Chapter 58 Complete Turn Against Each Other

Meng Huanyan acted like a madwoman, shouting and cursing while fighting with Guan Yi'an.

However, the gap between her and Guan Yi'an was too great. Apart from scratching a red mark on Guan Yi'an's face at the beginning, she was basically always on the receiving end of the beating.

The servants waiting outside rushed over upon hearing the commotion, but seeing the enraged Guan Yi'an, they dared not dissuade him and instead quietly withdrew.

Guan Yi'an initially only wanted to teach Meng Huanyan a lesson, but the more Meng Huanyan cursed, the more vicious he became.

Finally, he kicked Meng Huanyan hard in the stomach, sending her flying several meters away to the wall, before her cursing stopped.

Guan Yi'an approached step by step, squatted down, and forcefully wiped away the bloodstains from Meng Huanyan's lips.

His face was gloomy.

"Go ahead and curse! Why aren't you cursing anymore? I thought you had some backbone. Since I'm so bad in your eyes, then I'll just be a beast who abuses women! You better shut up, or you won't get away with it so easily."

Guan Yi'an considered himself a gentleman and had never imagined he would beat a woman so violently. But today, Meng Huanyan had repeatedly provoked him, showing none of her previous delicate and lovely demeanor; she was completely a stupid and wicked shrew.

If we don't teach her a lesson, this shrew will really think she's someone to be bullied.

Meng Huanyan stared at Guan Yi'an with hatred in her eyes.

She no longer dared to resist; Guan Yi'an's kick had been very forceful, and her abdomen was still aching.

That bastard really beat her to death.

Seeing that she had become more obedient, Guan Yi'an slowly got up, called over a servant, and ordered, "Aunt Meng has gone mad and often talks nonsense. Lock her in her room and do not allow her to step out of the room without my permission."

The servants entered in response and rudely dragged Meng Huanyan out.

In the front yard, Guan's mother heard that the gifts she had received some time ago had all been given to the restaurant as payment.

Overwhelmed by the pain, she fainted.

Guan Yi'an went to great lengths, calling doctors and personally comforting his mother until midnight, before finally getting her to give up the idea of ​​causing trouble for Yunyan Pavilion.

By this time, it was already time for the morning court session.

Guan Yi'an didn't sleep a wink. She used makeup to cover the scratches on her face and entered the palace with a haggard look on her face.

He mingled quietly among the ministers, keeping his head down and remaining silent, worried that the scars on his face would be noticed.

Unfortunately, the Emperor took the initiative to ask him if his new appointment as Vice Minister of Rites had gone smoothly and if he had encountered any trouble, which caused everyone's attention to be drawn to him. Those with sharp eyes quickly noticed that something was wrong.

After all, Meng Huanyan was angry at the time and wanted to embarrass Guan Yi'an. The scratch was deep and long, and even with makeup on, it was still conspicuous.

Anyone with eyes can see that this was clearly scratched by a woman's fingernails.

One official joked, "Minister Guan probably just got out of the harem; his face still has the seal on it."

"Minister Guan is young and impetuous, and it is perfectly normal for him to enjoy the pleasures of men and women. However, you knew you had to attend the morning court session, yet you came to see the Emperor with such a face. This is a serious offense of disrespect."

The one who said this was Lord Feng, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. He was originally the most promising candidate for promotion to Vice Minister of Rites, but Guan Yi'an suddenly appeared, making his promotion hopeless.

He harbored resentment towards Guan Yi'an, so of course he wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Disrespect is a serious crime; if the emperor is angered, the punishment can range from dismissal to execution.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yi'an immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I had no such intention. Last night, I had a few words with one of my concubines and was careless enough to be scratched by her. I was unaware that I had been injured. Please investigate, Your Majesty!"

Being wronged by a concubine is extremely disgraceful. However, compared to the sin of disrespecting the emperor, the matter of face is insignificant.

Furthermore, if the blame is placed on Meng Huanyan, the Emperor will not punish him severely.

