Chapter 299: Not a Single Minute of Delay
Xie Yushan collapsed limply on the floor, having no idea how things had turned out this way.
Magistrate Chen looked down at him from above, shaking his head with a helpless sigh. Making no move to help him up, he simply squatted right down on the spot.
“Master Xie, this official already warned you to watch your words and actions carefully—why wouldn’t you listen?” Magistrate Chen shook his head and sighed, his tone filled with as much regret as humanly possible.
By now, Xie Anyi had been pulled up by several of his little companions, and even Qiu Rongrong was supported to her feet by Qiaoyan. Having spoken the words weighing on her heart, Qiu Rongrong felt a sense of relief wash over her whole body, even as she realized just how bold her action had been.
While feeling lingering fear, she harbored no regret whatsoever. Were she given the choice again, she would still make the exact same decision.
Xie Yushan had been scared completely witless, and Magistrate Chen seemed to have become his final life-saving straw: “Lord Chen, you must help me! You must help me!”
Magistrate Chen wore a deeply conflicted face: “Well now, Master Xie, with your words and behavior today, it’s very difficult for this official to help you! If Young Master Guan truly holds a grudge over this, you’ve insulted the Sovereign! Never mind yourself—even your Xie clan will suffer along with you. That is a capital crime involving the execution of nine generations!”
At the mention of a crime involving the execution of nine generations, Xie Yushan went entirely limp, muttering under his breath that he was finished, completely finished.
Seeing that the man had been thoroughly terrified, Magistrate Chen covered his mouth and coughed, hiding his guilty conscience as he said, “However, it’s not as if there’s no turn of events.”
“My Lord, save me! Save me!” Xie Yushan hurriedly pleaded.
Qiu Rongrong watched from the side with cold detachment—what a completely spineless excuse for a man.
Magistrate Chen was thoroughly disgusted as well; the fellow was far too cowardly. Had he shown even a shred of backbone, the people present might have looked up to him a tiny bit. He truly didn’t know how he had been blind enough to cultivate a good relationship with him back then.
Sigh, wasn’t it all for the Xie clan standing behind him?
Mm, it must be that way.
Finishing his internal self-justification, Magistrate Chen finally spoke: “Not that this official wants to criticize you, but you were truly muddleheaded! Setting aside the fact that Lady Qiu is now a meritorious person whose name is known before His Majesty, even between you two as husband and wife, how could you use your child to threaten her? Haven’t you heard the saying? ‘A mother grows strong for her child.'”
Xie Yushan was now left with nothing but regret; he wanted no more glory, wealth, or honors—he only wanted to keep his little life.
“Lady Qiu’s request is actually simple as well. Isn’t it just a divorce? With your Xie family’s grand enterprise, once you part ways with Lady Qiu, can’t you just marry another wife in the future? Why joke around with your own life? Look, making such a scene—if His Majesty truly learns of this…”
“I’ll grant the divorce! I’ll grant the divorce! I agree to the divorce! My Lord, you must help me plead for mercy!” How could Xie Yushan dare refuse a divorce now? Never mind whether he could marry again in the future; right now, he only wanted to resolve the immediate crisis and stay alive.
Magistrate Chen’s eyes overflowed with disdain, yet he said aloud, “Aiya, wouldn’t it have been so good if you had acted like this sooner?”
Saying this, he stood up and spoke in a clear voice: “Lady Qiu, Master Xie has agreed to the divorce. Do you have any other requests?”
After speaking, he cast another glance at Xie Yushan and added, “Well now, Master Xie, since it is a divorce, you naturally can state your thoughts or requirements as well. Speak up.”
Qiu Rongrong’s expression remained serene. Aside from her face and eyes still looking quite swollen, she had already calmed down, speaking calmly: “My Lord, this humble woman has no other requests. I only ask that Yi’er stays with me. At the same time, I shall take my dowry with me, and I want nothing belonging to the Xie family. I ask My Lord to grant this.”
Magistrate Chen hurriedly wiggled his eyes at her, letting out a cough as he said, “Lady Qiu, you should still think it over very carefully.”
