The reason why the Chen family waited patiently until today to propose breaking off the engagement was because they heard that Wan Jiangyuan was very likely to die in prison.
I had thought that everything would be over once he died, and I could also gain a good reputation as a trustworthy person, but I never expected that he is still alive.
The Chen family was forced to write the document to break off the engagement and sent Nanny Li to ask Wan Chengji or Xu to sign on behalf of Wan Jiangyuan.
"No!" Xu refused without even thinking, "We won't cancel this marriage!"
Wan Chengji had just discussed with her the marriage between the Bo family and the Chen and Lin families. He guessed that both families would cancel the engagement, especially the Chen family.
The result of the discussion was that the marriage must be cancelled, but it couldn't be cancelled for nothing. At least they had to make some compensation. They were really short of money during their escape.
Wan Chengji felt that it was beneath his dignity to discuss these matters with a nanny, so Xu had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it herself.
Before arriving, the Chen family suspected that the Dingyang Marquisate might not easily cancel the engagement, and they already had a plan in place. When Madam Li heard Xu's statement that the engagement wouldn't be cancelled, she sneered and said confidently, "So what if your Marquisate refuses to cancel? Don't forget, according to the laws of this dynasty, if one party is convicted, the other can go to the government and ask for help in dissolving the engagement."
"Indeed, there is such a thing." Xu sneered, "But don't forget, you have to pay money to ask the government for help in canceling the engagement. Let me think, is it two hundred or three hundred taels?" This is why Wan Chengji was determined not to cancel these two marriages in vain.
"Madam, why don't you just tell me what you want in exchange for breaking off the engagement?" Nanny Li hadn't expected the Dingyang Marquis's family to be so brazen. If it were another family, they would probably have taken the initiative to bring up the matter of breaking off the engagement in order to avoid delaying the woman.
Xu smiled and said, "Look, we're going to be exiled soon. Since you're here, you should learn from others and give them something, right?"
"Madam, don't you just want money?" Nanny Li said as she took out two copies of the marriage cancellation document that Lord Chen had already prepared and a silver note worth fifty taels from her bosom and handed them over.
She said, "I don't have any more. If Madam Bo thinks it's too little, I'll have to go back and ask Master and Madam to seek legal help."
"Only fifty taels?" It wasn't even enough for her to buy a nice headdress. Xu glanced at the banknote and looked down on it.
"If Madam Marquis thinks it's too little, just return it to me. Let's just ask the government to help us sort it out." Nanny Li reached out to take back the marriage cancellation document and banknotes. Madam Chen had indeed given her these when she came, and Madam Chen still thought it was a free gift to the Marquis of Dingyang.
"Wait!" Xu hid the banknotes and the marriage cancellation document behind her. "Did I say I didn't agree?" A louse, no matter how small, is still meat. "But you must also return the engagement token the Bo family gave you." It was a phoenix pendant carved from fine old jade, worth at least two hundred taels of silver. And her request wasn't excessive; since the engagement had been cancelled, returning the token was only natural.
Guessing they would ask for it, Nanny Li calmly took out the Fengpei and asked Wan Chengji to sign two copies of the divorce agreement before returning it. The divorce agreement had already been signed by Master Chen.
At this point, Wan Chengji did not hesitate any longer and signed the document happily, keeping one copy for himself and giving the other to Nanny Li.
As for the engagement letter they had exchanged earlier? It had long since disappeared when the Dingyang Earl's mansion was ransacked. However, with this document, the cancellation of the engagement would still be effective.
After Xu successfully got the phoenix pendant back, she did not forget to inquire: "Which family is your wife looking for for your eldest daughter?" Judging from Madam Chen's personality, it must not be a very good family.
"To be honest, Madam," Nanny Li said with a hint of pride, "this time my mistress has found a very good family for the eldest daughter. She will be the head of the family once she enters."
"Oh? Which family is it?" Xu became more curious.
"The Niu family of the Censorate."
"Niu Yushi's family?" Xu frowned. "Then I wonder which son of his family you're meeting? Isn't his eldest son already married? Oh, and he has another illegitimate child, but she seems to be very young."
"It's Censor Niu himself. My eldest daughter might have an imperial edict after she gets married." The original imperial edict was naturally given to Censor Niu's deceased first wife.
"Imperial Censor Niu?" Xu glanced at Wan Chengji. "Isn't he about the same age as my uncle?" Is this what you call a good marriage?
Nanny Li looked a little uncomfortable and replied, "Don't bother Madam Bo with that." The task was done, she shook her sleeves and turned to leave.
Xu was so angry that she was humiliated by a servant and remained silent for a long time. She glanced at Lin Yingnan who was walking over and asked unhappily, "Are you here to see He Su off, or are you here to cancel the engagement like the Chen family did?"
"I... I want to go to Northern Xinjiang with you." In the past, the Xu family had disliked Lin Yingnan because of her low social status, plain appearance, and somewhat rude behavior. This time, Lin Yingnan mustered up the courage to reveal the purpose of her trip.
"You want to go to Northern Frontier with us? You don't think Northern Frontier is fun there, do you? Besides, we are going there in exile, to open up wasteland and cultivate the land." Now that the Bo's family is in trouble, Xu really doesn't understand Lin Yingnan's behavior.
"I know everything you said. But I'm already engaged to He Suge, so I should share the good and bad times with him!"
"No! I don't agree!" Wan Hesu put Wan Jiangyuan on the ground, stepped forward and said, "Mother, I want to break off the engagement with her!"
Xu nodded at him and said to Lin Yingnan, "Mrs. Lin, my son is doing this for your own good. Please agree to cancel this marriage."
"No!" Lin Yingnan was extremely firm. "If you want to cancel the engagement, go to the government for help. I will never cancel it." He added, "I have already made an agreement with my family. If you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, you follow the dog. I will follow Brother He Su for the rest of my life."
"Does your family agree?" Xu was even more puzzled. Who wouldn't know how to seek benefits and avoid harm at this time?
"Yes, my parents agree." But this was the result of her recent hunger strike. Her parents also made a harsh promise: from now on, they would just pretend she never existed. But... hehe, thinking about it, Lin Yingnan laughed to herself. His parents must have been being stubborn to say that, otherwise why wouldn't they cut off the relationship with her?
"You're not young anymore, why are you acting so recklessly?" Wan Hesu pulled her aside and said, "Just listen to me. Get the marriage cancellation documents and go back to find someone else to marry."
"No! Even if you don't agree, I will follow you." She has decided to be with Wan Hesu for the rest of her life.
"Are you stupid?"
"I'm just stupid, what can I do?" Lin Yingnan stared at Wan Hesu, "No one can change my mind."
"I also said that no one can change what I have decided on?" Wan Hesu was so angry that he cursed.
"I'll follow!"
"Don't follow!"
Just as the two were at a stalemate, someone shouted, "The Crown Prince has arrived! Come and welcome him!"
When everyone in Dingyang Marquis' Mansion heard that Ning Tai had arrived, their eyes lit up and they all looked towards the East Palace's ceremonial procession, searching for Wan Qingling among them.
Even though she hated receiving the emperor, Wan Xueying had to frown and get off the carriage with Aunt Chen. What made her feel strange was that half of the time had passed, and how come no one from the Duke Ping's Mansion had come?
Thinking of the hint in her mind, she had a bad feeling. If that was the case, the timing didn't seem very friendly to Shen Yu!
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