Chapter 651 After the Divorce

Chapter 651 After the Separation

Mao Fuqu was resolved to end the marriage.

Upon learning this, Jiao Shi was so furious that she shattered a white-glazed "snow-in-blue" teacup.

Yu Mingzhu stood nearby, feigning terror: "Mother, does sister-in-law resent me? If elder brother hadn’t protected me that day, sister-in-law wouldn’t have been so distraught that she miscarried..."

Jiao Shi immediately comforted her: "How could this be your fault? Clearly, she’s the one who’s petty-hearted..."

At this point, Jiao Shi sighed deeply and complained, "Back then, your sister-in-law seemed decent—virtuous, adept at needlework, and accomplished in all feminine virtues. Your elder brother insisted on marrying her, so we brought her into the family... And what happened? After four years of marriage, she still hasn’t borne a child! As the wife of the eldest grandson, how can she not have children? And now, after finally conceiving, she’s miscarried twice in a row. It’s probably because of her tendency to dwell on things!"

Jiao Shi grew angrier as she spoke, pounding the table and standing up: "I haven’t even confronted her yet, and she’s already making demands! And your elder brother—he mustn’t keep yielding to her over this!"

She vented these words to Yu Mingzhu, who nodded in agreement, saying, "Mother is right."

But when Jiao Shi repeated these words in front of Dowager Duchess of Xin, the usually kind and loving Dowager Duchess angrily snapped, "Foolish woman, shut your mouth!"

Jiao Shi then went to Yu Chongjie, telling him not to let Mao Fuqu manipulate him.

But Yu Chongjie, drunk, let out a hiccup with a mirthless laugh: "Manipulate me?... I wish Fuqu were manipulating me."

Jiao Shi was nearly driven mad with rage.

Yu Mingzhu prepared a hangover remedy and brought it to Yu Chongjie, but for the first time, he didn’t even let her in, saying he didn’t want to upset Fuqu any further.

Yu Mingzhu’s face turned pale with anger. Returning to her courtyard, she smashed the remedy in a fit of rage.

After Mao Fuqu had rested for a few days, she had the divorce papers written and placed on Yu Chongjie’s desk.

Yu Chongjie’s first reaction was to tear them up.

Mao Fuqu calmly told him, "Tear one, and I’ll have another written."

Yu Chongjie, desperate, tried to grab her hand: "Fuqu, Fuqu, I know I was wrong... Please don’t do this..."

Mao Fuqu looked at him calmly and coldly, with only two words to say: "Divorce."

Yu Chongjie couldn’t accept it. During the first snowfall, he stood outside like a fool for half a day, covered in snow like a statue, and eventually fell ill in bed.

Jiao Shi could no longer hold back. She stormed to Mao Fuqu, trembling with anger: "All these years, our Duke of Xinguo’s household has treated you well. Why must you break my son's heart like this?"

"If you think I’m breaking your son's heart, why don’t you urge him to sign the divorce papers quickly?" Mao Fuqu replied.

Jiao Shi was too furious to speak.

A figure darted behind the window.

Yu Mingzhu’s eyes gleamed as she clung to Jiao Shi’s arm, weeping dramatically: "Sister-in-law, this is all my fault. That day, elder brother was protecting me and neglected you, which led to you being kidnapped and losing the baby. I bear all the guilt. Please don’t blame elder brother. It’s all my fault. If you’re still angry, I’ll kneel for you—you can hit me, scold me, do as you will with me..."

She played the penitent, sobbing uncontrollably.

Jiao Shi’s heart ached for her: "My poor girl..."

But Mao Fuqu simply looked at Yu Mingzhu calmly: "Your brother wronged me. I don’t actually blame you. But since you offered to kneel, I won’t stop you. Kneel then."

Yu Mingzhu flushed with humiliation. Biting her lip, she started to kneel—

Jiao Shi couldn’t bear it. She yanked Yu Mingzhu up, furious, and scolded: "Mao Shi! That’s enough! If you keep this up, forget the divorce papers—I’ll have Chong Jie write a letter of divorce and divorce you outright!"

"Mom!"

The figure outside the window couldn't take it anymore and burst in.

Yu Chongjie's steps were unsteady, his face pale—clearly still ill.

"Mom, don’t speak to Fu Qu like that!"

Jiao Shi felt her children were nothing but burdens, so angry she could spit nails: "Chong Jie! You—!"

Yu Chongjie looked at Mao Fuqu with anguish. "Fu Qu, is it really over between us?"

Mao Fuqu said firmly, "No."

That single word left Yu Chongjie on the verge of tears, his whole body trembling.

Mao Fuqu said softly, her voice faraway, "Every night, I dream of the two children, bloodied, coming to ask me why I abandoned them... I failed to protect them. I failed them..."

