Song Lanzhi recognized Mingyi and was about to explain that it was all a misunderstanding when Mingyi stopped her.
"Prepare the writing tools," Mingyi instructed those around her.
Bai Ying brought forth the brush and ink, while guards set up a long table. Mingyi then wrote the Divorce Agreement in front of everyone and handed it to Song Lanzhi's mother-in-law. "Press your fingerprint here, and we'll only take your daughter-in-law with us."
"What daughter-in-law? She's just a shameless woman clinging to my son," the old woman muttered as she took the Divorce Agreement, looking at it blankly. "I can't read."
Song Lanzhi softly read it for her: "The bond of husband and wife is forged over three lifetimes of fate, uniting them in this life. If their union is ill-fated, they become adversaries, opposing each other. Since their hearts are no longer one, and their wills diverge, let them swiftly part before their kin, each returning to their own path..."
"Stop, stop! I don’t understand. Just tell me—does signing this mean you’ll have no ties to my son anymore?" the old woman waved impatiently.
Song Lanzhi lowered her eyes and nodded, then couldn’t help adding, "Before he left, my husband repeatedly urged me to take care of you..."
"You don’t want to care for me—you just covet my son’s wealth!" the old woman spat angrily. "Before you go, return all the deeds to the properties and shops he entrusted to you!"
With that, she pressed her fingerprint firmly onto the Divorce Agreement.
Mingyi took the document and asked Song Lanzhi, "What wealth is she talking about?"
Tears welled in Song Lanzhi’s eyes, and it took her a moment to speak through her sobs. "My husband once made a fortune in business, but during a trade with Azure Snow, his cargo ship was unknowingly used to smuggle women as goods. Though he was unaware, he was implicated by his companions and lost everything. That’s why he... took his own life. Before he died, he specifically asked me to care for his mother."
"But, my lord, please understand—our lands and property deeds were all forfeited. There’s nothing left. I only told her we still had rental income from shops to ease her grief. In truth, I’ve been earning money by copying texts at the scriptorium during the day."
The old woman grew even angrier. "Not a word of truth from her! My son had immense wealth—how could nothing remain? She must have hidden it all, feeding me scraps of meat and vegetable leftovers to deceive me!"
She collapsed to the ground, wailing, "My poor son! He left no heir, and his life was wasted on this viper of a woman!"
Mingyi raised a hand. "No need for haste. I’ll have someone retrieve your household registry to verify what remains of your family’s assets."
After Ji Bozhai unified the Six Cities, he had all residents’ household registries re-recorded, including their land and property deeds, all consolidated into one record. No one had understood why he went to such lengths, but now it proved convenient for investigation.
Song Lanzhi’s registry was also under review by the Ministry of Personnel, so it wasn’t difficult to retrieve. Moments later, it was brought before them.
Mingyi carefully examined it and found that Song Lanzhi truly owned nothing—not even the small courtyard they currently lived in, which was rented.
"She must have found a way to hide it!" the old woman cried in desperation. "My poor son! In his final moments, his only thought was of me, his mother, yet he entrusted his legacy to the wrong hands! Now not a single Shell Coin remains!"Song Lanzhi was most annoyed by her habit of crying to her son over every little thing. Her expression finally turned cold as she said, "I'm leaving today with nothing on me. This entire courtyard, including the clothes I'm wearing—take them, they're all yours!"
As she spoke, she removed her outer robe, leaving only her undergarments.
The moment the robe hit the ground, the old woman snatched it up in a hurry, frantically searching the sleeves. She found twenty Shell Coins and beamed with delight before spitting at Song Lanzhi. "Only this much left? There must be more hidden in your room!"
Song Lanzhi knelt and bowed to her, then stood and declared, "The Divorce Agreement has been signed. From now on, I am no longer a woman of the Liu family. Life or death, wealth or poverty—none of it concerns you anymore. This bow is my thanks for raising such a fine son."
The old woman scoffed and turned to ransack her room.
After searching for a long time, she found only some tattered clothes and half a tael of gold wrapped in several layers—clearly kept as an emergency fund.
Still, it was something. The old woman immediately started shouting, "Acting all righteous, yet you stole half a tael of gold from my son! With gold like this, you still fed me broth without meat—disgusting!"
Song Lanzhi replied calmly, "That was for your medicine."
"You're cursing me to take medicine now!"
Ignoring the howls from inside, Song Lanzhi stepped out of the small courtyard.
Bai Ying, standing nearby, draped a cloak over her shoulders and supported her. Only then did Song Lanzhi snap out of her daze and bow to Mingyi. "Forgive me for making a spectacle of myself—what brings you here today, my lord?"
Mingyi walked alongside her with a faint smile. "Nothing too important."
"I see." Song Lanzhi nodded, already calculating whether she could sleep on the floor at the scriptorium while copying books—a decent job that would earn her money and a place to stay.
Then Mingyi continued, "It's just that there's a vacancy in the Ministry of Rites for a Vice Minister. I'd like to recommend you for the position."
A nearby steamed bun stall lifted its lid, releasing a cloud of steam that billowed toward them.
Song Lanzhi blinked in confusion through the mist, as if dreaming. "Recommend me for... what?"
"Vice Minister of Rites, a third-rank court official," Mingyi said. "At first, you may not be given much responsibility—your background will invite criticism. But you're well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and have a deep understanding of ancient and modern rites. Your time will come."
After a moment of shock, Song Lanzhi slowly grasped the implication. "My lord wants me to serve as an example for women, to show them that even a divorced widow can become a court official?"
Mingyi's eyes curved with amusement. "Are you willing?"
"Absolutely!" Song Lanzhi clenched her fists. "I won't disgrace you, my lord."
Intelligent and decisive—just the kind of person Mingyi wanted.
Mingyi escorted her to the Ministry of Personnel, where she was assigned a residence and attendants.
Leaving the ministry, Mingyi was exhilarated, already imagining the uproar this appointment would cause in court in a few days.
But the moment she stepped over the threshold, a surge of Essence Power shot toward her face from a distance.
Mingyi tilted her head to dodge and began channeling Essence Power to repair her Meridians. Yet the attacks came relentlessly, aimed at taking her life.
Her guards immediately raised their Shields, and Bai Ying shielded her from the front, but they couldn't stop the ambush from behind. Before she could fully mobilize her Essence Power, Mingyi was struck in the arm.
Fortunately, it wasn't a vital injury. Once wounded, a white Shield enveloped her body.
With a swift motion, she forced one of the hidden assassins out of the shadows.The man had no intention of living anyway. After covering the escape of the others, he glared coldly at her and said, "Want to know who sent me? Let me tell you—everyone in the court wishes you dead, and so do the common people in the city. You think you're fighting for justice, but to us, you're just a vile woman trying to seize imperial power!"
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