Cousin? Original wife?

Wen Rugui’s answer was like two firecrackers of tremendous power thrown into the crowd, crackling and exploding.

The spectators’ eyes lit up, sensing that a major scandal was about to unfold.

“Original wife?” Lin Shi looked toward Madam Chang.

The woman who had been hiding behind Wen Rugui took a step to the side, placing herself openly and righteously under everyone’s gaze.

She had delicate and gentle features, with a few traces of fear on her pale face.

But Lin Shi sensed provocation from this seemingly weak woman’s action of stepping forward.

A surge of hot blood rushed straight to her head.

Lin Shi instinctively reached for her waist but grasped at nothing, only then realizing that the long whip that used to wrap around her waist in her youth was long gone.

In those youthful and unrestrained days, when especially angry, she particularly loved to crack that long whip to intimidate people.

Later, after marrying her ideal husband—firstly afraid he wouldn’t like it, and secondly, growing old together with her beloved, she was too happy to even have days of extreme anger.

That long whip was naturally no longer needed.

In this instant, Lin Shi didn’t actually think this much. Her head and heart were both trembling, shaking her thoughts into sluggishness. She only questioned the husband close at hand by instinct: “She is your original wife, then what am I?”

After asking this question, Lin Shi felt that the familiar yet strange man before her, the weak yet provocative woman, and those passersby packed tightly around them pointing and whispering, all became unreal.

She felt herself falling into a quagmire, a nightmare, staring fixedly at Wen Rugui and asking repeatedly: “What am I? Who am I? Who am I?”

Wen Chan’s eyes reddened, unsure whether to step forward or observe from the side.

Wen Hao’s heart was also torn as if by knives.

Having experienced much more than her actual sixteen years, understanding so much more, she felt Mother’s pain and Father’s cruelty even more acutely.

The Old Madam didn’t think so much. She rushed forward swiftly and gave Wen Rugui a strike with her walking stick: “Beast! Do you think the Lin family has no one left? To speak such absurd words in front of everyone!”

Wen Rugui staggered from the blow, his vision darkening in waves.

He couldn’t faint—fainting would make the situation unmanageable.

He bit his tongue tip and, with the perseverance he had used years ago studying with his head suspended by a rope and thigh pricked with an awl, maintained consciousness under the Old Madam’s walking stick: “Lord Taishui, have you forgotten the circumstances from back then?”

“Circumstances? What circumstances?” The Old Madam’s face was full of fury, completely unaware of what this ungrateful wretch was talking about.

Wen Rugui raised his hand to straighten his collar and, enduring the pain from the walking stick’s strikes, said calmly: “That year I achieved success in the imperial examinations. Somehow I caught Wanqing’s eye, and Lord Taishan summoned me to ask if I was willing to become the Duke’s son-in-law riding the dragon.”

The Old Madam didn’t interrupt, listening with a stern face.

She naturally remembered these things.

When the Great Zhou dynasty was first established, everything needed rebuilding. After two or three years of chaos, things finally settled down. The spring examination that Wen Rugui participated in was the Great Zhou’s very first spring examination.

One could imagine what a grand occasion it was back then.

Every successful candidate made a spectacular showing, and the young and handsome Wen Rugui was noticed by countless young ladies.

When Wanqing told her she admired this newly successful candidate, though she felt the two weren’t suited for each other, she understood her daughter to some degree.

Young, handsome, and brilliantly talented, parading through the Imperial Street in glory—what young lady in the bloom of youth could remain unmoved?

They only had this one daughter. Unable to overcome their beloved daughter’s insistence, they still fulfilled her wish.

Wen Rugui’s somewhat agitated voice rang in the Old Madam’s ear: “Actually, at that time, this son-in-law had already married my cousin!”

Because of her震怒, the Old Madam’s voice trembled: “Nonsense! Back then, this old one personally asked you about your family situation, and you never once mentioned having already married!”

Wen Rugui’s expression returned to calm as he revealed a bitter smile: “Does Lord Taishui truly want this son-in-law to speak plainly?”

“Speak!” The Old Madam raised her walking stick, pointing it at Wen Rugui. “This old one doesn’t believe you can turn black into white and spout such lies!”

Wen Rugui sighed: “Since Lord Taishui insists, this son-in-law has no choice but to speak of the circumstances from back then.”

The crowd quieted for a moment, countless people pricking up their ears waiting for Wen Rugui to continue.

Wen Rugui suddenly felt this setting for a showdown wasn’t bad at all.

What other means could spread faster and wider than these spectators?

Taking a second wife while the first still lived violated the law. He needed public support and sympathy so that His Majesty, considering he had been coerced, would not pursue the matter.

“Back then—” Wen Rugui adjusted his emotions and began speaking. “Back then, this son-in-law clearly informed Lord Taishan that I already had a wife at home. But Lord Taishan told me to conceal the fact that I had already married and to take Wanqing as my wife. I initially refused, but Lord Taishan threatened me, saying that if I didn’t agree, my official career would be severed right there, and even my wife far away in my hometown wouldn’t have a good end.”

Reaching this point, Wen Rugui raised his sleeve to wipe away tears, his voice slightly trembling: “If it were only severing my career prospects, that would be one thing—at worst, ten years of hard study would go to waste. But using my beloved wife’s safety to threaten me—I truly had no choice and could only agree to Lord Taishan’s demands…”

“Bullshit!” The Old Madam cursed loudly, raising her walking stick to strike. “I’ll beat you to death, you dog thing who lies with eyes wide open!”

Wen Rugui hastily covered his head to dodge, his voice going off-key: “Lord Taishui, stop, stop—”

He had arranged everything, but the one thing he couldn’t avoid was the Old Madam’s walking stick.

However, precisely because of the Old Madam’s behavior, when people recalled the Lin family’s bandit origins, they would believe his words even more.

Thinking about this, Wen Rugui lost focus for a moment and was struck on the buttocks by the Old Madam’s walking stick, immediately letting out a miserable cry.

The crowd watched Wen Rugui’s wretched state with subtle feelings.

An official lord getting his buttocks beaten—his cry of pain was no different from an ordinary person’s.

“Move aside, move aside! What’s happening here?”

A squad of soldiers arrived, and the spectators made way.

“Who dares brawl in the street—” The lead official shouted, then seeing the old lady wielding her walking stick fiercely, the rest of his words got stuck.

If this were some mother teaching her wastrel son a lesson, that would be a family matter.

The Old Madam completely ignored the officials’ arrival and continued chasing Wen Rugui to beat him.

Chang Hui, feeling sorry for his father, shouted: “Officer, quickly save my father! My father is going to be beaten to death!”

Seeing that the beating had indeed gone far enough, Wen Hao stepped forward and pulled the Old Madam back, saying softly: “Grandmother, rest a bit. Be careful not to exhaust yourself.”

The Old Madam also knew she couldn’t actually beat him to death and went along with withdrawing her walking stick.

“Lord Wen?” The lead official recognized Wen Rugui and couldn’t help but be startled, instinctively looking at the Old Madam.

With this look, he was even more shocked.

It was actually the Old Madam from the General’s Mansion!

“My apologies for the spectacle.” Wen Rugui cupped his hands toward the lead official, then turned to the Old Madam, his tone still respectful. “This son-in-law understands Lord Taishui’s feelings, but everything this son-in-law has said is true, without half a false word.”

The Old Madam sneered coldly: “Dog thing, you’re just taking advantage of the old master’s absence to throw dirt on him!”

Wen Rugui calmly made a bow: “If Lord Taishui doesn’t believe it, why not ask those who knew the truth back then?”