Chapter 186 Past Events in the Capital
The powerful and influential people in the capital were all secretly inquiring about the marriage of this newly appointed top scholar.
The nanny from the Prime Minister's residence stood guard in front of the Yue residence, and the Duchess of the State invited him to the residence to admire the flowers time and time again.
Yue Mingzhi smiled gently and bowed apologetically: "I am ashamed, for I already have a wife at home who has shared my hardships."
On the day Madam Yue arrived in the capital, half of the noble ladies in the city crowded into teahouses to watch.
But when the small blue sedan chair was lowered, everyone was astonished.
The woman who stepped out of the sedan chair was robust, with a large dark red birthmark on her left cheek, and her clothes were still stained with mud from the fields.
Despite knowing the truth, Yue rushed forward and, in full view of everyone, took his wife's rough hands.
"Yingnan, you must be tired from this journey!"
His long, jade-like fingers gently stroked the calluses left by his hard work, and the tenderness in his eyes was even gentler than the spring water in March.
"This... could it be that Lord Yue is possessed by an evil spirit?"
"Shh, I heard that the top scholar was able to study and take the exam entirely thanks to his wife's family's support. He's probably doing it to repay their kindness."
"With looks like that, is he worthy of the handsome and dashing Lord Yue?"
Whispers circulated like venomous snakes in the streets.
The noble ladies in the teahouse waved their round fans, while the scholars whispered among themselves.
When the golden autumn of October arrives, the sweet fragrance of osmanthus fills the air.
The couple, once the envy of everyone, are now the subject of much gossip in Beijing.
At first, it was just some minor changes.
Knowing that the time for him to return home after court was getting later and later, he always carried an unfamiliar scent of perfume.
He didn't even want to look at the lotus seed soup that Wei Yingnan had personally cooked, letting the celadon bowl cool completely on the table.
Gradually, those gentle words turned into sharp and sarcastic remarks.
"You clumsy countrywoman, how dare you touch my court robes?"
In front of the servants, he threw Wei Yingnan's carefully washed official robes on the ground.
On a rainy autumn night, Wei Yingnan stood frozen outside the study, listening to the giggles of a courtesan coming from inside.
"My husband..."
As soon as she knocked on the carved door, an inkstone flew out and bloomed into a flower of blood on her forehead.
"Go back to your country and farm!"
Yue Mingzhi's voice came through the door, sounding so unfamiliar it was chilling.
The rumors quickly spread throughout the capital.
"Have you heard? Lord Yue stayed overnight at Zuixianlou again last night."
With his body covered in wounds, Wei Yingnan began a solitary journey.
She first knelt in front of the government office, kowtowing until her forehead bled profusely: "Your Honor, please be the judge! My husband used to hate drinking, but now he's drunk every day! My husband has been taken by a demon!"
Before she could finish speaking, the door slammed heavily in front of her.
The constables sneered, saying she must have gone mad.
In her most desperate moment, she broke into Ci'en Temple.
After listening to her tearful account, the monk simply shook his head and sighed, "Madam, there's no such thing as possession. It's just that the man was unfaithful..."
When the news reached Zuixianlou, Yue Mingzhi was embracing and flirting with a courtesan.
"What nonsense is my crazy wife spouting now?"
The songstress smiled sweetly, "They say you've been possessed by a wandering ghost~"
Everyone present burst into laughter.
"If you ask me—" the young master of the Qin family sipped his wine and chuckled, "the way they were all lovey-dovey earlier was truly creepy."
No one took the ravings of that uncouth peasant woman seriously.
After all, which romantic and talented man can stay with an ugly woman for long?
This is the outcome we expected.
Wei Yingnan was stopped outside the entrance of Zuixianlou, the wound on his forehead from being hit by the inkstone had already scabbed over.
She looked up at the sky, a heart-wrenching cry escaping her throat: "You are not my husband! You are not!"
Pedestrians in the market stopped to watch and point, observing this absurd farce.
A maidservant wearing an apricot-colored vest pushed through the crowd and led her to a private room in the teahouse next door.
The room was filled with the fragrance of fine agarwood incense, and a young lady in brocade sat behind a sandalwood table.
Her skin was as white as fresh snow, her cheeks as smooth as cream, and her slender fingers were playing with a celadon teacup.
"Is Madam Yue willing to divorce?" Miss Zhuo asked softly.
Wei Yingnan's pupils trembled slightly, and her chapped lips uttered a few words: "No... I don't want to..."
“If you insist on doing this,” Miss Zhuo sighed as she put down her teacup, “I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait to receive your divorce papers.”
“I recognize you.” Wei Yingnan suddenly looked up, his gaze intense. “Your portrait was hidden in the sachet you gave him.”
Miss Zhuo's cheeks flushed red, but she still straightened her back: "Who in the capital doesn't know that he wants to divorce his wife? Once he regains his freedom, my mother will send a matchmaker to our door."
"He's currently at Zuixianlou, surrounded by women on either side," Wei Yingnan suddenly chuckled, her laughter tinged with a hint of malice. "You dare to marry such a charming and talented man?"
"Which talented man isn't a womanizer?" Miss Zhuo retorted sarcastically. "Aren't you clinging to that idea too?"
Wei Yingnan's smile froze at the corner of his mouth: "He really has been possessed... but nobody believes me."
These words caused Miss Zhuo's expression to change slightly.
In fact, she had also noticed that Yue Mingzhi was now completely different from the gentle and refined gentleman at the poetry gathering.
She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "If that's really the case... you should go and see the Imperial Advisor. Legend has it that she can communicate with the spirits and distinguish between ghosts and gods."
She had expected the other party to be overjoyed, but she saw Wei Yingnan suddenly shrink back.
"Ha," Miss Zhuo sneered, "it seems you yourself are also familiar with this theory of possession—"
Before he could finish speaking, there was a soft knock on the door of the private room.
A fair-skinned face peered in; it was none other than the eunuch surnamed Fu who served the Imperial Advisor.
“Madam Yue,” Xiao Fuzi bowed, her voice soft yet authoritative, “the Grand Preceptor is waiting for you in the private room next door.”
The two exchanged a glance, and Miss Zhuo saw a hint of fear in Wei Yingnan's eyes.
Xiao Fuzi stood by the door, looking calmly at Wei Yingnan, as if she had already seen through her struggle.
He said softly, "Madam Yue, the Grand Preceptor said she knows what you are thinking."
Wei Yingnan's heart skipped a beat.
Her breathing quickened, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Miss Zhuo looked at her suspiciously: "Madam Yue, why do you look so pale?"
Wei Yingnan forced a smile: "It's nothing... I'm just a little dizzy."
She slowly stood up, but felt her legs go weak.
Xiao Fuzi turned slightly to the side and made a "please" gesture: "Madam Yue, please come with me."
Wei Yingnan took a deep breath and finally took a step.
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