Chapter 1483: Brother Xuxu Extra (Part 2)
The Princess had completed her confinement, and Yueyao no longer involved herself in the affairs of the Princess’s Mansion. Just when Yueyao thought she could catch her breath, An Ning caused another problem.
Madam Yin from the Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion came to find Yueyao, saying, "An Ning returned home crying yesterday, saying that Bu Bing wants to divorce her. We cannot ignore this." Bu Bing is An Ning’s husband.
An Ning has a certain fear of An Zhichen and Yueyao, and since An Zhichen was adopted out, she always seeks help from the Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion when something happens.
Yueyao didn’t want to involve herself in An Ning’s matters, but she had no choice. After all, An Ning is An Zhichen’s biological sister; ignoring her would not look good: "What’s the matter now?" In the second year of her marriage, An Ning had a daughter, but she almost died during childbirth and harmed her body, making her unable to bear children again. Generally, if a legal wife has no son, she would raise a son born to a maternal auntie as her own.
An Ning raised her daughter for three years, and the doctor eventually said she would find it difficult to conceive again. She was prepared to adopt a concubine-born son to raise in her name since she had no son and would need one to care for her in old age. But plans could not keep up with changes. Old Madam arranged for a respectable concubine, Maternal Aunt Hua, to be brought in, and after she gave birth to the concubine-born eldest son, she was unwillingly to give her son to An Ning to raise. Therefore, after taking away the child, she intentionally had a Taoist priestess say that her son clashed with An Ning, coincidentally when the child fell ill. Old Madam Bu loved her grandson, and Bu Bing wanted the best for his son, so the child was taken back to be raised by Maternal Aunt Hua. Of course, Bu Bing and Old Madam Bu still wanted this child to be recorded under An Ning’s name.
An Ning is no fool; having a child not raised by her but recorded under her name would be giving a wedding dress to Maternal Aunt Hua for nothing. An Ning refused, and instead promoted a maid to be a concubine. This maid was strong-willed and gave birth to a son a year later. Unfortunately, the child died in an accident before turning three. After that, besides the three sons born to Maternal Aunt Hua, Bu Bing had no other sons.
Over the years, Bu Bing continuously wanted to have the eldest son recorded under An Ning’s name, but An Ning refused to relent. Because of this, there has been constant turmoil.
Madam Yin smiled bitterly and said, "Bu Bing said that if An Ning still refuses to have the child recorded under her name, he will elevate Maternal Aunt Hua to an equal wife. If she doesn’t agree to that either, then An Ning should return to her natal family." As for why Bu Bing insists on recording his son under An Ning’s name, Madam Yin and Yueyao are very aware that it is merely to give his son a good birth status, so that he can marry well. If that could connect them to the Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion and the Pingyang Residence, even better.
Yueyao asked, "What does An Ning say?"
Madam Yin said with a headache, "An Ning says she is unwilling to have Maternal Aunt Hua’s child recorded under her name." For a woman she so detests, recording her son under her own name means she would have to look at Maternal Aunt Hua’s face in the future.
After listening, Yueyao chuckled softly, "I remember she was quite capable in the past, but now she’s been suppressed by a maternal auntie."
Madam Yin understood that Yueyao was referring to events of the past: "Those things are in the past; now her life is genuinely not easy." Madam Yin sometimes genuinely feels there is karmic retribution: back then, Maternal Aunt Liu oppressed her mother-in-law so much that she couldn’t breathe; now An Ning has been tormented by a concubine for over ten years. If it weren’t for her natal family’s strength and the support of the Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion and the Earl’s Mansion, it would be questionable if An Ning could even survive until now.
Yueyao thought for a moment and said, "Bu Bing wants to divorce his wife, or elevate that Maternal Aunt Hua, just let him have his way."
Madam Yin’s expression changed drastically, "Sister-in-law, if An Ning is divorced, it won’t be good for the reputation of the girls in the family." Having a matrilineal aunt who was sent back in disgrace means no one in the family would dare to show their face outside.
Yueyao laughed lightly, "Bu Bing needs the courage of Brother Zheng to do so." Until now, Bu Bing is nothing more than a sixth-ranked military general. If he truly dared to divorce An Ning, the power of the An Family would certainly crush him. The so-called divorce and promotion is nothing but a means to force An Ning’s hand.
Hearing this, Madam Yin felt much more at ease. Though her husband is Marquis Weiyuan, higher in nobility than An Zhichen holding the title of an Earl, An Zhiren has always held a nominal position with no real power, which is far different from An Zhichen, who holds military command.
After thinking for a moment, Madam Yin said, "Constant trouble is not a solution; since Bu Bing talked about divorce this time, let’s settle this matter once and for all." This matter has been dragging on for over ten years, causing Madam Yin constant distress.
Yueyao also thought that resolving the issue thoroughly would be good, saving An Ning from returning to her natal home to cry every few days: "Sister-in-law, do you have any ideas?"
