Chapter 4: Letter of Divorce

“I have been married to you for three years, never taken a concubine, and have been devoted to you alone; you should know my heart. Status is not important at all; affection is what matters.” Lu Feng swore with deep sincerity. Of two evils, choose the lesser; rather than turning the wedding day into a laughingstock, it was better to resolve it as soon as possible. Though it might slightly damage his reputation, it was already the best possible outcome.

The Xie family were mere merchants; there was no one in their clan serving as an official, so no one would stand up to seek justice for her.

Zhao Lan was infatuated with him and had always been obedient; she would surely be willing. For Zhao Lan, this was also the best outcome.

“I am not willing!” Su Qingwan shook her head gently. “If you want to be the son-in-law of the Earl’s mansion, then give me a letter of separation. Once you sign it, you can immediately proceed with the wedding ceremony. I will leave the mansion, and from this day forward, our marriages will have nothing to do with one another.”

Lu Feng was incensed, his true colors finally revealed. “Xie Zhao Lan, how can you be so ungrateful! If you remain obsessed and refuse to repent, don’t blame me for disregarding our marital ties.”

“To think you are a scholar, yet you would demote a wife to a concubine and commit such a shameless act. You Lu family are bullying people too far!” Su Qingwan wished she could slap Lu Feng across the face, and she deliberately raised her voice to accuse him.

The guests were in an uproar, whispering among themselves. Demoting a wife to a concubine was simply absurd.

Chen Lanzhu chimed in with Su Qingwan, mocking, “The eldest young master of the Lu family wants to be the son-in-law of the Earl’s mansion; he should just write Zhao Lan a letter of separation. She has been married to the Lu family for three years and has done nothing to wrong you. Why humiliate her like this? If this gets out, will the whole world think that all scholars are heartless, ungrateful, and sycophantic people who fawn over the powerful and trample the weak?”

Lu Feng’s face burned, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Scholars valued their reputation above all else; the guests were already whispering, forcing him into a dilemma where he could neither advance nor retreat.

Seeing Lu Feng hesitating, Li Xueying felt a sharp pain in her heart from anger. “Lu Feng, you are clinging to old feelings and want her to be a noble concubine—did you ask me? With her lowly status, she is not worthy of sharing a husband with me; she isn’t even qualified to be a concubine. In this mansion, it’s either me or her!”

Lu Shaoqing had long been fed up with this farce. Some of the guests were of too high a status to be easily driven away, and now that they had lost all face, this matter had to be resolved immediately.

Seeing his angry expression, Madam Lu’s heart skipped a beat. A thought struck her, and she pulled Li Xueying aside, lowering her voice. “Xueying, endure for a moment and the storm will pass. Even if she is a wife of equal rank, Zhao Lan will never be able to surpass you in this house. She has returned from the dead, and if you demote a wife to a concubine in front of everyone, the censors will impeach Feng-er, and his future and reputation will be ruined. Just swallow your pride for the sake of the child in your womb.”

Li Xueying was slightly startled. She subconsciously covered her stomach and glared fiercely at Madam Lin. Was she threatening her? If word got out that she was pregnant before marriage, the entire reputation of the Anping Earl’s mansion would be destroyed, implicating her sisters. Her father and mother might be fine, but her other uncles and aunts would surely hate her to death.

Li Xueying stared at Su Qingwan with hatred, leaned in close, and lowered her voice. “Xie Zhao Lan died long ago. Who exactly are you? What do you want? I can give you a sum of money; leave the Lu family immediately, or I will make sure you die without a burial place.”

Li Xueying was notorious in the capital for being arrogant and overbearing; she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

Just as she had taken a fancy to Lu Feng’s looks and fallen in love at first sight, she had snatched him away even though he already had a wife.

Seeing that she was using money as bait, Su Qingwan was puzzled. What had Madam Lin said to her to force her to swallow this insult?

It seemed she didn’t know what leverage she had over her. Su Qingwan didn’t want Li Xueying to compromise so easily; she wanted to force Li Xueying to lose her composure. The crazier Li Xueying acted, the more she would reveal, and it would be best if she exposed the fact that she had committed murder in public.

