Seeing Luo Sheng adopt a serious expression, Madam Tao couldn’t help but tense: “Please ask, Miss Luo.”

This Miss Luo was much more difficult to deal with than she had imagined—clearly the rumors only spoke of her as an empty-headed wastrel dandy without an ounce of learning.

“Your residence’s reason for breaking off the engagement.” Luo Sheng enunciated each word.

“Reason?”

“Yes, an engagement that was settled for several years—your residence wants to break it off, so there must be a reason.”

Madam Tao’s brows moved slightly.

A reason?

Such an obvious matter, and the Luo family still had the nerve to ask for a reason.

Seeing Madam Tao silent for a moment, Luo Sheng’s lips held a mocking smile: “Surely you can’t say it’s because my father went to prison and your residence couldn’t wait to distance yourselves?”

Madam Tao’s expression stiffened.

That naturally wouldn’t do!

Breaking off the engagement with the Luo family—others could actually understand. Those who could become Jinlin Guard commanders weren’t good people. If they committed crimes, did one have to share in their misfortune?

Looking across the capital, families that encountered sudden major troubles and had engagements broken off were not few.

But some things could be done but not spoken of—speaking them aloud would make the Tao residence appear to be kicking someone when they were down.

“The two families aren’t suitable, especially since my lord is participating in judging your esteemed father’s case. Such a relationship would be too awkward…”

Luo Sheng laughed lightly: “Ha, so you’re saying it’s to avoid suspicion?”

Madam Tao immediately felt embarrassed.

She was after all an official’s wife of the fourth rank, her lord’s position was good, and normally she was accustomed to being pampered. Who would have thought that coming to the Luo residence she would be squeezed and humiliated by a young girl.

“I don’t accept this reason.” Luo Sheng said calmly.

Madam Tao asked while suppressing her anger: “Then what reason does Miss Luo find suitable?”

Luo Sheng picked up her teacup and leisurely took a sip, revealing a lazy smile: “Say that my eldest sister is outstanding in talent and virtue, that your son felt ashamed of his inadequacy, and thus took the initiative to break off the engagement so as not to delay my eldest sister from finding another good match.”

“That won’t do!” Madam Tao reflexively objected.

Luo Sheng’s smile disappeared as her expression became icy: “Madam Tao, I thought your residence were people who wanted at least some face. How is it you want to monopolize both substance and appearance? Let me make it clear—you have only two choices: either report to the authorities and have them rule on dissolving the marriage contract, or say your son isn’t worthy of my eldest sister and that’s why the engagement is being broken.”

Saying this, Luo Sheng sneered coldly: “Earlier when you sent over a steward woman, I already said I’m not someone who’s reasonable. If you don’t do as I say, then we’ll part ways on bad terms. In any case, our Luo family isn’t in a hurry.”

Hearing these utterly blunt and choking words, Madam Tao was so angry her vision darkened.

This was clearly calculating that the Tao residence was anxious, making an outrageous demand!

“Madam Tao, think it over carefully before speaking to me again. If you can’t decide immediately, going back to think for two days is also fine.” Luo Sheng set down her teacup and smiled slightly. “Though I’m not very reasonable, I do have some patience. I’m truly not in a hurry.”

Madam Tao gripped her teacup tightly. After struggling for a long while, she suppressed her depression and nodded: “As Miss Luo says.”

Luo Sheng curved her lips: “It’s best that Madam Tao can see reason. Hong Dou—”

Hong Dou crisply responded: “This servant is here.”

“Go fetch brush, ink, and red seal paste.”

“Yes.” The little maid nimbly turned to fetch the items.

Hearing “red seal paste,” Madam Tao’s heart suddenly sank. She frowned and asked: “What does Miss Luo mean by this?”

Luo Sheng smiled: “Spoken words are no proof. The reason for breaking off the engagement should still be written down and sealed with signatures and stamps.”

“Is this really necessary?” Upon hearing it needed to be written down and sealed with signatures and stamps, Madam Tao was naturally ten thousand times unwilling.

Having her hold her nose and admit her son wasn’t worthy of Miss Luo was already disgusting enough—and now it had to be written down?

