Only then did Chu Jinyin realize that her younger sister had long since made up her mind to separate from her husband.

This unsettled her so greatly that she could neither sit nor stand still, suspecting that her own words had stirred up the separation between her sister and brother-in-law. So she brought her husband along and hurried over to check on her sister, to see if there was still any room for mediation.

But Chu Linlang patted her hand and said there was no need to trouble her elder sister. Since she had come at just the right time, she might as well stay as a witness — the two families would thus part on good terms and conclude everything cleanly.

Chu Jinyin could not dissuade her and shook her head helplessly. With their parents not nearby, this concubine-born younger sister had always been accustomed to making her own decisions from a young age — no one could make decisions for her. She could only take her husband along and follow Linlang to the Zhou Family estate.

On the way there, Xia He, who had come along to accompany Linlang, quietly asked her: “Should we inform the Deputy Minister and ask him to come as a witness?”

Chu Linlang thought of the unhappy parting between the two of them the previous night and shook her head.

Her relationship with Lord Situ had not yet reached that level of familiarity. Moreover, this matter was entangled with unspeakable scandals involving both the Zhou and Xie families — if she dragged Situ Sheng into it, how could he continue to serve in the same court as Xie Sheng and Zhou Sui’an afterward?

Though she was no great scholar, she still had enough sense not to do something so tactless.

When they arrived at the Zhou Family estate, sitting in the main hall, besides the Zhao matriarch and her son, there was also an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.

Zhao Shi only vaguely said she was a distant relative of the Zhou Family.

But Chu Linlang studied the woman’s attire with a cool eye, along with the pure capital accent in her speech, and dimly guessed who she might be.

Business may not always succeed, but courtesy endures. Chu Linlang exchanged simple pleasantries with Zhao Shi and prepared to pick up the brush to sign the mutual separation agreement.

But just at that moment, Zhao Shi, who had been wearing a taut expression all along, said: “No need for you to sign anything — Sui’an has already written it.”

With that, she had Zhou Sui’an pass the sheet of paper lying on the table to Chu Linlang.

Chu Linlang looked carefully — and could not help but let out a laugh.

This was not a mutual separation agreement at all. It was a repudiation letter, complete with Zhou Sui’an’s name and handprint already affixed!

Although both led to the dissolution of a marriage, “mutual separation” and “repudiation of a wife” were two entirely different matters.

A mutual separation simply meant the husband and wife were incompatible in affection, each going their separate ways with goodwill.

But repudiation meant the woman’s conduct was improper, that she had been cast aside by her husband’s family — some women could not even take their dowries with them. Carrying such a stigma, a woman would find it extremely difficult to remarry.

Chu Linlang looked at Zhou Sui’an’s signature on the document, then slowly raised her head and asked directly: “What is the meaning of this?”

But Zhou Sui’an did not answer. He sat sideways in his armchair, still as a corpse, head hanging low, not even looking at Chu Linlang, leaving his mother Zhao Shi to negotiate with her.

Zhao Shi’s face was drawn tight: “Linlang, you have entered our Zhou Family for so many years, and I believe my son and I have never treated you poorly. But ask yourself honestly — are you worthy of being the Zhou Family’s daughter-in-law? Now that your bond with Sui’an has dissolved, take the repudiation letter and may each of you go on well.”

The repudiation letter was written plainly: the grounds against Chu Linlang were two of the “seven grounds for repudiation” — “bearing no sons” and “jealousy” — along with disrespect toward her mother-in-law. On these three charges, the Chu woman could be taken anywhere and no lawsuit would be feared.

Since it was a repudiation, she could forget about taking her dowry and assets — she would only be able to slink away empty-handed!

Chu Jinyin had already learned the full story from her younger sister, and hearing the Zhou Family press her sister so ruthlessly, she immediately flared up in anger: “Your family truly is well-read indeed — to be capable of such a shameless act! It is plainly Zhou Sui’an whose conduct was improper, who got an unmarried girl from a respectable family with child — yet in the end, it is my sister who must bear the blame? Is there any justice in this?”

Zhao Shi’s face tightened under Chu Jinyin’s scolding, unable to speak. Just then, the unfamiliar woman let out a cold laugh and said: “You must be Chu Linlang’s elder sister. You ought to be more careful with your words! I have heard that your husband conducts grain trade along the waterway, and that he must regularly deal with my nephew Su Feng.”

So this woman was none other than the full blood sister of Lady Su, wife of General Xie — Xie Youran’s very own maternal aunt. The nephew she mentioned happened to oversee river transport and was a superior official whom the elder brother-in-law constantly needed to pay with silver to keep on good terms.

