Chapter 101 Chapter 101 The Duke's wife who did something immoral. ...
Jasmine: "I'm the wife of a great Duke, how could that be possible? Give me three days, and wait."
Jasmine went to see the Fourth Master first. Since they wanted a divorce, the Fourth Master would definitely agree.
Jasmine knew without asking that the Fourth Young Master's wife had never contacted the Fourth Master, and after being rejected by the Old Madam and the Wu family, the matter was left unresolved.
As expected, the Fourth Master was shocked and angry, and wanted to jump out of the prison.
The warden knocked on the iron bars, and the Fourth Master calmed down. He returned to his small bed and sat cross-legged.
"Don't even think about divorcing her. Unless I write a letter of divorce." The Fourth Master said viciously.
Jasmine didn't get angry, she just stared at him for a long time. The Fourth Master couldn't stand it any longer, but he had no choice but to lie down and sleep.
Just as he lay down, the prison door clanged and the warden came to knock on his bed with a wooden stick as thick as his arm.
"Get up and get to work!"
The Fourth Master had to open his eyes and saw several bundles of bamboo sticks on the ground.
"You can eat when you finish your work." The warden said this and left.
When the warden walked past, Jasmine gave him a look of deep gratitude, thinking that she must not forget to send him some wine and meat after she got out.
Jasmine: "Why does the Fourth Master hate the Fourth Young Master's wife? It's understandable that he hates the old lady. After all, she doesn't recognize her own son and only has Erlang in her heart and eyes. But..."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
"What nonsense am I talking about? Do you hate the Fourth Young Master's wife? Or do you hate the Old Madam?"
The Fourth Master said nothing, but just folded the bamboo strips skillfully.
Jasmine's face darkened. "If this isn't hatred, what is it? Do you think the Old Madam gave birth to a child in her old age, risking her life to give birth to you, just to make you hate her? Even if I should hate her, it's definitely not you. Others misunderstand her as deliberately using the Duke for you, their own son. Others can misunderstand, but you can't. After all, this is what the Old Madam intended and did from the beginning. Go outside and listen to what everyone is saying about the Old Madam. Are you the only one who's smart, and everyone else stupid?"
"But Yan Ke firmly believes that my mother treats him well!"
Jasmine was unable to put it into words. "What could a warrior see? He couldn't even tell that you, the fourth brother, were trying to murder him. Even when I warned him, he thought I was trying to sow discord between you two brothers. You thought he was being mean to you, your brother, but you didn't reflect on your own mistakes and deserved to be punished. If it were anyone else, even if it were me, he would still treat me the same!"
"Treat everyone equally?" The Fourth Master was at a loss for words, but upon hearing this, he perked up again and sneered, "If we really treat everyone equally, would you be the Duke's wife now?"
This time, Jasmine was speechless.
He paused for a moment and said, "I didn't come here today to talk to you about the old lady. Whether you recognize the old lady as your mother or not, she is still the old lady of the Duke's Mansion. The Duke will take good care of her. I just want to ask the Fourth Master, can you give the Fourth Young Master's wife a chance to live?"
Jasmine's tone softened considerably when she spoke of the Fourth Young Master's wife, almost begging him.
The Fourth Master only heard the word "lifeline." He just thought it was ridiculous, "Lifeline, what do you mean by lifeline? Is marrying me a dead end?"
Jasmine: "If the Fourth Young Master's wife truly thought this was a dead end, why would she marry you? A woman's initial anticipation for marriage is always filled with joy. She must have suffered countless grievances and was utterly disappointed before leaving you."
The Fourth Master thought of something and asked sharply, "Did she find a lover?"
"No. Believe it or not, that's all I have."
The Fourth Master seemed to be lost in thought.
Jasmine looked at him and continued, "Does Fourth Master think she left you to live a good life?"
"Isn't it?"
"You are totally wrong. Guess why the Fourth Young Master's wife came to ask me for help. The Fourth Master made a mistake, and it was the Shangshu Mansion who should have gone to take him back. How could it be my turn?"
The Fourth Master guessed immediately: "Is it my Yue family who refuses to agree?"