“Madam Tao can rest assured, the written document won’t be posted like an imperial proclamation. It’s merely for peace of mind. This way, if in the future someone speaks nonsense, my eldest sister will at least have some confidence.” Luo Sheng looked deeply at Madam Tao, her tone meaningful. “Madam Tao is also someone with a daughter. Putting yourself in her shoes, you should surely know how much breaking off an engagement harms a woman? Things are lenient now, but in the past, wouldn’t this force a woman to her death?”

Madam Tao considered herself someone who could keep her composure, but at this moment she nearly couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

In her view, things were too lenient now, allowing this shameless little wretch before her eyes to even keep male companions.

What kind of world was this!

“Miss, the brush and ink are here.” Hong Dou ran in with pattering steps and placed the items before Madam Tao.

Luo Sheng smiled: “Madam Tao, please trouble yourself to write it out.”

Madam Tao’s expression was gloomy, her heart conflicted.

Writing it would be humiliating. Not writing it, the little wretch would send her away as a guest again.

But breaking off the engagement with the Luo residence was something she and her lord had discussed. This marriage absolutely had to be broken.

No matter how conflicted, there actually was no other choice.

Madam Tao picked up the brush and swiftly wrote down the reason for breaking off the engagement. With a cold expression she said: “Miss Luo, please look it over.”

Luo Sheng carefully read through it and held the red seal paste before Madam Tao’s eyes: “Madam Tao’s calligraphy is truly excellent. Press your fingerprint, and we can exchange the marriage documents.”

Madam Tao extended her finger, pausing above the red seal paste, then dipped it in the paste and pressed firmly onto the paper.

Luo Sheng nodded with satisfaction. As she was putting away the black characters on white paper, her brow furrowed: “I’ve suddenly thought of another small issue.”

Madam Tao gritted her teeth: “Miss Luo has more objections?”

Truly pushing her advantage inch by inch. She was waiting for the day when the Luo residence was destroyed and the little wretch was sent to the Music Bureau!

“Not an objection, just a small issue.”

“Please speak.”

Luo Sheng blinked: “After breaking off the engagement, your son won’t pester my eldest sister, will he? After all, my eldest sister is so outstanding.”

Behind the screen, Luo Ying’s eyelids trembled slightly as those tears that had not yet fallen quietly dropped.

Madam Tao nearly fell over backwards from anger.

Her son would pester Miss Luo?

Simply the biggest joke under heaven!

If you asked her, it wasn’t that Miss Luo was outstanding at all—clearly it was this stinking girl before her eyes who was too “outstanding,” capable of displaying shamelessness to the extreme!

“Miss Luo can rest completely assured, no such thing will occur.”

Luo Sheng nodded with a half-smile: “Then that’s good.”

Breaking off an engagement was like forming one—the young men and women actually couldn’t make the decisions, the ones who decided were still the parents. Originally there was no need to ask extra questions, but from Luo Ying’s reaction she could guess there was some affection with Young Master Tao. Better to make things clear first.

She didn’t like fighting unprepared battles.

“There are no more issues. Let’s break off the engagement.”

Finally hearing Luo Sheng relent, Madam Tao immediately felt relieved.

What followed—returning the marriage documents and tokens—need not be detailed. Once the matter of breaking off the engagement was settled, Madam Tao couldn’t wait to take her leave.

Luo Sheng picked up her teacup and cheerfully instructed Hong Dou: “Hong Dou, see the guest out for me.”

Being seen out by a little maid naturally wasn’t respectful enough, but Madam Tao couldn’t be bothered to quibble.

She only wanted to leave this place that made her feel stifled and angry, the faster the better.

After Madam Tao left, Luo Sheng walked around to behind the screen.

The three Luo sisters still stood there.

“Eldest Sister, take a look.” Luo Sheng handed over the white paper with the written reason for breaking off the engagement.

Luo Ying took it with trembling hands, read through it word by word, and tears fell like rain.

Luo Sheng patted her shoulder: “Eldest Sister, don’t cry. You also saw what Madam Tao is like. Being mother-in-law and daughter-in-law with such a person for a lifetime would be torture. If the man is gone, it doesn’t matter. At worst, in the future when I see someone suitable, I’ll snatch one back for you.”