Union

Chapter 160 Divorce

That night, many nobles and dignitaries in the capital were exhausted.

The social interactions at the palace banquet were exhausting enough, but then there was the first court ceremony of the new year before dawn.

At that time, not only officials of the imperial court, but also ladies of noble families from both inside and outside the court will have to enter the palace.

These are all people who have been pampered for a long time, and every year at this time, they are bound to be tormented and thrown into chaos.

After the morning prayers ended and everyone went home, everyone wished they could lie in bed and sleep for three days and three nights.

However, it's obvious that that's unrealistic.

The formal visits to relatives and friends begin from the first day of the Lunar New Year.

In the capital, all the powerful and influential people are connected by marriage or other kinship ties. This means that during the Lunar New Year period, it's considered impolite not to visit someone's home.

Of course, whether or not to visit someone's house is a question that can be discussed later. But whose house to visit on the first day of the Lunar New Year is not up for discussion.

They would basically just go to the Shangguan family's house, make an appearance, and that was enough to fulfill their etiquette without bothering anyone. They would leave on time, which was the most sensible thing to do.

It was during these visits to relatives and friends that the entire capital city became extremely lively.

Amidst this extreme liveliness, the people from the Marquis of Chang'an's residence went to the Duke of Rong's residence. This seemed like nothing... a big deal?
Ok?
It's not a big deal.

Even though the Rongguo Duke's Mansion holds a higher rank and enjoys far more imperial favor than the Chang'an Marquis's Mansion, given their kinship ties, shouldn't it be the Rongguo Duke's Mansion that sends gifts to the Chang'an Marquis's Mansion if they truly need to exchange gifts?

Next, this is the first year of junior high, not the second year!

Isn't it the second day of the Lunar New Year when the son-in-law visits his father-in-law's family?
Why is the father-in-law visiting his son-in-law's house on the first day of the Lunar New Year?

This is truly baffling.

What's even more perplexing is that in the afternoon, people from the Marquis of Chang'an's residence emerged from the Duke of Rong's mansion. Leading the group was the Marquis of Chang'an's steward, followed by a long line of people, all of whom were riding in carriages loaded with various boxes and trunks…

We mean, who would send so many horse-drawn carts as gifts to their father-in-law's family? Are they trying to give away their entire storehouse to their father-in-law?

Amidst the swirling thoughts of the crowd, some astute individuals noticed something amiss.

"Why does that box in the middle look so much like the dowry box that the third daughter of the Marquis's mansion brought when she married into the Rongguo Duke's mansion two years ago?"

"And that screen, that mirror, they look familiar to me too."

"Didn't someone say before that red coral ornament was a dowry gift that the Lady of Chang'an Marquis spent a lot of money to buy for the Third Miss?"

"Oh dear, why did they even bring out the canopy bed?"

"What's going on between the Marquis of Chang'an's residence and the Duke of Rong's residence? It looks like a young couple getting a divorce!"

The moment the words "divorce" were uttered, it immediately ignited an uproar across the entire street.

People on the street were visiting relatives and friends, whether they were walking, traveling by carriage, or riding on horseback. At this moment, everyone stopped and stared intently at the approaching caravan.

Some mischievous ones even shouted, "Head steward, what are you doing? It's the New Year, why are you running around the streets with holiday gifts?"

The head steward of the Marquis's mansion smiled sheepishly, bowing and scraping to the young master, begging him to quickly make way so they could pass.

The longer it drags on, the more people will come to watch the spectacle.

My daughter and her husband got divorced on the first day of the Lunar New Year. It's a story that's really hard to talk about.

Unfortunately, this young master was out of touch with reality, and his father was indeed powerful and influential, so he was not intimidated by the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion at all.

He's blocking the way and won't move, so what are you going to do, have someone carry him away?
Finally, having no other choice, the steward of the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion could only bow and smile apologetically, letting slip a hint that "our young lady and her husband have had a little disagreement."

"What's going on? It's the New Year, no matter what the argument, you can't just move your dowry all back to your parents' house. Are you not planning to stay together?"

"Heh, heh, I'm just a servant, how would I know about this? Please make way, young master, thank you very much."

Seeing that he couldn't get anything more out of the steward, the young master had no choice but to wave his hand and have people make way.

Then, servants from the Marquis of Chang'an's residence quickly drove their carriage through the middle of the road. They were so fast, like wild horses, that the carriage rattled and clattered as it sped off.

