Chapter 73: Integrity at Risk

Now, seeing his wife ask about it, he said, “I’m afraid trouble is coming my way. Shangguan Ze has been imprisoned, and I have no idea what’s going on. The Minister of Justice sent me a message, saying that if the imperial exam cheating case is mishandled, I might be implicated too. Sigh.”

Madam Sun was shocked, “My lord, you… you’re not involved in the exam cheating case, are you? How much money did you take?”

Minister Wen sighed, “My dear wife, do you think I’m the kind of man who would engage in corruption?

Years ago, the Emperor went against all opposition to promote me, a mere ninth-rank official, to the capital. I’ve always been grateful to him and vowed to be loyal. How could I secretly do something to betray the Emperor?”

“Just tell me, how much did Shangguan Ze give you? I haven’t seen any of it. Now that Shangguan Ze has confessed to implicating you, it would be too unfair if you didn’t even take any money.”

“Wife!” Minister Wen was nearly driven to fury, “If you’re greedy, at least be reasonable about it. Not all wealth is worth pursuing!

Do you realize how serious the consequences of the exam cheating case are?

A slight misstep could mean confiscation of property, exile, and even losing my head! If I end up in prison, how will you and our children escape?”

Upon hearing this, Madam Sun sat down, tears streaming, “My lord, what are we going to do? We must hurry to the palace to plead with the Emperor.”

“Yes, yes, to the Emperor, to the Emperor.”

Minister Wen quickly turned and left, muttering as he went, “I just don’t get it. I barely knew Shangguan Ze, we had no grudges, so why would he frame me? And he made it sound so convincing that if I didn’t know better, I’d think I actually did it.

Strange, truly strange.”

Madam Sun was still wiping her tears when Wen Qingyuan entered.

“Yuan’er, why do you look so down today?”

Wen Qingyuan didn’t even glance at Madam Sun and waved his hand, “Don’t ask.”

Yesterday in the streets, he had seen it all—Shangguan Ze imprisoned, and all of Xiao Liangliang’s money, property, and land seized by the Princess.

Fortunately, Xiao Liangliang kept his mouth shut and didn’t reveal that he was the father of her child. Otherwise, he would have been pelted with rotten vegetables and eggs.

“Madam, young master, there’s a woman outside holding a child, claiming she’s here to find the father.”

Madam Sun was shocked, “What? Unbelievable!”

Could Minister Wen have been seeing a woman behind her back?

How ungrateful of him.

She was absolutely furious.

Wen Qingyuan: “…”

He instinctively took a step back. Talk about the devil and he shall appear.

“Did Xiao Liangliang come with the child?”

Madam Sun and Wen Qingyuan arrived at the mansion’s gate and indeed saw Xiao Liangliang holding a child, looking utterly pitiful, as if she had suffered great injustice.

Wen Qingyuan stared at Xiao Liangliang with wide eyes.

Madam Sun was already trembling with anger. That scoundrel, Wen, not only found another woman but even got her pregnant. Now, she had the audacity to show up at their doorstep with a child.

Xiao Liangliang knelt down, holding the child. “Madam Sun… Young Minister Wen…”

Madam Sun stormed forward. “Who are you?”

“I am Xiao Liangliang. This is Wen family’s child, madam, please take a look.”

Madam Sun’s eyes rolled back in anger. “I won’t look! You little temptress, how dare you seduce someone from the Wen family! What are you up to?”

Xiao Liangliang’s eyes widened, her face pale.

Having lived in the capital for several years, she had heard of Madam Sun’s reputation. She had often wielded power in the Wen family, leveraging the fact that she had once saved the life of Assistant Minister Wen. Moreover, Assistant Minister Wen was known for his loyalty. Despite having a fierce wife, he had never been involved in any extramarital affairs.

Wen Qingyuan hid behind Madam Sun, too afraid to step forward.

Knowing his mother well, Wen Qingyuan knew that if she found out about his misdeeds, she would beat him to death.

“I…”

“Don’t ‘I’ me! Get out of here! The Wen family doesn’t welcome you.”

Xiao Liangliang shook her head, now having nowhere else to go and no money on her. “I won’t leave. If I leave, my child and I will have no way to survive.”

“Now you think you can’t survive, but when you were seducing men, you were only thinking about pleasure. Did you think about today?

I’ve seen women like you before. You’re just after money. Whoever gives you money, you sleep with them!”

Xiao Liangliang was scolded harshly. She had been enduring insults for days.

“And stay away from me; you reek! Do you really think just because you’re holding a child, it’s a Wen family child? That’s laughable. Get lost, get lost! Stay away from the Wen family, or I’ll beat you to death, you worthless wench!”

Xiao Liangliang wept bitterly, “Young Minister Wen, please say something, Young Minister Wen…”

Madam Sun was beyond furious, rolling up her sleeves and placing her hands on her hips. “Oh, you little tramp, you even know my son! You’ve been scheming to get into the Wen family, haven’t you?

Yuan’er, bring me a broom. I’m going to sweep this trash out of here today.”

Wen Qingyuan didn’t move, lowering his head.

Madam Sun turned to him, “Why are you just standing there? Why are you trembling?”

“Mother, Liangliang, she…”

“What about her?”

Wen Qingyuan hesitated, “I’ll… I’ll go get it.”

Xiao Liangliang’s heart sank into a pit of despair. “Wen Qingyuan, you…”

Before Xiao Liangliang could finish speaking, Madam Sun slapped her across the face. “You lowly wench, not even worthy of being a servant, how dare you call out the names of the Wen family members? Do you even deserve that?”

Xiao Liangliang, weak by nature and holding a child, couldn’t fight or argue with Madam Sun. She quickly fled with the child.

Madam Sun returned to the mansion. “Yuan’er, my heart aches.”

Wen Qingyuan: ?

“Your father… he actually went behind my back, slept with another woman, and had a child. I don’t want to live anymore.”

Wen Qingyuan: ?

Isn’t Mother misunderstanding that Xiao Liangliang is involved with Father…

Minister Wen returned from the palace, feeling irritable as he hadn’t seen the Emperor.

As soon as he entered, he heard Madam Sun crying and wailing.

Even the old lady was alerted.

The old lady sat in the main hall.

Madam Sun was throwing a tantrum, crying and shouting.

Wen Qingyuan was utterly confused.

Minister Wen’s head was buzzing, “What’s going on now?”

Madam Sun, sniffling and crying, replied.

The old lady cleared her throat and spoke, “Madam Sun said a woman came to the mansion with a child, claiming it was yours. You wretch!

This is outrageous!

How many times have I told you that in both personal and official matters, you must remain clear and innocent. How could you, at your age, still father an illegitimate child and bring such disgrace upon yourself in your later years!”

Minister Wen: “What are you all talking about? What woman? What child?”

Madam Sun was so angry she almost spat blood, “You’re still pretending! That woman even brought the child here. Old Wen, what have I done to deserve this?

Is it just because I have a bit of a temper? But did you really have to betray me?”