Chapter 13: Divorce
Shen Qing was stunned for a moment, blinked in shock, and finally confirmed that the figure was indeed his father-in-law, whom he had not seen for a day, Mu Linyuan, the Marquis of Chaoyangling.
Next to him was a woman with a delicate face and a swollen belly. It looked like she was already very old.
The woman held Marquis Yangling's arm affectionately and said something to him with a smile on her face.
Marquis Yangling was also in a very good mood. Before leaving, he gently caressed the woman's belly. The scene looked very warm.
So not only did Marquis Yangling raise someone outside... but he also had an illegitimate child?
When Chanyi came back with a bag of sweet-scented osmanthus cake, she saw Shen Qing staring at the entrance of the alley opposite. Following Shen Qing's gaze, it was empty.
"What's the matter, miss?"
Shen Qing regained consciousness and lowered the curtain that had been raised at one corner, "Go back home first."
Qingliu Lane and Yanglinghou Mansion were in the west and the other in the east, so the sky was completely dark when the master and servant came back.
Shen Qing got off the carriage and looked at the groom with a serious expression, "Everything you saw today will definitely rot in your stomach, otherwise no one can save you, do you understand?"
The groom knew that Shen Qing was talking about Marquis Yangling, so he immediately vowed, "Don't worry, young madam, I'm just driving the young lady's carriage today, I didn't see anything unusual."
Only then did Shen Qing retract her gaze and walk toward Tinglan Courtyard with Chanyi.
It's not the best time to expose Yang Linghou yet, so Shen Qing doesn't mind helping him hide it for a while.
Returning to Tinglan Courtyard, Shen Qing pushed back the servants and then said to Chanyi, "I will send a message to Lingyi later and ask her to send someone to keep an eye on the movements in Qingyun Lane, especially the identity of the woman." , it is necessary to find out.”
Shen Qing has two right-hand assistants, Chanyi is thoughtful and responsible for Shen Qing's daily life, and Lingyi is careful and responsible for managing all the shops under Shen Qing's name and the collection and delivery of news from Beijing.
Chanyi was startled, what kind of woman?
Shen Qing briefly told her about her meeting with Marquis Yangling today. Chanyi immediately froze. During the day, she heard Shen Qing say that Marquis Yangling and his wife, Lin, had been together for many years, so it was Lin's humble background. But she never had the intention to change her wife. Chanyi thought that although he was a mess, he was loyal to Mrs. Yanglinghou and was not worthless. However, she didn't expect that within a day, her feelings for Yanglinghou had changed again. cognition.
As expected, dedication is a rare thing in the Mu family. This is true for Marquis Yangling, and so is Mu Ziqian.
"This slave will go and send a message to Lingyi."
Shen Qing nodded, and then continued to think about the identity of the woman today.
Logically speaking, if she were a girl from an ordinary family, Marquis Yangling could just carry her through the door. There was only one concubine on her left and right, and Mrs. Yanglinghou would not do anything even if she was not happy. However, Marquis Yangling tried his best to Keeping it outside would be too suspicious.
In this way, I am afraid that there are other secrets in that woman's body.
…
It was already dark, and the entire Yanglinghou Mansion fell into silence.
Suddenly, there was a slight knocking sound outside the window, which seemed particularly clear in this quiet night.
With a "squeak" sound, the window opened. Shen Qing turned around and saw Lu Yan standing under the window. The weak moonlight shone on his face, making his already handsome face even more dazzling. stand up.
"Jiaojiao, it's me."
Very proficient in self-reporting.
After Shen Qing nodded, Lu Yan jumped in and sat on the chair next to Shen Qing.
Shen Qing couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth and suggested, "It's already very late. In fact, you can just walk through the door next time."
Lu Yan shook his head seriously, "No, it's not right now."
Shen Qing: "..."
You have climbed over the wall and are you still so principled?
Shen Qing picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea before asking the question that he had not had time to ask last night, "Are you feeling better?"
