Hearing this, Qiao Ruoyun clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
Seeing that Qiao Ruoyun’s face was pale, Qiao Jinniang asked her to go back to her yard to rest. If the Qin family still bullied Qiao Ruoyun, she wouldn’t mind doing something.
Maybe Qin Shu would have some accident on the way to the frontier.
If Qin Shu was dead, Qiao Ruoyun wouldn’t be his wife anymore.
Qiao Jinniang comforted Qiao Ruoyun. “Don’t worry. You should take good care of yourself after returning to the Duke Mansion. If my mom and dad know in heaven that I failed to take good care of you, they will be sad.”
Qiao Ruoyun hugged Qiao Jinniang and said, “No, they must be gratified if they know that I am finally out of the sea of misery and you’ve become the Crown Princess.”
Qiao Jinniang wiped Qiao Ruoyun’s tears, and said with a gentle smile. “Yes, Ruoyun, your life will get better and better in the future.”
…
Qian Yin frowned slightly when he received the news from the servants of the Crown Prince.
His confidant said, “Master, what does the Crown Prince mean?”
Qian Yin said, “Bring ten guards and follow me to Qin Shu’s location.”
After the Qin family went on the road, Qin Shu caught up. Mrs. Qin felt distressed when she saw the blood on the corner of her son’s mouth. “Shu’er, your face?”
Qin Shu said, “Mother, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
Qin Miaomiao said to Qin Shu, “Brother, where have you been? Did you go to the Duke Anyuan Mansion?”
Qin Shu ignored Qin Miaomiao. The group of people didn’t go very quickly. Mrs. Qin and Qin Miaomiao had been living a comfortable, luxurious life. They couldn’t even stand up after walking a few steps.
Getting the order of Princess Fulu, the escort officers didn’t urge Qin Miaomiao.
When the group of people took a break at the bottom of a mountain, there were summer frogs croaking loudly at night. Qin Shu couldn’t sleep at all. A cold wind blew, and he saw a man in black standing in front of him and putting a sword against his neck.
“Write a divorce letter!”
Qin Shu was not afraid of death at all and said, “Even if I die, Qiao Ruoyun will still be my wife. I’m not going to write a divorce letter!
“Does the Qiao family dare to kill me? I have told my old friends that if I die on the road, it must be Qiao Ruoyun who murdered me, and I’ve asked them to spread the news in Luoyang if I die!
“I wonder what Qiao Ruoyun and the Qiao family can do at that time!”
Qian Yin ordered his men to light the lantern and said coldly,
“Killing you will get my hands dirty. You can choose not to sign the divorce letter.
“But for each day you don’t sign it, I will cut off one of your toes.
“After all your toes are cut off, I’ll start to cut off your fingers, but I won’t kill you.”
Qin Shu said, “How dare you? Even though we are exiled to the frontier, the Qiao family can’t do anything to me at will!”
“The Qiao family wants face, but I don’t, and I’m not afraid of the government’s investigation.”
Qin Shu asked, “Who are you? What is your relationship with Qiao Ruoyun?”
“Qian Yin, from Lin’an,” Qian Yin just said coldly.
Qin Shu’s face changed slightly. “Prince Wu? Why do you want to help Qiao Ruoyun?”
Qian Yin said, “You don’t have to know it. Just sign the divorce letter.”
Qin Shu certainly wouldn’t sign it. “I won’t sign it. Even if I become disabled, I must drag Qiao Ruoyun into hell!”
“Brother, why are you still so stupid?”
Qin Miaomiao came over and said angrily, “The more you behave like this, the more difficult the situation of our Qin family will be. Sister-in-law has always been softhearted, and if you truly repent and ask for her forgiveness, you may still have a chance to make up with her.
“The more you push her in such a disgusting manner, the more quickly the love between you two will dissipate.
“Just sign the divorce letter. Don’t make Mother worry, okay?”
Qin Shu snorted. “I said I’m not going to sign it. Didn’t you hear me? Qian Yin, even if you don’t tell me, I can guess your relationship with Qiao Ruoyun. I know what a man wants from a woman, but I will never give Qiao Ruoyun a chance to divorce me and marry another man!”
