Chapter 97: A Wife Who Has Shared Hardship Does Not Leave the Household

The county office fell silent for a moment. Magistrate Feng Duzhuan sat upright in the main seat of the side room. Behind him stood a folding screen. Yuan Zai was hidden behind the screen, his eyes burning with fury.

“Bring in Lady Hong!” Feng Duzhuan ordered.

Yuan Zai peeked quietly through the gap in the screen and saw a woman dressed provocatively entering. As soon as she stepped in, she tossed a handkerchief aside and said coquettishly, “Oh, Magistrate! Has my husband returned? I am but a married woman—I really shouldn’t come to see you like this…”

A cough interrupted her rambling nonsense. Feng Duzhuan cleared his throat and asked, “Lady Hong, who is your husband?”

“My husband is none other than Yuan Zai, the county captain of Xiuwu, styled Gongfu,” she replied with a sly smile.

Yuan Zai clenched his teeth so tightly that if not for someone restraining him, he would have leapt out already.

“Do you have proof that Yuan Shaofu is your husband?”

“Proof, of course! The official seal of the county captain is with me. This is the evidence!” She pulled out an official seal case from her bosom and waved it before Feng Duzhuan.

Her smile was seductive yet tinged with a heavy air of debauchery. It was a forced smile, so strained that the more she smiled, the more unsettling it became.

Yuan Zai ground his teeth harder—this official seal was the very one stolen from him just yesterday!

“As far as I know, Yuan Shaofu already has a virtuous wife, Lady Wang. You are from Wuzhi; how did you marry Yuan Shaofu? Was there a matchmaker?”

“Of course there was a matchmaker. Isn’t this official seal the best proof? If my husband didn’t love me dearly, why would he give me the seal as evidence?” Lady Hong sneered coldly. “As for Lady Wang, I know her well. She relies on her father’s power and either beats or scolds my husband, not abiding by the virtues of a wife—how could she be his proper match? My husband said that whenever he returns to Xiuwu, he intends to write a letter to send Lady Wang back to her family…”

When she said “loves me dearly,” she wore a shamelessly coquettish expression that was enough to make anyone sick.

Yuan Zai, still hidden, ground his teeth again. Would he truly “love” someone like her? Even a monkey caught in the mountains, painted up and made up, would be better looking by far!

Hearing that he intended to divorce Wang Yunxiu, Yuan Zai’s fury surged. He and Wang Yunxiu were a poor but devoted couple; she had sacrificed much for him. Yuan Zai’s heart had not changed—he respected, loved, and even feared Wang Yunxiu.

“Enough of your nonsense!” Feng Duzhuan could no longer bear it and spoke sternly, “If you know Yuan Shaofu and Lady Wang share deep affection, why do you impersonate his wife?”

“I have not impersonated him!” Lady Hong’s voice rose sharply. “The witness who came with me is Lu Yan, a constable from your Xiuwu County office. Deep affection? My husband said it was just a show for you and Lady Wang. Deep down, he has long been dissatisfied with Lady Wang. Think about it—what man wants his wife to be better than himself?”

“My husband said that as soon as he went out to socialize, everyone would praise him as Lady Wang’s husband, praising her as the most virtuous and unparalleled wife… making him seem insignificant, like a mere hairpin on her. It’s clear Lady Wang holds no regard for him…”

Through Lady Hong’s sharp tongue, the image of Yuan Zai as a jealous, insecure “phoenix man” came vividly to life. Her words made even Yuan Zai himself realize that beneath his respect, love, and fear of Lady Wang, there was indeed a trace of dissatisfaction.

Lady Wang was too perfect and noble, making Yuan Zai appear small and insignificant. It would be one thing if Yuan Zai were proud, but now he was dejected and broken!

“Enough, you may leave now,” Feng Duzhuan said, feeling no need to ask further.

“I have one more thing to say. I know none of you trust me because of my humble origins, thinking Yuan Lang would never give up a noble lady for me. But what you don’t know is this: first, my character is far gentler than Lady Wang’s; second, my charms and beauty surpass hers; third, I possess secret skills in the boudoir that far exceed Lady Wang’s…”

Even in the open society of the Tang Dynasty, such brazen talk of intimate matters was rare, leaving Feng Duzhuan dumbfounded and unsure how to respond.

