Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Proving Herself

To Meng Yang’s eyes, a woman of the past ought to revere her husband as the heavens themselves. Her dowry, used to supplement the Duke’s household and purchase medicine for her mother-in-law, was but a duty, natural and righteous. How could one possibly speak of taking it back?

Yet Sheng Zhi Wan did not only want to reclaim it—she even demanded her husband sell his rewards to repay what had been taken. To Meng Yang, this was heartless and unrighteous!

To those of this world who believe a virtuous woman must submit to her husband, would this not seem a grave transgression?

After saying this, Meng Yang cast a smug glance at Sheng Zhi Wan, as if waiting for the gathered common folk to rain their scorn upon her.

But soon, she realized something was amiss.

Not only did no one rise to scold Sheng Zhi Wan—in fact, many cast sympathetic glances her way. Instead, it was Qi Shu Xian and Madam Cui who drew the odd looks.

A cold sneer played on Shang Hang Yu’s lips as he said, “Miss Meng, though you were born to a farmer’s family, surely you do not believe that it brings a household honor to survive on a wife’s dowry? Do you think such tales, once known, speak well of your family?”

“Since ancient times, any man with integrity would never touch the money a wife brings with her. Though the Duke Qi household has seen its decline, it once upheld noble customs. Yet now it seems it cannot even compare to mine.”

“No! That’s not it!” Meng Yang grew flustered. “Princess only used silver to buy herbs for her mother-in-law, not to support the Duke’s household…”

“Silence!” Qi Shu Xian suddenly roared. Meng Yang shrank back, her lips pursed in wronged silence.

Madam Cui cast her a vicious glare. In such matters, what right had this woman—who was not even a concubine—to speak?

It was bad enough that she had joined the crowd, but now she spouted foolish nonsense for all to hear.

[Lowly-born, truly lowly by nature. Best she be hidden from sight from now on, to spare the household further shame.]

“Enough.” Sheng Zhi Wan, having watched the drama unfold, suddenly changed her mind.

So Madam Cui and Qi Shu Xian were determined to claim she had lost her purity?

Very well then. She would prove them wrong with her own hands.

She stepped forward. “Mother.”

Madam Cui’s face was grim.

Sheng Zhi Wan was undeterred. She turned her gaze to Qi Shu Xian. “Heir Apparent.”

Qi Shu Xian faltered, caught off-guard by her calm and steady eyes. His gaze flitted away.

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled faintly, then raised her voice. “Since the Duke Qi household has declared me impure, let it be known: though I have been wed to the Heir Apparent these two years, he was too deep in drink on the wedding night to even remain conscious. By the next morning, he had already set off for Cangnan. And ever since his return, he has spent every night in Miss Meng’s quarters.”

A murmur of astonishment spread through the crowd. Even Lady Han looked at her with startled eyes.

“She… does that mean the Princess has guarded her chastity for two whole years?”

Sheng Zhi Wan gave no answer.

Qi Shu Xian’s face darkened to an ominous black. He seized her arm and hissed, “Sheng Zhi Wan! It was one thing to speak of this in private, but how dare you air it before others? Have you no fear of their laughter? Of their pity?”

“Is pity not my due?” She slipped from his grasp. “But that’s only because I was blind before. From now on, I shall not be the one to be pitied.”

With that, she called out, “Since the Duke Qi household doubts my purity, let me prove it before all.”

In the Sheng Kingdom, there were two ways to verify a woman’s chastity. One was to have experienced nannies examine her, a process both degrading and open to deceit.

The other was to use a fruit known as kuíshé, or sun-tongue fruit. Yellow and shaped like a baby’s tongue, the fruit bore a unique trait: when eaten by a maiden untouched by men, it simply tasted sweet and soothing. But if consumed by a woman who had lain with a man, it would instantly summon a rash of angry red welts across her skin—rashes that would take many moons to fade.

If she was to prove her innocence, Sheng Zhi Wan would choose the second method.

Turning to the common folk, she said, “This fruit is no rarity. I will pay one tael of silver for a single piece. Does anyone among you have one?”

Before the words had fully left her lips, Qi Shu Xian burst out, “Enough, Zhi Wan! Stop this madness! I believe you—must I say more? Come, let us return home!”

He reached once more for her.

But Sheng Zhi Wan easily stepped aside.

Shang Hang Yu laughed lightly. “Heir Apparent Qi, aren’t your words a little late? It was you who declared Princess Ning impure and barred her from your gates. It was you who demanded she follow in Madam Dong’s steps and accept a chastity punishment, and surrender her dowry.”

“Now that she has a way to prove herself, you want to stop her? Heir Apparent Qi, I see your righteousness is not so steadfast after all.”

Qi Shu Xian’s temple throbbed. “And what does any of this have to do with you?”

He had meant to ignore these idle rich sons, but Shang Hang Yu’s every word pierced him to the bone. He could no longer hold back.

Shang Hang Yu replied, steady and righteous, “Why nothing? Only that it was to save me and my companions that Princess Ning fell into the bandits’ hands. If not for that, she would not be standing here, forced to defend herself against your scorn.”