Qian Yin raised the knife and chopped it down, and Qin Shu’s leather shoe was cut off, one of his toes fell, and blood gushed out.
Qin Miaomiao screamed, “Brother, promise him! After all, you’re the one in the wrong.”
Qin Shu said, “Unless I die, Ruoyun can only be my wife!”
Qian Yin sneered and said, “Fine, I’d like to see how long you can hold on. By the way, you’re your mother’s only son, right? She doesn’t even have a grandson yet, right?”
Qian Yin pointed the blood-stained sword at the part between Qin Shu’s legs. “You don’t mind losing your life, but do you still not mind being a eunuch?”
Qin Shu gritted his teeth.
Qian Yin sneered coldly. “Just sign the divorce letter. You don’t want to live as a eunuch for the rest of your life, right?”
…
In Luoyang City, the Qin family’s murder of Qiao Ruoyun was written into a story by someone.
All the storytellers in the major tea houses were telling this story.
However, within a few days, news that Qiao Ruoyun was still alive came from the Duke Anyuan Mansion.
It turned out that Qiao Ruoyun was rescued by someone that day and had returned to Luoyang recently.
In order to celebrate Qiao Ruoyun’s narrow escape, the Duke Anyuan Mansion held a big banquet, inviting all dignitaries, high-ranking officials, and their relatives and friends.
Even the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess would attend the banquet.
In previous years, after the royal family and the officials arrived in Luoyang, there would be constant banquets.
This year, however, because two dukes were deprived of their titles in a row, no one dared to take the lead to hold a banquet.
The banquet at the Duke Anyuan Mansion was the first banquet this year, so it was very lively.
Many noble ladies went out to buy new clothes and jewelry.
They had thought that they could have fun in Luoyang, but no one had expected such a series of incidents to happen. So, after being locked up at home for a long time, they didn’t hesitate to buy any beautiful jewelry they saw.
The banquet in the Qiao Mansion had not yet started, but many guests had already arrived.
Friends gathered around in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.
“Although Qiao Ruoyun survived, I’m afraid her life won’t be easy in the future.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Even if Qiao Ruoyun can divorce Qin Shu, no decent man will be willing to marry her, a divorced woman.”
“What’s bad about a divorced woman?” a lady who had divorced and then married another man asked dismissively.
“Don’t be angry, Ma’am. Your father is the military governor of Yongzhou, so you can still find a good man to marry. But Qiao Ruoyun is different. Although she is the titular eldest daughter of Duke Anyuan, everyone knows her real background!”
“Alas, she is really pitiful!”
On the other side of the rockery, Qiao Ruoyun heard the words of these people. She pursed her lips, and her maid said, “Miss, don’t listen to these people. They are just jealous of you. Prince Wu treats you very well.”
Qiao Ruoyun said to the maid indifferently, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
The little maid grimaced naughtily.
Lu Chen happened to have something to tend to, so Qiao Jinniang took Lu Xi to the Qiao Mansion for the banquet.
When people saw the Crown Princess’ guard of honor on the way, they had to make way for it.
But halfway through, Qiao Jinniang saw the sedan chair stop.
A eunuch trotted over to report, “Your Highness, Princess Fulu and Miss Zhou are quarreling at the intersection of the street, and neither of them is willing to make way.”
Qiao Jinniang said to little Lu Xi, “Xi’er, stay here. I’m going out to have a look.”
When she walked to the front, she heard Zhou Shihui say,
“Princess Fulu, my senior brother is Flower Picking Childe this year, but you are almost illiterate. Even if you force him to marry you, you will be divorced sooner or later!
“You can’t even read, let alone talk with my senior brother about literature. What’s the point of forcing him to marry you?”
Fulu was so angry that she clenched the whip in her hand and whipped at Zhou Shihui. “Humph, I don’t know poetry, but I can spar with Qiao Lu about martial arts!”
Being whipped by her, Zhou Shihui fell to the ground and tears gradually filled her eyes…