The way the group fled in such a panic only made it seem like they had something to hide. Soon enough, all sorts of unsubstantiated rumors were circulating throughout the streets.

"The young lady from the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion has divorced the second young master of the Duke of Rong's mansion."

"It wasn't a divorce; I heard he was divorced."

"Why? We've been doing fine for two years now, haven't we?"

"Who knows? Perhaps the third young lady is unruly and willful, which displeased her husband's family."

The common people at the bottom of society can only guess what they see. On the other hand, the powerful and wealthy at the top, because they have better access to information, have a wider range of guesses.

"Last night I saw the Lady of the Marquis of Chang'an and the Lady of the Duke of Rong chatting and laughing."

"The banquet was not over yet when Lady Chang'an left the table and never returned."

"Before the Lady of Chang'an Marquis left, the Lady of Rongguo Duke left her seat..."

"The third young lady of the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion didn't seem to return to the mansion with the people from the Duke of Rong's mansion yesterday..."

Various pieces of information came together and were eventually summarized by the crowd. If there was a cause for the incident, that cause should have occurred at the palace banquet.

As for what exactly happened at the palace banquet that ultimately led to the break between the Marquis of Chang'an's mansion and the Duke of Rong's mansion, there are many factors that can be speculated upon.

But when it comes to women, it seems like it's always right to guess in a certain direction.

In short, it seems that the third young lady did something wrong, but she was careless and was caught red-handed by the Rongguo Duke's mansion!

It must be said that the wisdom of these upper-class elites is real.

In just a few words, they dispelled the fog and saw through the most likely truth of the matter.

But if that's really the case, then... that's going to be quite a show!
They didn't know who the third daughter of the Marquis of Chang'an was, but they knew perfectly well who Chen Yanzhou, the second son of the Duke of Rong, was. Losing such a suitable husband, the third daughter must have lost her mind…

Many women in the capital were wondering if Lin Shuqing had lost her mind, otherwise why would she have such a bad falling out with her husband's family and lost a promising husband?

But even in their doubts, they could immediately glimpse an opportunity in this matter. Their eldest daughter's divorced sister-in-law still hadn't found a husband; their niece had scrutinized every noble young man in the capital, but hadn't found one she liked, insisting that the man's family background be equal, and that he be talented, handsome, and capable. They hadn't found a good match for him before, but now, a perfect candidate had been delivered right to their doorstep…

The capital city is a hub of political activity, and countless pieces of news circulate there every day.

The divorce between the two young people from the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and the Chang'an Marquis's Mansion has carved out a bloody path this New Year, consistently topping the gossip charts during the holiday season, and showing no signs of falling off the list.

Moreover, as more and more insiders revealed details—"My son's mother-in-law's aunt's nephew's third aunt said that the third daughter is very picky about food and can't stand the smell of fish at all; she might be pregnant," and "Today, the matchmaker from the Liang family came to ask what kind of person the second master of the Rongguo Duke's mansion wanted to meet"—the rumors kept escalating, causing the hype to surge again just as it was starting to die down. In the end, the hype remained high and the event was always lively.

Amidst this bustling scene, Chen Yanzhou quietly left the capital and headed to Linghui Temple on the outskirts of the city.

This day was the fifth day of the month.

From the first to the fifteenth of the lunar month, Linghui Temple holds a temple fair that lasts for half a month. From the first day of the lunar month, the place is bustling with activity.

The powerful and wealthy of the capital would often go to temples to burn incense and listen to Zen teachings. But some young people loved to join in the hustle and bustle, not minding the crowds of ordinary people. As a result, this area was frequented not only by the children of the capital's nobles but also by many ordinary people from nearby villages and the capital itself.

With more people coming, and some Buddhist believers hiring opera troupes to perform, plus acrobats, monkey trainers, and vendors, everyone wanted to join in the fun and earn some lucky money, making the temple fair even more lively.

Yunying had more free time. Having spent so much time there, she couldn't help but find the mountain too desolate and lonely.

Even she, with her aloofness, worried that one day, amidst the daily grind, her emotions and desires would be extinguished. And then one day she would wake up and suddenly crave something more...

This is absolutely terrifying.

This cannot be tolerated.

Yunying decisively grabbed her small purse and went down the mountain to experience the hustle and bustle of the world.

