After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

Lu Zhiyuan stopped her mother and waited until she calmed down before asking about their accommodation at the inn.

There were two superior rooms; Lu Huai shared one with Madam Ji, and Lu Jinyao shared the other with Lu Jingyuan. According to the innkeeper, Madam Ji was initially unwilling to stay at the inn, but Lu Huai coaxed and comforted her, saying that at most half a month, she and her two children would be lucky enough to move into the Marquis's mansion.

Xie Chaoyun felt a tightness in her chest and couldn't help but sneer.

She asked herself if she owed Lu Huai or the Lu family anything.

When she married Lu Huai, he was merely a hereditary marquis in name only, looked down upon by others. It was she who begged her father and brothers to secretly help him. When her mother-in-law fell seriously ill and was bedridden, she took care of her personally for three years without taking off her clothes, and she did not slack off even when she was pregnant with Yuan'er.

The Marquis's mansion was an empty shell, and for the past ten years, it had been subsidized by her dowry. She never complained, yet this was the result she received.

The noise from next door grew increasingly brazen. Liu Ying suddenly stood up and said, "No need for Madam to do anything, this servant will finish them off."

"Stop!" Xie Chaoyun said in a trembling voice, "What's the use of killing them? It will only drag the entire Xie family into this."

Yuan'er is right. Killing Lu Huai and Ji Wanwan is nothing, but does she really want to sacrifice herself and the entire Xie family for such a man?

Liu Ying stamped her foot in frustration: "We can't let them bully the lady like this."

Of course not. He's just a man; once he's gone, he's gone. There's nothing to regret. Xie Chaoyun is beautiful and talented. She can make money through business and fight on the battlefield. She's also the legitimate daughter of a noble general's family. Even if she divorces Lu Huai, remarrying won't be difficult. Why should she live and die for Lu Huai?

Does Lu Huai deserve it? He doesn't!

She was heartbroken and sad, not because she couldn't bear to part with Lu Huai, but because she felt that her ten years of dedication had been in vain.

A small hand brushed against her cheek, and Lu Zhiyuan's soft voice whispered in her ear: "Mother, don't be sad. There are plenty of good men in the world. If this one isn't good, we'll find another."

She paused, then continued in a soft, sweet voice, "The day after tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Has Mother thought about how to deal with it? Father is probably going to bring that Madam Ji into the mansion."

Xie Chaoyun clenched his fists.

When Lu Huai proposed to her, her father and brothers all disagreed. She came from a military family and grew up on the frontier. She was ignorant of the shady dealings and schemes of the inner quarters of the household, and her father and brothers feared that she would be mistreated after marrying into the Marquis's mansion. It was only after Lu Huai knelt in front of the General's mansion for three days and three nights and publicly vowed to be with her for life that her father and brothers reluctantly agreed.

After their marriage, Lu Huai frequently brought up the events of that year, his words often laced with resentment. He felt she had been out of her mind, rarely visiting her parents' home to avoid considering his feelings. Three years ago, her father returned to Beijing to recuperate from injuries, and coincidentally, her mother-in-law was also unwell, so she didn't even go back to see her father once.

Thinking of this, Xie Chaoyun raised her hand and slapped herself.

It's a wonder she's so good to her mother-in-law.

The fact that Lu Huai dared to bring Ji Wanwan and her two children back to the Marquis's residence so openly shows that she knew about it. No wonder that in recent years she no longer urged her to take her medicine, no longer complained that she had caused the Marquis's residence to lose its heir, and even helped her son to be sent away to a distant place. The reason for this is actually here.

A ruthless glint flashed in Xie Chaoyun's eyes as she clenched her fists and said, "If they want Ji Wanwan and those two children to come into the manor, they'll have to ask me, the matriarch, for my opinion first."

"Mother, please don't be angry!" Lu Zhiyuan handed the tea to Xie Chaoyun: "The capital is not like Weinan, and the expenses in the capital are not as high as in Weinan. Mother only needs to take good care of her dowry and shops. As for other matters, you can give way or avoid them if you can. Instead of blocking them, you might as well let the dogs in. Whether to kill them or skin them, braise them or stew them, it's all up to Mother."

