Chapter 37: Is She With Child?

"If you do not believe me, Madam, you may open this sachet and see for yourself. It contains no fragrance, but rather cardamom seeds."

Nan Yan’s expression dimmed slightly. "I was married to Meng Boji at thirteen, the age of cardamom. That is why I kept them inside..."

The Lady of the State immediately opened the sachet, and sure enough, a handful of cardamom seeds spilled out. Her eyes flared with fury.

Nan Yan seized the moment to continue: "Last night, he came to me under the pretense of rescue, but it was merely a ruse to deceive me. He sought to reclaim my dowry and even conspired to seize the Nan family estate. I played along, spinning a lie that the ledger for my dowry was hidden at Baohua Temple..."

With the evidence undeniable, the Lady of the State flung the sachet aside, grabbed Meng Boji by the collar, and hoisted him off the ground with a single hand.

"So it truly was you, you lecherous scoundrel! You filthy beast—let me show you how I deal with your kind!"

She slammed him heavily onto the ground. Meng Boji hit the floor with such force that his backside felt shattered; he gasped in pain, unable to stand.

The Lady planted her feet, grabbed his collar, and delivered a resounding slap across his face.

*Smack!* The clean side of his face now bore the distinct marks of her fingers, mirroring the bruises on the other side in both shape and placement.

The Lady’s eyes widened in realization. "It really was you last night! Sneaking in through the window in the dark, crawling into my bed, and attempting such indecency—"

"These slap marks—they are exactly from where I struck you last night! You shameless wretch! You pervert!"

She unleashed a flurry of slaps, left and right, until Meng Boji’s face was swollen like a pig’s head.

The crowd of onlookers was in an uproar, the rumors spreading like wildfire. The reputation of Scholar Meng, who had broken into Baohua Temple under the cover of night to accost the Lady of the State, was sealed.

Seeing her grandson being beaten so severely, the old matriarch rushed forward to shield him. "Stop! Stop hitting him!"

The Lady of the State, still unsatisfied, seized the opportunity to land a kick squarely in Meng Boji’s crotch.

Meng Boji let out a shrill, agonizing howl, and the old Mrs. Meng wailed to the heavens, "My poor grandson—"

The Lady of the State spat on the ground. "That kick last night wasn't hard enough; consider this one a repayment from today—"

She cracked her knuckles, the joints popping audibly. Clearly still unappeased, she shouted at Lieutenant Lu.

"Lieutenant Lu! Seize this lecherous scoundrel at once!"

"This..."

The dizzying turn of events left Lieutenant Lu completely at a loss. He had come here to arrest Nan Yan and Jiang Li for adultery based on Meng Boji’s accusations, yet now, the accuser himself was being branded a pervert for accosting the Lady of the State, and he was being ordered to arrest him instead!

Jiang Li stepped forward to offer his own explanation. "Since Scholar Meng was at Baohua Temple last night, how could he have personally witnessed the so-called illicit affair between myself and the lady of the Nan family?"

With that single question, the realization finally dawned on Lieutenant Lu.

The onlookers had also discerned the truth.

"So, everything the Meng family said was a lie, and the lady of the Nan family was telling the truth?"

"To think Scholar Meng only married her for the power and status of the Duke’s mansion!"

"Now that he has achieved success and the Nan family has fallen, he divorces his wife to marry a mistress, all while cutting ties with the Nan family. How utterly venomous!"

"Indeed! And to maliciously frame her with accusations of barrenness and promiscuity to ruin her reputation—he is no man at all!"

"He even wanted to seize her dowry and her family's property after casting her aside! Such malice!"

Amidst the chorus of condemnation, the old Mrs. Meng refused to concede. She crouched on the ground, shielding her grandson and shouting, "Do not spout such nonsense!"

She pointed a finger directly at Nan Yan. "If she is not a loose woman, then why is she with child?!"

The room went silent, everyone stunned—even Nan Yan herself.

"I... I am with child?"

How could she not know she was pregnant?

Old Mrs. Meng sneered. "Still playing the fool? He is a physician; he has treated you. He must have told you long ago!"

"Not only did you commit adultery, but you have conceived a bastard—"

"Everyone in the capital knows that shortly after marrying her, my grandson was ordered to Zhuxi Town to compile the local gazetteer, and he only returned every few months."

"The last time he returned was over three months ago, yet this harlot is less than three months pregnant!"

"If this is not adultery, if this is not a secret conception, then what is it?"

Hearing this, not only Nan Yan but also Bie Zhi and Nanny Su were struck dumb.

Nan Yan quickly looked up at Jiang Li. She had indeed been fainting frequently over the past few days, and it was Jiang Li who had treated her. Could she truly be pregnant?

But Jiang Li had never mentioned a word of it to her!

Unexpectedly, the Lady of the State spoke up with keen wit: "If your Meng family knew she was pregnant, how could you dare to divorce her on the grounds of barrenness? This is a false accusation!"

"This..." Mrs. Meng was choked for words. None of them had realized there was such a fatal flaw in their logic!

The Lady of the State gnashed her teeth and roared at Lieutenant Lu: "What are you standing around for? Meng Boji not only broke into Baohua Temple at night to accost me but also falsely accused his own wife of adultery and divorced her under fabricated charges to marry another. The evidence is irrefutable—why have you not arrested him yet?!"

Lieutenant Lu’s face turned ashen. Given the circumstances, there was nothing he could do for Meng Boji. He raised his hand and commanded, "Take him!"

The officers Meng Boji had brought with him stepped forward and bound him tightly.

Old Mrs. Meng refused to let it go, clinging to her grandson. "You cannot arrest my grandson, you cannot!"

Even Meng Boji was unwilling to submit. "Even if I was mistaken about her barrenness, the fact remains that she committed adultery and conceived a child with another man! Why arrest only me and not her?"

Old Mrs. Meng immediately chimed in, "Exactly! She is less than three months pregnant, and my grandson has been in Zhuxi Town—the child in her womb is definitely not of the Meng bloodline! She is a loose woman who has conceived a bastard; she should be arrested too!"

Facing their accusations, the color drained from Nan Yan’s face until she was ghostly pale.

She stared at Jiang Li, her eyes clearly demanding to know why he hadn't told her if she was pregnant.

But Jiang Li remained composed, his expression betraying not a flicker of emotion.

Lieutenant Lu hesitated, then walked toward Nan Yan. "Lady Nan, what the old Mrs. Meng says is not without merit. Please, come with us."

Nan Yan opened her mouth, but found herself speechless.

Just as Lieutenant Lu waved for his officers to apprehend her, Jiang Li stepped forward once more.

"Who said she is with child?"

The words left everyone stunned.

The reversal was so swift that Nan Yan had barely processed the news of her own pregnancy before Jiang Li denied it. She was completely bewildered.

Meng Boji and the old matriarch looked as if their eyes might pop out of their sockets. After all, it had only been a guess on Meng Boji’s part; they had never actually had a physician check Nan Yan’s pulse.

The Lady of the State frowned at Nan Yan. "Lady Nan, are you pregnant or not?"

"..."

Nan Yan was speechless.

Every eye in the square was fixed upon her.

After a long pause, she parted her lips and whispered three words: "I do not know..."

The crowd erupted into fresh discussion, and the Lady of the State looked on in astonishment. "You don't even know if you are with child?"