sbdcsierra Chapter 248 She Can't Do It
Chapter 248 She Can't Do It
I do not seek separation.
He requested to step down.
The social atmosphere in the Great Zhao Dynasty was open, and many women remarried, especially women from prominent families in the capital. If a couple was truly incompatible, most would divorce amicably, and few would be abandoned.
Lan Yin's ability to say such things shows her resoluteness. Even if she has to bear the stigma of being a divorced woman and be ridiculed by the world, she has no way to continue living with the Duke of Sheng.
After Lan Yin said those words, the entire courtyard fell completely silent.
The guests felt completely bewildered.
What's going on?
Looking at Duke Sheng again, his face was cold and stern, his eyes filled with a complex mix of anger and panic, his eyes even turning red.
Madam Li's legs went completely weak, and she collapsed into a chair.
It was unclear how much time had passed before the sounds of discussion gradually began to emerge.
"Are you saying, Madam Lan, that Lu Yangyang is her biological daughter? And Sheng Yunzhu is a fake!"
"My God, isn't this the play that was all over the capital a few days ago? The real and fake heiress. I always thought it was impossible, but I never thought it would actually be true. This is just too absurd!"
"At first, I thought Lu Yangyang was really unreasonable, but now, looking at it now, it's not like that at all, it's not like what's sung in the play!"
"Yes, yes, in the play, it's said that after the real heiress returns, she persecutes the fake heiress in every way. It all makes sense at first, but if the fake heiress knew all along, then what kind of persecution is this? This is revenge!"
"If what Madam Lan said is true, then Sheng Yunzhu knew the truth all along. At such a young age, she instigated her family to switch places with Lu Yangyang, enjoying wealth and luxury in the capital with her family, yet she was heartless enough to kill Lu Yangyang's own flesh and blood. What kind of mistake is that? It was clearly intentional! This is no longer a blood feud!"
"They found it two years ago, but they haven't revealed a single word about it. That's really..."
"No wonder Lu Yangyang is so arrogant. If it were me, I would have torn this house down!"
"Poor Madam Lan, her perfectly healthy daughter has suffered so much."
"But no matter what, Madam Lan's actions are a bit too impulsive. How could she possibly ask to be divorced? She is the Duchess of the State, and no one can overstep her bounds. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to do this for the sake of her daughter?"
"That's true. None of the young masters of the Duke of Sheng's mansion are married yet. If she, the mistress of the house, leaves, how will the Duke of Sheng's mansion find husbands in the future?"
"What's wrong with marriage proposals? The eldest daughter-in-law can take charge of the household as soon as she enters the family. I think countless people would love that!"
The murmurs grew louder.
There's discussion about Lu Yangyang and Sheng Yunzhu, the real and fake heiresses, and also about Madam Lan's insistence on divorce. It's probably more lively in the entire capital this year than today.
Lan Yin naturally heard those discussions, and heard people criticizing her for being an incompetent mother and for being impulsive in wanting to divorce.
When she first considered divorce, she had many concerns: the reputation of the Duke of Sheng's mansion, the reputation of the Lan family, and the reputation and future of her children. Her children were not yet married, and if she, as the head of the household, divorced, all the things that followed would be troublesome.
Two years ago, she almost died.
If she dies, will the Duke's mansion cease to exist?
She couldn't control her deteriorating health, nor could she control the fact that everything she had hoped for had fallen through. She and the Duke of Sheng had shared loving times; if he hadn't treated her sincerely in their youth, how could she have so unilaterally pursued the love she longed for?
But day after day, year after year, one compromise after another, countless compromises, until finally she too became that fake person, pretending to be oblivious to the truth. Even when she realized the scheming and indifference in her husband's bones, she still wavered, thinking of this and that, and continued to compromise.
What did we get in return?
This is what they got in return: they're ganging up on her daughter and ordering her to be locked in the yard and not allowed to come out.
What she got in return was witnessing her husband of many years, in front of everyone, trying to drive away his own daughter and leave behind the culprit who had harmed their daughter.
How ridiculous.
Must she continue living in this deception for the rest of her life?
No, she can't do it.
The thought of being branded as Sheng Lan even after death disgusted her. She felt she and Sheng Qishen were no different—selfish, cold-hearted, and capable of scheming against and sacrificing even their own flesh and blood. Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine, and she could never forgive herself, even in death.
So she didn't want any empty titles anymore. What if the Duke of Sheng didn't want a divorce? She would just ask to be divorced herself. Even if she spent the rest of her life in seclusion, it would be better than deceiving herself day after day.
At that moment, Lan Yin listened to the comments directed at her, but instead of feeling embarrassed, she felt as if something that had been binding her had completely broken down. It was as if she had broken through layer after layer of shackles and been reborn.
The corners of her lips were still stained with blood from her furious outburst, but she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips, and her eyes were full of relieved smiles.
As Duke Sheng watched Lan Yin's smile shift from despair and pain to relief, he felt both angry and panicked, as if something was about to slip away from his life completely. He dared not think any further.
"Madam," the Duke of Sheng kicked away Sheng Yunzhu, who was still clinging to his leg and was completely dumbfounded, and walked quickly towards Lan Yin. His voice was rough and trembling with tension: "Madam, it was my fault for not figuring out the truth of what happened back then. We can talk about this later. Today, such a big mess has been caused. Let's ask the guests to leave first, and then we can talk about it, okay?"
"What do you want to say to my daughter? Tell me how you shamelessly married her back then, making her run around in fear and anxiety, being kidnapped by villains and having a difficult childbirth, and how you tried every means to settle the child, but you didn't even look for her. After finally finding her, are you now going to drive your own daughter away for the sake of your enemy? Sheng Qishen, you truly have a face made of iron, utterly shameless!"
Lan Yin's father, Grand Tutor Lan, spoke in a clear voice. Everyone turned to look and saw that it wasn't just Grand Tutor Lan; beside him was the Crown Prince, who hadn't been seen for some time, and a palace eunuch.
Everyone paid their respects to the Crown Prince, but his gaze pierced through them all and landed on Lu Yangyang's face.
She wasn't wearing a mask; one corner of her lip was cut, with beads of blood hanging from it, and half of her face was slightly swollen.
When she met the Crown Prince's gaze, Lu Yangyang was surprised for a moment, then smiled at him, her eyes shining brightly.
The prince felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart.
It hurts.