jdhmnovel Chapter 169 A Good Marriage
Chapter 169 A Good Marriage
"Li Moqing! What nonsense are you spouting!" The Duchess of Anguo's expression suddenly changed, and she said angrily, "You are supposed to be Wan'er's aunt, how can you be an aunt who instigates her niece to divorce without cause!"
Lady Pingyang felt no remorse for her words, and spoke in a lecturing tone:
"I'm doing all this for Wan'er's sake, for the Duke's mansion's sake, and for the sake of the entire Li family."
She raised her chin. "Wan'er is now the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion. Although she has been living away from home for many years and doesn't know the proper etiquette, how can she, as the legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion, marry a poor, pedantic scholar?"
"Even if you don't look down on him, what will others think of the Duke's Mansion, what will they think of the Li family?"
"If others knew that the Li family had a grandson-in-law of such humble origins, which noble family's son would still be willing to marry into the Li family?"
"Third sister, you can't just think about your own daughter, you have to think about your nieces too."
Lady Pingyang had two daughters and one son. The two daughters did not come along this time because they were taking care of their grandmother who was ill.
But the Li sisters always knew that she had two daughters and a son, but she only favored her son Xie Jingyao and even disliked her two daughters.
At this moment, she seemed to be thinking of her two daughters very much.
The Li sisters knew exactly what was going on.
Neither Li Molian nor Li Mohuan spoke. The Duchess of Anguo suppressed the surging anger in her chest and said, "Alright, shut up and don't say another word."
"Wan'er is already married, and there is no reason for her to divorce without cause. If Fifth Sister brings this up again, don't blame me for showing sisterly consideration."
Upon hearing this, Lady Pingyang's face darkened. She didn't say anything more, but turned to look at the old lady.
The old lady took a sip of tea slowly and deliberately, her voice slightly deep, "Third girl, your fifth sister's words are not without reason."
Lady Anguo was stunned, incredulous. "Mother, even you think Wan'er should get a divorce?"
Old Mrs. Wang said, "What kind of family is the Duke's Mansion? What is Wan'er's status? And what is Yun Shang's status? The two are worlds apart and should not be put together in the first place."
"While they don't have any children to bind them yet, they should divorce as soon as possible. With Wan'er's character and looks, she will surely be able to find a better family."
Lady Anguo was so angry she almost cried.
It's not surprising that her fifth sister, who always loved to oppose her, instigated Wan'er to divorce her on their first meeting.
But why did her mother also make such a foolish mistake?
All four sisters were their mother's daughters, but they all knew that their mother had always favored their fifth sister.
Lady Anguo had thought she had gotten used to it over the years, but now that they were targeting her daughter, her heart was completely chilled.
She was about to speak when she heard Old Mrs. Wang say:
"Third Sister, your Fifth Sister and I are doing this for Wan'er's own good."
"We only offered some suggestions to Wan Yatou; we didn't force her to get a divorce."
Lady Pingyang interjected with a smile, "That's exactly what I mean."
"It's quite a coincidence. One of my husband's nephews is currently seeking a wife. Third sister, if she could really marry our nephew, wouldn't that be a match made in heaven? Since such an opportunity has arisen, I naturally have to remind her not to waste it."
"Guanqing's talent and appearance are obvious to all. If his first wife hadn't died, how could Wan'er have gotten such a great opportunity?"
Upon hearing the name "Guanqing," the anger on the Duchess of Anguo's face momentarily subsided.
Even the Duke of Anguo, who had remained expressionless, changed his expression.
Xie Guanqing was the eldest son of the Kangping Marquis's family. He was handsome and talented, and was a highly regarded young talent among the major families in the capital. He was also the ideal husband in the eyes of the noble ladies of that time.
He eventually married the legitimate daughter of the Prince Ying's family, but unfortunately, she was frail and sickly and died last year without giving birth to any children.
Yu Wan quietly ate the melon on the side, enjoying it with relish, even though it was her own business, as if it didn't concern her.
Upon hearing the name "Xie Guanqing," she felt a vague sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite place where it was familiar.
Seeing that the Duke and Duchess of Anguo's expressions had softened, the Lady of Pingyang and Old Madam Wang exchanged a glance and continued:
"Although Guanqing has now married a second wife, there are still many unmarried girls outside who are lining up to marry him."
“If it weren’t for the fact that the Pingyang Marquis’s family and the Kangping Marquis’s family are related, such a good marriage would not have been arranged for Wan’er.”
Grandma Wang put down her empty teacup and said slowly, "You don't need to rush to make a decision. You can go outside and ask around first."
"Third girl, we are all family, we would never harm you."
Lady Anguo did not answer this question.
However, the fact that she did not explicitly refuse already indicated that she was beginning to waver.
Upon seeing this, Lady Pingyang's smile deepened.
After chatting for another half hour, the Duchess of Anguo suggested that a few of the younger generation go for a stroll in the backyard.
"The lotus flowers in the manor are in full bloom. Wan'er, why don't you take Yu Ru and the others to admire them?"
Yu Wan obediently agreed.
Wan Yuru and Xie Jingyao both stood up, but the girl next to Li Mohuan remained seated.
When Lady Anguo saw this, she asked with concern, "Baozhu, what's wrong?"
Li Mohuan, the second daughter of the Li family, married the worst. Yu Chaogui, a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), is now only a minor official of the seventh rank. Therefore, Li Mohuan and her mother usually don't have much to say to each other at her parents' home.
Yu Baozhu kept her head down the whole time, and only raised her head slightly when she heard what the Duchess of Anguo said. She said in a very low voice, "Aunt, I am not feeling well and do not want to go out."
Seeing that her cheeks were slightly flushed, Lady Anguo understood and said to Yu Wan, "If your cousin Ran doesn't want to go, you guys go instead."
Yu Wan glanced at Yu Baozhu, then turned and led Wan Yuru, Xie Jingyao, and the others out of the main hall.
On the way to the Lotus Garden, Wan Yuru walked up to Yu Wan and whispered, "Thank you for speaking up for me earlier."
Wan Yuru has a gentle and dignified appearance, and speaks slowly and deliberately, giving the impression of a kind-hearted person. When talking to someone like that, Yu Wan's tone also softened unconsciously. She chuckled and said, "Cousin, you don't need to be so polite. If Aunt Qing says the same thing to you again next time, you don't need to hold back just because she is an elder."
Wan Yuru smiled shyly and did not agree to his words.
As if struck by a thought, her expression darkened slightly, and she forced a smile, saying, "My cousin doesn't yet know Aunt Qing's temperament, she..."
When Wan Yuru saw Xie Jingyao, who was walking ahead, turn around, she swallowed the words that were about to come out.
He looked somewhat embarrassed.
She almost spoke ill of his mother in front of Xie Jingyao.
Unexpectedly, Xie Jingyao turned around and walked alongside them, lowering her voice to say, "Cousin Ru, just listen to Cousin Wan. If my mother scolds you again next time, don't worry about her being an elder and not daring to argue back. Just scold her back."
Yu Wan raised her eyebrows slightly.
I didn't realize this was such a good bamboo shoot that hadn't grown crooked.
Wan Yuru was utterly shocked. "Cousin Jingyao, you..."
Xie Jingyao sighed calmly, looking very weary. "My mother just can't say anything nice, it really worries me to death."
Yu Wan couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Wan Yuru was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth into a smile.
Please check my spelling.