Behind the screen, Yuan Zai could no longer contain himself. He jumped up and kicked the screen down. The fallen screen struck Feng Duzhuan at the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.

“Wretched woman…” Yuan Zai pointed at her, about to curse, but the woman, surprised at first, then smiled joyfully. “My lord, is that you?”

“You wretched woman! Have I ever met you before?”

“My lord, you are so heartless. Last night, we wed amidst great celebration. Though it was dark and I could not see your true face, your voice is unforgettable!”

Lady Hong lunged forward, embracing Yuan Zai, tears streaming down her face.

Yuan Zai struggled, kicking and pushing until he broke free from her embrace. Lady Hong collapsed on the floor, crying loudly and cursing. Her voice was loud and coarse; mentioning their private affairs caused a stir both inside and outside the county office. Many onlookers peered in to watch the spectacle.

“This is chaos… what manner of conduct is this!” Feng Duzhuan shouted as he rose from the ground.

“I, your servant, have been out of line, but Magistrate, this wretched woman slanders me recklessly, and I cannot tolerate it… Someone, seize her! Beat her to death if necessary!”

“You ungrateful dog servant! No wonder you abandoned Lady Wang to deceive me! Heartless and cruel dog servant…” Lady Hong screamed curses that sent chills through the room.

“Vile woman!” Yuan Zai could wait no longer for the guards. He lunged at her and slapped her hard, knocking her to the floor.

Still unsatisfied, he prepared to strike again, but Lady Hong wailed and clung to him desperately.

“You heartless dog servant! You deceived me for food and drink last night, stole the ten years’ worth of money I saved… Now you want to back out? Want to kill me to silence me? If I scream, everyone will know your ugly deeds! You have three moles in your private parts—others may not know, but I do!”

At the mention of the three moles, Yuan Zai froze.

Lady Hong spoke the truth—he did have three moles in that intimate place.

This was a closely guarded secret, known only to a few. Reflecting on the events of the previous day, Yuan Zai realized he had fallen into a trap—one from which he might never recover.

“Also, Lu Yan came with this wretched woman. She ran off with the pawn money this morning, but Lu Yan is still here. Magistrate, you must make a ruling for me!” Lady Hong screamed again.

At this moment, Feng Duzhuan truly regretted his involvement.

He had not intended to intervene but had tried to protect Yuan Zai’s face by inquiring privately rather than publicly. Yet Lady Hong had made the scandal widely known, shattering the dignity of officials and the court’s honor.

Some constables watching the commotion chuckled quietly, then laughter spread across the room.

“You heartless dog servant! Pull down your pants so everyone can see if you really have those three moles!” Lady Hong taunted.

“Drag her out! Drag her out!” Feng Duzhuan barked.

Several constables grabbed Lady Hong roughly. While dragging women often tempted the guards to take liberties, none dared in this case. Once she was removed, Feng Duzhuan dismissed the others and sighed at Yuan Zai.

“Yuan Gongfu, I cannot suppress this matter any longer. I must report it to higher authorities.”

Yuan Zai shuddered all over, then bowed deeply. “Magistrate, save me! This is clearly a scheme by Ye Chang to harm me. I don’t know how he learned my secrets and found this shameless woman to slander me!”

“You still refuse to tell the truth… Bring Lu Yan here!” Feng Duzhuan had no patience left to defend Yuan Zai. A key witness would soon be brought in.

Lu Yan entered, his gaze filled with deep hatred for Yuan Zai. Yuan Zai wondered what had happened to turn this man, who had flattered him just days before, into such an enemy.

“Lu Yan, tell us everything that happened these past few days. Our young master wants to hear.” Feng Duzhuan commanded.

“Yes, sir. That day, Yuan Shaofu planned to confront Ye Chang and ordered me to lead him to Wolong Valley to investigate…”

Yuan Zai wanted to interrupt, for it was not his plan to confront Ye Chang; it was that corrupt constable who had instigated it. But Feng Duzhuan waved him off with an annoyed expression. Yuan Zai dared not provoke him further and kept silent.

At first, the story went smoothly. But when the official seal was found, things changed.

Lu Yan said, “The thieves got hold of the official seal and examined it for a long time. Then they returned the seal to the young master and apologized profusely…”

“Nonsense! When did the thieves return the seal or apologize? What eyes do you have?” Yuan Zai snapped, unable to tolerate it.

