Fu Xunzhi stood up and said, "I did not secretly meet with anyone—"
Fu Old Lady glared at him. "Shut up."
Fu Xunzhi had no choice but to tightly close his mouth, feeling awkward and uneasy as he looked over at Gu Shuang.
He had not done anything with Shang Jiao, and he did not want Gu Shuang to misunderstand...
There was a smile on Fu Old Lady's face, but it did not reach her eyes. "Mrs. Ye is of esteemed status, I did not expect you to come speak for Fourth Young Lady today. It seems Fourth Young Lady's reputation is quite admirable. However, this marriage is a matter between my Fu family and the Gu family. It is not something outsiders should interfere with. I wonder if Mrs. Ye thinks so too?"
Qin's smile turned cold. "The old lady probably does not know this yet. Shuang has already recognized me as her godmother. She is now half my daughter. As her godmother, it is appropriate for me to discuss her marriage."
Fu Old Lady smiled calmly, glancing lightly at Qin. "Although you say that, in the end Madame Ye is still an outsider. This matter between our two families is not for you to meddle in. If this gets out, people will actually think that Fourth Young Lady is indeed unchaste as the rumors say, and relied on backers like the Censorate to plead her case."
By questioning Gu Shuang's reputation, Qin was rendered speechless by the sly old fox.
Fu Old Lady glanced at her and continued, "What's more, my grandson is of upright character, only knowing to read the classics of sages. He would never do something so despicable as privately meeting his new wife. Mrs. Ye, you'd best provide evidence when speaking such accusations, otherwise even if I have one foot in the grave I will make a scene at the Censorate."
Qin squinted, thinking to herself this old wench really was a crafty one!
Seeing that Qin could not match her rhetoric, Zhao gave a cold laugh. "Old lady is mistaken. While we do not know if Master Fu is as upright as you say, my Shuang personally saw him living together with another woman in the same residence. You can easily inquire about the rumors on the streets."
Fu Old Lady did not believe her claims. "Oh?"
Zhao sneered. "If old lady does not believe, we can summon a woman named Shang Jiao from Chunyang Lane right now to get to the bottom of this."
Fu Xunzhi's body went stiff.
Though he had not slept with Shang Jiao, it was true that he had stayed at her residence those past days...
Seeing the extreme disappointment in Gu Shuang's eyes, in that instant a unprecedented panic surfaced in the depths of Fu Xunzhi's eyes.
He feared Gu Shuang losing faith in him...
Even though she herself was not innocent, at heart he still cared for her.
Zhao glanced at Fu Xunzhi, smiling. "Actually, our purpose today is not anything else. Old lady has never liked my Shuang, and has always been unsatisfied with the marriage between the children. Even on the big wedding day, the Fu family made no preparations whatsoever, and young master Fu disappeared without a trace. Since the wedding could not proceed and people all over Bianjing are laughing at my estate, we can only accept this embarrassment. As her mother, I don't need young master Fu to provide any explanation, I just want the dissolution of this engagement today. Return Shuang's wedding tokens, and dissolve the relationship between our families from now on, with the future marriages of our children having nothing to do with each other."
Fu Old Lady closed her eyes briefly without speaking. Her attitude was unyielding.
According to Dongli Law, women who have been engaged, if they are to remarry, they must obtain a certificate of divorce along with returning both families' wedding tokens, otherwise remarriage is prohibited and will be punished by law.
When Zhao and the others had arrived, Fu Old Lady had already heard the rumors from the servants.
Upon hearing this news at the time, her anger erupted furiously and she fiercely slapped Fu Xunzhi. This child had always been obedient and sensible, why did he have to do such a disgraceful thing!
There were differences between scholar-officials and commoners. She did not like Gu Shuang nor look highly upon her lower status.
But compared to a merchant woman like Shang Jiao who had no background, Gu Shuang was after all the legitimate daughter of a Count house. There was a world of difference between them.
If forced to choose one of the two for her grandson, she would definitely pick Gu Shuang.
So in this reversed situation, there was no way the marriage could be called off.
"Old lady, what do you think about this?" Zhao spoke gently and pleasantly, for the sake of obtaining that divorce certificate and the wedding tokens. "In any case, the wedding date has long passed, we've been publicly shamed, and our Shuang does not ask for any explanation. She only wants this dissolution. If not, we can only bring Shang Jiao to the Bianjing government yamen for the officials there to dissolve this marriage."
To dissolve a marriage by officials meant the government would ascertain the facts of the matter, then publicly annul the engagement on behalf of both families.
Yet very few prominent and prestigious households were willing to take that embarrassing route of airing their dirty laundry at the government offices.
