TEFSCBSS Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The groom who died wasn’t Wang Xiucai but the Third Prince.

Poor Third Prince Han Yueyi still didn’t understand what the title meant, but he’d probably figure it out in a few days.

In short, two elegantly dressed young men with silk robes and graceful manners made it obvious they weren’t ordinary individuals.

As soon as they appeared, the crowd’s chatter instantly quieted, replaced by hushed whispers.

“Whoa, isn’t that the notorious playboy Wang Bokao? How has Grand Tutor Wang not broken his legs yet?”

“Exactly! A good-for-nothing who spends his days frequenting brothels. I genuinely pity Grand Tutor Wang. He’s mentored countless scholars, yet ended up with such an unworthy grandson.”

“Shh! Keep it down. The guy next to him is his close buddy—the Third Prince!”

“You mean the same Third Prince who’s uneducated, causes trouble wherever he goes, nearly burned down the palace a few years back, and got banished to Rongbei for reflection?”

Han Yueyi: … Thanks, but there’s no need to know me this well.

Han Yueyi was about to exchange pleasantries when Liu the butcher boldly approached. “Young Master Wang, how are the piglets I delivered to your family the other day?”

The crowd perked up at the hint of gossip, ceasing their whispers to eavesdrop.

They knew Liu’s family ran a small pig farm that supplied pork to the surrounding areas. Even the occasional household selling meat often sourced piglets from Liu’s farm. Liu’s father, Liu Daneng, had hoped his son would continue the pig farming business, but Liu had devoted himself to butchering instead, earning the nickname “Liu the Butcher” for his exceptional skills.

But nobody expected Grand Tutor Wang’s literary family—renowned for being delicate and scholarly—to be raising piglets.

Wang Bokao’s shifty eyes revealed his reluctance to talk about it. “They’re doing well. Just fine.”

Liu the Butcher wanted to follow up, hoping to secure a butchering job at the Wang household for the year-end, but Wang Bokao quickly cut him off.

Grabbing Han Yueyi, Wang Bokao maneuvered through the crowd and feigned interest in inspecting the latrine area. Han Yueyi, puzzled by his friend’s awkward behavior, resolved to question him later.

As the pair investigated and discussed the situation, the crowd observed that the two noblemen seemed different from the arrogant and tyrannical personalities they had heard about. Emboldened, the villagers began attempting to solve the puzzles too—after all, each question was worth a tael of silver! They would be fearless and focused on solving the case today!

Behind them, Su Li watched everything intently, remaining silent.

She carefully observed Han Yueyi and realized he was her original self’s fiancé. Disguised as a man and operating under an alias, she wondered if the Third Prince would recognize her. Not that it mattered; she would still take action.

The second and third questions in the contest were her way of retelling her original story’s tragic ending, hoping to warn others.

In the original timeline, her former self stubbornly refused to leave the Prime Minister’s residence, harboring deep jealousy toward the true daughter of the household, Su Yao. Time and again, she bullied Su Yao, even pushing her into a lake during a banquet.

Later, Prime Minister Su submitted a petition denouncing Su Li as unruly and of questionable bloodline, requesting the engagement be transferred to Su Yao. Though the emperor rejected the petition, Su Li, consumed by resentment, caused Su Yao’s death during her illness. As punishment, Su Li was confined to her quarters.

On her wedding day, the groom—Third Prince Han Yueyi—died unexpectedly. People blamed Su Li, claiming her ill fortune had caused his death. Prime Minister Su quickly disowned her, forcing her to take her own life with a cup of poisoned wine.

To everyone’s shock, Su Yao, previously thought dead, “miraculously” returned to life. Master Huiwen of the Xiangguo Temple declared Su Yao a phoenix-born destined to bring peace and prosperity. Su Yao became the object of contention among the royal princes.

Sigh. Today, Su Li revealed a rewritten version of the future events in the hope that the Third Prince could avoid his grim fate. (Preferably, he’d annul the engagement and save her from being buried alive with him. ┭┮﹏┭┮)

The crowd circled the latrines repeatedly until Wang Bokao made his conclusion: “There’s nothing here!”

Han Yueyi scoffed, ignoring him, and turned to Su Li.

After a moment’s hesitation, he addressed her, “Young Master Zhao, I’d like to learn about the scene at the time of the incident.”

He’s here! He’s here!

Finally, someone had come to question her, the key witness!

Su Li was thrilled. “Sure! Let me recount what I remember.”

“At the time, I was focused on eating and didn’t hear much. After all, I didn’t know the host here and was just passing by for a free meal.”

“As I ate, the others at the table got up, and I felt it would be rude to keep eating alone. So I grabbed a chicken leg and followed the crowd. I thought they were giving out coins to share the joy.” Su Li smacked her lips as though savoring a chicken leg. “But as soon as I joined them, I heard someone say two people were challenging the groom to a… bowel movement contest. I couldn’t eat after that.”

The crowd sympathized.

“Thinking it might be entertaining, I snuck back to the feast, intending to pack some buns, pancakes, or chicken legs for my journey as a traveling scholar.”

The crowd sneered.

“Don’t look at me like that! You’d do the same!” Su Li grinned, full of confidence.

Internally, she praised her own acting skills. If her business succeeded, she would train an immersive NPC team.

Back to the story, Su Li furrowed her brow in recollection. “While packing the food, I noticed the bride’s father returning. His hands were in his pockets, and he looked deep in thought. He didn’t notice me and went straight into the bridal chamber. I figured he was going to speak privately with his daughter and didn’t think much of it.”

“After packing my food, I hid it in a bundle, grabbed some peanuts, and headed to the village entrance. By then, the contest was still ongoing.”

Liu the Butcher, hearing this, felt a craving for peanuts himself.

Wang Bokao: … Seriously?

Su Li smirked, seeing Wang Bokao pause his snacking. Pleased, she continued, “When I asked around, I learned the three men had been inside the latrines for nearly two-quarters of an hour. A healthy person like me wouldn’t need more than one quarter!”

“At that point, I thought, wow, some people are extraordinary!”

Han Yueyi: … Is that how you use that phrase?

“But something felt off…” Su Li lowered her voice and glanced around cautiously. The crowd leaned in closer.

“The left and right stalls were full of groaning sounds—you know, the kind you hear when someone’s been sitting too long or struggling.” The crowd nodded knowingly.

“But the middle stall, where the groom was, was completely silent. Not a single sound, as if no one was there.”

“That’s when I thought something wasn’t right. Turns out, the guy was already dead inside!”

“However, I can guarantee one thing: the folks in the left and right stalls and the circle of onlookers are innocent. They’re all witnesses to each other’s presence.”

“From the beginning, the people in the adjacent stalls made noise, but the groom’s stall remained eerily quiet.”

“So yeah, this whole situation is bizarre and has nothing to do with us!”