Chapter 140: Divorce and Departure

Upon seeing the imperial iron-clad immunity token presented in Elder Meng’s palm, Emperor Zongkang’s body trembled slightly. The guards who had intended to seize Xia Jiujiang clearly assessed the situation and silently retreated outside the door.

An imperial iron-clad immunity token! This was the very token Emperor Zongkang had bestowed upon Jun Buwen when revealing his true identity to him.

It was a staged assassination plot orchestrated by Emperor Zongkang specifically to protect Jun Buwen. After Jun Buwen achieved legendary status in the Battle of the Southern Realm, Emperor Zongkang had already granted him the promise of marital freedom. Having suddenly become both the favored darling and the prime target of envy in the eyes of the court, Emperor Zongkang could not find a better excuse to issue the immunity token, and thus manufactured the assassination scenario.

During the year-end flower boat festival in the State of Li, Emperor Zongkang had gone incognito and arranged for fake assassins to ambush him. Unexpectedly, the fake assassins turned out to be real ones. Jun Buwen took a sword blow while protecting Emperor Zongkang, and the emperor seized the opportunity to bestow upon him the immunity token. The true purpose was to make the other princes wary of the token in Jun Buwen’s possession, deterring them from easily provoking him.

Yet, to everyone's astonishment, Jun Buwen had actually chosen to use this token for the sake of Xia Jiujiang, who had allegedly violated female propriety! Wasn't this deliberate attempt designed to infuriate Emperor Zongkang to death?

Hearing Elder Meng’s words, Xia Jiujiang’s heart skipped a beat. She raised her head in shock, staring at Elder Meng, hardly daring to believe the authenticity of his claim. Yet, besides Jun Buwen, who else would dare to secretly hand over an imperial immunity token for her to use?

Xia Jiujiang began to tremble. Jun Buwen must have anticipated that, during his severe illness, Emperor Zongkang would make things difficult for her, and therefore prepared the immunity token in advance. Even on the verge of death, he was still looking out for her?

Meanwhile, news of the scandalous romance between Xia Jiujiang and the Third Prince of the Southern Realm had spread far and wide. In the residence of the Seventh Prince, Jun Qianye was in the midst of painting. No matter how he tried, the woman on the paper lacked the spirited, cunning charm of a little fox.

Having just heard the gossip regarding Xia Jiujiang, Xia Yue'er smugly hurried over to Jun Qianye’s side to kick her while she was down. To her shock, upon entering his study, she saw a portrait of Xia Jiujiang hanging on the wall. Even at his desk, the Seventh Prince was meticulously painting Xia Jiujiang, terrified of making the slightest error or omission.

Xia Yue'er could not help but clench her fists. To marry the Seventh Prince, she had endured endless humiliation, entering his residence not unlike a nameless concubine—without a formal banquet, without an eight-bearer sedan chair, and subjected to the pointing fingers and mockery of others.

Yet, after marrying into his estate, Jun Qianye refused to touch her ever again, and instead spent his time painting portraits of Xia Jiujiang in his study?

Did Jun Qianye hold any regard for her, his Seventh Prince’s Consort? Wasn't he afraid that the rumor of the Prince of Jin's wife’s portrait hanging in the Seventh Prince’s study would leak out and leave him utterly disgraced?

With a sneer of ridicule, Xia Yue'er said, "The Seventh Prince is pining for his elder sister here, but unfortunately, your beloved sister is running rather close to the Third Prince of the Southern Realm. The two of them spent two whole days and nights together at the Xiangrui Pavilion, and the entire capital knows about it now."

The moment those words left her mouth, Jun Qianye’s hand slipped. The brush, aimed at the delicate outline of an eye, jerked violently, completely ruining the fine portrait.

Seeing his painting ruined, Jun Qianye flung his brush away in a fit of rage, glared fiercely at Xia Yue'er, and snapped, "What nonsense are you spouting, you wretched woman? How could Xia Jiujiang possibly be together with the Third Prince of the Southern Realm?"

Seeing Jun Qianye’s furious expression, Xia Yue'er felt a sliver of sadistic pleasure. She retorted, "I am not making things up; the entire capital knows of it... It has long since spread everywhere. It's just that the Seventh Prince has locked himself away in his study to paint, completely oblivious to the fact that you never held any place in your precious sister's eyes at all. She would rather dally with the Third Prince of the Southern Realm than spare you a single glance."

With a backhanded slap, Jun Qianye struck Xia Yue'er across the face. "Shut your mouth! No matter how disgraced Xia Jiujiang might be, she is still a hundred times better than a cheap woman like you, who actively crawled into my bed and forced yourself upon me to become the Seventh Prince's Consort. Now that you finally possess the title of Seventh Prince's Consort, you wish to mock me? Take a look at what you really are!"

Clutching her bruised cheek, Xia Yue'er collapsed to the floor. The pitiful, aggrieved look she wore bore no resemblance to the pampered darling she used to be in the Xia family. Instead, her face twisted into the mask of a jealous shrew, consumed entirely by envy, rage, and madness. The position of Seventh Prince's Consort, which she had schemed and plotted so bitterly to attain, had turned out to be nothing more than a bitter joke.