“I heard it clearly. Though my eyes were blindfolded, your voice was unmistakable!” Lu Yan retorted. “Those thieves wanted to release me, but you said I had tricked you, causing your misfortune and requiring revenge… The thieves obeyed you and tortured me in various ways!”

Lu Yan’s voice trembled with tears. Even he, accustomed to witnessing countless tortures at the office, could not endure what they had done to him.

“When those thieves tormented me, what were you doing?” He pointed angrily at Yuan Zai. “You were drinking and enjoying yourself, joking with Lady Hong… I heard you even held a wedding ceremony, drank the nuptial wine, and gave the official seal to Lady Hong as betrothal gift…”

“Nonsense! Lies!” Yuan Zai denied furiously.

Lu Yan knelt before Feng Duzhuan, sobbing uncontrollably. “Maybe it was too dark last night. Yuan Shaofu and Lady Hong were joking and flirting, but by morning, you realized she was hideous and wanted to break off the marriage. You stole Lady Hong’s saved money and ran off alone, leaving me behind in Wuzhi. Lady Hong had to come looking for her husband, and I guided her here!”

“I have never met this Lady Hong before. Where did she come from?”

“Yes, just now you were captured by thieves, and suddenly Lady Hong appears?” Feng Duzhuan asked.

“Yesterday I reported to you, Magistrate. The thieves offended the young master and held a banquet in Wuzhi to apologize. Lady Hong was a prostitute they invited to persuade him to drink. Whether Yuan Shaofu was drunk or had bottled-up feelings, he engaged in an illicit affair with Lady Hong, blaming me instead of the thieves…”

Lu Yan’s account raised many doubts, but the scandal was so large and the situation so abnormal that these small doubts were overshadowed.

“False accusations! False accusations!” Yuan Zai shouted again. Feng Duzhuan sighed and gave a signal to the constables, who pulled Lu Yan away.

“Gongfu, regardless of whether what Lady Hong and Lu Yan say is true, the situation has become a public scandal. In my opinion, you should resign yourself.”

He said calmly, “If you resign now, you can still keep some dignity. If you are dismissed—”

“No, no, Magistrate. You must help clear my name!” Yuan Zai knew that if he resigned, the stigma would be sealed, and he would have no chance of redemption. Ignoring protocol, he bowed deeply to Feng Duzhuan. “If you can do this for me, I will forever follow your lead!”

Feng Duzhuan’s efforts to help were aimed at this very moment.

He regarded Yuan Zai for a long moment before saying, “You truly did not do these things?”

“Truly not!”

“If so, then you have been framed. Someone took your seal and imitated your voice to find that prostitute in Wuzhi, faking these events. The prostitute claims she recognizes your voice because they deliberately kept her from meeting you. As for that foolish Lu Yan, he must have been controlled by the impostor to torment you and turn against you.”

“Magistrate, your judgment is wise! Your judgment is wise!” Yuan Zai exclaimed joyfully.

“My judgment means nothing. I believe you, but will those above believe you?” Feng Duzhuan said. “The culprit’s scheme is intricate. When Lady Hong arrived in Xiuwu, it was already a public matter. Now the entire county knows you, Yuan Gongfu, have taken the official seal as dowry to divorce your wife and marry another!”

Yuan Zai’s face turned pale, suddenly recalling the ambiguous looks he’d received on the road.

“Someone wants to harm me. It’s Ye Chang’s plot!” Yuan Zai shouted fearfully. “This is all Ye Chang’s doing!”

Feng Duzhuan shook his head, silently thinking, Who told you to provoke him?

He kept this to himself, but Yuan Zai blurted out, “Magistrate, arrest Lady Hong and Lu Yan! Use severe interrogation to make them confess Ye Chang’s involvement!”

“Ridiculous! You want me to coerce a confession?” Feng Duzhuan snapped. “If Ye Chang could turn the matter over to the holy court, do you think I’d risk going to prison with you?”

His words were blunt. Yuan Zai was stunned. “Magistrate… you fear Ye Chang so much? He’s just a commoner…”

“He may be a commoner, but he has countless powerful patrons. Now that he has amassed wealth and influence, he cannot be easily moved. I don’t understand why you are so anxious, rushing to confront him and causing this mess!”

At last, Feng Duzhuan sneered, “I’ll be watching to see how you handle this.”

The case had reached a boiling point, and Yuan Zai’s fate now hung precariously in the balance.