Chapter 251

Jia Mu sighed, "Rong Ge'er is also muddled; although he has suffered a disaster, how could he not want such a good wife? I do not agree with his nonsense."

Jia Mu's words made the atmosphere suddenly become heavy.

Zhang Zhang Youshi was surprised to hear this; Rong Ge'er had already given Qin Keqing a letter of separation, so how could the Old Lady still not agree to the matter between husband and wife?

Jia Cong felt truly disgusted when he heard Jia Mu's words, and he had a new understanding of how low the Old Lady's bottom line was.

The letter of separation had already been issued, yet she still wanted a teenage girl to live as a widow; the reason was nothing more than to cover up the cause of Jia Zhen's death and to care about the Jia family's face.

However, Jia Cong also knew that Jia Mu was not speaking without a reason.

A letter of separation between husband and wife required government verification and clan elder approval to be truly effective.

And Jia Mu was an indisputable clan elder of the Jia family.

Jia Zheng and Wang Furen in the hall naturally understood Jia Mu's meaning, and they were not in a position to interrupt, as they were from a different branch.

Wang Wang Xifeng couldn't help but feel a bit strange in her heart.

Jia Mu was angry when she saw him suddenly interrupt; this was not a matter for a junior to speak about, and she was about to scold him, but it was already too late.

But for a widow to speak for a daughter-in-law who was to live as a widow, she herself would be hard-pressed to prove her innocence, so she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

She discovered that a layer of rouge appeared on her lowered, beautiful face, which was very charming and moving; her long, curved eyelashes trembled slightly, as if her heart was fluctuating.

Therefore, the matter of Rong Ge'er and Qin Shi's separation could not be covered up; now that the Old Lady did not agree to the separation, if it spread, outsiders would think the Jia family was bullying others.

……

Feng Feng Jie looked at Qin Keqing with worry; she had always had a good relationship with Qin Keqing and would naturally think for her.

Qin Keqing was not like Zhu's wife in the mansion; Qin Keqing had been married for only a few months and had no children. For the Old Lady to let her live as a widow for the rest of her life at such a young age was truly mistreating her.

Zhang Zhang Youshi's eyes flickered; she was surprised by Jia Cong's sudden speech, thinking that this Brother Cong was a warm-hearted and daring person, unlike women who had many concerns.

However, although Feng Feng Jie was sharp-tongued, seniority and strict etiquette were important, and it was not her place to speak on this matter.

Jia Cong had spent a lot of effort on this matter, and it related to Qin Keqing's fate, so he naturally would not let Jia Mu ruin it.

"Back then, Zhen Big Brother was ruined because of his arrogance and recklessness, which led to the Ningguo line being stripped of its title and raided, and the criticism has not stopped to this day; I ask the Old Lady to think twice."

This made Jia Mu's words somewhat irrefutable, and the atmosphere in Rongqing Hall became increasingly solemn.

Jia Mu was, after all, his grandmother, and Jia Cong's words were to the point; everyone in the hall naturally understood his meaning very well.

Jia Cong continued, "The bailiffs present at the time all know about this matter, and Zhen Big Brother died suddenly because of the separation matter, and the cause of death is recorded in the archives of the Court of Judicial Review."

Suddenly, someone in the hall said loudly, "Old Lady, I was also present today; Rong Ge'er knew he was exiled to Qiongzhou for thirty years and that his survival was uncertain, so he wrote the letter of separation."

Everyone in the hall was stunned; this involved a woman's separation and reputation, and even Jia Zheng and Wang Furen dared not speak much—no one expected Jia Cong to speak suddenly.

Wang Wang Xifeng was also surprised to see Jia Cong speak suddenly and looked unintentionally at Qin Keqing, who was kneeling there.

Zhang Zhang Youshi's eyes flickered; she wanted to speak for Qin Keqing.

"It can be considered a decent thing to do."

Jia Mu was different from them; in the Jia family, her seniority was the highest and her title was the most noble. Since Ningguo was stripped, Lady Rongguo became the only legitimate line, so Jia Mu could naturally speak.

The matter of separation was already known to everyone, and even reached the government level.

Now, blocking Qin Keqing from separating and leaving the mansion would appear to be bullying, the same as Jia Zhen and his ilk, and would risk bringing disaster to the Jia family.

Jia Mu's face turned ugly upon hearing this; this evil obstacle actually said these cold and strange words every day.

Although she felt there was some truth in what he said, the Jia family was a noble house, and since its founding, there had never been a divorced woman, and there was the matter of Zhen Ge'er's cause of death.

