Prince Qi couldn’t possibly be unaware that if the truth came to light, her sister would have no face left to live!
She couldn’t blame her parents, even though they had wronged their two daughters for the sake of their son. Bound by this damned filial piety, she couldn’t say a word.
But she would free herself. The alliance between the Feng Family and Prince Qi’s household would no longer have anything to do with her. From now on, she would only be herself—not a daughter of the Feng Family, nor Princess Consort Qi!
Thinking of this, Princess Consort Qi—no, she should now be called Feng Suiyu—felt an unexpected lightness in her heart.
The boulder that had weighed on her chest since childhood seemed to slowly lift, finally allowing her to breathe.
Even without relying on her family, she had ample dowry and the wealth she had secretly accumulated over the years through investments. It was enough to last her two lifetimes.
Emperor Mingxi said, "Lady Feng, have you truly thought this through? Do you really intend to divorce Prince Qi without regret?"
"This scumbag isn’t even fit for dogs! How could I regret it?"
[Master, dogs might not want him, but Lady Hu does!]
Xie Zhiyan nearly burst out laughing at their banter. If not for his father’s icy glare and the close call earlier that almost gave him away, he wouldn’t have been able to suppress the smirk creeping onto his face.
Yue Fuguang’s large eyes sparkled mischievously. "Little Pearl, look—even as his uncle and aunt are divorcing, the Crown Prince is grinning like the brightest chrysanthemum in my garden."
[Maybe because the Crown Prince enjoys watching family melodramas too?]
Xie Zhiyan, accused of enjoying such dramas: Heh? Not heh!
The Empress shot him a sharp look, and Xie Zhiyan immediately straightened up. But he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face too quickly—that would be too obvious!
He maintained the forced grin for another half-minute before seizing the chance to lower his head and sip tea, discreetly rubbing his stiff cheeks.
Never again, he swore. His face hurt!
Feng Suiyu kowtowed solemnly to Emperor Mingxi. "Your Majesty, this subject is certain—I will divorce Xie Qi."
Then, turning to Xie Qi, she added coldly, "I, Feng Suiyu, am a good mother. If I don’t leave, how else will I clear the position of Princess Consort Qi for the birth mother of my dear eldest son?
Or should I wait until I die before she can step in?"
[And the moment you die, he’ll remarry—but not to Lady Hu. It’ll be your own sister, Feng Linlang.
Only a scoundrel like Prince Qi could kill a man’s husband and sister, then marry his widow and her sister. Such touching devotion!]
"Little Pearl, is that how you use ‘touching’? Noted!"
Emperor Mingxi and the others couldn’t take it anymore. The divine artifact shouldn’t be teaching the young immortal lord such things!
She was only eight—far too impressionable!
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor exchanged a glance. It was decided: the young immortal lord needed schooling, and the Imperial Study Hall was the perfect place.
Unaware that her playful exchange with the system had just sentenced her to education, Yue Fuguang remained blissfully oblivious.
"Mother, what do you think…?" Emperor Mingxi asked the Empress Dowager out of courtesy, as this couple was, nominally, still her son and daughter-in-law.
Since even the young immortal lord wished to spare Feng Suiyu, he wouldn’t stand in her way. But he had to ask, "Lady Feng, once you divorce Prince Qi, what of your daughter, Zhiyao?"
Xie Zhiyao was too deeply entangled in Prince Qi’s schemes—the imperial family couldn’t let her go. If Feng Suiyu clung to maternal sentiment, she would sink with the ship of Princess Consort Qi.
After a pause, Feng Suiyu replied, "Your Majesty, Zhiyao has always been closer to her father. I believe she would prefer to remain in Prince Qi’s household. As her mother, I respect her choice."
Time and again, her daughter had chosen to abandon her, trading their bond for personal gain.
Perhaps she alone had been foolish enough to hold onto their relationship.
But no more.
Xie Zhiyao had chosen her path at twelve. Feng Suiyu lacked the power to pull her back—what her daughter desired, a powerless birth mother could never provide.
The Empress Dowager nodded. "Your Majesty, grant them the divorce. Let Lady Feng take her full dowry and all profits from its management. Neither Prince Qi’s household nor the Feng Family may interfere."
Feng Suiyu kowtowed deeply. "This subject thanks Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty."
This was the last time she would address the Empress Dowager as "Mother." After today, she would simply be Feng Suiyu—no longer Princess Consort Qi.
"Mother, Elder Brother, I don’t want a divorce! I—I truly care for A-Yu! I swear I’ll never touch another woman again. I’ll devote myself only to my wife."
Prince Qi wore a repentant expression, his eyes—the kind that could make even a dog swoon—locked onto Feng Suiyu. She found his gaze utterly repulsive.
"A-Yu, let’s not do this. How could you bear to leave our only daughter, Zhiyao?"
Feng Suiyu: She abandoned me as her mother long ago.
"Do you really feel nothing for me anymore?"
Feng Suiyu: Before today, I might have thought him a tolerable husband. Now? Even a dog is a thousand times better.
"Your Highness, from the moment I saw you with Lady Hu, any affection I had for you vanished. Must I also bring up my near-fatal childbirth?"
Her tone was icy. Were they not in the palace, she wouldn’t bother humoring him at all.
At the mention of her childbirth ordeal, Prince Qi’s face twitched. He hastily changed the subject. "Have you considered how you’ll live after the divorce? Your dowry won’t last forever."
[Master, Feng Suiyu is a business prodigy. In just over a decade, she secretly doubled her dowry’s value—and that was while hiding it from Prince Qi. Given free rein, she could achieve far more.
Didn’t you say you wanted to start another venture with the Crown Prince after the new year? She’d be the perfect manager.]
"But I’m just a child, and we’ve never met. Why would she trust me? Besides, she’s already wealthy. Why work for a kid?"
Work? Feng Suiyu’s heart leapt at the idea, though she couldn’t openly volunteer. The young immortal lord didn’t understand—a woman with wealth but no status was like a child flaunting gold in a marketplace.
Worse, she possessed several priceless artifacts from the previous dynasty. Without powerful backing, she might lose them—or her life.
The Crown Prince, hearing Yue Fuguang mention another business collaboration, brightened. Their cement venture was already a success.
Demand from the Ministry of Works alone had booked their entire production through next year—none had even hit the public market yet.
