Chapter 20: Divorce

Page 1/3

Just as Madam Su and Bie Zhi were about to intervene, they were restrained by Aunt Liu and Aunt Fen, who had brought others along.

“Madam!”

“Madam—”

Nan Yan’s face turned red and purple from being choked, nearly losing consciousness. Meng Boji forcefully threw her aside, causing her to fall heavily to the ground.

He quickly crouched down, his figure looming like a mountain over her.

“The one who now holds your life and death... is me! If you don’t obey... I will truly divorce you!”

“Then your reputation will be ruined, and with the Nan family disgraced, the entire Duke of Rong’s household will be in jeopardy—”

Nan Yan struggled to catch her breath, lifting her sharp, determined eyes, filled with hatred, silently wishing to pierce holes into him.

All of this is because the Meng family forced me! Don’t regret it—

“Meng Boji... do you think I would still be foolish enough to trust you like I did three years ago? To be deceived and manipulated by you again?”

Meng Boji seemed somewhat surprised. “When have I ever deceived you?”

Nan Yan suddenly let out a derisive laugh, full of contempt and disdain.

That laugh made Meng Boji feel a bit unsettled, even anxious. “What are you laughing at?!”

“I’m laughing at my own foolishness, laughing at how stupid I was... It took me three years to finally see your and your family’s true colors!”

The Grand Madam, who valued reputation and face above all, was instantly enraged. “Don’t you dare slander the Meng family name with your lies!”

“Since you married into our family three years ago, has the Meng family ever wronged you even a little?”

“Never wronged me a bit?” Nan Yan laughed again. “It’s I who have never wronged you—”

Suddenly, she shoved Meng Boji. Taken by surprise, he stumbled backward and sat down hard, his backside aching.

Nan Yan was always gentle and virtuous; no one expected her to suddenly become so fierce.

Xia Qingfei snapped out of it and quickly threw herself beside Meng Boji, tears in her eyes as she blamed Nan Yan.

“Sister! You just dislike me, but how could you hurt Boji—he’s your husband!”

For a brief moment, Meng Boji felt touched and leaned close to Xia Qingfei.

Taking advantage of their closeness, Nan Yan stood up and swept her gaze over the crowd before her.

“If I hadn’t married into the Meng family, where would your fine clothes and sumptuous meals come from?!”

“If I hadn’t married into the Meng family, Meng Boji, where would your current position as a Hanlin Academician come from?!”

“If I hadn’t married into the Meng family, where would all this vast fertile land and countless estates be?!”

“If I hadn’t married into the Meng family, many of you would have starved to death long ago—”

Page 2/3

As Nan Yan’s voice fell, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Half of her face was hidden in shadow, and inexplicably, Meng Boji felt a chill deep in his heart.

Hearing the commotion, the five sisters rushed in together. Seeing Meng Boji fallen on the ground, they immediately blamed Nan Yan without hesitation.

“Sister-in-law! How could you lay hands on your husband?!”

“This is outrageous! Boji! Why keep such a wife?!”

Three younger sisters helped Meng Boji up, clearly biased and defending him.

“Brother! The third and fourth sisters are right. Sister-in-law really went too far; no matter what, you can’t hit him!”

“A woman marries into her husband’s family; the husband is like heaven. She’s not worthy to be your wife!”

“She can’t bear children and is jealous, refusing to let you marry again. We’ve tried to reason with her, but she still insults us—”

Nan Yan laughed aloud, pointing at the sisters. “You’d better remember what you said today...”

“When your own turn comes... I hope you won’t regret it!”

“Yan’er!” Madam Meng suddenly slammed the table. “You’ve truly gone too far! Laying hands on your husband and cursing your sisters-in-law, you—”

“Stop pretending—”

Nan Yan cut her off, the Meng family stunned by her rare defiance.

“It was you Meng family who schemed and used me and the Nan family from the very start...”

Nan Yan pulled a letter from her sleeve and threw it in front of Meng Boji and Xia Qingfei.

Seeing the envelope, their faces changed drastically. The third sister picked it up and opened it. A few sisters gathered around, growing more shocked as they read.

It seemed they had been kept in the dark, unaware of the truth.

“...When I achieve great success and rise to high rank, I will come to marry Qingfei...”

“Brother, so your marriage to sister-in-law back then was...”

A premeditated plot.

None of the sisters could utter those words, staring at Meng Boji and Xia Qingfei in disbelief.

But the Grand Madam and Madam Meng showed no surprise. Nan Yan realized they were in on it!

She clapped her hands coldly. “Quite the cunning plan... Now that it’s come to this, can you tell me who thought up such a brilliant scheme?”

The Grand Madam, Madam Meng, and Meng Boji all fell silent.

Clearly, the mastermind was among them—or was one of the three!

Xia Qingfei snatched the letter and tore it to shreds, her face darkening.

“Without evidence now, let’s see how you accuse us of adultery before the emperor—”

Page 3/3

Xia Qingfei looked at Meng Boji. “Since she knows everything now, Boji, what are you waiting for? Divorce her—”

Meng Boji’s eyes grew cold, locking onto Nan Yan as he closed in step by step.

“Yan’er, do you really refuse to accept Qingfei as your rival and force me to divorce you—”

Nan Yan took a deep breath, raising her head high to look him straight in the eyes.

“With me in the Meng family... she has no place—”

Her slender finger pointed precisely at Xia Qingfei.

Nan Yan smiled at Meng Boji, her laughter sharp and grating. “I will never let you achieve your wish so easily—”

“Fine!” Meng Boji’s eyes reddened. “You forced my hand... Someone! Prepare ink and paper!”

The ink and brush were brought promptly. Meng Boji wrote the divorce decree in swift strokes without hesitation, evidently having prepared it in advance.

Before signing and pressing his seal, he glanced at Nan Yan once more.

For some reason, he felt a strange unease.

Nan Yan laughed lightly, retorting, “Meng Boji, don’t disappoint me...”

Provoked by her, Meng Boji no longer hesitated. He pressed his seal firmly and threw the decree toward Nan Yan.

“Take the divorce decree and get out of the Meng family immediately—”

Holding the decree, Nan Yan quietly curled the corners of her mouth, said no more, and turned to shove away Aunt Liu and Aunt Fen who were holding her back.

Madam Su and Bie Zhi were freed and quickly took shelter behind Nan Yan.

Nan Yan glared at the two maids. They had wanted to resist but shrank back timidly.

“Madam Su, Bie Zhi! Come with me back to the Duke’s mansion and pack our things—”

Amid the thunder and pouring rain, the Meng family and Xia Qingfei stood dumbfounded, watching Nan Yan leave without a backward glance.

Long after she was gone, a sudden thunderclap startled Xia Qingfei awake.

“Oh no! She’s been managing the household for so long—could she have taken all the Meng family’s wealth with her?!”

The Meng family was instantly reminded. Meng Boji ground his teeth in fury.

“How dare she?!”

Ignoring the heavy rain, the entire family hurriedly gave chase after Nan Yan.