Chapter 157 Political Enemies

"Pah! Who asked you to pretend to speak up for me? Who do you think you are? You're a lowly wretch who can't become a phoenix even if you fly up a branch..."

"Smack—"

A crisp sound interrupted Wang's foul language.

She turned her head in shock, the burning pain on half of her cheek reminding her that Lin Kuangzheng's slap just now was not an illusion.

After finishing, Lin Kuangzheng looked at his hand with regret.

This hand shouldn't be used in this situation.

He had read countless books of sages and written countless excellent articles in the past, but he never imagined that one day he would be unable to bear it any longer and slap his own wife with this hand!

"Ah—you dare hit me?!?"

Wang's eyes were bloodshot, and she jumped up as if she had gone mad, lunging at Lin Kuangzheng, almost accidentally injuring Xiao Yuxuan who was standing to the side.

Fortunately, Qin Yuan reacted quickly and grabbed Wang's arm just as she was about to touch Lin Kuangzheng, leading her in another direction.

When Wang's first attack failed, she continued to punch and kick, trying to step forward. The servants nearby dared not watch the commotion. Injuring the master was a small matter, but injuring Princess Chang Le would be a much bigger problem!

Several of the bolder ones stepped forward and pinned Wang down.

But Wang Shi, having been slapped and unable to vent her anger, felt all her shame and resentment turn into grievance, instantly filling her eyes with tears, and screamed:

"Lin Kuangzheng! I want a divorce! I want to go back to the Wang family! I've had enough of this suffocating life!!!"

She spoke quickly, before the servants could even shut her up.

Lin Kuangzheng's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. His fists were clenched, his brows were furrowed so tightly they could trap a fly, and a resolute look flashed in his weathered eyes.

The pent-up resentment that had been building up for years finally erupted at this moment.

"Fine, you've had enough, and I've had enough too. So, as you say, we'll get a divorce."

For a moment, the air in the hall seemed to freeze.

Looking at Wang's incredulous and shocked expression, Lin Kuangzheng felt no regret whatsoever, only that this might truly be the only way for him to find relief.

"I was impulsive and slapped you just now. It was my fault. I apologize to you in front of Princess Chang Le."

He deftly lifted the hem of his robe and knelt down on the ground.

A man's knees are worth their weight in gold; he kneels before Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, his parents, and his teachers. This is the first time he has ever knelt before Lady Wang.

However, once he uttered the words of divorce, his heart was at peace. He was willing to kneel down and beg for forgiveness so that he would have no further ties with the Wang family.

"I'll write the divorce papers for you later. I'll also go and explain things to the Wang family. You should go back and pack your dowry and say goodbye to Chuanxu."

Wang remained rooted to the spot, as if she hadn't yet come to her senses.

"No, I won't leave. Why should I get a divorce? This is my home. I am the matriarch of the Lin family. I have borne your children and managed all the household affairs..."

She kept repeating these words, unaware that Lin Kuangzheng and Xiao Yuxuan had been gone from the hall for quite some time.

The study in the Lin family mansion.

Lin Kuangzheng was still ashamed and didn't know how to face Xiao Yuxuan.

“I’m sorry that you had to see this, Your Highness. Wang’s behavior is erratic and she’s acting mad. Please don’t take her words to heart. I apologize on her behalf for any offense she may have caused.”

After all, they had been husband and wife for many years, and he didn't really want to see Wang Shi suffer a miserable life. Now that he had calmed down, he still wanted to explain things to Xiao Yuxuan on her behalf.

Xiao Yuxuan pursed her lips: "Is Uncle going to distance himself from me too? Please just call me by my name, Yuxuan. There's really no need to worry about my status as a princess."

Princess Qi is a second-rank official. Whether considering her status as a member of the royal family or simply her rank, she is now far superior to Lin Kuangzheng.

She was wearing a princess's dress today because she had entered the palace early to kowtow and express her gratitude to the Emperor and the Empress, and hadn't had time to change her clothes yet.

This was the first time Lin Kuangzheng had ever looked at the smiling young girl in front of him so carefully.

Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, her eyes like bright stars, sparkling with life. However, there was not much of the innocence and naivety that a girl of her age should have in her eyes. Instead, there was much more of a calm and composed demeanor.

His eyes suddenly stung and became moist.

"Sigh... I never expected that you would come back so soon, only to find that you've already grown into such a sensible young lady. It's my fault for not being able to protect you..."

Both uncle and nephew knew what he meant by "cannot protect". If the Xiao family had not treated her harshly and ungratefully, why would Xiao Yuxuan have sought the protection of the Princess?

However, Xiao Yuxuan did not intend to speak openly. Instead, she stepped forward intimately, took Lin Kuangzheng's hand, and said:

“Who says my uncle is incompetent? If it weren’t for my uncle, I wouldn’t have been able to go to girls’ school, learn anything, or meet my godmother.”

"Uncle, you mustn't belittle yourself. My uncle, Princess Chang Le's uncle, is the best uncle in the world."

She said a few playful things, but unexpectedly, the tears in Lin Kuangzheng's eyes became more and more obvious.

Xiao Yuxuan immediately composed herself. Although she had already guessed some of what was going on, she still asked with concern:

"Uncle, has something happened? You've never been so out of control before... Did Yuxuan say something wrong?"

Lin Kuangzheng looked up and wiped his eyes.

It's truly a cruel twist of fate. This child has been living away from home for fourteen years, yet he still possesses a pure and innocent heart. Even now, he's still wondering if he did something wrong.

"No, you are good. We were wrong. We were terribly wrong."

He shouldn't have thought Xiao Su was a good person in the first place, and let Hui'er marry that hypocritical and sanctimonious man. As a result, Yu Xuan suffered for fourteen years while a mistress took over and enjoyed fourteen years of happiness!

In recent days, he has been preoccupied with two things: first, the headaches caused by his wife, Wang, and second, the tireless efforts to verify this matter.

He still harbored doubts about the unsolicited message sent by carrier pigeon and dared not fully believe it. Only after asking around did he learn that it was written by the Tianji Tower.

Who would send Tianji Tower to hand over Xiao Su's weakness to his brother-in-law?

After much deliberation, Lin Kuangzheng concluded that there was only one possibility: Xiao Su's political enemy in the court.

Prime Minister Zheng is already old and will probably retire and return to his hometown in a few years. Then the position of Prime Minister, the head of all officials, will be vacant.

The ministers of the six ministries all hold positions in the court, and anyone can take that position. At that time, what matters is not only their daily political achievements, but also the emperor's favor and their usual conduct.

Before this, Xiao Su, as the Minister of Personnel, was in charge of the assessment, promotion and transfer of all officials. He was also known for his incorruptibility and his clean and harmonious family life, making him almost a shoo-in for the position.

At this critical juncture, if the affair of switching his illegitimate daughter with his biological daughter were to occur, it's hard to guarantee that the emperor and the people wouldn't think he was unworthy of his position. Forget about promotion; he might even be demoted.

Just look at Xiao Jue, the eldest son of the Xiao family, and you'll understand.

At this time, poor conduct is a major taboo!

However, since this matter concerned his biological father's character, Lin Kuangzheng hesitated for more than half a month, still unsure whether to tell Xiao Yuxuan everything.