Chapter 70 The Divorce is Settled
Meanwhile, the Grand Princess of Deyang was furious that Yao Qingling had openly complained to the Empress Dowager.
I used to just think she was obedient; but when she makes a scene, she turns the world upside down!
She has completely disgraced the Duke's mansion!
Even though Princess Deyang favored Zhan Xingzhuo, she could hardly be patient with her youngest son at this moment.
"Why are you coming to me for help? The Zhou family's case has been reopened, and even the Wang family has gotten rid of Zhou Zhining, this hot potato. As the daughter of a criminal, you should suggest that she become a courtesan and be sent to the army to sever ties with her!"
"And you, you let her into the mansion openly and honestly, right in front of so many officials' wives, and you were caught red-handed! How did you manage to scheme against other people's money? If Yao Qingling hadn't been honest and hadn't taken that money, you would have been convicted of forming cliques and accepting bribes, and the entire Duke's mansion would have been implicated!"
“You’re not here right now, you’re in the jail, waiting for the Dali Temple to come and investigate your background!”
"How many times have I told you to stay away from Zhou Zhining, treat Yao Qingling well, and live a good life with her? You're always going against me!"
Princess Deyang no longer indulged Zhan Xingzhuo as before. She scolded him severely and ordered him to be driven out of the Duke's mansion.
After everyone left, Granny Rong cautiously probed, "Princess, would you like to go to the palace?"
Princess Deyang sighed deeply and ordered a carriage to be prepared.
She still had to go to the palace.
If Yao Qingling had died on the night of Yongning Temple, it would have been fine; but she openly proposed a divorce, making it known to everyone, making her the first person in the history of the dynasty to discuss divorce with the royal family!
If she succeeds, what will become of the Duke's mansion's reputation?
Before going to the palace, the Grand Princess of Deyang instructed Granny Jia: "Drive Zhou Zhining and her son out of the new mansion and do not provide them with a place to stay. Sell her house in Mao'er Lane as well."
Granny Jia was stunned: "But the Second Young Master—"
He certainly wouldn't agree.
Princess Deyang said sternly, "Are we still going to let him have his way now? If he causes trouble, lock him up too!"
Granny Jia bowed her head: "Yes, this servant will take care of it right away."
Princess Deyang's carriage entered the palace, and she went straight to Cining Palace.
Since her marriage, Princess Deyang's relationship with the Empress Dowager has become much more distant. In recent years, apart from banquets held in the palace, Princess Deyang has rarely entered the palace.
When Empress Dowager Jiang saw her, she knew why she had come, but neither of them spoke of it directly. They chatted for a while first.
Afterwards, the Grand Princess of Deyang held her forehead, looking like she had a headache.
Empress Dowager Jiang remained calm and asked indifferently, "What's wrong? Should we summon the imperial physician to take a look?"
Princess Deyang shook her head: "It's all because of my good-for-nothing son. He gives me a headache every day."
Empress Dowager Jiang smiled faintly: "Xingzhuo is not incompetent. I remember he became the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination at the age of nineteen. That year, he was the most outstanding person in the entire capital. Among all the imperial relatives, there was no one more outstanding than him. He brought honor to all the imperial relatives."
These words were both a compliment and an insult to Zhan Xingzhuo.
Protecting the remnants of the criminals made all the royal relatives feel ashamed of him, and they kept their distance from him.
But he was stubborn and blinded by beauty.
Empress Dowager Jiang gave a gentle rebuke, and the Grand Princess of Deyang smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty has misunderstood... In fact, Xingzhuo was not bewitched by beauty, he was blaming me."
She sighed, "Back then, I left him in the southern borderlands, and he suffered under Prince Xiao, so he resented me. But he was indeed young back then... and for the sake of the greater good, the Duke's Mansion, after sending him away, invited Feng Xing'ao to be the heir... He hates me, and no matter how I try to make amends later, it's too late..."
Princess Deyang sadly wiped her eyes.
Empress Dowager Jiang also recalled the past, that period was truly dangerous.
The Duke, showing great righteousness, left the six-year-old Zhan Xingzhuo in the southern border to appease Prince Xiao and make him serve the royal family, thus controlling the entire situation.
After a moment of silence, the Grand Princess Deyang continued her lament: "I married him to a woman surnamed Yao. Over the years, with Yao's help, my relationship with him has improved considerably..."
