Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 66: The Good Show

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: The Good Show

Feng Wan thought that with a palace maid leading the way, Fengyu shouldn’t get lost; perhaps she was just avoiding the lively crowd, as Fengyu had never been fond of such occasions.

Amid the lively banquet, the eunuch serving the Third Prince rushed into the hall in a state of panic. "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Empress, something terrible has happened!"

Mr. Xu was serving wine to the Emperor. "What has you so flustered?"

"Someone has used forbidden incense from the palace to harm His Highness the Third Prince. I was locked outside the chamber and unable to intervene. Fearing damage to His Highness’s esteemed body, I’ve come to report directly to the Emperor and Empress."

"Outrageous! Who dares to act so insolently?" Emperor Jianming erupted in fury. A minor scandal at a royal banquet might result in nothing more than imperial punishment, but the use of forbidden incense brought a penalty of death!

The attendees were all shrewd individuals. Upon hearing "forbidden incense," they immediately understood the implications, pondering which ambitious young lady might’ve been seeking royal favor, elevating herself only to provoke a fatal disaster.

Xie Xun clenched his wine cup tightly and chuckled coldly. The Empress was merciless—using forbidden incense! He had assumed she merely intended to disgrace Marquis Zhenbei Mansion so Feng Shu wouldn’t marry his elder brother, but now it was clear her aim was to wipe out the entire Feng Family.

To harm a royal heir was a capital offense!

Emperor Jianming hurried away with the Empress and the Crown Prince to find the Third Prince. The normally invisible Second Prince Yuwen Yu, wary of suspicion, also followed. Lin Cheng and Xie Xun exchanged a glance before rising to follow behind.

Lin Xiao gritted his teeth and stood, following Xie Xun and Lin Cheng, his piercing gaze fixed coldly on Xie Xun.

The officials and noblewomen stayed at the banquet. Some young ladies stepped out to sober up, while their mothers, disregarding etiquette, sent servants to search for them. When these girls hurried back, their families sighed in relief—so long as it wasn’t their daughters involved.

"Mrs. Feng, where is your Third Miss?" Mrs. Wu asked insidiously. "The Third Miss has been away from the banquet for quite a while, where did she go?"

Lady Feng, extremely anxious with sweat-drenched palms, felt her head buzzing. Feng Wan answered, "Madam, my third sister dampened her dress and is in the dressing room changing. She’ll return shortly."

"If I recall correctly, the Third Miss has been absent for nearly an hour. Does changing clothes take that long?"

"Could the one seducing the Third Prince with forbidden incense be Fengyu?"

"It’s very likely her. She’s the only one missing from the banquet. If not her, then who? Such shameless behavior, desperate to climb up and become a phoenix—madness!"

Duchess Marquis An Yuan coldly retorted, "You sound so sure, as if you’ve witnessed everything. Truly amusing. A young lady steps away to change clothes and yet you weave such tales—what grudge do you bear against the Third Miss?"

Minister Lin’s wife spoke with a sarcastic tone, "The Marchioness was the main guest at the Third Miss’s coming-of-age ceremony; their bond is certainly special. But if it truly is the Third Miss, I wonder if the Marchioness would still stand firmly by her side without hesitation."

"The Third Miss has the face of a vixen and questionable conduct. It’s hardly surprising she’d do something like this."

The whispered insults and humiliation left the Feng Family deeply embarrassed and frightened. Feng Changlin took a deep breath to suppress his panic. Fengyu might be mischievous occasionally, but she was a proud and dignified girl who would never stoop to dishonoring the family name.

Lady Feng’s face flushed red, unable to endure their vile words anymore. "Yu’er would never disgrace our family! She’s timid and cautious, unlike certain individuals who dare commit murder publicly."

"You!" Mrs. Lin, enraged, prepared to reprimand Lady Feng under the shield of her own status, when a cheerful voice interrupted.

"What lively conversation are the ladies having?"

