Chapter 47 Protecting One's Own

"My Lady, this is a private matter of my humble household, and really... it is inconvenient to speak of it," Su Yun said with a troubled expression.

The Princess raised an eyebrow, her tone serene: "What is so inconvenient about it?"

Seizing the opportunity to step down the slope, Su Yun replied, "This was originally a scandalous affair. Lacking in talent and shallow in learning, I do not understand the mind of a woman. It is normal for my wife to have affections elsewhere, but this matter of conceiving an illicit child is truly disgraceful."

His underlying implication firmly pinned the blame of adultery and illicit intercourse onto Song Xirui.

The Princess nodded, her expression calm: "What you say does make some sense. However, how did the Top Scholar Su come to know that your wife committed adultery, and how did you know she has conceived an illegitimate child? Could it be that you have already summoned a physician?"

Su Yun shook his head: "Naturally, I have not done such a thing, but..."

Before that final word could leave his lips, a sharp roar erupted from the courtyard.

"Su Yun, you thousand-times-damned dog! How dare you bully my daughter? If I don't grind your bones to dust, my surname is not Song!"

It was none other than Marquis Song who had arrived!

Until this moment, Song Xirui had been quietly trying to make her presence as inconspicuous as possible. Now that the Marquis had arrived, she let out a cheer in her heart and instantly lunged forward, throwing herself into the Marquis's embrace and weeping bitterly.

"Wuwuwu... Father... Husband wrongfully accused me of adultery, and that Luo Yun'er even tried to beat me! Your daughter has suffered so terribly!"

Upon hearing this, the Marquis's face darkened to the color of the bottom of a cooking pot. He anxiously looked his daughter over from head to finish and demanded, "Did she hurt you? If you've lost even a fraction of an inch of skin, I'll make them pay dearly!"

With that, his bloodshot eyes fixed a deadly glare upon Su Yun, as if he intended to swallow him alive.

Faced with this menacing posture, Su Yun immediately blurted out, "Father-in-law, this son-in-law is truly wronged! Today, with the Princess and both of you present, I must clarify the reason behind all this!"

"Very well! Speak! If you cannot make sense of this, I will make you pay!" the Marquis thundered angrily.

The maid whom Song Xirui had sent to deliver the message had already briefed him in advance, not only informing him that Song Xirui was not pregnant, but also detailing the various forms of mistreatment and oppression she had suffered in the Su residence over this period.

Right now, the Marquis's household was brimming with grievances just waiting to be unleashed upon Su Yun! How could they possibly doubt their own daughter?

Seeing this, Su Yun sighed and put on his aggrieved, long-suffering facade. "Originally, family scandals should not be aired in public..."

"Stop talking crap and spit it out!" the Marquis immediately barked at him.

Su Yun's face turned pale as he gritted his teeth and said, "Since Father-in-law is pressing so hard, do not blame this son-in-law for showing no mercy! Ever since our wedding, my wife has repeatedly used various excuses to go out. On the surface, she claimed it was for household matters, but in reality—in reality, she was going to meet wild men! Now that she has conceived an illicit child and denies it in every possible way, what kind of logic is this?"

"You saw my girl meeting a wild man?" The Marquis sneered.

Su Yun shook his head: "Although I did not see it with my own eyes, but—"

"Humph!" A cold snort rang out. "Since Top Scholar Su didn't even see it, yet knows about it with such crystal clarity, are you an immortal, or are you just putting on an act?"

Su Yun's face flushed crimson instantly, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Seeing her son at a disadvantage, Madam Li chimed in immediately, "In-law, you are mistaken! Xirui has been vomiting day after day and constantly craving sour foods—naturally, she is pregnant. Furthermore, my son has not shared a chamber with her for a long time; how could she possibly have a child? It must be that she has been illicitly giving and receiving affections with someone else! There is no mistaking this matter!"

"What an absurdity!" the Marquis roared furiously. "I never knew there were people in this world who could accuse others of infidelity based on empty teeth alone. Even before the King of Hell, I would demand justice for this injustice!"

