Chapter 017
Chapter 17: Separation Succeeds
The gate of Ping An Marquis Manor was packed with people. It was the dinner hour, but the Xia family had made too much noise on their way. Everyone on the street knew they had come to force a separation.
Madam Lin held her daughter’s hand. Her daughter would live well even if she separated while pregnant. The world was unfair to women. Even when men were at fault, the woman took the blame.
Xia Meng Yan looked at her mother and said: “Mother, no matter the result, I can accept it.” She knew what her mother was thinking. She knew what she wanted. No matter how much gossip came later, she would separate.
Xia Ping Yuan stood beside Madam Lin, back straight, lending his wife and daughter his strength.
Lin Hong helped Grand Madam Lin down the steps. Seeing the people below, he barked as he said: “Xia Ping Yuan, what do you want?”
Xia Ping Yuan cupped his hands to Grand Madam Lin, but did not bow as he said: “Old Madam, I am a man of letters and do not play at twists and turns. My daughter was hunted by the Marquis of Ping An’s men and came home to cry out her grievance. If your manor had stepped out to explain things, maybe there would be room to mend this. Instead, Old Madam, you came to our door and enraged my daughter until she fainted, and then had your physician teach my sister-in-law to force my daughter to give in and take the blame for everything. Is that the attitude of Ping An Marquis Manor?”
Lin Hong exploded as he said: “You say hunted and we should believe hunted? We have to verify it. But before any verification, the Xia family filled the city with rumors and even struck my mother. You are sham scholars. You do not deserve to stand at the gate of Ping An Marquis Manor.”
Xia Meng Yan did not argue with him. She lifted her chin and asked Grand Madam Lin as she said: “I have only one question. Did First Madam Lin promise benefits to my Second Sister-in-law to get her to urge me back to the manor?”
Grand Madam Lin’s brow twitched. She opened her mouth, but Lin Hong answered first as he said: “What if we did? We wanted to save your face, so we asked her to talk you back.”
Grand Madam Lin had already decided to cast Xia Meng Yan off, so she did not notice the cold, mocking curl of the girl’s mouth.
Xia Meng Yan said: “Good. If you admit it, then you admit you are in the wrong. If you were not, why bribe my Second Aunt? You know the truth better than anyone. Since that is so, let us separate.” Her smile turned sharp as she said: “Parents arranged the marriage. Please, Grand Madam Lin, write a Separation Letter for the Marquis. From now on, our two houses will have no ties.”
Lin Hong threw down a paper as he said: “There is no separation. Only a Divorce Letter. A woman with a vicious heart like you wants a Separation Letter?”
Xia Meng Yan did not grow angry. She even smiled as she said: “In that case, let us report to the authorities.”
Grand Madam Lin blinked, not understanding why.
Xia Meng Yan raised her voice, steady and clear, as she said: “The men who hunted me were soldiers under the Marquis of Ping An. I want to ask the yamen what that is called.”
Grand Madam Lin snapped: “You, you are slandering us.”
Xia Meng Yan rested her palm over her belly as she said: “I have proof. Old Madam says slander. Do you have proof? The Marquis of Ping An wants to flirt with other women behind my back. I can endure that. He wants to take the Xia family’s silver for free. I can endure that. But what he must never do is use my child as a pawn to make some woman outside happy.
“Today, either you write a Separation Letter and I take my dowry away. The money your manor spent of mine, I will count it as paying for a lesson. Or we go to the yamen. We will sort each matter one by one and then see His Majesty. Let the emperor decide.”
What she said was clear and reasoned. Even if she failed to get the Separation Letter today, everyone in the capital would know what sort of people lived in Ping An Marquis Manor.
Xia Ping Yuan stood firmly with his daughter. As long as she wanted to do it, he would back her to the end. He said: “I advise Old Madam to know the times. Write the Separation Letter for the Marquis now and report it at court tomorrow morning. Otherwise, that title you just got will cool before the seat is even warm.”
Grand Madam Lin grew more furious with each word and looked to Lin Hong as she said: “Go write the Separation Letter.”
Joy rippled under Xia Meng Yan’s calm. At last she could get the Separation Letter.
Grand Madam Lin added coolly as she said: “But one thing must be clear. When the child is born, it must be sent back to Ping An Marquis Manor.”
