On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Lady Li raised her head, her face streaked with tears, pointed in the direction of the Regent's Palace, bit her lip, hesitated to speak, and then suddenly buried her head in her knees, crying uncontrollably.

This immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.

"The Regent's Palace?! She ran away from the Regent's Palace!"

"My goodness! The Regent not only confiscated the Luo family's property, but he even took my mother-in-law..."

"Look at her clothes, all the buttons are undone. Is there even a question? She must have been defiled by that living devil!"

"What a beast! He's an absolute beast! Lin Yi, that devil, doesn't even spare his own mother-in-law? Is there no justice left?!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind? How dare you insult the Regent?"

"What are you afraid of! He did it, so why can't people talk about it? This is a disgrace to the family, an act of moral depravity!"

The common people were spitting everywhere.

Li listened to the surrounding people's discussions and sneered inwardly.

Ha, Lin Yi, aren't you arrogant?

Let's see how you handle this!

"Oh my god! I don't want to live anymore!!"

"I'm so ashamed to face anyone!!"

"Waaaaah..."

Suddenly, Li let out a scream, scrambled to her feet like a madwoman, covered her face, and ran towards the palace.

The people left behind on the street whispered among themselves, spreading the story they had just witnessed with exaggerated embellishments.

How powerful is the people?

In less than half a day, the news spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys.

By the next morning, the capital was in complete uproar.

Whether it's a leisurely man sipping morning tea in a teahouse, an elderly woman buying vegetables at the market, or even a laborer emptying chamber pots, the first thing they say to each other is: "Hey? Did you hear? The Regent slept with his mother-in-law!"

The rumors were incredibly exaggerated, with all sorts of versions circulating.

Some say that Lin Yi had long coveted Li's charm and took advantage of the house raid to bring her into his mansion and force himself on her.

Some say that Li offered herself to Lin Yi in order to reclaim her family property, but Lin Yi then denied everything and kicked her out.

Even more outrageous, it was said that Lin Yi had a peculiar fetish: he locked Luo Qingyu and Li Shi in the same room and sexually assaulted them.

Yingchun Tea House in Nanshi.

The storyteller stopped banging the gavel and instead gathered around a few tables, speaking in a low voice to the tea drinkers.

"My lords, you didn't see it! Yesterday afternoon, when Madam Luo ran out of the Prince's mansion, she looked absolutely miserable! Hey! Good heavens! Her clothes were torn to shreds, and her body was covered in purple welts! The Regent is simply a lecherous wretch, not even sparing a woman that old!"

A chubby tea drinker smacked his lips and grinned lewdly, "Heh heh, what do you know! That Li woman may be in her thirties, but she's well-maintained. Her figure and face are unmatched by most young girls. The Regent has gotten used to delicacies and wants a change."

"Bah! What do you mean by 'changing tastes'? This is an act of bestiality that violates all moral principles!"

"That scoundrel Lin Yi has no respect for his sovereign or father, and now he doesn't even care about basic human decency. He has utterly disgraced the Great Zhou!"

These scholars were clearly spies secretly placed by Liu Wentao and his clique of civil officials.

They had already lost their source of income due to Lin Yi's ban on gambling, and were just looking for an excuse to retaliate.

When Li's affair came to light, it was like a windfall for them. They immediately sent their men to various restaurants and teahouses to stir up trouble and ruin Lin Yi's reputation.

"Yes! How can such a devil be fit to be regent!"

"Why doesn't God send down a bolt of lightning to strike him dead!"

In an instant, the capital was filled with a cacophony of curses against Lin Yi, the sound almost blowing the roof ornaments off the Regent's Palace.

In the past, the common people respected the Prince's Mansion because Lin Yi killed corrupt officials and upheld justice for the people.

But things are different now. Taking over one's mother-in-law has crossed the most basic moral line of ordinary people.

As a result, Lin Yi's image in the hearts of the people instantly changed from an iron-fisted and powerful minister to a beast without any bottom line.

His reputation plummeted and became utterly disgraced.

Early in the morning, Lin An took several servants to the East Market to look at the dishes.

This is a necessary task every few days—it's essential to know the market price.

Otherwise, he wouldn't even know if his subordinates were embezzling.

But to everyone's surprise, the vendors who usually fawned over him all kept their distance today, their eyes filled with disdain and contempt.

what's wrong?

Lin An refused to believe it and walked up to a butcher's stall. He pointed to a piece of fine pork belly and said, "Old Zhang, wrap this up for me."

Butcher Zhang, holding a boning knife, rolled his eyes and snorted coldly, "Not for sale!"

"What? You're not going to make money? Are you saving this meat to breed?"

Butcher Zhang spat on the ground: "Pah! I may be a pig butcher, but I still know what propriety and shame are! I'd rather die than accept the money from your Regent's Palace! What kind of meat do you eat after doing such filthy things? Go eat shit!"

Upon hearing this, the servants behind Lin An immediately flew into a rage.

"You son of a bitch, you're asking for it! How dare you insult the Prince!"

"Don't move!" Lin An stopped them, his face so dark it could drip water.

Something's not right here.

He had overheard some gossip on the way, but he didn't take it seriously. He figured there was plenty of gossip about high-ranking officials and nobles, and the common people could spread it if they wanted.

I never imagined things would escalate to this point.

The common people are no longer afraid of even the Regent's sword!

What does this tell us?

This indicates that public discontent has reached a boiling point.

"Oh no, something's happened! We need to get back to the manor right away!" Lin An led his men and rushed back.

Along the way, those unpleasant comments swarmed into his ears like flies.

"Look, that's the Regent's steward!"

"He's definitely an accomplice!"

"This whole family is no good!"

"Pah!"

Lin An became increasingly alarmed as he listened.

This has blown up!

The prince only saw Li Shi in the back room for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn yesterday, so how did it become such a rumor?

There must be someone behind this!

Thinking of this, Lin An quickened his pace.

This matter must be reported to the Prince's Palace immediately; otherwise, if the rumors are allowed to continue, the Regent's Palace's prestige will be completely ruined.

......

The Regent's Palace, Study.

Lin Yi was sitting in a grand chair, flipping through the secret letter sent by Nalan Ku.

Everything is ready now, except for the 200,000 pigs.

If they dare to jump the ring, they will surely die.

Just then, the study door was suddenly pushed open.

Lin An rushed in, panting, without even knocking.

Lin Yi looked up curiously, thinking to himself, "This old man is usually quite composed, what's wrong with him today?"

"Old An, what happened? Did the sky fall down?"

"It's collapsed! Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The rumors outside are practically tearing the roof off the manor!"

Lin Yi was taken aback and put down the letter: "What rumors? What kind of sour articles did Liu Wentao and his gang of old dogs write to insult me ​​again?"

"It's not Liu Wentao, it's...it's about you and Madam Luo!" Lin An gritted his teeth and slapped his thighs with both hands.

"Madam Luo? Madam Li?"

"yes!"

Lin An gritted his teeth and repeated to Lin Yi exactly what he had overheard on the street that morning.

It included everything, from how Li ran out in disheveled clothes yesterday, to what the common people were saying, and how the storyteller narrated the events—every word was recorded.