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Rong Shu could never understand why her father had always refused to let Mother go. It was the same in her previous life as it was now.

Was it because he knew that Uncle had been the one to poison Elder Brother, so he wanted Mother to atone for his crime? Or was there another reason?

"Does Father hate Mother?" Rong Shu stared into Rong Xun's bloodshot eyes and said, "Is that why you're unwilling to divorce her out of resentment?"

Snowflakes landed on his face, and Rong Xun roughly scrubbed it away.

In just half a day, the refined aura he usually exuded had vanished, replaced by desolation and confusion.

"I don't hate her," he said. "If I were to hate her, wouldn't I have to hate myself too? I was the one who married her, and I was the one who took Shen Zhi to see our eldest brother back then."

Pausing for a moment, Rong Xun continued, "Eldest Sister-in-law and Eldest Brother have every right to hate me."

"Our eldest brother won't hate Father. When he carried Mother-in-law back to Chen Yin Courtyard earlier, he asked me to tell Father that our first branch is willing to split from the Cheng'an Marquis Estate. He also hopes that Father will leave a way out for the Rong family."

Zego doesn't hate me?

The snow fell softly, whispering as it did.

Rong Xun lifted his head, staring blankly at the dark sky above.

His father and elder brother had risked their lives for the noble title, only for him to potentially lose it now?

Recalling his father's hopeful gaze when he urged Rong Xun to marry Zhen Niang, his heart sank amidst the swirling snowflakes of winter.

"I married your mother unwillingly, but now, I'm even more unwilling to divorce her," Rong Xun brushed off the snowflakes landing on his face. "I know she doesn't like me, but that's fine. As long as she bears my surname, we'll always be husband and wife in this life, and we can still be in the next. Zhaozhao, I won't divorce your mother."

Rong Shu wasn't surprised; she replied calmly, "Tomorrow, I'll still go to Obeying Heaven Mansion. If I can't get the official seal for the divorce papers, I'll sue our father for favoring his concubine over his wife. I'll beg the governor of Obeying Heaven Mansion to declare you and Mother estranged."

Rong Xun lowered his eyelashes, meeting her gaze.

Her eyes were calm, unwavering, without resentment or animosity, only an unwavering determination to do what needed to be done.

Favoring the concubine over the wife...

Rong Xun never imagined he would one day be threatened by his own eldest daughter.

"For so many years, Father hasn't been able to prioritize properly. Can't he do it this time, act like a responsible Duke of Cheng'an, make decisions decisively, knowing when to let go? Why are you unwilling? Have you ever been a good husband or father? No! Mother doesn't owe you, and neither do I. Why can't we leave this place that brings no joy? Today, I didn't send the evidence to the Supreme Court. Instead, I gave you, the Rong family, time to decide. The debt of giving birth has been repaid! If Father is unwilling, fine. Tomorrow, we'll settle this in court at Obeying Heaven Mansion. Anyway, everyone in the capital knows about Duke of Cheng'an's favoritism towards his concubine, so another scandal won't make much difference."

Unable to bear hearing another selfish word from Rong Xun, Rong Shu turned and left without another glance.

Watching her figure gradually disappear in the heavy snow, Rong Xun clenched the divorce papers in his hand, a wave of exhaustion sweeping over him like an incoming tide.

The snowfall grew thicker, and Rong Shu tightened her cloak around herself, trudging through the deepening drifts towards Qingheng Courtyard.

The Cheng'an Marquis Estate was unusually quiet that night. Only the howling wind could be heard, amplifying the serene stillness of the world.

Halfway there, she sensed a figure slowly approaching from behind. In the next moment, a parasol with embroidered green bamboo appeared above her head, sheltering her from the snow.

Rong Shu slowed her pace, turning her head to look at Rong Ze. She softly called out, "Brother."

Rong Ze acknowledged her with a gentle "Mm."

They walked in silence until they reached Qingheng Courtyard. Eventually, Rong Shu couldn't help but ask, "How is Auntie doing?"

Rong Ze deftly flicked the snow off the umbrella's surface before replying with a smile, "Mother is fine. After years of carrying a burden, she says she can finally have a peaceful night's sleep."

Rong Shu nodded silently.

Rong Ze glanced down at her and said, "Zhaozhao, you've done well."

Rong Shu lifted her gaze.

Before coming to the Cheng'an Marquis Estate, she had mentally prepared herself for the scorn and resentment from everyone here. Thus, she remained calm, never allowing her emotions to become chaotic.

Yet, Rong Ze's words "Zhaozhao has done well" unexpectedly made her eyes brim with tears.

"If not for you, Mother might never have known the truth about Father's death. Then, she would continue to be manipulated by Shen Zhi, who knows how many more mistakes she would have made. Everything Mother did was for revenge and for my future," Rong Ze explained. "In the end, I was also at fault. It was the Qi family who helped me enter the Imperial Academy back then; I should have sensed something was off."

"Brother did nothing wrong," Rong Shu interrupted him. "If Brother was in the wrong, then so was I. I lived in Yang State Prefecture for so long, I should have noticed something was amiss with Uncle."

The grievances of the previous generation should not be passed on to the next, and they should not blame themselves for their fathers' mistakes.

Rong Ze's delicate brows relaxed gradually as he nodded, saying, "Zhaozhao is right, we were both not at fault."

The daylight was further obscured by the snowstorm, casting a gloomier shadow. Standing in the corridor, Rong Shu watched Rong Ze's departing figure and blinked slowly, pushing back the tears threatening to fall.

That night, while replying to Shen Yizhen's letter, Ying Que rushed in and said, "Miss, the Marquis is waiting outside."

Rong Shu lowered her gaze, dipped her sheep-haired brush into the inkwell to clean it, hung it up, and then donned her cloak before stepping outside.

The lamps in the corridor cast a hazy glow, and Rong Xun's elegant face seemed to have aged significantly in just half a day.

"Zhaozhao, take this divorce document tomorrow and have it stamped with the official seal," Rong Xun whispered softly. "When you see your mother, tell her that all that has happened in the past was my fault. Now that we've resolved our grievances, ask her not to dwell on it anymore."

Rong Shu took the document, opening her mouth as if to question why Rong Xun had changed his mind again.

But upon reflection, she realized it mattered little why he had done so.