The next morning at court, Shen Chang was filled with trepidation.
His Majesty, his expression not pleasant, summoned him, his words implying that he had previously favored his concubine over his wife and committed many outrageous acts:
"Grand Tutor Xie is a pillar of the nation. You have married Miss Xie but do not treat her well. Is this because you look down on the Xie family or because you are slapping me in the face?"
Shen Chang broke out in a cold sweat, knelt on the ground in fear, his face pale with fright: "Your Majesty, how dare I?"
His mind was in turmoil, and he couldn't understand why His Majesty would suddenly bring up his family matters.
He quickly realized something, his pupils dilated – could it be that the Empress had intervened?!
Sure enough, Emperor Chongde snorted coldly: "You dare not? If you dared not, the Empress would not have dragged her ailing body to me, begging me to issue an edict ordering you to divorce Xie!"
Shen Chang gritted his teeth inwardly. Xie Shi was so resolute, willing to have the Empress intervene in order to divorce him! Had she gone mad?!
Now that things had come to this, he could only try his best to correct his attitude. He kowtowed deeply and said earnestly, "I was foolish before, but from now on I will definitely treat you well..."
"Too late!" Emperor Chongde impatiently raised his hand to interrupt him. "What's the use of trying to salvage a situation that's already been set in stone? I order you two to divorce immediately. From now on, you shall have no further involvement in each other's marriages. Do you have any objections?"
Now that things have come to this point, how could Shen Chang dare to have any objections? If he dared to show the slightest reluctance, wouldn't that be an open expression of dissatisfaction with His Majesty and the Empress?
He could only swallow his bitterness and awkwardly accept the decree: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
His colleagues looked at him with a hint of contempt. Shen Chang slowly clenched his fist. He did not want to be infamous for the divorce, but now he was forced to divorce in the most humiliating way, losing both face and substance!
If he had known this would happen, he would have been better off agreeing to Xie's terms!
Because of His Majesty's intervention, the divorce proceedings were swift. Shen Chang was furious and, upon returning home, immediately wrote a divorce agreement and threw it in front of Xie Shi:
"I'll give you the divorce papers you wanted! Are you satisfied now?"
Madam Xie picked up the divorce papers that had fallen to the ground and examined them carefully. After confirming that there were no mistakes or omissions, she smiled and said, "Thank you, sir."
Having achieved her goal, she did not hold a grudge against Shen Chang's appalling attitude.
She smiled at him for the first time ever, only because she had obtained the divorce papers. Shen Chang was stunned for a moment, but was quickly engulfed by anger again: "For such a trivial matter, you actually went to beg the Empress, causing me to lose face in court. How could you be so heartless?"
Madam Xie's expression turned indifferent: "It's just a small matter, but Master is dragging his feet and refusing to give me an answer. In that case, I have no choice but to resort to some extreme measures."
His face flushed red, and his eyes seemed to burn with a scorching fire. He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! After so many years of marriage, you show no mercy whatsoever! If you regret it later, don't blame me for not showing any leniency!"
regret?
A hint of mockery flashed in Xie's eyes:
She only regrets why she didn't ask for a divorce sooner.
——
Having helped her mother fulfill her long-cherished wish, Shen Tangning felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart.
She took some time to accompany her mother back to the Xie family home, but when they arrived at the door, her mother seemed a little hesitant.
She probably guessed what was going on and asked softly, "Is Mother afraid that Grandfather will blame her?"
While divorce sounds better than being abandoned, it's still nothing to celebrate.
Madam Xie smiled slightly, her eyes filled with a complex expression: "Your maternal grandfather was a man who valued rules and was old-fashioned. Your maternal grandmother passed away early, and he didn't know how to teach us to be excellent matriarchs. He could only be strict in everything and strive for perfection. I didn't discuss the divorce with him beforehand, and I'm afraid he will be dissatisfied."
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