Chapter 249: Disaster (6)

On the main vessel, in the great hall, only Su Tan'er’s soft yet resolute voice resounded distinctly.

Standing at the front of the hall, their hands subtly clasped, they looked like a perfect couple. Su Tan'er had a contented smile on her lips, her eyes slightly red-rimmed. Ning Yi looked at her, a faint smile on his own face.

Su Tan'er paused, and a brief silence fell over the hall. Most people were immersed in a somewhat jumbled emotion. However, this emotion did not last long before being interrupted. Lou Shuheng, whose face was swollen on one side, abruptly stood up. "You... you would go to such lengths for a scoundrel like him?" Over there, Lou Jinlin, frowning, slowly began to speak. "My esteemed brother-in-law, Bo Yong of the Su family, has only one direct descendant. Niece Tan'er, if you wish to inherit the family business, you must marry a son-in-law into the family. I understand that a single night as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness, and Niece Tan'er, you have always been soft-hearted. But today's matter involves so much; while your words are certainly well-intentioned, Niece, with all the esteemed officials present, it is, after all, a bit much."

Lou Jinlin's words were profound. As his voice trailed off, the group of scholars who had been beaten reacted, speaking up one after another: "This woman must be lying..." "It's truly not worth it, saving her faithless live-in son-in-law..." "Who would believe it..."

They spoke for a while, but unlike before, not many people echoed their sentiments from the back. Instead, several of the Qian family's younger members from earlier stood up and argued briefly, yet none of the adults or elders at the front made any statement. The situation instantly became somewhat delicate.

Even for Lou Shuheng, Lou Jinlin, Lu Tuizhi, and others, this turn of events was unexpected.

In fact, it wasn't that no one understood Su Tan'er might sacrifice a pawn to save the king, suppress the private matter, and protect Ning Liheng for the sake of the bigger picture. Because the entire incident was, in essence, extraordinarily simple: the live-in son-in-law was caught having an affair with a maid, leading to public outrage and physical assault. In those times, regarding matters of morality, even if two people were secretly drowned in a pig cage and a murder occurred, as long as the deed was done, the authorities would not intervene.

In fact, even for a married couple, holding hands publicly was often considered inappropriate—though this rule wasn't strictly enforced. Some physical contact between spouses when out was unavoidable, and as long as one wasn't a completely hidebound pedant, they wouldn't pay much attention to minor displays of affection from young couples in the street.

As for Ning Yi, holding hands with Xiao Chan could indeed confirm the accusation of adultery. Lu Tuizhi's initially scattered questioning did not anticipate Ning Yi's remarkably direct answers.

In such a situation, the only possible breakthrough depended on Su Tan'er's attitude.

After all, Ning Yi was a live-in son-in-law of the Su family. If she claimed she was aware that Xiao Chan served Ning Yi, this would indeed be a way to resolve the situation, even if most people wouldn't entirely believe it. From the Lou family's perspective, even if Su Tan'er made such a statement, she would surely be distressed internally. At that point, as long as they insisted she was lying to protect her husband, the focus would shift to "reason and sentiment."

At that time, legal proceedings were less rigorous than in later eras. In many cases, "reason and sentiment" often outweighed strict legal principles. For instance, if Peng Yu helped an old woman up, and she accused him of pushing her down, a judge might rule, "By common sense, if you hadn't pushed her, why would you have helped her?" and find him guilty. This type of "self-evident" deduction was common in feudal societies.

For Lu Tuizhi, as long as the affair between the live-in son-in-law and the maid was confirmed, even if Su Tan'er testified, "I know about it," he could simply sigh softly and say, "I know you are soft-hearted." With the crowd's encouragement, this would be enough to dismiss her testimony. Then, even if Ning Yi and the maid escaped the death penalty, they wouldn't avoid severe punishment. And under the heightened public sentiment, Qian Xiwen would have no choice but to compromise, sparing Ning Yi's life, leading to a satisfactory outcome for all. However, at this very moment, when the Lou father and son spoke, he keenly realized he could not agree with them.

No one had anticipated such a sudden declaration from the previously silent Su Tan'er.

Whether profound or overly sentimental, this was inherently an era of subtlety. Between talented scholars and beautiful women, emotions were conveyed through poetry and the hidden meanings within lyrics; subtle interactions were often celebrated as anecdotes. When people spoke of such matters, they were usually private affairs. Even a couple widely considered a perfect match would, at most, exchange smiles or subtle glances. To onlookers, this was already seen as a divine match. When had anyone ever seen a young lady from a prominent family openly express such feelings for her husband in public?

And at this very moment, that husband was still a live-in son-in-law. Yet, when Su Tan'er spoke, she showed no hint of reluctance. Even if some people muttered "shameless," they secretly began to believe her words.

Simply stating her position would have immediately invited doubt. But speaking to such an unexpected extent could only be described as overcoming skill with sheer force. Her gentle and graceful expression of her feelings for Ning Yi, when viewed by the Lou father and son from a strategic perspective, was an extreme example of blunt force. She took a weakness that seemed inherently disadvantaged and already noticed by others, and applied ten times the effort, shattering the entire situation like a tidal wave. This was no longer a battle of cleverness but akin to overturning the chessboard entirely.

Even Ning Yi seemed somewhat surprised. He could have responded with a few words, but at that moment, he remained silent, simply holding his wife's soft right hand and quietly counting her fingers.