The Emperor frowned slightly. Eunuch Wan stepped forward and said calmly, "Vice Minister Guan is too young and has been busy with official duties these past few days. It's inevitable that he might neglect his duties in the inner quarters."

"With the affairs of the inner quarters unsettled, how can you handle official duties?" The Emperor's expression softened slightly, then he said seriously, "I will give you seven days off to handle the matters of the inner quarters before resuming your post as Vice Minister of Rites. For these seven days, Feng Ziyi, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, will act as Vice Minister of Rites."

"I obey the decree!"

"I obey the decree!"

Feng Ziyi and Guan Yi'an kowtowed simultaneously to express their gratitude.

One was laughing heartily, while the other lowered their head and looked down.

Thus, Guan Yi'an had only been in office for half a month when he had to return home to reflect on his actions due to the instability of his household affairs. In addition, the fact that he couldn't pay the bill on the day he hosted a banquet was also spread. Everyone sighed that although he was talented, he was vain and pretentious, and couldn't even manage his concubine.

Guan Yi'an originally thought that he would ignore these things and wait a couple of days until the storm passed, after which no one would care.

Two days later, however, Yunshaofang, the most famous opera troupe in the capital, suddenly staged several new plays.

Titled "The Scholar's Secret Affair with the Prime Minister's Daughter," "The Vice Minister and His Beloved Make a Scene at the Restaurant," and "The Beauty Leaves No Trace of Romance," the play realistically portrays Guan Yi'an's affair with Meng Huanyan on their wedding day, their argument at the South Opium Depot, and Guan Yi'an's journey to the morning court after being scratched by a concubine.

Its language is humorous and witty, and its performance is vivid and lifelike. It perfectly portrays the two characters as despicable, shameless, hypocritical, and pretentious.

Although the scene described was not from their own country, and Guan Yi'an and Meng Huanyan's names were changed by one character each, everything else matched the two of them perfectly. Everyone knew that it was referring to these two people.

Many people were initially unaware of the reasons why Guan Yi'an broke off his engagement and took Meng Huanyan as his concubine. Now, however, everyone understands that the two had been having an affair first, and they all condemned him for his shamelessness and said he deserved it.

There was also the scene where Guan Yi'an hosted a banquet at Yunyan Pavilion, where he and Meng Huanyan tried to appear wealthy despite their limited means, only to end up blaming each other for not being able to pay the bill, much to the amusement of the audience. They had seen plenty of poor people pretending to be rich, but this was the first time they had ever witnessed a high-ranking official trying to show off and getting humiliated.

As for Guan Yi'an's incident of having his face scratched by a concubine before attending the morning court session, it served as a warning to all the ladies in the household. They not only required that the concubines and maids in their households not have long fingernails, but also personally inspected the faces of officials before they went to court, only allowing them to pass after confirming that their faces were unharmed.

As soon as Guan Yi'an stepped outside, he could hear whispers and see mocking or scrutinizing glances. He was furious but helpless.

Even if these people were to stand in front of him and speak loudly, let alone discuss it in hushed tones, he couldn't do anything about it.

After all, the people he was discussing had a name that was one character different from his. If he went to cause trouble for these people or Yunshaofang, it would only prove that he was guilty and confirm the matter.

Guan Yi'an tried to stay home as little as possible, and when he could no longer bear it, he would rush into the room, drag Meng Huanyan out, and beat her up.

After all, the Emperor had told him to deal with the affairs of the inner quarters first. His only problem in the inner quarters was Meng Huanyan, and he had to subdue her before he could truly resolve the issue.

Meng Huanyan was naturally stubborn, and he beat her three times a day and three times a day until she was terrified.

Later, whenever he entered the room, Meng Huanyan was incredibly obedient to whatever he said or did. She would even lean her face in if he raised his hand. If he raised his whip, she would kneel down on the ground.

Guan Yi'an was very satisfied with this. Little did he know that every night after he fell asleep, a pair of eyes were watching him intently from behind.