Early the next morning, Zhao Yuechan prepared herself and ordered the carriage to return to her parents' home. Leaning on her maid's arm, she entered the main hall and saw her mother, An Shi, reclining on a luohan bed, stroking a cat in her lap. Her father, Zhao Xuede, sat on the other side of the bed, smoking a pipe.
An Shi glanced at Zhao Yuechan and said, "Why have you come back home again for no reason? Aren't you afraid your in-laws will be displeased?" Though in her forties, An Shi appeared remarkably youthful, heavily made up and strikingly beautiful.
Zhao Yuechan pouted. "Your daughter is nearly bullied to death, and you still care whether they're happy or not?"
Zhao Xuede frowned and scolded, "Nonsense!"
Zhao Yuechan sat on a chair by the window. After the maid served tea and withdrew, she said, "I’m not talking nonsense. I was furious yesterday!" She then recounted the incident involving Xianglan.
An Shi was enraged upon hearing it. "Outrageous! Your husband is utterly unreasonable. How dare he casually threaten divorce and humiliate you over a mere maid? I’ll go back to the Lin family with you—this matter won’t end until it’s settled properly!"
Overjoyed, Zhao Yuechan immediately clung to An Shi and cooed, "Mother truly cares for me."
Zhao Xuede, who had been scowling, rebuked An Shi, "Foolish woman’s talk! Keep quiet—your meddling will only make things worse."
An Shi retorted indignantly, "How is this meddling? My daughter has been wronged—shouldn’t I stand up for her? What’s so special about the Lin family? Can they bully people as they please?"
Seeing Zhao Xuede refuse to help, Zhao Yuechan quickly shed a few tears, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "Father, you don’t understand. Before, he at least showed me some respect in front of others, but now he’s become increasingly harsh. I even thoughtfully prepared a concubine for him, yet he treated me coldly. And now, over a lowly maid, he’s completely humiliated me. I don’t even want to live anymore..." She opened her mouth to wail.
"If he’s so heartless, why not simply divorce him?" Zhao Xuede sneered. "Come back home, and your mother and I will find another wealthy family from another province to marry you into. Though it may not compare to the Lin family, we’ll ensure you’re not shortchanged. Are you willing or not?"
Zhao Yuechan’s sobs caught in her throat. An Shi gasped, "Absolutely not!"
Zhao Xuede glared at them. "If you’re unwilling, then stop this tantrum at once!"
An Shi remained unconvinced, while Zhao Yuechan lowered her head in silence. Zhao Xuede sighed and, after a long pause, said, "Since we’re family, I’ll speak bluntly behind closed doors. The Lin family is a distinguished clan spanning generations. Though our Zhao family has its roots, our rise to prominence only came after the current emperor’s success, with a Zhao consort in the palace and your grandfather holding imperial favor. Do you think the Lin family would have allied with us otherwise?"
Zhao Yuechan interjected, "That’s exactly what I was going to say next! The Lin family repays kindness with ingratitude. If not for marrying me, they would have ended up like the Shen and Bai families back then—if not executed, at least exiled. How could they be living in such peace and luxury now?"Zhao Xuede lowered his voice and said, "The Lin family was merely neutral in court back then, and though they leaned toward the Crown Prince, it wasn’t particularly obvious. Later, when the Eighth Prince succeeded, he didn’t intend to slaughter the Lin family outright—just to punish them. But that old fox Lin Zhaoxiang played his cards well by marrying a Zhao daughter, allowing the Lin family to escape unscathed." His tone darkened as he continued, "Still, Lin Jinlou wasn’t wrong. Though Old Lord Lin had intended for him to marry a Zhao daughter, he hadn’t chosen you—he had his eye on your uncle’s fourth girl. But I knew the Lin boy had a taste for beauties. That’s why I had you dress up and stand beneath the lanterns during the Lantern Festival—so he’d notice you. Otherwise, how could such a fine marriage have come to pass?"
Zhao Yuechan was startled and murmured, "So Father had already planned it all..." Truth be told, many young men had gazed at her that night, but Lin Jinlou had been the most dashing, which was why she had flirted so openly. Little had she known her father had schemed behind the scenes.
Zhao Xuede smirked proudly. "Of course. Otherwise, how could I let an unmarried young lady like you appear in public? This was the Master of the Lin family in Jiangnan! If the Crown Prince hadn’t fallen from power, would the Lins have been willing to marry into our Zhao family? I couldn’t let your uncle’s family take this advantage. The old lord agreed—as long as the Lin and Zhao families were united, it didn’t matter which daughter it was. Haven’t you noticed how I’ve been promoted these past two years? That was all the old lord’s doing, all because you married well. Your grandfather deliberately favored our branch." His expression darkened again. "From now on, behave yourself. Your husband merely has a roving eye—just turn a blind eye and let him be. What man isn’t lustful? Right now, he only has three women in his chambers, including his Bedchamber Attendant—that’s already few. Temper your jealousy, be more gentle and attentive, and he won’t spend every night in another woman’s room! As long as you remain the Lin family’s legitimate eldest daughter-in-law, your day will come."
Zhao Yuechan twisted her handkerchief resentfully. "I’ve tried being gentle, but he won’t even look at me..."
Zhao Xuede glared fiercely. "And you dare complain! If not for your filthy affair before marriage with that little beast—"
Zhao Yuechan shrank back, and Zhao Xuede took a deep breath.
An Shi quickly intervened. "Why bring up the past?"
Zhao Xuede slammed his palm on the carved peony rosewood table. "Do you think I want to? The shame of it! Thankfully, the Lin family still values our dignity. I had to kneel to prevent the engagement from being called off—otherwise, such disgrace would’ve left Chan’er no choice but to hang herself to erase the scandal!"
Zhao Yuechan’s face flushed crimson as she bit her lip in silent fury. "The world’s rules are all rotten. Why must women die for such things while men frolic freely? If they want my life, I’ll drag them down to hell with me!"Zhao Xuede looked at his daughter's delicate, rosy cheeks and sighed silently. He had three daughters, and Zhao Yuechan was the most beautiful and clever, but she had a stubborn nature, unwilling to yield. Spoiled and headstrong since childhood, she couldn't tolerate others easily. He spoke slowly, "Your husband is right about one thing—if he divorces you, the Zhao family has plenty of daughters eager to take your place. He’s now renowned for his military leadership, even praised twice by the Emperor. He’s clearly on the rise—don’t be foolish at this critical moment."
Zhao Yuechan listened with her head lowered, her expression troubled, twisting a handkerchief between her fingers. Seeing this, Zhao Xuede knew she had taken his words to heart. He cleared his throat and continued, "Besides, it’s just over a maid, isn’t it? Hardly worth all this weeping and wailing. Since that girl came from that Concubine’s room, let them fight each other—stage an estrangement tactic..." He whispered a plan to her.
Zhao Yuechan nodded repeatedly, her face brightening with a smile. "Father, you’re truly brilliant."
Zhao Xuede glared at her. "Just spare me some worry, will you?"
An Shi chuckled. "Not only should that little seductress be dealt with, but Chan’er must also take good care of her health and bear a son soon. Only then will she truly secure her position."
These words stung Zhao Yuechan even more. She murmured a few vague responses before changing the subject and eventually taking her leave to return home.
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Thank you to Ban Tai’s journal for sending 500 PK votes! Wow, I’m truly shocked!! As a token of gratitude, I’ll add an extra update~~=3=
Thanks to Qing Chenlove for the peach blossom fan, rk_owl for the sachet, Yan Sansheng for two Peace Talismans, Yueyue Ai Yueyue, Jing Xi, and east19us for the Peace Talismans—thank you all
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