Chapter 25: Compensation

Chapter 25

Compensation

Nie Shuang feigned sorrow.

"Father-in-law, please show me mercy. Don’t force me to leave him. If I were to be divorced, I’d face nothing but hardship. Returning to my natal family would bring shame upon us. I’d have no choice but to flee the capital in disgrace. If I have to face such hardships, I’d rather enduring the pain of living under the same roof as Young Miss Chen. At least the General is fond of me. Even if she marries into the family, it doesn’t mean she’ll win his favor. I’ll go back and convince him to agree to the marriage. Father-in-law, you needn’t worry—he will surely listen to me."

For reasons unknown, the Hou felt uneasy upon hearing her promise. She seemed utterly certain she could control his son as easily as handling a chick, and even more confident that defeating Chen Yuelan would be effortless. He wasn’t blind—he could see clearly that his troublesome daughter-in-law was strikingly beautiful, and his son had become so infatuated with her, leaving him with a constant headache. Keeping her around would only bring future harm. It would be better to force her to divorce now and end this potential trouble.

"Don’t be so distressed. As an elder, I live by the principle of not causing difficulties for the younger generation. If you stay in this household, you’ll only be looked down upon. Chen Yuelan—do you know who she is? Her father is the Minister of Works. Your family background can’t compare to hers in the slightest. It would be better if you divorced him. I’ll handle everything, and you’ll continue to live comfortably as before."

The Hou was now determined to secure his son’s future, willing to go to great lengths. At first, he had thought convincing Nie Shuang to support the marriage would suffice, but now he felt that forcing her to divorce was a better solution.

"How exactly will you support me, Father-in-law? How can I be sure that I’ll have enough to live on for the rest of my life?"

Nie Shuang asked tearfully, even as she struggled to suppress her smile. The Hou flinched at her words. His mind momentarily went blank as he grappled with the question of just how much ‘enough to live on for a lifetime’ should be.

"All the gemstones in my personal treasury—I’ll give them to you,"

After a long while, he finally ground out, but Nie Shuang frowned.

"That doesn’t sound fair. How do I know how much your personal treasury contains? It would be better if you had everything brought out for me to see, so I can decide whether it’s sufficient or not."

The Hou shouted for the servant at the door to summon the butler. Handing over the key to his treasury, he ordered the butler to bring everything out for her to inspect. The butler quickly gathered workers to bring chest after chest. Soon enough, the once-spacious study became cramped, filled with over twenty chests lined up on the floor.

These were the rewards the Hou had earned from his victories in battle, accumulated over the years, but he had to swallow his own blood to take it out and give it to her. Fortunately, he still had gold bars and silver coins stored away in several other chests, which he hadn’t yet touched. Those were for emergencies. As for the fine jewelry, most of it had already been given to Xu Shi.

Nie Shuang opened each chest, and as the dazzling light of the jewels reflected in her eyes, she was quite pleased. The Hou, being a man, likely paid little attention to the value of these gemstones, but even though they hadn’t been made into jewelry yet, she could tell they were worth quite a lot. When Nie Shuang nodded her approval, the Hou secretly sighed in relief.

Getting rid of this unruly daughter-in-law was turning out to be quite expensive...

"Father-in-law, I still have one more concern,"

Nie Shuang said with a trembling voice, which made the Hou jump in his seat.

"What now?"

He asked sternly, both irritated and anxious.

"What if I give the divorce letter to the General, but he refuses to accept it? What should I do then? Given how much he’s attached to me, I fear he won’t let me go easily. If that happens, I may have to flee. Would you, Father-in-law, help cover my tracks and hide my departure?"

The Hou nearly burst out laughing but held it in.

Oh, my! Even if she hadn’t asked, he would have hidden it from his son regardless. This woman was truly clueless.

"Fine, I promise I’ll help you cover your tracks and keep it hidden from Qilin."

"Father-in-law, there’s still another matter that troubles me."

Nie Shuang frowned, her expression filled with fear.

"I’ve never left the capital, and as a woman traveling alone, I fear for my safety. Would you send someone to protect me until I reach my destination?"

"This is no problem at all. Rest assured, I have skilled, loyal men who will escort you safely to your destination,"

The Hou answered without hesitation.

"And what about the travel expenses? Will I need to sell the gemstones you’ve given me to cover the costs of food, lodging, and paying the guards you sent?"

This time, the Hou’s face twitched. He called out to his butler again.

"Bring her two thousand taels in promissory notes."

The butler’s eyes widened in shock. That amount could buy half a mansion in the capital. But he didn’t dare object and quickly went to the ledger room to fetch the promissory notes, returning shortly. By now, the Hou’s face was flushed red—it’s uncertain if it’s from the heat or the sting of parting with so much wealth.

"About today’s agreement, can I trust your word, Father-in-law? I am but a weak woman, the daughter of a mere merchant. If you go back on your word, I have no power to fight you."

Nie Shuang looked anxious, her eyes glistening with tears. The Hou was now unsure who was really being bullied.

"My word is final. You don’t need to worry."

Nie Shuang bowed gracefully. What a kind and generous father-in-law. Not only had he summoned her and handed over precious gemstones, travel money, and guards, but he also saved her the trouble of figuring out how to escape without Song Qilin knowing. Her smile, this time, was truly genuine—a smile reserved only for moments when she had reaped significant profits.

The Hou, seeing that smile, felt a strange premonition.

She looked far too pleased, demanding so much from him, as if she had planned to do this all along...

But that couldn’t be! His son was such an outstanding man—how could any woman willingly let him go? He had to pay this much only to convince her to leave.

"When the twenty-five chests are delivered to Lian Fang Quarters, I will have someone send the divorce papers,"

Nie Shuang said before stepping out of the room as if floating.