After the Lou father and son finished speaking, Su Tan'er tilted her head to look at them, still smiling faintly. She began to speak again, this time having changed her address for Ning Lang to "husband."

"The feelings between my husband and Xiao Chan are hard for others to understand. This matter cannot truly be blamed on anyone else. Just now, my husband said this was a misunderstanding, and I believe it is. Brother Lou was also too impulsive, striking someone without even asking a question. Though he may have been sincere and everyone felt indignant, no one was given a chance to speak. My husband also reacted with his hands. I truly don't know who to blame for this..."

Su Tan'er paused. "But for me, seeing what my Ning Lang did just now, I felt only deep emotion. In others' eyes, Xiao Chan is just a maid, but to me, she is like a younger sister. My husband was alone then, yet he was able to protect her so selflessly, never retreating even when surrounded by so many people. This only makes me feel that marrying Xiao Chan to my husband was the most correct decision. If I were Xiao Chan, who else could I possibly marry?" Su Tan'er looked at Xiao Chan. Xiao Chan, initially shy, quickly blushed and nodded when her mistress looked at her. Su Tan'er smiled, then looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, recalling the events.

"Last year in Jiangning, the Su family faced a great calamity. My father was assassinated, and I was bedridden. At that time, our family business also plummeted, teetering on the brink. It was my husband who stepped in then, supporting the family. Perhaps no one would believe it, but a few months later, after he had resolved the family's affairs, he said nothing and returned to teaching at the academy. He only steps forward for his family when there's trouble—it was true then, and it is true now. Some people might think my husband became a live-in son-in-law for personal gain, but how could they know that his scholarship and talent surpass others' by a hundredfold? In Jiangning, he wrote 'Shuidiao Getou' and 'Qingyu'an,' and even now that I've come to Hangzhou, I constantly hear people singing them..."

A buzzing of whispers erupted. If these compositions had been mentioned earlier, it might only have added to the impression of Ning Yi as an arrogant Jiangning scholar. However, bringing them up at this moment, though it would be discussed sooner or later, completely altered their significance. Lou Shuheng had called Ning Yi a scoundrel, and Lou Jinlin had suggested she was well-intentioned, both implying to those present that Ning Yi was merely a live-in son-in-law, and no one would genuinely do such things for one. But by this point, Su Tan'er's layers of heartfelt declarations were enough to shatter the incongruity of Ning Yi's status as a live-in son-in-law.

"Regarding today's matter, I understand that its handling troubles the esteemed officials. As a woman, I do not know much about important affairs, but what I have said is absolutely true. My husband is being criticized, and I should stand with him. I ask the esteemed officials to judge fairly." After speaking, she bent her knees and began to kneel. Ning Yi frowned, reaching out to grasp her hand. Su Tan'er was only halfway down when he held her, but she turned her head to glance at him, then lowered her head and gracefully knelt. Her skirt fanned out on the ground like a white lotus. Ning Yi had by now lost his smile. He turned his head, shot a glance at Lou Jinlin, then lifted the hem of his robe and also knelt beside Su Tan'er. He had never liked kneeling, but as he was accompanying his wife, he had no other thoughts.

From the beginning of the confrontation, both sides had been exchanging blows, with hidden moves emerging one after another. Su Tan'er's series of defensive and offensive actions, including her kneeling at this moment, was part of her strategy. However, as a woman of that era, she genuinely found it natural to kneel before a group of esteemed officials. Ning Yi, even if he understood the effect, would not have gone to such lengths.

The moment Ning Yi knelt, Qian Xiwen, who had been silent among the tables and chairs at the front, only occasionally opening his eyes, gently adjusted his staff. The staff made a soft "thud" as it touched the ground, and he sighed quietly, "Such profound marital affection, there is nothing greater."

Lou Jinlin might have wanted to speak, but that sigh settled the matter decisively. Lou Shuheng sat there, veins bulging on his forehead, muttering, "Wretch, wretch..."

Lu Tuizhi hesitated for barely a moment: "Please rise, both of you..." He had intended to stand up and help them himself, but before he finished speaking, Ning Yi pulled Su Tan'er up. Su Tan'er glanced at him, feeling her husband was a bit too eager. She had wanted to kneel a little longer, thinking it would have a better effect. But since Ning Yi had made the decision, she simply accepted it, gently brushing her knees. "Thank you, Esteemed Governor..." Meanwhile, Mu Bochang lightly tapped the table, frowning. "So this is the situation... a group of people with only passion, yet unclear vision, having wasted their study of the sages' teachings." Among the elders, Mu Bochang was known for his temper and strict scholarship. His words, though seemingly spoken to himself, silenced any further protests from the defiant scholars.

Under normal circumstances, in Hangzhou, even if the scholars were in the wrong, such a result would have been impossible. However, first, Qian Xiwen's attitude was truly crucial, and second, Su Tan'er's speech wielded immense power. Even Qian Xiwen, in some respects, probably had to marvel at the significant help from a good teammate at that moment. He had been pondering how much effort it would take to salvage the situation slightly, but unexpectedly, in the end, it only took a simple sentence.

That opportune moment was almost as if Ning Yi and his wife had perfectly set the stage and presented it to him. In such a brilliant position, he could not help but make a statement.

This had originally been an unexpected turn of events. He had come today precisely to observe the situation of Ning Yi and his wife, the live-in son-in-law whom Qin Siyuan had asked him to look after. Now, moved by their affection, he squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the couple not far away. Beside him, after a brief silence and a subtle nod, Lu Tuizhi quickly began to mediate.