Holding a gilded ivory dagger in his hand, Wei Kun cut off a corner from the black table carved with lotus flowers and had curved edges, and unflinchingly said, "Just like this table, let's make a firm resolution to break off our relationship. We're no longer brothers!"

Not long after, Wei Chang expressionlessly left the main room. He looked calm, but he was clenching his teeth so hard that it looked like blood would come out.

Wei Luo and Wei Chang Hong silently watched this scene. They didn't know if they should try to persuade or wait and see.

Wei Kun's anger obviously hadn't disappeared. He ordered people to bring to bring Du-shi over from Gingko Courtyard. Du-shi hadn't left that courtyard for many years. Now, she furtively looked around Duke Ying's residence with each step she took. Everything had become completely unfamiliar and no longer looked the same as before. Du-shi was wearing a grey outer robe that had been discolored from repeated washings. Step by step, she followed the servants. She made the mistake of meeting Wei Luo Luo's eyes in the verandah and hastily looked away. Her previous confidence and dignity was already gone. She couldn’t even compare to a woman from an ordinary family.

Du-shi originally didn't know why Wei Kun had called her over here. She held hope that Wei Kun found his conscience and was going to let her out of Gingko Courtyard. However, a single sentence from Wei Kun's dispelled all of her joy. She asked, "What did you say?"

Wei Kun had made up his mind from the beginning. At the moment, he didn't even want to look at her. He repeated, "Have someone bring me a brush and ink. I'm going to divorce you."

Divorcing a wife wasn't a trivial matter in Da Liang. If a woman was divorced and had to go back to her parents' home, her entire life was ruined. It would not only humiliate her parents' family, it would also adversely affect all of the unmarried girls in her parents' family. Moreover, the woman wouldn't have good days after she went back home. At Du-shi's current age, it would be impossible for her to remarry. She would only be a great aunt. As time passed, her parents' family would only become more fed up with her.

In addition, after Du-shi returned to her parents' home, she would no longer have the chance to see Wei Chang Mi. Wei Chang Mi was fourth branch's young master. He wouldn't be going to Count Zhong Yi's residence with her. If Du-shi stayed in Duke Ying's residence, she would still have a chance to see Wei Chang Mi every month. If Wei Kun divorced her, then wouldn't be able to see Wei Chang Mi for the rest of her life.

So, it wasn’t surprising that Du-shi would have this reaction.

However, Wei Kun was determined to divorce her. He picked up a brush and wrote the two words on a paper, "Divorce Letter". Then, he started to write that Du-shi had "a vicious heart and was treacherous and resentful towards good-hearted people". Of the seven allowable reasons to divorce a wife, this was the most serious offense. It seemed that Wei Kun didn't have any intentions of keeping any sentiment and feelings between them at this point or cared about the relationship between their two families. He only wanted to punish Du-shi, this wicked person, to vent the hatred in his heart.

Du-shi looked at Wei Kun with a deathly pale face. After he finished writing the divorce letter, she hopelessly shook her head, "Wei Kun, don't..."

Wei Kun placed the divorce letter inside his lapel and walked out of the main room. "I'm going to the front courtyard to speak with mother and have Count Zhong Yi's people bring you back home."

Du-shi returned to her senses, ran after him, and said, "Then, give me back Mi-er. Let me take him with me!"

Wei Kun didn't turn around as he said, "Mi-er is Fourth Sister-in-law's son. I'm not Fourth Sister-in-law's master."

Du-shi mournfully said, "Mi-er is mine. I gave birth to him in October. Wei Kun, stand still!"

Wei Kun walked farther away and said to the servant boy next to him, "Watch Du-shi. Don't let her go anywhere."

The servant boy nodded, turned around, and ordered the other servants. Two servants immediately stopped Du-shi and brought her back inside.

--------

Pine Courtyard finally returned to calmness. The sky cleared after the rain and the courtyard became extremely quiet.

After Wei Luo finished watching the good play, she rubbed her eyes and said, "Chang Hong, guess who I saw today.

Wei Chang Hong was standing next to her. He had long grown into the appearance of a young man with splendid future prospects. In a calm tone, he asked, "Jiang Miao Lan?"

Surprised, We Luo turned her head to look at him with an expression of "How did you know?"

"I saw her when we went to Ci Temple last time. You were inside the main hall requesting protective charms and I was waiting outside." Wei Chang Hong had also seen Jiang Miao Lan's portrait. Although Wei Kun tried to hide the painted scroll from them, he took it out too often. It wouldn't have been possible for other people to not see. When Wei Chang Hong saw Jiang Miao Lan for the first time, he only looked at her blankly. He had originally only thought she looked similar to the painting. But today, after Wei Luo deliberately asked him that question and combined with Wei Kun's reaction, it wasn't difficult to guess what had happened. "Will she come back to this household? Have you talked to her?"

Wei Luo flattened her mouth. With a voice that seemed as if they were discussing the weather, she said, "She's already married. She probably won't return." She blinked, smiled, and asked Chang Hong, "Chang Hong, do you want a mother? Do you want her to come back?"

Wei Chang Hong lightly said, "I thought about it when I was younger. But now, I don't need one.”

Wei Luo faintly smiled, “Me too.”

Jiang Miao Lan didn't appear when Wei Luo was sold by Du-shi or when Wei Luo died in her previous life. She didn't appear when Li Song and Li Xiang jointly destroyed Chang Hong’s future prospects. So, there was no need for her appear in the future.

Cotton-padded jackets in summer. Palm-leaf fans in winter. A mother's belated love. All of these things were unnecessary.

On the same day, two things happened in Duke Ying's residence. One matter was that Fifth Master divorced Du-shi and people from Count Zhong Yi's residence came to pick up Du-shi. The other matter was that Third Master sent Third Madam off to a temple. He said it was so that Liu-shi could mediate and pray to Buddha. However, everyone in the residence knew that Third Master had separated his heart from Third Madam and could no longer live with her. If he wasn't concerned about Ya-er not being married yet and looking after her future marriage prospects, Wei Chang might have also divorced his wife.

After Du-shi and Liu-shi were sent away, Duke Ying's residence finally became quieter and more peaceful.

The weather became colder and colder and gradually became winter.

It was early morning. Wei Luo had a red stain cloak embroidered with peony flowers and lined with fox fur draped over her shoulders. Standing barefoot on a fine woolen rug, she pushed open the window and saw that the courtyard was covered in a layer of white. It was the first snowfall of the year.

Jin Lu opened the door and came inside. Seeing that Wei Luo was barefoot, she hurriedly fussed over nothing, "Miss, why aren’t you wearing shoes? The ground is very cold. It won't be good if you’re too cold."

Wei Luo tilted her head and revealed a bright smile. "There are so many brazier burning in the room. How can I feel cold? It actually feels too warm.”

Even so, Jin Lu was still worried. She helped Wei Luo to the couch facing the southern window and kneeled down to put on embroidered satin shoes for Wei Luo. When she looked up, she inadvertently saw that shoe pattern. She couldn't resist jokingly saying, "It's been so long. Miss, have you only finished the soles? His Highness Prince Jing probably won't be able to wear new shoes until next year's spring."

Wei Luo picked up the soles and looked at him them. She deliberately said, "I was planning on giving him shoes in spring to begin with. I don't know how to make thick, winter shoes. I'm afraid that I’ll have poked a hole into my fingers by the time I finish.”

Jin Lu burst out in laughter. She knew that her Miss was extremely delicate. If His Highness Prince Jing knew that her Miss had stabbed herself several times to make him a pair of shoes, he would probably feel heartache.