Chapter 118: Shangguan Qinglan’s Moment in the Spotlight

Luo Wushuang gave a slight nod. Since that was the case, things were much simpler.

“Go quickly and bring the documents registered with the Magistrate’s Office.”

After Luo Wushuang gave the order, she motioned for Ling Feng and Historian Ming to go together.

Ling Feng caught the deep meaning in the Empress’s eyes. After a moment of reflection, she understood her intent.

Historian Ming had barely managed to utter a “Yes” before Ling Feng grabbed him by the arm and started running.

As a mere civil official, Historian Ming had never been treated so unceremoniously. After a sudden gust of midsummer heat rushed into his mouth, he hurriedly cried out:

“Lord Ling… slower… please, a bit slower!”

Ling Feng, who had long been disgusted by the way this Historian Ming kept making eyes at that old fox Shangguan, pretended not to hear and shouted back:

“What? Too slow? I didn’t realize that a man of letters like Historian Ming was such a spirited individual!”

With that, his pace quickened even further.

Poor Historian Ming was dragged along, stumbling and staggering under Ling Feng’s strength. Once they were out of everyone’s sight, Ling Feng didn’t even bother to pretend anymore. She simply hoisted the man up like a sack of grain and bolted toward the Magistrate’s Office.

By now, Historian Ming was being jolted so hard that his internal organs felt like they were changing places; he didn’t even have the strength to complain. He had no idea how he had offended the Empress’s personal guard, but at his age, he was being forced to endure such suffering.

After the two departed, Luo Wushuang shot a meaningful look at Shangguan Qingyun. Then, her gaze fell upon the vermilion lacquered doors. A faint, cold smile played on her lips as she spoke calmly:

“Men! Break down the door!”

Shangguan Qingyun didn’t know why the Empress had suddenly looked at him, but he had never been more grateful for his impulsive decision to sever ties with that rebellious daughter. Before, he had worried he had acted in haste, but now his heart was filled with nothing but relief.

He marveled at his own foresight in drawing a clear line with that girl so early. This way, no matter what heinous crime that wretched girl committed today, it would have nothing to do with the Shangguan family.

Thank heavens! Thank heavens!

The rest of the Shangguan family—that den of snakes and rats—shared the same thoughts as Shangguan Qingyun. They all felt the Master’s previous actions were incredibly wise; otherwise, they might have been dragged down today by that unpresentable, concubine-born daughter.

While the Shangguan family was secretly congratulating themselves, Shangguan Qinglan inside the room finally rubbed her groggy head and opened her eyes.

The scene before her made her think she was still in a nightmare. It wasn’t until the vivid sensations against her skin reached her brain that she realized, with a horrifying delay, exactly what was happening.

After a shrill, piercing scream, Shangguan Qinglan’s frantic, enraged voice echoed from within the room:

“Let go of me! You low-born scum, unhand this Madam at once!”

This Madam?

The “gifts” who had lost their sanity—leaving only their primal instincts—paused for a moment before lunging forward again. Letting go was impossible; after all, the “snack” before them was far too delicious.

The trembling crowd outside, who had been watching the drama unfold, froze. Suddenly, someone spoke up:

“That voice… it doesn’t sound like that Shangguan girl, does it?”

The woman who spoke immediately clamped her mouth shut. In truth, she hadn’t heard the Sixth Daughter speak much, but earlier today, when the Sixth Daughter was talking to Prince An in the Imperial Garden, she had happened to pass by and caught a few words.

At the time, she had sighed to herself, thinking that the Sixth Daughter was so beautiful and her voice so pleasant that it was no wonder the Empress was so obsessed with her. To go as far as ruining her own reputation just to keep the girl imprisoned by her side… if it were her…

The woman’s thoughts vanished the moment she felt the gazes of those around her. She perhaps wasn’t as brave as she imagined. She lowered her eyes and fell silent, but her comment had already sent ripples through the crowd.

It’s not the Sixth Daughter? The various pawns, who had thought they were destined to be silenced today to cover up the scandal, felt their eyes light up.

That’s right! The woman inside just referred to herself as “this Madam.” That certainly wasn’t the Sixth Daughter of the Shangguan family! Did this mean they might actually make it back to their manors alive today?

The joy of escaping certain death was hard to ignore. From some corner of the crowd, a voice steady enough to calm the panicked hearts rang out:

“That is indeed a daughter of the Shangguan family. However, it is not the Sixth Daughter, but the Eldest Daughter.”

Not the Sixth Daughter?

Before the crowd could even breathe a sigh of relief, they were hooked by the second half of the sentence.

The Eldest Daughter of the Shangguan family? Wasn’t that still Lord Shangguan’s daughter?

After a moment of chaotic silence, looks of shock, mockery, and schadenfreude converged on Shangguan Qingyun and his family, who had just stood up.

Shangguan Qingyun’s heart lurched. He nearly fainted on the spot. He, too, had recognized the voice of the woman inside…

He simply could not fathom how the legitimate daughter he had once been so proud of could be trysting with men in the palace in broad daylight. This… this was simply outrageous!

Shangguan Qingyun’s wife could not withstand the blow and collapsed onto the ground. The older Shangguan children scrambled to help their mother up. However, their trembling hands and quivering lips showed that they were not nearly as calm as they tried to appear.

As for the younger Shangguan Shi, he instinctively cried out:

“Big Sister!”

That settled it. Everyone now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman inside was the Eldest Daughter of the Shangguan family.

Setting aside Shangguan Qingyun’s internal rage, someone whose mouth moved faster than their brain blurted out:

“The Eldest Daughter of the Shangguan family? Isn’t she the Consort of the Heir Apparent of the Marquis of Dingyuan?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd broke into an uproar once more.

The group looked at one another in silence for a moment before turning their eyes toward the Heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan, their faces filled with lingering shock and pity.

The poor Heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan was already so enraged that the veins on his forehead were bulging. As the man who had shared a bed with her for several years, how could he not recognize the voice of the woman in the hall?

The person inside, trysting and coupling with others, was his legal wife—the future Matriarch of the Marquis’s Manor!

Shangguan Qinglan… how dared she?

The Heir’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the rattling door panels, his body shaking uncontrollably. His reputation, and the reputation of the entire Marquis’s Manor, had been destroyed by this wretched woman.

Accompanied by the “thud-thud” of the Golden Guard smashing the door, the Heir pointed a trembling finger toward the hall and roared in fury:

“Bitch! Slut! You shameless, wretched woman!”

Surrounded by the “gifts,” Shangguan Qinglan had not yet recovered from the situation when she heard the cacophony outside. The Heir’s insults were particularly piercing. Before she could react, the wobbling door panel was kicked flying by her enraged husband.

The flush on Shangguan Qinglan’s face was instantly replaced by a deathly pallor. Just as she looked around frantically for something to cover herself with…

The Heir of the Marquis of Dingyuan, her husband, was the first to charge in.

The crowd, who had just been worried about being silenced, seemed to forget their fear as they swarmed in after him. They came face-to-face with Shangguan Qinglan, who was clutching scraps of clothing with a look of pure despair.

“Aaaaah!”

Following that ear-piercing scream, Shangguan Qingyun, who had stubbornly followed the crowd inside, felt his vision go dark and finally fainted for real.