Chapter 12 How Are You So Certain "Your orders are complete. The woman has been confined in the room next door." Meng Ding well knew the value of a lady's reputation, but such brazen scheming against his master could not be excused. The lord had merely saved Cai Yunyun's life on the road to Ming City. Who could have foreseen she would weave such a vile plot? She was setting her own trap. "Excellent. Change your garments. Let us observe the spectacle." Qi Rong glanced down at his pale violet robe, and the memory of Ma Ting's violet gown rose unbidden in his mind. The shadow pressing against his chest eased slightly as he led Meng Ding back, unhurried, to their private quarters. When Ma Ting completed her change of dress and went upstairs, she heard Li Han's furious voice questioning the maid. "You truly saw Ms. Ma enter this place?" From within the room came muffled sounds, shameless and indecent, which made the noblewomen nearby flush crimson. Not one of them dared look at the door. "Master Han, I warned Ms. Ma this was the boatmen's quarters, yet she ignored me. She even scolded me. "I had no choice, so I came to Her Highness and to you, Who could have guessed... Who could have guessed Ms. Ma would act with such impatience..." The whispers spread like wildfire through the gathering. One who had long despised Li Han gave a derisive laugh. "Master Han, it seems Ms. Ma prefers a boatman over you. The son of a marquis, beloved by his mother... and still..." The words cut short, yet Li Han's face already burned crimson. He could not admit that he had planned to be the one waiting within instead of the boatman, yet with matters having spiraled so far, he would never again desire a woman like Ma Ting. "If she chooses disgrace, then the gates of my residence remain closed to her. Yet if she truly regrets her actions, then for old time's sake, my household might grant her shelter still." The rowdy murmurs dimmed to hushed silence at those words. From the shadows, Ma Ting watched Li Han bask in hollow praise. A cold fury rose within her chest. The Eldest Princess' expression remained dark. Her gaze flicked briefly with disdain toward Li Han before she gave Madam Ping a silent command. Madam Ping pressed forward with attendants, blocking the entrance. At least it granted the pair inside some shred of dignity. Li Han's eyes betrayed a flicker of regret. He'd wished to catch the adultery himself. 1/4 Ma Ting caught it at once. Her hand tightened inside her sleeve. "Ms. Ting, should we leave now?" Ding Jie hissed, her teeth clenched. Rage twisted her face, as though she might rip away Li Han's mask that instant. ΕΣ Ma Ting caught her arm and exhaled softly. "Not yet." The Eldest Princess studied the sealed door. When the noises within ceased, her gaze fell coldly upon the kneeling maid. "Whose servant are you? I do not recall you among my household." The girl quivered, stammering, "I... I came with Ms. Ma." "Oh?" The Eldest Princess gave a mirthless laugh. Her voice held such weight that no one dared utter a word. "I do not remember the Ma family bringing you here. If you claim to belong to them, then we shall wait until Ms. Ma arrives on the scene. She will confirm your tale. "Guards. Bind her." The maid froze in terror. When her eyes met the princess', her voice failed. She did not plead. She did not resist. She was gagged, bound, and thrown aside like refuse. Li Han's expression clouded as he quickly signaled to Weng Li. Seizing the moment, Weng Li slipped away. Ma Ting caught the silent exchange. She gestured to Ding Jie, warning her to keep the maid alive, As the girl was dragged into the rear chamber, the private room's door creaked open. Every head turned at once. Necks strained, eager to glimpse the one Madam Ping now led out. "Kneel!" The Eldest Princess' voice cut through the hall like a blade, her command harsh and absolute. The cloaked woman lowered her head, hiding half her face beneath the hood. When her knees struck the floor, the fabric shifted; and angry red welts across her skin came into view. The sight drew sharp whispers and scornful stares from those gathered. Li Han clenched his jaw so tightly it ached, his fury seething beneath his skin. Every scheme he had woven with such care had been undone by a mere boatman. Still, for the sake of dignity, he forced his grief into a mask and bowed low before the Eldest Princess. "Your Highness, for the honor of my family, I beg you to spare Ms. Ma Ting," he pleaded. "She acted only in confusion. I implore you to grant her mercy and preserve her life." Every soul present knew the truth of a woman who lost her chastity. She would not return home alive. She would be cast into the river. Such was the way of their world. 2/4 The Eldest Princess gave no reply. With Madam Ping's arm to steady her, she walked with measured steps to her seat. Her gaze swept across the hall, pausing on Li Han as he pressed his plea. Her eyes held no warmth, only distance and composure. "I have long wondered," she said evenly. "This charge rests only upon the word of one maidservant. Why then, Master Han, are you so convinced that this woman is truly Ms. Ma Ting?" Her words jolted the crowd awake. A storm of unease surged in Li Han's chest. Why would she question him in such a way? Instinct drove his eyes toward Madam Ping, yet her face betrayed nothing. Doubt crept into him like poison. Could this cloaked figure not be Ma Ting after all? But when he scanned the onlookers and found no trace of Ma Ting among them, he exhaled in relief. "Your Highness, ever since Ms. Ma was taken away by the maidservant to change her attire, she has not been seen," he said quickly. "Combined with the maidservant's testimony, and the fact that Ms. Ma obeyed His Majesty's command earlier, I have no doubt this person is indeed Ms. Ma." The crowd exchanged uncertain looks, but none dared voice agreement. Because at that very moment, another figure stepped forward with calm, graceful poise. The eyes of the gathering shifted at once, and many lingered on Li Han with thinly veiled amusement, as though the spectacle had only just begun. "You have no doubt that the person is indeed me?" a clear, cutting voice rang out. "Master Han, you are praised as the most brilliant scholar of Ming City. Since when did you learn to place your faith in nothing more than a maidservant's word?" The words struck like arrows, sharp and unrelenting, carrying a weight of fury. Li Han's blood froze. He knew that voice too well. He whirled around, his eyes wide with horror. "You... How are you there?" Ma Ting's lips curved faintly, her expression calm, yet her gaze fixed on him like steel. "Where exactly did you expect me to be, then?" A chill swept through Li Han, rising from his feet to his chest. It grew colder still when he saw the glimmer of frost in her eyes. Could it be that she already knew? No. It could not be. His plan was flawless. Then, another voice struck like a whip. A'man's tone laced with contempt cut through the silence. "Master Han, you believed that by destroying Ms. Ma's name, her fortune and dowry would flow into your family's coffers." All eyes turned as Qi Rong strode into view. Behind him, Meng Ding dragged two prisoners forward. 3/4 One was the maidservant, bound tightly. The other was Weng Li, pale with terror. Meanwhile, Ding Jie hurried to Ma Ting's side. The Eldest Princess cast a swift glance at Ma Ting before turning her attention to the two figures at her feet. "Rong," she said, her voice steady. "Tell me, what is the meaning of this?"