Everyone's gaze was directed at Wen Wan. This was also the first time that Ning Yuxuan looked at Wen Wan with such an unpleasant expression. Old madame directly threw her teacup at Wen Wan's feet. "Ill-bred creature!"
The hot tea splashed onto Wen Wan's clothes. Wen Wan trembled in fear before gritting her teeth and kneeling down without caring about the spilled tea and shattered porcelain on the floor. She cried out, "This servant never accepted money from the heir. Old Madame, please investigate."
"His wife has already come to our doors and you dare to say that you're not responsible?" Old madame was so angry that her body was slightly shaking. "For the marquis's residence to have someone like you, we might as well throw away our reputation. If other people hear about this, how do you want Xuan-er to show his face in front of other people? Do you want other people to think that he can't even support a woman?"
Wen Wan repeatedly shook her head. "I really haven't... Yuxuan, you have to believe me. I'm not that type of woman."
In a moment of desperation, she didn't even refer to herself as this servant. She directly skipped to saying she was being wrongfully accused.
Ning Yuxuan looked at her. His hand was slightly clenched. "Then, what kind of woman are you?"
Wen Wan momentarily froze in shock. Feeling extremely upset, she said, "You didn't believe me last time. Are you going to not believe me this time again? It's their choice to give my father money. Why does this have anything to do with me? First of all, I didn't ask them for the money. Second, I told my father to not accept their money. How can this be my fault?"
These words were indirectly admitting that the heir had pawned off the jade accessory for her. Ji Man wanted to facepalm. Wen Wan was too stupid.
Hearing these words, how could Luo Qianqian be willing to take things lying down? She immediately sneered and said, "Are you saying that the heir was showering affection on an uninterested party by giving your father money? Lesser Madam Ning, your skill are truly marvelous. If you didn't cry that you were poor in front of those men, would they all rush to provide financial assistance to your father? Marquis Moyu and Old Madame, please forgive me for saying the following disrespectful words in front of you. Lesser Madam Ning, please don't act like a whore, then turn around and pretend to be saintly woman. The next time you need money, you can directly ask me, Luo Qianqian, for it. I'm not happy when the heir gives your father money. But, if you tell me that you're having serious financial problems, then on behalf of Tonghao Poetry Association's reputation, I won't be stingy!"
These words were very vicious. Wen Wan felt utterly humiliated and burst into tears.
Old madame disdainfully looked at her, covered part of her face, and said, "Xuan-er, look at her. This is the woman that you whole-heartedly love. I said a long time ago that her family background isn't suitable for you. She won't be able to accompany you for a lifetime. But, you wouldn't listen to my advice. Now that this mess has happened, how will Prince Huainan's household and this household be able to get along in the future?"
Prince Huainan rarely came to the capital. This time, he only came to the capital for his heir's wedding. Originally, he was going to leave after this month, but now this matter had come up.
Wen Wan cried as if her heart was breaking. She shook her head and said, "Why are you all splashing this dirty water on me? What kind of evil intentions are you harboring? I finally had two peaceful days with Yuxuan. Why did you come here to harm me?"
Her crying sounded so pitiful, even Ji Man was starting to feel bad for her. Still, Wen Wan was being a bit too delusion. If she didn't do something wrong to begin with, how would people find her faults?
"Who dares to harm you?" Luo Qianqian cynically laughed. "The heir has told me that if I dare to do anything to you, he'll write me a divorce letter. Right now, I even have to beg you. Lesser Madam Ning, please spare Qianqian."
Old Madame angrily shouted, "Preposterous!"
Wen Wan didn't dare to continue crying.
Divorce was significantly more serious than mere money. Wen Wan was already a married woman and yet, she was causing the heir to threaten to divorce his wife. Regardless of the truth, this matter would always blacken Wen Wan's reputation.
