Chu Chenyi looked innocent, utterly bewildered as to how he was suddenly linked to the Princess of Xiliang. He had never mentioned going to pick up any Princess of Xiliang.
“What nonsense have you heard? When did I ever say I was going to pick up the Princess of Xiliang? Stop making a fuss and come back with me.”
Feng Jin picked up a plate of sunflower seeds and cracked them open, watching the show. He was eager to see how Chu Chenyi would extricate himself from this situation.
“Who wants to go back with you? I want a divorce!” Lin Yuwei shouted angrily.
Chu Chenyi was stunned. They had argued before, but never this intensely. He patiently coaxed, “Let’s go back first. We can discuss everything slowly when we get there.”
“I have no room for discussion with you. The divorce is decided this time. You go pick up your Princess of Xiliang, and I will find a good match. Men and women marry and divorce without interfering with each other!”
Chu Chenyi’s expression immediately darkened. His brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, “I’m asking you one last time, do you want to come back with me!”
“Absolutely not!” Lin Yuwei was just as stubborn, determined not to go back with him.
“As you wish!” Chu Chenyi uttered a final sentence and left directly.
Lin Yuwei watched Chu Chenyi’s retreating back, anger surging. She grabbed an incense burner and hurled it fiercely at his back.
The incense burner struck his back, eliciting a muffled groan. His steps faltered for a moment before he continued to walk away without the slightest pause.
“Chu Chenyi, you scoundrel, this young lady has decided on a divorce with you!”
Lin Yuwei gritted her teeth, tears welling up in her eyes, refusing to fall.
“Alright, it’s nothing. If he wants to leave, let him. At most, you’ll find someone better.”
The situation had unfolded completely beyond her expectations. Feng Jin felt a pang of unease and stepped forward to comfort Lin Yuwei.
Suddenly being comforted, Lin Yuwei’s pent-up grievances erupted. Tears streamed down like a broken string of pearls as she buried her face in Feng Jin’s shoulder, sobbing.
“I will definitely divorce this scoundrel. I consider it my bad luck from before,” Lin Yuwei said with a choked voice.
It is better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage. In this situation, Feng Jin was at a loss. If it were in the past, when Lin Yuwei and Chu Chenyi had no feelings for each other, a divorce would have been fine.
But now, it was clear they had feelings for each other. If they divorced over these unresolved issues, they would surely regret it later.
“Calm down first. If you divorce in a moment of impulse and then regret it when you come to your senses, you’ll be the one who suffers.”
“I will never regret it. There’s nothing worth reminiscing about someone like him.”
Lin Yuwei wiped the tears from her face, her voice filled with grievance. Chu Chenyi was a scoundrel. He left when she told him to, and he should never come back. Who cared if he was hers?
“Calm down for two days first, and then think carefully. If you truly want a divorce, there’s no rush.”
Feng Jin dared not provoke Lin Yuwei any further. For now, he had to stabilize her emotions and then make long-term plans.
Lin Yuwei did not want to return to the Pingyang Marquis’s estate. She went back to the Ling Estate with Feng Jin.
“Young General Ling, I hope my staying here for two days won’t disturb you,” Lin Yuwei said proactively upon seeing Ling Mohan return.
Ling Mohan, as always, remained expressionless, merely saying faintly, “It’s fine.”
His gaze then scanned the room, searching for Feng Jin.
“You’re back? Didn’t Lu Shi say you’d be back later?” Feng Jin returned from outside, his tone laced with a hint of confusion.
“I finished my business and returned early.”
“Did His Majesty really order you and Prince Jing to welcome the Xiliang envoys together?”
Lu Shi’s words had been ambiguous. By the time she wanted to clarify, Lu Shi had already disappeared.
“The Xiliang envoys will arrive in the capital tomorrow. His Majesty has ordered me to welcome them with Prince Jing. Chu Yanxi further suggested that the post station is too simple and that it would be undignified for the Xiliang envoys and princess to stay there, recommending they reside at…”
Ling Mohan’s voice trailed off here, and after a pause, he continued, “suggesting they reside at the Ling Estate or Prince Jing’s Estate.”
“What?” The two women exclaimed in unison, a perfect display of telepathy.
“I knew Chu Yanxi wasn’t a good person, full of schemes. Why doesn’t he suggest the Xiliang princess stay at his own estate!”
Feng Jin exclaimed angrily, his eyes blazing with fury. If Chu Yanxi were present, she would surely slap him soundly to vent her anger.
“Emperor Xuanwen, that foolish old man, must have listened to Chu Yanxi’s instigation, sending you and Chu Chenyi to welcome the Xiliang envoys. He likely intended for the Xiliang princess to take a liking to you both in advance, allowing him to remain aloof.”
With this explanation, the matter became clear. She had been somewhat puzzled earlier as to why Emperor Xuanwen would send married princes to welcome the Xiliang princess, and even include Ling Mohan.
Any discerning person could see that the Xiliang princess was here for a marriage alliance. Even if they were to show sincerity by sending princes to welcome her, they should have sent unmarried ones. Sending Chu Chenyi was clearly inappropriate. Now it seemed it was Chu Yanxi’s scheme to sow discord.
How could a dignified prince, a man seven feet tall, resort to underhanded tactics and engage in such despicable acts?
“If this Chu Yanxi ever falls into my hands, I’ll make sure his life is worse than death!”
Feng Jin gritted his teeth, enunciating each word. The feud between her and Chu Yanxi was growing larger and larger.
Upon learning of this matter, Lin Yuwei’s anger subsided somewhat. However, even a fly doesn’t bite a seamless egg. If Chu Chenyi hadn’t harbored such intentions, who would have targeted him?
“Prince Jing has been gaining too much attention lately, and he’s about to overshadow him. He must be desperate. Moreover, Prime Minister Feng has been repeatedly reprimanded by His Majesty, while the influence of the Pingyang Marquis’s estate continues to grow. If this is allowed to continue, the danger to Chu Yanxi will only increase. He must find a way to retaliate.”
Feng Jin analyzed the situation logically, believing Lin Yuwei would understand the implications.
“A stratagem of division,” Ling Mohan stated faintly, summarizing everything in three words.
“Then… then how should we respond?”
Lin Yuwei asked with some panic. She had lived under the protection of her parents since childhood and had no understanding of the sinister plots in the imperial court. If Feng Jin hadn’t enlightened her, she would likely have fallen for the trap.
“Employ their stratagem against them. Confuse the opponent, making them relax their vigilance, and then capture them all in one go.”
Ling Mohan spoke with a veiled tone, as this was the only viable solution. Chu Yanxi was cunning and deeply entrenched in the imperial court. With their current influence, they could not guarantee victory in a direct confrontation.
“Employ their stratagem against them…” Lin Yuwei repeated the phrase. “That won’t do. What if the pretense becomes reality?”
Feng Jin observed Lin Yuwei’s expression and stifled a laugh behind her hand. Just moments ago, she had been adamant about divorcing, and now she was starting to worry. People are truly fickle creatures.