Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C049

Wushuang pondered for a moment, then addressed the middle-aged chamberlain, "Might I trouble the chamberlain to send a message to the Marquis Changyang's mansion? As the chamberlain knows, we are all unmarried young ladies, and it is truly inconvenient for us to handle such matters."

The chamberlain smiled and said, "Miss need not worry, a message has already been sent. As for why you were sought out..." He hesitated, "You will understand once you go inside."

The group proceeded inside, but the chamberlain did not enter the room.

Passing the screen, the scene within the room was laid bare. Upon the bed lay a person, and several articles of clothing were strewn upon the floor. A maidservant, upon seeing their arrival, hastily approached, curtsied to them, and said, "The Miss has smashed all the things this servant brought. This servant truly could not dissuade her."

Having spoken, she curtsied again and withdrew.

Wushuang glanced at the clothes scattered on the floor. They were not Mei Wuxia's, but rather seemed to be new garments sent from the Princess's mansion. The words, 'not wearing clothes, seen by many people,' echoed in her mind, stirring up a tempest within her heart.

Approaching the bedside, Mei Wuxia lay there, her face pale. At this moment, she appeared both fragile and pitiable. Wushuang had never seen her eldest sister, who was usually so self-assured, display such an expression.

"What? Have you all come to see me make a fool of myself?" Mei Wuxia said coldly, her eyes filled with a desolate sharpness.

Wushuang remained silent, but Mei Chang could not restrain herself, stepping forward to say, "We do not know what has happened. What is there for us to laugh at? If the Princess's mansion had not invited us, do you think we would have come?"

Mei Wuxia suddenly laughed, tears streaming down her face as she did so. "You all do not know what has happened... You all do not know what has happened..."

Mei Chang was startled by her state. "Mei Wuxia, what madness has seized you!"

"Mad? What madness? I wish I were mad…"

Mei Wuxia, in this state, was clearly beyond conversation. Wushuang also gave up on speaking with her, as there was little to say between them in the first place.

She went to sit aside, quietly waiting for the people from the Marquis Changyang's mansion to arrive.

Indeed, what she had said earlier was correct. This situation was clearly not something that unmarried young ladies like them could handle. Even the people from the Princess's mansion had been vague in their description of the events. Without a clear understanding of the situation, how could they possibly deal with it?

Soon, people from the Marquis Changyang's mansion arrived. It was Mei Zong and Cao shi together.

Mei Zong did not enter, but Cao shi, upon entering, looked at Mei Wuxia with a face full of shock. She stepped forward and lifted the quilt. Wushuang only had a glimpse of Mei Wuxia, seemingly naked beneath it, with many red and purple bruises on her shoulders and neck.

Wushuang was not ignorant of such matters and knew what they signified, causing her to shudder involuntarily.

Cao shi had already begun to weep. She threw herself before Mei Wuxia, crying as if her father had died, lamenting how her daughter had been fine when she left, but had become like this after a visit to the Princess's villa.

Wushuang discerned that Cao shi was implying the Princess's mansion was at fault, but she could not interject in this situation and could only listen from the side.

Soon, more people from the Princess's mansion arrived. This time, it was a female official, who recounted the events in detail, largely the same as what Mei Chang and the others had heard, but with more specifics.

She said that they had not expected anyone to be so audacious as to engage in a clandestine meeting within the Princess's villa. When she spoke of the clandestine meeting, the female official's expression clearly carried a hint of disdain. Clandestine meetings varied; some were merely lovers meeting, others involved holding hands under the moonlight. Never had she seen anyone dare to engage in such debauchery in another's place, only to be discovered.

After speaking, the female official told Cao shi that if she wanted to make a scene, she should do so at the Marquis Wuxiang's mansion, not at the Princess's villa. She said these were Princess Changhe's exact words.

Cao shi dared not utter a sound, her face alternating between pale and green. After the female official left, Cao shi suddenly turned around and slapped Mei Wuxia hard across the face.

"Look at the mess you've made! I have painstakingly taught you since you were small, given you everything good, and placed all my hopes on you. And your reward is to make your mother a laughingstock, to be mocked by a female official from a Princess's mansion?!"

Cao shi was beside herself with rage. Even if the Marquis Changyang's mansion was in decline, she was still the Marchioness, and people would show her some respect when she went out. Never had she suffered such humiliation, especially since she had no recourse for complaint, as it was her own daughter who had committed such a shameful act.

