Hearing Feng Yuqin's voice, everyone turned to look at her.
Feng Pingqiu stared at Feng Yuqin with a cold gaze. He knew that this imperial edict must have something to do with this daughter of his whom he didn't favor.
After all, the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict had hinted to him that it was all Feng Yuqin's doing.
However, thinking that she was now such a powerful alchemist, he suppressed all his anger in his heart. "Even if I divorce your mother, you're still my daughter."
So he should also enjoy the glory of having an alchemist in the family.
Feng Yuqin understood what he meant and let out a soft laugh. "In that case, Father, what's your purpose for coming here today?"
Feng Pingqiu was left speechless by her question. He couldn't very well say that he could accept divorcing his wife but not an amicable separation, could he?
Did he dare to?
He didn't dare.
Because the amicable separation was stated in the emperor's imperial edict. If he dared to say that he could only accept divorcing his wife but not an amicable separation, it would be an act of defying the imperial edict.
He came to see Yan Aoyun, hoping that she would refuse.
In this way, it would be Yan Aoyun who defied the imperial edict, not him.
Feng Pingqiu had his own calculations, but the Yan family, including Feng Yuqin and her mother, were not fools. How could they not see his intentions?
"Go back. There will be special people to handle the amicable separation. From now on, I have nothing to do with your Prime Minister's Mansion." Yan Aoyun said calmly.
Seeing that Yan Aoyun was determined to have an amicable separation, Feng Pingqiu's face grew darker and darker. But when his eyes fell on Feng Yuqin, he pointed at her and said to Yan Aoyun, "You can have an amicable separation from me, but Feng Yuqin must go back to the Prime Minister's Mansion with me."
Feng Yuqin sneered. "Father, are you sure?"
"You're my daughter. Isn't it only natural for you to go home with me? After all, the Yan family has the surname Yan, while you have the surname Feng." Feng Pingqiu's real purpose was the title of alchemist that Feng Yuqin held. As long as Feng Yuqin went back to the mansion with him, even if he was no longer the prime minister in the future, his Prime Minister's Mansion would not decline.
This was Feng Pingqiu's ultimate plan.
"I don't mind changing my surname to Yan." Feng Yuqin looked at Old Master Yan and Old Madam Yan. "I'm sure Grandpa and Grandma don't mind, do you?"
"We'd be more than happy." Old Master Yan had previously not wanted others to think that their Yan family was bullying Feng Pingqiu. So as long as his daughter wasn't being bullied, he let her handle the matter.
Now that his granddaughter had brought them up, they naturally had to stand up and show their stance.
"Aqin is a child of our Yan family. We're very happy if she wants to change her surname." Old Madam Yan immediately echoed her husband.
"I never thought Feng Yuqin would be so favored in the Yan family." The onlookers whispered to each other when they saw this scene.
"Maybe they're just saying this on purpose because there are so many outsiders around."
After all, such doting grandparents were rare. They didn't think a family like the Yan family would really treat Feng Yuqin as one of their own.
"I won't allow it." Feng Pingqiu roared. "Feng Yuqin, even if you change your surname, you'll always be my daughter."
A mocking smile curled up on Feng Yuqin's lips as she sneered, "Father, for all these years, you've never been willing to admit that I'm your daughter, nor have you given me the treatment a daughter of yours should have. Isn't it ridiculous for you to say this now?"
Didn't Feng Pingqiu know it was ridiculous?
But he still did it.
It was only because he understood that his current situation was not good.
Back then, he had risen to power thanks to the Yan family. Later, his becoming the prime minister was also inseparable from the Yan family.
After becoming the prime minister, the Ji family cooperated with him, making his position as prime minister more stable.
Now, with just one imperial edict from the emperor, he had lost his position as prime minister.
The status of the Yan family was also not what it used to be.
The Ji family had also been greatly weakened after these recent events.
Learning that Feng Yuqin was an alchemist gave him hope for the rise of the Feng family. How could he be willing to let it go?
"Feng Yuqin, Yan Aoyun, let me tell you. I have nothing now. If you keep pushing me like this, don't blame me for being rude." Seeing that they were so unyielding, Feng Pingqiu was almost out of patience.
The others also found Feng Pingqiu's sinister look a bit scary.
"What do you want to do to my daughter and granddaughter?" Old Master Yan glared at Feng Pingqiu with full vigor.
"Yan Aoyun can have an amicable separation from me, but Feng Yuqin is still an unmarried woman. She can't get married from your Yan family. It's against the rules." Feng Pingqiu said. "Are you just going to watch her be gossiped about?"
In the Western Song State, there were few cases of amicable separation or divorce.
It was because a woman had to get married from her own family and the wedding had to be grand.
Feng Pingqiu seized this point and felt he had the moral high ground.
After all, if he couldn't control Yan Aoyun, he could use Feng Yuqin's marriage as an excuse.
"Father, please rest assured on this point. I won't get married from the Yan family, but I won't get married from the Prime Minister's Mansion either." Feng Yuqin said calmly.
Old Master Yan and the others also looked at Feng Yuqin in confusion, thinking that maybe they should just go along with Feng Yuqin and let her go back first.
After she got married, she would be free.
After all, they still cared a lot about Feng Yuqin's reputation.
But just as they were thinking this, they heard Feng Yuqin continue, "Besides, if the man I'm going to marry in the future cares about where I get married from, I might as well not marry him. Or does Father think that my status as an alchemist can't even compare to where I get married from?"
"Aqin, I know you're just saying this on purpose. As long as you come home, I'll forgive the losses you've caused to the Prime Minister's Mansion during this period." Feng Pingqiu was a man who cared a lot about appearances, so he was sure that any man would care about these things.
Feng Yuqin saying this now was just bravado.
And what he said showed his magnanimity.
"Father, where did you get the idea that I'm saying this on purpose? Do I have any reason to say this on purpose?" Feng Yuqin said coldly. "Moreover, I never said that I must get married. If I really can't find a man who doesn't mind this, I won't get married."
"Nonsense. There's no woman who doesn't get married." Feng Pingqiu scolded lightly. If one didn't know better, they might think he was a loving father.
"Father, you really don't have to act like this here." Feng Yuqin was also out of patience and directly tore off the mask. "You've ignored me since I was a child and treated my mother badly. Otherwise, how could the Second Madam have been so domineering in the mansion? After all, my mother is the proper mistress of the mansion, but the management of the household was in the hands of the Second Madam. Now, just because I'm an alchemist, you're trying to curry favor with me. Can't you be a bit more dignified?"