Chapter 25 Letter of Divorce "Brother Zizheng, I'm getting a divorce."...

The sound of rain breaking a tile snapped Sheng Yan back to his senses.

The young palace maid led the Empress Dowager and her entourage to the palace. Lady Li woke up and exchanged glances with Sheng Ling, who was lagging behind. They winked at each other and asked why someone had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Lou Yanxu glanced at the two women, still unaware of their plan, but finding an opening would suffice. Tears streamed down her face. With a determined heart, she yanked off her hairpin, raised her hand high, and feigned heartache, saying, "Husband, how cruel you are!"

Sheng Yan's eyes widened in disbelief, the silver hairpin dripping blood and staining them red. He waved his hands and backed away repeatedly, "She stabbed herself, it has nothing to do with me!" But Lou Yan was covered in blood, who would believe him?

The Empress Dowager, her eyebrows furrowed, remained silent, then gestured for the imperial physician to examine her. After bandaging her wounds, Sheng Yan vaguely sensed Lou Yanxu's intentions and felt uneasy. He wanted to take her away, but she rolled off the bed and crawled to the Empress Dowager's feet.

"Empress Dowager! I beg you, Empress Dowager, to do justice for me!" Her wound was in excruciating pain, and blood gushed out with every pull, but she had to seize the moment and testify, "At today's birthday banquet, the heir of the Marquis of Chenghua first had a secret rendezvous with his beloved wife and then cruelly murdered her. I beg you, Empress Dowager, to give me justice!"

"What nonsense are you talking about! It was clearly you..." Sheng Yan grabbed her neck and dragged her back, but out of the corner of his eye he saw a bright yellow figure. The emperor had arrived. He paused slightly and let go.

Taking advantage of his hesitation, Lou Yan knelt before Emperor Xiaokang, her eyes brimming with tears as the candlelight flickered. "I am Lou, wife of Sheng Yan, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Chenghua. I beg Your Majesty to grant me justice! The heir apparent once forced me into the water, nearly drowning me. And today, at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, he brazenly attempted to kill me. I truly cannot go on living..."

Xu Congjing stood beside the emperor. She looked up and was caught off guard by his dark, jade-like eyes. Seeing him frown and take one foot out, fearing that her plan would be ruined, she suddenly straightened her neck and spoke in a voice as heavy as a boulder, "I want to accuse the heir of the Marquis of Chenghua, Sheng Yan, of premeditated murder!"

A wife accusing her husband of premeditated murder—this is unheard of!

The rain pattered against the bricks, and as the words were spoken, everyone held their breath, their expressions varied, each secretly trying to gauge the sage's mood.

If the Marquis of Chenghua could be won over, some people would be happy to see it happen.

The orange candlelight cast a pale glow on Sheng Yan's face as he coldly shouted, "You poisonous woman! You've gone mad!"

Lou Yanxu seemed deaf to his angry curses. The wind and rain chilled her to the bone, and she trembled like a leaf, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to look at Emperor Xiaokang. With a flick of his bright yellow sleeve, he brushed across her face, and a cold, sharp voice struck her head, "This is a family matter of the Marquis of Chenghua, and the mistress of the house will uphold justice."

As expected, when ordinary men beat their wives but not to death, it's always considered a family matter, or even some so-called absurd marital intimacy. No matter how great the injustice, it's always handled by the mistress of the house. But if Zeng were to preside over justice, would she even have a chance to survive?

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she brushed them away hastily, staring intently at Minister Weng, who was hiding behind the crowd.

She knew the principle that if you want silver, you should first ask for gold. People would rather give you silver than gold, and this was no different. She dared to sue Sheng Yan not to send him to prison, but only to get a divorce.

But she couldn't say those two words to herself, so she thought of Minister Weng.

Weng Qingyuan originally looked down on Sheng Yan, but despite his talent, he lacked connections and had not been demoted despite repeated attempts over the years, ultimately bowing to powerful figures. His decision to protect Sheng Yan in the Suzhou corruption case speaks volumes about his intentions.

If he wanted to marry off his daughter, he would first have to empty Sheng Yan's harem. In this way, to conceal the fact that he had no heir, Sheng Yan would have to choose a suitable husband for his second marriage.

Now that Lou Yanxu has offered a ladder, Weng Qingyuan, being a smart man, should climb up along with it, and the two of them can put on a good show together.

But Weng Qingyuan didn't move.

Such a golden opportunity, why hesitate? Lou Yanxu inhaled a sharp breath, a tingling itch running through her heart.

