The army returned victoriously, and the soldiers who had gone on the expedition were rewarded according to their merits, and Cheng Ruoxue was among them.
In order to avoid fearing the emperor, Chu Xuan did not say a word when it came to requesting credit for Cheng Ruoxue. He made all the arrangements in advance and handed them all over to the Zhongzhou provincial government.
The memorial from the prefect of Zhongzhou requesting merit for Cheng Ruoxue was presented to the emperor along with the army.
Based on her merits, Cheng Ruoxue was awarded the title of General Shenwei, a third-rank military rank, which was a rare honor for noble ladies in the capital.
After all the general's affairs were dealt with, Lu Yanluo personally sent Cheng Ruoxue back to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion.
As soon as the two entered the mansion, the Marquis of Zhenbei came out with an unexpected look on his face. Seeing Lu Yanluo, he neither saluted nor bowed. He said to Cheng Ruoxue with a gloomy face: "General Shenwei still remembers to go home? I thought the general had long forgotten that he had a family!"
Cheng Ruoxue's conferment of the title was originally a happy event for the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion. Since the first generation of Zhenbei Marquis, the title has been hereditary, and the Marquis Mansion has long lost its former glory, with only the title of Zhenbei Marquis left.
Now that Cheng Ruoxue has military merit, the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion has also become more prominent.
However, since Cheng Ruoxue returned to the capital until today, it has been three whole days and not a single word has been reported back to the mansion, let alone seeing anyone. She has stayed in the military camp day and night and mingled with a group of men, which made the Marquis of Zhenbei feel that his dignity was challenged.
Cheng Ruoxue seemed to have expected this. She glanced at the Marquis of Zhenbei, pulled Lu Yanluo straight back to the room, and only went out again after changing her armor.
Seeing this, the Marquis of Zhenbei looked even uglier. He felt that Cheng Ruoxue didn't take him seriously at all. He stepped forward and tightly grasped Cheng Ruoxue's arm, asking, "Cheng Ruoxue, what do you mean? How dare you despise me!"
"Let go." Cheng Ruoxue pulled her hand out with force and looked at Zhenbei Hou coldly: "Princess Ye is here, do you want to give up this last bit of face?"
"Who is shameless?" Zhenbei Hou retorted, "Don't forget, you are from a husband's family, so what if you were awarded the title of general! Three days after returning to the capital, where are you? Do you take my mansion seriously?"
"My Lord, please be careful with your words." Lu Yanluo said calmly, "Sister Cheng is now in the military and is no longer a woman in seclusion. She must handle all matters properly before returning home. My Lord, are you dissatisfied with His Majesty's canonization?"
The Marquis of Zhenbei snorted coldly and said sarcastically: "The princess is really sharp-tongued. This Marquis admires you."
Without waiting for Lu Yanluo to speak, Cheng Ruoxue said directly: "My Lord, let's talk about the matter today. Please don't involve the princess. The relationship between you and me is difficult to disobey the emperor's order. There is not much affection between us. Since my Lord is dissatisfied with me, I don't want to stay and make him upset. It's better to suffer a short pain than a long one. Let's get divorced today!"
No one present had ever thought that Cheng Ruoxue would so domineeringly propose a divorce, especially the Marquis of Zhenbei, who was stunned on the spot.
Cheng Ruoxue walked into the study decisively, wrote a divorce letter, and threw it at the feet of Zhenbei Hou.
"The divorce letter has been issued. Tomorrow I will go to the palace and report the truth to Your Majesty. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other."
Before she finished her words, Cheng Ruoxue walked away.
The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at the divorce agreement at his feet and hurriedly chased after them to stop them: "This Marquis does not agree to the divorce! Ruoxue, don't be impulsive. Just now... just now I was so angry that I said something I didn't think of. Please forgive me. I was also... I was too worried about you, so I was a little anxious."
Cheng Ruoxue looked up coldly and stared at Zhenbei Hou: "You said it without meaning it, but I sincerely want to divorce. For so many years, I have been trapped in the boudoir, only knowing how to compete for favors with others. This is not the life I want. Since there is no friendship between you and me, why bother to entangle."
“No!” Zhenbei Hou stopped the man again and looked at Lu Yanluo, who had not spoken a word, pleadingly: “Princess, please help me say something. I can’t divorce Ruoxue!”
Marquis Zhenbei was in a panic. He had never thought that Cheng Ruoxue would be so determined and easily ask for a divorce.
You have to know that the customs of Tianji people are not that open. Women who are divorced by their husband's family will be laughed at. However, Cheng Ruoxue did not care about her face at all and was determined to divorce.
Lu Yanluo saw everything the Marquis of Zhenbei said and did. She snorted coldly and said, "The Marquis wants me to persuade Sister Cheng, but how can I do that? Hasn't the Marquis broken Sister Cheng's heart a long time ago? Ever since Sister Cheng entered the mansion, you have only favored Yun Shi, disregarding Sister Cheng's dignity as the Marquis' wife and treating her like a worn-out shoe."
Lu Yanluo looked the Marquis of Zhenbei up and down. "Where were you when my sister was being plotted against by the Yun Clan? Where were you when my sister was being bullied by the elders in the mansion because she couldn't get pregnant? Did you ever say a word for my sister?"
"When did you stand by my sister's side without hesitation to protect her from the wind and rain? Lord, since you have no intention, I will let her go. Now that Sister Cheng has the life she wants, if you still care about her serving you for many years, you should let her go!"
Years of life were laid out before her eyes one by one. Cheng Ruoxue felt miserable, while the Marquis of Zhenbei was so ashamed that he was speechless.
Seeing that Cheng Ruoxue was about to leave, Marquis Zhenbei became so anxious that his veins popped out.
If Cheng Ruoxue had proposed divorce in the past, he would never have tried to keep her. There are all kinds of women out there, and Cheng Ruoxue was not enough to make him beg for mercy.
But it is not possible now. Cheng Ruoxue has just been conferred the title of General Shenwei. She is at the peak of her career and has military merits. She has a bright future.
The Marquis' Mansion is now in decline and needs someone to support it. If it could gain Cheng Ruoxue's power, the Marquis' Mansion would certainly be a different place.
"Someone come!" Zhenbei Hou shouted, "Stop the two of them for me. No one is allowed to leave Zhenbei Hou Mansion!"
The servants of the Marquis' Mansion immediately rushed in from all directions and surrounded Lu Yanluo and Cheng Ruoxue.
Cheng Ruoxue guarded Lu Yanluo behind her with a vigilant look on her face, staring closely at the Marquis of Zhenbei, and said coldly: "What are you going to do! Are you trying to imprison me and the princess in the mansion?"
The Marquis of Zhenbei had a solemn expression, his body tensed, his eyes full of unwillingness: "I won't do anything, but you have to take back the divorce letter. I said, I don't agree to the divorce! As long as you stay, I will let Princess Ye leave immediately."
"What a joke." Lu Yanluo glanced at the Zhenbei Marquis with cold eyes and said slowly, "It is a serious crime to imprison a member of the royal family privately. Although the Zhenbei Marquisate only has one hereditary title left, it is better to have it than nothing. Does the Marquis want to throw away this last title?"
"You!" Lu Yanluo's words tore off the fig leaf of the Marquis's residence, making the Marquis of Zhenbei immediately angry and ashamed. He no longer cared about anything else and impulsively ordered: "Catch him for me!"