Chapter 2137: Clarification (Patreon)

Chapter 2137: Clarification

After Kang Shi held Shu You's child for a while, she inquired about the origins of the rumor. When she learned that it had started from a servant they encountered outside their home the previous evening, her expression turned indescribable.

"Yibo Marquis Mansion is becoming more and more in decline. How could they believe such baseless rumors spread by a servant who didn't even bother to clarify the situation? Did they just blindly believe it?" The issue was that the incident happened yesterday evening, and today it was already spreading among so many people.

Shu Yu found it absurd, but what baffled her more was, "Why were we even brought up during a celebration for someone else? Meng Yunzheng is just an imperial scholar, and I'm just a county princess from a remote area. We have no connections with the people of the capital."

Kang Shi hesitated, then looked at Meng Yunzheng. He had been listening with interest. When he noticed Kang Shi's gaze, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, Young Master Meng, although you're an imperial scholar now, your reputation is quite significant. Did you discuss this topic during casual conversation?" Kang Shi replied, only mentioning half of the story.

Meng Yunzheng indeed had a significant reputation, but the primary reason behind this rumor was the young lady from the Hou Mansion who had once wanted to marry him. Back then, this young lady had been captivated by Meng Yunzheng's appearance, didn't mind his "foolishness," and didn't care about his concubine's born status. As a result, Meng Yunzheng had been "cursed" into becoming mute and had left the capital to seek medical treatment.

Later on, this young lady from the Hou Mansion got married, but many people still knew about that incident.

During Madam Wu's birthday celebration, some people intentionally brought up Meng Yunzheng to provoke this young lady, who held a grudge against him. Unexpectedly, a girl from the Yibo Mansion had interjected, claiming that Meng Yunzheng had an unmarried fiancée and that she had already given birth to a chubby little boy who resembled his fiancée.

Kang Shi had almost thought she was hearing things when she heard it. Now, hearing Shu Yu's explanation, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought Shu Yu was a sensible person and couldn't believe that she had given birth to a child out of wedlock.

It was indeed a misunderstanding.

Kang Shi reassured Shu Yu, saying, "Don't worry; I'll help clarify this matter."

"Thank you so much, sister-in-law," Shu Yu replied. She was concerned that this incident might affect Meng Yunzheng's upcoming exam.

Little did she know that her concern was not exaggerated at all. The following morning, an official accused Meng Yunzheng during the morning court session. They claimed that his conduct as the top scholar of Changjin Prefecture was deficient because he had a child with County Princess Wen'an before getting married, which tarnished the reputation of scholars.

Since Meng Yunzheng was now the top scholar, he was likely to pass the imperial examination. If someone like him were to enter the court as an official, it would be a disgrace, and people would mock him. The official launched a lengthy tirade, but the core idea was to have Meng Yunzheng disqualified from the examination.

Fortunately, this happened during the morning court session, in front of civil and military officials.

The Emperor, seated on the Dragon Throne, was speechless. On the other hand, Yao Tianqin had already learned the truth from his daughter-in-law and clarified the situation right there in court.

The Emperor was furious, stating that although officials had the right to lodge accusations, spreading unfounded rumors without proper investigation constituted an abuse of power. If the matter had not been clarified, and people had believed the baseless rumors, and Meng Yunzheng's examination qualification had been revoked, it would have ruined his future and deprived the court of a talented scholar.

The official's accusation fell apart, and he was severely reprimanded. In the end, he was punished with a fine. This incident not only exposed the rumor's falsehood but also implicated the Yibo Mansion.

Well, the official and the Yibo Mansion both suffered the consequences.