Chapter 61 Brother, if it were you, would you go to save her?

"Zhi Ning, if that's what you think, then I don't need to be here." The man, unusually, didn't try to coax her, but instead his face darkened.

Zhou Zhining opened her watery eyes wide and stared blankly.

Zhan Xingzhuo had never spoken to her in such an impatient tone.

Tears streamed down her face as she threw back the covers and got out of bed.

Before he could even stand up straight, he swayed and fell to the ground.

She cried fiercely, "So you really despise me! I'll leave, I won't drag you down with me!"

She struggled to get up again.

Zhan Xingzhuo pulled her back, hugged her tightly, buried his head in her shoulder, and looked extremely exhausted.

He said in a low voice, "Zhi Ning, stop fooling around..."

Zhou Zhining turned her head slightly to look at him, tears falling onto his neck. She choked out, "Are you blaming me...blaming Yao Qingling for divorcing you because of me?"

The man's body stiffened slightly.

So much has happened during this time, he's exhausted; Yao Qingling insists on a divorce, but he didn't try to coax her. Instead, he stayed here and took good care of her and their child all night. What more proof does she want from him?

If it were Yao Qingling... she wouldn't let him work so hard.

The name "Yao Qingling" resurfaced in his mind, and Zhan Xingzhuo subconsciously tried to drive her out of his thoughts; if she wanted to leave, then let her leave.

Yao Qingling is not a good woman. She is hypocritical, selfish, cunning, vicious, greedy, jealous... She has a thousand and one flaws.

She was merely pretending to be the way he liked, to control him; she was nothing more than a dog trying to please the Grand Princess.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Zhou Zhining was afraid that her hesitation meant she had hit the nail on the head.

He tentatively asked, "She went to the Duke's mansion? Did you bring her back?"

Zhan Xingzhuo: "..."

Zhou Zhining trembled violently and bit her lip: "Brother Xingzhuo, if you want her to stay, I can go and talk to her. If she still refuses, then I will take Xiao'er to the north... to find Father... so that the family can be reunited."

Tears streamed down her face again, and she cried, trembling.

Zhan Xingzhuo thought of the freezing cold in the north; every year, northern officials would report how many cattle and sheep froze to death, how many houses collapsed under the weight of snow, and how many people died silently under the snow, their bodies only discovered when the snow thawed...

Of course, he couldn't bear to see Zhou Zhining suffer like that; she was so delicate, she would die on the way before even reaching the north.

The man gently wiped away Zhou Zhining's tears.

She was like she was made of water; after just a couple of wipes, her hands were covered in her tears.

He said gruffly, "Why would I chase her back? If she can't tolerate you and Xiao'er, then let her leave. Her only purpose in life is because of you."

“Brother Xingzhuo…” Zhou Zhining’s dark pupils trembled slightly beneath her brimming tears, her voice so soft and tender that it melted anyone’s heart.

The man looked into her eyes and felt that she was filled with nothing but his image.

Unlike Yao Qingling, who only has power and money in her eyes and heart.

Why am I thinking about her again!

The man's mind was in turmoil, and he immediately rejected Yao Qingling from his heart as well.

He said softly, "If you go to reunite with your teacher, then who will I reunite with?"

"Zhi Ning, if you and Xiao Er are gone too, then I will have no family left."

He would never forget that when he stayed in the south and was kept as a hostage by Prince Xiao, only Zhou Zhining and his teacher accompanied him through those anxious years.

From that time on, the only family he had in his heart was his teacher's family; the only person he loved was Zhou Zhining.

Zhou Zhining's lips curled slightly at his words, and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes; she finally felt at peace and comfortable.

—As long as those memories remain, Zhan Xingzhuo will never stop loving her.

She got up from the man's arms and looked up at him: "So you agree to divorce Qingling?"

Zhan Xingzhuo frowned slightly: "The document hasn't been signed yet."

But Yao Qingling was so determined. If he didn't sign, wouldn't it seem to outsiders that he was reluctant to part with her?

This will only embolden her!

Zhou Zhining thought for a moment, then sat up straight.

Zhan Xingzhuo thought she was unhappy and said, "I was going to sign the documents when I got back, but the maid said you refused to take your medicine, so I came to see you first."

Zhou Zhining shook her head: "I'm not angry about that... I'm angry about Qingling's actions. Xingzhuo, what did you do wrong that Qingling treated you like this?"

