Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Marrying a Qin girl according to the old custom

After returning to the Zhao family, Zhao Mingcheng asked someone to take the divorce agreement to the elders of the clan for review.

When the third uncle and his wife saw this, they were almost out of breath and brought people to the door that night.

Zhao Mingcheng must give an explanation.

"What a wonderful niece-in-law! You're so cruel in breaking up a couple. Aren't you afraid that Wang will turn into a ghost and come looking for you at night?"

Zhao Mingcheng sat at his desk, his eyes flickering. "Third Uncle, you misunderstood. Nan Xu was the one who proposed the divorce, and... Third Brother also agreed. How can you blame me?"

Third Uncle looked suspiciously at Duan Wenpei, who had been looking down, lost in thought, since he came in. "Are you serious?"

Duan Wenpei slowly raised his head and said calmly, "Seriously."

"Bang!" Third Uncle slammed his cane on the desk and shouted, "How foolish! This marriage was granted by His Majesty himself, and you just want a divorce? Where is His Majesty's reputation?"

"Do we want the whole world to know that my Zhao family openly defied the emperor's orders?"

Zhao Mingcheng picked up the book that had fallen into his arms and put it back where it belonged. He said slowly, "Third Uncle, don't get so angry. It's just a divorce, a perfectly normal thing."

"How can the emperor control other people's marriages and not allow them to separate?"

He stroked the glass bottle on the table with disdain. "Besides, even if I openly defy the emperor's orders, what does it matter? Will my Zhao family be afraid?"

"you!"

Third Uncle held up his crutch and glared at me. A mouthful of phlegm was stuck in his throat and he immediately rolled his eyes.

Upon seeing this, Duan Wenpei hurriedly stood up to support him and used his internal energy to relieve the pain.

"Third Grandpa, now that things have come to this, there is no point in saying more."

"I..."

With Duan Wenpei's help, Third Uncle finally recovered. When he got closer, he found that Duan Wenpei's eyes were full of gloom, and he no longer had the calmness and joy he had when he came to see him that night.

What else is there to not understand?

He grabbed Duan Wenpei's hand, and couldn't help but feel sad. "Huaizhou, you have suffered so much."

He stood up straight, glaring at Zhao Mingcheng with his cloudy eyes.

"The ancestors of the Zhao family were willing to give up their wealth and glory to live alone in Shu, not to seek the supreme power. Even your father never considered it. Zhao Mingcheng, if you insist on doing so, one day you will reap the consequences and be doomed!"

The old man beat his chest and stamped his feet, wailing incessantly. He refused Duan Wenpei's support and walked out of the house tremblingly.

The dim candlelight outside the door made his figure look very long.

"How pitiful! My Zhao family's good reputation has lasted a lifetime..."

When he finally lost sight of the figure, Zhao Mingcheng snorted and stood up to collect the divorce documents on the desk.

"You're still thinking the same old things. Without me, the Zhao family wouldn't be where it is today..."

With a disdainful tone, he brushed his fingertips over the three words "Zhao Huaizhou" written in slightly messy handwriting on the divorce letter, slowly folded it up and put it in his arms.

"Now that you've divorced and returned to Shu, as a son of the Zhao family, you can't be without a wife. I'll make the decision for you and marry a daughter of the Qin family according to the old custom."

He stared at Duan Wenpei intently, trying to read his true thoughts from his face.

However, it was a bottomless pool, filled with only a chilling coldness, and nothing could be seen.

"If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your consent."

Duan Wenpei pulled the corners of his mouth with a forced smile and asked coldly, "Where do you get your confidence from? I will follow your arrangements."

Zhao Mingcheng also laughed, a genuine laugh.

"It's not confidence, it's certainty. After all, the grave on the hill only contains half of your mother's ashes. I have placed the other half, along with your grandfather's family's, somewhere else."

"Whether you listen or not is entirely up to you." He walked forward and patted his shoulder like a kind father, but the contempt and arrogance in his eyes were exactly the same as they were more than ten years ago.

*

For several days, Nan Xu slept without leaving the house. On the third day of the New Year, Yin Ruizhu felt really sleepy and pulled her out of bed.

While having someone wash and groom her, she went to the closet to pick out clothes for her.

"He's just a man. It's New Year's Day. Can't he have some of the courage of a girl from the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion?"

Nan Xu looked at herself in the mirror with sleepy eyes, covered her lips and yawned, "Is it possible that I'm just too lazy to move?" Yin Ruizhu picked out a few festive clothes and tried them on her. Finally, she chose a sapphire blue gold brocade jacket, paired with a Sichuan brocade embroidered plum skirt, and a light brown and gray mink fur coat, which looked elegant and noble.

Yin Ruizhu urged her to change quickly, teasing her, "I don't know what you're like. Whenever you encounter something unhappy, you have to sleep for a few days. I don't understand. If it were me, I would rather go to the restaurant and have a few drinks than fall asleep. Hey, did Duan Wenpei buy these clothes for you? You know, he has good taste, and they really suit you."

Nan Xu felt a headache from her nagging, so she had no choice but to change into her clothes as she was told. "You're still talking about me. I wonder who was so distracted and devoted to the medicine shop years ago." She leaned against the doorway of the inner room, tilting her head to look at Yin Ruizhu. "Now it seems like she's come to her senses and has changed into men's clothes again. I guess I'll be there soon too."

Yin Ruizhu knew what she meant, but she was different from her.

She hates Zhao Huaijue but has no love for him. As for Nan Xu's feelings towards Duan Wenpei, it's hard to say.