For a woman to obtain a divorce decree is as difficult as ascending to heaven. She has staked everything on this plan, and if it fails, she fears she will be imprisoned in the Marquis's mansion's backyard, wasting her life in torment. Hundreds of gazes pressed heavily on her, and she collapsed to the ground, unable to straighten up, her whole body chilled to the bone.

She was waiting, waiting for Weng Qingyuan to lose his footing.

Xu Congjing's eyes were filled with gloom. He suppressed the urge to help her up, took a step back, and pushed Yue Zong, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, away.

Yue Zong staggered, and before he could even look back, Emperor Xiaokang's gaze swept over him. He had just been reprimanded by the emperor that morning, and was hesitating when he was suddenly attacked. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Your Majesty, forgive my foolish opinion, but in the case of Liu Lang killing his wife, the killer was sentenced to beheading. Now, everyone has witnessed the Crown Prince killing his wife. If we cannot treat everyone equally, I fear there will be great chaos."

The anxiety of the caged bird and the pond fish vanished instantly, and Lou Yanxu's disheveled face was tinged with joy. She had long heard of the upright and outspoken Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and had never dared to ask him for a word. Now, with tears in her eyes, she was filled with gratitude.

The decision to sentence Liu Lang to death was initiated by Yue Zong and approved by the Emperor. It was only announced to the people yesterday, and if things go wrong today, it could backfire and look bad. However, the relationships within the court are deeply intertwined, and a single misstep could have far-reaching consequences.

Lou Yanxu understood the reasoning behind it, but if someone argued against it, there would be room for maneuver.

After a long silence, Emperor Xiaokang sat down and asked calmly, "In your opinion, Yue Qing, what should be done?"

Yue Zong, upright and righteous, spoke with a resounding voice amidst the towering figures, declaring, "Even nobles who break the law are no different from commoners."

Emperor Xiaokang's face instantly turned ugly. Yue Zong had unparalleled talent, but he was unaware of the treacherous and treacherous nature of officialdom, which was truly a headache.

However, because of his courage to speak out, Weng Qingyuan, who was initially hesitant, feared losing his patron and quickly stepped forward.

"saint……"

Emperor Xiaokang looked up, his tone slightly stiff, "What is your opinion, Minister Weng?"

"Your Majesty, the imperial mausoleum is currently under construction, which is precisely the time when we need capable people. If we punish the Crown Prince for this, it may ruin the country's grand plan." Weng Qingyuan glanced at Lou Yanxu as if by accident, and finally joined forces with her. "In my opinion, it would be better to let the two of them divorce, so as to save Lou's life from danger and not disappoint the people."

Lou Yanxu's heart pounded twice and then fell back down. She lowered her head to hide the joy on her face. The buzzing voices stopped abruptly, and only two words were clashing in her mind: divorce! Divorce!

"No!" Sheng Yan frowned and stepped forward urgently. In the past, he had longed to marry Weng Chuchu, but things were different now. Weng Qingyuan was forcing him and trying to take advantage of his misfortune!

"Divorce..." Emperor Xiaokang glanced at her indifferently and immediately stopped Sheng Yan. Lou Yanxu desperately wanted to explain the benefits, but Emperor Xiaokang was a shrewd man. If he sensed her intentions, he might not let her have her way.

In his anxiety, Yue Zong spoke up again, "As far as I know, the late emperor once proposed the term 'severance of righteousness,' which means that the government can forcibly dissolve a marriage when there is a serious conflict between husband and wife or between relatives. If Your Majesty can follow your will, or even incorporate this into the Great Jin Law, it would be a precedent."

These words struck a chord with Emperor Xiaokang. Those who set a precedent are recorded in history; which emperor throughout history wouldn't want to be remembered for generations?

He wavered.

Sheng Yan noticed this and stepped forward to explain.

"Your Majesty, please think carefully. The late emperor's actions once aroused public anger. Now that the border is unstable, if internal affairs are disrupted, it may lead to a situation of internal and external troubles."

"Your Majesty, I know my sins. I will live a harmonious and happy life with my wife in the future. I beg Your Majesty to give me a chance."

With reason and emotion, Lou Yanxu secretly realized something was wrong. Seizing the opportunity, she knelt down before Emperor Xiaokang, tears streaming down her face, "I will not plead for anything more. I want a divorce. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy and spare my life..." In the Emperor's eyes, a divorce would be a less desirable "money."

Such a tantrum is laughable. Sheng Yan felt a surge of anger and wanted to grab her by the neck and pull her back, but as soon as he raised his hand, she suddenly shrank into a ball and trembled. Anyone who saw her would think he was a habitual offender.

A sudden gust of wind caused Lou Yanxu's clothes to flutter wildly. She huddled and trembled, looking even more disheveled. A hint of pity flashed in Xu Congjing's eyes, and he stepped forward from the crowd to embrace her.