"You still have the face to lie there! You have disgraced the entire family! How did I give birth to you? Tell me, how did I give birth to you? How could you cause such a scandal..." Cao shi continued to scold, rushing forward to strike, slap, and pinch her.

With the situation having escalated to this point, it was no longer appropriate for Wushuang to stand by. Mei Chang and the other two also could not remain still, and they hastily stepped forward to offer their advice, though their attempts were somewhat insincere and perfunctory.

"Enough! Who are you putting on this show for?" Wushuang said.

Cao shi seemed not to have expected Wushuang to rebuke her in such a manner, and was momentarily stunned.

"Since you know you're being shameful, you should know that making such a scene will only make you more shameful. It doesn't matter if you lose face, but there are still so many sisters in the family who haven't married, and there are brothers who will have to marry in the future. If you disregard everything, then you can continue to make a scene."

Cao shi did not speak, but Mei Wuxia began to cry.

She hadn't cried when Cao shi had struck her, nor when she had scolded her, but now she wept, covering her face, her sobs unrestrained, her cries filled with sorrow and desolation.

Even Mei Chang and the others, who usually had some conflicts with her, couldn't help but show a bewildered expression at this moment.

"Wushuang is right! How did I marry such an unreasonable woman? Besides complaining, besides hitting and scolding, what else can you do?!" It was Mei Zong's voice.

It turned out that he couldn't enter, so he could only stand outside the door, naturally not missing any of the commotion inside.

"How am I unreasonable? Tell me, how am I unreasonable?" Cao shi rushed over, arguing with Mei Zong, "If it weren't for the good deed she did, would our family have lost face like this? I can imagine what a shameful scene it was at the time. When this matter spreads tomorrow, who knows what people outside will say... Good for you, Mei Zong, this has actually become my fault…"

Even without it spreading, Wushuang could imagine how the servants of the Princess's mansion would laugh. If it weren't for the fact that she hadn't married yet, and that before her marriage, the reputation of Marquis Changyang's mansion would also implicate her, she really wouldn't want to get involved in this mess.

"I had the servants of the Princess's mansion find you to resolve this matter. Second Uncle is a man, and it's not convenient for him to handle this kind of thing. We are unmarried daughters, and there are some things we cannot do. Since you cannot resolve it and only know how to cry, make a scene, and hit and scold, what was the point of coming here!" Wushuang said.

Mei Zong pushed Cao shi away, "Look, look, even a maiden who has not yet left her chambers is more reasonable than you. You still say I'm criticizing you. If you knew the importance of things, would I have to criticize you in front of others?"

"Then tell me, what should we do now?!" Cao shi cried.

Mei E could see that Wushuang was already very impatient, so she stepped forward and said, "The most urgent matter is to see what the Marquis Wuxiang's mansion has to say. After all, they are not a nameless family, and it's unlikely that their family's son would do such a thing without a word. These negotiations all need Mother to handle. We haven't left our chambers and can't help much."

Mei Chang also stepped forward. It was clear that she also didn't want to get involved, but her concerns were the same as Wushuang's. In fact, she and Mei E were even more anxious than Wushuang. After all, their marriages were not yet settled. This incident with Mei Wuxia would definitely have a great impact on them. Now, they could only try their best to remedy the situation.

"Mother, instead of arguing with Father here, you should save your energy for the Marquis Wuxiang's mansion. Even if it was a secret rendezvous, it's impossible for this to have been accomplished by Eldest Sister alone. What about the man's side? Eldest Sister is, after all, a legitimate daughter of a Marquis's mansion. There's no reason for her to be with someone so ambiguously. The Sun family should at least give an explanation!"

Give an explanation?

What kind of explanation? That Sun Shixian was betrothed to Commandery Princess Minghui by the Emperor. Could they have Mei Wuxia become his concubine? But if she doesn't become a concubine, what will become of Mei Wuxia in the future?

Why was Cao shi so angry just now, hitting and scolding Mei Wuxia? It was because she felt that she had no self-respect. The marks on her body clearly showed that she had given herself to someone.

Once you've given your body to someone, you'll naturally feel guilty and weak. At that time, you'll naturally agree to whatever they say. If they become stubborn and refuse to take responsibility, what can you do? Other families still have their reputation to restrain them, but Sun Shixian's reputation has long been ruined in the capital.

It was because Cao shi understood this that she became so flustered, anxious, and angry.

But no matter how angry she was, this matter couldn't be left unresolved. Cao shi could only direct Mei Chang and Mei E to help Mei Wuxia get dressed, while she and Mei Zong went to find the people from the Princess's mansion to inquire about Sun Shixian's whereabouts and whether anyone from the Marquis Wuxiang's mansion had arrived.