By nature, he possessed a fiery and fierce temperament. Seeing that Song Xirui had been bullied within the Su household, he wished he could tear the very roof off the Su residence.

Seeing the two factions arguing endlessly, Grand Princess Changning finally could not help but interject: "This matter is not difficult to resolve. Let us summon an imperial physician to examine whether Madam Su is truly with child."

At this moment, Luo Yun'er's eyes darted around slyly as she chimed in, "Why go to all that trouble? There is a medical clinic not far from the Su residence, and the physician there is exceptionally skilled in medicine. Just have him come over!"

"Heh," Grand Princess Changning chuckled lightly, casting a look of disdain at the arrogant concubine before saying, "Imperial physicians are men of the imperial court, and their words are uttered with the utmost caution. If they dare to utter falsehoods, it will cost them their heads. Ordinary doctors, however, cannot be guaranteed to speak the truth. If someone bribes them to make a casual, reckless diagnosis, it would leave one with no way to defend oneself."

With a single sentence, she pierced straight through Luo Yun'er's petty scheming.

Yet, just as the Princess was about to dispatch someone to fetch a physician, Su Yun spoke up again: "Your Highness, this matter is a scandal within my Su family. If word of it spreads, Xirui will never be able to show her face in public again. Please, spare Your Highness the trouble; we shall discuss it privately!"

The Princess looked at him with a complex gaze, her tone turning chilly: "Top Scholar Su, do not imagine that after making such a scene today, your Su family's reputation can still be kept under wraps. If you don't believe me, look at the courtyard walls on either side; you will find quite a few people already peeking over."

Hearing this, everyone turned their gazes toward the surrounding walls.

Sure enough, neighbors from all around had climbed up to eavesdrop!

Anxiety spiked in Su Yun's heart. If this matter blew up and completely alienated the Song family, how could he continue to manipulate them in the future? What if the Marquis, in a fit of rage, insisted on taking Song Xirui back to the Marquisate? What would become of him then?

The Princess, however, had no patience to wait for him to think things through. She waved her hand and commanded, "Pass my order: ride post-haste to the palace and summon an imperial physician."

The guards outside acknowledged the order and galloped away on horseback.

Within the space of an hour, the imperial physician arrived. By this time, the company had relocated to the front hall.

Upon arrival, the imperial physician immediately proceeded to examine Song Xirui's pulse. All three members of the Su family watched him with breathless anticipation. It was an absolute certainty that Song Xirui was pregnant!

Yet, who could have foreseen the outcome?

After completing the diagnosis, the imperial physician stood up and addressed the Princess.

The Princess glanced at him and instructed, "Speak the truth."

Only then did the imperial physician nod and report, "I have carefully examined her pulse. This lady is not pregnant at all. I know not who could have spread such a groundless rumor."

"How is that possible?" Luo Yun'er's face turned ashen-white in an instant, and she practically shrieked, "She was clearly vomiting every single day and constantly demanding sour food!"

The moment the words left her mouth, a flush of embarrassment hit her cheeks. Admitting to such details only confirmed to everyone that she had been spying on Song Xirui's courtyard day in and day out!

Su Yun also protested, "Could there be a mistake? My wife has clearly been going out every day—"

The imperial physician frowned deeply. "One can determine whether a woman has conceived an illegitimate child simply based on vomiting and going out? Such a deduction is far too arbitrary!"

As it turned out, the rumors outside—stating that Su Yun favored his concubine over his wife, brought a mistress into his home, and bullied the sole daughter of the Marquis—were entirely true.

The Marquis of Song now wore a stern expression, his laughter cold and biting: "Top Scholar Su, what do you have to say for yourself now?"

"Father-in-law, this son-in-law—" Su Yun tried to stammer an explanation.

Driven by some unfathomable impulse, Luo Yun'er suddenly turned her gaze toward the Princess and blurted out, "Your Highness, why did you happen to arrive here so coincidentally today?"