Chapter 112

Chapter 112: He Wanted to Divorce His Wife

Qi Fei Yan’s face, which had been pretending to look sickly, turned deathly pale the moment she saw them. She stared at Old Madam Lian and Madam Lian and stammered, “Grandmother… Mother…”

Qi Fei Yan’s frightened gaze darted to Qi Shu Xian, hoping Qi Shu Xian would spare her some dignity in front of elders. But Qi Shu Xian’s eyes moved from Old Madam Lian’s wrist to Madam Lian’s head.

Old Madam Lian’s expression sank when she saw an outside man staring at her daughter-in-law like that. Old Madam Lian snapped, “How did Yan’er offend the Heir Apparent?”

Only then did Qi Shu Xian bow to Old Madam Lian and Madam Lian. Qi Shu Xian did not answer the question. Qi Shu Xian asked instead, “That jade bangle on Old Madam Lian’s wrist – was it a gift from Eldest Sister?”

Old Madam Lian froze and instinctively looked at the warm jade on her wrist. Old Madam Lian was old and especially afraid of the cold, so Old Madam Lian said, “This Warm Jade Bracelet really was Yan’er’s filial gift to this old woman.”

Qi Shu Xian asked again, “Then may I ask if the hairpin on Madam Lian’s head was also given by Eldest Sister?”

Madam Lian hesitated, then admitted, “It… it was.”

Qi Shu Xian let out a mocking laugh. Qi Shu Xian had originally wanted to leave Qi Fei Yan some dignity, but Qi Fei Yan refused to leave any for herself. Qi Fei Yan not only pretended to be ill, she even swapped Sheng Zhi Wan’s dowry and used it to curry favor with others.

Qi Fei Yan shook her head and grabbed Qi Shu Xian’s sleeve as she begged, “Shu Xian, Eldest Sister is begging you!”

Qi Shu Xian pried Qi Fei Yan’s fingers off and said coldly, “Then I’ll have to trouble the two of you to return everything Eldest Sister gave you.”

Old Madam Lian and Madam Lian blurted, “What?”

Qi Fei Yan collapsed to the ground.

Qi Shu Xian said, “Old Madam Lian and Madam Lian probably don’t know this, but those things don’t belong to Eldest Sister. They are part of the Princess’s dowry. Eldest Sister only borrowed them to use. After so long, Eldest Sister actually forgot to return them.”

Old Madam Lian’s face burned. Old Madam Lian naturally knew those ‘filial gifts’ came from the Duke residence, but the Duke residence was rich and powerful, so Old Madam Lian had never cared. Qi Fei Yan had insisted on using her natal family to support her husband’s family anyway.

Old Madam Lian had been the one benefiting, so Old Madam Lian had chosen to turn a blind eye. Old Madam Lian had even deliberately shaped this situation. Every time Qi Fei Yan brought things back from the Duke residence, Old Madam Lian would parade them in front of Lian Wen Hui’s other bedchamber maids, giving Qi Fei Yan face and making her look favored. Over time, Qi Fei Yan had formed a habit.

But Old Madam Lian had never imagined those things were the Princess’s dowry. They did not belong to Qi Fei Yan at all.

How could Qi Fei Yan dare use the Princess’s dowry to flatter them?

Old Madam Lian swayed, and Madam Lian hurriedly supported Old Madam Lian.

One look at their faces told Qi Shu Xian they truly did not know.

Old Madam Lian took a long while to steady herself. Then Old Madam Lian’s cloudy eyes glared hard at Qi Fei Yan on the ground, silently demanding an explanation. But Qi Fei Yan had already lost all face. Qi Fei Yan only lay there and cried.

Old Madam Lian had no choice but to speak up herself. Old Madam Lian said, “But we didn’t know at the time. Qi Shi zi is the Princess’s Husband. Can Qi Shi zi explain things clearly to the Princess…”

Qi Shu Xian replied, “Mm. This time, I’m taking all of her dowry back.”

Madam Lian panicked and stammered, “T-taking it back?”

Qi Fei Yan had given Madam Lian far more than a single hairpin. Almost everything in Madam Lian’s room that could be shown off had been given by Qi Fei Yan. Could all of that be the Princess’s dowry?

Qi Shu Xian asked in a cold voice, “Does Madam Lian still want to keep it?”

Madam Lian immediately fell silent. Madam Lian felt heartache and regret, but Madam Lian did not dare forcefully keep the Princess’s dowry. Under Qi Shu Xian’s gaze, Madam Lian humiliatingly removed the hairpin.

Old Madam Lian’s face was dark as Old Madam Lian also removed the Warm Jade Bracelet.

By then, the maid Qi Shu Xian had brought had already searched through Qi Fei Yan’s room. The maid checked the list, but there were still more than ten items missing.

The maid reported, “Heir Apparent, these still don’t match up…” The maid handed over the list.

