Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 334 - 326: Does Mr. Qin Mean This Woman Is Backed by Mr. Xie’s People?
"No matter how formidable she is, she’s just a woman."
Qin Fu interrupted the person and after a moment of thought said, "Rather than guard against it, we should gather it in."
"Gather it in? Mr. Qin, have you thought of a better plan?"
Old He was very curious. Qin Fu moved the letter to the candle flame and watched the rising fire, squinting his eyes.
"She may die, but those firearms must stay."
"The letter says she’s the wife of Xie Huai’an, and that Mr. Xie was the former Prime Minister, not one to be trifled with. To be his wife and still craft firearms, do you think she could do that alone?"
"Mr. Qin, are you suggesting she might have Mr. Xie’s people behind her?"
"Xie Huai’an’s death was at the Princess’s behest. Why she targeted him must be due to some hidden secret behind him. I think it’s likely because of this weapon. If I can get these firearms and present them to King Yan, when King Yan takes power and ascends the throne, won’t I rise to glory in one leap?"
Old He’s eyes lit up instantly! He immediately understood: "There’s reason in that. Mr. Qin truly thinks far ahead. If we can get the firearm’s secret, we will undoubtedly have a prosperous official life, unhindered."
Qin Fu contentedly stroked his beard and said, "So, no matter how skilled Ruan Mian is, we need not worry. We only need to extract the secret of the firearms from her."
"Besides being Xie Huai’an’s wife, before her exile, she was the daughter-in-law of the Qi Family in the Capital City."
"The Qi Family’s daughter-in-law? Do you mean Qi Nanfeng?!"
Old He was shocked. Qin Fu calmly nodded: "That’s right, Qi Nanfeng was just a good-for-nothing fool. I don’t know why the Princess favored him back then, but he had quite a few good days."
"But he didn’t live long after being exiled, yet this connection gives me an opening."
"Although the Qi Family was all exiled, upon investigating, there is a branch of the Qi clan. Do you recall I mentioned Liu Shu to you?"
Old He thought carefully and was shocked: "Is Liu Shu somehow connected to Qi Nanfeng?"
"Qi Nanfeng’s cousin, Liu Shu. What do you say if I send him to Wuheng to uncover the secret of gunpowder?"
Old He had a sudden realization: "Liu Shu is eloquent and handsome, with many women flocking to him. The Ruan Family widow, having lost two husbands, how could she resist such a charming gentleman? Moreover, Liu Shu he..."
At this point, Old He and Qin Fu exchanged meaningful glances and shared a smile, making a firm commitment to the plan.
···
Wuheng.
Ruan Mian truly rested in the house for three days. During these three days, the farthest she went was her brother’s house.
She was very worried about her sister-in-law and brother’s affairs, but she did not expect that Mrs. Chen would recover as usual, no longer aimless and worried all day long.
She not only toiled daily but also kept the household in perfect order.
When asked, Cui Zhu would quietly tell her: "Miss, don’t worry about the young master and young madam. Both of them have been very good lately. They seem to have a deeper relationship, even stronger than before."
"The young madam goes to the weaving mill daily, and apart from her own tasks, she even consults Shaoxi on martial arts. Can you believe it? But since the young madam is weak, Shaoxi said that learning martial arts is not a quick thing. She has to put in more effort than I do, yet the young madam is determined to learn."
"And the young master, he studies more diligently now. If he’s not at the academy, he’s in his room studying hard, just like before the imperial exams."
Hearing this, Ruan Mian was puzzled: "You’re saying brother is engrossed in study all day?"
She found it strange, so on the third day, she managed to get past Yun Xiu to find Ruan Qingsong and ask about the situation.
Even though he had come to see her that morning, Yun Xiu and Cui Zhu were around, making it inconvenient for Ruan Mian to ask.
Now with only the two of them, she finally asked why he suddenly wanted to study hard. Her intuition told her that things were not simple.
Sure enough, there was indeed something else behind it.
But it was also a good thing. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"Mianmian, I received news the day before yesterday that the new Emperor is reforming and plans to select people from the public, so the imperial exams no longer have so many rules as before. Now, even merchants, even those from families where no one can read, even those who have made mistakes in the past, have the chance to try again."
Ruan Mian saw the light in his eyes, seemingly influenced by his joy: "Is this news reliable?"
She knew that in this era, for the civil service exams, merchants had no eligibility. Even if a family had merchants within three generations, they couldn’t take the exams.
Also, those with criminal records or whose household registration had been removed were ineligible.
Especially for those like them, who were exiled; even if their status was later restored, they were ineligible.
They were filtered out at the regional exams, let alone when Wuheng had not officially established a government.
But now things were different.
"Brother, do you mean to retake the civil service exams?"
Ruan Qingsong nodded without hesitation, speaking with utmost seriousness: "Mianmian, although I wrote those poems, I never meant any disrespect to the sages or Da Jing."
"Others misinterpreted my words, spread rumors, causing my entire family to suffer and be exiled thousands of miles away. This is a lifelong pain for me. The Ruan Family’s downfall was because of my misstep. How can I take this lying down?"
"No one can rectify the injustice for me or the Ruan Family. The only option is to seize this opportunity myself." Ruan Qingsong stood up and approached her, "I should have said this to you earlier, but seeing you unwell these past two days, I thought to wait until you felt better."
"Now that we’ve been reinstated, Wuheng City has been officially established. The new exam regulations don’t set age limits, whether it’s me or others from the academy, anyone can go and try."
"I’ve not only let down our Ruan Family clan but also my sister-in-law. I’m a man of integrity; how can I live so ignobly?"
"But brother, our life now is..."
"I understand your point, Mianmian. Our current life is indeed stable and happy, but for me, the Ruan Family’s injustice weighs heavy on my heart. I’d rather repay my father-in-law and mother-in-law with my life than live like this!"
"Only by clearing my own name can we return to Wuheng with dignity, which is my life’s wish!"
Ruan Mian understood his words deeply in her heart.
Some people live only for the sake of living, while others have different purposes for their lives.
Not everyone seeks only peace and happiness, like Ah Huai; if he only sought peace and happiness, why would he feign death and venture deep into danger?
And take He Wenxuan for instance; if he only sought peace and happiness, why did he choose the path of enlisting, leading to his current downfall?