This single sentence, delivered with such arrogant condescension, immediately silenced Chu Jinyin, who no longer dared to confront this woman.

As it turned out, the scheme to have the Zhou Family issue a repudiation letter had been devised by none other than this very Aunt An.

When Aunt An had originally heard from her elder sister about the scandalous goings-on in the Xie household, she slapped her thigh and declared this simply could not be handled the way they were going about it.

But her brother-in-law Xie Sheng had always looked down on her and could not be bothered to engage with her.

So Aunt An turned around and whispered in her elder sister’s ear: as the saying goes, a person has two faces and two mouths — that Chu woman solemnly swore that as long as she received the shops and silver, she would keep the secret for Second Miss Xie, but only a fool would believe such a promise.

A woman as formidable as that Chu woman — daring to hold the Zhou and Xie households over a barrel — how could she ever be willing to easily relinquish such a splendid hold on them in the future?

Lady Su’s heart turned over upon hearing this, and she urgently asked what could be done to preserve her daughter’s reputation.

This Aunt An, whose husband’s household was rife with wives and concubines, was herself an iron-fisted woman well-versed in scheming. She told her elder sister at once that if she trusted her, she could leave the entire matter in her hands.

Thereafter, Aunt An came to the Zhou Family bearing the Xie Family’s name and deliberated with Zhao Shi on several occasions.

According to Lady An’s thinking, there was no need to give Chu Linlang the shops or the silver — simply repudiate her and be done with it!

If she were to make a scene and cry, they would shut her mouth, bind her, lock her up, and ship her out of the capital. Then let her see how she could damage the reputations of the Xie and Zhou families!

In short, the Chu woman wanting to part with a good name through mutual separation was absolutely out of the question. Only by being repudiated would her name be tarnished. If she afterward went around everywhere proclaiming that Zhou Sui’an and Xie Youran had been intimate before marriage, it would appear as if the Chu woman were motivated by jealous hatred, throwing mud at her former husband and defaming the reputation of an official’s womenfolk.

If she dared do this, neither family needed to fear. In a great city like the capital, could they not deal with a single little woman married off to some distant place?

At that point, they need only have Xie Linlang taken to the authorities and charged with defaming her former husband and presumptuously attaching herself to a distinguished young lady’s reputation. With her thrown in prison, the Zhou Family would not even need to issue a repudiation — they could directly issue a decree of irreconcilable enmity, striking the Chu woman down as a scheming shrew never to rise again for all eternity!

All this Aunt An stated quite bluntly, making clear to this little woman that she was here this evening to uphold justice on behalf of the Xie and Zhou families. Two roads lay before Chu Linlang — it was up to her to choose.

Moreover, the Zhou Family was being quite magnanimous, having already paid to prepare a boat for her. As long as she took the repudiation letter and stepped out of the Zhou Family’s gate, they would send her back to the Chu Family in Jiangkou.

The Zhou Family safely sending her back to her maternal home could be considered the utmost of benevolence and righteousness. As long as Chu Linlang knew what was good for her and abandoned any foolish ambitions of climbing into some other household’s graces, she could pass the remainder of her days in peaceful ease.

Otherwise, should it come to a confrontation, the fate of a lone little woman would not be very pleasant!

These words, as they were spoken, made Xia He standing nearby tremble with rage from head to toe — she could not fathom how the world could contain such a vicious, black-hearted woman who could so utterly invert right and wrong! Chu Jinyin too was infuriated, and several times opened her mouth to speak, but each time her husband clamped her arm and shot her a stern glare, stopping her cold.

Chu Linlang, however, remained composed. She merely looked the eloquent Lady An up and down, and at last came to fully understand the twists and turns of this whole scheme.

She gazed at Zhou Sui’an, whose head had nearly sunk down to his belt, and let out several cold laughs — what an exquisite calculation this mother and son had made! Not only were they intent on ruining her reputation, but they also wanted to escort her under guard back to her hometown — clearly distrustful of leaving her free in the capital!

If she truly returned to her maternal home, knowing the character of her father Chu Huaisheng, she feared she would be handed off again within half a month.

Looking at the way things stood, if she did not agree, Lady An was planning to have her bound up and thrown on a boat right here and now.

But it was hardly surprising that Lady An was so fearlessly arrogant — after all, in her eyes Chu Linlang was a meek and easily bullied woman, and the brother-in-law she had brought along was obviously useless.

