Chapter 49
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With these words, Lin Qingyang’s voice was like a thunderbolt striking the ground, instantly silencing the entire room.
Lin Qinglan was forcibly lifted by him, held in his arms, standing robust and firm like a mountain.
In front of him were the portraits of the ancestors of the Lin family and the ancestral tablets. Three white-haired great uncles and the father, Marquis An Nan, sat on chairs on the side. Madam Ru stood beside Marquis An Nan, and next to the door was the stern-faced Nanny Ding.
“Yang Yang?” Lin Qinglan looked at Lin Qingyang in shock.
Lin Qingyang, witnessing the mistreatment of such a vulnerable woman by her own relatives, couldn’t contain the surge of anger within him.
“Rest assured, I’m here.”
However, Lin Qinglan shook her head, swallowing her grievances, wondering what was going on.
In the midst of her confusion, a trembling voice came from the side, “Yang’er, how can you say such things? You’re cursing your fifth sister!”
Lin Qingyang looked over coldly, hearing a series of reproaches.
Marquis An Nan’s face also turned iron-gray. He thought Lin Qingyang had learned his lesson, but now he was acting up again. He angrily said, “Lin Qingyang, what are you saying!”
“How is it? When Aunt said the same thing to Eldest Sister, it was considered well-intentioned advice. When I express the same sentiment, it’s considered malicious curse? Father, what kind of logic is this? Is Lin Qingyao the only daughter you recognize? So Lin Qinglan doesn’t count, allowing a concubine to behave so outrageously! I thought Eldest Sister’s experiences were clear to all of you. If any of you still consider her family, you shouldn’t tolerate this concubine’s nonsense. No, anyone with a shred of conscience wouldn’t say such things!” Lin Qingyang’s imposing manner was terrifying, his words like sharp blades constantly thrusting towards everyone, leaving them stunned.
“Marquis, Marquis… Yang’er is falsely accusing me. I was doing it for the good of Lan’er. What did I say wrong?” Madam Ru immediately cried out, wailing as if she were deeply wronged.
Here, Marquis An Nan couldn’t bear it anymore. “Enough! Kneel in front of our ancestors. How dare you be so presumptuous!”
“Father, if I have been presumptuous, I can kneel. But what did my eldest sister do wrong to deserve such treatment from all of you? Our ancestors are watching from above, and I refuse to believe that there isn’t a rational person among them!”
At this moment, Lin Qingwei, who had been following along, couldn’t hold back and rushed in. She shouted at Lin Qingyang, “Second Brother, it’s one thing for you to scold me just now, but can’t you see the situation now? Do you want to make things even bigger and then face punishment?” Lin Qingwei was anxious, feeling that Lin Qingyang’s actions would surely lead to punishment. Therefore, she hurried over to try to ease the situation.
Lin Qingyang’s blood was boiling from this incident, and what started as a simple matter ended up being disrupted by his own family.
“The more you talk, the more unreasonable it becomes. I think it’s been too many days since you were last punished; you’ve forgotten what your surname is!” The Marquis An Nan threatened to strike, but Madam Ru insincerely intervened.
However, the Marquis An Nan’s hand still reached Lin Qingyang’s face. At that moment, Lin Qinglan stepped forward and blocked the blow, causing Marquis An Nan’s hand to come to a sudden stop.
“It’s all the fault of this daughter. Father, please calm down,” Lin Qinglan said, shielding Lin Qingyang.
Even Nanny Ding stepped in, saying, “Marquis, young master has just arrived and doesn’t know the previous matters. He became so agitated to defend his eldest sister. Please forgive him.”
Marquis An Nan endured and, seeing Lin Qinglan firmly standing in front, eventually withdrew his hand. He pointed at Nanny Ding and said, “You better talk some sense into him. Let’s see if he still has the guts to be tough.”
By now, Lin Qingyang had also calmed down a bit. Observing Nanny Ding and Lin Qinglan, it seemed there was indeed some unforeseen circumstance. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned his gaze towards Nanny Ding.
Nanny Ding explained, “Originally, the matter of the divorce was agreed upon by the Ying family, but they refuse to return the Young Lady’s dowry.”
“What?! They have the audacity to withhold it?” Lin Qingyang couldn’t believe that the Ying family would be so shameless.
Nanny Ding’s expression turned grim as she began narrating the sequence of events.
The root of the problem lay in Lin Qinglan’s romantic entanglement before her marriage. She had someone in her heart back then.
And that someone was none other than her cousin, Liu Jingchen, who was currently residing in Jiangnan.
Years ago, Lin Qingyang’s maternal grandfather, the prince surnamed Yi and was Prince Zhenbei had two sons and two daughters: the Little Prince, the County Princess of Yawen, Concubine Liu, and the youngest, Liu Xiaowei.
The Little Prince had a son named Liu Jingchen, who happened to be the cousin of Lin Qinglan and Lin Qingyang.
Liu Jingchen was both talented and handsome, and he had been acquainted with his cousin Lin Qinglan since childhood. Naturally, a subtle affection grew between them. However, both of them were extremely disciplined individuals. Their interactions were limited to meaningful glances and exchanged poems. Consequently, their feelings remained a secret.