Liu Ying stamped her foot anxiously: "No, no, this servant thinks that Madam Ji is not a good person. She probably wants to replace you, Madam."

“Then let her take my place.” Xie Chaoyun’s eyes flashed with a cold sharpness, and he smiled with relief: “What she cherishes, I, Xie Chaoyun, may not cherish.”

She wanted to divorce Lu Huai openly and honorably. She wanted the entire capital and the whole world to know that it was she, Xie Chaoyun, who no longer wanted the Pingnan Marquis's mansion or Lu Huai.

Back at the manor, Xie Chaoyun began to check the accounts. The Marquis's manor had many expenses, but its income consisted only of the estates and shops under Xie Chaoyun's name.

Lu Huai also owned shops. When Ji Wanwan's son was born, Lu Huai secretly transferred those shops to Ji Wanwan's name behind Xie Chaoyun's back. Since she didn't lack money, Xie Chaoyun was unaware of where those shops went, and didn't know that they had long been squandered by Ji Wanwan's younger brother, Ji Yaozu.

She only knew one thing: if she intended to divorce, she would not allow the Marquis's family to continue to take advantage of her or spend her dowry money.

When Lu Huai led Ji Wanwan and her son into the house, Xie Chaoyun was still doing accounts in the study. Lu Zhiyuan was holding a storybook that Liu Ying had found somewhere, and happened to see a similar plot. Upon receiving the news, she rushed to the front hall and just saw Old Madam Lu embracing her "grandson".

Lu Huai was talking to Ji Wanwan, his face showing a tenderness Xie Chaoyun had never seen before. When he saw Xie Chaoyun, his eyes darkened, and a hint of anger rose in his eyes: "A distinguished guest has come to our door, and you didn't even know to wait at the door."

Xie Chaoyun stood still and said, "Where did this distinguished guest come from? Our household has not received any visiting card."

Lu Huai frowned: "Wanwan doesn't need a formal invitation to come to our door."

"Who is Wanwan? As far as I know, there is no such person among the noble ladies of the capital." An uncontrollable sneer rose at the corner of her lips. "If she is an honored guest, she should have a visiting card. If she has no visiting card, how do I know that an honored guest has come to visit?"

He walked up to Madam Lu and bowed, saying, "Mother, you are well-informed and knew that the Marquis had returned ahead of schedule."

Madam Lu smiled awkwardly and took Ji Wanwan's hand to introduce her: "This is the distinguished guest your husband mentioned, and also your distant cousin. Her surname is Ji, and her name is Wanwan. Because of a family tragedy, she brought her two children to the capital to seek refuge."

With red eyes, Madam Lu said, "They met on the road. I only found out that Huai'er had returned to the capital ahead of schedule after receiving a message from the gatekeeper."

After saying that, she glared at Lu Huai.

“Yunniang didn’t know you were back early. You’ve been away from home for two years, and the first thing you do when you come back is to give people a hard time. You should apologize to Yunniang right away.”

Lu Huai cupped his hands in apology: "I misunderstood Yunniang!"

Ji Wanwan bowed to Lu Huai, saying, "Younger sister greets older sister. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Madam Lu smoothed things over, saying, "We're all family, so don't worry about the trouble. Yunniang is a sensible person. She knows that you've lost your family and are struggling to raise your children. She will definitely treat you well in the future and love your children as her own."

Xie Chaoyun withdrew her hand and said calmly, "Mother is joking. Yunniang has her own children, there's no need for her to dote on other people's. These other people's children aren't motherless, they're just waiting for Yunniang to dote on them."

Madam Lu was taken aback by Xie Chaoyun's sharp words, which she hadn't expected. Her smile froze for a moment before she smiled and said, "What do you mean by 'other people'? Those are Wanwan's children. Wanwan's children are Lu family children. As the matriarch of the Lu family, you should love them. As for Yuan'er, she's not in good health. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, she can continue to recuperate at the other courtyard."

Xie Chaoyun looked at Old Madam Lu: "Mother, do you dislike Yuan'er?"