Clenching her fists, Xia Yue'er stared at Jun Qianye with venomous eyes, consumed by surging hatred.

Shifting the scene back to the Xuan-San Residence within the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

Emperor Zongkang naturally had shadow guards monitoring every move in the capital; otherwise, how could he remain so thoroughly informed of everything happening within it?

Why had the Prince of Jin coughed up blood and collapsed? It was precisely because, on a rainy day, he had stood out in the pouring rain with the Princess of Jin, quarreled fiercely, and parted ways—one ending up coughing blood, and the other fainting. Emperor Zongkang was aware of all this, and he also knew that Xia Jiujiang had been rescued by the Third Prince of the Southern Realm after she collapsed.

Yet subsequent events spiraled out of control: the Princess of Jin remained unconscious for two days while the Third Prince of the Southern Realm attended to her closely and unceasingly, causing a scandal that rocked the entire capital. Regardless of the circumstances, the reputation of the Princess of Jin was utterly ruined, and she was no longer worthy of her title.

Emperor Zongkang’s face turned glacial with fury. "Very well! Since the Prince of Jin wishes to use the imperial immunity token on your behalf, I shall spare your life. But while capital punishment is averted, the punishment for your sins cannot be escaped. Write your own letter of annulment and get out of here!"

Elder Meng cried out in shock, "Your Majesty!"

Since the Prince of Jin did not wish Emperor Zongkang to make things difficult for the Princess of Jin, it proved that he held deep affection for her. If a divorce or annulment were forced through now, when the Prince of Jin eventually woke up...

Emperor Zongkang countered, "What? The immunity token can spare one from a death sentence, but it cannot prevent a marital annulment. Surely Elder Meng does not mean to suggest that the Prince of Jin would wish to keep a disgraced wife? If he retains a consort who has brought such shame upon the Prince of Jin's Mansion, how is he supposed to hold his head high in the capital in the future?"

Everything Emperor Zongkang did was for the sake of the Prince of Jin. Furthermore, a divorce had to be pushed through precisely at this moment; if they waited until the Prince of Jin woke up, heaven only knew what words he might utter that could infuriate the emperor to his grave.

Emperor Zongkang continued in a harsh tone, "Besides, why did the Prince of Jin cough blood and collapse in the first place? Wasn't it entirely because he was driven to that state by the Princess of Jin? Consumed by rage and grief, he vomited blood and passed out. I am merely allowing the Princess of Jin to pack her bags and leave rather than taking her life; that in itself is already showing utmost regard for the Prince of Jin."

At that moment, Imperial Physician Zhang emerged from the inner chamber. He walked rather hastily, the handkerchief in his cloth-wrapped hands stained with fresh blood. Seeing him come out, Emperor Zongkang stood up and demanded, "How is the Prince of Jin?"

Kneeling on the ground, Imperial Physician Zhang shook his head and replied, "The Prince of Jin remains unconscious... and he has vomited blood once more. Medicine is of no avail."

Emperor Zongkang was struck with terror. "What?!" For the moment, he no longer had the leisure to deal with Xia Jiujiang’s annulment. He commanded urgently, "I care not what methods you employ; I demand that the Prince of Jin live, do you hear me?!"

Imperial Physician Zhang, however, only shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Jin is beyond saving."

Suddenly, Xia Jiujiang spoke up, "I can save Jun Buwen."

Startled by her words, Imperial Physician Zhang retorted incredulously, "Princess of Jin, this is a matter of life and death! How can you utter such reckless nonsense?" Even he, the esteemed head of the Imperial Medical Academy, was completely helpless against the Prince's condition; yet the Princess of Jin casually claimed she could save him?

Xia Jiujiang replied calmly, "Since Imperial Physician Zhang has declared that medicine is useless and that the Prince of Jin is beyond saving, what difference does it make if I try? Perhaps treating a dead horse as a living one might actually save him."

Emperor Zongkang sized Xia Jiujiang up, his gaze filled entirely with interrogation, suspicion, and disbelief.

Cold sweat broke out on Elder Meng’s forehead from anxiety. He hurriedly interjected, "When the Prince of Jin took the Princess of Jin as his bride, he also suffered a critical relapse, and it was ultimately thanks to the Princess of Jin's intervention that he was pulled back from the brink of death."

Looking directly at Emperor Zongkang, Xia Jiujiang said, "His Majesty wishes for me to sign the letter of annulment. Provided Your Majesty grants me permission to try and save the Prince of Jin, I am willing to sign the annulment and leave the Prince of Jin's Mansion afterward."

Even before losing consciousness, Jun Buwen had still been thinking of leaving the immunity token to protect Xia Jiujiang's life. Therefore, before the annulment, Xia Jiujiang would do everything in her power to save Jun Buwen. Yet, at the mere mention of the word "annulment," Xia Jiujiang felt an agonizing ache in her heart, as if a vital piece of her soul had been torn away, leaving a vast, hollow void behind.