You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 12 Self-Requested Divorce
As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Ma, accompanied by a strong and burly man, pushed aside the servants watching the commotion in the courtyard and entered the banquet hall.

Li Sheng, who was kneeling on the ground, blurted out, "Boss Qi, what are you doing here?"

Liang Jiang smiled and said, "Let me introduce you. This is the owner of Fucheng Gambling House, Li Sheng's creditor. His surname is Qi. He has something to say to you all."

Boss Qi stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Liang Jiang, and then took out several silver ingots from his pocket to show everyone.

Only then did he speak: "Last month, Li Sheng from your household owed my gambling den fifty taels of silver, and he has been delaying repayment ever since."

Yesterday was the final deadline, so I found him, asked for the fifty taels of silver, and we drank together until late at night.

After drinking, a petty person asked him where he got his money. He replied that it was from working for the old lady of the mansion, and she rewarded him with it.

A bad feeling rose in Fang Chengxu's heart. His eyes narrowed and he asked coldly, "So what? My mother has always been kind to the servants."

Boss Qi showed no fear in the face of his harsh words: "I am puzzled. I heard that your household is short of money and has just pawned more than ten acres of land. Although the old lady is related to Li Sheng, she has never been so extravagant."

Li Sheng was quite dismissive, saying that after today's matter was settled, the old lady would receive a further reward, mostly jewelry and precious stones, and would undoubtedly come to my gambling den for a good time.

That statement contains a lot of information.

Li Sheng was immediately enraged and embarrassed: "You actually tricked me! Tell me, how could you be so kind as to invite me to drink, then provoke me with your words? Just how much did this woman bribe you with?"

Boss Qi sneered: "I just can't stand people like you who are only interested in profit and do things against your conscience! The bottom of this silver is inscribed with a mark, and you can find out who gave it to you by comparing the marks."

Who told you to be blind and provoke someone you shouldn't have?

Liang Jiang waved his hand, signaling Boss Qi to step down.

Money makes the world go round, and besides, in Fucheng, who wouldn't give you a little face?
He decided to strike first, found the casino owner, Mr. Qi, and told him that Li Sheng had made a small fortune and that he should collect the debt as soon as possible.

The rest was much simpler.

Liang Jiang looked at Fang Chengxu and calmly questioned, "Back then, you were worried about your ailing mother-in-law when you went to the capital to make a living. I was still in mourning when I married into the Fang family, and we had an agreement beforehand that we would not sleep together during the three-year mourning period. Therefore, we did not have any marital relations."

A few days ago, when I returned to my hometown, you secretly carried two handkerchiefs, attempting to switch them out, tarnish my reputation, and force me to resign.

After your treacherous scheme failed, you and your son fabricated all sorts of trouble and spread rumors about me. Today, you've resorted to the same old tricks, bribing Li Sheng to falsely accuse me of being unfaithful and of divorcing my wife to remarry.

Fang Chengxu, we were husband and wife, yet you are so heartless, shameless, and despicable. Your character is utterly base, and you are absolutely unworthy of being my wife!

How could Fang Chengxu possibly admit it?

"That's utter slander and complete nonsense! Do you think you can bribe that gambling den owner to turn black into white and clear your name of your illicit affairs?"

Lu Xingzhan chimed in quietly, "The way you're saying this makes it sound like Madam Fang had some kind of premonition, knowing that this wicked servant was going to frame her today."

This was another insightful observation. Everyone's eyes flickered; they all knew the truth, but were too embarrassed to point it out.

Liang Jiang let out another cold laugh: "Fang Chengxu, I'll say it again: I, Liang Jiang, am open and honest, and I dare to undergo a physical examination to prove my innocence. Do you dare to gamble your life on this?"

Fang Chengxu was speechless.

After hearing the whole story, Deputy General He was also filled with rage. He stepped forward, grabbed Li Sheng by the collar, lifted him up like a chick, and gave him a good beating.

"What a shameless and treacherous servant! I almost believed your lies! You are heartless and cruel, worse than an animal."

These words were clearly a veiled insult, and Fang Chengxu was so embarrassed that he didn't dare to step forward to stop them.

He couldn't understand why the guests he had invited today were so biased towards Liang Jiang, even to the point of turning against him and practically pointing their fingers at him and cursing him.

Li Sheng was no match for Vice General He's iron fists. He was beaten so badly that he saw stars and even had several teeth knocked out, which he had to swallow.

For a moment, he couldn't care less about anything else and desperately cried out, "My lord, spare my life! This was all instigated by my old lady, and she taught me to say those words. I will never dare to do it again!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Chengxu was immediately shocked and looked at Old Madam Fang in disbelief. The guests at the banquet cursed, "He only achieved military merit, and hasn't even received any reward from the court yet, but he's already ungrateful and abandoned his wife who shared his hardships. He's even worse than Chen Shimei!"