Sure enough, her brother-in-law’s words to this aunt were becoming softer and more deferential — it was obvious her nephew had a firm grip on her brother-in-law.

They had read her pulse precisely, and were squeezing her to ensure she would have no choice but to comply!

And Lady An, receiving the elder brother-in-law’s fawning words, wore an increasingly smug smile on her face — the unbridled arrogance of one who was certain of victory.

Thinking all this through, Chu Linlang leaned back in her armchair, smiled steadily, and said: “The silver that the Xie Family was supposed to pay as compensation to me — it has all ended up in your hands, hasn’t it, Lady An?”

This was a guess on Chu Linlang’s part, for according to what Situ Sheng had said, General Xie was a man of generally upright character, and the Sixth Prince’s Consort was not the kind of venomous woman who would deceive people with empty words. Since the arrangement had already been agreed upon, why change course at the last moment, and by such a low and contemptible method?

So she made the bold guess that the savage and ferocious posture of the Zhou Family was the brainchild of Lady An herself.

All the world rushes about for gain — she had put in such considerable effort, even willing to risk exposing Second Miss’s scandal, so the profit she was after must be no small thing. Since she couldn’t get her hands on Zhao Shi’s shops, then acting this way meant she intended to pocket the Xie Family’s silver.

Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Lady An’s expression changed entirely, and her eyes filled with a vicious glint.

Chu Linlang felt greatly settled in her heart, knowing she had guessed correctly.

This was truly as the saying goes — it is easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his petty demons! She had not expected that the arrangement she had worked out with the Xie Family and the Sixth Prince’s Consort would be undone by this aunt who had showed up mid-way, wanting to skim a profit.

Hearing this, Zhao Shi looked bewildered — evidently she had not known that the Xie Family had agreed to pay Chu Linlang silver.

Lady An did not want Chu Linlang to further expose her little scheme, and her expression darkened: “What silver! My brother-in-law is a full General of the fifth rank — how could he allow himself to be extorted by a little woman like you? Attendants! Bind her! Throw her on the boat shortly!”

It appeared this woman disdained the offered wine and only wanted to drink the penalty cup. Very well then — she could not blame Chu Linlang for being impolite!

Seeing that these people were about to lay hands on her younger sister, Chu Jinyin panicked and rushed over to shield her, while her brother-in-law, though not daring to offend Lady An, gritted his teeth and desperately kept saying there was no need to cause such a great commotion.

But just as several household servants surged forward, the two attendants who had been standing silently behind Chu Linlang with lowered heads suddenly leapt to the front. They tore off the cloth wrapping around their hands, revealing two ring-bladed swords that clanged loudly, and let out wild shouts, cursing in an incomprehensible accent from beyond the passes.

Chu Linlang reached into her lapel and pulled out a chopping knife wrapped in oiled paper. She hitched up her skirts, planted one foot on a chair, and brought the blade down hard into the surface of the table. Then, arching her fine brows, she shouted out loud: “Everyone in this room, listen well — each and every one of you — if anyone dares touch so much as a single hair on my head today, I’ll have her belly split open and her intestines aired out for the sky to see!”

Lady An had not in the slightest expected that this Chu woman would have come tonight equipped for a martial performance. She was momentarily stunned and could only shriek: “Just where do you think you are! This is the foot of the Son of Heaven — what do you think you’re doing! Aren’t you afraid the soldiers will come and arrest you!”

Chu Linlang pulled the chopping knife free with one hand and laughed coldly: “Going to the authorities would be wonderful! I’m afraid you won’t dare report it. At that point I’d be more than happy to beat the grievance drum, let all of the capital’s people hear for themselves — whether it was the respectable fifth-rank Xie Family who tricked and deceived a poor suffering woman like me, or whether it was some scab-headed aunt who came from gods-know-where, wanting to secretly pocket a cut for herself, taking advantage on both ends, and treating her own pregnant niece’s reputation like nothing worth caring about!”

At this moment, Zhou Sui’an, who had been sitting motionlessly in his armchair all this time, finally stood up. He walked to the table and dashed off the deed of transfer for the shops, then threw it at Chu Linlang and declared with forced bravado: “Your own belongings — my family has no interest in keeping them! My mother is right — today there is only repudiation, no mutual separation!”

Seeing her plan backfire so completely, Aunt An made a rapid about-face that infuriated Zhao Shi. After all the scheming, she had listened to Lady An’s counsel only to end up losing on all fronts — not only still having to forfeit two shops, but having the whole room’s furniture smashed to pieces on top of that, along with her own dignity cast to the winds?