In fact, the people from the Princess's mansion had asked Wushuang and the others to come over for this very reason, but unfortunately, Mei Wuxia's character was too poor, so everyone pretended to be ignorant. Now that Cao shi had made it clear that Mei Chang and Mei E should do it, they couldn't refuse even if they didn't want to.

Since it had nothing to do with Wushuang, she continued to sit there.

Too many things had happened this night, and it was getting late, so she was also a little sleepy.

***

On the other side, although Princess Changhe had invited Prince Wei, it wasn't to judge the princes. She had called Prince Qin over and scolded him thoroughly before letting him leave. When Prince Wei arrived, only Princess Changhe was there.

"I will give you an explanation for this matter. Tomorrow, I will enter the palace to report to my Imperial Brother."

After all, the incident had occurred in her other courtyard, so she couldn't sit idly by. If this matter was taken lightly, it was just a small conflict between brothers. If it was taken seriously, it was brothers fighting each other, even resorting to weapons.

Princess Changhe also cared about her reputation. For such a thing to happen in her place was a sign of disrespect to her as their aunt. The reason she had invited several princes was because Prince Wei had just returned to the capital. But if she invited Prince Wei and not the others, it would appear that she, as their aunt, was biased.

In ordinary families, whether an aunt is biased or not doesn't really matter, but in the imperial family, especially when Emperor Taihe had not yet established a crown prince, her actions would lead to misunderstandings.

Therefore, she had to invite them all. Sometimes, the imperial family had to act in such a helpless way, having to be thorough and consider the overall situation. It was also because Princess Changhe was too confident, believing that in her place, even if there were any disagreements, no one would dare to make a scene in front of her. She never expected that Prince Qin would take advantage of this to set up such a scheme.

Princess Changhe was also one of the people who knew the truth back then, so she naturally knew what Prince Qin was up to. Therefore, after saying a few words about the matter, she looked at Prince Wei with some pity and changed her tone, saying, "Now that you've returned, you should stay in the capital. The border is cold and harsh, why suffer there?"

"This nephew has returned and does not plan to leave for the time being," Prince Wei said.

Princess Changhe nodded, saying, "Indeed. You are about to have your grand wedding. After marrying your wife, you cannot possibly drag your family to that bitter, cold land. This time, I sent an invitation to your wife, originally wanting to see what my future niece-in-law looks like, but Ji Zhao, that troublemaker, had to ruin it for me."

She was naturally born with a bright and generous demeanor, possessing the aura of a worldly, opulent flower. Although she was now over forty, she looked to be only around thirty. Furthermore, she was naturally forthright, and when she spoke, she did not have the pedantic affectations of some young ladies.

Mentioning Wushuang, Prince Wei naturally thought of what had just happened, and his expression could not help but reveal a hint of something.

Princess Changhe, observing from afar, became interested. She also recalled that the conflict just now was stopped by her niece-in-law. At that time, the two were strolling in the garden together, clearly showing that Prince Wei was very satisfied with his future princess consort, and even somewhat doting.

"It seems you have chosen the right wife this time. Protect her well and give me a few grand-nephews soon."

When she spoke of 'protecting her,' Princess Changhe's voice carried a hint of sighing. Prince Wei understood her meaning, and his eyes could not help but show some gloom.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. When you have free time, bring your little wife to play here, and let me see her too," Princess Changhe said with a smile.

Prince Wei left.

After he left, Princess Changhe relaxed her body, half-reclining on the chaise lounge, appearing rather listless.

"Ji Zhao, that little bastard, is truly a spoilsport, ruining my plans!" she muttered, cursing.

The chamberlain, holding a booklet, moved closer to her side, ingratiatingly saying, "Several outstanding ones are here, Princess, please take a look."

Princess Changhe reached out, flipping through the booklet. Her slender fingers, adorned with crimson nail polish, caressed the small portraits on several pages, and she said with some disinterest, "What use is there in looking at these portraits when I haven't seen the real people?"

"Then, Your Highness, find another opportunity to hold a banquet in a while."

Princess Changhe reached out and tapped his forehead, sighing, "What banquet to hold? The capital will probably not be peaceful these two years. By the way, how is the matter with Marquis Wuxiang's mansion progressing?"

"The people from the Mei family have already arrived, but the people from Marquis Wuxiang's mansion completely ignored them, only taking Sun Shixian away."

Princess Changhe raised an eyebrow.

They could handle things like that?