"Ai... wife, something's not right. Listen to me, these two people..."
He reached out to the person walking ahead, trying to stop Zhao Jiaqi and make her listen. Unfortunately, she completely ignored him, stepped onto a low stool, and got directly into the carriage.
Zhao Jiaqi pursed her lips. The carriage was so warm. Why bother arguing with a simpleton outside? Now he remembered she was his, but what was he doing just now!
She could only say his brain was slow, and he deserved to be bullied by her!
Seeing the dejected man get into the carriage, she couldn't help but smile, like a cat that had stolen fish. Seeing her, Fan Zehao's heart warmed, and he smiled foolishly with her.
The carriage entered the second gate of the mansion. Sixi stopped it, got out of the carriage, and then carried his wife out, taking her directly back to his courtyard.
Chunfen saw the master carrying the madam through the moon gate from afar and hurried forward. She squatted down and said, "Master, Madam, Madam Fang has arrived. She's crying her eyes out and is in the warm chamber. She says she wants to see Madam!"
Fan Zehao put down the person in his arms, touched his wife's pure red face, and said, "Song Lan is looking for you. She must have something important. Go ahead. I'll go to the study and see if there's anything to handle!"
Zhao Jiaqi just nodded. Watching her husband go to the study, she instructed Sixi, "Burn more Jinshi charcoal in the study. Remember to leave a small gap in the study window and make a pot of black tea for the master!"
Sixi had already memorized these instructions by heart, so much so that he could recite them backward. These were the same few sentences the madam always instructed.
He smiled and bowed, "Madam, don't worry. I've got it all noted down."
Zhao Jiaqi smiled. Sixi was one of the earliest attendants to follow them. He knew the habits of both the husband and wife well. This young man was quite clever, no wonder the master, after becoming emperor, was unwilling to make them eunuchs.
Warm Chamber.
Song Lan's eyes were swollen like fish eyes from crying. She was also hiccuping intermittently, indicating she was deeply saddened.
Chunfen took the cloak she had taken off and walked over to gently pat Song Lan's shoulder. "What happened to make you cry like this? Tell me."
She casually sat on the seat next to Song Lan, with a small tea table between them. A moment later, Su Ya served a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of her, along with some pastries.
Song Lan silently wiped away the tears on her face and choked out, "Madam, Fang Mingjiang is ungrateful and shameless. He's actually colluded with the prefect's daughter behind my back. She insists on marrying him, and she came to our door this morning!"
Zhao Jiaqi: "..."
Seeing the honest and simple Fang Mingjiang actually do such a thing?
Zhao Jiaqi's mind went blank for a moment before she came to her senses.
"Are you sure about this? I don't think Fang Mingjiang is that kind of person!"
Song Lan snorted, her hand clutching her handkerchief as if she wanted to tear a hole in it. "An honest person can be terrifying when pushed to extremes. If that prefect's daughter hadn't come to our door, I would have remained in the dark. Madam, what should I do?"
She asked her what to do!
What could she do? She couldn't persuade them to divorce and fulfill their desires. As the saying goes, it's better to demolish ten temples than to break up one marriage. Besides, this matter hadn't been sorted out yet.
"Fang Mingjiang has gone to make a plaque and will be back later. Ask him for clarification. Don't just brood here. What if that prefect's daughter fell for Fang Mingjiang, but your husband didn't fancy her? Anything is possible."
Seeing Song Lan lost in thought, her crying lessened. Zhao Jiaqi said, "Moreover, if one wants to take a concubine, one needs to pay a hundred thousand taels of silver and register it. But Fang Mingjiang has never mentioned this to me. I think there's likely a misunderstanding in this matter."
Song Lan wished more than anyone that this was a misunderstanding, but she couldn't forget the condescending attitude of that young lady when she came to their house.
She kept saying Song Lan was unworthy and that she should be cast out. She even threw money at her. If she hadn't been afraid of revealing her identity, she would have had her skinned and thrown out of the mansion.
Zhao Jiaqi waved to Chunfen, "Tell the gatekeepers that if Master Fang returns, bring him here directly!"
After comforting Song Lan, she finally recounted the details of the prefect's daughter visiting.
However, after listening, Zhao Jiaqi realized that all the young lady had done was try to get Song Lan to give up her position as the main wife and belittle her a few times. Apart from that, she hadn't said anything about Fang Mingjiang.
In her opinion, this young lady named Pan Yuexin was probably just acting impulsively. As for the truth of the matter, it was still necessary to ask the person involved.
After drinking a pot of tea, Fang Mingjiang returned, followed by Song Fei. Both of them had grim expressions. Their faces were so long that Zhao Jiaqi thought it was an insult to donkeys.
After they sat down, without anyone asking, Fang Mingjiang immediately explained his situation with Pan Yuexin.
"Lan'er, I have absolutely no relationship with Pan Yuexin. I've spoken to her fewer than ten times. As for her feelings for me, I had no idea!"
Fang Mingjiang and Song Fei met on the road and returned to the mansion together. They didn't expect to see Chunfen waiting for them at the gate. From her, they learned about Pan Yuexin.
Now, his brother-in-law was unhappy, and his heart was pounding in his chest. If this wasn't clarified, it would not only affect their marital relationship but also affect how he was perceived by the Emperor and Empress.
A scholar could be killed, but not humiliated. He was a scholar and had some backbone.
Song Lan saw his anxious look and didn't seem to be lying. She pouted, very unhappy, and said, "A fly doesn't land on an egg that isn't cracked. You must have done something wrong, otherwise, why would she come to our door? Tell me, how will this be resolved?"
"If it's resolved to my satisfaction, then so be it. Otherwise... you don't have to divorce me, I'll divorce you!"
Song Lan made a harsh threat and turned her face away, no longer looking at him.
Every time she thought of Pan Yuexin's smug expression and arrogant demeanor, she wished she could scratch her face.
Fang Mingjiang became even more nervous. When had women ever divorced their husbands?
If this got out, he wouldn't be able to live, and the spittle alone would drown him.
"Lan'er, don't worry. I'll go find her right now and demand that they apologize to you. Otherwise, I won't spare that prefect, Pan Kun!"
Fang Mingjiang put back on the cloak he had taken off and left, braving the cold wind. Zhao Jiaqi noticed that his footsteps were a little unsteady as he left.
After he left, Song Fei let out a long sigh and began to lecture Song Lan, "Sister, it's been like this since ancient times, with men having three wives and four concubines. If Fang Mingjiang takes in a concubine, you can't just be so ruthless as to divorce him. Jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorce. You were just trying to scare him. Don't mention divorcing your husband again!"
Divorcing her husband and returning home would be fine; her family could support her. But the key was that being jealous of her husband taking a concubine and divorcing him would sound bad. How could she ever get married again?
Hearing her elder brother not siding with her but lecturing her instead, her sense of grievance intensified, and the tears she had held back began to fall uncontrollably.
"I just want to spend my life with one person. Is that wrong? If I go out and find a few young men, and he agrees, I will absolutely not divorce him!"