Qi Shu Xian did not even look at it. Qi Shu Xian handed it straight to Old Madam Lian and said, “Please take a look, Old Madam Lian. Which person in your household did Eldest Sister give the things on this list to?”

Old Madam Lian felt as if her face had been thrown to the ground and ground into the dirt.

Old Madam Lian’s eyes swept over the list. Two of the items really were with Old Madam Lian. Old Madam Lian then passed the list to Madam Lian, and Madam Lian was so ashamed she could not lift her head.

After Qi Shu Xian left the Lian Manor, nearly every master’s room was turned over. Even Assistant Minister Lian’s study was searched. The set of precious writing tools Assistant Minister Lian treasured most was also Sheng Zhi Wan’s…

The moment Qi Shu Xian left, Madam Lian was so furious that Madam Lian slapped Qi Fei Yan hard across the face and screamed, “What rotten luck for this family! What rotten luck! How did Hui’er marry a daughter-in-law like you who brings nothing but shame?”

Qi Fei Yan stared in disbelief.

Since marrying into the Lian Manor, aside from Lian Wen Hui often lingering in the pleasure quarters, Old Madam Lian and Madam Lian had always treated Qi Fei Yan extremely well. Sometimes they treated Qi Fei Yan even better than they treated the Lian Manor’s young misses.

Yet now Madam Lian had slapped Qi Fei Yan in front of the servants.

Qi Fei Yan lay on the ground, burning with hatred and wishing she could tear Sheng Zhi Wan apart. Qi Fei Yan felt she had lost all face she would ever have in this lifetime.

But it did not end there.

That night, Assistant Minister Lian returned and heard the whole thing. Assistant Minister Lian became so furious that Assistant Minister Lian demanded Lian Wen Hui divorce Qi Fei Yan on the spot.

Assistant Minister Lian roared, “Divorce her! You must divorce her! What kind of nonsense is this?”

Another voice added, “Thank goodness Qi Shi zi found out early. If Qi Shi zi hadn’t found out, people who didn’t know the truth would think our Lian Manor was greedy for the Duke residence and the Princess’s things!”

Old Madam Lian’s old eyes flickered. Old Madam Lian said, “But she is still someone from the Duke residence…”

Back then, when Qi Fei Yan married into the Lian Manor, it had already been a marriage far beneath her status. If Lian Wen Hui had not been good at sweet-talking, Lian Wen Hui would never have married a miss from the Duke residence.

To divorce her over this… Old Madam Lian could not bear it.

Qi Fei Yan was terrified and dropped to her knees. Qi Fei Yan cried, “Father! Daughter-in-law knows she was wrong. Please give Daughter-in-law a chance. Daughter-in-law will definitely change!”

Qi Fei Yan was the eldest miss of the Duke residence. If Qi Fei Yan was divorced, Qi Fei Yan would have no face to see anyone again.

Lian Wen Hui, though he chased women, had always considered it his greatest bragging right that he had married a miss from the Duke residence. Lian Wen Hui truly did not want to divorce her.

Lian Wen Hui also knelt and said, “Father, this was Yan’er’s fault, but Yan’er did it for our good. If you want to blame someone, blame that Princess Qing Ning! If Princess Qing Ning had just said clearly that Princess Qing Ning wanted the things back, Yan’er wouldn’t have given them away!”

Lian Wen Hui had only seen Sheng Zhi Wan once, and only from far away during Qi Shu Xian and Sheng Zhi Wan’s wedding. Lian Wen Hui had not been left with much of an impression, except what Qi Fei Yan said – that Sheng Zhi Wan was a Princess who clung to Qi Shu Xian and threw herself at him.

A Princess who threw herself at him.

Lian Wen Hui was her brother-in-law, yet Sheng Zhi Wan had needed to be pushed again and again before arranging a post for Lian Wen Hui. In the end, it was only an Assistant Sixth Rank position. Lian Wen Hui felt deeply dissatisfied.

Assistant Minister Lian’s beard nearly twisted crooked from rage. Assistant Minister Lian bellowed, “Bastard! Bastard! Where did you learn such shameless words? I will beat you to death today!”

Madam Lian hurried in and cried, “Master!”

Madam Lian also knew her husband did not truly want their son to divorce. But using the dowry of a natal family sister-in-law and giving it to the husband’s family was beyond ugly. It was humiliating.

But if this matter had nothing to do with the Lian Manor, would it not be fine?

Madam Lian suggested, “We didn’t know about it anyway. Why not let Hui’er’s wife return to the Duke residence, explain everything clearly to the Princess, and apologize? Wouldn’t that solve it?”

Letting Qi Fei Yan lose face alone was better than dragging down the entire family.

Apologize to Sheng Zhi Wan?

Qi Fei Yan instinctively wanted to refuse, but when Qi Fei Yan looked up and met her father-in-law and Old Madam Lian’s ugly expressions, the words at the tip of Qi Fei Yan’s tongue were swallowed back down.