Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 303, Section 302: Discarded Like Worn-out Shoes
The Lady of the Mountain Lord—no, now she is Lady Hu, Hu Wan.

She bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Chief Secretary."

The young woman behind him followed suit, bowing gracefully as well.

"Ma'am, please take a seat."

The chief clerk before me was gentle and reasonable, and although his face was small, he had a calm and composed demeanor.

Looking at that still-childish face, Hu Wan thought of her own daughter.

Her dignified daughter beside her, though also taught to manage the household well, showed a striking difference in demeanor between the two.

She sighed inwardly, and when the Chief Secretary offered her a seat, she carefully sat down in the chair that was popular in Xianyang at the time.

Although she finds it difficult to adjust, she has to adapt now.

Then the Chief Secretary asked:

"I heard that Madam Hu has divorced the head of Wutong Academy?"

Madam Hu was not surprised by the question; she simply lowered her eyelashes and respectfully replied:
"Yes, my late husband wanted to entrust all the affairs of the academy to his three personal disciples. As I was in the middle of it, I couldn't help but not know how to handle myself, so we divorced."

However, he was unable to bring his children back.

The fact that she arranged to meet her daughter to ask for this opportunity was done secretly, taking advantage of the chaos caused by her ex-husband's frustration and the disciples' attempts to distance themselves from him.

At the Queen's command, those disciples, whose knowledge was already inferior to others, were able to harbor some delusions about the academy.

But once the king's decree was issued, all those who were associated with the husband would have their future cut off.

They are now trying every means to beg for help, hoping to completely sever their relationship with their master.

Ah.

Madam Hu lowered her head, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

If the master-disciple relationship could be so easily severed, then why would Your Majesty need to make such an explanation?
It's just a pity about her children.

But she was determined to divorce him, and the Queen was always magnanimous; with her daughter here, perhaps she could get a chance.

But my son...

She closed her eyes.

The only hope is to find a respectable woman for my son, so that he can have children and then we can continue our struggle.

After all, if the Queen pardons her daughter, considering that she is already divorced, it probably won't offend the King.

The Queen is also known for her benevolence. Would she truly be willing to give up this opportunity?
But if one wants to interfere in one's son's future, that would be considered disrespectful.

Wu Zi was surprised that Madam Hu would agree to a divorce.

After all, with their children's futures ruined, if they don't take this opportunity to break free, are they going to drag everyone down with them?

Even if it's just a sham separation, there should still be some separation involved.

I just didn't expect that the other party would have such a foolish thing as handing over the academy to his disciples.

what!
She almost burst out laughing.

Even a man as wealthy as the King only allows the Queen to freely use his private treasury.

If any other officials or retainers were to try and take action, they would be utterly audacious.

Even the other ladies in the palace would never have this right.

But this muddle-headed abbot is not only muddle-headed in important matters, but also in private matters?
She looked at Madam Hu, whose face was calm but whose heavy makeup could not hide her haggardness and old age, and sighed in her heart.

Looking at the woman behind her, she had kept her head down since entering the room and hadn't uttered a single word.

Wu Zi frowned.

"Where is the young lady? What is she good at?" Silence fell over the room.

The young woman twisted her sleeves with her fingers, remaining silent for a long time.

Mrs. Hu quickly said:
“My daughter has been with me since she was a child. She is exceptionally meticulous in managing the household affairs. If you, Lord Chief Secretary, find her pleasing, please keep her by your side to serve tea and water. I would be eternally grateful.”

Upon hearing this, the woman behind him suddenly looked up at Madam Hu, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Then tears welled up again, threatening to fall but not quite, making her look exceptionally pitiful.

Wu Zi's expression remained unchanged, but she knew in her heart that this was something the mother and daughter had not discussed beforehand.

Perhaps Mrs. Hu changed her mind after coming here, and compared to her mother, this young woman seems to have inherited more of her father's intelligence...

She smiled slightly and said, "The Queen is kind and always cherishes the painstaking efforts of parents. Since you have the courage to come here to ask, I will certainly tell you the whole story."

"Please wait a moment, both of you."

Madam Hu, with a pleased expression, respectfully agreed.

However, just before leaving, Wu Zi turned back and asked, "Madam Hu, your daughter, whom you personally taught, is so young yet so capable and meticulous in managing a household. What about you?"

"Since you've come to submit to the Queen, don't you have anything that she can use to your advantage?"

Wu Zi's figure slowly disappeared into the distance, while Madam Hu raised her head to look at her back, her expression complex.

Just then, the young woman beside her grabbed her arm, her expression one of self-pity and sorrow:

"Mother, how can you make me do such a thing as serving tea and water? I clearly have servants to wait on me when I'm with Father... I don't want to do it!"

"Silly child," Madam Hu said tenderly, stroking her daughter's hair, but her expression was somewhat cold.

“After I divorced your father, he had no money and could not find any decent work in the future. Your servants and maids should all be dismissed today.”

He paused, then continued, "You're unwilling to serve tea and water to the Chief Secretary, but do you have such a father, and the King's decree...?"

"The families you'll be betrothed to in the future—from peddlers and laborers to illiterate farmers and merchants—anyone with even a modicum of literacy, would not allow their children to have a mother like you, just to gain a chance..."

The woman shook her head vigorously: "His Majesty only mentioned three generations. If I had children, I wouldn't have this worry anymore..."

Her offspring are third generation, but they can still be raised well!
Madam Hu slowly shook her head.

“Daughter, let me teach you something else. That is, when you should shut up, you should speak less. Your father’s actions this time are entirely his own fault…”

As she spoke these cold words, her eyes were slightly red:
"It's just that we, mother and daughter, are unlucky..."

Mrs. Hu spoke frankly with her daughter, but the young woman had never experienced such a setback before. Tears welled in her eyes as she frantically shook her head.
“Mother, you clearly said you came to the Queen to ask for a better future for me. Even if you grant me a marriage, I would be willing to accept it.”

"You may serve tea and water..."

She shook her head, not understanding why her mother had changed her mind again, turning her life upside down.

Madam Hu looked at her, her expression gradually becoming stern:

"What if a marriage is arranged, and the person is like your father?"

The young woman shook her head, looking utterly pitiful: "My father was just careless and said some things he shouldn't have. But he is usually very learned and erudite... Everyone around him respectfully calls him Headmaster."

She murmured to herself, the doubts that had been building up in her heart finally coming to light:

"You, Mother, enjoyed all these honors too! Why do you now discard us like worn-out shoes?"

Madam Hu gasped in shock.

She raised her daughter by herself, and everything she learned was thanks to her careful guidance.

How could you say such things now that you've suffered such a misfortune?
　Come on, mushroom's new book has lots of words again!!! "My Lord, Spare His Life!"

　　(End of this chapter)