Song Xixi knelt in the imperial study room, her head bowed and eyes downcast. Emperor Su Qing recalled the once-glorious Zhenbei Marquisate, now with only her left, which stirred a sense of pity in his heart. "Rise and speak!" he commanded.
Song Xixi clasped her hands and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, your servant's daughter humbly seeks an audience today; it is indeed presumptuous, but I come to beg Your Majesty for grace."
Emperor Su Qing said, "Song Xixi, I have already issued the decree. It cannot be rescinded."
Song Xixi gently shook her head. "I beseech Your Majesty to issue a decree allowing me to divorce General Zhan."
The young emperor was taken aback. "Divorce? You want a divorce?" He had thought she was there to ask him to rescind the marriage decree, but he hadn't expected her to seek a divorce instead.
Song Xixi struggled to hold back her tears. "Your Majesty, General Zhan and General Yi sought the marriage decree with their military merits. Today marks the death anniversary of my father and brothers. I wish to use their military merits to petition Your Majesty for a divorce decree. I implore Your Majesty to grant it!"
Emperor Su Qing's eyes were filled with complexity. "Xixi, do you know what you will face after the divorce?"
The term "Xixi" had not been heard from His Majesty's lips for quite some time. In the past, when he was still the Crown Prince, he would occasionally visit the Marquisate and always brought some interesting small gifts for her. After she went to Meishan to study with her master, she never saw him again.
"Yes, I know!" Song Xixi's exceptionally beautiful face showed a faint smile, but the smile seemed tinged with sarcasm. "However, a gentleman does not hinder the happiness of others. Although I am not a gentleman, I also do not wish to become a thorn between General Zhan and General Yi, preventing them from being a loving couple."
"Xixi, the Zhenbei Marquisate no longer has anyone. Do you plan to return to the Marquisate? Have you thought about what you will do in the future?"
Song Xixi replied, "Today, when I returned to offer sacrifices to my father and brothers, I found the Marquisate desolate. I wish to go back and live there. I plan to adopt a son in honor of my father, so that their lineage will not be extinguished."
Emperor Su Qing initially thought she was acting on impulse, but he did not expect her to have thought it through so thoroughly.
"In fact, you are the legitimate wife. Yi Fang cannot shake your position. There is no real need for you to seek a divorce."
Song Xixi looked up, her tear-filled eyes resolute. "Your Majesty, that is meaningless. I do not wish to waste my life in such a manner. Now, I am the only one left of the Marquisate, and my father and brothers led honorable and upright lives. I refuse to live a life of compromise."
"You know, you hold General Zhan in high regard. Can you really let go of him?"
Hold him in high regard? Not exactly. She had always respected military officers, and her mother had hoped she would marry and lead a stable life. That's why she got married.
Song Xixi smiled, like a highland flower blossoming amid adversity. "He gave me up, so I can give him up too."
Her delicate appearance masked a resilient spirit, which left Emperor Su Qing somewhat shaken. He had never encountered such a woman before. He was momentarily lost in thought, reminiscing about the carefree little girl who always smiled and now was about to become a discarded wife.
Divorce, in the eyes of society, still meant being a discarded wife, especially since General Zhan publicly sought the marriage decree. A woman's life was tough, and hers would be especially hard. How would she ever marry again? The house was now deserted.
Thinking of this and recalling the merits of the Marquis, who had saved him on the battlefield, Su Qing's heart softened with greater empathy for the girl.
Emperor Su Qing declared, "I grant it. You may go home. In a few days, the divorce decree will arrive at the General's residence."
Song Xixi sighed in relief and bowed. "Thank you for Your Majesty's immense grace!"
Looking at her, Emperor Su Qing was reminded of the six or seven-year-old girl he once knew, and his heart softened. "Xixi, if anyone ever bullies you, feel free to come to the palace and find me."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Song Xixi bowed once more.