Fu Old Lady paused briefly, then sighed and compromised. "Lady Gu, my family indeed let Fourth Young Lady down over the wedding, and I have severely punished Xunzhi. I apologize to Fourth Young Lady on his behalf, but the marriage cannot be dissolved. Now that Xunzhi has returned, I will strictly instruct him to settle his heart, and properly prepare to honorably wed Fourth Young Lady into our household. What do you think?"
Zhao nearly laughed from anger.
Qin also scoffed disdainfully.
Even the normally clueless Gu Shuang felt the Fu family was being too frivolous, that engagements could not be so casually made and broken on a whim!
Gu Ying had been secretly observing the expressions of everyone in the hall.
She noticed her cousin, usually calm and composed with a cold and aloof bearing, now had an ugly look on his face.
Of course, Fu Old Lady was a cunning old woman, taking the initiative to shift blame and then rendering the aunties speechless without recourse.
It was normal for cousin to be displeased, after all little sister was also his sworn god-sister now.
Gu Ying quickly convinced herself that they had already wasted enough time at the Fu residence. She was not so easily bullied like eldest auntie.
Thus, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly as she coolly gazed at Fu Old Lady, speaking concisely. "Old lady, today East Ping Manor only has this to say. This marriage must be dissolved, whether you agree to it or not."
The old lady was stubborn, so Gu Ying would be even more stubborn than her.
After all, she had nothing to fear, with Zhenguo Duke Manor backing her. The Crown Prince had just left to lead the troops. Who would dare make trouble for Zhenguo Duke Manor now?
Fu Old Lady's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Gu Ying resentfully. "The Crown Princess wants to interfere too?"
Gu Ying smiled charmingly. "Yes, I'm no outsider here. I'm little sister's older sister. I'm sure old lady knows of my reputation for being willful and aggressive, never showing elders respect. I act so wantonly even in the Duke Manor, so all the more I will do the same in your Fu family. Therefore, if you do not dissolve this engagement, I will directly order people to smash apart your ancestral shrine."
Qin cheered internally, Ying handled this beautifully!
She firmly believed Fu Old Lady did not dare kick up a major fuss, which was why Gu Ying dared spout such outrageous rhetoric to intimidate the old woman into not saying much more.
"You— How can you! Is there no rule of law left!" Fu Old Lady raged.
"If old lady does not believe me," Gu Ying's smile grew even sweeter, though the gazed that peered from her smiling eyes was chilling to the bone, "You're welcome to give it a try. After all, the Crown Prince will definitely take my side."
Fu Xunzhi stood up and said, "I did not secretly meet with anyone—"
Fu Old Lady glared at him. "Shut up."
Fu Xunzhi had no choice but to tightly close his mouth, feeling awkward and uneasy as he looked over at Gu Shuang.
He had not done anything with Shang Jiao, and he did not want Gu Shuang to misunderstand...
There was a smile on Fu Old Lady's face, but it did not reach her eyes. "Mrs. Ye is of esteemed status, I did not expect you to come speak for Fourth Young Lady today. It seems Fourth Young Lady's reputation is quite admirable. However, this marriage is a matter between my Fu family and the Gu family. It is not something outsiders should interfere with. I wonder if Mrs. Ye thinks so too?"
Qin's smile turned cold. "The old lady probably does not know this yet. Shuang has already recognized me as her godmother. She is now half my daughter. As her godmother, it is appropriate for me to discuss her marriage."
Fu Old Lady smiled calmly, glancing lightly at Qin. "Although you say that, in the end Madame Ye is still an outsider. This matter between our two families is not for you to meddle in. If this gets out, people will actually think that Fourth Young Lady is indeed unchaste as the rumors say, and relied on backers like the Censorate to plead her case."
By questioning Gu Shuang's reputation, Qin was rendered speechless by the sly old fox.
Fu Old Lady glanced at her and continued, "What's more, my grandson is of upright character, only knowing to read the classics of sages. He would never do something so despicable as privately meeting his new wife. Mrs. Ye, you'd best provide evidence when speaking such accusations, otherwise even if I have one foot in the grave I will make a scene at the Censorate."
Qin squinted, thinking to herself this old wench really was a crafty one!
Seeing that Qin could not match her rhetoric, Zhao gave a cold laugh. "Old lady is mistaken. While we do not know if Master Fu is as upright as you say, my Shuang personally saw him living together with another woman in the same residence. You can easily inquire about the rumors on the streets."
Fu Old Lady did not believe her claims. "Oh?"
Zhao sneered. "If old lady does not believe, we can summon a woman named Shang Jiao from Chunyang Lane right now to get to the bottom of this."
Fu Xunzhi's body went stiff.
Though he had not slept with Shang Jiao, it was true that he had stayed at her residence those past days...
Seeing the extreme disappointment in Gu Shuang's eyes, in that instant a unprecedented panic surfaced in the depths of Fu Xunzhi's eyes.