Since the shops had been reclaimed and her own safety was temporarily secure, the literal wording of the documents — she would let them do as they pleased.

Chu Linlang recalled how the two of them had parted on unhappy terms that day, having assumed this lord would be thoroughly annoyed with a woman as steely-hearted as herself and would go out of his way to avoid her in the future. She never expected that he would recognize her even sitting inside her elder sister’s carriage.

Never mind what the documents called it — repudiation or otherwise. The only thing she cared about was her two shops!

At this, Lady An also turned around to soothe Zhao Shi, saying she should not be so petty about it — after all, presented this way to the outside world, the Zhou Family would truly appear magnanimous and wholehearted in their treatment of a former wife, having done all that benevolence and righteousness required!

“Lady An, if you were seeking wealth, that would be one matter. I never expected anything from the Xie Family’s money to begin with. After all, that would be money earned by selling a husband — I find it dirty! You may take it and spend it as you like. But the two Zhou Family shops — those I built bit by bit, hauling goods through ice and snow, tallying accounts day and night on an abacus. Why should they not be returned to me! You mother and son of the Zhou Family ought to go find a puddle, squat down, and take a good look at yourselves — on the strength of your original two threadbare bedrolls and your self-important pride, could you have built up this wealth? Yes, I am of lowly origin, and yes, I am truly a stranger far from home with no one to rely on — but I dare put my life on the line! Do you dare! Do you truly think sending me away means you can have everything go smoothly and continue showing yourselves in fine light? Not a chance! Have someone go look outside the courtyard — push me too far, and see what fate awaits your Xie and Zhou families!”

Yet no one had expected that Chu Linlang, young as she was, would be as slippery as a seasoned old veteran of the rivers and lakes, having made such thorough and tricky preparations!

Chu Jinyin was somewhat heavy with worry. She had been frightened by Lady An’s words, particularly her pointed implication that her own nephew controlled the waterways — was this not a threat to give her husband trouble?

Just as the several of them were pondering how to find a roundabout way home, there suddenly came the sound of horses galloping at speed.

Situ Sheng listened quietly for a moment, then said to her: “The streets ahead have all been sealed off — you cannot pass through for now. Do you have somewhere else to take shelter?”

That she had borne no sons was a fact. That she was jealous was also a fact. And having brandished a chopping knife before her mother-in-law today, the charge of being unfilial had also been made concrete.

Who could have imagined it — this Chu woman turned out to be such a prickly difficult character! The original plan had been to have Zhou Sui’an tell her to come sign the mutual separation agreement, catch her off guard, and handle things smoothly.

At that point, she could have pocketed the silver the Xie Family had set aside for Chu Linlang, calling it merely a fee for her trouble — and she would have been completely justified in her greed. But Aunt An had not known that Chu Linlang had no patience for wasting time on matters with no clear outcome.

Her brother-in-law was evidently very bothered — his words were full of grievances about Chu Jinyin dragging him along into this murky water, which infuriated Chu Jinyin so much she was speechless, and she could only glare at him furiously with her eyes.

So Chu Linlang, her elder sister, and her brother-in-law got into the carriage and prepared to head back.

Lord Situ, in his official robes, was still as dashing and distinguished as ever. He must have been out on official duties, not yet returned to sleep even in the dead of night.

Aunt An had not anticipated that trying to deal with a little out-of-town woman who sold salt would produce such a scene of flashing blades and bristling weapons. She was so frightened that she cowered behind Zhao Shi, shouting sharply at the two large men: “Do you two know who I am! I am the wife of an official — my brother-in-law is a full fifth-rank General! You’ve eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard — how dare you help her bully people!”

Especially now that she had offended the Xie Family’s aunt — knowing Lady An’s character, she feared there would be more underhanded tricks to come in the future…

She had indeed harbored the intention of pocketing the silver. After all, subduing Chu Linlang and protecting the two shops for her niece Xie Youran would have been an enormous meritorious achievement in itself.

So she simply lifted the carriage curtain and asked: “How did you know I was in the carriage, my lord?”

Zhao Shi and Zhou Sui’an had never seen this side of Chu Linlang either. In all the years she had been married into the Zhou Family, she had always been demure and deferential before her elders, observing proper wifely conduct, never once speaking a harsh word back to Zhao Shi.

Just as she was lost in wandering thoughts, there suddenly came a noisy commotion up ahead — word was that someone had gotten drunk and caused a disturbance in the pleasure quarter, injuring an envoy from a foreign nation, and several streets ahead had been sealed off.

