The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

30

Curious passersby began to gather around but they did not plead for Wu Juan Shu as he had expected. Instead, they all started pointing at him.

"How dare you stop Wangfei's carriage, don't you want to live?"

"That's right. Wangfei is so kind, he wouldn't force lovers to part."

"That's a decent-looking man. He seems familiar though. Which family's young master is that?"

"If he's a young master with those clothes then I can also be called a young master! Hahaha..."

As things did not go as he had planned, Wu Juan Shu puffed his face. He looked at the carriage with enmity and bowed, "Wangfei, please have mercy. Xian Yu and I, we... we have long been..."

Before he could finish, An Chang Qing raised the curtain and said sternly, "Tie Hu! Slap his mouth!"

Tie Hu had been bothered by his words from the start. At An Chang Qing's order, he jumped off the carriage, grabbed Wu Juan Shu's collar, and gave him two powerful slaps over his mouth.

Wu Juan Shu could not believe that they would publicly lay hands on him. He covered his mouth and mumbled in pain.

"Wangfei, how could you be this unruly!" A woman suddenly rushed over to help Wu Juan Shu, "Juan Shu and your sister have long been engaged; it was a mutual agreement. Even if you refused to let them be together, you shouldn't be using violence!"

An Chang Qing sneered, "Other than the fact that my sister's marriage to you was decided by my father, from the beginning, my sister has never even met you. Besides, haven't you been fighting with your uncle over a widow since some time ago? Now that she's dead, did Young Master Wu have a change of heart?"

Wu Juan Shu looked embarrassed but he could only cover his mouth and mumble incoherently.

An Chang Qing raised his voice and spoke, "Everyone here, please be my witness. This person is the third son of the Wu family to whom my sister was indeed engaged to. However, not long ago, he was involved in a shameful scandal. I wanted to annul the engagement but my father did not want to quash the relationship between the two families and refused. I can't disobey my father and had to agree to this marriage. But who knew that Wu Juan Shu is not only unfaithful and lacks virtues, he is also corrupted and has committed many crimes. When the Wu family's crimes were being investigated, Wu Juan Shu was exposed to have abused his Magistrate's position and subjugated people, causing him to be stripped of his status and title. Such a crooked man, how can I allow my sister to be married to him? A few days ago, my father had personally gone to dissolve this marriage. He had returned the engagement keepsake which the Wu family had accepted, cutting off any ties my sister had with Wu Juan Shu. Who would've thought that the Wu family only pretended to agree and now they're trying to publicly ruin my sister's reputation! How vile!"

The woman kneeling next to Wu Juan Shu said, "It's not like that... we..."

"You're Wu Juan Shu's birth mother, aren't you?" An Chang Qing cut her off, "You are a concubine and before that, a servant. Moreover, now that the Wu family has fallen, you are not qualified to discuss this marriage."

The woman had a sour look and turned speechless.

After listening to An Chang Qing's words, everyone at the scene finally understood. The man who had previously mentioned that Wu Juan Shu looked familiar quickly said, "Told you I've seen him before. Turns out it's someone from the Wu family! When they were evicted by the Da Li officers, I was watching right outside the Marquis's house!"

"Pei! That whole family is nothing good! If it were my daughter, I also would not allow her to marry such a person! How dare he even make a scene on the street!"