Chapter 108: The Letter of Severance
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“A man’s knees are worth gold, yet he has knelt before you. What more do you want?”
“Shi family’s daughter, one must learn to be content.”
“The grand estate of the Marquis’s Manor cannot fall into the hands of a cripple. Raise Jing Huai well, and he will not treat you poorly.”
“If you must blame someone, blame Yan Shu for his lack of fortune.” The Old Madam’s gaze held a faint chill.
She reflexively touched her throat. Recently, sores had erupted, and the pain had become unbearable. Even swallowing saliva felt like swallowing needles. Countless remedies to reduce the fire within her had failed to bring relief.
Even though Madam Xu was mentally prepared, she was still shocked by the Old Madam’s shameless tone.
“Raising a mistress was wrong, but Yuan Ze admitted his fault and even knelt before you.”
“Why did he keep Madam Pei outside the estate? Was it not to spare your feelings and avoid angering you? His actions were out of regard and consideration for you,” the Old Madam urged sincerely.
Lu Chao Chao crouched by the doorway, her small face turning green.
[Heavens, this entire family are masters of psychological manipulation. No wonder they brainwashed my mother so thoroughly.]
[With my mother’s naïve sweetness, how could they not control her completely?]
[The audacity! Even drugging her wine at the banquet!]
Madam Xu: Naïve sweetness??
“Petition to replace the heir, Shi Yun, let’s return to being one harmonious family,” Lu Yuan Ze cautiously pleaded.
His original plan had been to catch Madam Xu in an act of infidelity with three men. Then, he would accuse her of adultery and dismiss her, nailing her reputation to the pillar of shame.
Her remaining children—crippled, foolish, and weak—would pose no threat. While Madam Pei lacked intelligence, Lu Jing Huai required a legitimate mother, allowing him to elevate Madam Pei to his primary wife.
But now…
Lu Yuan Ze suppressed his anger. Madam Pei’s disgrace had made him livid.
“Harmonious? How can you even say such a thing?” Madam Xu’s voice was cold.
“Lu Yuan Ze, I’ve labored for you half my life, borne your children, served your parents, and severed ties with my family for you. And what have you done?”
“While courting me, you maintained a mistress!”
“Smack!” Madam Xu slapped Lu Yuan Ze’s face with her full strength. Her palm throbbed from the impact.
Five red fingerprints immediately marred his face. The Old Madam’s expression twisted in fury as she pointed at Madam Xu, trembling with rage.
Lu Yuan Ze gestured at the Old Madam with his eyes, signaling her to calm down. With great effort, she turned her back to Madam Xu, suppressing her anger while her chest heaved.
“Shi Yun, you are right to strike me. Strike me again if it eases your anger,” Lu Yuan Ze said, his expression full of guilt as he gazed deeply at her.
[Scumbag Dad’s eyes look more affectionate toward a dog,] Lu Chao Chao silently mocked from outside.
Madam Xu let out a bitter chuckle. Indeed, when she was young and ignorant, she had been beguiled by his appearance.
Years ago, she attended a temple fair and became separated from her servant, leaving her with only a maid. When a scoundrel accosted her, it was Lu Yuan Ze who saved her.
One stir of the heart led her into a lifetime of regret.
“Ease my anger? Lu Yuan Ze, your wishful thinking is laughable.”
“Lu Jing Huai and Yan Shu are the same age. How could you do this?” Tears welled in her eyes, filled with anger at herself for being blind for eighteen years.
“I managed the Marquis’s household with virtue and propriety, even tending to the late Marquis on his deathbed. I nursed your mother through her illness with sleepless nights. Yet, outside, you raised children with another woman!” Madam Xu could not bear to think what she would have done if not for Chao Chao’s mind-reading.
The Xu family was executed, her three sons dead or maimed. How could he be so ruthless?
Her face bore a mocking smile as she fixed her gaze on Lu Yuan Ze.
“Lu Jing Huai, a child born of an illicit affair, dares claim my name as his mother?”
“Lu Yuan Ze, I demand a divorce.”
Lu Yuan Ze froze, momentarily stunned. He had always been confident in his control over Madam Xu. For years, she had been unwavering in her loyalty, never doubting him.
From the day she entered the manor, he had manipulated her into believing her family disdained him, exploiting the Xu family’s resources for his own advancement.
Even when his affair was exposed, he had anticipated her anger but never expected her to demand a divorce.
The Old Madam’s face twisted into a sneer.
“Divorce? Madam Xu, look in the mirror. In the Lu family, there is no such thing as divorce—only dismissal!”
“You’re a mother of three sons and a daughter, nearing the age of becoming a grandmother. Returning to your family in disgrace? Have you no shame? The Lu family replacing the heir doesn’t strip you of your position as the main wife. That is already Yuan Ze’s generosity.” The Old Madam’s disdain was palpable, viewing Madam Xu as ungrateful.
“Besides, Yan Shu is a cripple. With a dismissed mother, how will your children avoid bachelorhood?”
Madam Xu’s face darkened.
“In that case, Lu Jing Huai has no place here either!”
Her tone carried an unyielding edge.
“The autumn examination is only six months away. As an illegitimate child, Lu Jing Huai will forever remain in the shadows!”
Lu Yuan Ze’s eyelid twitched violently.
“Madam Xu, I humbly ask you to accept the honor of becoming Jing Huai’s legal mother. Do not act foolishly!”
“Jing Huai is exceptionally talented, personally accepted as the final disciple of the Soaring Elegance Academy’s headmaster. His future is in the imperial court!”
“Do not ruin him!” Lu Yuan Ze’s focus on Lu Jing Huai’s prospects burned with fervor.
Becoming a Triple Crown Scholar, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince… The glory alone was exhilarating.
Madam Xu’s cold laughter interrupted his thoughts.
“You wish for my son to vacate his position for your illegitimate child? Bring sincerity to the table, or we all rot here in this manor together.” Her voice was icy, her gaze sharper than a blade.
“Eighteen years of lies, and you never truly cared for me! You are unworthy to be the father of my children!”
“If you want Lu Jing Huai in this house, expel us first. Open the ancestral registry, sever familial ties, and write the letter of severance. Take the main wife’s position and the heir’s title—they are yours!” Madam Xu’s voice was laced with venom as she stared him down.
“Ridiculous!”
“You must be dreaming!” The Old Madam was the first to oppose, her outrage erupting instantly.
“They are children of the Lu family. You will not take them! If you want to leave, leave alone! The children of the Lu family have nothing to do with you!” Since ancient times, no woman left with her children after a divorce.
While the Old Madam favored Lu Jing Huai and Lu Jing Yao, she relished the notion of a bustling household and would never let Madam Xu have her way.
Lu Yuan Ze sighed.
“Shi Yun, stop causing trouble.”
“Never has a woman left with her children. Besides,” his eyes filled with derision.
“Jing Huai’s future is boundless. Isn’t it better for him to honor you as his mother?”
“And your children? A cripple, a wastrel, a dullard, and a mere infant. Taking them would only disgrace you further.” Though he hated belittling his children, he could not deny the reality.
Madam Xu’s heart chilled.
Cripple?
Wastrel?
Dullard?
Infant?
Time would reveal who truly thrived.
Madam Xu’s gaze turned icy as she faced Lu Yuan Ze.
“Open the family registry. Write the letter of severance. Nothing less. You have three days to decide.”
Is it gonna be the peak? Maann, the watermelon seeds taste good.