Volume 1 Chapter 7: Changing Marriage Partners
“Wuwuwu… Mother, what should I do now…”
When Yan Qing arrived at Qian Ting with her maid, she heard a familiar weeping sound crying loudly in the hall.
She looked up and saw Yan Tan, who had been rescued from the woodshed, clinging to Madam Zhen and crying uncontrollably.
Last night, she returned to the manor too late and did not disturb anyone, so no one knew she had brought Yan Tan back.
Now that she was discovered in the manor, Yan Tan would naturally be found soon as well.
She hadn’t intended to hide her anyway.
Seeing Yan Qing, Yan Tan cried even harder: “Mother, let me go, I don’t want to live anymore wuwuwu…”
Madam Zhen also saw Yan Qing.
Her eyes reddened as she wept: “Tan'er, it’s all my fault. It was me who brought you to the capital, causing you to be framed. I won’t live anymore either…”
The mother and daughter hugged each other and wept bitterly.
They even clung together and rushed toward a pillar to crash into it.
“Madam!”
“Miss!”
The maids and servants were terrified and rushed forward to dissuade them.
But Madam Zhen and Yan Tan were determined to crash into the pillar, creating quite a commotion as they were pulled and tugged.
Yan Qing, who had just stepped forward, quietly withdrew her foot.
She stood outside the door, leisurely watching this farce.
“Nonsense!”
Yan Junyuan suddenly shouted angrily.
Yan Qing immediately showed disappointment in her eyes; it was truly regrettable that she didn’t see the scene of blood splattering in the hall from this mother and daughter.
Madam Zhen pulled Yan Tan and, seizing the opportunity, threw herself down at Yan Junyuan’s feet, crying like a pear blossom bathed in rain: “Master, you must stand up for Tan'er. Tan'er must have been framed by villains last night, Master…”
With just one phrase about being framed by villains, Yan Tan was extracted from this scandal of seducing her sister’s husband, even turning into a victim.
Truly worthy of the name Madam Zhen, what a pity…
“You step back first!”
Yan Junyuan did not tenderly help Madam Zhen up as he usually did, but instead irritably let the servants pull the two aside.
Madam Zhen was somewhat dazed.
This was the first time Master had shown impatience toward her.
She opened her mouth, but Yan Junyuan was already glaring at Yan Qing outside the door and scolded: "Since you've come, why are you still hiding outside?"”
Yan Qing then entered the main hall, gracefully bowed: “Greetings, Father.”
Yan Junyuan berated: “Yan Qing, what exactly happened last night? Why didn’t you discuss with me before deciding to divorce Lu Qiao Nan? That’s Wu'an Marquis Manor; how can you divorce so easily? You must immediately carry thorny branches, and I will personally take you to Wu'an Marquis Manor to beg for forgiveness!”
Making his biological daughter beg for forgiveness before the heartless man?
Truly her good father.
Yan Qing curled his lips. When he looked up, his dark eyes were like frost and snow: “Father, don’t you know what happened last night? My older half-sister, she…
“She was merely framed by villains!”
Yan Junyuan interrupted her and shouted loudly, 'You want to divorce without distinguishing right from wrong and threatened to drag your concubine sister to be drowned in a pig cage, Yan Qing, you are so bold!'”
Previously, whenever Yan Junyuan shouted like this, Yan Qing would be scared speechless, and finally let him punish.
But this time, Yan Qing was unmoved.
She lightly lifted her gaze, her voice clear and calm: "Father, everyone saw my half-sister and Lu Qiao Nan having illicit relations, there were no villains."Are you referring to your daughter when you call someone a villain?On her own wedding day, did the daughter frame her half-sister and husband, making them commit scandalous acts in the study? Then I successfully divorced? Father, are you senile?”
“You…”
Yan Junyuan was left speechless and utterly shocked.
Normally, if he so much as raised his voice, this daughter of his would be frightened out of her wits, weeping and wailing—utterly spineless. How had she become so sharp-tongued today?
