The passersby were all shocked and stared wide-eyed at the sight!
Divorce me!?
Throughout history, there have always been women who divorce their wives, but never anyone who dares to divorce their husbands!
It should be known that women in ancient times were already of low status, and if they were divorced, they would have no value whatsoever! Yet this Miss An actually divorced the young and promising Chamberlain Ling Xiyao!
Has this woman lost her mind?!
The luxurious carriage had its window curtains slightly lifted, and a sound of amused laughter seemed to escape before fading away.
Ling Xiyao stared at An Xin's retreating figure, his face pale. How could he have imagined that the woman who had once been so obedient would divorce him?! A nameless rage burned within him, but ironically, he had no way to vent it!
However, the woman seemed happy. She stretched lazily, turned her head and smiled brightly as she talked to An Youwei. But for some reason, the wound on her forehead stung Ling Xiyao's eyes.
Was it because he didn't cherish her that she completely gave up on him? Or was she just joking when she said that?
The wind whipped up the blood-red character "休" (xiu), which floated past Ling Xiyao's eyes. Ling Xiyao suddenly raised his hand and grabbed it, his face slowly darkening.
---Aside---
Aww... More favorites mean more updates! Girls, please add this to your favorites!
Chapter 5: The Pig Trial
The phrase "bare walls" would be the most fitting description for this family.
Because An Youwei was demoted to a commoner, everything he originally owned was confiscated by the court. An Xin's mother, Xu Ruolan, who was bedridden, was emaciated and cried uncontrollably when she saw An Youwei and An Xin.
Lu Zhu secretly wiped away her tears. An Xin couldn't stand this atmosphere, so she turned around and walked out. After standing under the willow tree for a while, An Youwei came out and said, "Xin'er, we'll set off today. We can only go to the countryside to stay with your uncle for now. Our family's land has been handed over to him to cultivate since I bought my official position. Now we'll ask him to take it back. It won't be a problem for your father to support you and your mother."
An Xin said "Oh". She wasn't good at farming. Her father was a famous detective and her mother was a lawyer. She had lived a good life since childhood, but now she seemed to have nowhere to go. She couldn't just abandon her parents. Her adopted younger sister had disappeared. If she left too, the old couple probably wouldn't be able to bear it.
Xu Ruolan, dragging her ailing body and carrying only a small bundle, was helped out by Luzhu. An Xin hurriedly went over to support her and asked, "How long will it take to get to Uncle's place?"
Xu Ruolan already knew that An Xin had hit her forehead and didn't remember many things, and she also knew that An Xin had divorced Ling Xiyao. Regarding this matter, An Xin exaggerated and made Ling Xiyao sound like he was utterly wicked. Xu Ruolan was so angry that she trembled and kept repeating, "We may be poor, but we are not poor in spirit! We don't need Ling Xiyao! It's good that we divorced him!"
For the usually reserved Xu Ruolan to say such things, it must mean she loves this daughter dearly.
“It’s over fifty li away. Hiring a horse-drawn carriage is too expensive. If we walk, it will take us a whole day and night.” As Xu Ruolan spoke, cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
An Youwei sighed and said, "Why walk? You're not feeling well, let's hire a carriage!"
An Xin, worried about Xu Ruolan's health, said, "Yes, Mother, you're not feeling well. Let's hire a carriage. Father is injured too."
Xu Ruolan wiped away her tears and said, "We don't have much money left. If we hire another carriage, we might have trouble even eating in the future."
An Xin pondered for a moment. It seems that no matter where you are, money makes things easier.
When she learns something, she usually only learns what she thinks is useful, and she will never learn what she thinks is useless. She probably isn't cut out for business, and it seems she needs to make some new plans if she wants to earn money to support her family.
“That’s settled then! I’ll go hire a carriage!” An Xin usually doesn’t hesitate once she’s made a decision. She turned around, took a few steps, and then turned back and said, “Father, bring me some money first.”
