Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 126
Chapter 126 - A Yun Family Daughter Divorces
Yun Chu's expression turned dark and complex.
She had never met this collateral Yun family daughter, and had only ever heard her mother speak of this distant cousin named Yun Qin.
Thus, she hadn't even thought of Yun Qin as a person of any consequence at first.
Yun Qin had been beaten by her husband's family until one of her legs and one of her eyes were broken, and even after suffering such brutality, intervention from the clan elders still failed to secure her a divorce.
It was only after her father had Yun Qin's husband transferred away to the Western Frontier that the tragedy of Yun Qin being beaten to death was averted.
She knew how exceedingly difficult divorce was, especially for a prominent aristocratic clan like the Yun family; for the sake of family reputation, a divorce was harder than ascending to the heavens.
"Now that I've returned to the capital, if you go to the Fang family, that scoundrel will naturally rein himself in for a while. But the moment I leave to garrison the borderlands, the Fang family will inevitably relapse into their old ways," Yun Silin said coldly. "A Yun family daughter, whether born of the primary wife or a concubine, whether of the main branch or a collateral branch, carries the bloodline of the Yun family. No one is permitted to suffer such monstrous grievances!"
Lady Lin chimed in, "Then what do you propose we do?"
"Just as Qin's mother said, a divorce," Yun Silin stated. "If the Fang family refuses, we'll draw up a dozen or so charges against him, and if they dare refuse to release her, we'll submit the charges straight to the Dali Temple!"
In Chu'er's dream, he had indeed chased that scoundrel of the Fang family away, but there were still so many other people within the Fang household. Even though Qin'er would no longer face her husband's fists and kicks, she would likely still endure her mother-in-law's cold glares, her brother-in-law's bullying, and her sister-in-law's schemes. Rather than living like that, a clean divorce was far better...
As soon as these words left his mouth, the hall instantly erupted into an uproar.
"General, absolutely not! Our Yun family still has so many unmarried daughters; if one woman divorces, arranging marriages for all the remaining unmarried maidens will become exceptionally difficult."
"The Yun family is, after all, a household of the first rank. With the General personally stepping forward to apply pressure, I imagine the Fang family wouldn't dare commit any more outrageous acts!"
"Clearly there are better solutions, why must we choose the dead-end path of divorce?"
"Please reconsider, General!"
"..."
Yun Silin raised a hand to signal for silence.
He was not a delicate or far-sighted man, and would never have considered so many cascading consequences on his own. If it were in the past, with so many people advising him otherwise, he would certainly have followed the clan elders' counsel without hesitation.
"If the Yun family allowing a daughter to divorce causes many people to back out of seeking our daughters in marriage, it only proves that those suitors harbor malicious intentions in the first place!" He swept his gaze across the people in the hall. "If a man stands tall and upright, possesses a sense of responsibility and accountability, and refuses to bully his wife, he has no need whatsoever to worry about the Yun family divorcing him in the future... Having one more divorced daughter in the Yun family will instead filter out those scumbags and beasts for our unmarried maidens. Why wouldn't we want that?"
Everyone was stunned.
This was the first time they had ever heard such a line of reasoning.
As everyone knew, divorce was a disgraceful blemish, and no one had ever heard of a daughter from a great aristocratic family getting a divorce.
How on earth had divorce transformed, in the mouth of the family head, into a stroke of good fortune?
This was utter fallacy!
It was simply absurd!
Several clan elders exchanged glances, preparing to voice their objections.
"If Qin'er does not divorce, her life will sooner or later be lost in the Fang family!" Yun Silin articulated each word with crystal clarity. "Respected elders, I will ask you this one question: is the life of a Yun family daughter more important, or is the Yun family's face more important?"
Faced with this question, the clan elders hesitated.
In truth, from their perspective, the Yun family's centuries-old reputation was naturally far more vital.
Yet if they were to voice that thought aloud, heaven knows how many married daughters would feel their hearts turn cold. Those Yun family women who had already married out would likely grow estranged from the clan as well.
Moreover, the vast majority of them were women themselves, with daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters of their own. If such a tragedy were to befall their own direct descendants, what choice would they make?
Human hearts were made of flesh; everyone empathized through personal reflection.
Silence descended upon the hall.
Yun Silin spoke, "Since no one has any objections, the matter is settled. Yun Ze, handle this affair personally."
