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Chapter 48: Divorce
Chapter 48: Divorce
Due to urgent news from the border, Lu Lingxiao had gone to the military camp the previous day.
A group of generals argued throughout the night about how to deal with the Northern Liang province. By the time Lu Lingxiao emerged from the main tent, the sky had already brightened.
He intended to return to his own tent for some rest when a servant from the Lu family arrived.
"Young Master, there's been an incident at home. Please hurry back!"
"What happened?"
"This... I dare not gossip, but you should ask Lin Wan'er in person!"
Did Wan'er send him?
Was something wrong with Wan'er?
Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Lingxiao rode his horse back to the Lu family estate at full speed, despite having spent the entire night without sleep.
"Wan'er!"
In the main room of the Maple Courtyard, he found Lin Wan'er looking haggard and exhausted. His eyebrows furrowed as he asked, "Green Bud, how have you been taking care of her?"
Green Bud quickly replied, "Please forgive me, General!"
Lin Wan'er used sign language to say: It's not Green Bud's fault. I couldn't sleep on my own.
Lu Lingxiao looked at her anxiously. "Are you feeling unwell? Did you feel the baby move, or is it something else?"
Lin Wan'er shook her head and reached up to touch the stubble that had grown on his jaw, her eyes filled with concern. She gestured: General, didn't you sleep last night either?
"I was handling some military matters." Lu Lingxiao didn't want to talk about the border issues and add to her worries. "Let's talk about you instead. What happened last night?"
Lin Wan'er lowered her head and signed: General, Wan'er has lost face and can no longer stay in the Lu family.
Lu Lingxiao frowned. "What are you talking about? Did someone make things difficult for you? Was it her again—"
The first person he thought of when it came to those who would give Lin Wan'er a hard time was Meng Qianqian.
Green Bud spoke up, sounding wronged. "Miss, it's not your fault!"
Lu Lingxiao asked Lin Wan'er, "You're scaring me. What happened?"
Green Bud said, "General, let me explain. Yesterday, Noble Consort Gu summoned Miss Lin and the First Young Lady. Noble Consort Gu, out of compassion for Miss Lin's orphan status, wanted to give her a proper status. Who would have thought that the First Young Lady disagreed and even dared to speak rudely to Noble Consort Gu, saying that Noble Consort Gu, not being the Empress, had no right to interfere in a subject's family matters. She even said that if Noble Consort Gu had the ability, she should ask the Emperor to issue an edict! General, just listen to what was said! Noble Consort Gu naturally became furious, and Miss Lin's words carried little weight due to her lowly status. Even her pleas for mercy were of no use.
Originally, Noble Consort Gu only intended to teach a lesson and have the First Young Lady admit her mistake. Who would have thought that the First Young Lady would go so far as to allow that maid, Tan'er, to start a fight in the Palace of Eternal Spring, nearly injuring Her Highness!"
Lu Lingxiao's expression changed. "What?"
Lin Wan'er pulled on Lu Lingxiao's sleeve and signed: Tan'er was only trying to protect her mistress. She's young and doesn't understand the rules of the palace.
Lu Lingxiao said coldly, "If the maid doesn't understand, doesn't she understand as well? She shouldn't have brought such an impulsive and reckless maid into the palace!"
Lin Wan'er looked at him fearfully.
Lu Lingxiao quickly added, "I'm not scolding you. Where is she now?"
Green Bud replied on her mistress's behalf, "The First Young Lady was taken away by the Governor's office. Miss is worried about the First Young Lady's safety. She hasn't slept all night, and seeing how serious the situation is, and with the First Master not in the estate, Miss immediately sent someone to look for you in the camp."
Lin Wan'er, feeling guilty, signed with her hands: It's all my fault. None of this would have happened if it weren't for me.
Lu Lingxiao held her hand. "How are you to blame? Noble Consort Gu wanted to give you a better status, and it's not like you asked for it yourself. Moreover... it is indeed unfair to let you follow me without any proper status."