"It's not that they refused, it's that they simply abandoned the Fourth Young Master's wife."
The Fourth Master was puzzled: "Then why did she?"
Jasmine knew that he was asking why the Fourth Young Master's wife was isolated and helpless and wanted to divorce.
"I don't know. She probably thinks it's better to live a hard life outside than in the Duke's Mansion."
The Fourth Master looked stunned, not knowing what he was thinking about.
Jasmine felt an inexplicable pity for the Fourth Master as she watched him. She'd probably been viewed similarly by everyone in the Duke's Mansion when she was in prison. Pitiable and hateful.
"Fourth Master, you think you're not wrong, and everyone else must be wrong? I used to be just like you, blaming everyone and being angry every day. But then I thought about it carefully, everyone was nice to me when I was pretending to be kind and gentle. It was only after I was exposed that everyone changed their attitude. But why did they change their attitude? It was because I lied. After I admitted my mistake, I suddenly saw that everyone was very happy. Fourth Master, why don't you give it a try? Maybe life will get better."
After being in a daze for a while, the Fourth Master finally gave in.
"Let her write the divorce papers. Bring them to me for signature."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Fourth Master saw the letter she pulled out from her sleeve. He choked and immediately regretted his decision.
Jasmine: "Since you've agreed, why not end it sooner rather than later? Why torture each other?"
The Fourth Master took the letter angrily and read it carefully under the lamp.
The handwriting was hers, and the Fourth Master recognized it immediately. The handwriting was messy and sharp, with several blurred wrinkles on it.
She was anxious and even cried. Did she feel like they were finally breaking up? No, she was probably crying because she felt so sorry for herself. Or maybe she was just crying tears of joy.
The Fourth Master's mind raced back to his youth, his first encounter with Wu Mingle. Back then, everything seemed real. But then, everything changed.
Yes, it was after they got married that he grew tired of her hypocritical pride, and he even thought that the concubines and the prostitutes in the Flower House were well-behaved and capable. She was angry that he had broken his promise, so every word she said to him was full of thorns.
But although they had only been married for a short time, they had known each other for many years as childhood sweethearts.
The Fourth Master's eyes were red. He couldn't make out what was written in the letter, but his mind was filled with black ink. He couldn't make out what was written in the letter. He simply closed his eyes and signed his name after Wu Mingle's. He also put his handprint on it.
A drop of turbid tear fell on the handprint, and instantly the handprint turned into a more glaring red.
...
Although the betrothal gift given by the Duke's Mansion to the Wu Mansion was expensive, Jasmine did not think that the old lady would be so stingy as to ask the Wu Mansion to return the betrothal gift.
After all, this matter was too embarrassing. Even if the Wu Mansion returned it, the old lady would still go to the gate to refuse.
Unfortunately, the Fourth Young Master's wife was confused by the situation, so the old lady just said casually, "If you want a divorce, return the betrothal gifts first."
The Fourth Young Master's wife returned to the Wu Mansion to ask for it from Madam Wu. However, the Wu Mansion had fallen on hard times long before. First, the Second Prince, the family's biggest supporter, was imprisoned. Then, Minister Wu was disliked by the new Emperor. Three years ago, Minister Wu died of illness. Three days after his death, his sons and illegitimate sons discussed dividing up the family property, and the family scattered.
Mrs. Wu repeated these words to her eldest daughter. Even if she did have it, Mrs. Wu thought it would be impossible for her to hand it over.
After all, she has more than one daughter.
The Fourth Young Master's wife refused to believe it and pestered Madam Wu to raise the betrothal gift for her. Madam Wu, impatient, said a few harsh words and had the Fourth Young Master's wife sent back to the Duke's Mansion.
Jasmine knew that the betrothal gift was unnecessary, so she did not inform the Wu Mansion. After returning to the Duke's Mansion from prison, she went directly to the old lady with the divorce agreement signed and stamped by the Fourth Master.
The old lady slammed the divorce agreement on the table and glanced at her coldly: "I didn't realize you were such a nosy person."