Fengyu entered the banquet hall, supporting Consort Xie. Everyone rose to greet them. Mrs. Wu and Minister Lin’s wife looked disappointed as they saw Fengyu calmly walking beside Consort Xie.

Feng Changlin and Lady Feng were overjoyed—it was a relief that this calamity had nothing to do with their family.

Fengyu had changed into fresh clothes. Aside from her pale face, her presentation was flawless. Yet the wound on her thigh burned with each step she took. Consort Xie, aware of her injury, advised her to sit down due to the difficulty of standing.

"Please, remain seated," Consort Xie said grandly, settling into her chair. "What were you discussing that seemed so lively?"

Mrs. Wu and Minister Lin’s wife, previously vicious in their speculation, now quailed before the Consort and dared not speak recklessly.

"We were simply talking about why it took the Third Miss so long to change her clothes," Mrs. Lin’s second wife, Lin Yunong, who had stayed out of the drama, spoke up, laughing lightly. "How did she come to be with Her Ladyship?"

Consort Xie massaged her temple and explained, "I had too much to drink and felt nauseated. The Third Miss mentioned that her elders are fond of drinking, and she knows remedies for it. So, she accompanied me to the palace and helped prepare a hangover soup. I must admit, the soup worked wonders—I feel much better now."

Having just taken her seat, Fengyu heard Consort Xie’s words. "The Feng Family has truly raised its daughters well. I have a reward for them!"

Palace maids brought two ornate wooden boxes to the table. Lady Feng received a gold hairpin, while the Feng Family daughters each received a jade bracelet. As Lady Feng prepared to lead the girls in expressing their gratitude, Consort Xie waved a hand dismissively. "No need for formalities, everyone sit."

Lady Feng was overjoyed—this was her first palace reward after so many visits. The noblewomen and young ladies present envied her intensely, while Fengyu lowered her gaze, her hands tucked discreetly into her sleeves. Feng Wan, concerned, whispered, "Third Sister, are you feeling unwell?"

Lady Feng also turned to look, having heard Fengyu’s earlier defense. Fengyu softened her expression into a faint smile. "I’m just a bit tired."

Lady Feng said, "There’s been a major incident earlier. The banquet won’t disperse soon, but since it doesn’t involve us, rest your eyes for now and wait for the outcome."

Obediently, Fengyu closed her eyes, her heart filled with bitter hatred toward the ruthless fate under imperial power that treated lives like mere ants.

Inside the Third Prince’s resting palace, chaos ruled. As Emperor Jianming and the Empress entered, traces of forbidden incense still lingered, prompting Mr. Xu to urgently order the removal of the incense burner. Lin Cheng covered his nose deliberately.

Behind the bed curtains, the sound of pleasure-inducing gasps continued, embarrassingly audible to all. Xie Xun leaned nonchalantly against the doorframe, expressionless and unmoving, while Lin Cheng’s face darkened.

"Chen Mo, drag this unfilial son out for me!" Emperor Jianming thundered in rage. The scene was unbearable—a disgrace at a royal banquet.

The Crown Prince hurriedly offered an explanation. "Father, please calm down. Third Brother has always been an obedient person—he must have succumbed to the allure of forbidden incense."

Jinyi Guard Chen Mo, seasoned in handling extraordinary sights, stiffened at what he found in the bedchamber. He delivered a quick blow to knock out the frenzied, half-dressed Third Prince, ignoring the disgraceful mess on the bed. To his shock, he quickly discerned that the woman beneath the Third Prince had already died, her body marred with scars—a victim of brutal torment.

Chen Mo’s back ran cold as he pulled a blanket over the lifeless form and revealed the truth to the Emperor.

Emperor Jianming was stunned, while the Empress murmured to herself, "Dead... dead?"

She had schemed to have the Third Prince and Fengyu committed to acts of intimacy, framing Fengyu in the process. Never had she anticipated Fengyu’s death in the aftermath—had she overused the incense?