The Liang family patriarch immediately felt a surge of pride: "Although Liang Jiang is a villager from outside Fucheng, her mother helped people and brought blessings to the local community. Now that her daughter has suffered such injustice in the Fang family, as the patriarch of the Liang family, I feel ashamed!"

"I came with good intentions to congratulate you on your promotion, but I never expected to be taken advantage of and almost used as a pawn."

"Exactly. If we were to follow the crowd today and witness him write the letter of divorce, wouldn't we also become sinners?"

……

Everyone condemned the Fang family mother and son. Fang Chengxu never expected that his own actions would backfire, causing him to lose face and become infamous.

Lu Xingzhan added insult to injury at just the right moment, saying sarcastically, "Truly, there are all kinds of birds in a big forest. Today, I, Lu, have truly seen something new. That such a person could actually become an official in the court... Sigh, if he treats his wife like this, what will he do to the common people..."

Then he gave Gu Xizhi a meaningful look.

Gu Xizhi spoke up to stop the furious Deputy General He, toying with the wine cup in her hand, remaining silent.

Liang Jiang then stepped forward, picked up the wolf-hair brush on the table, and wrote with great skill and grace on the Xuan paper in one go.

"Fang Chengxu, I know that you have been scheming so hard to force me to resign and seek a powerful patron."

"Now that we've completely severed ties, I dare not have anything to do with you anymore. Today you return my dowry, and I will sign this divorce agreement, granting you your freedom. From now on, we owe each other nothing!"

Fang Chengxu was naturally delighted and readily agreed: "Okay, it's a deal."

Liang Jiang smiled slightly and had Yu Ma bring out her dowry list and account books, which she then unfolded in front of Fang Chengxu:
"In my dowry, I will give the jewelry, silks and satins to my sister-in-law and mother-in-law. I don't care about the odds and ends."

The only difference is the dowry, which totals eight thousand taels. Over the past year, supplementing the Fang family's income and paying off their debts, a total of seven thousand eight hundred and fifty-two taels have been spent, all meticulously recorded in the account books. You only need to repay me this amount.”

Fang Chengxu was taken aback, only then realizing that he had spoken too soon.

Grandma Fang couldn't hold back any longer and shamelessly jumped out again: "You little rascal, you're so cunning! You actually remember the accounts so clearly!"

Liang Jiang blinked: "Didn't Mother teach me how to use this ledger? You check the accounts every seven days and know every single income and expenditure. How come it's my fault?"

"So what? You're a member of the Fang family, it's only right that you spend money on the Fang family! Don't you consider your own food, drink, and daily needs as well? How can you take it back?"
Everyone, please be the judge! What kind of daughter-in-law acts like this?!

The Fang family patriarch slammed his hand on the table: "The first ten years are all about the mother-in-law, the next ten years are all about the daughter-in-law. You were unkind first, so you can't blame others for being unjust! And you still have the nerve to swallow their dowry?"

"Uncle, how can you be siding with outsiders? We're family!"

"You two are the ones who did something dishonorable, not just your relatives! You said it yourself just now: if you divorce, your dowry should be returned. How can you go back on your word?"
Chengxu, if you have any self-respect left, you'd better agree quickly and stop making a fool of yourself.

Fang Chengxu said awkwardly, "It's not that I refuse, it's just that several thousand taels of silver is no small sum. The household is currently..."

Seeing his embarrassed expression, the Fang family patriarch immediately understood and turned to Liang Jiang:
"Chengxu has just returned to the capital, and he may be short of funds. If you trust your uncle, let Chengxu write you an IOU. You can repay it gradually after you receive your reward. What do you two think?"

Liang Jiang didn't care about this small amount of money, and besides, the Fang family was indeed penniless, so she could only nod and say:
“Uncle is highly respected, upright and fair. Liang Jiang only trusts you because of your reputation, not the Fang family. Also, there has to be a deadline for repaying the money.”

Grandma Fang was full of resentment and wanted to insult her, but Fang Chengxu stopped her.

He lowered his voice and said, "When I rise to prominence in the future, and with the General's Mansion to rely on, what are a few thousand taels of silver? A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. I agree."

So, unwillingly, he nodded in agreement and, witnessed by both clan leaders, signed a divorce agreement and a promissory note with Liang Jiang.

The head of the Fang family intervened and pleaded for leniency, agreeing to repay the more than seven thousand taels of silver within two months.

Just as Liang Jiang signed and pressed her fingerprint, she was freed. Zhao Ma, who was by Tong Zhao'er's side, rushed into the banquet hall in a panic, her face full of alarm: "Madam, Young Master Fang, something terrible has happened!"

(End of this chapter)