Though this area was prosperous, for a woman to stand alone here and establish herself was truly not easy.

Chu Linlang felt things had gone far enough, and waved her hand to silence the two guards from beyond the passes.

Judging by the tone of his speech, it was as though he had forgotten the unhappy exchange from before.

Perhaps a young woman born into a prominent family might care about such a thing, but Chu Linlang did not much care, and did not dare care.

Chu Linlang nodded. This family scandal of the Xie and Zhou households — Deputy Minister Situ, with his keen perception, clearly had full knowledge of the matter from beginning to end, so there was no need to conceal anything from him.

Only after boarding the horse-drawn carriage did Chu Linlang finally let out a long, slow breath. Just now, she had not wanted to breathe even a single breath of the Zhou Family’s air, fearing she might be sick with disgust.

Shortly, they arrived at the lane where her elder sister lived. Chu Jinyin instructed the coachman to use the carriage to send her younger sister home, while she and her husband got out first and went home.

Upon hearing this, Situ Sheng furrowed his brow slightly: “Repudiation? Not mutual separation?”

This was truly no time to be borrowing silver from Third Younger Sister — as her own family, how could he bring himself to say such a thing in front of Linlang?

Seeing his usually gentle wife glare at him, her brother-in-law finally fell silent, though his face still showed his displeasure.

Zhou Sui’an suddenly stood upright and shouted loudly after Chu Linlang: “Chu Linlang — this is a repudiation! You had better think carefully! Do not come back crying to beg me later!”

Yet who could have imagined — Chu Linlang simply did not seek mutual separation. She picked up the repudiation letter and the property deed and walked away without looking back.

Especially seeing the two large men with their roughcut features and nostrils flared wide as oxen — everyone was frightened into retreating step by step, not one willing to go forward. After all, their monthly wages were limited — it had not yet reached the point of risking their lives!

Chu Linlang smiled, picked up the repudiation letter and the property deed Zhou Sui’an had written, turned around, and left.

Xia He’s elder brother had sent word that his salt-transport ship would be passing through the capital before long. Chu Linlang was mulling over whether to have Xia He’s brother escort her when she departed the capital.

Lady An was so furious she nearly wanted to slap this foolish old woman standing beside her. She was truly afraid of enraging Chu Linlang and letting the situation spiral out of control.

These words made Zhou Sui’an flush red to his ears, and he could no longer play dead. Zhao Shi, meanwhile, was both furious and ashamed, trembling all over, and looked as though she would soon need some medicine to save herself.

So when Lady An shouted fiercely, the servants also howled and yelled along with her, their large blades hacking about wildly until the chairs in the hall were scattered in all directions.

These families were not ones a merchant girl of humble birth like herself could afford to offend. If she did not have a few cards up her sleeve, she might truly be thrown into the river without ever knowing why.

But unfortunately, these two burly men had been specially chosen by Linlang — they were the finest in their trade, and simply did not understand the capital’s speech. Even if Lady An were the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens herself, it would have been of no use.

Zhao Shi could not read the situation at all, only pointed at Linlang and scolded her, declaring that as long as she, Zhao Shi, drew breath, there would only be repudiation — no mutual separation!

He then glanced in the direction from which the carriage had come, and with a look of dawning comprehension, asked: “Did you go to the Zhou Family’s estate? Were the documents all signed?”

If things truly turned out as Aunt An had said, Linlang would have suffered a tremendous loss. She was not the type to accept such a loss — what if she had second thoughts and wanted to stay in the Zhou Family?

When the sound reached the side of Chu Linlang’s carriage, there came the sound of someone reining in their horse.

She had Dongxue disperse the beggars, while the two guards, seeing that their contracted hours of protection had come to an end, were unwilling to stay a single moment longer and left after collecting their silver.

But just then, Dongxue said indignantly: “There was no need for signing any documents at all — the Zhou Family really has no shame! Goodness knows where they dug up some aunt connected to the Xie Family, who not only instructed the Zhou Family to issue a repudiation against our mistress, but was also forcing her to return to her hometown of Jiangkou!”

Chu Linlang gently drew aside the carriage curtain and found it was a familiar face.

If only she showed a hint of regret, he could rightfully and legitimately tear up the repudiation letter. Even if she demoted herself to the status of a concubine, he would still treat her with the same respect as a proper wife — would that not do?

Seeing Chu Linlang peering at him through the gap in the carriage curtain with only half an eye visible, Situ Sheng asked, feigning ignorance: “Is that Madam Chu inside?”

—