Empress Dowager Jiang interrupted at this moment: "As subjects and sons, shouldn't everyone, regardless of age, serve the country? Xingzhuo should be proud of this. Besides, he only stayed in the southern border for three years."
"Nowadays, Prince Xiao has a very good relationship with the Duke's Mansion. I heard that his granddaughter, the Seventh Miss, has become close friends with your Xingxiang."
Prince Xiao was stationed in the southern border region and was not allowed to come to the capital without an imperial edict; however, his seventh granddaughter had reached marriageable age and had been sent to the capital last year to stay, and had not returned home.
Empress Dowager Jiang shut down Princess Deyang's words, implying that she was spoiling her second son.
To put it nicely, it was indulgence; to put it bluntly, the corruption case was personally tried by the emperor, and Zhan Xingzhuo openly protected the remnants of the criminals, allowing her to enjoy treatment she didn't deserve. Wasn't this a provocation against imperial power and a contempt for the emperor's authority?
The emperor only turned a blind eye to Zhan Xingzhuo's actions because of his aunt.
"...And then there's Madam Yao. Both her parents died for the country, and she lost both parents at a very young age, living as an orphan since childhood. Has the princess ever thought about her suffering?"
"But Madam Yao is kind and considerate of your relationship with your mother-in-law. She asked Master Huiming to preside over the ceremony, but Master Huiming was only considered by Madam Yao because of your relationship."
Princess Deyang opened her lips.
Yao Qingling invited Master Huiming because she asked him to perform a ritual for her soul; moreover, Master Huiming and Yuanci already had a friendship, so how could it be because of her?
The Grand Princess looked very uncomfortable.
But once she got to this point, she understood the Empress Dowager's meaning; further words would be pointless.
She left the palace dejectedly, but resentment grew within her.
I deeply feel the coldness of human relationships once people leave.
Back then, she sacrificed one of her sons to help her brother secure the throne, but now they don't remember her contributions.
The Empress Dowager's decree was issued not long after.
I agree to Yao Qingling and Zhan Xingzhuo's divorce.
The documents were finalized directly by the government.
On the day Yao Qingling received the divorce papers, she arranged for people to move all her dowry in two separate places—the dowry in the new mansion and the dowry stored in the Duke's mansion.
Princess Deyang did not see her.
Cui was secretly pleased; she had thought her mother-in-law favored Yao Qingling, but she hadn't expected Yao Qingling to be so arrogant and leave so soon.
She didn't go to see Yao Qingling off. Going to see her now would only make her mother-in-law resentful, wouldn't it?
When Zhan Xingxiang heard that Yao Qingling had divorced, he was both saddened and happy for her.
She also felt that her second brother was not the right person to entrust her with this task.
When Zhan Xingxiang was serving the Grand Princess, he said, "I saw my second brother beat my second sister-in-law with my own eyes. Her arm was badly injured, and I was shocked. My second brother is a son of the Duke's mansion. How could he learn to beat women like Wang Xuan?"
Princess Deyang glared at her and said, "Shut up and get out."
Feeling wronged, Zhan Xingxiang ran to Cuihua Courtyard.
Yao Qingling was standing in the courtyard, staring blankly at the place where she used to live.
Although she didn't stay there for long, it was a rare place in her life where she felt warmth and kindness.
But this warmth is fake...
"Second Sister-in-law—" Zhan Xingxiang cried and threw herself into her arms, "Second Sister-in-law, I can't bear to part with you..."
Yao Qingling stroked her hair and smiled gently: "I'm just leaving the Duke's mansion, not dying."
"Second sister-in-law, don't talk nonsense..." Zhan Xingxiang puffed out her cheeks and shook her arm coquettishly, then remembered that this form of address should be changed.
She blinked her big eyes, looking somewhat lost.
Yao Qingling said, "You can call me Qingling from now on, or you can call me Madam Yao like everyone else. However, given our relationship, I allow you to call me Qingling."
She pinched her soft cheek.
Zhan Xingxiang was amused and took out the house deed that the Grand Princess had given her: "This is also part of your dowry. My mother asked me to give it to you."
Yao Qingling looked at the few thin sheets of paper.
Once these items are collected, her dowry will be complete.
Yao Qingling took one last look at Cuihua Courtyard, her lips moving softly and silently: "I'm leaving, I'll never come back."
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