Xia Meng Yan answered at once as she said: “Impossible.” They wanted to use the child to control her. She said: “The child will take my surname and will have nothing to do with Ping An Marquis Manor.”
Grand Madam Lin raised her voice as she said: “No. That is the blood of our manor.”
Xia Meng Yan cut her off without mercy as she said: “So what if it is your blood? Ever since I married the Marquis of Ping An, the food, clothes, and daily use of everyone in your manor have been paid from my dowry. I have the records. And the reason Lin Ye Lan was granted his title is that he advanced the soldiers’ pay. Where did that silver come from? From the Xia family.
“Since Old Madam wants a clean reckoning, then put all of that on the account. Oh, and count the interest too. When the money is paid back, then you can come talk to me about the child.”
Grand Madam Lin wanted to bite her. Before she could speak, a voice came from the crowd as Duan Yi Chen walked out. The onlookers buzzed.
“Heir Apparent Duan. He’s Miss Xia’s friend.”
“Yes, how did we forget him? With him backing Miss Xia, what is Ping An Marquis Manor.”
Jian Ping followed behind, wanting to defend his master a little, but what they said was true.
Grand Madam Lin saw Duan Yi Chen and a picture flashed in her mind of him holding Xia Meng Yan. Xia Meng Yan, seeing him, wondered why he came here instead of sleeping. [What are you doing.]
Xia Ping Yuan kept proper distance but was respectful as he said: “Heir Apparent Duan.”
Duan Yi Chen looked around with a pleasant smile as he said: “Why is everyone gathered here?” Then he turned to Grand Madam Lin and said: “I thought about this morning. I was too impulsive. Even if Grand Madam Lin raised her hand, I should not have defended Miss Xia. So I came to apologize.”
[Editor’s note: the original text says this section continues on the next page.]
The crowd exploded. So Grand Madam Lin had actually hit Miss Xia?
Just then, Lin Hong came out with the Separation Letter. He handed it to Grand Madam Lin, who pressed her handprint on it, then had a servant pass it down.
Xia Meng Yan took the Separation Letter and read it again and again, joy spilling out of her chest.
Duan Yi Chen took the Separation Letter and waved it as he said: “Such a fine thing. I will let my uncle have a look.”
Xia Meng Yan blinked. He was taking it to the emperor?
Duan Yi Chen explained as he said: “Your marriage was granted by His Majesty. If you separate, he must be notified.” He tucked the Separation Letter away and headed straight for the Imperial Palace.
It could have waited until tomorrow, but fine. Xia Meng Yan watched him go and thought: [If His Majesty knows, Father will not need to speak at court.]
Madam Lin gave the order as she said: “Move the things.” The old women and serving lads behind her surged through the gate.
Grand Madam Lin saw the crowd pour in and thought of the items in her own courtyard. She shouted as she said: “Steward, steward, follow them. Do not let them take what belongs to the manor.”
The onlookers watched as piece after piece of property was carried out. Their eyes went wide. So many. So large.
Xia Meng Yan left Nanny Song to check off the dowry and went home with her parents.
She lowered her head and said softly: “Father, Mother, I made you lose face.”
Madam Lin rubbed her daughter’s hair and soothed her as she said: “Face is nothing. We want you to be happy. Do not worry about the house. Your father and I will handle it.”
Xia Ping Yuan said: “Your mother is right. Do not overthink. If you are wronged, where else would you go but home? Stay here. If anyone dares to talk, I will impeach him to death.”
Xia Meng Yan laughed through her tears as she said: “Those who gossip about me are common folk. Father, how will you impeach them?”
Xia Ping Yuan huffed as he said: “Why not. Let me catch one. I will go to his door and scold him to death. If that fails, I will haul him to the yamen for slander.” He could not brag of other talents, but he was very good at dealing with people.
Madam Lin felt many things at once. She had once thought her husband’s sharp tongue was annoying. Now she found it rather nice.
Xia Meng Yan said: “Once we go home, Grandmother will definitely make a scene. I do not know what Ping An Marquis Manor promised Second Aunt. I suspect it was an official post. If that is true, things will not be simple.” [We must be ready for the next storm.]