As they grew older, Lin Qinglan realized that her marriage would not be of her own choosing. Whether it was the predetermined position of the Crown Princess or an engagement to the prominent Ying family, there was no possibility of a connection with Liu Jingchen. Both being extremely restrained individuals, they suppressed any budding romantic feelings.
The turning point came when Lin Qinglan got married, and Prince Zhenbei fell from favor.
In a sudden twist of fate, all adult males of the Prince Zhenbei family were sentenced to death, and the others were banished to Jiangnan, forbidden from setting foot in the capital again.
Before reaching the age of twenty, Liu Jingchen and his younger uncle, Liu Xiaowei, left the capital. During this period, Lin Qinglan remained busy with the aftermath of her marriage, catching the attention of Ying Wenlong.
Initially, this might not have been a significant issue. However, the current turmoil leading to the divorce, it provided Ying Wenlong with an opportunity. The Ying family insisted that the child born back then was not Ying Wenlong’s, throwing mud at Lin Qinglan and accusing her of intentionally harming her own body for the sake of the greater good.
As the prince’s residence was confiscated at that time, Ying Wenlong put effort into obtaining the poems exchanged between Lin Qinglan and Liu Jingchen. He used these poems as evidence, claiming that the divorce was acceptable, but not returning the dowry would be compensation for the Ying family. Otherwise, he threatened to bring up the past events and let the public judge the matter.
Lin Qingyang was completely astonished, never expecting such a pure first love story from Lin Qinglan. His sympathy for Lin Qinglan intensified; sacrificing a love that matched social standing for the sake of the family, only to end up victimized like this, was truly…
Even for Nanny Ding, who had seen shameless people, this was beyond belief. To stoop so low as to slander others just for the sake of greed for the dowry was utterly disgraceful.
Lin Qinglan couldn’t shake off the nauseating feeling of being manipulated.
“Yang’er understands now. It was your eldest sister who caused the trouble, and she must take responsibility. Besides, how is Lan’er’s health now? The proposal from the Ying family is reasonable; not divorcing would be the best for her and for the entire Lin family.”
“Given that we have uncovered the methods used by the Ying family, they will surely be wary. Even if we pretend to be a married couple in name only, it is better than divorce.”
“Having a divorced woman in the family, with such rumors circulating, how will the younger sisters handle themselves in the future?”
Lin Qingyang looked at each of them, all stubbornly holding their opinions. He was almost driven mad, “This is clearly a deliberate defamation by the other party. My eldest sister did nothing wrong. Are we supposed to bear this injustice? The Ying family must not think our Marquis An Nan’s residence is easy to bully.”
“The way you put it is not entirely accurate. The matters related to your maternal family are already complicated. If, at this moment, it is revealed that Lan’er has some connection with their wrongful deeds, then…”
“Great Uncle, choose your words carefully! My eldest sister is innocent. Just because outsiders casually speak, are we supposed to accept this unjust suffering?” Lin Qingyang interrupted sharply.
At this point, Lin Qinglan could no longer hold back. She tugged at Lin Qingyang’s sleeve, ready to speak, but Lin Qingyang lowered his head and said, “Eldest sister, I and mother will handle everything.”
Lin Qinglan was momentarily stunned.
On the side, Marquis An Nan, upon hearing this, turned pale. Did his daughter not believe him, her own father?
Lin Qingwei, who was still bewildered, finally couldn’t help but speak, “Eldest sister, did you really have feelings for cousin…”
Lin Qinglan found it difficult to face Lin Qingwei. She always felt that she had done something wrong. However, with Lin Qingyang standing behind her, supporting her, she felt a surge of courage. “We… acted according to propriety, with no overstepping boundaries. We never uttered a single word. But I won’t deny that I once admired cousin.”
Lin Qingwei’s face turned ashen, unable to hold back any longer, she shouted, “Eldest sister, look at what you’ve done! You’ve embarrassed me too much.” Even though Lin Qingwei had heard about what the Ying family had done to Lin Qinglan, in her view, the logical connection was that due to the unclear relationship between her eldest sister and cousin, it led to the Ying family being on guard. She considered it understandable, and even if the Ying family went too far, it was still her eldest sister’s fault in the first place, as a woman’s reputation was more important than anything.
Facing her sister’s reproach, Lin Qinglan lowered her head. Although Lin Qingwei’s words were harsh, for sisters in ancient times, the series of events triggered by Lin Qinglan could indeed cause irreversible damage to Lin Qingwei’s future.
So, Lin Qinglan felt most sorry for her younger sisters in the family.
Madam Ru continued to lament the misfortune of the younger sisters at home as if wanting to attribute all the sins to Lin Qinglan.
Lin Qingyang did not expect Lin Qingwei’s values to be so different from theirs. At this point, he didn’t bother with Lin Qingwei anymore and directly turned to Marquis An Nan, asking, “Father, do you also want Eldest Sister to go back? Three years ago, for the sake of the Marquis’s residence, Eldest Sister listened to your words. Now, three years later, do you still want to push her into the fire pit?”
