Chapter 8: Breaking the Engagement
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
The night was deep.
Madam Xu stood at the main gate, sleepless, her gaze fixed on the Xu Manor several streets away. Flames lit up the sky, and faint wails could be heard even from this distance.
“Madam, all will be fine,” Deng Zhi reassured, holding Madam Xu’s icy hands and noticing her trembling body.
Madam Xu’s lips were tinged with purple as her frail figure shook. It took her a moment to muster a few words from her throat. “So close… it was so close…” Just a little more, and the Xu family would have been finished.
Fortunately, she had heard Chao Chao’s inner voice.
Her Chao Chao was a gift from the heavens.
As dawn began to break, Madam Xu moved stiffly. Deng Zhi quickly stepped forward to support her.
“Has the marquis returned?” Madam Xu’s face was pale, her strength nearly spent.
Deng Zhi shook her head. “The marquis has been out all night.”
Leaning on Deng Zhi’s arm, Madam Xu closed her eyes, suppressing the fear and doubts in her heart. She didn’t dare to wonder if her husband, Lu Yuan Ze, had a hand in this.
“Madam, we have news,” Ying Xue reported as she rushed in. “Last night, the Imperial Guard turned the Xu Manor upside down. They dug up a blood-written petition beneath the crooked-neck tree outside Madam Xu Yun’s chambers. Right now, Old Master Xu is kneeling outside the Imperial Study awaiting trial.”
Ying Xue and Jue Xia, the two maids, were visibly worried. But they noticed Madam Xu seemed somewhat relieved. Then again, her furrowed brow remained. Perhaps they had misunderstood her expression.
Madam Xu pursed her lips tightly and said no more. The entire day, she sat uneasily. Since marrying Lu Yuan Ze, she had gradually lost her independence, relying on him completely. She bore children for him, cooked for him, and the brilliance of her youth as a celebrated scholar in the capital had faded.
Even the family that once loved her had abandoned her.
A bitter smile crept across Madam Xu’s lips.
She sent someone to summon Lu Yuan Ze, but he never returned. Even in this dire situation, she wanted to give him a chance to come clean. Yet, he didn’t show up.
The day wore on, and as night fell, the doorkeeper rushed in.
“Madam, someone from the Jiang family is here.”
Madam Xu abruptly stood up.
The Jiang family—the family betrothed to her eldest son, Lu Yan Shu. If they came at such a time, it could only mean trouble.
Both the Jiang and Lu families were founding noble families. The Jiangs pursued civil achievements, and their descendants had climbed to the prestigious rank of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. The Lu family, primarily warriors, saw Lu Yuan Ze forced into a civil career due to his frail health. Despite marrying Madam Xu, his rise was slow, and the family always lagged behind the Jiang family.
“Back then, it was the Jiangs who came to us to arrange this child betrothal,” Deng Zhi said as she helped Madam Xu change into fresh clothes. Seeing Madam Xu regain some composure, she accompanied her to the front hall.
Madam Xu paused for a moment. “Bring Chao Chao.”
Little Chao Chao, now forty days old, was growing like a sprouting shoot, plump and cheerful. Her chubby face lit up with a grin whenever she saw someone, spreading joy wherever she went.
By the time Madam Xu entered the front hall, Madam Jiang had been sitting stiffly for some time, her expression stern. On the table lay a tray covered with a red cloth.
Madam Xu’s steps faltered slightly.
“Sister Xu, it’s been a long time. I regret missing the celebration of your child’s first month. I feel deeply apologetic,” Madam Jiang sighed, her shrewd face showing traces of pity.
Back then, she had high hopes for Lu Yan Shu. Who would have thought he would end up crippled, unable to care for himself, and prone to fits of madness? With the Xu family imprisoned, Madam Jiang saw no need for restraint.
“Our two families are as close as one; how could I hold a grudge against you?” Madam Xu replied with a smile.
Madam Jiang’s expression stiffened, her brows furrowing slightly. After a brief silence, she said, “Sister Xu, let’s not beat around the bush. The engagement between Yan Shu and Yun Jin must be annulled.”
Madam Xu’s face fell.
“Yan Shu is now no more than a crippled man—hardly a match for my Yun Jin. Yun Jin is a legitimate daughter of the Jiang family; how could she marry a disabled man? This engagement should have been canceled long ago,” Madam Jiang said, casting a contemptuous glance at Madam Xu. The current Madam Xu was a shadow of her former self. With the Xu family’s fall and Yan Shu’s condition, breaking the engagement carried no risk.
“You!” Madam Xu clutched her chest, trembling with rage.
“Yan Shu fell into the water saving Yun Jin. Isn’t that why he’s like this?” Madam Xu gritted her teeth. Her brilliant son had become disabled for Yun Jin’s sake.
When Jiang Yun Jin fell into the water, Yan Shu jumped in to save her. She survived, but Yan Shu was trapped underwater for too long. By the time he was pulled out, it was too late.
Whenever Madam Xu thought of this, her heart ached. Countless nights were spent drowning in hatred.
Madam Jiang’s face darkened. “My Yun Jin, a legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, cannot marry a cripple. Besides, she didn’t ask him to save her! He jumped in on his own! This engagement should have been dissolved long ago. How dare you cling to it? Your cripple of a son shouldn’t ruin a fine young lady’s life. Have you no conscience?”
“That lunatic son of yours should be locked away forever. What’s the point of getting married?”
“Even being engaged to him is a disgrace. It’s an embarrassing past!”
“Whether you agree or not, this engagement will end.”
“I refuse!” Madam Xu’s eyes burned red as she bit out the words. Yan Shu had become disabled for the Jiang family, and now they wanted to abandon him? Her Yan Shu’s life was utterly ruined.
From her swaddling, little Chao Chao waved her chubby hand. [Break, break, break! Pretty Mama, quickly break it…]
[She’s the one who ruined Big Brother…]
[If she marries Big Brother, she’ll secretly hit him, make him bark like a dog, crawl through her legs, drink urine, and bring other men home to make Big Brother watch… Big Brother was literally angered to death…]
Madam Xu’s hand trembled as she held the teacup, her breathing growing heavier. A few drops of tea spilled onto the table. Her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood.
Her child—just how much had he suffered?