Chapter 28 Returning Home
After hearing the Empress Dowager's sigh, Emperor Tai'an's face darkened.
"This Wen Rugui is so excessive."
He couldn't take care of the minister's family affairs, but if it made his mother unhappy, he had to pay attention to it.
"Don't think so, mother. As long as your son is here, no one can make you angry."
The Queen Mother listened to this, feeling relieved and sighing: "Old Lady Lin, isn't it because she doesn't have a son?"
General Lin was willing to refuse the title of Duke only because he had no son.
If General Lin had a son who inherited the title of Duke after his death, how could Wen Rugui dare to do such a thing?
In the final analysis, it was because the Lin family had no one.
"Don't worry, mother. Your son will take care of this matter."
The Queen Mother nodded in relief. "I don't care about anything else, but with things like this, the Lin and Wen families can no longer be married. The old lady of the Lin family came to the palace only to ask that her daughter break off relations with Wen Rugui and bring her two granddaughters back to the Lin family."
"It's what I should do." After hearing what the empress dowager said, Emperor Tai'an felt that the old lady was not meddling too much and had a better impression of the Lin family.
When General Lin refused him the title of Duke, he was not without anger. At that time, he had just ascended the throne and was facing a lot of criticism. He was in urgent need of support from all sides. General Lin refused even the title of Duke, which clearly showed that he had objections to his succession.
He even had the intention to kill, but considering General Lin's achievements and his own situation at the time, he could not do so.
Now that General Lin is gone, only women and children are left in the Lin family. Emperor Tai'an has already sat firmly on the throne, so his state of mind is naturally different from before.
Since his mother had spoken, he didn't mind giving the Lin family some care.
Emperor Tai'an left the Cining Palace, and a maid stood behind the empress dowager, massaging her shoulders.
After an unknown amount of time, the Queen Mother opened her eyes and sighed, "I never thought that Dou Chuncao, who always rushed recklessly, would cry."
This sentence is quite interesting.
The nanny who was massaging the empress dowager's shoulders silently made her movements lighter.
"We're all old..." The Queen Mother sighed meaningfully.
As soon as Emperor Tai'an returned to his bedroom, he heard the eunuch Zhu Xi report that Minister Wen wanted to see him.
Emperor Tai'an raised his eyelids and said calmly, "Just say that I'm with the Queen Mother and haven't returned yet."
Zhu Xi took the order and left.
Wen Rugui was waiting anxiously outside. When he saw Zhu Xi, he immediately came forward and said, "Eunuch Zhu—"
Zhu Xi raised his hand to interrupt Wen Rugui and distanced himself from him: "Master Wen, please go back. The Emperor is still with the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace."
When Wen Rugui heard this, his face turned pale.
The old lady went to the palace to complain to the empress dowager, and the emperor said he was accompanying the empress dowager. He knew very well what this meant.
Wen Rugui didn't know how he walked back to the Wen Mansion. He didn't react at all to the group of onlookers following him. As soon as he reached the gate, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Master, Master!" the doorman shouted.
"Didn't you catch up with the old lady from the General's Mansion?"
"It seems so."
"Tsk tsk, Minister Wen's legs are not in good condition."
As the onlookers gathered together and talked about the fun, several officers knocked on the door of the Wen family.
Faced with the officials who came to his home, Wen Rugui was distraught and no longer as calm and composed as usual.
"Sir Wen, the old lady of the Lin family has filed a complaint with the government, requesting that the Lin family sever ties with you. I'll trouble you to accompany me."
Wen Rugui seemed not to hear.
"Sir Wen, our master is waiting for you." The officer emphasized his tone.
Another steward was following Wen Rugui. Seeing that Wen Rugui didn't move, he called out anxiously, "Master..."
Wen Rugui stood up with a numb expression and followed the officials to the government office in a daze.
The yamen was already packed with people in three layers. Someone shouted "They are coming" and the crowd suddenly became excited.
"Don't push, don't push." After much difficulty in making way for Wen Rugui to enter, the officer's sword was almost squeezed off.
In the court, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture sat upright, expressionless at the arrival of Wen Rugui.
Normally, he would be more polite to his colleagues at the same level, but today, after receiving instructions from his superiors, there was no need to do so.
"Minister Wen, the old lady of the General's Mansion is accusing you of slandering your father-in-law and wants her daughter to break off relations with you. Do you have any objection?"
"I—" Wen Rugui's numb expression changed, "I didn't!"
The governor of Shuntian Prefecture was somewhat surprised by Wen Rugui's cooperation. He thought he would struggle a bit.
This way, it would save him a lot of trouble.
"In that case, I sentence you to sever ties with the Lin family—"
"I said I didn't slander my father-in-law." Wen Rugui said loudly.
The old lady sneered: "Wen Rugui, you are still making excuses and refusing to repent!"
Wen Rugui struggled desperately: "Lord Taishui is dissatisfied with my son-in-law. He wants Wanqing to break off relations with me, but I will never admit to anything my son-in-law has not done."
If he admitted it in court, he would be completely finished.
"Minister Wen, your cousin and the steward didn't say that." The governor of Shuntian Prefecture said lightly.
Wen Rugui looked carefully and saw that Wen Rusheng and Wen Ping were both present.
When they met his gaze, they both lowered their eyes.
Wen Rugui's anger was instantly ignited, and he shouted sternly: "Who on earth did you two take advantage of to frame me like this!"
"Your concubine's son is older than Chan'er. Was it someone else who framed you?" the old lady asked coldly.
Warm as a return to a stagnation.
Lin, who had been silent all this time, suddenly laughed.
The laughter grew louder and louder, and the sad laughter echoed throughout the court.
"Mom..." Wen Hao held Lin's arm and couldn't help but panic.
Did she only change her grandmother's ending, and her mother couldn't bear the blow and ended up with the same fate as in her previous life?
Thinking of this possibility, Wen Hao's tears fell.
Perhaps because she had laughed enough, or because she saw her daughter's tears, Lin stopped smiling and stared at Wen Rugui with madness in her eyes: "Wen Rugui, I thought you were a wolf in human skin, but you turned out to be just a rat in the gutter. I was so blind to praise you again and again!"
These words were like a loud slap in Wen Rugui's face, making him angry and embarrassed.
The old lady did not want her daughter to be involved with Wen Rugui any longer, so she urged the Shuntian prefect, "Sir, Wen Rugui just agreed to break up. Please make the decision."
With Wen Ping and Wen Rusheng as witnesses, even if Wen Rugui denies it a lot, he will not be able to change public opinion.
His confession means nothing to the Lin family.
"In this case, Wen Rugui and Lin Wanqing are to be estranged from each other, and their two daughters will follow Lin Wanqing into the Lin family—"
"Wait!" Wen Rugui was about to say what the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture said, "Even if it's a righteous separation, why should my daughter be accepted into my wife's family? There's no such thing as that in the world."
With his two daughters in his hands, even if the general's mansion wants to deal with him, they will be cautious.
The Shuntian prefect cast a sympathetic look at Wen Rugui and reminded him, "Minister Wen, there is justice in heaven."
Wen Rugui's face instantly turned pale.
Heaven is fair, and this "Heaven" clearly refers to the Son of Heaven!
Soon the documents sentencing them to divorce were given to both parties.
The old lady put the verdict away for her daughter and waved her hand proudly: "Let's go home."
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