The gazes of both women turned towards her, and Madam Li nodded as well: "Sister-in-law is right. This Miss Liu likely isn't acting alone..."
Her words were veiled, and for a moment, Xue Ling and Xie Yaozhi didn't grasp her meaning.
Chu Ruoyan said, "Cousin, Sister Xie, think carefully. Given Scholar Xie's usual conduct, how could someone he sent away return on their own? Even if she escaped privately, why didn’t she go back to the Nanping Marquisate? And how did she know you’d be at Baobao Pavilion today, timing it so perfectly?"
News spreads quickly among the noble families in the capital. By tomorrow, the whole city would know.
Xue Ling bit her lip as realization dawned, and Xie Yaozhi tensed. "You—you suspect my grandmother?"
Indeed, in the entire Nanping Marquisate, only she could bring back someone her grandson had sent away and leak their whereabouts!
"But why? My brother already said he wouldn’t take Liu Hui as a concubine!"
Chu Ruoyan smirked mockingly, while Xue Ling spoke coldly: "She doesn’t want me to enter the Marquisate."
Liu Hui’s plea wasn’t for a path to becoming a concubine—it was to block Xue Ling’s entry into the household.
First, she tried to ruin Xue Ling’s reputation, branding her as jealous before even stepping into the household. When that failed, she attempted suicide with a hairpin.
Whether she died or not, even drawing blood would stir up enough scandal to delay the wedding set for the sixth of next month.
The thought sent a chill through Xue Ling, and she turned to leave without another word.
Xie Yaozhi called after her, but she didn’t stop.
"What—what do we do now? How could Grandmother be so foolish?"
"She isn’t foolish. She’s too shrewd." Chu Ruoyan’s voice was icy as well.
If Old Madam Xie would resort to such vicious schemes against a future granddaughter-in-law before the wedding, what peace could Xue Ling expect after marriage?
"County Princess Changle, I know my grandmother is wrong, but my brother truly loves Sister Xue. Please, think of a way to help!"
Chu Ruoyan and Madam Li exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in each other’s eyes.
In this world, even blood relatives couldn’t interfere in a woman’s marital affairs unless pushed to the brink—let alone distant relatives like them!
"Sister Xie, if Scholar Xie can’t protect my cousin, his sincerity means little... Here’s what you can do: tell your brother everything that happened today and see what he decides."
Xie Yaozhi agreed at once. When she returned home and relayed the events to Xie Zhizhou after his return from duty, his face darkened. Without a word, he turned and strode toward his grandmother’s courtyard.
At that moment, in Old Madam Xie’s quarters, Liu Hui was tearfully recounting the day’s events.
The moment she finished—smack!—a sharp slap struck her face.
"Useless! You couldn’t even draw a drop of blood! What good are you? I should’ve left you in the countryside!"
Liu Hui trembled in fear, about to blame County Princess Changle for interfering, when—bang!—the courtyard gate was kicked open.
Xie Zhizhou stood there, still in his official robes, his handsome face frosty as he stepped inside.
Old Madam Xie straightened. "Zhizhou, what is the meaning of this?"
"I should be asking you that, Grandmother." He pointed at Liu Hui. "What is she doing here? Didn’t I already have her sent away?"
Old Madam Xie remained unruffled. "I pitied my granddaughter and kept her a few more days. Is that so wrong?"
"Fine. But keeping her until she could ambush Ling’er at Baobao Pavilion—is that what you call ‘keeping’?"
Seeing no point in pretense, Old Madam Xie snapped, "Yes! I don’t want you marrying Xue Ling. Her father, the Marquis of Cheng’en, angered the Emperor and was confined with another man—what kind of disgrace is that? And the Cao family she lives with now? True, the old lady holds a first-rank title, but Cao Yang has fallen! Don’t you understand that without connections, an official is nothing? Her family offers you no advantage. I’m doing this for your own good!"
Xie Zhizhou had heard this speech before at Wolong Temple.
Now, his expression turned utterly cold. "You’re right, Grandmother."
Old Madam Xie relaxed, thinking he’d finally seen reason—until he turned on his heel. "In that case, I’ll resign from office. I’ll submit my petition tonight."
He walked away. Old Madam Xie stared, then shrieked, "Stop!!"
Xie Zhizhou paused—only to be drenched by a cup of scalding tea. "You—you’d throw away the Nanping Marquisate’s honor for a woman?!"
The current Nanping Marquis held only a nominal post in the Ministry of Rites, and his brothers were all mediocrities.
Xie Zhizhou was the family’s sole hope.
He had topped the imperial exams, earned the rank of Tanhua (Third Scholar), and distinguished himself in several posts. The Emperor himself had appointed him to the Censorate at a young age.
He was the pride of the Xie family—yet now he spoke of resigning?
Old Madam Xie clutched her chest, but his voice was calm. "Grandmother, I’ve pleaded with you, even threatened you. But I see now—none of it matters. As long as I hold this title, you’ll find a thousand ways to force me into another marriage. So I’ll resign. That way, I betray neither Xue Ling nor my duty to you."
He bowed deeply and left.
Old Madam Xie stood frozen. Liu Hui whimpered, "Grandmother, you can’t let Cousin—"
Smack!
Another slap sent Liu Hui reeling, blood dripping from her mouth.
"Let him go! Let him!!" Old Madam Xie snarled, her face twisted with fury. "I refuse to believe he’d abandon his career for a woman! Ha! Since when has our family produced such a lovesick fool? Let him go!"
The next day, when Chu Ruoyan heard the news, she was stunned. "Scholar Xie is truly remarkable. My cousin is fortunate to have him."
"Fortunate in love, perhaps, but not in career." Yan Zheng glanced at Meng Yang, who placed a memorial on the table.
Chu Ruoyan read it. "Scholar Xie really submitted his resignation?"
Yan Zheng nodded. "Delivered to the Ministry of Personnel last night. They deemed it too significant and forwarded it to me... The Emperor will see it in court today."
"So soon? Shouldn’t such matters be deliberated for a few days?"
A smirk flickered in Yan Zheng’s eyes. "How many days do you suggest, A’Yan?"
"Three—no, five!" She calculated silently. Even Old Madam Xie’s patience would wear thin by then.
Suddenly, his arm circled her waist, pulling her close. "Five days it is. But this is an abuse of power. How will you thank me?"
Chu Ruoyan pecked his lips. "I’ll thank you properly tonight..."
Yan Zheng grinned, stealing another kiss before reluctantly leaving.
That afternoon, a message arrived from the Duke of Chu's Mansion—her sisters Yin and Lan invited her for a visit.
Just as she prepared to leave, Lady Xue from the second branch arrived in tears.
"County Princess Changle, you must save Chengwu! That little vixen from the Feng family has bewitched him! Now he’s gone to the Chief Minister’s residence, begging the Old Dowager to arrange a marriage proposal with the Fengs!"
