Vol 1 Chapter 9 (2/2)

‘General Chan, the emperor asked me to give this you,’ the young eunuch said. ‘The emperor said you’ll understand clearly after you see this.’

The eunuch was too scared to wait for Chen Quan Ran’s reply so the eunuch ran away.

Chen Quan Ran didn’t have the patience to read. But he grudgingly read what the emperor wanted to say. Then he was angry enough to make everyone in the palace faint.

After Chen Quan Ran returned to the Chen Manor, Madam and Mo Lan knew from his dark expression that nothing went smoothly in the palace.

‘Quan Ran did you see the emperor?’ Madam asked.

‘What emperor?’ Chen Quan Ran asked. ‘The emperor hid in his chamber. He rather die than see me. I know he’s in a difficult situation but this time he made me extremely angry.’

Chen Quan Ran pa.s.sed the piece of paper to his grandma. Mo Lan was sitting next to his grandma and she saw the content of the piece of paper too.

‘During the Southern Yue’s Prince Jing Qi and General Fang’s visit, Tu Qing Mu asked General Fang about his unique jade pendant. General Fang said it was his most precious jade pendant. He gave the woman he loved a pair of earrings that matched the design of his jade pendant. Tu Qing Mu asked a painter to replicate the design of General Fang’s unique jade pendant and took the painting home. Chen Luo Yu was a guest at General Fang’s home and he showed her the painting. Chen Luo Yu told General Fang the jade pendant design matched General Chen’s wife’s earrings. Tu Qing Min didn’t hesitate and he asked the painter to paint the earrings Chen Luo Yu described. Tu Qing Min used the painting to investigate General Chen’s wife’s ident.i.ty. Fang Mu Chu was older than forty years old and in his life he only loved one woman. He didn’t know what happened to the woman he loved after they separated but apart from her, he didn’t want to marry anyone else.  Mo Lan who married into the Chen Household at the age of nine was Fang Mu Chu’s blood daughter because her mother’s family heirloom was the love token Feng Mu Chu gave her mother.’

Everyone in the Chen Household understood Tu Qing Min used Mo Lan’s birth ident.i.ty as a way to step on Chen Quan Ran’s head. Tu Qing Min couldn’t behead Chen Quan Ran to avenge his nephew’s death but he could cause tension between Chen Quan Ran and the emperor. Of course the emperor couldn’t let an enemy general’s blood daughter stay in the imperial city.

Mo Lan appeared calm after receiving the shocking news. How could her father be Fang Mu Chu? She knew the tension between the Northern Empire and Southern Yue was big enough for a small smoke to inflame both kingdoms to go to war with each other.

Mo Lan knew if her birth ident.i.ty was made public then she couldn’t stay in the Chen Household. Because one day when the Northern Empire and Southern Yue are at war with each other, her father would be her husband’s enemy on the battlefield. How could she choose between her father and her husband?

Madam was worried to see Mo Lan’s white complexion. She hated seeing anyone upset Mo Lan.

‘Xiao Lan, you don’t need to worry about this,’ Madam said. She gently patted Mo Lan’s hand to rea.s.sure Mo Lan. ‘As long as Quan Ran and I are here, we won’t let anyone harm you.’

***

Chapter Nine (Part 3 of 3)

Madam signalled Mo Lan to leave.

After Mo Lan left Madam’s chamber, Chen Quan Ran looked sadly at Madam.

‘Grandma, Xiao Lan followed you since she married me,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘You would know the most about her ident.i.ty.’

‘Quan Ran do you know who Xiao Lan’s mother is?’ Madam asked.

Chen Quan Ran shook his head and he listened attentively to his grandma talk about Mo Lan’s mother. His heart sunk. How could it be true?

Later Chen Quan Ran returned to his chamber. His heartbroken wife was sitting on a chair.

Chen Quan Ran stood behind his wife and hugged her.

‘Xiao Lan are you still worried about your earrings?’ Chen Quan Ran asked.

Mo Lan turned around and she hugged Chen Quan Ran tighter.

‘My father… is he truly Fang Mu Chu?’ Mo Lan asked.

‘Little fool it doesn’t matter if he’s your father because you’ll always be my wife,’ Chen Quan Ran said.

Mo Lan was deeply moved by Chen Quan Ran’s words. Her hands gripped his hands that were holding onto her waist tightly. Her heart was in unbearable pain and tears flowed uncontrollably down her cheeks.

Chen Quan Ran was surprised Mo Lan didn’t say anything. Instead she pushed him back and she gave him a letter.

‘What is this?’ Chen Quan Ran asked.

Chen Quan Ran read the letter and his gentleness disappeared.

‘A divorce letter?’ Chen Quan Ran asked.

Chen Quan Ran didn’t understand why Mo Lan would ask him to divorce her.

‘The divorce letter is clear,’ Mo Lan said in a choked voice. ‘A man has the right to divorce his wife for shameful misconduct, mistreating her husband, disrespectful toward elders and doesn’t take good care of her husband’s family… you only need to sign at the bottom of the letter and from this day onward I have no a.s.sociation with the Chen Household.’

