the laws of this dynasty stipulate that on the day of the marriage, the woman's status will be changed at the official office, from a woman waiting to be married to a married woman.

If the woman does not actually marry after the change, it is considered a violation of the law and she will be punished by being assigned to an elderly eunuch who has left the palace as his wife.

If things get out of hand, the marriage between Guan Yi'an and Miss will most likely be called off. How will Miss find a suitable husband in just one day?

If Miss were not married today, wouldn't she be forced to marry an old eunuch?

This is absolutely unacceptable.

"A way out?" Meng Lingge sneered. "Guan Yi'an is shameless and lecherous. If I were to marry someone like that, I would have no way out at all! Get it done immediately. Also, notify Steward Zhao to surround the backyard of Ya Cui Residence! Keep it quiet and don't alert them."

"Yes, I will do it right away."

Dongqing hurried along, recalling the impetuous words spoken by the couple in the room. While feeling indignant for her mistress, she also felt a sense of relief.

Miss is right. It's far better to see Guan Yi'an's true character on the wedding day than to find out after the wedding.

Miss is always full of ideas, so for her to make such a big deal out of this, she must have a plan.

...

It was late autumn and early winter, and the air was bitterly cold.

Most of the guests at the Prime Minister's residence were housed in the warm room in the front courtyard. The guest rooms for the distinguished guests were even more enclosed by charcoal fires, with small porcelain dishes filled with dried fruits and pastries. Women and children were laughing and playing happily, but the men were not in high spirits.

The ensuing banquet featured fine wines and exquisite music and dance performances, which were their primary interests.

When the first shout of "Catch the thief!" came from outside the room, the men's eyes lit up. They exchanged glances, and when they heard that the thief was highly skilled in martial arts and had excellent agility, the officers quickly grabbed their weapons and rushed out.

The civil officials, though not as fast as they could be, didn't want to miss the excitement and traveled in groups. The journey was filled with chatter; everyone they met knew that a formidable thief had broken into the Jade Garden.

Prime Minister Meng Xingyuan was entertaining guests in one of the rooms when he heard the commotion and quickly ran outside. Although the rules of the Prime Minister's residence were not very strict, the servants were all disciplined. Logically speaking, a petty thief who had entered the backyard should not have caused trouble in the front hall.

Moreover, today is the auspicious day of the eldest daughter's wedding.

Unless someone specifically instructed them to do so.

Meng Xingyuan's expression was solemn. He suppressed his thoughts of stopping the others and took a shortcut to Ya Cui Residence.

He rushed all the way, but when he arrived, he was still a step too late.

The gates of Ya Cui Residence were wide open, and the military officers rushed into the side rooms, from which came the sounds of women screaming and men fighting.

Meng Xingyuan had a bad feeling. The woman living in this room was his second daughter, Meng Huanyan. Although she was a concubine's daughter, she had always been loved by him. Now that a group of men had broken into her boudoir, it would surely ruin her reputation, and it would be difficult for her to find a husband in the future.

He walked over angrily, ready to question his colleagues about how they could barge into a young woman's room so casually.

But when he heard the voices of the people inside, the question that was on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and he was so angry that he vomited blood on the spot.

"I thought he was a thief, but it turns out he's a lecherous thief! Let me see what this lecherous thief looks like. How dare he steal from the Prime Minister's residence? This...this lecherous thief looks exactly like the top scholar!"

"They don't just look alike, they're clearly the same person. Guan Yi'an, you're not even married yet, why are you in such a hurry to go to the bridal chamber? Besides, this girl doesn't seem to be your bride, does she?"

"Heavens! My eyes have been defiled... I have done good deeds and accumulated virtue, and I have done right by the Emperor and the people. Why must I be punished like this, forced to witness such shameless, disgusting, and despicable adulterers..."