Two clear tears rolled down Mao Fuqu’s cheeks.

The pain was so bad Yu Chongjie could barely breathe.

His entire body shook uncontrollably. "Fine. I... I’ll sign the separation agreement, then."

Jiao Shi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

Yu Mingzhu stood there, her expression unreadable.

...

Yu Chongjie and Mao Fuqu went through with the separation.

The Mao Clan was not some nobody family. On the day of the divorce, Mao Fuqu’s sister-in-law showed up with ten servants to go through her dowry items.

The Duke of Xinguo’s estate was vast and prosperous, so they would never cheat her out of her dowry.

The Dowager Duchess of Xin stood in the snow-covered courtyard, as if she could hear the clamor from Yu Chongjie and Mao Fuqu’s former residence, radiating sadness.

Nanny Qingluan whispered, "My Lady, the wind is picking up. Let’s return."

The Dowager Duchess sighed, murmuring to herself as if offering consolation, "Young folks have to make their own way."

However, when the Mao Clan’s servants checked the dowry, they discovered several extremely valuable pieces of jewelry were missing.

One of the maids let out a surprised "Huh!"

"Ma'am, we’ve found several precious pieces missing," the maid reported dutifully. "The rest we could let slide, but among them is a set bestowed by the late Empress Dowager herself, and another gifted by the late Princess Lin Yi to your mother. They're not in your records—what could have happened?"

During dowry inspections, not only were the bride’s maids present, but the groom’s household also had to send witnesses to observe everything—proof that they had not tampered with the bride’s possessions.

Thus, when the Mao Clan’s maid mentioned the missing jewelry, the steward from the groom’s side looked on edge, staring at Mao Fuqu, who sat there unfazed.

After a brief pause, Mao Fuqu recalled the whereabouts of the two sets and said indifferently,

"They’re probably with the Young Miss. Let it be."

The Mao Clan’s maid protested, "Oh, madam, how can you just let this go? You’ve divorced the Duke of Xinguo’s household—these things are your future security. Besides, ordinary jewelry can be overlooked, but those two sets? Absolutely not!"

Here is the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Mao Fuqu neither confirmed nor denied, merely skirting the topic and asking if anything else was missing.

The housekeeper from the Duke of Xinguo's household nervously broke into a sweat, not daring to let the matter drop so easily.

If word got out that the Duke of Xinguo's estate was seizing a divorced wife's dowry, how shameful would that sound?

When no one was looking, she quickly summoned a maid and sent her to inform Lady Jiao.

The matron inspecting the dowry from the Mao Clan noticed this little maneuver but gave a derisive sniff and turned a blind eye.

At that moment, Yu Mingzhu was sitting in Lady Jiao's courtyard.

When the maid came to report, Yu Mingzhu's face flushed with anger!

She could almost picture the Mao Clan's people pointing at her disdainfully, whispering that the esteemed Miss Yu of the Duke of Xinguo's household would stoop so low as to seize her divorced sister-in-law's dowry!

Lady Jiao also frowned and asked Yu Mingzhu, "Pearl, are those pieces of jewelry really with you?"

Yu Mingzhu knew full well they were in her possession, but she pretended not to recall. "I don't remember... Mother, I'll need to review my ledgers back in my courtyard."

Lady Jiao reassured her, "Just return those pieces to her. Later, I'll commission new ones for you—even lovelier ones."

Yu Mingzhu nodded, said plaintively, "Mother, now that Sister-in-Law Mao is no longer part of our family, I understand. If they really are with me, of course I'll return them."

Lady Jiao nodded approvingly.

Once Yu Mingzhu left her mother's courtyard, her face darkened with displeasure.

That Mao Shi! Even as a cast-off wife, she still managed to be such a thorn in my side!

Yu Mingzhu returned to her own courtyard and ordered her maids to retrieve the jewelry.

When a maid offered to deliver them, Yu Mingzhu said through gritted teeth, "I'll take them to her myself!"

With that, Yu Mingzhu set off toward Mao Shi's quarters, the jewelry in tow.

Coincidentally, she encountered Yu Chongjie on the way—his mind troubled, he had returned early from his duties.

Yu Chongjie had been suffering greatly these past days, further weakened by a serious illness. He had grown so thin that his court robes hung loosely on his frame.

Walking through the misty garden, he looked almost like a ghost.

Startled, Yu Mingzhu forced herself to stay composed and called out, "Brother."

Yu Chongjie responded blankly, showing no further reaction as he continued drifting forward like a specter.

Yu Mingzhu grew anxious and grabbed his arm, her voice tinged with grievance. "Brother, you've grown so distant toward me lately!... Aren't you even going to ask where I'm going?"

Yu Chongjie obliged. "Where are you going?"

