Chapter 321 A Dismal Ending
Upon hearing Qi Yanghou's threatening words, Ding Shaojie smiled coldly on the surface, but inwardly mocked himself.
That day, he was cornered on the bed by the Marquis of Qiyang. In his panic, he heard threatening words, which is why he was terrified and at a loss, and why he was forced to write that memorial. If he had had time to calm down, or if he could have calmed down immediately, perhaps there would have been a different solution, and things wouldn't have come to this.
After this experience, he truly realized that his previous smooth sailing was not due to his own abilities, but rather because his family had paved a path for him that suited him. Without his family paving the way, he would have been like most successful candidates in the imperial examinations, relegated to a remote and insignificant county as a magistrate, and confined to that small area for the rest of his life.
But these regrets came too late. His arrogance ruined his own future and implicated his entire family. If this crisis passes, if he still has the chance to pursue a career in politics, he will definitely be cautious and prudent, absolutely self-disciplined, and remain calm under pressure...
Realizing that everything he was in was orchestrated by the person before him, Ding Shaojie's eyes turned bloodshot. He grinned, like a demon emerging from hell, and stared madly at Marquis Qiyang, saying:
"Marquis Qiyang, although the Ding family's roots are not in the capital, and although I have been dismissed from office, I can still find an opportunity to appear before the Emperor. Tell me, if I were to report to the Emperor about you forcing me to write a memorial, what would be the outcome for you, Marquis Qiyang? Would your Zhu family's title still exist?"
Upon hearing his words, Marquis Qiyang's face showed panic, and then he glared fiercely at Ding Shaojie, saying, "Don't you care about your reputation?"
Ding Shaojie: "You've already lost your official position, what's the point of keeping your dignity?"
"So you don't care about the reputation of your Ding family either?" Marquis Qiyang sneered. "Your Ding family is a scholarly family, and your academy is renowned throughout the land. If what you've done gets out, not only will your Ding family's good reputation be ruined, but your academy will also be severely affected. At that time, you will be a sinner to your Ding family."
"Hehehe..." Ding Shaojie laughed. "Marquis Qiyang, do you think I'm as easy to fool as I was at the beginning? Even if I swallow this, do you think Prince Rui will forgive me? Do you think the Emperor will forgive me?"
"Heh!" Ding Shaojie sneered, "You're scared now, aren't you?"
Marquis Qiyang narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
“I know you have someone backing you.” Ding Shaojie poured himself a cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp. “Have your backer help me get back to my original position, and this matter will be over. Otherwise, I will risk my life to go before the Emperor and tell him everything. If you don’t want me to be well, then none of you will be well.”
Having said that, he stood up and strode out of the study. He could feel the sinister gaze fixed on his back, but he paid it no heed. At that moment, he understood a principle: when a person lets go of all inhibitions, the hand that holds the trump card has the power to overturn the chessboard.
"Ding Lang".
A soft, aggrieved voice rang out, and Ding Shaojie paused for a moment. He clenched his fists, then turned to leave without turning back.
"Does my lord harbor resentment towards the throne?"
Zhu Weiyu's voice rang out again, choked with sobs. But Ding Shaojie's anger was aroused by this voice, rushing to his head. He stopped and turned around, only to see Zhu Weiyu standing not far away, her eyes filled with tears.
Her jade-like face was lonely, tears streaming down her cheeks; a pear blossom branch, laden with spring rain.
The beauty remained, but Ding Shaojie's heart was unmoved, filled instead with boundless hatred. If it weren't for this woman, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament. The root of it all was this wicked woman.
"Ding Lang." Zhu Weiyu's tears flowed down her cheeks, and then she walked hesitantly and laboriously to Ding Shaojie's side, choking out, "Does Ding Lang hate me to the core?"
Ding Shaojie remained silent, looking at her with a mocking indifference. Zhu Weiyu's tears flowed even more fiercely, and she appeared even more frail, but she looked at Ding Shaojie earnestly and said, "Whether you believe it or not, I have never thought of harming you, nor have I ever deceived you. I don't know how things have come to this."
"Does it matter?" Ding Shaojie laughed sarcastically. "Whatever the reason, this is the result. Miss Zhu, what do you want with me? Just say it."
"I...."
Zhu Weiyu seemed to be deeply hurt by his words, so much so that she could barely stand and had to lean against the wall to avoid collapsing. Clutching her handkerchief to her chest, she said, "Since you hate me so much, I have nothing more to say. Hearing that you have changed your mind, I have come to sever our ties. I wish my beloved... a long and peaceful life."
Zhu Weiyu curtsied slightly, then turned and left, her back view conveying a sense of grievance and desolation. Ding Shaojie glanced at her retreating figure for a moment, then also turned and left.
Two people who were once deeply in love are now facing each other with their backs turned, each harboring hatred. It can only be said that relationships built on mutual calculation always end tragically.
Zhu Weiyu returned to her courtyard, where an old woman in her fifties walked over with a slightly unsteady gait. "Where did you go, Miss? The Marquis said you should stay here and reflect on your actions."
"I'm bored staying in the yard, I'm going out for some fresh air." She said, pushing open the door to the bedroom. The old woman glanced at her back, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Everything that could be sold in the Qiyang Marquis's mansion, including the servants, was sold off. Those who remained were mostly old, weak, sick, or disabled, yet they still had to perform multiple tasks. This old woman was only able to do some work in Zhu Weiyu's courtyard because she was the eldest daughter of the main branch.
Inside the room, Zhu Weiyu listened to the old woman leave, then buried her face in the quilt and wept bitterly...
"Wei'er".
A voice abruptly stopped Zhu Weiyu's crying. She sat up, wiped away her tears, and turned around to see her mother, Madam Yang, walking over with a worried expression on her face.
"Mother," Zhu Weiyu called out, her voice choked with sobs. Yang Shi sat beside her, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, her own vision blurred.
"I heard that Ding Shaojie has come, and I was worried, so I came to see you." Madam Yang wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. How could a mother not understand her daughter's suffering?
“Mother.” Zhu Weiyu threw herself into Yang’s arms and cried bitterly. Yang gently patted her back, tears streaming down her face as well. “If I had known you would suffer like this, I would rather not have given birth to you.”
These words made Zhu Weiyu cry even harder, and Yang's tears also flowed freely. The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried for a long time. When they were exhausted from crying, they separated, and Zhu Weiyu asked, "Did you see him just now, daughter?"
"What did he say?" Madam Yang asked anxiously.
Zhu Weiyu gave a bitter smile. "He hates me to the core. What can I say to him?"
Hearing this, Yang's face became even more bitter. "I thought he at least had some affection for you."
"Mother, you have been married to Father for many years and have worked hard for this family. Has he ever been affectionate towards you?" Zhu Weiyu asked.
Yang said bitterly, "If he had even a shred of affection for me, he wouldn't..."
She didn't say what followed; she couldn't bring herself to say it.
P.S.: Some readers didn't understand why Marquis Qiyang could threaten Ding Shaojie, so let me explain:
In ancient times, there was a crime called "illicit love," which meant having an affair without a matchmaker. Tang Dynasty law stipulated that if an official had an affair with the wife or daughter of a commoner, he would be dismissed from office and sentenced to two years of penal servitude. Having an affair with the family members of an official was even more serious.
Although the Marquis of Qiyang's family has fallen, their title remains. Therefore, if the Marquis of Qiyang were to sue Ding Shaojie, he would certainly be dismissed from office and imprisoned.
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