He feared Gu Shuang losing faith in him...
Even though she herself was not innocent, at heart he still cared for her.
Zhao glanced at Fu Xunzhi, smiling. "Actually, our purpose today is not anything else. Old lady has never liked my Shuang, and has always been unsatisfied with the marriage between the children. Even on the big wedding day, the Fu family made no preparations whatsoever, and young master Fu disappeared without a trace. Since the wedding could not proceed and people all over Bianjing are laughing at my estate, we can only accept this embarrassment. As her mother, I don't need young master Fu to provide any explanation, I just want the dissolution of this engagement today. Return Shuang's wedding tokens, and dissolve the relationship between our families from now on, with the future marriages of our children having nothing to do with each other."
Fu Old Lady closed her eyes briefly without speaking. Her attitude was unyielding.
According to Dongli Law, women who have been engaged, if they are to remarry, they must obtain a certificate of divorce along with returning both families' wedding tokens, otherwise remarriage is prohibited and will be punished by law.
When Zhao and the others had arrived, Fu Old Lady had already heard the rumors from the servants.
Upon hearing this news at the time, her anger erupted furiously and she fiercely slapped Fu Xunzhi. This child had always been obedient and sensible, why did he have to do such a disgraceful thing!
There were differences between scholar-officials and commoners. She did not like Gu Shuang nor look highly upon her lower status.
But compared to a merchant woman like Shang Jiao who had no background, Gu Shuang was after all the legitimate daughter of a Count house. There was a world of difference between them.
If forced to choose one of the two for her grandson, she would definitely pick Gu Shuang.
So in this reversed situation, there was no way the marriage could be called off.
"Old lady, what do you think about this?" Zhao spoke gently and pleasantly, for the sake of obtaining that divorce certificate and the wedding tokens. "In any case, the wedding date has long passed, we've been publicly shamed, and our Shuang does not ask for any explanation. She only wants this dissolution. If not, we can only bring Shang Jiao to the Bianjing government yamen for the officials there to dissolve this marriage."
To dissolve a marriage by officials meant the government would ascertain the facts of the matter, then publicly annul the engagement on behalf of both families.
Yet very few prominent and prestigious households were willing to take that embarrassing route of airing their dirty laundry at the government offices.
Fu Old Lady paused briefly, then sighed and compromised. "Lady Gu, my family indeed let Fourth Young Lady down over the wedding, and I have severely punished Xunzhi. I apologize to Fourth Young Lady on his behalf, but the marriage cannot be dissolved. Now that Xunzhi has returned, I will strictly instruct him to settle his heart, and properly prepare to honorably wed Fourth Young Lady into our household. What do you think?"
Zhao nearly laughed from anger.
Qin also scoffed disdainfully.
Even the normally clueless Gu Shuang felt the Fu family was being too frivolous, that engagements could not be so casually made and broken on a whim!
Gu Ying had been secretly observing the expressions of everyone in the hall.
She noticed her cousin, usually calm and composed with a cold and aloof bearing, now had an ugly look on his face.
Of course, Fu Old Lady was a cunning old woman, taking the initiative to shift blame and then rendering the aunties speechless without recourse.
It was normal for cousin to be displeased, after all little sister was also his sworn god-sister now.
Gu Ying quickly convinced herself that they had already wasted enough time at the Fu residence. She was not so easily bullied like eldest auntie.
Thus, the corners of her mouth curved up slightly as she coolly gazed at Fu Old Lady, speaking concisely. "Old lady, today East Ping Manor only has this to say. This marriage must be dissolved, whether you agree to it or not."
The old lady was stubborn, so Gu Ying would be even more stubborn than her.
After all, she had nothing to fear, with Zhenguo Duke Manor backing her. The Crown Prince had just left to lead the troops. Who would dare make trouble for Zhenguo Duke Manor now?
Fu Old Lady's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at Gu Ying resentfully. "The Crown Princess wants to interfere too?"
Gu Ying smiled charmingly. "Yes, I'm no outsider here. I'm little sister's older sister. I'm sure old lady knows of my reputation for being willful and aggressive, never showing elders respect. I act so wantonly even in the Duke Manor, so all the more I will do the same in your Fu family. Therefore, if you do not dissolve this engagement, I will directly order people to smash apart your ancestral shrine."
Qin cheered internally, Ying handled this beautifully!
She firmly believed Fu Old Lady did not dare kick up a major fuss, which was why Gu Ying dared spout such outrageous rhetoric to intimidate the old woman into not saying much more.
"You— How can you! Is there no rule of law left!" Fu Old Lady raged.
"If old lady does not believe me," Gu Ying's smile grew even sweeter, though the gazed that peered from her smiling eyes was chilling to the bone, "You're welcome to give it a try. After all, the Crown Prince will definitely take my side."
