Volume One, Chapter 10: Breaking Off the Engagement

Song Qinghuan’s gaze fell on Lu Yumo, filled only with disdain.

She looked at the man before her, her face calm and emotionless, and spoke lightly, “No matter how low I fall, I am not someone that a scoundrel like you can bully at will.”

Without hesitation, Song Qinghuan tore a piece of fabric from her dress, bit her fingertip, and neatly wrote the two characters for “divorce letter” on the cloth.

“Rest assured, no matter how much you beg, I will never set foot in the Lu family’s mansion.”

“Today, it is not you, Lu Yumo, divorcing your wife, but I, Song Qinghuan, divorcing my husband!” Her aura was formidable, leaving Lu Yumo no room to respond.

Her youthful grace was icy and detached, her eyes showing no mercy.

Lu Yumo was furious, staring at the fabric Song Qinghuan had thrown at him, wishing he could kill her on the spot. “Song Qinghuan, what do you mean by this?”

“Everyone knows you are a disgrace to the Great Yong Empire. Your reputation is tarnished. Even if you come back now, you’re nothing but a scoundrel. And you still dare to ask me to break off the engagement? Song Qinghuan, how dare you!” Lu Yumo was beside himself, as if being rejected was the greatest humiliation.

But Song Qinghuan was indifferent.

“It was you who earnestly begged my Song family to secure this engagement.”

“Now that it is to be canceled, it should naturally be my decision.”

“It was the Empress Dowager herself who arranged this marriage for us. Since we are to break the engagement, we must go to the palace to ask the Empress Dowager to make a ruling. If there is nothing to discuss, please, follow me.” Song Qinghuan gestured politely, inviting Lu Yumo to accompany her to see the Empress Dowager.

Her urgency only made Lu Yumo look more like a clown, his disgrace fully exposed.

Lu Yumo trembled but stood still.

Song Mingzhu watched everything unfold, wondering where Song Qinghuan’s courage came from. She was already considered a disgrace, yet she refused to humble herself or beg for mercy, acting arrogantly instead.

But the more arrogant Song Qinghuan was, the quicker she would perish!

Song Mingzhu was actually pleased to see Song Qinghuan and Lu Yumo break off the engagement. The fewer people protecting Song Qinghuan in the Great Yong Empire, the better her own chances of staying.

Seeing Lu Yumo hesitate, Song Mingzhu immediately wore a pitiful look and tugged at his sleeve, “Brother Yumo, is there something holding you back?”

---

“Impossible!” Lu Yumo stiffened his neck, unwilling to admit defeat, and stubbornly climbed into the carriage.

Song Qinghuan followed behind, smiling at Song Mingzhu as she passed, “Thank you. If it weren’t for you taking over, I wouldn’t know how to deal with this trash.”

Song Mingzhu was furious.

Inside the carriage, Song Qinghuan and Lu Yumo kept their distance, neither making any attempt to stay close. Seeing how determined Song Qinghuan was to end the engagement, inexplicably, Lu Yumo found himself reluctant to let go.

For some reason, he felt that if the engagement was truly broken, it would be as if Song Qinghuan had abandoned him.

The carriage rode swiftly and soon arrived at the foot of the imperial city.

Song Qinghuan handed over a token, indicating she wished to see Aunt Fen Ruo, who served the Empress Dowager. Understanding her intent, Fen Ruo did not come out immediately but first went to the Empress Dowager’s palace.

---

Inside the Empress Dowager’s palace.

Fen Ruo approached the Empress Dowager, holding the token, and carefully said, “Your Majesty, the eldest Miss Song from the Song family and the young master Lu Yumo from the Lu family have arrived, saying they wish to break off their engagement.”

The Empress Dowager was momentarily taken aback.

Seeing her silence, Fen Ruo continued on Song Qinghuan’s behalf, “That Lu young master is shameless. When the Marquis of Jing’an’s household was thriving, he did everything to court Miss Song. Now that he finally won her favor and secured the engagement, he turns his back just because Miss Song suffered misfortune. He’s even brazen enough to bring this matter to Your Majesty to break off the engagement.”

“This engagement was personally arranged by Your Majesty and carries familial ties. If it’s broken, it’s as if they openly slight Your Majesty.” Fen Ruo clicked her tongue. Having accompanied Song Qinghuan on a visit to the Song household and witnessed how the vile Song family mistreated her, Fen Ruo truly sympathized with and favored Song Qinghuan.

The Empress Dowager looked at Fen Ruo but said nothing.

She was well aware that Lu Yumo was not a good man for Song Qinghuan, but this engagement...

“Go back and tell those two that the engagement stands. They need not come to the palace again.”

Her gaze was cold, her tone resolute and unyielding.

Fen Ruo was stunned but nodded and went to relay the message.

---

The Empress Dowager sighed deeply.

Granting the divorce would be detrimental to Song Qinghuan. It would be tantamount to the imperial family admitting that Song Qinghuan had been violated by the enemy nation, no longer intact.

Sending a hostage to the enemy was already a humiliation for the Great Yong Empire. That she was returned unharmed was a stroke of luck, proving that the Rongdi barbarians dared not harm the imperial hostage.

But to openly declare that Song Qinghuan had suffered a great misfortune would be to place her and the Great Yong Empire on the chopping block together.

The Empress Dowager was clear in her heart. Not agreeing to the divorce might be unfair to Song Qinghuan.

Yet, as the Empress Dowager of the realm, she could do no more.

When Fen Ruo conveyed the message outside, she looked at Song Qinghuan with pity and said, “Though the Empress Dowager did not agree to the divorce, in this old servant’s opinion, she wishes to protect you.”

“If anyone dares to bully you in the future, come to the palace without hesitation.”

“The Empress Dowager will surely uphold your cause.”

Song Qinghuan hesitated but finally nodded. Since the Empress Dowager refused the divorce, she had no choice but to accept it.

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager did not consent, and Lu Yumo breathed a slight sigh of relief.

When he regained his senses, he realized Song Qinghuan, who had just been beside him, had vanished.

Lu Yumo’s eyes brimmed with contempt. “Song Qinghuan must have done this on purpose, trying to embarrass me. Then I will teach her a lesson she won’t forget!”