Marquis An Nan suppressed his anger and said directly, “It’s all because of Lan’er’s lingering troubles, but our Marquis An Nan’s residence cannot be controlled by the Ying family. As for the dowry… let it be.” In the end, he couldn’t afford to lose face for the Marquis’s residence, so he considered spending money to dispel the disaster.
“Marquis!” Madam Ru was anxious.
But Marquis An Nan waved his hand and said, “There’s no reason to let them bully us.”
The three great uncles wanted to say more, but Lin Qingyang was afraid that Marquis An Nan would be persuaded, so he went forward and pulled Marquis An Nan aside for a private conversation.
The Ying family wanted to disgust them, but they miscalculated!
So Lin Qingyang pulled Marquis An Nan aside. Having learned the whole truth about the situation, only then did Marquis An Nan realize the extent of the injustice his daughter had suffered. However, the Ying family didn’t dare to escalate the situation, as they were being closely watched by Duke Wei Guo’s residence.
“Why didn’t you say earlier?”
Lin Qingyang said calmly, “Because the matter of the eldest sister’s divorce is the most important. If I had told father earlier, could the divorce proceed smoothly?”
Marquis An Nan was stunned, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. If he had known the many layers of relationships behind this earlier, his first thought would definitely not have been to ensure that Lin Qinglan would separate early and escape danger. Instead, he would have considered how to gain more benefits in this complex web of relationships. Perhaps it would be more advantageous to prevent Lin Qinglan from separating, using it as leverage against the Ying family and Duke Wei Guo’s residence. It would be more advantageous than the current situation of breaking ties, but it would also be more indifferent to Lin Qinglan’s life.
“Is this all your idea? When did you become so…” The ability to plan like this, encompassing Duke Wei Guo, Marquis An Nan, and the Ying family, leaving no room for negotiation, revealed a glimpse of cunning and calculation. Marquis An Nan couldn’t believe that this was his son’s own idea.
Lin Qingyang remained calm and composed, saying, “For the sake of my eldest sister, what’s wrong with using my brain a bit more? Besides, Young Master Xu Wenze is helping too. He doesn’t want Duke Wei Guo’s residence to lose face.” He couldn’t expose the male lead, or it would attract attention and undoubtedly affect the male lead’s future plans.
Marquis An Nan looked at Lin Qingyang with a complicated expression. This time, Lin Qingyang’s actions upon returning home had truly exceeded his expectations again. Could it be that he had really misjudged, and Lin Qingyang was the most suitable heir?
Marquis An Nan collected his thoughts and said, “Alright, I understand. The truth of this matter must indeed be kept confidential. The Ying family still wants to trap us. They simply don’t take us seriously. You don’t need to worry about the rest. Handle the separation, retrieve the dowry, and consider this matter settled.”
Upon hearing Marquis An Nan’s words, Lin Qingyang finally felt relieved. After they left, Marquis An Nan announced the outcome directly. Anyone who wanted to argue was stopped by the marquis himself. Lin Qingyang took her eldest sister and left.
On the way, Lin Qingwei stopped her. Seeing her red eyes and distressed look, Lin Qingyang really didn’t know what she was upset about.
“You never treated me like a real sister! You said things about me before, but you never let me know anything.”
“Weiwei…” Lin Qinglan tried to reach out to Lin Qingwei, but she was stopped by Lin Qingyang.
“Because if I told you, you would definitely tell Aunt Ru and the others, and they would turn against us. You saw Aunt Ru’s attitude today; she would rather push the eldest sister back into the fire pit.”
“It’s not like that. Clearly, the great-uncles also said it would be better that way. I…”
“If the roles were reversed, the eldest sister would never agree to let you go back to that fire pit. Or let’s say, if Lin Qingyao were the one, would you let her go back? You wouldn’t! It’s you… not treating us like family.”
After Lin Qingyang finished speaking, Lin Qingwei was stunned. The assumption made by Lin Qingyang had a significant impact on Lin Qingwei as if different answers were already forming in her mind. She didn’t want to admit that she was also biased, but… it was just so unfair.
Lin Qingyang couldn’t be bothered with her and directly took his eldest sister back. After comforting his eldest sister, he went back to rest.
As soon as Lin Qingyang lay down, he heard Shuncai reporting good news – someone had arrived. Lin Qingyang got up immediately to receive the visitor.
However, as soon as Shuncai left, another person came looking for Lin Qingyang. In the end, this person was taken away by Lin Qingxu’s servant. Lin Qingyang was busy entertaining his own guest and had no idea that someone else had come to see him.
Shortly after, a messenger from Marquis An Nan’s residence was sent to deliver a message to the Ying family. The message had only one sentence, “Return the dowry, or there will be dire consequences.”
The next day, the old madam of the Ying family, accompanied by Ying Wenlong, came to write the divorce letter. Although her face looked as unpleasant as if she were attending a funeral, she didn’t dare to make a sound. Lin Qinglan did not come out to see them again.
Once they left, Marquis An Nan’s residence sent people to accompany them and collect the dowry.
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