What is she doing? Missing out on such a prime opportunity to open her mouth wide—what is she waiting for?
Qiu Rongrong understood Magistrate Chen’s intention. She looked down at Xie Anyi, holding his hand tightly. The Xie family had long become an empty shell; even if they possessed a few businesses, they amounted to very little. Compared to her own assets, she truly looked down on the Xie family’s pittance.
She only wanted Yi’er. As for the Xie family’s property, she didn’t even want to fight for it on Yi’er’s behalf—she found it revolting.
“My Lord, that is all.”
Seeing that Qiu Rongrong had made up her mind, Magistrate Chen felt it improper to say anything further, merely asking Xie Yushan, “Master Xie, what about you?”
Xie Yushan had originally worried that Qiu Rongrong would demand a share of the Xie family’s estate. Hearing her words, he breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly saying, “Listen to her! Listen to her in everything!”
“Good! Since that is the case, this official shall make the decision to grant your divorce! Servants, prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.” The moment Magistrate Chen finished speaking, he realized this wasn’t the yamen. Just as he was about to awkwardly alter his words, he saw Manager Lu sprint out with rapid steps and sprint right back with equal speed, holding brush, ink, paper, and inkstone in his hands.
“Master Xie, write it.” Magistrate Chen made an inviting gesture.
Trembling violently, Xie Yushan scrambled up and picked up the brush with hesitant indecision, his eyes darting toward Guan Shengrui the entire time.
Standing beside Xie Anyi, Guan Shengrui stiffened his neck: “What are you looking at? Hurry up and write! If you write a single word wrong, I’ll tell my Imperial Uncle the Emperor!”
Xie Yushan shuddered in fear, hurriedly lowering his brush to write the divorce letter.
Following the standard format, Magistrate Chen reminded Xie Yushan at the very end to clearly detail the division of the two parties’ property and the child, lest it cause trouble in the future. Furthermore, Qiu Rongrong needed to establish a separate household register, and Xie Anyi’s household register had to be moved out of the Xie family as well.
Xie Yushan wrote everything clearly according to his requirements. In the end, Magistrate Chen picked it up to inspect it, blowing the ink dry.
“Both of you, sign and press your thumbprints.”
Without a second thought, Qiu Rongrong stepped forward, signed her name, and pressed her handprint onto the paper.
Xie Yushan followed suit.
Once both had finished writing, Magistrate Chen fumbled around his person, pulled out an official seal from who knows where, blew a puff of breath onto it, and stamped it down with a sharp clack.
“Very well. May you two part ways amicably and live in peace henceforth.” Magistrate Chen was thoroughly satisfied with his performance.
Master Qiu and Wen Xiuyi twitched the corners of their mouths, exchanging a glance and seeing laughter in each other’s eyes.
Old Chen actually carried his official seal on his person—anyone unaware would think he did it on purpose.
Xie Yushan was dumbfounded as well, even suspecting whether Qiu Rongrong and the others had intentionally set a trap for him. After all, what official would carry his official seal around on his person? Shouldn’t that item be kept in the yamen?
Magistrate Chen, however, couldn’t be bothered with him. Having accomplished all this, he ran over to Guan Shengrui and claimed credit in a low voice: “Young Master, do you see if this is acceptable?”
Guan Shengrui took a look at Xie Yushan, glaring at him fiercely, then turned his head to look at Qiu Rongrong and Xie Anyi, asking, “Sister Rongrong, do you think this works? If you say it doesn’t work, I’ll have someone lock him up right now.”
Her eyes rimmed with red, Qiu Rongrong was amused by his words, nodding her head: “Many thanks, Young Master. This works.”
Only then did Guan Shengrui nod, looking toward Xie Yushan and saying coldly, “You can scramble now. Don’t ruin our meal.”
His posture was immensely grand.
Manager Lu stepped forward directly to see the guest off: “Master Xie, please step out. Our Zui Xian Tower does not welcome people of the Xie family.”
That was entirely unceremonious.
