Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

The Empress Dowager's domineering nature nearly drove Wang Xifeng to a mental breakdown.

She finally began to regret not listening to Jia Lian and getting involved in the lending business.

In fact, with his current abilities, he has no conscience whatsoever; his family is not short of the little bit of interest he earns from lending money.

After lending money out for a year, the total interest was only a little over a thousand taels, which was just a fraction of what he could earn on a whim.

Ironically, she remembers being quite pleased with herself for it, thinking that her methods were clever, that she had guts, and that she could realize her own value.

Indeed, it was over a thousand taels. Although it couldn't compare to what Jia Lian earned, it was still the sum of a second or third-rank official's annual salary and grain allowance.

In other words, she was more capable than those officials, and earned enough money to support a middle-class family.

Therefore, when Jia Lian reprimanded her that day, telling her to honestly confess whether she had done anything wrong outside, she stubbornly refused to say anything and was secretly pleased that she had managed to hide it from Jia Lian.

Who would have thought that this would sow the seeds of my own misfortune!

She and Jia Lian were a married couple who had gone through the six traditional rites and were carried into the Rongguo Mansion in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.

Even the Empress Dowager would face criticism if she tried to take her man away.

Therefore, she was in the right in this matter.

However, now that the Empress Dowager has such leverage over us, let alone being in the right, our lives, reputations, and even our own are all in the Empress Dowager's hands.

For a woman, especially a noblewoman like her, reputation was more important than life itself.

At this moment, she finally felt real fear.

You heartless bastard, where are you? Can you save me...?

Wang Xifeng was crying, while the Empress Dowager looked down at her coldly.

"A person who is immoral and violates the law is naturally not qualified to be the wife of an official of the Great Wei Dynasty."

If I so desire, I can immediately strip you of your title and even hand you over to the authorities for punishment.

However, considering that this is your first offense and that your ancestors made contributions to our Great Wei, I can give you a lenient treatment.

"As long as you are willing to take the initiative to divorce Jia Lian, I will not only forgive your past crimes, but the compensation I promised you before will still be valid."

The Empress Dowager's words sounded righteous and indignant, leaving no room for rebuttal.

Indeed, women throughout the land, especially those of noble birth and imperial consorts, have been under the jurisdiction of the empress since ancient times.

As for the Empress Dowager, having been promoted to the position of Empress Dowager, she naturally still retains this power. In fact, it could be said that the Empress's power was delegated to her by the Empress Dowager.

Just like the retired emperor to the emperor.

Therefore, as a second-rank imperial consort, Wang Xifeng's life, death, wealth, and status were naturally all in the hands of the Empress Dowager.

Moreover, it sounds like the Empress Dowager has already been very magnanimous.

In any case, she was no longer qualified to be Jia Lian's wife. As long as she took the initiative to divorce Jia Lian, the Empress Dowager could forgive her and even give her compensation.

It seems she has no other choice.

If she disobeys the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager can strip her of everything, including her rights as Jia Lian's wife.

Listening to the Empress Dowager would at least allow us to save face and escape unscathed.

In short, whether she agreed or not, she and Jia Lian could not become husband and wife.

But at this moment, Wang Xifeng suddenly understood.

The accusations of moral failings and loan sharking violating national laws are merely excuses made up by the Empress Dowager.

They just wanted her man and were trying to steal him away.

Wang Xifeng, who was straightforward and outspoken by nature, wanted to curse, but she understood the consequences and didn't dare.

If we truly anger the Empress Dowager, not only will she suffer, but our entire family will likely be in trouble.

Therefore, after sitting on the ground and crying for a long time, Wang Xifeng knelt down in front of the patient and kind Empress Dowager and replied, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Majesty. This humble woman is willing to obey Your Majesty's decree."

However, since ancient times, divorcing a wife has been the right of a man, and there has never been a story of a woman abandoning her husband.

"As long as General Jia Lian grants me a letter of divorce, I will immediately leave the Duke's mansion and wish General Jia and Her Highness the Princess a long and happy marriage."

Ultimately, Wang Xifeng was not a foolish woman. After calming down, she replied in this way.

She had no choice but to agree, as she was absolutely powerless against the Empress Dowager.

谷慥

However, she was unwilling to give up so easily.

