Chapter 32 My Lord, I Want a Divorce

Lian Chengtian held his wine glass, a slight smile on his lips, and said, "This nursery rhyme is poorly composed and doesn't rhyme."

Shao Wenchou glanced at him and immediately replied, "It doesn't rhyme, it doesn't sound like something a scholar would compose. But since we're both alright, how about we rewrite it?"

They all pretended that the person in the folk song wasn't Zhan Xingzhuo, and started discussing it seriously.

Tao Weixian's face twitched slightly as she glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo and then at Zhou Zhining.

Zhou Zhining remained quiet, gently wiping the surface of the piano, listening to the nursery rhyme with a smile, showing no sign of anger.

Tao Weixian turned slightly to the side and asked in a low voice, "Junior Sister, are you still living at Xing Zhuo's residence?"

If this were done for the sake of other women, and the wife were mistreated, the resulting reputation would be bad for everyone.

Zhan Xingzhuo's suppression of Yao Qingling for Zhou Zhining's sake is somewhat excessive.

Zhou Zhining forced a smile. She originally wanted to say that she was currently living in Mao'er Lane, but if she did, her senior brothers would have an even worse impression of her.

But she couldn't say anything, so she could only look at Zhan Xingzhuo with a pitiful expression.

Zhan Xingzhuo's voice was cold and hard as he said, "I placed her under house arrest because she has her shortcomings. That nursery rhyme wasn't true. It was all nonsense!"

Minglu had heard children singing this nursery rhyme every time he went out these past few days, but he was afraid of upsetting his grandfather, so he didn't tell him how these beggars had brought it here.

She's practically singing in front of the master.

Minglu chased away the little beggars, wiped his sweat and ran upstairs, looking at Zhan Xingzhuo with an uneasy expression.

Zhan Xingzhuo's face turned ashen, and Minglu said anxiously, "Master..."

Zhan Xingzhuo asked him coldly, "Who spread this rumor? How long has it been circulating?"

Minglu lowered his head: "I don't know. It suddenly started singing a few days ago. But I tested Taoye, and Taoye didn't know anything."

He's investigating, and he's chased away the beggars, but he just can't stop them.

They're driven away in the West Market today, but they'll be singing in the East Market tomorrow.

Zhan Xingzhuo thought about it and realized that although Yao Qingling was not a talented woman, she was not capable of composing such an unpleasant ballad.

The song started circulating a few days ago, and now I'm afraid everyone in Beijing knows that he abused his wife for another woman.

Regardless of who spread the rumor, people should no longer be allowed to sing it.

Zhan Xingzhu glared at Minglu: "Go back and receive your punishment."

Minglu lowered his head in grievance and went down to the restaurant to prepare the carriage.

Lin Qiao hid at the alley entrance, but the little beggars had already run away.

She saw the man come out, his face grim.

Hehe, this time they sang right in front of the person in question, those two scoundrels won't be happy now, will they?

My brother's method worked! The young mistress should be saved!

The party was over, and Zhan Xingzhuo escorted Zhou Zhining back to Mao'er Lane.

Zhou Zhining's face was pale, and she stammered, "Brother Xingzhuo, I've embarrassed you again. I shouldn't have said I needed to go out for some fresh air. From now on, I'll stay in this courtyard and not go out."

While she was in the Wang family, she needed the First Madam's permission to leave the house, as the First Madam feared she would cause trouble if she went out. She could only leave the Wang family if Wang Xuan beat her and Zhan Xingzhuo rescued her.

But it's just a change of location.

She recuperated in the new residence, with Yao Qingling watching over her. She needed Yao Qingling's permission to enter or leave the residence. Although Yao Qingling never stopped her from going out, Zhou Zhining felt that Yao Qingling would say something to Zhan Xingzhuo, so she was very obedient during those days.

It wasn't until she went to Mao'er Alley that she dared to speak to Zhan Xingzhuo, saying that she wanted to get some fresh air and that she missed her senior brothers.

Zhan Xingzhuo, as expected, felt sorry for her and arranged today's gathering.

