Throughout Zhang’s absence， Yingying had experienced the most profound bliss and most abject misery. The news of Zhang’s success on the examination had made her ecstatic， but then Zheng Heng’s story had completely crushed her. The terrible rumor added to the anxiety produced by her former fiancé’s presence. She had spent those days doing nothing but shedding tears and wailing in desperation. When Hongniang showed up to ask if she wished to come in and speak with Master Zhang， she burst into a fit. She longed to see him， but at the same time she hated him. She didn’t want to believe the rumor， and meanwhile she couldn’t just ignore it. Hongniang repeated to her everything Zhang Sheng had told Madame Cui and suggested she go see him herself and clear things up. Yingying thought for a moment and agreed.
She sat up and didn’t bother to change clothes and freshen up. Her face was pale and her hair uncombed， just like a bedridden patient. Assisted by Hongniang she entered Madame Cui’s room. At the sight of his haggard bride， Zhang Sheng felt a shock and stabbing pain in his heart. As he stepped forward to greet her， she burst into uncontrollable sobbing.
Zhang Sheng approached her and began speaking. “Since I left you， I had been so busy preparing for the exam that I didn’t have time to write. After I got the first place， I sent a messenger here to deliver the good news. I received your gifts and I knew your heart. I have now been appointed a prefecture magistrate by imperial decree and I didn’t waste a minute to return to your side. All of these should make you happy， yet you appear crushed. What’s happened？”
Yingying replied sharply， “I didn’t hear from you for ages！ I was ecstatic to hear of your success and anxiously awaited your return. But who would have known that along with you came the news of your marriage by the imperial decree？ What have I done to deserve this？ How could you betray me and wed the minister’s daughter？”
“Calm down， my wife， Heaven will attest to my innocence. My love for you will never alter and I have not betrayed you. Look， I’ve brought here the items for our wedding. Please don’t believe this vicious rumor – I’ve been framed and I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
As they were arguing， the abbot returned to the temple with the General on White Horse. General Du had planned to preside over the wedding and didn’t expect any more hiccups. Thus， when the abbot told him of the rumor Zheng Heng was spreading and his intent to disrupt the wedding， he was furious. He knew his friend’s heart and trusted that he would never betray his true love.General Du entered the temple and went straight to Madame Cui， declaring， “You once said the Cui family wouldn’t take any common scholar as their son-in-law. Well now my brother is the prefecture magistrate， no ordinary accomplishment. What’s more， he and Yingying are a perfect match. I didn’t expect you to go changing your mind again， but here we are. And why？ Anyone can see that Zheng Heng is lying， and his lie can’t go on forever. If my brother had actually married by imperial decree， where is his wife？ What’s more， if this supposed happening was such a big deal in the capital， how is it that nobody else knows about it？ Madame， if you still doubt me， why don’t we bring in Zheng Heng and question him directly？”
