Chapter 5: The Adulterer Turns Out to Be Myself

Qi Yuheng, in his youth, was the study companion of the late Emperor. His mother served as the late Emperor's wet nurse, making the Qi family essentially hereditary servants to the imperial house. Later, when Qi Yuheng left the palace to establish his own household, he married a woman from the wealthy Wang family, a prominent clan of salt merchants, and expanded the family line, eventually becoming the patriarch of the Qi clan.

He had two sons: the eldest, Qi Tiansheng, and the second, Qi Tianxing, one scholarly and the other martial. Tiansheng, steady in character, entered government service. He shared a devoted marriage with his late wife, Wu Ci, and they had a son, Qi Shaolin. His grandson was equally bright and clever. However, thirteen years ago, his daughter-in-law Wu Ci passed away prematurely. The late Emperor issued an imperial decree bestowing a marriage, wedding the Prince of Suping—from the Second Prince’s household—to Qi Tiansheng.

Not even a year after the Prince entered the Qi household, Tiansheng suddenly fell ill and passed away. That same winter, the eldest grandson, Qi Shaolin, fell into a lake; the resulting high fever never subsided, and he was left simple-minded. Facing such sudden catastrophes, Qi Yuheng, forced to bury his own son in his twilight years, was physically and mentally exhausted. His wife, Madam Wang, also passed away from excessive grief. Qi Yuheng temporarily entrusted the management of the family to the Prince of Suping, intending for the eldest grandson, Qi Shaolin, to take over alongside his future wife once he came of age.

The marriage with the Jiang family had been arranged when Shaolin was still in his infancy. The Jiang son was remarkably beautiful and a rare "ge'er" (a male capable of bearing children). However, for reasons unknown, he was not favored by the Prince of Suping, and since his arrival, the household had known no peace.

Last night's events left Qi Yuheng deeply troubled, so he chose to isolate himself. Unexpectedly, the Prince of Suping came knocking, demanding that this "patriarch" preside over justice, claiming to have proof of Jiang Luan's infidelity. Although Qi Yuheng was not particularly fond of Jiang Luan, the young man had saved his life the previous night, and he found it hard to believe that Jiang Luan would commit an act so shameful to the family name.

Yet, when he arrived at the ancestral hall with the Prince of Suping, he truly saw Jiang Luan huddled on a prayer mat with a man in his arms. The man wore Jiang Luan’s cloak, his hair disheveled, and his back turned toward them, making it impossible to identify him. Qi Yuheng’s heart was a tangle of complex emotions, but having prepared himself, he did not faint on the spot.

Beside him, the Prince of Suping was incensed, shouting, "What a shameless pair of adulterers! To commit such a lewd act in the Qi ancestral hall!"

Jiang Luan poked his head out from the man’s shoulder, his small mouth slightly agape, his expression one of utter bewilderment. The Prince of Suping, who loathed this "innocent" and "seductive" facade of his, rushed forward, intent on grabbing the young man's hair: "Caught red-handed! Let’s see what you have to say for yourself now, you little wretch! Get over here!"

As he reached out to seize Jiang Luan, his hand was blocked by the "adulterer." The Prince of Suping faltered, ready to erupt, "Heavens, have you no shame? The adulterer is striking people! You..."

The "adulterer" raised his face, looking at the Prince of Suping in confusion. "Father, what are you talking about? Why doesn't Lin'er understand?"

The Prince of Suping’s breath hitched; his face was a mask of disbelief. He looked again and again, confirming that the person huddled with Jiang Luan was indeed his simple-minded stepson, Qi Shaolin. But how could this be? Should the person rolling around with the little wretch not have been someone else?

"Your Highness, what a coincidence. What wind blew you here?" Jiang Luan was not surprised; instead, he narrowed his eyes. He patted the young simpleton, signaling him to let go. To his surprise, the simpleton grew bolder, pulling Jiang Luan behind him instead.

Qi Shaolin sniffled, looking aggrieved as he said to the Prince of Suping, "Father, why do you always bully my wife?"

Qi Yuheng, who had feared witnessing a scandalous scene, was amused to find his grandson and his wife simply "being affectionate." His grandson might be simple, but he knew how to protect his wife. Relieved to see the couple so close, Qi Yuheng stepped forward with a smile. "Why are you huddled in the ancestral hall on such a cold day? Lin'er, where are your shoes?"