Su Qingwan smiled, with a hint of sarcasm. She said word by word, “Miss Li, is another woman’s husband really that good? You are truly… shameless!”

It was a strike to the heart. Li Xueying was furious; having grown up in luxury and privilege, she had never suffered such humiliation.

“Xie Zhao Lan died long ago! You madwoman who popped out of nowhere, spouting nonsense and knowing no bounds—someone, beat her to death!” Li Xueying lost her composure and ordered her own people.

The rough servant woman beside Li Xueying held a coarse horsewhip and swung it heavily toward Su Qingwan. Su Qingwan dodged to the side, grabbed the whip, and gave it a fierce tug. The woman lost her footing, and the whip was snatched away by Su Qingwan.

Lu Feng was stunned. How could his frail, helpless wife have such strength?

“You…” Li Xueying shrieked, “What are you standing there for? Pin her down and kill her!”

Chen Lanzhu was furious. “Li Xueying, have you lost your mind? Do you want to treat human life like dirt?”

“What human life like dirt? This madwoman disguised herself as Xie Zhao Lan to ruin my wedding. I am beating her to death in a fit of rage; what wrong have I done? She is nothing but a fraud!” Li Xueying was emboldened. “Even if she were Xie Zhao Lan, a lowly merchant’s daughter, I can kill her if I want. What can anyone do to me?”

The servant women and maids beside Li Xueying obeyed and lunged at Su Qingwan.

Su Qingwan fought back with the horsewhip. Screams erupted one after another as the maids and servants were whipped until their skin tore. Su Qingwan lashed out fiercely at the table in the center of the wedding hall. The red wedding cloth was shredded, cups and fruits rolled across the floor, and the gorgeously decorated hall was instantly in shambles.

The servants and maids fled in all directions. Su Qingwan swung the whip lightly, brushing past Li Xueying’s phoenix crown. The golden crown was knocked to the ground. Li Xueying felt as if she had been whipped across the face; she covered her face and screamed, her hair disheveled and looking utterly wretched.

Su Qingwan hated her to the core. The murder of her sister was an irreconcilable grievance. She wanted to kill Li Xueying immediately, but killing her like this would be letting her off too easily. She wanted to take away everything Li Xueying cherished.

She wanted to marry Lu Feng as his wife in a legitimate way? In her dreams!

“What kind of decorum is this! What kind of decorum!” Lu Shaoqing was frantic, nearly fainting from rage. The wedding had turned into a farce, and all his face was lost!

Lu Shaoqing roared in anger, “Someone, seize this madwoman!”

Over a dozen Lu family servants surrounded her. Su Qingwan had vented her anger and felt incredibly relieved. As a woman, she was no match for the strong servants of the Lu family and was pinned down in the hall.

Lu Shaoqing said coldly, “The Xie woman is unruly, causing a scene in the wedding hall, jealous and barren. Lu Feng, write her a letter of divorce and cast her out of the Lu family.”

“Yes, Father!” Lu Feng was overjoyed. Divorcing a wife without cause would invite criticism, but now that she was acting like a madwoman in the wedding hall, it gave him the perfect excuse. Once the letter of divorce was written, the Xie woman would no longer be a member of the Lu family. His marriage to Li Xueying would be legitimate, and he could comfort her properly later.

Li Xueying thought to herself, once Lu Feng writes the divorce letter, I will kill Xie Zhao Lan. I could kill you once, I can kill you a second time, whether you are human or ghost!

The servants quickly brought pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

Su Qingwan was forced to kneel on the ground and asked calmly, “Lu Feng, have you thought it through? Do you really want to write this divorce letter?”

Lu Feng picked up the brush and looked at her coldly, his eyes unable to hide his disgust. “You are a mere merchant’s daughter; how can you compare to Xueying? She has already humbled herself to be a wife of equal rank, sitting on par with you, yet you are still dissatisfied and acting like a madwoman in the wedding hall. Such a wicked woman must be divorced!”

Su Qingwan smiled gently. “Don’t regret this!”

“I will never regret it!”

Lu Feng lowered his head to write the divorce letter, while Li Xueying stared hatefully at Su Qingwan from the side, her intent to kill already set.

Suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched voice rang out from outside the door: “The Imperial Edict has arrived!”

(End of chapter)