An Youwei searched for a long time before finding a small piece of silver. He gritted his teeth and handed it to An Xin, saying, "Go quickly and come back. Your mother and I will wait for you here."
An Xin called out to Dewdrop before walking outside.
The capital city was bustling, with shops and markets lining the streets, vendors gathering in droves, and the sounds of hawking and shouting filling the air.
An Xin stopped and watched as the two men, who were arguing and fighting, were both burly and had greasy hands. They were locked in a fierce battle.
Dewdrop stopped a pedestrian and asked, "Excuse me, what happened between these two?"
The passerby said, "Hey, there are two butchers. One says that pig is his, and the other says it's his! But they're both butchers, so who knows whose it is!"
An Xin's heart stirred, and she squeezed through the crowd to examine the wounded pig.
The pig's gaze was somewhat vacant, and it looked at An Xin with a hint of resentment.
An Xin grabbed a copper basin and then a pork cleaver, banging it down with a loud "bang." The two men who were fighting fiercely froze, staring at An Xin as if she were crazy.
An Xin smiled slightly and said, "Whose pig is it? It's too simple! Just ask the pig!"
A bystander watching the commotion said, "Hey, girl, pigs can't talk!"
An Xin climbed onto the table and banged on it twice, saying, "Fellow villagers, the pig said, 'A pig about to die speaks the truth.' It couldn't bear to see its master being beaten black and blue by humans, so it told me the truth. Do you want to know the result? I wandered far from home in search of my parents, suffering from hunger and cold. I finally came to your blessed land. Fellow villagers, if you have money, give me money; if you don't have money, give me your labor. I will tell you everything I know and keep my word!"
An Xin glanced at Lu Zhu, who hurriedly and foolishly grabbed a copper basin. She didn't understand what her young lady was going to do, but guessed that she was going to collect money. The capital was prosperous and the people lived a comfortable life. Moreover, everyone liked to see new things, so they all threw in some loose silver.
Dewdrop held the copper basin with a beaming smile.
When a huge silver ingot appeared in the copper basin, Lu Zhu's face froze. She looked up blankly and saw a man in blue robes with handsome features and an elegant demeanor. He smiled at Lu Zhu and said, "My master also wants to know the result."
Dewdrop swallowed hard and turned to look at Anxin.
An Xin stood high and had a wide view. The carriage parked not far away was extremely luxurious and expensive. A corner of the window curtain was lifted, as if a gaze was lightly falling on her.
An Xin raised an eyebrow. Of course, it would be good if someone gave her money, the more money the better.
---Aside---
Who is the murderer? A prize awaits the one who guesses correctly! Please add this to your favorites!
☆, Chapter Six: Who is the Murderer?
She jumped off the table, patted the pig's head, and said, "Pig, who is your owner?"
The pig snorted disdainfully.
An Xin stood up and said, "How can you two prove that the pig is yours?"
Pig A said angrily, "My pigs are all raised by myself. They are big and the meat is delicious! I tied the pig up early this morning, but this person insisted that the pig was his! If you don't believe me, look at the marks on the pig's body, they were made by the rope."
Pig B said, "My pig is also home-raised, and it's even bigger than his pig. I went through a lot of trouble to catch it, but he insists that the pig is his!"
An Xin patted the pig's head again and said, "Pig, pig, who is your master anyway? What? It's him?"
The pig snorted even more disdainfully.
Everyone craned their necks to look at An Xin.
The man in blue glanced at the dewdrop and asked, "Who is the true owner of the pig?"
Dewdrop shook her head blankly and said, "I don't know either. Can that pig really talk?"
An Xin slammed the copper plate again and laughed, "The pig says its owner is..." An Xin raised her hand and pointed back and forth between the two people, while the crowd urged anxiously, "Who is it, girl! We've already given the money, hurry up and give us the answer!"
An Xin banged on the copper basin and said, "Pig said don't bully a pig! Pigs have self-respect too! Just because a pig has thick skin doesn't mean it should be beaten!"
Pig B's expression changed.