Madam Zhen was equally astonished!
Her plan had been to steer the blame toward Yan Qing, pinning the Wu'an Marquis Manor's scandal firmly on her, so that her own Tan'er could escape unscathed.
But how had that wretched Yan Qing spoken up on her own?
Since when did she grow a brain?
Noticing Madam Zhen's expression, Yan Qing inwardly sneered. "I imagine many officials impeached Father at court today. If Father still believes I was wrong to seek a divorce, then I have nothing more to say."
Yan Junyuan's face instantly turned ashen.
The moment he arrived at court that morning, he had been impeached by numerous officials—all of whom had attended the Wu'an Marquis Manor's wedding banquet the previous night. The Vice Minister of Justice, in particular, had publicly denounced him in the imperial court for favoring a concubine over his wife, allowing a mere illegitimate daughter to oppress the legitimate one, disregarding both propriety and the natural order.
It was utterly preposterous!
If not for others praising Yan Qing for salvaging the Yan family's reputation through her divorce, his position as Minister—held securely for over a decade—might have been shaken!
Nevertheless, he had still been reprimanded by the Emperor!
Ordered to return home and properly discipline his household.
Thus, upon returning to the manor, Yan Junyuan had immediately summoned Yan Qing, intending to punish her severely. Yet, to his surprise, this girl had turned the tables on him!
Yan Junyuan glared at Yan Qing, momentarily unable to find a retort.
Yan Qing continued, speaking slowly and deliberately. "Vice Minister Wang of the Justice Ministry has long held grievances against Father. If Father were to force me to go to the Wu'an Marquis Manor carrying thorny branches to apologize now, I fear he would rally the officials to impeach you again tomorrow…"
Yan Junyuan broke into a cold sweat instantly!
He had managed to evade the officials' impeachment in court today solely because of this unfilial daughter's impassioned speech last night. Even the Emperor had praised her, saying she "had the bearing of Old General Ye"!
If he were to drag her to the Wu'an Marquis Manor to apologize now, that Wang Mi would certainly seize the opportunity to attack him. Wouldn't that be slapping the Emperor in the face?
Yan Junyuan was instantly terrified.
After last night's scandal, he had only felt humiliated, blaming it all on this unfilial daughter Yan Qing. Thus, upon returning home, he had thought only of punishing her, completely overlooking the consequences!
Now, prompted by Yan Qing's words, Yan Junyuan suddenly saw the light.
He had nearly made a grave mistake!
Glaring at Yan Qing with lingering fear, he could no longer bring himself to punish this unfilial daughter. Yet, the thought of losing the Wu'an Marquis Manor as in-laws so abruptly still left him resentful.
After a long silence, he spoke coldly. "Even so, you cannot simply divorce on a whim. That is the Wu'an Marquis Manor, and Lu Qiao Nan has just distinguished himself in suppressing the rebellion. Divorcing him is utterly foolish!"
Yan Qing curled her lips slightly. "Father need not worry about the Wu'an Marquis Manor severing ties with the Yan family."
Yan Junyuan frowned. "What do you mean?"
Yan Qing replied expressionlessly, "My illegitimate elder sister and Heir Lu have already consummated their relationship. Why not transfer this marriage alliance to her instead?"
Her words stunned everyone!
All eyes turned to Yan Qing.
Even Yan Tan, cradled in Madam Zhen's arms, forgot to cry.
Yan Junyuan, however, wore a peculiar expression. In the past, he had considered transferring the Wu'an Marquis Manor marriage to Tan'er. But since Lu Qiao Nan and Yan Qing were betrothed before birth, and Old General Ye was still alive, he had never dared to act on the thought.
Who would have thought that after yesterday's commotion, Yan Qing would actually take the initiative to offer this marriage to Tan'er?
"However, I have one condition."
Just as Yan Junyuan and Madam Zhen were stunned, Yan Qing suddenly pointed at Yan Tan and declared word by word: "I want her to be carried into Wu'an Marquis Manor three times around the city—as a concubine!"