Lu Youting smiled slightly.

"The first marriage is decided by the father, the second marriage is decided by oneself. Master Su, you cannot make the decision for Wanwan."

He looked at Su Wanwan again, his eyes filled with deep affection and determination.

"Wanwan, I will make up for the money in your dowry later."

Su Wanwan raised an eyebrow.

She scoffed inwardly, thinking he probably didn't know how much her dowry was and was just spouting nonsense.

I don't know if he can afford to make up for it.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone came to report: "Princess Rong has arrived."

Prince Rong's expression changed slightly, quite surprised.

Su Wanwan leaned back in her wheelchair, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Before she left, she sent someone to deliver a message to Princess Rong.

Princess Rong certainly did not disappoint her.

Before long, a sedan chair was carried to the front of the hall.

Liu Yixuan, the Prince of Rong, who was so thin that her face was almost devoid of flesh, stepped out of the sedan chair with the help of her maid.

She was slightly out of breath, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall before finally settling on Su Wanwan's face.

Lu Youting's expression gradually turned cold, his voice cool:

"The princess is still ill, why did she go out?"

Liu Yixuan nodded to Su Wanwan:

"Madam Su, I'm here today to dispel the rumors on your behalf."

"The rumors circulating about your affair with my prince are untrue."

"Shortly after I became pregnant, the prince fell off his horse and was injured, and was bedridden at home for half a year."

"Until you got married, you never left the Prince's mansion. How could you have had an affair with Madam Su and become pregnant?"

Liu Yixuan's words directly tore away the fig leaf that everyone was ashamed to mention, and also salvaged Su Wanwan's reputation to some extent.

Su Wanwan bowed slightly to thank her: "Thank you, Your Highness, for standing up for me and clarifying the rumors."

Princess Rong is indeed very capable.

He did not disappoint her in the slightest.

When Liu Yixuan first became the Princess Consort of Rong, she regarded her as a thorn in her side and looked at her without any attempt to hide it, as if she were looking at a poisoned knife.

At Empress Zhang's birthday banquet that February, she threw a bowl of hot soup directly at Su Wanwan and arrogantly cursed at her:

"A vixen who knows how to seduce men!"

Su Wanwan lost face in front of everyone.

She, who had always been obedient and quiet, did the first outrageous thing in her life.

She went straight up and pressed Liu Yixuan's face into the stewed duck soup simmering on the table.

Empress Zhang was furious and ordered her to copy the palace rules a hundred times and confine her to the palace for three months, or else be expelled from the palace.

Liu Yixuan suffered burns to her face and stayed home to recover. Not long after, her mother passed away, and she stayed home to observe mourning for several years without going out.

Fourteen-year-old Su Wanwan was impulsive and reckless, which ultimately gave others ammunition to criticize her.

At twenty-one, she had already learned to temper her brilliance and cultivate tranquility for a better future.

Liu Yixuan, who was originally her sworn enemy, has now stepped forward to clarify the rumors and maintain her reputation.

Lu Youting, who once shared romantic moments and made vows of eternal love with her, harbored ulterior motives and was determined to possess her.

How ironic.

Therefore, whether they are enemies or friends, as long as they are properly managed, they can be used to our advantage.

Liu Yixuan waved her hand gently: "I'm just telling the truth. If Madam Su were willing to lower herself, she would have married into the Prince's mansion as a concubine long ago. Why would she need to marry into the Duke of Wei's mansion and suffer such torment?"

She used to be insanely jealous of Su Wanwan.

But it was later discovered that Su Wanwan had already let go of Lu Youting.

Lu Youting, on the other hand, never forgot her and refused to let go.

Since Su Wanwan refused to marry into the royal family as a concubine, she naturally had to grant her wish.

Xu Pengju was surprised that Princess Rong would jump out and spoil the mood; his tone was one of exasperation:

"Su, your reputation for adultery is now infamous. Prince Rong is willing to cover for you, yet you don't know what's good for you!"

"Fine, I'll see who dares to marry you in the future!"

Su Wanwan said calmly, "I never intended to remarry, Prince Xu, you are overthinking it."

Xu Pengju was speechless, unsure of what to do.

People outside are saying that the Duke of Wei's family framed his widowed daughter-in-law for adultery in order to seize her dowry.

Even as the heir apparent, he was looked down upon when he went out to social events.

The dispute has dragged on until now, and the Xu family has gained nothing but face.

They tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead.

"No matter what, Su family, you must return the betrothal gifts from the Xu family back then!"

At this point, Xu Pengju decided to go all the way and be a villain.

Su Wanwan seemed not to hear his words, and just absentmindedly lowered her eyes, occasionally glancing towards the door.

A hint of doubt appeared in Xu Pengju's eyes.

Did she call in some kind of reinforcements?

Just as Su Nan was about to speak, someone else arrived.

The guests were He Xi, the head eunuch of Ning Shou Palace, and Gu Fang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in charge of the Northern Garrison.

Gu Fang was Gu Ziyu's great-uncle. He had been in charge of the Northern Garrison for many years and had been investigating major cases.

Many families were ruined and destroyed by him, earning him the nickname "Black-faced Yama".

When Xu Chengbi saw Gu Fang arrive, his legs went weak.

Xu Pengju was so frightened that he could barely speak.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Su Wanwan's eyes.

Lu Xingjian knew that she had been pregnant with his child and had been blamed by her in-laws because of it, but he would not personally stand up for her.

To expect him to help her take revenge is nothing but wishful thinking.

Gu Fang glanced at them coldly, his tone stern:

"Upon hearing that Madam Su was embroiled in a media storm, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict ordering the Northern Garrison to investigate the case."

After speaking, he strode over to a chair and sat down, his gaze sweeping across the room with a menacing air:

"If we can't find out the truth today, I'll have to ask the Duke of Wei and his son to come with me to the imperial prison."

Xu Chengbi and Xu Pengju turned deathly pale instantly.

The imperial prison.

Going in doesn't guarantee you'll come out alive.

They nodded vigorously:

"Please investigate, sir, we will fully cooperate!"

Gu Fang cut to the chase: "Did Su Wanwan wear a handkerchief on her wedding night with Xu Peng'an?"

The so-called "yuanpa" is the handkerchief used by the bride on her wedding night to remove her blood.

Su Wanwan and Xu Peng'an had never been intimate, but they did share a handkerchief.

Xu Peng'an cut his own elbow and personally stained the handkerchief with his blood.

Han Xiufen came over and replied, "There is a yuanpa."

He hurriedly ordered someone to fetch it.

These days she has also figured it out: if Su Wanwan's reputation is ruined, Xu Peng'an's cuckoldry will be confirmed.

She still couldn't bear to see her son suffer the fate of being ridiculed after his death.

Gu Fang didn't waste any words:

"So, when Su Wanwan married into the Xu family, she was still a virgin and had consummated her marriage with Xu Peng'an?"