Ning Yuxuan also stopped speaking. He knew that Wen Wan hadn't actually cheated on him. It was only that Wen Wan would frequently cry out her grievances in Tonghua Poetry Association gatherings. Hearing her complaints, the men would naturally have ideas and want to help her of their own initiative. Some of these men would start to have inclinations that they shouldn't have and say words that might end with Wen Wan being put to death.
Actually, it was his fault too. Why did he let Wen Wan go to Tonghua Poetry Association to play?
Now that this situation had occurred, how should he clean up this mess?
During this time, old madame continued to angrily yell at Wen Wan and Wen Wan could only say she was being wrongly accused.
Luo Qianqian stood by the side and coldly smiled. She wanted to see how this seductress would be punished.
"Luo Qianqian!"
Just as old madame was about to force Ning Yuxuan to write a divorce letter, an important character, Prince Huainan's heir, finally appeared. He strode into the main room, grabbed Luo Qianqian's wrist, saw Wen Wan kneeling on the ground, and couldn't resist slapping his wife.
The slap caused Luo Qianqian's face to slightly turn the side. She seemed too shocked to react.
The heir also paused before slowly putting down the hand that had slapped her and saying, "I already said you're not allowed to come here.
Ji Man frowned. He was really being too outrageous by slapping Luo Qianqian in front of so many people.
Old madame and the rest of the womenfolk also frowned.
Luo Qianqian slowly turned her head back. She very calmly looked at the heir, loosened his grip around her wrist, and faintly smiled. "As expected, it can only end like this."
The heir's expression was somewhat panicky, but then he looked at Wen Wan. She was kneeling on the ground in a pile of shattered porcelain and her eyes had swollen from crying. He decided that everything had to be Luo Qianqian's fault and his heart hardened. With a stern expression, he said, "You've always been jealous of Wen Wan, and now you even came to her home to cause trouble. Your behavior is outrageous. Come home with me right now!"
Luo Qianqian lowered her eyes. Part of her face was starting to turn red, but she used a very light voice to say, "Okay."
Ji Man couldn't resist sneering. "This is the first time I saw a husband slapping his own wife for another married woman. Qianqian, you married the wrong person."
The heir stopped walking, turned his head, and somewhat hatefully looked at Nie Sangyu.
Ji Man met his gaze, slowly raised her left hand towards him, and pointed her middle finger.
Naturally, people in ancient times didn't understand the meaning of this gesture. However, the contempt in Ji Man's eyes was too strong.
The heir couldn't resist angrily saying, "Our family matters have nothing to do with Madam Ning."
"Right, it's your business. It doesn't really have anything to do with me," Luo Qianqian calmly said, "Zhao Kaifeng, from now on, your matters have nothing to do with me. If you want to pawn off ten jade accessories, feel free to do so."
After saying these words, she started walking away and left the discarded husband far behind her.
Zhao Kaifeng was both anxious and angry. He furiously glared at Nie Sangyu, then he ran after Luo Qianqian.
After the person that had started the fuss left, only people in Marquis Moyu's household remained. He looked at Wen Wan and didn't say a word. She was still kneeling on the ground and her hands and knees had started to bleed from the porcelain shards.
After old madame was silent for a while, she asked Marquis Moyu, "Are you going to write a divorce letter or not?"
Marquis Moyu lowered his eyes and stayed silent.
"Then, she'll be demoted to a servant girl. Lock her up the woodshed!" Old madame sarcastically said, "Well, the son I gave birth to, you've certainly matured!"
Wen Wan widened her eyes in horror and looked at Ning Yuxuan, but he continued to look at the ground and didn't seem to have any intention of speaking.
A few servants came forward, took her out of the room, removed her jewelry and beautiful embroidered clothes. They even took away Tanxiang. She was just locked up in the woodshed by herself. Blood was still dripping from her injured palms and knees.
Wen Wan cried. She had already become accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle. How could she be willing to be a servant?
After Wen Wan was taken out of the room, the atmosphere in the room still felt somewhat oppressed.