Zhan Xingzhuo squeezed her hand and felt it was ice cold.

He held her hand to warm it and said in a deep voice, "Don't overthink it. Others might spread rumors, but if you take it to heart, you'll only make them feel better."

"I confined Yao Qingling to her quarters so she would experience what it's like to be punished. That way, she'll understand your difficulties and develop empathy."

The two nestled together, the man patting the woman's shoulder, and said regretfully, "It's just that being disturbed this time didn't change Chengtai and the others' opinion of you."

Zhou Zhining wrapped her arms around his waist and gently shook her head in his arms: "It's okay, I have Xingzhuo, you're enough."

Zhan Xingzhuo was deeply moved and hugged her even tighter.

“Brother Xingzhuo, please don’t confine Qingling. The rumors outside are awful. If the Grand Princess Deyang finds out, then I…” She lowered her eyes, her voice filled with grievance, “I’m afraid the Grand Princess will say something and make me go back to the Wang family. Just thinking about Wang Xuan—”

Zhou Zhining's voice trembled with fear, and she couldn't continue speaking. Zhan Xingzhuo felt sorry for her and pulled her into his arms.

"No, you don't need to go back to the Wang family. I will also bring Xiao'er here. From now on, it will just be the three of us here."

...

After returning to the new residence, Zhan Xingzhuo lifted the ban on Yao Qingling, and she was able to come and go freely again.

Although Zhan Xingzhuo did not believe that Yao Qingling had arranged the ballad, he also doubted Yao Qingling's methods. What if she deliberately made it sound like she had made it up?

She has the brains.

He probed, "That nursery rhyme, you really didn't have someone spread it?"

Qingling looked confused: "What nursery rhyme?"

“Those little beggars outside—” Zhan Xingzhuo stretched out his arm and pointed to the door, but Yao Qingling’s eyes looked very blank, not like she was pretending.

He frowned and glanced at the courtyard wall.

The Censorate is next door, and Yao Qingling has dealings with the wife of the Censor next door.

Yao Qingling hasn't left the house these past few days, probably because Madam Xing is imitating her husband; her husband openly criticizes her in court, so she makes up a folk song.

This anger was suffocating Zhan Xingzhuo, but he couldn't vent it on Qing Ling or the neighbors next door. He could only say coldly, "I'm letting you out this time, but if you misbehave again, I'll still put you under house arrest."

Yao Qingling stared at his retreating figure for a moment, then said, "My lord, please wait."

Zhan Xingzhuo paused, turned to look at her, and thought to himself: Could it be that she's scared this time and knows to back down, and wants to stay in his room?

Even if he were allowed to stay in her room, he wouldn't touch her anymore.

She's too arrogant. She only learned to back down after suffering this time. We can't let her taste the sweetness right away and make her get cocky again.

But he still wanted to see her give in, so he could give her a few more words of advice and tell her to remember this lesson and never repeat it.

The man walked back, entered the inner bedroom, sat on the small kang (heated brick bed) by the window, and rested his arm on the low table, exuding the air of the head of the household.

Yao Qingling glanced at him, thinking about what she was going to say next, and then picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.

"My lord, please have a drink."

Seeing her with her eyes lowered, no longer prickly, Zhan Xingzhuo found her more agreeable: "Hmm."

He responded and picked up his teacup.

He recalled the early days of their marriage, when she was gentle and tender, always softly calling him "my lord".

He found the title special at the time; it was different from other people's "husbands," a unique title reserved for him.

He held the teacup and looked at her: "Why do you call me 'My Lord'?"

Yao Qingling glanced at him. Had she been calling him for so long before he noticed?

She said calmly, "Young Master is the term used in the inner courtyard, while Lord is the term used outside. Right now, you are, to me, a barrier separating the inner courtyard from the outer wall."

Once she crossed that hurdle, she would be outside the high walls and a free person.

Zhan Xingzhu frowned, not understanding her meaning: "What do you mean?"

Yao Qingling pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows, and looked calmly.

That calm gaze revealed a firm resolve.

"My lord, I want a divorce."