Chapter 2626 - 2599: Witness

Mr. Mei helped him up, and with his limbs feeling weak, Young Master Fang stood up trembling under his gaze, not daring to refuse.

Mr. Mei released his hand holding him and said coldly, "Go upstairs."

He turned to go upstairs. Yin Huo gave Bai Erlang and Liu Huan a look, and the two immediately supported the man on both sides to go upstairs.

Bai Shan stayed a step behind, summoned a waiter, and asked, "Is there an empty private room nearby? Can you get us another one?"

The waiter cleverly said, "Yes, there is one, the room on the right is empty, though it’s a bit small."

Small is not a problem, it’s just a few people.

Bai Shan nodded to him, hurried to catch up with them, and upon going upstairs, overtook Mr. Mei, opened the adjacent private room door with a smile, and let them in.

Bai Erlang and Liu Huan carried the man inside but couldn’t help turning their heads to look at Bai Shan.

Bai Shan nodded to them, so the two placed the young man down, paid respects to Mr. Mei, and left.

Bai Shan also paid respects to Mr. Mei, and said with a smile, "If there are things to discuss, it might be better to speak here, or perhaps rest a bit and discuss when both sides are calm later."

The meaning was that if they found this place inconvenient, they could sit for a while and find an excuse to leave and handle it at home later.

Mr. Mei appreciated Bai Shan’s thoughtfulness, returned the courtesy, and said, "Thank you, Lord Bai. This is not something that cannot be seen by others. If Lord Bai doesn’t mind, perhaps you could stay and act as a witness for us."

Bai Shan hesitated for a moment but then smiled and said, "If you need a witness, I can recommend someone. There is a Lord Tang on this floor too; he was a magistrate of Chang’an County and is now a deputy in the capital prefecture. Although this is a domestic affair, it would be most appropriate to have him as a witness. If Mr. Mei doesn’t mind, I will invite Lord Tang over now."

Mr. Mei thought for a moment and then nodded, "I would be grateful to you, Lord Bai."

The young man looked at Bai Shan in surprise, not expecting this handsome man to be an official. He seemed not very old, somewhere between a teenager and a young adult, appearing particularly young.

Bai Shan smiled at him amiably, then left the private room to find Lord Tang.

Manbao had already pulled Princess Mingda and the others back to their private room when Mr. Mei turned to climb the stairs.

She knew Lady Mei had a tender heart and that if she knew she had watched the entire scene, she would be mortified next time when she visited her for a follow-up consultation. Otherwise, Lady Mei might refuse to see her for further treatment, so it was best to avoid it.

Bai Shan went to invite Tang He, whose eyes lit up, immediately stood up and straightened his clothes, and said with a reserved smile, "I never thought I would be called to judge a matter after a month of retirement."

Madam Tang gave him a warning look, "Don’t be gleeful; separation is not a good thing. Wipe that entertained look off your face."

Tang He said, "Am I that kind of person?"

He said, "I am the most proper kind of person."

Bai Shan glanced at Manbao, then went with Tang He to act as witnesses; he was also somewhat curious.

Tang He went over with a serious attitude, exuding authority, making the young man even more anxious.

Mr. Mei invited Tang He and Bai Shan to sit at the head of the table, then sat to the side and said, "To inform the Lord, the marriage arrangement between the Mei and Fang families was canceled over two months ago. The two children are agreed to separate; both parties consented."

The young man fell to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down, "Father, I never thought to separate from my wife, but when you and her were not at home, I had no choice but to agree temporarily. I came to the capital almost immediately, I..."

Mr. Mei raised his hand to interrupt him, sighed, and said, "Young Master Fang, I have no intention of bringing up the various conflicts over the years of your marriage. I only wish for a peaceful parting. If we were to tear open your words and actions over the years, the little affection accumulated through these years would dissipate completely."

Fang Sanlang turned his red eyes towards Lady Mei, speaking passionately, "My lady, my lady, could you really bear to leave me? Can you truly disregard the countless moments we shared as husband and wife over these years?"

Mr. Mei’s face flashed with anger, pressing his lips, the faint trace of amiability instantly disappeared.

Lady Mei glanced at her father, bit her lip, and lowered her head, saying, "Young Master Fang, my father is right. I cannot have children. Now that you have money, you can marry a wife and continue your lineage."

"I don’t want children," Fang Sanlang looked at her passionately, "I just want you."

Mr. Mei said expressionlessly, "Is that so? But didn’t you bring up the idea of taking concubines to have children last year?"

"Father, even if I took concubines to have children, they would still be borne by my wife, and they would carry the Mei surname."

Both Mr. Mei and Lord Tang, as well as Bai Shan, felt their faces twitch, unsure of what expression to make.

Bai Shan said, "That’s indeed a surprising idea, but it does show Young Master Fang’s sincere intentions. Given this, perhaps Mr. Mei could reconsider."

He smiled and said, "Lady Mei is not unable to have children; she just struggles to keep the child. In my opinion, perhaps it’s the relationship between the couple that isn’t quite compatible. Maybe she could take male concubines; perhaps they might be able to conceive children. Then those children would also be Young Master Fang’s, all bearing the Mei surname. I believe Young Master Fang would consider these children as his own."

Fang Sanlang’s eyes widened, and Lady Mei was equally dumbfounded.

Mr. Mei’s expression was serious, yet he was at a loss for words.

However, Lord Tang gave Bai Shan a glare, warning him before saying to the three, "This young man is quite bold; Mr. Mei, don’t take it to heart."

He asked, "Have the two families already separated?"

"Yes," Mr. Mei, regaining his composure, promptly replied, "The divorce agreement is at home. If the Lord wishes to see it, I will send someone to get it."

Lord Tang nodded slightly, looked at Fang Sanlang, and asked, "If there is already a divorce agreement, why do you still come and bother your ex-wife’s family?"

Fang Sanlang quickly said, "Lord, as the saying goes, it is better to break up a temple than a marriage. When my father sent someone back to inform me of the separation, it was a decision made by my parents on my behalf. At the time, I was powerless, only thinking of rushing to the capital to find my father-in-law and my wife to ask the reason, so I signed the divorce agreement."

Mr. Mei said, "Lord, the divorce agreement was signed over three months ago, and he came to the capital only ten days ago; from Jiangnan to here, it would take at most half a month, yet he took three whole months."

If someone were to say he was anxious, who would believe it?

Fang Sanlang hurriedly explained that he fell ill on the road, which caused the delay.

Lord Tang glanced back and forth between them and asked with a smile, "Why did Mr. Mei wish for the couple to separate?"

Mr. Mei paused for a moment before deciding to be honest and said, "Lord, I only have this one daughter. Her health isn’t good, so she may not be able to bear children. Yet, Fang Sanlang consistently contemplated taking concubines to have children and even incited my daughter to plan for their second child to carry the Fang surname."

"Perhaps my concern is overly cautious, but a parent’s love for their child is deep. I must think about my daughter’s future, and so I believe they are not suitable to remain together."