You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Since the authorities did not approve the divorce, Xie Wanru could only let the rumors spread and go back to the palace. She even secretly gave money to a storyteller to exaggerate the affair between Shen Nian'an and Fu Rou.

And how she was deceived into adopting her mistress's child—in short, she was a complete victim.

However, Xie Wanru really didn't expect to run into Lou Yao. In her previous life, she did successfully marry the Third Prince Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan only had power in his eyes, so he didn't treat Lou Yao well.

She has been embroiled in divorce troubles these days and is extremely careful when she goes out. Today, she only wanted to pick out some cheap fabrics to buy cotton clothes for the poor.

This winter is really cold.

"Isn't this the Second Madam of the Shen family? I didn't expect to run into you. How have you been lately?"

Lou Yao smiled brightly.

In Xuancheng, the Lou family was one of the four major families, with many of its members serving as officials in the imperial court, making it a deeply rooted and flourishing clan.

Lou Yao, on the other hand, was the beloved eldest daughter of the Lou family, showered with affection since childhood. However, compared to Xie Wanru, she was indeed somewhat inferior.

Xie Wanru glanced at her, her tone carrying a subtle hint of aloofness: "Hello, Miss Lou, is there something you need?"

Everyone in Xuancheng knows that Xie Wanru is getting a divorce right now. You ask me if I'm okay?

Lou Yao seemed oblivious to her coldness, her smile still bright, her gaze shifting with a hint of meaning: "Madam Shen, the news of your divorce from Second Master Shen has been widely circulated. Now that I've met you, I'd like to ask, what are your plans for the future, Madam Shen?"

Xie Wanru remained unmoved: "Miss Lou and I don't seem to be familiar enough to have heart-to-heart talks. You just want to see me make a fool of myself, so why bother with all this pretense?"

Having been reborn, Xie Wanru would no longer tolerate such hypocritical people.

"If it weren't for what I said, would Miss Lou be able to help me or take me in? Since you can't do anything, it would be pointless for me to answer or ask."

After saying this, Xie Wanru put down the fabric and left.

She had already chosen the materials and was just waiting for the shopkeeper to calculate the cost.

Lou Yao was completely stumped by Xie Wanru's sharp retort and couldn't find the words to reply for a moment, causing her companions to burst out laughing.

"Xie Wanru! You're just jealous of me because you still have feelings for the Third Prince, aren't you? Heh, you actually bought such low-grade material to make your robe. I'll let the whole of Xuancheng see how pathetic you are."

Lou Yao remained standing there, watching Xie Wanru's departing figure, a hint of anger and resentment flashing in her eyes.

Her sisters rushed forward to comfort her, but some whispered among themselves, thinking that Xie Wanru, despite her difficult situation, still maintained a rare sense of pride.

"Lou Yao, why bother with her? She's just a grasshopper in autumn, she won't last much longer," a woman dressed in fine clothes said softly, her words full of contempt.

In their eyes, a woman like Xie Wanru, who is not liked by men, is ugly no matter how beautiful she is, not to mention that Xie Wanru is not considered a beauty at this time.

Upon hearing this, Lou Yao's lips curled into a cold smile. "Hmph, I naturally have my own plans." Lou Yao responded in a low voice, her gaze deep, as if she were calculating something.

On the other side, Xie Wanru walked out of the cloth shop. If it were in her previous life, she would have felt a little uncomfortable if she saw Lou Yao or Xiao Yan.

One was the man she once loved, and the other was the woman who easily took her place. But now, having experienced the massacre of her entire family, romantic love meant nothing to her.

Today's encounter with Lou Yao is just a small ripple in my life, insignificant in importance.

However, what she didn't expect was that Lou Yao would turn around and find people in Xuancheng to spread rumors that she was unfaithful. In no time, people throughout the streets and alleys of Xuancheng were spreading Xie Wanru's bad reputation.

Moreover, this news spread even more widely among aristocratic families, and the public's evaluation of her was actually more objective.

Because Xie Wanru had previously sent people to expose Shen Nian'an's evil deeds, people naturally felt more sympathy for Xie Wanru. As for her unchaste behavior, Xie Wanru had never had any rumors with other men; she simply had a young man in her heart.

But they didn't pester the Third Prince.

When this matter reached the Empress, she sighed repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, I think it's best to let Wanwan divorce that good-for-nothing from the Shen family. Look, the Marquis of Yong'an has been dismissed from his post. How will he handle his family affairs when he goes back? That woman is still in the Shen residence. I think the Marquis of Yong'an's residence is about to welcome that mistress into the family."

The Empress was so angry that she paced back and forth in front of the Emperor, berating him.

The emperor pressed his temples.

He felt a little relieved after his third son got engaged to the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Lou. He was really worried about Xie Wanru wanting a divorce.

“Your Majesty, we must plan for Long’er’s future, but we can’t always let Yao Yao sacrifice herself. Since birth, because of Long’er and me, she has never drunk her mother’s milk for a single day. We can’t let her down like this. Her mother in heaven will also feel sorry for her.”

The Empress persuaded him, and Crown Prince Xiao Long, who had finished his business, also arrived.

He had heard the rumors circulating in the streets, and also heard Shen Cong'an's request, so he wanted to come and persuade his father.

“Father, I don’t think that Wanwan and Shen Nian’an’s divorce is a bad thing.”

Xiao Long knew that his father had many considerations regarding the Xie family, and the most important one was his status, but he was unwilling to accept this.

He was not reckless. He had already persuaded his mother not to worry about those things. He was the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou. If he needed others to sacrifice their lives to pave the way for him, he would be a coward even if he inherited the throne. He did not want to be that kind of person.

"Moreover, I believe Wanwan is no ordinary woman. She is a daughter of the Xie family. No matter who she marries in the future, the Xie family will remain loyal to the court and the Great Zhou, without any disloyalty. General Xie is guarding the northern border, and Wanwan's brothers are not in Xuancheng. We should support Wanwan and ensure that they have no worries."

After Xiao Long finished speaking, the emperor's expression clearly changed slightly.

He disagreed with Xie Wanru's divorce for another reason: this marriage was bestowed upon him by her, and if they were to divorce now, wouldn't that be a slap in his face?

In the future, what prestige will his decree of marriage hold?

The Empress didn't care about any of that. All she wanted to do was help Wanwan escape her misery. She cherished Wanwan like a daughter, so how could she not help her when she was in such a predicament?

“Your Majesty, what Long’er said is absolutely right. Wanwan has always been a lively and active child, but she changed her personality after marrying into the Shen family. It’s clear that she was truly unhappy in the Shen family. Back then, we knew that the person she liked was someone else, but we still let her act recklessly, thinking that she and Shen Nian’an would gradually develop feelings for each other. Now that Shen Nian’an has let her down, she has no choice but to divorce him.”