Lu Yan's health was not good. When she was in Yuncheng, Shen Qing had seen his illness attack with her own eyes. His whole body was as limp as if he had no bones, his consciousness was blurred and he didn't recognize his relatives. At that time, Shen Qing was bitten hard to comfort him. , even though I used a lot of expensive ointments later, it still left a thin layer of traces, but fortunately it was not obvious.
Lu Yan responded, "Well, Divine Doctor Yun helped me stabilize my condition temporarily. If nothing happens, I won't have another attack in a short time."
Shen Qing felt relieved and continued to ask, "How long do you plan to stay when you return to Shengjing this time?"
Lu Yan's eyebrows were slightly condensed, and he looked at Shen Qing, with a thousand words in his eyes, "How long does Jiao Jiao want me to stay?"
Feeling Lu Yan's burning gaze, Shen Qing's heart froze and her lips opened slightly, but there was no response for a long time.
Seeing this, Lu Yan did not ask any more questions, but got down to business, "Today, I went through all the laws and regulations of our dynasty and found three ways for you to reconcile."
Shen Qing put down the cup in his hand, looked at Lu Yan's face, and waited for his next words.
"The first one is that the Yangling Marquis' family was imprisoned for crimes. Although you are also responsible for the crime, you are still the legitimate daughter of the Yining Marquis. It will not be a problem to escape safely. At that time, Mu Ziqian was a guilty person. Naturally, I am not qualified to stop you from leaving the Mu family, and the reconciliation will be a matter of course.
As for the culpability of the Yanglinghou Mansion... I have a lot of evidence here of Yanglinghou's corruption, bribery and clique for personal gain. However, if something happens to the Yanglinghou Mansion, the prince will definitely not stand idly by, so things will probably not progress smoothly. "
Shen Qing agreed. Not to mention that there was a behemoth prince behind the Yangling Marquis Mansion. Just because of his status as one of the three princes of Chu, the emperor would not easily convict him. And the stalemate The time is enough for the prince to do many things.
"Secondly, you and Mu Ziqian are both direct heirs of the Hou family, with noble status. Ordinary excuses are not enough for you to propose a divorce, so you must make a big splash.
Just like what happened yesterday, if Mu Xueliu hadn't arrived in time, he could have made a big fuss. However, after this incident, it shouldn't be easy to catch Mu Ziqian later. "
Shen Qing stared slightly and put forward his own thoughts, "Mu Xueliu is very smart. Compared with the Mu family, she obviously understands my importance to the Yangling Marquis Mansion better. Yesterday, she did not hesitate to do it in front of me. Publicly punishing Mrs. Lin and Mu Ziqian, it will be difficult to find out Mu Ziqian’s big mistake with her here.”
Lu Yan nodded and continued, "The third one is also the simplest. I will find a day to deal with Mu Ziqian. You will remain a widow directly. Once the period of filial piety is over, you can remarry."
In fact, what Lu Yan was thinking in his heart was "I'll welcome you through the door", but when the words came to his lips, he hesitated.
He still didn't know Shen Qing's thoughts.
Shen Qing suddenly laughed, with a hint of teasing in his voice, "Do it directly? We haven't seen you for two years, and you have become more crisp and neat in doing things."
Lu Yan's words were reasonable, "If he treats you badly, you don't have to defend him. It's not worth it."
The meaning of Lu Yan's words was so obvious that it was difficult for Shen Qing not to pay attention. She followed his words and said, "Then who do you think is worthy?"
Looking into Shen Qing's bright eyes, Lu Yan suddenly felt his throat tightening, and he got a little closer by accident, "Jiao Jiao, what do you think of me?"
Warm breath hit her cheek, Shen Qing's heartbeat couldn't help but intensify again, and her cheeks turned red uncontrollably.
However, Lu Yan took advantage of the momentum to pursue him and moved closer, saying what he had buried in his heart for more than half a year, "Jiaojiao, since Mu Ziqian treats you so badly, then don't want him, stay with me, I’m good to you, okay?”