"Isn't fate strange? Both of us sisters fell into the hands of the Zhao brothers." As she said this, she tied her cloak and pulled Nan Xu out.

As soon as the door opened, a gust of cold wind blew in her face. Nan Xu, wrapped tightly in her mink fur coat, followed her side and disagreed, "How can this be called planting? I'm not a tree..."

The two men did not call a taxi, but walked along the street with a few servants, looking around.

Shu has just experienced a great disaster, and it is really not easy to spend a peaceful New Year now. No matter sad or happy, everyone wants to have a good year.

Those who had some money bought new clothes, and those who didn't have much money dressed neatly. Men carried gifts and women held their children as they went from house to house to wish everyone a happy new year.

Even if you meet someone you don't know, you can just say "Happy New Year".

This kind of scene was something the two of them had rarely seen in Kyoto.

Kyoto has strict rules and many restrictions. When people go out, they must drive a luxury car and have a group of servants. The New Year and festival etiquette are complicated. It is rare to see such a lively side.

As she was watching, several children were fighting over a string of candied haws. While playing, they accidentally bumped into Nan Xu's arms, causing her to almost fall to the ground.

Yin Ruizhu hurriedly pulled the child out of Nan Xu's arms. Seeing the child staring at them timidly, but still subconsciously licking the candy stains on the corners of his mouth, she couldn't help feeling pity.

He then took out some silver from his pocket and asked the old man selling candied haws to give each of the children a string.

After thinking about it, Yin Ruizhu also asked for a skewer and asked Nan Xu, who shook her head and said no.

The children thought they were going to be beaten, but they never expected that two beautiful older sisters would buy them candied haws with a pleasant face. They couldn't help but feel fond of them. They bravely held Yin Ruizhu's hand and touched Nan Xu's mink fur coat with envy.

"Thank you, sisters. You are not only beautiful, but also kind-hearted. Unlike that lady from the Qin family, my brother accidentally stepped on a handkerchief she dropped on the ground, and she had someone beat him up. As a result, my brother can't come out to play with us."

The child was sweet-mouthed. Yin Ruizhu squatted down and poked her red, frozen cheeks, then stuffed all the change the old man had given her into her pocket.

She asked casually, "Is there such an unreasonable person? Which Qin family member is it? Tell me and I'll help you vent your anger."

The child took it seriously and hurriedly shook her head to tell Yin Ruizhu not to go. "I heard from mother that the Qin family lady is the niece of Madam Zhao. She came to Shu not only to visit relatives, but also to meet the newly returned young man from the Zhao family. She will become the Zhao family's young lady in the future. Sister, go find her, or she will beat you up." She took a bite of the candied haws and smiled, revealing her gapping front teeth. "Anyway, my brother is tough. Mother said he will be fine after a few days of rest."

What do you mean by tough? If he wasn't beaten badly, how could he not be able to get out of bed? Nan Xu thought about it and asked Ruyi to give him another ingot of money.

The child had never seen so much money before. His eyes lit up, he covered his pockets, and ran home expressing his gratitude profusely.

Watching the small figure disappear around the corner, Yin Ruizhu had a bad feeling in her heart.

"How many sons does the Zhao family have?"

Nan Xu didn't say anything. Ruyi looked at her expression and whispered, "Except for the fourth young master who died in our villa, there are only three young masters."

"Then the new husband is... Ah Xu, where are you going?"

As soon as Yin Ruizhu finished speaking, Nan Xu suddenly turned around and walked back. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back and walked back.

She pursed her lips tightly, as if trying to suppress the fluctuations in her voice. No emotion could be seen on her face. She only uttered two words lightly: "Go."

Yin Ruizhu was confused and asked, "Where are you going?"

"drink wine."

*

In the restaurant, several people asked for a private room by the window on the second floor.

Yin Ruizhu ordered two pots of the best Jinjiangchun tea, filled a cup for Nan Xu, and poured a cup for herself as well.

She drank it all in one gulp, while Nan Xu took two sips and put it down again.

Yin Ruizhu observed her expression and spoke carefully, "Don't think too much about it. What a child says may not be true. Wei Yangbo doesn't look like that kind of person."

"You know Qin, maybe it was she who spread this rumor. There's nothing wrong with the young lady."

As she spoke, she raised her wine cup and motioned for Nan Xu to clink glasses. Nan Xu clinked glasses with her, paused for a moment, and then drank from the wine cup.

The wine rushed in between his lips and teeth, burning his throat like a rusty iron saw being pulled back and forth. A fire suddenly ignited in his chest, flowing upstream, making his nose sore and the corners of his eyes sparkle.

Seeing the pain on her face, Yin Ruizhu hurriedly handed the tea to her lips, "Slow down, slow down, this is not fruit wine, why are you drinking so fast? That's not right, your alcohol tolerance may not be as good as mine, but it's not bad either. Why are you choking like this?"

Nan Xu drank water from her hand and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

Yes, her alcohol tolerance is not bad among the noble ladies in Kyoto. How could she drink so much in just a few sips?

She raised her head to hold back her tears, covered her red cheeks, and stood up to open the window for some fresh air.

A light snow fell outside, and Nan Xu subconsciously reached out to catch it. The snowflakes swirled and fell on her hot skin, then turned into water droplets and flowed to the jade bracelet on her wrist, giving the "two people and one cat" a layer of translucent water sheen.

Nan Xu stared at the bracelet on her wrist and slowly stroked it...

"Cousin, let's eat here."

A luxurious carriage stopped downstairs. A woman dressed in red and green, surrounded by maids, shouted to the man who got off the carriage at the back.

Nan Xu looked back and her pupils suddenly shrank.