"Yu Jingxuan is now the Minister of Rites, it seems he has succeeded his father-in-law. But he couldn't have climbed to such a high position just by relying on others' help; he has to be shrewd himself. He didn't keep his promise, he should try to find a way to meet Cen Shi and explain that he had no choice," Xu Wanying said sarcastically, her voice full of disdain.
[Host, you are truly a prophet. Yu Jingxuan did indeed do that, but Cen Shi wasn't stupid either, so she naturally ignored him and later became engaged to the Marquis of Zhongyi.]
Upon hearing the system's words, Xu Wanying's gossip radar flashed incessantly: [Could it be that her father-in-law and Yu Jingxuan became mortal enemies because of her mother-in-law?]
Cen's eyelids twitched, and she suddenly stood up, unable to listen any longer.
The Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, who was sitting to the side, immediately pulled her back to her chair. It was clear that he had heard the crucial moment and would not allow anyone to interrupt him.
The cause was indeed the Cen family. Yu Jingxuan, arrogant and conceited, had become the top scholar at a young age, and was full of vigor, looking down on everyone. At this time, his beloved was engaged to another man, inevitably causing him resentment. Unfortunately, the Marquis of Zhongyi and Yu Jingxuan were both top scholars in the same year, one a scholar and the other a warrior, both young talents, and were often mentioned together.
After that, the two became like sworn enemies, each enjoying a meteoric rise in their official careers. Being from opposing camps in both civil and military affairs, they were already adversaries without even needing to form a feud.
Xu Wanying couldn't help but click her tongue: "Ha, it's typical male flaw—the unattainable is always the best. Faced with a beautiful woman and a career, Yu Jingxuan chose his career, so he should have cut ties cleanly. Yet he still has his eye on another man's wife. Although my mother-in-law is strict and not particularly kind to me, I still have to say, it's disgusting to be coveted by him."
If word of this gets back to the Marquis of Zhongyi's household, how will Lady Cen face the consequences? She'll be seen as a femme fatale who instigated a war between two men!
[System, this is a secret between you, me, and heaven, so let's not leak it. I'll use it to blackmail her when the Cen family goes too far!]
When Cen heard that her daughter-in-law had stood up for her, she felt a sense of relief, thinking that at least her third daughter-in-law still had some conscience.
But upon hearing the last sentence, she immediately wanted to tear her apart.
Is this something a human would say? If the system hadn't exposed it, this kind of old, stale matter would have remained buried deep in my heart forever, taken to my grave.
But now everything has been exposed to the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness, who knows even more details than she, one of the parties involved.
【Why aren't they leaving yet? They've already drunk three pots of tea. Do they have to pee before they'll leave?】 Xu Wanying started to feel sleepy after hearing the gossip.
But with two large statues sitting in front of her, she couldn't even sleep, and couldn't help but complain.
Should we pretend to faint and get them sent away?
Just as she was thinking this, the two men got up to say goodbye, and before leaving, they specifically told her to get some rest.
The Marquis of Zhongyi and his wife remained silent the entire way until they entered Shou Kang Garden and closed the door, at which point they began to argue.
"Back then, under the peach blossom tree at the temple, you said you fell in love with me at first sight, but it was all a lie. And you even plagiarized your old flame's story. The peach blossom tree wasn't a memory between you and me, it was between you and him, and your 'falling in love at first sight' wasn't for me! Cen Ying, you have such a vicious mind!"
The Marquis of Loyalty roared in a fit of rage, his eyes bloodshot, clearly enraged, his chest heaving.
Cen opened her mouth to explain, but couldn't utter a single word, because it was indeed the truth, and there was no way to refute it.
Actually, it wasn't that she deliberately chose it, but rather that it was not easy for women in ancient times to go out, so the excuses they used were all similar: going to the temple to pray to Buddha, going to the residence of a close friend to play, or attending some gatherings.
However, with so many people around and men and women separated, it's difficult to find a place to meet alone.
On the contrary, in temples, if one plans ahead, one can find opportunities.
"You brought him an umbrella, but never me? You wrote poems for him, but never for me? Do you look down on me from the bottom of your heart, thinking I'm a roughneck and not as good at sweet talk as your ex-lover?"
Marquis Zhongyi was so angry that he was practically fuming, and the fire in his heart burned brighter and brighter.
Originally, Cen felt she was in the wrong and silently endured the scolding, but the more she listened, the more outrageous it became, and she couldn't stand it anymore, so she immediately retorted.
"Who said I didn't write you a poem? When you went to the peach tree, you were following the guidance of my poem! I was afraid you wouldn't understand, so I made it very simple!"
“In the first month after we got married, I wrote you poems every few days, but you could never finish reading four lines before dragging me to bed. If you dared to say that I hadn’t written any poems!”
Cen glared back directly, her voice filled with clenched teeth as she finished speaking.
"Fine, writing poetry isn't your fault. But it's a fact that you're blind, isn't it? Of all people to fall for, you had to pick that old codger Yu Jingxuan. Useless trash, all he knows is how to talk big, all show and no substance!" he retorted angrily.
She sneered, "I was truly blind. I fell for him first, and then I chose you. He's a heartless and ungrateful piece of trash, and you're a bastard who talks big!"
"Cen Ru, you still dare to argue with me? Do you not want to live together anymore?!"
When Cen saw him say such things in a fit of anger, she fell silent for a moment.
She was noticeably calmer than before, and said in an icy tone, "If you, Lord Marquis, don't want to live together anymore, just write a letter of divorce. Don't try to pin it on me. Whether you give me a letter of divorce or we continue to make do, I will accept it!"
The Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness slammed the door and left, gathering several of his young concubines together in a state of decadent indulgence.
***
Since the formal tea ceremony, Xu Wanying's mind was at ease. She stopped pretending and slept until the sun was high in the sky every day.
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