The Pretty Wife of General Jinxiu Huanian

Chapter 14 Rumors in the Palace

These past few days, the Marquis' Mansion was in an uproar, with rumors about Yunxi and the Prince everywhere.

Yunxi got up early as usual. As soon as she opened the door, she saw two maids in a corner, heads rubbing against each other and whispering something.

"Have you heard? Yunxi, by some shady means, managed to seduce the prince."

A tall and thin maid spoke with a shrill voice, very excitedly.

Another shorter and fatter maid quickly reached out to cover her mouth, "Shh, keep your voice down. If anyone hears us, we'll be in trouble."

Yunxi stood there, her face turned pale, her lips were bitten tightly, and her body couldn't help shaking.

She glared at the two maids, turned around and went back to her room, closing the door with a bang.

Yunxi stayed inside the house all day, not even thinking about eating. Finally, when it was time for dinner, she took a deep breath and walked into the dining room.

As soon as she entered, the once bustling dining room suddenly fell silent. The Marquis's wife, sitting there, glanced at her sideways, pouted, and said sarcastically, "Some people really think that by climbing a high branch, they can fly up and become a phoenix."

The daughter of the Marquis's family snorted coldly, "Don't you even realize your own status? You're trying to get close to the prince."

The legitimate daughter crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes filled with contempt, the corners of her mouth raised high, "You're just a wild girl without a father or a mother, and you really take yourself seriously?"

Yunxi bit her lip tightly, her eyes reddened, but she fought hard to hold back the tears. She lowered her head, clutching the corners of her clothes tightly with both hands, and her body trembled slightly.

Yunxi suppressed her frustration and sat down silently, her food tasteless. The food seemed to have lost its color in her eyes. She mechanically stuffed it into her mouth, but it felt like chewing wax.

In the afternoon, Yunxi wanted to go to the garden to get some fresh air, but met several concubines on the path.

"Oh, isn't this Yunxi? She's really a famous person in the Marquis' Mansion now." A concubine came forward, twisting her body. The makeup on her face was so thick that it looked like it might fall off. Her eyes were narrowed into slits, and she spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"That's right. I don't know what tricks she used to make the prince look at her differently." Another concubine also came over. She was wearing a fancy dress, with pearls and jade on her hair swaying, and her face was full of jealousy.

Yunxi clenched her fists, veins popping out on the back of her hands, and said angrily, "My dear ladies, please don't believe the rumors. The prince and I are innocent."

"Hmph, who would believe that?" The concubines snorted in unison, then looked at each other, twisted their waists, and walked away while laughing.

Yunxi felt extremely depressed and was about to return to her room, but was stopped by the housekeeper of the Marquis's Mansion.

The housekeeper had a droopy face, not even raising his eyelids, and said coldly, "Miss Yunxi, the Marquis invites you."

Yunxi took a deep breath and followed the butler to the Marquis's study. The Marquis was sitting at the desk with a gloomy face, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, and his brows furrowed into a big knot.

"Kneel down!" the Marquis shouted angrily, and the sound was so loud that it seemed as if the beams of the house were about to fall off.

Yunxi's body trembled, her legs softened, and she knelt down with a plop. "My Lord, I don't know what mistake Yunxi has made."

The Marquis slammed the table and said, "You still don't know you're wrong? The rumors you and the prince spread have caused unrest in the Marquisate. Where is the reputation of the Marquisate?"

Yunxi raised her head and said, "My Lord, that's just a rumor, not the truth."

The Marquis glared, his beard twitching in anger. "Whether it's true or not, the Marquis' Mansion has become a laughing stock because of you."

At this time, the wife of the Marquis walked in with a twist of her waist. Her face was powdered as white as the wall, and even her silk and satin clothes could not hide her mean look.

She pouted and said, "My Lord, Yunxi is shameless and has ruined the reputation of the Marquis's Mansion. In my opinion, she should be expelled from the Mansion."

Yunxi's eyes widened, filled with grievance and anger, "Madam, Yunxi has never done anything to let the Marquis' Mansion down."

The Marquis's wife folded her arms across her chest and sneered, "How dare you quibble? If it weren't for you, how could such a shameful rumor spread through the Marquis's Mansion?"

The Marquis frowned and paced back and forth in the room. After a moment of contemplation, he waved his hand and said, "Lock her in the woodshed first. I will figure out what to do with her."

Two burly women immediately stepped forward, carried Yunxi and led her towards the woodshed. Yunxi struggled desperately, "Let me go, let me go!"

But how could she break free from the hands of those two old women?

Yunxi was locked up in the woodshed, which was dark, damp and filled with a bad smell.

The ground was covered with weeds and broken wooden boards, and there were a few rats scurrying around in the corners.

She curled up in the corner, hugged her knees, couldn't help but burst into tears, and her shoulders shook.

"Why, why don't they believe me?" Yunxi murmured to herself, with tears in her voice.

At night, Yunxi was cold and hungry, and her thin clothes were not enough to keep out the chill. Her lips turned purple from the cold, and her body trembled constantly.

In a daze, she seemed to hear someone calling her name.

"Yunxi, Yunxi."

Yunxi opened her eyes with great effort, and saw a familiar figure appear in front of her.

"It's you..." Yunxi said weakly.