Volume One, Chapter 15: Demotion

Inside, the two who had been lost in darkness were startled and looked anxiously toward the intruder.

“Ah!” the woman let out a sharp scream.

Li, who was short and standing at the back, had been blocked from seeing what was happening inside. Now realizing something was wrong, she hurriedly squeezed in to see what was going on.

At a glance, everything became clear.

Her face flushed with shame as she cursed loudly, “What kind of disgraceful act is this!”

Chu Yao sneered coldly in her heart, took Lady Jiang’s hand, and stepped back toward the doorway.

Behind them, a curious madam followed and asked Chu Yao, “Is that young lady the Marquis’s cousin? I’ve long heard that the Marquis’s cousin is a widow living here, but who was that man just now?”

Lady Jiang glanced meaningfully at Chu Yao.

Chu Yao sighed deeply, then stammered in an innocent and wounded tone, “That is Cheng Wenyuan, the heir of the Marquis’s household; he is my... husband.”

“Ah!”

“Heavens! Cousins! How could the Marquis’s heir be involved with his own cousin...”

“To be openly promiscuous in broad daylight, and such a relationship at that!”

“Isn’t that young lady supposed to be a widow? How could she be entangled with her cousin? Shameless!”

The crowd expressed disdain and disgust, their eyes toward Chu Yao tinged with pity.

At that moment, from inside came Li’s uncontrollable shouting and scolding, the soft cries of Cheng Jinxi, and the deep sighs of a man.

Lady Jiang cast a look at Chu Yao that only they could understand, and together they left the Autumn Evening Courtyard.

“Lady Jiang, please have the Duke’s men spread this matter at court. The more sensational, the better,” Chu Yao said as she saw Lady Jiang onto her carriage.

Lady Jiang showed a hint of surprise but quickly laughed teasingly, “Didn’t you say you wanted to help them?”

“Of course, I want to help. Soon, the lovers shall be united. But even helping comes at a price.”

“Aren’t you worried the heir will lose his official position?”

“Chu Yao welcomes it. Besides, this little scandal is nothing to the heir.”

“Very well. We shall do as you wish, Yao’er.”

The ladies were always quick with their tongues.

By the time the crowd left the Marquis’s residence, within half a day nearly half the capital knew: the Marquis of Pingyang’s heir was caught in a scandalous affair with his cousin, discovered in flagrante delicto—what a scandalous scene it was.

The Marquis of Pingyang’s household became the laughingstock of every street and alley.

Inside the Pine Crane Hall, the tearful Cheng Jinxi and the dejected Cheng Wenyuan knelt in the center.

The matriarch sitting at the head nearly fainted with rage.

“What kind of disgraceful act is this! You have brought shame upon the Marquis’s family!

Cheng Jinxi, since you have been so unchaste, we can no longer keep you in the household!

At dawn tomorrow, you will go to the maiden temple and become a nun!”

“Grandmother, please don’t!” Cheng Jinxi cried, sneaking a glance at Cheng Wenyuan beside her.

At this point, he had been dragged into the fire as well.

They were both caught in the same predicament.

Frowning, Cheng Wenyuan spoke firmly, “Grandmother, you cannot!”

“Why not? Such a scandal is spreading like wildfire—how can I not punish her?”

Lady Li clenched her teeth, staring at her usually sensible and ambitious grandson, unable to fathom how he could cause such trouble.

She now felt a mixture of frustration and disappointment.

Ultimately, it was all because of this troublemaker, Cheng Jinxi.

“Grandmother, now that this matter is public knowledge, there’s all the more reason not to send my cousin away.

How would that reflect on our Marquis’s household?

Grandmother, I want to take Jinxi as my concubine.

Only then can we silence the gossip.”

“But, Wenyuan, that will affect your career…”

Cheng Wenyuan forced a bitter smile.

“It already has. If I don’t take Jinxi as concubine, this is adultery! And adultery is against the law.”

Hearing this, the matriarch suddenly shuddered, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Indeed, she had almost forgotten: Wenyuan was already married, and Cheng Jinxi had once been wed.

Their current situation was clearly adultery.

Adultery was illegal and punishable by law.

Enraged, she grabbed a cup of hot tea nearby and hurled it viciously at Cheng Jinxi.

Gritting her teeth, she cursed, “It’s all your fault, you bane of this family! If you hadn’t seduced Wenyuan, how could this have happened!”

The teacup shattered on Cheng Jinxi’s skirt, the scalding tea and dregs splashing over her.

Lowering her head, Cheng Jinxi hid the faint, almost imperceptible smile in her eyes.

Chu Yao stood aside, watching the commotion with detached interest.

The matriarch then mentioned her name, “Yao’er, it’s Wenyuan’s fault, causing this calamity.

Now, it seems this concubine must be accepted whether we like it or not.

You make the arrangements.

Don’t blame Wenyuan—what family doesn’t have three or four wives?

You mustn’t be like those jealous women who cannot bear their husbands taking another. Understand?”

“I understand.”

Cheng Wenyuan cautiously glanced at Chu Yao, seeing her calm nod.

He was filled with regret.

He shouldn’t have drunk so much today, nor lost control like that.

Now, he didn’t know how far his disgrace had spread outside.

He had great hopes for promotion, hoping to fill the vacancy left by his superiors.

But now it was clear: promotion was impossible, and not being demoted would be a blessing.

What he hadn't expected was that the next day, an official reported the Marquis’s household scandal to the emperor and vehemently condemned it.

They claimed Cheng Wenyuan’s illicit affair with his cousin was a violation of rites, tarnishing the Marquis’s family’s long-standing reputation for purity!

They accused him of betraying imperial favor and moral failure, unworthy of holding his fifth-rank position at the Ministry of Rites.

Many at court followed suit, calling for his dismissal.

The emperor was shocked and deeply ashamed of the Marquis’s household’s conduct. He ordered Cheng Wenyuan’s demotion to a sixth-rank deputy position.

Learning that their scandal had reached the court and that Cheng Wenyuan had been demoted shocked Cheng Jinxi as well.

She only wished to become a legitimate concubine of the Marquis’s household—

To be a proper lady of the family.

Her desperate scheme partly stemmed from spite toward the matriarch and Cheng Wenyuan.

She hadn’t expected that Wenyuan, a mere fifth-rank minor official, would have their private affair dragged into court impeachment.

With countless officials in the capital, who didn’t have their own hidden secrets?

How could the Marquis’s household’s little matter reach the emperor?

And how it caused Wenyuan’s disgraceful demotion.

When the servants told her about it, she felt uneasy, fearing it might cause estrangement between Wenyuan and herself.

But thinking that she could finally officially recognize her daughter Yue’er eased her worries.

She had sacrificed so much for Wenyuan.

If he loved her, then sacrificing a little for her and Yue’er was only right.

Besides, Wenyuan was talented and capable; promotion was only a matter of time.

This was merely a temporary setback.

Thus, Cheng Jinxi was hastily elevated to concubine status within the Marquis’s household.

Chu Yao summoned the clan leader to have both Yue’er’s and Cheng Jinxi’s names recorded in the clan genealogy.

In this way, Yue’er truly became Cheng Wenyuan’s legitimate daughter.

Cheng Jinxi stared at the still-wet ink of the genealogy book, her eyes shining brightly.

Before this, she had doubted whether she had acted rashly.

At this moment, all hesitation vanished.

Though the matriarch hated her bitterly,

Though no servant in the house treated her kindly,

She was finally no longer an outsider living under others’ roofs.

Her child was no longer a wild and illegitimate orphan!