Time seemed to stand still, Zi'an sighed quietly in his heart, Murong Jie might be her future husband. There was no love between them, only mutual exploitation.
Then, after a long silence, the Queen asked Yuan, "This painting did not fall into the hands of Prince An. Your maid sold it to Chen Linglong, who then gave it to your husband."
Yuan nodded, her expression unchanged, "I know that Xia Huaijun brought this painting back to show me that day. He said that he fell in love with someone and wanted to take her back home."
Yuan spoke calmly, without even a trace of emotion in her voice, as if she was talking about a very ordinary thing.
The queen exclaimed, "He actually showed it to you? Why didn't you tell him that this painting was made by you?"
Yuan smiled lightly, revealing her pearly teeth, but her smile was full of sarcasm. "He pursued me because of my fame, and I married him. But he didn't know my painting style. From that moment on, I knew he never loved me, and I gave up."
"Do you regret it?" the queen asked curiously.
Yuan smiled again, this time with a desolate look, but she did not answer.
The queen looked at her smile and for some reason, she read a hint of despair in it. As a woman herself, she knew that Yuan must have loved Xia Huaijun very much.
How could such a proud woman admit that she had chosen the wrong person? She had to bear all the consequences silently.
Prime Minister Xia was standing behind the screen, looking at the almost desperate smile on her face. He felt that the air around him was so stuffy that he couldn't breathe. He straightened his neck and took a deep breath, but he couldn't ignore the sharp pain that suddenly arose.
Madam Linglong gradually figured out what was going on. She stared at Yuan in a daze. She couldn't believe that Yuan had seen the painting that day, and she couldn't believe that she would keep silent about it after having seen it.
What was she up to? Why didn't the queen pursue the matter of treason any more
The atmosphere in the hall froze.
After a long while, the Queen slowly said, "Mei Fei, Prime Minister, please come out."
Madam Linglong suddenly raised her head and looked at the Queen in horror, only to see two people walking out from behind the screen on the left.
She collapsed on the ground, looking at Prime Minister Xia with a sad face, with only despair in her heart.
Yuan bowed to Concubine Mei and said, "Greetings, Her Majesty."
Mei Fei raised her eyes to look at the elegant woman with eyebrows and eyes, and sighed softly, "Hmm."
The Queen asked Prime Minister Xia, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Prime Minister Xia knelt down and said quietly, "I have nothing to say."
The Queen asked, "Are you willing to sign the divorce agreement?"
Prime Minister Xia was suddenly shocked and shook his head subconsciously, "No!"
The letter of divorce means a divorce, and he cannot divorce her.
Now there are so many right and wrongs and difficulties. Once he divorces her, he will be entangled in countless right and wrongs. The official assessment will be coming soon. The Regent has already said that he is mediocre several times in the morning court. If he divorces her again, outsiders will point fingers at him.
He could only divorce his wife, and only by saying that it was Yuan's fault could he save himself.
When Madam Linglong heard this, she covered her mouth and burst into tears.
All along, she had been hoping that Yuan would go out. Only in this way could she be promoted to be the wife, and her children would no longer be born out of wedlock.
But he didn't agree? Didn't he always want to divorce Yuan? Why didn't he agree
Murong Jie asked Zi'an, "Why do you think he is unwilling to sign the divorce agreement?"
Zi'an's face was gloomy. "He can only divorce his wife, but cannot sign a divorce letter, especially after the divorce letter incident at the gate of the prime minister's residence."
Murong Jie hummed, let her go, and said coldly: "What happened back then needs to be investigated. This painting was given to my brother, and I want to return it to its original owner."
“Prince An…” Zi’an hesitated for a moment, but still said nothing.
"For your mother's sake, my royal brother swore never to marry and he is still single. You cannot imagine how deeply he loves your mother." Murong Jie said.
Alas, it’s another story where you love her and she loves him.
The Queen's voice sounded again, with an ethereal coldness, "I should not interfere in your family affairs. Since you are unwilling to sign the divorce agreement, then go back and live a good life."
Madam Linglong asked in disbelief, "Madam, are you not going to pursue the matter of this painting?"
The queen was somewhat surprised. How could there be such a stupid woman in the world? Didn't she understand it yet? There was no treason at all.
Prime Minister Xia shouted angrily: "Shut up!"
Madam Linglong felt aggrieved after being yelled at by him, but she dared not say anything more. She just knelt on the ground with red eyes.
"Go back!" said the queen coldly.
Concubine Mei led them to take their leave. Yuan was the first to leave the hall, but Madam Linglong needed Prime Minister Xia's support before she could leave.
Prime Minister Xia stood outside the palace, looking at Yuan's back in the twilight. The evening light enveloped her in a green dress. Her back was straight and her steps were calm. She walked step by step and walked out of his sight.
He remembered the Queen Mother asking her, "Do you regret it?" She did not answer.
Does she regret it
Murong Jie and Zi'an watched their backs from the corridor. Murong Jie said, "He may regret having treated your mother wrongly, but it won't last long. In his heart, fame and fortune are more important than anything else."
Zi'an said nothing, but he knew that Murong Jie was telling the truth.
A carriage drove along the bluestone road, with thick curtains hiding the people in the carriage.
Prime Minister Xia closed his eyes and tried hard to suppress his emotions.
But it was obvious that Madam Linglong was not going to let him be quiet. She kept on talking, "Why don't you agree to the Queen's proposal? If you sign the divorce letter, you won't have to see Yuan's dead face anymore. Do you still have feelings for her? She has been cold to you for so many years. Haven't you seen through this person? She relies on her talent and looks down on everything. She doesn't even take you seriously. All the men in the world have three wives and four concubines. Why does she ask you to keep her alone? Who does she think she is?"
Prime Minister Xia suddenly opened his eyes, and the anger in his eyes frightened Madam Linglong so much that she involuntarily moved back. She swallowed her saliva and said stubbornly, "Am I wrong?"
Prime Minister Xia stared at her fiercely, "Why? Why did you steal her painting and give it to me?"
The guilt he had just felt towards Yuan had turned into anger. When he showed her the painting, she knew it was not painted by Linglong, but she said nothing. She must have been secretly laughing at him in her heart. She looked down on him from the beginning to the end.
Seeing how fierce he was, Madam Linglong burst into tears. "It's been so many years since this happened. Do you still want to pursue it? For the sake of Wan'er and Lin'er, you shouldn't pursue it anymore."
Prime Minister Xia's voice was as cold as ice. "Chen Linglong, how can you be so stupid? You gave me the painting she drew. Aren't you afraid that she will expose you?"
Madam Linglong cried and said, "How dare she? She gave this painting to Prince An. How dare she admit it? Although she gave this painting to Prince An in order to make him give up, who knows if she has hidden feelings for him? If she really has no selfish motives, how could she not expose me?"
(End of this chapter)