Letting Rong's wife leave the mansion like this would be giving outsiders a handle to gossip about, and she was about to scold him to make that evil obstacle shut up.

Jia Zheng said, "Old Lady, what Cong Ge'er said is not without reason; now that Ningguo has been stripped, the Jia family has been severely damaged, and being careful is always the right thing to do."

Jia Mu looked helplessly at her own pedantic son; she didn't know what kind of spell that evil obstacle had cast, but her silly son believed all the ghost stories he told.

However, what that kid said was not without reason; at least this matter could not leave any handle for outsiders.

Jia Mu had been a mistress of the inner house for half her life and had many calculations in these matters, so she changed her tone and said to Qin Keqing:

"Rong's wife, among the many great-granddaughters-in-law of the eight branches of the Jia family in the Love Shenjing, you are the one I value the most; you are perfect in every way, your character is gentle and proper, and you are a rare good child."

"Rong Ge'er is young and doesn't know the pros and cons, but I, an old woman, have seen many things; since I care about you, I must tell you some things."

"If you stay in the Lady Rongguo Prefecture, you will be like Zhu's wife, a legitimate eldest daughter-in-law of the Jia family, and you will have a lifetime of wealth and honor; you won't be lacking in anything."

"Among the relatives of the eight branches in the Love Shenjing, who would dare not respect you? I would be the first not to forgive them; the elders in the mansion will all treat you like their own granddaughter and will never let you be wronged."

"But if you leave the mansion, even if you remarry in the future, in those decent families, you won't be able to be a legitimate wife, not even a second wife; you can only be a concubine."

"You are the daughter of a noble official family; why suffer such a fate?"

After Jia Mu said this, Jia Zheng and Wang Furen also breathed a sigh of relief; after all, the Old Lady was experienced and spoke the truth, without any coercion, just letting Rong's wife think for herself.

Even Wang Wang Xifeng felt that the Old Lady's words were mature and prudent, and Qin Keqing must have given up the idea of separation.

Being the legitimate eldest young mistress of the Lady Rongguo Prefecture versus being a concubine after remarrying—any woman would know how to choose.

A divorced woman, if she wanted to remarry into a decent family, could only be a concubine, unless she married into a commoner family.

But any family that married a woman as beautiful as Qin Keqing would be inviting disaster and would surely have no good end.

Staying in the Lady Rongguo Jia family was her best destination; although Qin Keqing was too young, as long as she grew older, everything would pass—that was just how a woman's life was.

And most of the people present, like Jia Zheng and Wang Furen, had the same thoughts as Wang Wang Xifeng; although they felt some sigh and sympathy, they also felt this was her fate.

Everyone was waiting for her to speak, but saw Qin Keqing take out the letter of separation, look at it carefully, her beautiful eyes filled with gentle waves.

She did not dare to look up at him at this juncture.

In her mind, she saw the young man with a jade-like bearing standing at the bow of the boat on the official ship heading south.

In the Cishan Hall of the Anding Temple in Jinling, the elegant figure copying scriptures before the Buddha.

On the prayer mat before the Buddha, he always intentionally got close to her, with that warm and gentle smile when he spoke.

In that narrow incense room, they embraced without any restraint, whispering into each other's ears...

And the maid Baozhu, who was inseparable from her.

He even risked danger to force Jia Rong to write the letter of separation.

Even after she married into the Ningguo Prefecture, he never gave up on her and planned everything for her.

Who is the young man with such romantic charm...

Perhaps this was her fate; even if she couldn't be his legitimate wife in the future, as long as they could be together for a lifetime, what did it matter if she were his concubine?

It would be a thousand times better than being thrown away in this lifeless mansion for a lifetime!

Qin Keqing held the letter of separation and said, "Old Lady, now that the Ningguo Prefecture has been raided, and Rong Ge'er has written me a letter of separation."

"Qin Keqing has no reason to stay in the Jia family; I ask the Old Lady to fulfill my wish, let me leave the mansion, and return home to serve my parents."

Jia Cong looked at Qin Keqing kneeling before Jia Mu, his gaze gentle and deep, as if he wanted to carve every movement of hers into his heart.

Qin Keqing's words surprised Jia Zheng, Wang Furen, Wang Wang Xifeng, and the others; the Old Lady had already made the pros and cons so clear.

They didn't expect her to still choose to separate and leave the mansion, which was truly against common sense.

Jia Mu's face sank when she heard Qin Keqing's words, but seeing Qin Keqing's beautiful and moving face, calm and determined, without any hesitation.

She knew that this woman could not be kept.

(End of chapter)