Cui Mingyue was furious.
If Zhu Ziyu wanted to see her, fine.
When Zhu Ziyu said that meeting at different teahouses too often might attract attention and suggested moving to a private residence for safety, that was also acceptable.
But for all his caution, how did he manage to create such a commotion?
Who could tell her who this vulgar, uncouth madwoman was, and why she had burst in here?
The young woman was also stunned at this point, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.
What was going on? The man inside wasn’t her husband?
This wasn’t right. Liu Er’s wife had seen her husband sneaking into the pretty widow’s house. There was even a red string her husband had dropped at the pretty widow’s doorstep…
By now, the onlookers who had followed her in also realized something was amiss.
“Sister, judging by this young gentleman’s attire, he’s not your husband, is he?”
The young woman’s mind was in chaos. She pointed at Zhu Ziyu and asked, “Who… who are you? Isn’t this the pretty widow’s house?”
The main hall door was wide open, and Zhu Ziyu watched in cold sweat as more and more people flooded into the courtyard to watch the spectacle. “Sister, you must be mistaken. Please leave immediately!”
How could the young woman be satisfied with that? She grabbed Zhu Ziyu’s sleeve and demanded, “Are you covering for my husband? Otherwise, why would you be in the pretty widow’s house?”
Realizing the young woman was being unreasonable, Zhu Ziyu pulled Cui Mingyue behind him and said sternly, “This residence was just rented by my wife and me as a separate courtyard. What does it have to do with any pretty widow? You’ve frightened my wife. Please leave immediately, or I’ll have to report this to the authorities!”
Ordinary people feared official involvement the most. Upon hearing this, the young woman’s aggressive demeanor immediately deflated. She mumbled sheepishly, “But this was the pretty widow’s home. When did it get rented out…”
At this moment, an old woman interjected, “The other day, the pretty widow said she was going to rent out this place and return to her hometown in the countryside.”
Zhu Ziyu said coolly, “You’ve heard it, sister. Please leave immediately!”
The young woman felt as if she had been hit with a blunt object, feeling both wronged and helpless. She forced a smile and said, “I’m sorry.”
The crowd, seeing there was no more drama to watch, shook their heads and sighed, preparing to leave.
Suddenly, an ice-cold voice rang out: “Your wife? Son-in-law, how come I don’t know my daughter looks like this?”
Jiang Ancheng pushed through the crowd, coldly staring at Zhu Ziyu.
After the initial shock, Jiang Zhan rushed forward and kicked Zhu Ziyu to the ground. He slapped him hard several times, shouting as he did so, “Zhu Ziyu, you beast in human clothing! How dare you keep a mistress behind my elder sister’s back and have the audacity to call her your wife!”
Jiang Ancheng just watched coldly as his son furiously beat his elder son-in-law, showing no intention of intervening.
Compared to her brother’s rage and her father’s anger, Jiang Si’s heart was much calmer.
Finally, this day had come.
Misleading the young woman to burst in was quite simple, and such a crude method was most effective against Zhu Ziyu.
Zhu Ziyu was a cautious person. Seeing a group of people rush in, to avoid making a big scene, he would naturally admit that he and Cui Mingyue, who was in the room with him, were husband and wife. Only in this way could he righteously send people away, then quietly leave afterward. No one would know their true identities, and this unforeseen disaster would be dealt with.
Zhu Ziyu’s reaction was quick, but he had neatly fallen into the trap Jiang Si had dug.
Jiang Si wasn’t an exceptionally clever person, but when a matter concerned life and death, and after repeated consideration, even a fool could outsmart a clever person.
“Zhu Ziyu, how dare you be a Hanlin Academy scholar? My elder sister must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to marry someone like you!” Jiang Zhan continued to berate him.
The onlookers seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move.
Heavens! They thought the excitement was over, but who knew such a shocking turn of events awaited!
It wasn’t rare for men to keep mistresses, but for a man to keep a mistress and call her his wife was truly despicable. Moreover, the one doing this was a scholar who had become a Hanlin Academy compiler!
Everyone’s contemptuous gazes fell on Zhu Ziyu.
A clear, youthful voice rang out: “Father, Second Brother, the woman behind Brother-in-law seems to be an unmarried young lady.”
Jiang Zhan’s raised fist stopped midair as he turned to look at Cui Mingyue.
Prompted by Jiang Si’s reminder, everyone realized: that the woman meeting with a married man was indeed an unmarried young lady!
It was well known that a woman’s marital status could be discerned at a glance from her hairstyle, and the woman before them was styled as an unmarried girl.
The young wife, already frustrated at not catching her husband, was most disgusted by such shameless girls. She immediately spat, “An unmarried maiden meeting privately with a married man and calling herself his wife, how utterly shameless!”
“Indeed, she’s even worse than the pretty widow. At least the widow, after her husband’s death, knew to hide back in her hometown when men started pursuing her.”
“Looking at this young lady’s attire, she seems to be from a good family. Tsk tsk, how the world has declined!”
Jiang Zhan stood up, his gaze fixed sternly on Cui Mingyue: “How is it you?”
Jiang Si came to Jiang Zhan’s side and asked in surprise, “Second Brother, you know her?”
Logically, her second brother shouldn’t have any connection with Cui Mingyue.
Jiang Zhan’s thin lips pressed tightly as he stared at Cui Mingyue.
This Miss Cui had been frequently appearing before him lately, always with a pleasing demeanor.
He had felt something was off then. Given that he had a grudge against Miss Cui’s brother, why would the sister be so friendly towards him?
There must be a problem, surely she was harboring ill intentions to scheme against him!
Looking at Cui Mingyue’s pale face, Jiang Zhan felt relieved about his foresight.
It was fortunate that his fourth sister was so beautiful; after becoming accustomed to her looks, no one else could bewitch him with their beauty.
“Of course I know her, she is—”
“Silence!” Cui Mingyue shouted, pushing Zhu Ziyu aside and trying to run away.
She couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer in such a humiliating situation.
Jiang Zhan grabbed Cui Mingyue, saying coldly, “I just heard the uncles and aunts say, ‘Catch a thief red-handed, catch adulterers together.’ Miss Cui, you can’t just leave like this!”
“Let go of me!” Cui Mingyue, overcome with shame and anger, started fighting with Jiang Zhan.
Although Jiang Zhan had joined the Imperial Guard through Yu Jin’s connections, he did have some real skills. Cui Mingyue’s martial arts were merely for show and no match for him. In a few moves, she was subdued.
As for Zhu Ziyu, he was just a frail scholar. Jiang Ancheng lifted him with one hand.
Father and son, emanating a murderous aura, headed towards the Zhu residence, followed by a large crowd of onlookers and the expressionless Jiang Si.
Cui Mingyue’s maid took advantage of the chaos to slip away and run back to Princess Rongyang’s mansion for help.
At the Zhu residence, Madam Zhu was reprimanding Jiang Yi.
“It was just a startled horse incident, why are you still so listless? How can you manage such a large household in the future if you can’t handle even this?”
Jiang Yi lowered her head in shame, not daring to say more.
At this moment, a maid rushed in, her face pale with fright, and reported, “Madam, a terrible thing has happened!”