BVAHEDLA[W Chapter 63

Chapter 63 Ancient 37 Divorce

Chapter 63 Ancient 37 Divorce

It turned out that he had set up a banquet at home, wanting to invite Chu Li-fei, Lu Mo-chen, and Qian Ming for a small gathering, in order to thank the three for their help.

The three naturally agreed.

The day of the banquet was a rare good day, with gentle breezes and bright sunshine, the air seemed to be filled with the scent of sunlight.

After some cleaning, the Qi mansion seemed to have regained its vitality.

Seeing Chu Li-fei and their carriages approaching, even before they saw their figures, the doorman was already greeting them with a smile.

“Ah, esteemed sirs, this way, this way please.” He slightly bowed his body to the side, extended his right hand, making a welcoming gesture, “The Marquis and Madam Marquis got up early today and are now waiting in the front hall. Ah, watch your step—”

As soon as Chu Li-fei stepped into the gate, he could clearly feel the difference from the last time he was here.

While paying attention to the front, he also spared some thought to observe.

The number of people hadn’t changed much, but there seemed to be a few new faces. Seeing the guests arriving, they were all dutifully doing their work, not looking up randomly, and their movements were also efficient. It seemed to be Feng Rao’s intention to replace them with a batch of well-behaved and diligent people.

The servant quickly led the three to the front hall. Qi Lu and Feng Rao, who were originally waiting inside the house, came out to greet them upon hearing the sound, followed by their child, as well as Qi Shou and Lü Ying.

To Chu Li-fei’s surprise, Cheng Yuan was also here. And she seemed to be getting along well with Feng Rao and Lü Ying.

Just now, when they hadn’t approached yet, Chu Li-fei had noticed that the three girls were gathered together, talking about something, looking like they were chatting and laughing, very harmoniously.

Feng Rao seemed to see the doubts in Chu Li-fei’s heart and took the initiative to explain, “News came from the palace a few days ago, saying that the Cheng residence has been renovated, and Miss Cheng Yuan will be able to move in soon.”

“It’s just that for today’s banquet, I thought it would be more lively with more people, so I took the liberty of keeping Miss Cheng Yuan for a few more days, please forgive us, esteemed sirs.”

Cheng Yuan took a small step forward, subtly blocking half of Feng Rao’s body behind her, striking a protective pose, one would think that Chu Li-fei was going to do something unfavorable to Feng Rao.

Chu Li-fei looked at everything happening in front of him with amusement, feeling a little surprised by Cheng Yuan’s change, but after a moment, he refocused his gaze on Feng Rao, with a smile in his eyes, “Of course not.”

The group walked in, smiling.

After eating about half full, the group drank some wine and began to chat about the subsequent arrangements.

According to what Lü Ying later recounted, the crowd also barely pieced together the truth of the whole matter.

After all, Lü Ying was Qi Fu’s wife. Even if Qi Fu was wary of her on weekdays, he would always reveal some clues after a long time of getting along.

And Lü Ying was born into a merchant family. She had inherited her parents’ ability to observe people’s expressions and was even better at noticing some subtle details that others would find difficult to notice.

Ever since Qi Fu saved Qi Lu at the border, he had suffered a lifelong leg ailment, and his personality gradually changed at this time.

From a young general who was once surrounded by praise and admiration to a cripple who was no longer noticed and became a burden to others, the gap was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

At that time, Qi Fu felt that everyone was sympathizing with his misfortune, looking at him with pity.

But he didn’t need that.

Because it would only make him feel more humiliated.

If the cripple was Qi Lu, that would be great…

Another idea gradually grew in Qi Fu’s heart.

That way, he would still be the center of everyone’s attention.

Praised by his father and mother, admired by his younger brother.

Instead of being like now, spending his days in a daze, sitting in a wheelchair.

His father abandoned him. He originally had high hopes for him, but now every time he saw him, he could only sigh; his mother was biased towards her youngest son, looking at Qi Shou with kindness and peace, but when she saw him, she frowned and turned her head away, shaking her head.

And the younger brother he saved with his left leg was now stepping on his flesh and blood to climb up, replacing him…

Qi Fu resented Qi Lu and even hated everyone in the Qi family.

He heard the voice in his heart, lingering like the whisper of a demon.

[If that’s the case, then let them taste the feeling of falling from a high place.]

Therefore, there was everything that followed.

At first, Qi Lu, who had just learned the truth, was unwilling to believe it until one piece of evidence after another was placed before him.

He couldn’t believe that the elder brother he had looked up to as a child, the elder brother who was willing to sacrifice himself to save him, would become so unfamiliar.

He shook his head sadly, “Mother privately worried so much about elder brother, and personally visited many Jianghu doctors. Every time she saw elder brother’s injured leg, she couldn’t help but shed tears, and her eyes were ruined from crying.”

“And father has also been worrying about elder brother’s future. He even originally wanted to pass the title of Marquis to elder brother, in order to ensure his lifelong prosperity. But later, elder brother took the initiative to propose giving the title of Marquis to me, and that was the end of it.”

Lü Ying heard this, although she sympathized with Qi Lu’s misfortune and the emotions that had been wasted in vain. But when Qi Fu was mentioned, she couldn’t control her emotions and became agitated, “Took the initiative? Does Second Brother really think that Qi Fu would be willing to give up the title of Marquis?”

“In private, what he often talked about the most, what he couldn’t let go of the most, was the title of Marquis!”