It was amidst this hustle and bustle that Yunying overheard gossip about the Marquis of Chang'an's residence and the Duke of Rong's residence, and learned about Lin Shuqing and Chen Yanzhou's divorce.

At the bustling temple fair, Yunying immediately froze on the spot.

She thought she was hallucinating, that it was all her imagination. She even felt a pang of shame, realizing how cruel she had become, how she had truly wanted them to become strangers…

However, she then heard more gossip and, through these rumors, confirmed that Lin Shuqing and Chen Yanzhou had divorced.

It would be impossible not to feel joy. But beyond joy, Yunying also felt anxious, fearful, uneasy, and guilty...

She stopped going down the mountain and instead hid in her room, pondering day after day why things had come to this.

Despite her reluctance to admit it, a firm voice inside her told her: Yes! She is the culprit! Lin Shuqing and Chen Yanzhou have reached this point entirely because of her.

She kept saying she wanted to respect and love herself, but she couldn't control her heart and let Chen Yanzhou get closer and closer. Even as he got closer, she remained reserved, always maintaining her last line of defense.

Ostensibly, she didn't want to make the most outrageous mistake, but in reality, if you look at it another way, wasn't she just keeping Chen Yanzhou hanging, making him do what she wanted before she would give him some treats?

It all comes down to her!
Yunying cried out in the darkness, "No, I'm not like that."

The cold, mournful cries were especially clear in the silent night.

The spacious room caused sounds to echo.

Yunying awoke to these echoes and never fell asleep again.

She suffered from insomnia from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the fifth, and didn't even leave her room, staying only in the dark room.

Aunt Wu didn't know what was wrong with her. Seeing that she looked listless, she thought she was homesick.

Aunt Wu wanted to take her to the temple fair, but Yunying refused; she wanted to take her to pray before the Buddha, but Yunying made an excuse that her period was coming and stayed in bed.

Her listlessness and lethargy worried Aunt Wu more and more each day. But Aunt Wu really couldn't figure her out. Seeing her getting thinner and thinner every day, Aunt Wu was extremely anxious and was thinking of sending a message by carrier pigeon to the person who had hired her to work.

On that very day, someone knocked on the gate of the guest house.

While pondering the matter of contacting someone, Aunt Wu went to open the door.

She was sweeping the yard when she went to open the door with the broom. As soon as the door opened, she saw a handsome, refined young man standing outside.

The young man nodded slightly to her, then stepped into the courtyard.

Aunt Wu was momentarily stunned by the man's good looks, but she quickly realized what he had done.

Aunt Wu quickly took two steps back, holding her broom in front of the newcomer. "Hey, wait a minute, young master, have you come to the wrong house? Why didn't you ask before barging into someone's yard?"

Just then, Mo Xue caught up from behind.

Seeing that the Second Master was being stopped, he quickly called out, "Aunt Wu." Aunt Wu looked over upon hearing the voice and exclaimed, "It's Lord Mo!"

Mo Xue nodded, "This is my young master."

Aunt Wu: "..."

Aunt Wu lightly patted her cheek. "Oh dear, young master, please come in. It's all my fault for not recognizing your greatness. Please come inside, young master. I'll go make some tea right away."

Aunt Wu was in a hurry, pushing open the door to the side room for the second master while remembering to inform Miss Yunying. At the same time, she was also thinking of fulfilling her duty as a hostess and quickly boiling some water to make tea for this young master.

After running around for a while, she realized she was still holding a large broom, and she had only swept half of the yard...

Leaving aside what happened to Aunt Wu, let's talk about Yunying, who had another sleepless night last night and only just fell asleep this morning.

She was sleeping soundly, and the noise outside didn't wake her.

She did hear Aunt Wu calling her, but thinking she was dreaming, she mumbled something to herself, turned over, and went back to sleep.

She didn't sleep well; in her dreams, many people were pointing fingers at her and cursing her.

They called her a vixen, saying she only seduces other women's men; they said she looked lewd, implying she'd be interested in any man; they even accused her of saying one thing and doing another, calling her the most hypocritical and shameless person ever…

Yunying was still sobbing in her dream, still trying to defend herself.

But her words were so powerless, and so many people attacked her; she was eventually overwhelmed by the crowd and condemned by everyone.

A slight chill suddenly crept in.

The chill came so suddenly, landing on her warm skin and instantly freezing her.

It was this slight chill that caused Yunying to suddenly writhe out of her nightmare, and she abruptly opened her eyes...