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

Old Madam Lu was a shrewd woman. Seeing that Xie Chaoyun had agreed, she urged her to take out the dowry list. Eunuch Xu, who was standing to the side, coughed lightly and took out the imperial edict, saying to Lu Huai and Old Madam Lu, "If it weren't for the Empress's decree, we wouldn't have known that the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion lived such a life in the Marquis's Mansion."

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh at me, Father-in-law." Xie Chaoyun asked Qingzhi to bring over the dowry list: "Please take a look and tell me how to divide the items on this list."

"No need to divide it, Miss Xie, just keep the list safe." Eunuch Xu revealed the imperial edict: "Gentlemen, receive the decree!"

Everyone's expression changed, and they immediately became solemn.

Old Madam Lu glanced at the dowry list in Xie Chaoyun's hand, then pulled Ji Wanwan to kneel down.

Lu Huai stepped forward and knelt down: "Your subject, Lu Huai, receives the imperial decree!"

Eunuch Xu smiled and said, "Please rise, Your Excellency. This imperial edict is not for you, but for Miss Xie."

Lu Huai stood up awkwardly and gave Xie Chaoyun a venomous look.

Xie Chaoyun, along with her two elder brothers and members of the Lu clan, had been kneeling at the back. Upon hearing this, Xie Chaoyun moved forward and said, "Your subject, Xie Chaoyun, receives the imperial decree!"

Eunuch Xu unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud. With each sentence he read, the hearts of Old Madam Lu and Lu Huai grew colder. When they heard that Xie Chaoyun had requested a divorce from Lu Huai and that the Emperor had granted it after much deliberation, Old Madam Lu and Lu Huai's expressions turned extremely ugly.

Divorce means losing Xie Chaoyun's dowry. What will the Marquis do without the dowry?

"Father-in-law, is there a mistake in reading this imperial edict? When did Xie Chaoyun enter the palace, and when did she request a divorce from His Majesty?" Old Madam Lu struggled desperately, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"It was just when the old lady and the Marquis thought the Xie family was doomed," Eunuch Xu said with a half-smile. "I don't know which fool ran to His Majesty and started whispering, accusing General Xie of treason and the Xie family of rebellion, even presenting a letter as evidence. But His Majesty is so wise; he saw through the forgery at a glance. What's even more ridiculous is that behind that forged letter was the Xie family, and Miss Xie's unwavering loyalty to the court."

Lu Huai suddenly looked at Ji Wanwan, who looked back at him with a blank expression.

She remembered clearly that it was just an ordinary family letter, how did it become Xie Chaoyun's loyalty to the imperial court?

Lu Zhiyuan hid in the crowd and picked at her fingers.

It's not that Ji Wanwan was unaware; rather, this letter was not the same as the one Lu Huai presented. The letter was forged by her and her mother. Of course, everything written in the letter was true, but they had never thought of making it public and letting the Emperor and Empress know that they were acting in the name of the royal family for the benefit of the people.

Eunuch Xu continued, saying that Xie Chaoyun had declined the Emperor's reward and asked for a letter of divorce. As the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage. The Emperor originally didn't want to agree, but the Marquis's family really lacked discretion, causing Xie Chaoyun to suffer grievances time and time again.

Only then did Lu Huai realize that Xie Chaoyun truly wanted a divorce, and not, as he had thought, a jealous manipulator trying to win him over.

When his gaze fell on Xie Chaoyun, he realized that she was different from before.

I can't remember when it started, but she shed her attire as the mistress of the Marquis's mansion and donned a dashing woman's dress. Now, holding the imperial edict, her smile is radiant, just like the day we first met, when she rode her chestnut horse and looked at him.

His heart raced, and he clutched his chest, belatedly realizing that he liked Xie Chaoyun.

Old Madam Lu hadn't expected things to turn out this way; Xie Chaoyun had actually brought the divorce to the Emperor's ears. She hurriedly rose and went to Xie Chaoyun, her lips trembling as she said, "It's all my fault. I mistakenly thought you and Huai'er were having a fight, which is why I agreed to Huai'er divorcing his wife. It wasn't a real divorce, just a scare tactic. Huai'er wanted you to coax him and become as virtuous as before. Look at you, how could you have made such a big fuss?"

Xie Chaoyun pulled her hand away and stood at a distance from Old Madam Lu. "First it was a divorce, then a separation. The Marquis has even brought Ji Wanwan and her son to the manor. And you're telling me it's just a tiff? To coax him and become as virtuous as before? Do you want me to become as stupid as I used to be? Stupid enough to use my dowry to support this whole family of ungrateful wretches!"

"Xie Chaoyun, watch your words!"

“Lord Lu, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my words.” Xie Chaoyun opened the dowry list in front of Eunuch Xu. “You’ve been eyeing my dowry, haven’t you? Then let me show you how much my dowry your Lu family and your Pingnan Marquis’s mansion have cost you.”

The five-meter-long dowry list was densely filled with records of numerous expenses. Some were used by Old Madam Lu to curry favor, some were used by Lu Huai to win over his colleagues, and some were sold to cover the expenses of the Marquis's mansion. As for the rare herbs that the Xie family brought as part of their dowry, they all ended up in Old Madam Lu's stomach.

The date the items were taken, who they were given to, and who was present were all clearly recorded on the dowry list.

"In the first year of the Mingde era, a devastating flood swept through the village. People from my hometown came to the old lady for help, and I used my own dowry to help them rebuild. The entire village of 128 households donated a total of 108,642 taels of silver. But who were the people in the village who were grateful? The old lady and the Marquis. And who was the one who was scolded? Me!"

Lu Huai certainly remembered.

The village was flooded, and all the houses were destroyed. The old village chief, along with his wife and children, walked a thousand miles to the capital to seek help from his mother. His mother, eager to improve her reputation, readily agreed. However, post-disaster reconstruction is no easy task. It requires not only money but also manpower and proper resettlement. A slight misstep can invite condemnation.

The mother entrusted the matter to Xie Chaoyun, who, after only half a day's thought, took money, provisions, helpers, and horses and went to the old village chief's hometown. She personally helped the villagers build houses, buy chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep, and find them jobs to make a living and support their families. After months of hard work, she became dark and thin, but was still subjected to slander.

Why the scolding?

They felt that Xie Chaoyun was biased, giving some people better jobs and others worse ones.

These people never look for the reasons within themselves.

"Now that we're divorced, let's not dwell on the past." Lu Huai lowered his head. "The money on this gift list was given voluntarily by you. Since it was something you did voluntarily, don't blame anyone else."

“Your Excellency is right.” Xie Chaoyun turned to Eunuch Xu: “I am no longer a wife of a noble family, so I will not keep you for tea. In a few days, when you have time, please visit the General’s Mansion and I will let you taste Qingzhi’s cooking.”

“Alright!” Eunuch Xu looked at her and explained, “His Majesty took so long to issue the decree to grant you a divorce because he was afraid that you would regret it. In addition, he also wanted to inform General Lao so that he would not worry. Are you going back to the General’s Mansion today, Miss? Would you like me to arrange some manpower for you?”

Xie Chaoyun bowed and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! Thank you for your concern, Eunuch! There's no need to trouble you with the moving; my two elder brothers are here."

“Moving is such a small matter, there’s no need for Master Xie and Lord Xie to come.” Captain Ma led a group of brothers in from outside the door: “We have come uninvited, please forgive us, Madam and Lord Marquis.”

After saying that, he moved closer to Lu Zhiyuan and said, "Miss, I've brought my brothers to help you move!"