Yu Mingzhu studied his face carefully. "To return some jewelry to Sister-in-Law Mao. She gave them to me before, but now that she's leaving the Duke of Xinguo's household, of course they should be returned."

Yu Chongjie's gaze shifted to the maids behind her.

Three maids followed, each holding a lacquered tray with a brocade box—clearly containing something of great value.

Suddenly, Yu Chongjie walked over to the maids. He reached out and opened each box one by one.

The jewelry in the brocade boxes gleamed brilliantly amidst the snowy garden, breathtakingly dazzling.

One look was enough to tell they were priceless treasures.

Yu Chongjie's already numb and aching chest felt like it had been pounded by hammer blows.

He remembered how well Mao Fuqu had treated Yu Mingzhu when she first married into the family.

These precious pieces—whenever Yu Mingzhu expressed a liking for them, Mao Fuqu would immediately have them packed and sent to Yu Mingzhu’s courtyard without a second thought.

She had once been so kind to Yu Mingzhu...

Yu Chongjie clutched his face in anguish and stormed off.

Yu Mingzhu panicked, chasing after him for a few steps: "Big Brother! Big Brother!"

But Yu Chongjie continued running swiftly, not stopping in the slightest.

Frustrated, Yu Mingzhu stomped her foot.

She had originally intended for Yu Chongjie to accompany her, wanting to see the expression on Mao Shi’s face!

Yet Yu Chongjie, lost in his thoughts, had just run off!

Run off!

Her face icy, Yu Mingzhu took the jewelry to Mao Fuqu’s courtyard.

Mao Fuqu was sitting in a chair, drinking tea.

Yu Mingzhu called out, "Sister-in-law."

Mao Fuqu replied indifferently, "The divorce papers have already been submitted to the authorities for official sealing and filing today. I’m no longer entitled to that address, Miss Yu."

Before Yu Mingzhu could say anything else, the Mao Clan’s dowry-inspecting matron stepped forward. With a wave of her hand, the maids she had brought swiftly seized the jewelry trays from Yu Mingzhu’s maids.

The matron sneered, deliberately raising her voice so everyone inside and outside could hear: "Well, this old servant was just thinking—could the Duke of Xinguo’s eldest daughter really be so ignorant? Didn’t she realize she was holding our lady’s jewelry? Did we have to uncover it ourselves and demand it back? ... Just now, when I heard Miss Yu address our lady as ‘sister-in-law,’ I understood—so, Miss Yu, you weren’t aware that our lady has divorced your elder brother? That explains it. This old servant nearly misunderstood! I thought to myself, how could the Duke of Xinguo’s eldest daughter sink to such shameful behavior?"

The matron’s sharp words struck Yu Mingzhu like slaps across the face.

Yu Mingzhu’s expression turned as black as a burnt pot. She whirled around and left, heading straight to Jiao Shi to complain.

As soon as Yu Mingzhu left, the matron spat behind her and said just loud enough to carry, "What bad luck!"

Yu Mingzhu, who hadn’t yet reached the courtyard gate, almost tripped in rage upon hearing those words.

Her face contorted with fury.

Mao Fuqu, you’ve got a lot of gall!

Just wait—now that you’ve divorced and returned to your family, your name will be mud, and you’ll spend the rest of your days as a spinster in the Mao Clan!

...

After Yu Chongjie divorced Mao Fuqu, Jiao Shi fretted for a few days before rallying herself to arrange another marriage for her eldest son.

Given the Duke of Xinguo’s status, despite Yu Chongjie’s divorce, no shortage of families vied to marry their daughters into the household.

Jiao Shi was hell-bent on finding an upgrade over Mao Shi.

This time, Jiao Shi also pulled Yu Mingzhu along to help vet candidates for Yu Chongjie.

"That Mao Shi was no prize. This time, when finding a new wife for your elder brother, we must find someone with good character." Jiao Shi gazed at Yu Mingzhu affectionately. "I absolutely cannot let your elder brother’s marital affairs wrong you again."

Yu Mingzhu nestled in Jiao Shi’s arms and murmured, "Mother, as long as Big Brother is happy, I don’t mind... Seeing how heartbroken he was over Mao Shi was truly unbearable."

Thinking of her son’s despondence, Jiao Shi sighed. "Your elder brother is really going to be the death of me."

However, just as Jiao Shi was busily setting up matches for Yu Chongjie over a few days, the Dowager Duchess of Xin sent word that Yu Chongjie’s marriage would be handled by her and the old Duke, and that Jiao Shi need not concern herself further.

Furious, Jiao Shi shattered a few teacups right then.

But after her outburst, there was nothing she could do. Not daring to defy her mother-in-law’s orders, she could only compose herself and shift her focus to matchmaking for her second son. She arranged a meeting with a family she was very satisfied with for Yu Chongen, and the two families planned to meet at a teahouse.