"Your Majesty, if I may offer a word of advice, this matter needs to be considered quickly. If we wait until midnight, it will be May 11th."

This day held a profound meaning, which Xu Congjing only learned by chance while perusing historical records. Given the passage of time, aside from Emperor Xiaokang and the Empress Dowager, perhaps only a few senior officials present understood it.

At the beginning of Emperor Xiaokang's reign, in order to stabilize the border, his elder sister, Princess Jiayu, requested to marry a foreign ruler. However, she was beaten to death by her husband. May 11th became a lifelong pain for Emperor Xiaokang.

On the anniversary of the princess's death, no one is allowed to disturb her peace.

Emperor Xiaokang was already somewhat swayed, but now that he thought of Princess Jiayu again, he immediately ordered someone to bring pen and ink to write a letter of release for his wife: "Sheng Yan, the heir of the Marquis of Chenghua, intends to kill his wife. Now, I hereby order him to write a letter of release for his wife, so that she may regain her freedom."

"Your Majesty! I know I have made a mistake, I beg Your Majesty to give me a chance!"

Seeing that Emperor Xiaokang had made his decision, Sheng Yan could no longer care about the ridicule of others. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed to beg for the emperor's grace. However, the emperor's mind was made up, and he had no choice but to let the eunuch grab his hand and press his red fingerprint on it.

The divorce papers were laid out prominently before Lou Yanxu. She pushed herself up to sit, her head spinning. She had gone to great lengths to obtain this item, and now that it was right before her eyes, her nose stung and tears streamed down her face.

They got divorced.

She is finally...free!

My whole body ached terribly, but my heart was filled with joy.

She bit her lip and wept silently, gazing at Xu Congjing from afar, before smiling brightly.

Later, Xu Congjing was kept by the emperor. When she returned to the Marquis's mansion with her wounds, Qingrui had already been kicked out by Sheng Jin. Many of her personal belongings were left in front of the door by Chichi, attracting a few onlookers.

"Take your trash and get out!"

Sheng Jin was furious. She had only missed the birthday banquet because of a stomachache, but in the blink of an eye, her mother was carried back and her brother was forced to divorce her. She wished she could tear Lou Yanxu apart.

She stepped forward to slap him, but Lou Yanxu caught her hand and flung her away.

Sheng Jin was stunned. By the time she came to her senses, the person had already gone far away. She could only stare resentfully at that thin figure.

As they reached the alley entrance, Yun Lu suddenly appeared, startling Lou Yanxu.

"Madam Lou, my husband sent me to fetch you."

Xu Congjing arranged for her to stay in a house in Jinggongfang, but he was unable to come over for several days because he needed a doctor to treat her injuries.

That day, Lou Yanxu placed two small jars of wine in the courtyard and drank alone. The moonlight was bright, and she smiled incessantly, unconsciously emptying one jar.

Just as she was about to open another jar, she suddenly felt something moving in her hair. Looking up, she saw that it was her husband bending down to pick a flower as a gift.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Lou Yanxu smiled, propping her chin up with her hand, her eyes unusually misty with intoxication.

Xu Congjing teased her, "The flowers are beautiful."

She had poured him a bowl of wine, but upon hearing this, she drank it down without giving him a drop. Xu Congjing smiled warmly, gently smoothing the stray hairs from her forehead, and coaxed her in a hoarse voice, "But you are more beautiful than me."

"Moonlight over crabapple blossoms, fine tea and wine, how can they compare to the captivating charm of your every smile and frown?"

He wasn't usually one for sweet talk, and upon hearing this, Lou Yanxu's ears turned red. "Where did you learn such sweet talk?"

"If you like it, I will tell you every day; if you don't like it, you'll like it after hearing it so many times."

What kind of talk is that? How domineering!

She didn't speak, only smiled, her laughter growing wider and wider. As she smiled, hot tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm divorced." She sobbed, laughing between tears, "Brother Zizheng, I'm divorced!"

Xu Congjing knew that she was experiencing a mix of emotions, and that she cried her heart out, which gradually eased her past pain.

He patted her shoulder and back with his palm until the crying stopped, and their eyes met. Past feelings welled up in his heart, and his gaze was fixed on her. It was Xu Congjing who was the first to flinch, coughing twice and looking away.

"It's late and chilly, time to go back to my room."

She hummed in agreement, opened her arms, her deep eyes flashing with dazzling light, and said in a tender, affectionate tone, "Carry me back to my room."

When Xu Congjing met those eyes, a thousand words remained unspoken.

Looking up at the flickering candlelight inside the room, his Adam's apple bobbed.