Even if she is wrong, Jia Lian himself should admit that he doesn't want her anymore. It absolutely cannot be that she couldn't handle the pressure and took the initiative to run away.

She secretly hoped that the princess must be very ugly, so ugly that no one wanted her, which was why she wanted to steal her man!

If that were the case, with a heartless sense of pride and arrogance, they definitely wouldn't do it, so there would still be a little bit left.

Otherwise...

She couldn't imagine what reason Jia Lian would have to refuse the Empress Dowager and the sudden rise to wealth and glory.

Even if she's destined to have her man stolen, she'll make Jia Lian divorce her.

She wanted to make Jia Lian feel guilty, to make him remember forever that it was that princess who used her privileges to take him away, and it was that princess who caused Qiao Jie to lose her mother!

Having your man stolen by someone else, and then wishing the other person and your own man a long and happy marriage? Absolutely not!

At the very least, we should plant a thorn between her and that heartless man, so that she suffers the consequences of her own actions and will never receive his true affection.

As for divorce...

That's just a nicer way of saying divorce. Anyway, she never thought about remarrying. She's already lost all face, so she's not afraid of another divorce decree.

This was Wang Xifeng's final scheme.

At the head of the table, the Empress Dowager's expression immediately darkened.

She never expected that Wang Xifeng, who seemed to have been completely crushed by her, would respond in this way.

She thought that when Wang Xifeng realized that the situation was beyond repair, she would either throw a tantrum or silently give in. She even thought that if Wang Xifeng really couldn't bear to leave Jia Lian, she would beg her to let her stay by Jia Lian's side as a concubine or something.

Actually, she might not necessarily refuse.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly simple woman suddenly became strong!

She stated bluntly that she would stop bothering him if Jia Lian gave her a letter of divorce. Even as the Empress Dowager, she couldn't refute this, because it was indeed reasonable.

If she doesn't even agree to this, wouldn't it make her, the Empress Dowager, seem truly incompetent, unable to deal with a mere subject, and resorting to bullying a weak woman like her, picking on the weak?

Although it seems that's what she did, the Empress Dowager certainly couldn't admit it!

Actually, it wasn't that she couldn't do anything about Jia Lian; she just didn't want to make a big fuss.

Compared to Jia Lian, a seemingly principled official, a noblewoman was naturally much easier to deal with.

"Since you have agreed, I will not break my promise and will naturally not make things difficult for you any further."

But if I find out that you act one way in front of me, but then go back and do everything you can to obstruct this matter, I will not let you off lightly.

As for the letter of divorce you mentioned, you will receive it.

"Alright, someone, take her away."

Faced with the Empress Dowager's unyielding attitude, Wang Xifeng had no other choice. She glanced at the Empress Dowager, silently stood up, and left Weiyang Palace with the palace servants who wore insincere smiles.

Inside the hall, as soon as Wang Xifeng left, Princess Zhaoyang walked out from the side.

Although Wang Xifeng did not see her, she had already seen through Wang Xifeng completely.

Unlike the Empress Dowager, she hadn't investigated Wang Xifeng beforehand. Therefore, seeing how Jia Lian protected his wife, she assumed Wang Xifeng would be a gentle and elegant lady from a prominent family, which is why Jia Lian was unwilling to abandon her and chose her instead.

However, based on her observations and the "crimes" she heard her grandmother recount, she was honestly somewhat disappointed.

It was a blow to her self-confidence that she, with her extremely high standards, had secretly lost to such a shallow woman.

She walked up to the Empress Dowager and asked, "Grandmother, do you think Jia Lian will really write a letter of divorce?"

Judging from his tone before, he didn't seem like someone who would compromise easily.

If he truly doesn't want to, and things escalate, it will damage the imperial family's reputation...

The granddaughter is fine, but I'm afraid she'll bring trouble upon the Empress Dowager.

Facing Zhaoyang, the Empress Dowager showed none of her previous coldness and aloofness. She smiled, touched her granddaughter's hand, and said with a smile, "How could this implicate me?"

Don't think there's anything wrong with it. A few idle words from idle people are worthless when it comes to your lifelong happiness.

My Zhaoyang has always been the bravest, hasn't she?

Faced with the Empress Dowager's encouragement, Princess Zhaoyang, who had been hesitant, finally nodded.

She also felt that Wang Xifeng was not good enough for Jia Lian.