"Lost them on the mountain," Qi Shaolin replied.

"You..." The Prince of Suping forced himself to remain calm, asking with a dark face, "Have you two been here the whole time?"

"Huh?" Jiang Luan asked, puzzled. "Who else would it be?"

The Prince of Suping: "..." He was stunned by the question. When he regained his composure, he glared fiercely outside the door, where, besides his own servants, one of his personal maids was standing guard. The maid, beautiful and dressed plainly, remained indifferent despite her master’s glare, gently shaking her head at him.

Jiang Luan took this in, and combined with last night’s events, he understood most of it. Last night, when the Prince of Suping came to "catch them in the act," everyone else was in their nightclothes, but the Prince had been fully dressed, as if prepared. Today was the same; the Prince of Suping seemed to have supernatural foresight, knowing exactly when the original owner's "paramour" would arrive, arranging the timing perfectly to burst in with the patriarch in tow. If he, Jiang Luan, had not been inhabiting this body, what they would have seen today would undoubtedly have been a scandalous scene of the original owner and that rogue.

Jiang Luan wondered, what kind of grudge did the Prince of Suping have to be so determined to destroy his "daughter-in-law"?

"In that case, I must have been mistaken," the Prince of Suping said, forced to take a step back with an awkward laugh. "The servant must have spread false rumors, claiming there was an intruder. Such gibberish; he deserves to be dragged out and beaten to death."

The servant who had been guarding the door for Jiang Luan stood outside; upon hearing this, his face turned deathly pale, and he dropped to his knees. His lips trembled as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

"What are you standing there for? Drag him out!" the Prince of Suping barked.

The servants, who had been prepared to throw the "adulterers" into a pig-drowning cage, found the task easier now that there was only one person to deal with. Several burly men grabbed the servant's arms, ready to drag him away to be killed.

*This wretched feudal society,* Jiang Luan thought. Human life was as cheap as an ant's; a living person could be killed on a whim. Yet, Jiang Luan did not stop them. Only after they had dragged the man away did he speak. "This servant was indeed hateful, but his crime does not warrant death."

Qi Yuheng shook his head in disapproval. "Young Jiang, you are too kind. This servant lied and almost slandered your innocence; death is not too harsh a punishment. Leaving him a whole corpse is mercy enough."

"His crime is failing to protect his master, which deserves punishment," Jiang Luan smiled. "But he was not lying. There was indeed an intruder who came to the hall to harass me; I knocked him out and tied him up in the back room."

"What!" The Prince of Suping was agitated, unable to help but step forward. "Did the intruder say anything?"

"Nothing. He has been unconscious, and I was just preparing to hand him over to the authorities," Jiang Luan shrugged. "Since you are here, Highness, perhaps you could take him and interrogate him yourself? I leave the trouble to you."

"Good, good..." The Prince of Suping was sweating, ordering men to bring the intruder out.

Watching his nervous demeanor, Jiang Luan understood even more clearly. This person was likely the Prince of Suping’s plant, a trap to frame the original owner. The Prince had sent him to the ancestral hall alone this morning to copy scriptures with the deliberate intent of creating an opportunity for the "adulterer."

In fact, Jiang Luan had guessed correctly. What the Prince of Suping never expected was that Jiang Luan was no longer the original Master Jiang; he didn't fall for these tricks at all, and a supposedly delicate ge'er had actually subdued a burly man. What surprised him even more was that this young man didn't press the advantage in front of the patriarch to make the man confess, but instead handed him over to be dealt with...

The Prince of Suping couldn't help but take a few extra looks at Jiang Luan.

Jiang Luan simply smiled at him. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my husband and leave." He then turned to bid farewell to Qi Yuheng, "Goodbye, Grandfather!"

Qi Yuheng: ... *Why did this boy stop calling me Patriarch and start calling me Grandfather?*

Jiang Luan and Qi Shaolin walked away, pulling at each other. The little simpleton insisted on draping his cloak over Jiang Luan, and Jiang Luan, unable to refuse him, finally accepted.

"Brother Lin, you go back first. I have something to attend to," Jiang Luan instructed.

Qi Shaolin, picking up pinecones in the snow, looked up strangely. "Wife, where are you going?"

"To save a life," Jiang Luan laughed, "and to show off a little."