Lin Wan'er remained silent.
Lu Lingxiao furrowed his brows and said, "You must be exhausted. Rest first. I'll go out for a while."
Lin Wan'er grabbed his sleeve, her face filled with worry as she looked at him.
Lu Lingxiao paused for a moment, then comforted her, "After all, she is my wife. I can't just turn a blind eye. Rest assured, the Grand Viceroy won't make a move on me at this time."
Lin Wan'er hesitated for a moment and signed to him: "Madam is angry about this matter. Shouldn't you go and appease her first to prevent her from getting too worked up?"
Fushou Court
The elderly madam had indeed spent the entire night without sleep.
The thought of that good-for-nothing granddaughter daring to offend even the Noble Consort Gu scared her out of her wits. How could she possibly rest?
Early in the morning, she had two elders of the clan summoned to her.
The ages of the two elders were actually similar to that of the old madam, but being of the same generation as the late matriarch, the old madam addressed them as Third Uncle and Fifth Uncle.
Fifth Elder asked, "What is the matter, niece, that you summoned me and your Third Uncle so early in the morning?"
Before the old madam could speak, she sighed heavily and said, "Second Brother's family, you speak."
Lu Mu, the Second Madam, did not arrive today, so the old madam had only called for the Second Madam.
The Second Madam held her handkerchief and lamented, "I won't hide it from you, uncles. Our family has met with misfortune!"
Fifth Elder frowned, "What misfortune? Lu Lingxiao just established a great merit. How could there be any misfortune?"
The Second Madam added fuel to the fire by exaggerating Meng Qianqian's offense against Noble Consort Gu.
Third Elder, who had been rather dazed, was startled awake by this news!
He asked in a frail voice, "Is this true?"
The Second Madam replied, "Alas, it's absolutely true! The guards have taken her away, and she's being held at the Viceroy's mansion. Usually, the eldest madam spoils her, and I've told the eldest madam more than once that she's spoiling her rotten. But the eldest madam wouldn't listen, and now... she's caused a huge disaster, dragging the entire Lu clan down with her!"
Fifth Elder furrowed his brows, "Your nephew went to Youzhou to propose a marriage, and I told him then that he shouldn't marry a merchant's daughter!"
The Second Madam didn't dare to respond to this, as he was, after all, her father.
The old madam sighed regretfully, "I should have listened to Third Uncle. Although her status is not befitting of Lingxiao, ever since she married into the Lu family, the Lu family has never treated her unfairly. We've always regarded her as our own daughter. Even when she drove away Lingxiao's wet nurse recently, I didn't say anything."
Fifth Elder coldly remarked, "That's outrageous!"
In a prominent family, the wet nurse held a high status. Well-mannered young ladies wouldn't even dare to speak harshly to their wet nurses, let alone drive them away!
The Second Madam added, "And that's not all! When I was ill, she didn't come to attend to me. She even hit Linglong and Lin Wan'er!"
Lin Wan'er, the young lady the two elders had heard about, was the orphan Lu Lingxiao brought back from the border. She was carrying Lu Lingxiao's child.
In the eyes of the two elders, the main wife should not have been so intolerant of a concubine.
It was even more excessive to hit the young mistress.
Third Elder spoke up, "However, with the legitimate son not yet born, and the illegitimate son born first, it doesn't seem quite appropriate to divorce her."
The Second Madam's eyes flashed, and she said pitifully, "That's not our fault. She has a cold constitution and is unable to bear children, so we allowed Lin Wan'er to keep the child!"
Third Elder suddenly understood, "I see."
The old madam sighed, "I invited the two of you here today to have Third Uncle and Fifth Uncle bear witness. The Lu family... we want to divorce this wife!"
"Grandmother, I brought half of my dowry from Youzhou. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to divorce me just like this?"
Meng Qianqian entered the room calmly and gracefully, lifting the curtain aside.
(End of Chapter)
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