The ancestors of Qin Hu were among the four dukes and twenty-eight marquises who founded the Dayu Dynasty. Three months ago, his father passed away due to illness, and Qin Hu inherited the title, becoming the new Champion Marquis.
Qin Hu had been spoiled by his parents since childhood. He cared little for books or martial arts, instead spending his days indulging in pleasure and running wild in the Capital. Hoping he would turn over a new leaf, his family arranged a marriage for him with the eldest daughter of the Duke Chen's Estate, a refined and virtuous young lady named Chen Ruoli. While Qin Hu was notoriously vicious to others, he treated his beautiful fiancée with complete devotion, holding her like a precious treasure.
Tragedy struck precisely because of this childhood sweetheart. According to Qin Hu’s memories, he had accompanied her to the palace to pay respects to Princess Chang'an. The Princess and Chen Ruoli were old friends, and she had arranged a banquet for them. Qin Hu remembered drinking until he blacked out; when he awoke, he was in the Inner Guard Imperial Prison, accused of drunkenly harassing the Princess and harboring malicious intent. Even more bizarrely, Chen Ruoli had submitted a petition impeaching her own fiancé for seventy-two counts of wrongdoing, each one meticulously documented. Qin Hu had felt as though he’d been struck by lightning, unable to believe his own ears.
Chapter 463