“In these past few years, what have you done wrong? You’ve handed over all your private property and salary to her; she’s also in charge of the new mansion; other people have three wives and four concubines, maids, and nightly revelry in brothels, but Brother Xingzhuo, have you ever had any of those things?”

Everyone says you love your wife dearly.

"Is it just because of me? But I haven't crossed any lines with you."

"Yao Qingling insisted on divorce because of this; she earned a good reputation, but Xingzhuo would be pointed at and gossiped about because of that divorce agreement, with people thinking that you did something wrong and that's why you had to make concessions to her to compensate her."

“Brother Xingzhuo, you are already facing difficulties in your career advancement. If you have any more gossip, it will only make things more difficult.”

Zhan Xingzhu remained silent.

Zhou Zhining reminded him.

He did nothing to wrong Yao Qingling; on the contrary, he treated her very well.

It was Yao Qingling who was greedy and insatiable.

Over the years, she lived in his house, spent his money, was waited on by servants, and lived a life of luxury. No one dared to bully her anymore. She, on the other hand, became arrogant and domineering.

Then he thought, hadn't she done enough private things using his name and the name of the Duke's mansion?

He treated her so well, and she repaid kindness with enmity! There wasn't a shred of affection between husband and wife!

Zhan Xingzhuo took a deep breath and sneered: "Yao Qingling is always scheming against others, her greed is beyond comprehension."

Before leaving, they even tried to trip him up and harm him.

"It's not about getting a divorce, it's about divorcing her!"

The man clenched his fist!

Zhou Zhining nodded in agreement: "Brother Xingzhuo, it's good that you think this way... You're just too soft-hearted and too kind, that's why those people always want you to back down."

This hint reminded Zhan Xingzhuo once again of what the Grand Princess had done to him.

Yao Qingling is a dog trained by her mother; her ruthlessness and heartlessness are all learned from her mother.

She's so ruthless; she would never be grateful to him just because he backed down.

Seeing his clenched fists, which had turned white, Zhou Zhining's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness.

Although Yao Qingling's dowry wasn't much, the money would be better for her parents and brothers if it were transported to Youzhou City. She also needed a lot of money to change her identity as a remnant of the criminals. Ideally, she could get her entire clan back as soon as possible.

...

The capital city prison.

Rumors had already circulated that Lin Shiyuan might be released soon; the opposition from powerful clans suppressed these rumors; then, with the public trial in the city, Lin Shiyuan gained immense popular support, and the rumors of his release resurfaced.

It was a complete turn of events.

But it's a good thing for Lin Qiao.

The prison guards became increasingly respectful to Lin Shiyuan. Nowadays, visiting him in prison no longer required bribes; two jugs of wine were all it took to get him in.

Lin Qiao brought fine wine and food to keep her brother company and talk about what was happening in the capital.

"...Many people died at Yongning Temple. I heard that the smoke from burning the bodies enveloped the entire county town and did not dissipate for three days; the corpse oil seeped into the soil and was three feet thick."

"Her husband didn't come to save her; that night, he saved another woman..."

"It was such a perilous situation, yet the young mistress managed to survive the clutches of those vicious bandits. She's truly remarkable... no wonder she's the daughter of a military family. Perhaps because of this, her husband feels she doesn't need him to rescue her."

Lin Shiyuan carried a wine pot, taking a sip of wine and a bite of meat, listening as if he were a storyteller.

The image of that day, parading through the bustling city streets, flashed through his mind—a blurry figure.

He didn't see her face clearly, nor did he know what clothes she was wearing or what hairstyle she had; he also didn't know her figure, her height, weight, or build; but he always remembered her resounding words.

"Isn't it a cowardly act to execute a general who has rendered meritorious service to the country in order to quell the anger of the Japanese people and obtain so-called peace?"

"The four border states are eyeing us covetously. Today Ying takes a bite, tomorrow Yue takes a bite, there will never be peace..."

"What I meant by 'not killing surrendered soldiers' was that when we become powerful enough to capture or release them at will, then it won't be too late to talk about not killing them..."

Lin Shiyuan lowered his eyes, still shaken by what he had said that day.

It's a pity that such a woman was confined within high walls and married to such a mediocre and blind husband...

The man took a sip of his drink, his mood somber.

Lin Qiao suddenly asked, "Brother, if it were you, would you go to save her?"