Chen Quan Ran’s shaky hands held the letter.

‘What are you saying?’ Chen Quan Ran asked.

‘You can divorce me,’ Mo Lan said softly. ‘If you divorce me then it wouldn’t matter who my father is and no one can use me to soil the Chen Household’s reputation.’

Mo Lan thought thoroughly about what she must do to protect the Chen Household. It would be hard for her to leave Chen Quan Ran and Madam. But she didn’t want them to be forced to choose between her and their loyalty toward the Northern Empire. She didn’t want them to oppose the emperor and be accused of treason because of her. So if Chen Quan divorced her then he and Madam’s lives would be spared. She owed Madam a lot for raising her and loving her for ten years.

‘Divorce you?’ Chen Quan Ran asked angrily. He almost vomited blood. ‘Xiao Lan is your head muddled? Do you think if I divorce you then it’ll resolve everything? Do you think if I divorce you the court officials who want my head will beg the emperor to spare everyone at the Chen Manor? Do you think if I divorce you there’ll be world peace?’

It was the first time Chen Quan Ran raised his voice while speaking to Mo Lan.

Chen Quan Ran shook the letter in front of Mo Lan.

‘Xiao Lan if one day I’m accused of committing a crime, would you also ask me to divorce you?’ Chen Quan Ran asked. ‘That way you can end any a.s.sociation with the Chen Household and escape punishment.’

Chen Quan Ran was angrily raising his voice at Mo Lan and made her sob loudly.

Chen Quan Ran forced himself not to immediately comfort Mo Lan after he heard her pitiful sob.

‘If you’re capable of doing something foolish like this because you care about the Chen Household then I don’t know what other foolish things you’re capable of,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘What kind of person do you see me as?’

‘I…’ Mo Lan said.

‘What I?’ Chen Quan Ran asked.

Mo Lan’s foolishness made Chen Quan Ran angry to death.

‘Next time if you dare wave a divorce letter in front of me,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘I don’t care if you’ll regret it and want to stay with me. I won’t keep a wife who is scared of being a.s.sociated with the Chen Household since she doesn’t want to be implicate herself. Because a coward isn’t suited to be my wife.’

Chen Quan Ran’s cruel words made Mo Lan sob uncontrollably. It was obvious she had good intentions but he heartlessly cursed and scolded her.

Chen Quan Ran had trouble scolding Mo Lan. Her tears melted his heart. He wiped tears off her face and hugged her.

‘Don’t cry anymore,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘Earlier I raised my voice a little but you were wrong too. Aren’t we husband and wife? Even if I must die, I’ll still die with you.’

Mo Lan’s body didn’t stop trembling against Chen Quan Ran’s chest.

‘Besides I won’t let anyone kill you or me,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘Whatever trouble you face, I’ll always be here to help you overcome them.’

That evening Chen Quan Ran stayed in bed and comforted his wife until she stopped crying and fell asleep. Then he carefully got out of bed and put on his clothes.

Chen Quan Ran flew over many roofs and he landed on a bridge where Chen Luo Yu waited a long time for him.

‘General…’ Chen Luo Yu said.

Under the moonlight, Chen Quan Ran smiled coldly at Chen Luo Yu’s beautiful face.

‘What is it you need to say to me?’ Chen Quan Ran asked coldly.

‘I’m truly sorry… I didn’t know the situation would escalate to this,’ Chen Luo Yu said.

Chen Luo Yu easily recognised the familiar painting design Tu Fang Su showed her. She only wanted to harm Mo Lan. She didn’t expect the Chen Household would be accused of treason. When she went to the Chen Manor to explain, the guards prevented her from entering the Chen Manor. She could only beg Xiao Ha to ask Chen Quan Ran to see her on the bridge closest to the Chen Manor. She waited for Chen Quan Ran most of the night.

After Chen Quan Ran knew Chen Luo Yu betrayed him and his wife, he regretted letting a wolf like Chen Luo Yu into his family’s home. If it wasn’t Chen Luo Yu who told Tu Qing Min about Mo Lan’s earrings then others wouldn’t find out about Mo Lan’s ident.i.ty.

‘I don’t care if you purposely or accidently betrayed my family,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘From today onward I never want to see you again.’

‘General-’ Chen Luo Yu said.

‘I only came here because I considered our sworn brother bond in the past,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘Although I don’t want to blame you for everything that happened but it was your carelessness that put my family in danger. I didn’t expect someone who I saw as a sworn brother was a jinx to the Chen Household.’

Chen Luo Yu’s heart bled, Chen Quan Ran’s words were deadly cold.

‘I won’t take revenge on you but I’ll never forgive you,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘From today onward we have no relation to each other and we’ll never meet again.’

Chen Quan Ran leapt off the bridge and flew home to his wife.

Chen Luo Yu stayed behind on the bridge and she cried the rest of the night.

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