The concubines returned to their respective courtyards without saying another word. Marquis Moyu went to his study and hadn't come out.
---
After everyone left, Ji Man applied a newly developed facial mask to old madame's face. However, this failed at cheering old madame up.
After the facial treatment was over, old madame dismissed the servant girls. Then, she looked at Nie Sangyu and said, "Sangyu, you should just get rid of her. She's already caused trouble to this level and Xuan-er still won't divorce her. Her existence will only bring you greater misfortune in the future."
Shocked, Ji Man instinctively shook her head. What if Wen Wan had a female lead's halo that made it impossible for her to die? Wouldn't she just end up paying with her own life by attempting to harm Wen Wan?
Seeing her shake her head, old madame frowned and said, "As the main wife, you can't be soft-hearted and reluctant to make difficult decisions. Right now, Wen Wan is at rock bottom. You just need to have someone a bowl of medicinal soup to her, then send that person away afterwards. No one will know that you were the one behind it."
Countless supporting female characters had been finished off by female leads because of this suggested move by the mother-in-laws. No way, she wouldn't do it!
However, looking at old madame's attitude, she knew that old madame wouldn't give up on this idea. Ji Man could only brace herself and nod her head.
Old madame's frown smoothed out. She stood up, walked to the cushioned couch, took out a small bottle, and handed it Nie Sangyu. "This is a slow-acting poison. She won't die until half a month to a few months later. This way, it's even less likely that you'll be found out."
Ji Man took the bottle, nodded her head, and thanked old madame. She held the bottle in her hand as she left the main courtyard, then she walked to the garden and casually threw the bottle into the pond.
She wanted to live. Harming the female lead would only lead to the path to her own death. For now, she would outwardly agree and secretly oppose old madame's plan.
---
That night, Ji Man visited Wen Wan and brought over medicinal soup.
Part of the reason that Wen Wan would be locked in the woodshed for a month was to grind away her current temperament. After the month was over, she would be assigned to someone as a servant girl.
This female lead had just been knocked off the clouds, so her mood naturally wouldn't be very stable.
When Ji Man opened the doors, she saw Wen Wan's eyes brightening.
But after seeing it was Nie Sangyu that had come here, the light in Wen Wan's eyes were extinguished and was replaced with loathing. "Why did you come here?"
At the very least, she had helped Wen Wan several times. Why was her attitude still so nasty? Ji Man sighed, put down the medicinal soup, and took out ointment to treat Wen Wan's wounds.
Don't misunderstand. Ji Man didn't want to act like a good person at all. She was only doing this because she knew that Marquis Moyu would be coming here soon. Rather than letting Ning Yuxuan seeing Wen Wan looking so pitiful and feeling upset over her, she might as well come here and deal with Wen Wan herself.
"I don't need your fake kindness. Let me guess. You're all feeling very happy right now, right?" Wen Wan took a step back and sneered at Nie Sangyu. "I won't be locked in here forever. All of the things that you've snatched from me, I'll snatch them back!"
Ji Man rolled her eyes. "You'll only be confined in here for a month. Once you're let out, you can snatch whatever you want. But, if you don't treat your injuries right now, they'll leave behind scars. The marquis will feel disdainful of you if he feels your scars pressing uncomfortably into his hands. How will you be able to snatch him back then?"
At the mention of scars, Wen Wan looked at her bloody palms and hesitantly looked at Nie Sangyu.
"Come over here." Holding the ointment, Ji Man grabbed Wen Wan's hand and started to apply the ointment. Then, she helped Wen Wan tidy up her hair and clothes. At the end, she gave Wen Wan the quilt she had brought over so that Wen Wan wouldn't feel cold at night and get sick.
Wen Wan looked at her with redden eyes. Her lips twitched, and she said, "You..."
"No need to thank me. You'll go back to hating me soon enough." Ji Man shrugged. After finished her task, she turned around and left.