RWNEFE -Chapter 614 Wei Jie, an Upright Official, Struggles to Settle Family Matters

Wei Jie turned to look at his wife, whose face was full of longing for her family.

He felt regret!

Years of being busy with official duties had blinded him to this.

His eyes fell on the box on the table. He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and made a decision.

“Madam, pack your things and return to your family home!”

Wei Jie’s wife was stunned, and then overjoyed.

“Master, you’re allowing me to visit my father and mother?”

Wei Jie nodded, clenching his fists tightly.

“When you go, don’t take too many things. I will have someone deliver a formal divorce document to you. From now on, we will go our separate ways!”

Wei Jie’s wife froze, staring at him in disbelief.

“Master, what did you say? I didn’t hear correctly?”

Beside her, Chen Gao’s wife was equally shocked. Weren’t they just talking about visiting her natal family?

How did it suddenly turn into a divorce?

Remembering Wei Jie had previously severed ties with his wife’s family, Chen Gao’s wife’s face darkened.

“What you heard is true. Only I will report to His Majesty, so that officials from the Ministry of Punishments and the Ministry of Personnel can verify at home. If crimes are found, taking the divorce document will prevent you from being implicated.”

Wei Jie’s wife’s legs went weak, and she collapsed to the floor.

“Master, I won’t divorce. I’ll never go back to my family. I won’t meet my family again. Please don’t divorce me!”

Seeing her like this, Wei Jie felt heartbroken, helpless, and frustrated.

“It’s useless. Do you know why I returned early today?”

Tears streamed down his wife’s face as she looked at him, wronged and trembling.

“His Majesty warned me.”

“I overheard everything you just said outside the door.”

“The fact that His Majesty knows means this isn’t the first time or the second time.”

“Ridiculous—I thought I was righteous and impartial, but it seems my downfall comes from you women inside the household.”

“You’ve seen how His Majesty punished the Wu family. If you want to live, take the divorce document and leave. Afterwards, I will go to the palace to apologize.”

“Do you want to live, or do you want to share responsibility with me? You choose!”

Wei Jie finished speaking and looked at Chen Gao’s wife.

“The Wu family affair implicates three clans. Our two families are so closely tied, if something happens to me, your Chen family won’t escape either!”

Chen Gao’s wife went pale, trembling violently, her body slowly sliding down.

“Sister, take the divorce document—ask him for the divorce document!”

With the divorce document, the Chen family would no longer be connected to the Wei family. Even if Wei Jie was investigated, it wouldn’t affect them.

“No, I won’t divorce. I don’t want a divorce…”

Wei Jie’s wife cried so hard she could barely breathe. She didn’t understand—she had only met her family a few times and done a few small favors. How could that make her guilty?

How could it lead to a divorce?

“Master, I won’t divorce. I was wrong, I shouldn’t have disobeyed you. I won’t meet my family again. Please don’t divorce me. I was wrong—I won’t do it again.” She clung to Wei Jie’s legs, sobbing.

Wei Jie lowered his head to look at his wife, the woman who had shared his life for many years. She was perfect in many ways, but easily swayed by others.

Years ago, she had been influenced by her elder brother and nearly caused him to handle a false case. That was why he forbade contact with her family.

In recent years, as he gained His Majesty’s favor and managed all affairs of the Court of Justice, the Chen family, like vultures sensing carrion, had clung back.

“If you don’t want the divorce document…”

Before Wei Jie could finish, Chen Gao’s wife shouted.

“Yes, we want the divorce document!”

“Sister, your parents are so old—can you bear for them to be implicated?”

“And your brother and the children. Your brother was already going to be demoted to the southwest. If implicated now, his punishment will worsen.”

“Think of your poor nephews and nieces. Do you want them to be exiled or sent to forced labor? Think carefully before refusing!”

“Sister, for the sake of our Chen family, you must take the divorce document!”

Chen Gao’s wife spoke with tears streaming, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Sister, your sister-in-law is kneeling and kowtowing to you!”

This little sister-in-law wasn’t foolish. She knew that any deception of her was orchestrated by Chen Gao’s wife. If investigated, Wei Jie might survive, but she wouldn’t.

The acts were tricks she had asked the little sister-in-law to do—she would have no chance of survival.

His Majesty was ruthless; he would not spare them.

“Sister, please, your sister-in-law kowtows to you…”

Chen Gao’s wife pressed her forehead to the ground, breaking the skin with a few knocks.

The thump, thump, thump terrified Wei Jie’s wife.

She panicked, caught between two unbearable choices: divorce, or family. What should she do?

“Sister, I’ll bring father and mother over to plead with you!” Chen Gao’s wife knew mentioning their parents would make the little sister-in-law relent.

This time, it worked.

“Enough, I’ll take the divorce document. Isn’t that enough?” Wei Jie’s wife felt as if her heart were being sliced.

“Master, I’ve wronged you. But I cannot wrong my parents and family. They raised me—I cannot be unfilial…”

Wei Jie’s heart sank.

“Go. Don’t take anything from the house. I will petition His Majesty to seize the household—anything beyond my official salary is considered ill-gotten and will be confiscated into the state treasury.”

“As for what’s already been spent, the Ministry of Revenue will investigate. If the household’s finances don’t match records, they will trace it. The Chen family better prepare!”

Chen Gao’s wife went pale as death—this was the end, her family faced a major disaster.

Wei Jie wrote the divorce document on the spot and handed it to Chen’s family.

“Go before the children finish school.”

Wei Jie’s wife looked at the divorce document, tears dropping onto it.

“Master, if the children ask about me, just tell them I went outside the city to offer prayers.”

After many years together, with children, Wei Jie didn’t want the scene to be too ugly.

“Understood. Go. I need to prepare to enter the palace.”

Hearing she could leave, Chen Gao’s wife ran out without caring about the little sister-in-law.

She faced Wei Jie with embarrassment and shame.

“Master, believe me or not, my sister-in-law only asked me for help. I’ll go back to my family and clarify.”

Wei Jie didn’t want to say more.

He had seen the true character of his lifelong wife.

Wu Yanzhi could never have imagined that before he even reached the northwest, his home in the capital was already gone.

He had been in northwest territory for three days; in two more, he would reach the border.

“Rest well today. Tomorrow, push on straight to the frontier!”

At the courier station, he had a hearty meal and the best room prepared for him.

Just past midnight, someone kicked open his door with a loud bang.