Qin's mother burst into tears of overwhelming relief. "Thank you, General! Thank you, General..."
When she first proposed the divorce, she knew the clan elders would never agree. She had merely intended to use that outrageous demand to force the clan elders into helping brainstorm an alternative solution.
Never did she imagine the General would directly agree to such an audacious request.
Yun Silin waved a hand. "You can't write the character 'Yun' with two different strokes. If I cannot even protect my own flesh and blood, what qualifications do I have to serve as the head of the Yun family!"
Things having reached this stage, the clan elders had no choice but to accept the reality.
A heavy, turbid pressure that had been weighing on Yun Chu's chest slowly dissipated.
Whether she herself could get a divorce, she truly didn't care. Her own life in this lifetime was already set; wherever she ended up, it made little difference.
She was simply overjoyed that yet another person in the Yun family had escaped the tragedy of her past life.
Her father must have believed her words. With her father at the helm, and her grandfather and eldest brother plotting strategies, the Yun family would surely manage to reverse the doom of a full-family execution.
After finishing the meal, Yun Chu finally returned to the Xie residence.
With her frequent trips to the Yun estate of late, the Xie family had long since grown accustomed to it.
"Madam, Master went out to attend social engagements an hour ago," Tingfeng reported. "First Madame tried to dissuade him, but she couldn't stop him."
Yun Chu smiled indifferently.
Of course she couldn't stop him. Xie Jingyu had already been demoted, and on top of that, she had requested a seven-day leave of absence for him. A man who valued his official career as much as he did would undoubtedly be burning with anxiety inside.
With people inviting him out, how could he possibly care about his ailing body? Most banquets involved drinking alcohol, and alcohol happened to be a marvelous catalyst for hastening toxins.
Her smile slowly faded.
If Xie Jingyu died, she would become a widow of the Xie family. Did she truly intend to remain trapped in the Xie residence for the rest of her life?
Though she cared little where her physical body resided, the Xie family was, truth be told, utterly nauseating.
Today's affair at the Yun residence had indeed provided her with some inspiration.
"Madam, Second Young Master has returned."
The corners of Yun Chu's lips parted into a smile. "Let's go greet him."
The carriage halted outside the Xie manor's gates. Supported by a manservant's arm, Xie Shiwei disembarked. As he walked, his right leg completely lacked strength, forcing him to lean heavily on the servant just to climb the steps.
He raised his gaze and saw only Yun Chu standing at the entrance to welcome him.
Lowering his head, he bowed. "Mother."
"You must be exhausted from the journey," Yun Chu said, wearing a gentle smile. "Your father went out for social engagements, your eldest brother is still at the academy, and Old Madame and Lady Yuan are taking their afternoon rest. They'll come see you later... Are you hungry? I've had them prepare your favorite dishes. Come, let's head back to your courtyard to wash your hands before eating."
The warmth and tenderness of her smile gave Xie Shiwei a transient sense of vertigo, making it feel as though he were still the pampered Second Young Master of the Xie manor.
Yet his powerless right leg ruthlessly reminded him that everything had changed.
He had originally thought his leg was crippled beyond any hope of recovery... It was only a few days ago that he learned the truth: his eldest brother had instigated their father into denying him medical treatment. That was his own blood-related eldest brother, yet he had turned him into a cripple! All because he had offended the Marquis of Xuanwu, causing the Xie family to discard him like trash!
Shouldn't he consider himself lucky, after all? Because he had managed to hold onto his life!
Yet his mother—the mother who had always cherished him—had been fed poisoned wine by his own eldest brother and eldest sister!
He was crippled!
His mother was dead!
By what right was his life ruined like this?
By what right had his mother died such an unjust death?
By what right was his eldest brother permitted to enter the Imperial Academy?
By what right could his eldest sister marry into an imperial prince's estate?
"Wei'er, what is wrong?"
Yun Chu's gentle voice pulled Xie Shiwei back from his turbulent thoughts.
Suppressing the hatred boiling inside him, he replied, "Thank you, Mother."
Having returned after being away from the Xie residence for so long, she was the only one waiting to welcome him. He had vaguely overheard the coachman mentioning that the Xie family had been unwilling to bring him back, and that it was Mother who stubbornly insisted on having him visit his maternal grandfather, thus granting him the chance to return to the Xie estate.
A mother with no blood ties cared for him this much.
While those so-called family members were nothing more than a pack of cold-blooded monsters!