Chapter 2 I Want a Divorce
Lu Zhiran's mother, Luo, left her a generous dowry. In addition to the farmland and shops, she also left her a group of capable managers.
The Marquis' Mansion didn't like her doing business in public, so Lu Zhiran ran the business quietly.
Chu Yian went to Xiping to fight in the war right after his wedding. Xiping was bitterly cold, with a lack of food and clothing, and the conditions were harsh. Lu Zhiran then formed a merchant caravan to go to Xiping to sell goods, and at the same time, it was also convenient for her to bring things for Chu Yian.
After a few years, her caravan made a lot of profit and gradually became familiar with this route.
The team leader, Manager Shi, is very experienced. He told Lu Zhiran that the climate in Xiping is not good this year and there may be a severe drought. Droughts are often followed by locust plagues, which can easily trigger epidemics.
Lu Zhiran acted decisively and ordered Manager Shi to gather a batch of food and medicinal materials and transport them to Xiping.
If his prediction is correct, this batch of food and medicinal materials will be of great use.
If his prediction was wrong, Lu Zhiran could afford the loss.
As Shi Guanshi predicted, things turned out to be as they had been predicted. Xiping was hit by a severe drought and locusts were rampant. Not only did the people have no food to eat, but the army was also out of food and had to feed on locusts, which triggered an epidemic.
Following Lu Zhiran's instructions, Manager Shi donated the batch of grain and medicinal materials to the court free of charge in the name of "Taicang Trading Company". This move was like providing timely help and truly solved the urgent problem.
After this incident, everyone in Xiping City knew the name of Taicang Trading Company, and everyone praised it as a righteous merchant.
But no one knew before that the owner behind Taicang Trading Company was Lu Zhiran.
In her previous life, the imperial court discovered Lu Zhiran's identity and wanted to reward her greatly.
With the sweet words of the Marquis' wife Jiang, she used this grace to seek an opportunity for the Xuanping Marquisate to continue its inheritance for three generations.
She was so stupid, thinking that with this favor, the Chu family would look up to her and surpass Zhao Shuning, and in the future, her children would be able to inherit the title.
But the people of the Chu family are all blood-sucking leeches and ungrateful people.
Her family is very wealthy, just like a child carrying gold through the market, which has long aroused people's envy.
They treated her well on the surface, but secretly they were plotting how to divide up all her property.
In the end, she couldn't even protect the two maids beside her.
Lu Zhiran suppressed her emotions and said in a serious tone, "Don't mention this matter to anyone for now."
Cui Fu and Dan Yan were puzzled. "But they are all riding on your head."
"We should make this matter public and give Aunt Zhao a good slap in the face. Let's see if she dares to show off her insignificant little contribution again!"
Lu Zhiran shook her head slowly, "I will slap her in the face, but not now."
She looked at the two of them, her eyes cold and indifferent, "I want a divorce."
Cui Fu and Dan Yan were both shocked.
Cui Fu said anxiously, "Miss, this, how can this be possible? Madam will definitely not agree to you getting a divorce and returning to your parents' home. The master listens to Madam in everything..."
Dan Yan's tears, which had just stopped, began to fall again. "Yes, Madam is a powerful woman. If you divorce and return home, she will definitely torture you severely."
Thinking of her mother's home, Lu Zhiran felt cold again.
Back then, when my mother married my father, he was just a small official of the fourth rank. My mother used money to pave the way for my father's career, and he was promoted twice within a few years and became the third rank Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
My mother overworked herself and fell seriously ill, from which she died. My father soon married his childhood sweetheart, Fang, as his second wife.
It is said that if there is a stepmother, there will be a stepfather, and this is indeed true.
Stepmother Fang is kind-looking but has a bitter heart and is good at acting. Lu Zhiran suffers a lot at her hands, but her father turns a blind eye to it.
Now, her half-sister is at the age of marriage. If she divorces and returns home, it will definitely affect her marriage, and her father and stepmother will definitely not agree.
Lu Zhiran said in a slightly cold tone, "I don't need their consent."
The two maids looked at each other in bewilderment. "But, according to the laws of our dynasty, a woman's divorce must be approved by the clan. You can't get around the master and his wife."
"I have my own way."
Cui Fu and Dan Yan were still uneasy.
"I have made the decision on this matter. You just need to follow my instructions. Danyan, go and help me pack the dowry. Cuifu, go and tell Uncle Shi that I need to see him."
The two maids were very loyal and obedient. When they saw that their mistress had made up her mind, they immediately went about doing it without saying another word.
That year, my grandmother personally went to the capital to preside over her wedding, so my stepmother Fang was unable to withhold her dowry.
On the surface alone, her dowry was enormous, with a total of sixty-four units, each of which was made of genuine materials and was a good item.
Adding the private money her grandmother gave her, it was a very generous fortune.
Over the years, she has donated a lot of things to subsidize the Marquis' Mansion. The cash alone is more than 50,000 taels, and including clothes, jewelry and other items, it is as much as 60,000 taels, which makes Dan Yan very distressed.
Isn’t Lu Zhiran heartbroken?
Even if that money was thrown into the water, it would still make a sound. But spending it on these people was like feeding a dog.
Lu Zhiran comforted Dan Yan, "Don't worry, I will get it back."
Even if she left, she would still get back all the debts she owed.
At this time, someone came from outside and said, "Madam, the imperial edict has arrived from the palace. The old lady asks all the ladies and daughters in each room to go out and receive it."
This was most likely the imperial edict of reward from Zhao Shuning. Dan Yan's face was full of anger, but Lu Zhiran was very calm.
"The imperial decree cannot be neglected. Let's go."
Chu Yian's great-grandfather earned his family fortune through military exploits and was granted the title of Marquis Xuanping. He was once very prominent, but his descendants were incompetent, and the marquisate has been in decline to this day.
As we walked along, we found that the decorations in the courtyards of the Marquis' Mansion were a bit old, and the gardens were desolate and not well maintained.
Her father-in-law, Marquis Xuanping, did not make much progress in his official career. Despite having the title of Marquis, he only held a fourth-rank sinecure.
He has three sons and two daughters. The eldest son Chu Yian and the eldest daughter Chu Yunqing are legitimate children, and the rest are illegitimate children.
The family arrived at the front yard one after another. Today's protagonist Zhao Shuning and Madam Jiang arrived late, and the two looked very harmonious.
Zhao Shuning was wearing a lake blue brocade dress with flowers and butterflies flying around, and a gold-threaded eight-treasure pearl hairpin on her head.
She was taller than the average woman, with a darker complexion, heroic features, and sharp eyes, completely different from the average aristocratic lady from an aristocratic family.
Lu Zhiran was wearing a lavender long dress made of very simple and elegant material. It was like a sunset glow lingering around her body, making her face look as white as jade, delicate and noble.
Her hair is simply tied up and she doesn't wear many jewelries, but her beauty is still impossible to ignore.
Everyone subconsciously compared the two, each with their own thoughts in their minds.
Lu Zhiran greeted the Marquis' wife, Mrs. Jiang, and then stood quietly with a dull expression.
Zhao Shuning glanced at her with a hint of condescending contempt.
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