Don't hit someone who smiles. Jasmine said flatteringly, "It's all my fourth sister-in-law's fault. I asked her about Wu Xun, and she turned around and threatened me to help her. You can't go back on your word, mother, don't you agree?"
"When have you ever kept your word?"
Jasmine looked aggrieved again: "Mother, these words really hurt my heart."
A slave girl turned around and kept calling her mother. What sin had she committed?
The old lady waved her hands anxiously, "Stop saying these useless things. Even if the fourth son agrees, I won't agree. It was Wu Mingle who wanted to divorce. When she first entered the Duke's Mansion, she spent so much betrothal gifts. Now she wants to leave like that? She's dreaming."
"You want a betrothal gift? No problem, I'll go to the Wu residence right away."
Jasmine said this and turned to leave. The old lady and Nanny Qian looked at each other, both knowing that this person might really be able to do it.
If the Wu family really brings the betrothal gifts to the Duke's Mansion, the Duke's Mansion will probably make a big fool of itself again!
The old lady pushed Madam Qian, who quickly stepped forward to stop her: "Madam! There's no rush for this."
Jasmine turned around in confusion.
Madam Qian bowed and smiled, saying, "This isn't about the betrothal gift. The old lady is also thinking about the Fourth Young Lady. She will definitely not be able to return to the Wu Mansion. She will be left alone and helpless, and the old lady really can't bear to see her. If the lady really wants to do the Fourth Young Lady good, she should persuade her not to have such a crooked idea."
Jasmine looked at the old lady and said, "The Duke's Mansion can keep her, but it can't keep her heart. Instead of worrying about Fourth Brother's wife making trouble, it's better to let her go. Fourth Master won't be too old when he returns, so Mother can just arrange a concubine for him."
"That's easy for you to say. With his current situation, it would be so difficult for him to find a woman of equal status to be his wife. Moreover, if people outside knew that it was the Fourth Master's wife who initiated the divorce, how would they view him? You're such a wicked person!"
As the old lady spoke, she picked up the vase beside her and was about to throw it at Jasmine, but fortunately, Nanny Qian was quick to stop her.
"No, you can't do that!"
Madam Qian turned around and advised Jasmine again: "Madam, please be kind and treat it as a request from me. Please don't say anything."
Jasmine refused to leave. If she just kept trying, she'd be successful. Leaving now wouldn't be worth it.
"Mother, what's the point of keeping Fourth Brother's wife? Even after Fourth Master comes back, they still quarrel all day long. If we divorce them later, it won't be easy to find a concubine right away. It's better to drive Fourth Brother's wife away now so that we can choose one sooner. When Fourth Master comes back, it will be easier to hold a wedding in the mansion. Don't you agree?"
That was true. The old lady was moved by what she said.
Nanny Qian also thought it made sense and couldn't help but look at the old lady.
Jasmine continued, "If Mother is worried about people gossiping about the Fourth Master, we can tell everyone that the Fourth Master couldn't bear to see the Fourth Young Master's wife alone, so he wanted to set her free."
...
The fourth young lady held the divorce agreement in her hands, weeping and laughing. After she finished crying, she went to thank the old lady and bid farewell.
The old lady refused to let her in, nor did she show up. The fourth young lady kowtowed three times outside the corridor and said her farewell words.
After all, she had been in the mansion for several years, and the old lady seemed to treat her daughters-in-law equally, but the fourth young lady knew that the old lady only regarded her as a daughter-in-law.
All the good things were given to her privately. If anyone in the Duke's Mansion treated her the best, it would be the old lady.
"Mingle knows in his heart that the old lady is truly thinking of Mingle. It is Mingle and the old lady that are not meant to be. Mingle bids farewell to the old lady here and wishes her a long life, good health, and everlasting peace!"
The old lady didn't say a word from beginning to end.
The Duke had no idea that his wife had done such a wicked thing.
Until the commotion in the West Courtyard that evening, the Fourth Young Master's wife took the divorce papers and, feeling embarrassed to stay any longer, decided to pack up and leave.
Yan Ke asked the servants and found out what was going on.
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