A Bust-Up

"Miss." The old woman guarding the hanging flower gate followed Matron Yuan in and reported, "Eighth Miss Mu has sent a visiting card, saying she will come to visit in half an hour." As she spoke, Matron Yuan handed the visiting card she had received to Zhao Ruxi.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ruotong quickly replied, "You take care of her, I'll leave in a bit."

Xiao Ruotong visited often, but Mu Qingqiang came less frequently. Moreover, judging by the timeline, Mu Qingqiang would soon be getting married.

Given their friendship, Zhao Ruxi didn't stand on ceremony with Xiao Ruotong, but still explained, "She's getting married. She's probably just coming to talk to me before the wedding. After the wedding, she won't be able to go out often. If I'm on a foreign assignment, I'll see her even less."

Xiao Ruotong sighed wistfully, "Back when you all entered the academy, you were such young girls. But in just a year or two, you've all gotten married."

She looked up at Zhao Ruxi and said, "I always hear you talk about the Four Books and Five Classics and your desire to become an official, but I've never heard you arrange a marriage. I heard from my mother that you even rejected a marriage proposal from the Prince of Prince Jingping's Estate. What are you thinking? You can't just not get married, can you? You'll be sixteen in two months. If you're sent to a remote area, won't you become an old maid?"

Zhao Ruxi walked to the table, writing a reply as she smiled, "I'm not getting married. I'll just stay and grow old with you."

"Nonsense! Do you believe my mother and your mother will tear us both to pieces?" Xiao Ruotong said.

The two of them burst into laughter.

After Zhao Ruxi gave the reply to the old woman guarding the gate and returned to the table, she heard Xiao Ruotong sigh softly and say helplessly, "My mother said that among this year's graduates, if there is a suitable one, I have to get married regardless of whether I agree or not."

"So if he can be sent abroad with you, that's my last hope." She looked up at Zhao Ruxi. "I won't remain celibate. I don't care about myself, but I don't want my parents to be gossiped about and made a fool of by our royal family."

Zhao Ruxi took her hand.

She understood the difficulties Xiao Ruotong faced.

No one is born from a rock. Xiao Ruotong has a loving grandmother and parents, and she also has to consider her family.

Princess of Zhennan was such a strong-willed person. It was bad enough that her daughter was divorced, but she ended up staying at home and couldn't get married. Meanwhile, her former son-in-law turned around and married a beautiful wife, living happily ever after. She must have been unable to swallow this insult.

For her mother's sake, Xiao Ruotong would marry. Not to mention that after her grandmother and parents passed away, she was all alone. Although her brother and sister-in-law protected her, she still had to endure the strange looks from the world. If she had any contact with a man, she would be criticized.

In ancient times, unless one became a nun in a temple, being a happy bachelor was harder than climbing to heaven.

"Besides my senior brother, there are many good men in the world," Zhao Ruxi comforted her. "The Princess will definitely find you the most suitable one. When that time comes, all you need to do is cherish the person you are destined to be with, live your life well, and don't dwell on the past."

"Mmm." Xiao Ruotong nodded vigorously.

After sitting for a while, Xiao Ruotong saw that Mu Qingqiang was about to arrive. Just as she was about to stand up to say goodbye, a maid came to report that Mu Qingqiang had arrived.

Zhao Ruxi chuckled, "You're also her teacher, why don't you meet her before you leave?"

"Alright." Xiao Ruotong nodded.

A moment later, the maid led Mu Qingqiang in. Mu Qinglian, who used to always be by Mu Qingqiang's side, didn't come this time; she came alone with her maid and servants.

Mu Qingqiang had already heard from Matron Yuan, who was there to fetch her, that Xiao Ruotong was here, so she wasn't surprised to see her at all.

"Master, I didn't expect to see you here." She bowed to Xiao Ruotong and said this as soon as she stood up.

Xiao Ruotong thought she was just exchanging pleasantries, but Zhao Ruxi, who knew Mu Qingqiang's temperament, keenly sensed the unspoken meaning behind Mu Qingqiang's words.

"Master Xiao isn't here. Where do you think she is?" she asked.

Mu Qingqiang was a straightforward person. When Zhao Ruxi asked, she replied, "Something happened at the Duke of Ying's Residence. I thought the tutor wouldn't be in the mood to come as a guest."

"Huh?" Xiao Ruotong and Zhao Ruxi were both taken aback when they heard this.

Zhao Ruxi hurriedly asked, "Something happened at the Duke of Ying's Residence? What happened?"

Mu Qingqiang wasn't one to gossip, especially not with Xiao Ruotong, the person directly involved. But she was also someone who didn't want to lie.

Her face flushed red, and she pursed her lips without saying a word.

After dating a few times, Zhao Ruxi knew her temperament very well.

She pointed to Mu Qingqiang's maid and said, "You tell her."

The maid glanced at her mistress, and seeing that she didn't object, she stepped forward and explained the situation.

It turned out that after Xiao Ruotong and Wei Zheng divorced, the Princess of Zhennan was furious and suppressed the Duke of Ying's Residence in every way. The Wife of the Duke of Ying was furious, but the Princess of Zhennan did it very discreetly. Even if she brought it up, others would think she was too petty.

Therefore, the Wife of the Duke of Ying was filled with resentment.

She searched high and low in the capital, determined to find a stepdaughter-in-law who was no less than Xiao Ruotong in any way. Finally, before the New Year, she married Qi Ying, the fourth daughter of the Duke of Wei Zheng 'Duke of Wei's Residence.

Although Wei Zheng and that maid had a son born out of wedlock, he was still inferior to a legitimate son. Therefore Wife of the Duke of Ying was determined to get Qi Ying pregnant as soon as possible, preferably around the time of their wedding, so as to embarrass the Princess of Zhennan and prove that Xiao Ruotong was indeed unable to have children, thus humiliating the Prince of Zhennan's Residence.

But now, half a year has passed, and Qi Ying's belly still shows no signs of pregnancy. The Wife of the Duke of Ying was eager to have a grandchild, and even though Qi Ying was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Wei's Residence, she still didn't treat this daughter-in-law well and would find fault with her from time to time to punish her.

Qi Ying was unwilling to marry Wei Zheng. She disliked his character and had even made a scene before the wedding, but her family kept it from her, forcing her to marry him against her will. Now, she was being tormented by her mother-in-law and was unwilling to accept it.

She secretly consulted several doctors to take her pulse and confirmed that she was in good health. She then investigated the concubine who had given birth to a son out of wedlock and who was always smug in front of her. She finally discovered that the son was not Wei Zheng's child at all, but rather the child that the maid had conceived through an affair with the guard.

Today is the Wife of the Duke of Ying's birthday, and the Duke of Ying's Residence is holding a grand banquet. At the banquet, the Wife of the Duke of Ying again nitpicked at Qi Ying, implying that she was not good enough. Qi Ying hadn't reacted before because she was waiting for this opportunity. After being spoken to by the Wife of the Duke of Ying, she exploded on the spot, revealing everything, and presented witnesses and physical evidence. In the end, she demanded a divorce.

There were many female guests present at the time, and the Wife of the Duke of Ying was so overwhelmed by Qi Ying's words and the evidence presented that she almost fainted on the spot. The banquet ended hastily, and after everyone left, the news spread throughout the entire capital.

Zhao Ruxi was stunned when she heard this.

She turned to look at Xiao Ruotong and asked, "Sister, didn't you have the imperial physician take your pulse properly before?"

Since it was Wei Zheng who couldn't have children, Xiao Ruotong shouldn't be blamed for it.