Anxin's pork cleaver suddenly pointed at Pig A.
The crowd exclaimed in surprise, "So the pig was his all along!"
An Xin said, "He's lying!"
Pig A's expression changed drastically, "Nonsense! How did I lie!?"
An Xin smiled and said, "You're a butcher, and pigskin is so thick. How could it be covered in wounds just from being tied up? You'd have to use whips or long knives to chase or beat it to get it covered in wounds! So the pig isn't yours, you stole it!"
"Ah!" the crowd exclaimed again, "He's a thief! We must report him to the authorities!"
The people despised Pig A, so they all flocked to Pig B's butcher shop. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Pig B's pork was sold out. But Pig B refused to kill that pig anymore. He simply packed up his stall and walked towards An Xin, thanking her profusely.
An Xin tossed the money pouch in her hand and smiled slightly, saying, "No need to thank me, thank that pig instead." This was truly a bit of a headache.
Dewdrop exclaimed happily, "Miss, you're so clever! I couldn't guess whose pig it was!"
An Xin raised her eyelashes and looked into the distance. The luxurious carriage had already left. An Xin's mind raced, and she felt as if she was being watched. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Did that man in blue say anything just now?"
Dewdrop said, "He only said that his master also wanted to know the result, but he didn't say anything else."
An Xin frowned slightly. That carriage was the one she had pointed out when she threatened the prefect, right? Judging from the prefect's expression at the time, this person's identity was probably not simple. But anyway, she was leaving this place and would not have any further involvement. As for the gold ingot, one was willing to give it and the other was willing to take it, so she had nothing to thank him for.
With that thought in mind, An Xin said, "It's getting late, let's go."
****
When An Xin returned, she saw two carriages outside the gate from afar. These carriages were obviously not ordinary carriages. The horses were all brown, and the carriages were carved with intricate patterns. Several well-dressed servants stood on one side of the carriages.
An Xin frowned slightly. Who would come at this time?
Dewdrop glanced at him, her expression changing slightly, and whispered, "Miss, it might be Lord Chancellor..."
An Xin's gaze darkened, and she walked straight inside.
The air in the hall was oppressive and deathly. When An Xin entered, she felt that all eyes were on her. Sitting in the seat was a well-dressed woman with excellent skin, which was in stark contrast to the emaciated Xu Ruolan!
An Xin thought of her mother, who was the ice queen of the legal world. In any lawsuit, there was no possibility of losing! Because her mother stood at the highest point of the law with a strong and domineering attitude, her opponents were often suppressed by her powerful aura and could not perform.
Xu Ruolan's personality was completely opposite to her mother's. When she saw her shrinking to one side, forming a stark contrast with this well-dressed woman, she felt a sense of disappointment and frustration.
So what if they take better care of themselves, have more money, and dress more smartly? All men are created equal, and no one is inferior to anyone else!
On the other side sat a middle-aged man, who exuded an air of authority without being angry, and whose eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp glint.
An Youwei sat on the other side, looking haggard and completely overwhelmed by the presence of others!
Ling Xiyao was indeed there. His face was gloomy, but when he saw An Xin come in, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
Everyone was looking at An Xin, but An Xin looked everyone over with a blank expression.
The woman sitting in the head seat spoke first.
"An Youwei, do you not respect the Ling family at all?!" The woman's face was cold as she slammed the teacup down on the table. Her powdered face seemed to tremble slightly, clearly showing her extreme anger.
In ancient times, being divorced was considered shameful, especially for a man!
An Xin, a mere commoner, actually divorced hope Yao in front of everyone! How could she not be furious!?
An Youwei's expression changed, and he said in a low voice, "Madam Ling, it was Xin'er who was rude, but now I have been demoted, and Xin'er is not worthy of Xiyao..."
"You're only worthy if you're not demoted?!" Madam Ling sneered. "I haven't even looked down on her background, yet she's divorced my son! How can my husband hold his head high in front of his colleagues?! And how can Xiyao hold his head high?!"