“He said that you stole his title of Marquis!”

“He also said that father never intended to pass the title of Marquis to him!”

“The so-called ‘passing the title of Marquis to the eldest son Qi Fu’ was just a play you and father put on together to deceive him!”

Lü Ying’s tone became more and more excited, and a layer of blush rose on her cheeks.

“Sanctimonious, extremely hypocritical! Rather than humiliating himself at that time, he might as well give up the title of Marquis himself.”

“These words were not said by me. I wonder, Second Brother, have you ever heard them in the past?”

Lü Ying’s words were like a thunderbolt that exploded in Qi Lu’s mind.

He seemed to have been hit hard, and his eyes slumped silently on the chair:

“I really thought that elder brother was sincere…”

“At that time, father had already discussed it with me…”

“I have meritorious service, and I won’t have to worry about food and clothing in the future. On the other hand, elder brother is disabled, and only by obtaining the title of Marquis can he have a better life in the future.”

“Even so, father still instructed me to take care of elder brother and not to forget his kindness in saving me.”

“Originally, the memorial to His Majesty requesting the inheritance was already written. At this time, elder brother broke in and said that he was willing to give up the title of Marquis…”

“I didn’t expect…” Qi Lu closed his eyes in pain, past memories flashed through his mind, and then shattered like glass, making him feel like he was in a false world.

For a moment, he felt that the elder brother in his memory was so far away from him. He saw countless faces of his own, but they were so unfamiliar. The messy memories were scattered and reorganized under the influence of alcohol, making it difficult for him to distinguish what was reality.

Whether it was the aftereffects of the wine or the extreme sadness, Qi Lu seemed to have passed out, lying motionless on the chair.

Feng Rao apologized to Chu Li-fei and the others on his behalf.

“It’s okay. What are you planning to do next?”

Chu Li-fei was obviously asking about Qi Shou and Lü Ying.

Feng Rao looked at Qi Shou, who was still eating, behind her, and then turned back and said, “My husband means… to separate the family.”

“Actually, we should have done this a long time ago, and maybe there wouldn’t be the mess we have today.”

Speaking of this, Feng Rao smiled and shook her head to herself, as if mocking her own naivety, after all, who can know what will happen in the future?

“In addition to the Marquis’s mansion, my husband has divided the remaining houses to his third brother, and all the property has been divided in half, which can be regarded as fulfilling our mother’s last wish. As long as Third Brother doesn’t squander it recklessly, he can also be a carefree and wealthy idler.”

Chu Li-fei nodded, and seemed not surprised by Qi Lu’s decision. He even thought that Qi Lu was planning to support his younger brother for the rest of his life.

Qi Lu wasn’t actually stupid. On the battlefield, he was good at commanding and often came up with strange strategies to win. But as soon as he was with his family, it was as if he was missing a string in his head, turning a blind eye to problems that others could see at a glance, or he had already realized it, but his heart was still deceiving himself.

“What about Lü Ying?”

Lu Mo-chen stood next to Chu Li-fei and asked curiously.

She was a woman, and now her parents were dead, and she had become a widow. If the family was separated, it would be difficult for her to stand on her own with only herself.

“This…” Feng Rao heard the words, but looked embarrassed, “Actually, there is one more thing…”

She took out a letter-like thing from her sleeve and called Lü Ying, “This is what I found under mother’s pillow after she passed away. Take a look for yourself.”

Lü Ying took it suspiciously and unfolded it. As she read it, who knew that she would cover her mouth and cry,

But the sobs she was trying to suppress still flowed out from between her fingers.

This was a letter of divorce.

Written by the Old Madam Qi herself, bypassing Qi Fu, freeing Lü Ying from the cage of the Qi Mansion.

Now, she was free.

Lü Ying trembled, “I thought… I thought…”

She cried uncontrollably, wiping the traces on her face haphazardly. During the movement, the veil she had been wearing fell to the ground, revealing her true face.

She originally thought that she would be bound to this hated name for the rest of her life, but she didn’t expect the Old Madam Qi to fulfill her before her death.

Lü Ying had previously tried to ask the Old Madam Qi for help, but she had not received any results and had instead been threatened and warned by Xiao Chun.

Yes, Xiao Chun, who was by the Old Madam Qi’s side, was also Qi Fu’s person.

Now it seemed that the Old Madam Qi didn’t know everything Qi Fu had done, but she still chose to hide it for Qi Fu…

Now, it was meaningless to judge whether the Old Madam Qi was right or wrong.

Cheng Yuan, who had been silent on the side, handed her a handkerchief when she saw her crying sadly.

After Lü Ying’s emotions had recovered, Feng Rao asked Lü Ying about her future plans.

Feng Rao meant that no matter what Lü Ying chose, she would treat Lü Ying as her younger sister. If she wanted to leave, she would prepare travel expenses, carriages, and maids for her. If she didn’t want to leave, she would be willing to support her for the rest of her life.

Lü Ying was moved by these words and hugged Feng Rao tightly, smiling through her tears.

“I haven’t thought about it yet, but—”

“People always have to look forward.”

Her smile was bright, and in a trance, Feng Rao seemed to see the way she looked when she first met her.

It seemed to be such a good day as well.

At this time, Cheng Yuan suddenly appeared behind Chu Li-fei and Lu Mo-chen and said faintly:

“I wonder if the two princes would be willing to come with me to the Cheng residence for a visit.”