Zhang Tianlun's face was dark as he stared at Yunniang.

Yunniang panicked. Sweat broke out on her back, and inside she cursed Ning Chen's ancestors, eighteen generations of them.

Adultery and murdering her own husband: for that, a woman got drowned in a pig cage.

"Yunniang, is what Ning Chen said true?"

Zhang Tianlun's voice was harsh.

A lot of gossip really had been reaching his ears lately: that Yunniang and Kang Xiao had a thing going.

And for some reason he found himself remembering what Kang Xiao had said that day during the toast. Kang Xiao had looked at Yunniang and said to him, "I've had mine. Help yourself!"

The more he thought about it, the surer he was that the line hadn't been about the wine. It had been about the woman.

If everything Ning Chen said was true, then however good Yunniang was in bed, he couldn't keep her. He was afraid of becoming a second Zong Sibo.

He was obsessed with Yunniang's body and her skills, but he loved his own life more.

Yunniang hurried to explain. "Your Majesty, Ning Chen is trying to drive a wedge between us. He's talking pure nonsense. Your Majesty, whatever you do, don't let him fool you.

If this humble consort were really as vile as he says, why would this humble consort have come straight to Your Majesty when Ning Chen's people got in touch?

And if that child were Kang Xiao's, how could Kang Xiao have killed his own flesh and blood?"

Zhang Tianlun thought for a while and gave a slight nod. What Yunniang said made sense.

He looked down at Ning Chen below the walls and shouted, "Ning Chen, quit spouting lies! If that child were Kang Xiao's, how could he have killed his own flesh and blood?"

"Because Kang Xiao had no idea the child was his..." Ning Chen paused, then went on. "Back then Kang Xiao had his fling with Yunniang in the Great Xuan's capital, pulled up his pants and took off afterward. He never knew Yunniang was carrying his seed."

Zhang Tianlun…