Chapter 260: Revenge for Meng Qianqian
Chapter 260: Revenge for Meng Qianqian
The guests at the An Yuan Marquis Mansion and the Governor's Mansion rarely interacted, so Meng Qianqian's face was extremely unfamiliar to those present.
There was no need to mention Bai Yuwei.
She was the daughter of the King of Miaojiang and had barely ever appeared at major events.
Steward Ji desperately tried to signal the Third Duchess, but unfortunately, Third Duchess Xie was so enraged that she completely ignored him.
"What are you all standing around for? Chase her away! All the guests here today are esteemed, can you afford to offend them?"
It had to be said that these words successfully pleased the guests who were watching the spectacle.
Everyone was also waiting for Meng Qianqian to be chased away by the Marquis Mansion's servants.
At that moment, Lu Tumomu hurried over to the door with quick, small steps.
She had run as fast as she could, but she hadn't expected the situation to escalate so much.
Without even catching her breath, she stopped the servants who were about to chase Meng Qianqian away and said to Third Duchess Xie, "Third Duchess, this is an honored guest of the Elder Madam."
"What? Mother's honored guest?"
Third Duchess Xie suspected she had heard wrong and pointed at Meng Qianqian in a daze, "She is clearly a..."
Lu Tumomu bowed to Meng Qianqian. With so many guests present, she omitted the formal address and said directly, "The Elder Madam requests your presence."
Meng Qianqian lifted her chin and followed Lu Tumomu into the mansion.
"Ah—"
Third Duchess Xie watched as they left, stomping her foot in anger, "Steward Ji! Come here!"
She called Steward Ji to one side, "Who is she, one of Mother's guests? Why have I never seen her before?"
Steward Ji looked troubled, "Third Duchess, you should ask the Elder Madam yourself. I dare not speak out of turn."
Third Duchess Xie glared at him and frowned as she walked away.
To her surprise, she was stopped by the servants at the entrance to the Elder Madam's courtyard.
The nursemaid guarding the courtyard said, "Third Duchess, the Elder Madam is busy at the moment. If you have something, you might want to speak to Lady First."
Third Duchess Xie became even more curious.
What was the background of that crazy girl, to be treated so mysteriously!
Soon, Li Tumomu and Ban Xia brought the awakened Bao Shu out.
Third Duchess Xie wanted to ask, but then felt it would be beneath her dignity and turned away coldly.
In the main hall, Elder Madam Xie sat on a Bodhimanda bed, with Meng Qianqian seated on an embroidered bench in front of her.
The room's decor was very meticulous. Though it didn't look ostentatious, each item had a history—some were gifts from the previous emperor, some from the imperial concubines, and there were also many tributes from the court and famous paintings.
It was clear that the Marquis Mansion took pride in its family heritage and was very proud of it.
Elder Madam Xie's face was kind, but as the former matriarch of the Marquis Mansion, a hint of sharpness often inadvertently showed in her expression.
She smiled and said, "Lu Shao Fu, I am deeply grateful that you came to celebrate my birthday."
Meng Qianqian smiled and replied, "Elder Madam Xie, you are too kind. In terms of seniority, I should call you Grandmother. How could I not attend your birthday celebration?"
Elder Madam Xie was slightly surprised, but then smiled, "You speak frankly, and I appreciate that."
Meng Qianqian spoke candidly, "Qianqian is not good at beating around the bush, I apologize for any offense."
Elder Madam Xie didn't respond but caressed the bracelet on her wrist.
Meng Qianqian said softly, "Last time... I was quite disrespectful. Please forgive me, Elder Madam."
Elder Madam Xie looked deeply at Meng Qianqian, who met her gaze.
Elder Madam Xie saw no evasion in her eyes and kindly took her hand, "Your mother has been away from you for many years, and it's natural for you to harbor resentment."
"To be honest, I only learned about you recently. My good son has been hiding this from me all along. If I had known, I would have brought you to the Marquis Mansion long ago, and you wouldn't have suffered so much."
Elder Madam Xie was very shrewd. She didn't blame everything on Yu Shi but made her son take half the blame.
This made her seem like a good mother-in-law.
If Meng Qianqian truly had deep maternal affection for Yu Shi, she would have started to feel grateful to Elder Madam Xie at this moment.
Elder Madam Xie held Meng Qianqian's hand and said earnestly, "Child, I know you resent your mother. She was indeed at fault, but she also regrets it. I hear from the Marquis that she often weeps secretly at night, missing her child. In this world, the greatest regret is when the tree wishes to be still but the wind will not stop, when the child wishes to support the parent but the parent is no longer there!"
Meng Qianqian lowered her eyes.
Elder Madam Xie pressed on, "Forgive your mother. From now on, you will be the eldest daughter of the Marquis Mansion."
Meng Qianqian paused and asked calmly, "I am not of the Marquis Mansion's bloodline. I fear I am not worthy of being the eldest daughter."
Elder Madam Xie laughed, "So you are worried about that. I have already thought of a solution. We will say that you are Ling'er's long-lost twin sister. You were born as twins, but after your birth, you were taken away by someone and raised in Youzhou by the Meng Family.
Meng Qianqian secretly smiled, realizing that even her background had been "arranged" for her.
Such a scenario was rare even in her plays, and she never expected it to happen to her.
They wanted to curry favor with the Governor's Manor while ensuring the Marquis Manor's reputation remained unblemished, taking advantage of every opportunity.
Meng Qianqian said, "I want to see my mother first."
Madam Xie signaled to Lu Tumomu, who promptly invited Yu Shi, who was entertaining guests in the front hall, to Madam Xie's courtyard.
"You two chat, I'll change my clothes."
Madam Xie, supported by Lu Tumomu, left the room.
"I heard you wanted to see me."
Yu Shi's attitude was extremely cold.
Meng Qianqian, uncharacteristically, didn't argue with Yu Shi but looked at her expectantly, "Today, I'm not Meng Xiaojiu. I want to talk to you as Meng Qianqian."
Yu Shi knew that her name in the military camp was Meng Xiaojiu, and these words, whether heard briefly or in detail, were faultless. However, Yu Shi felt something was off.
Meng Qianqian pointed to the bench beside her, "Mother, can you sit with me for a while?"
Yu Shi looked at her in confusion and sat down beside her.
"These years, I've missed you so much."
Meng Qianqian let her thoughts wander, "When I was little, I thought you were truly gone. I secretly went to pay respects to you and often dreamed of you. When I first learned you were still alive, and that I could see you as soon as I married into the capital, I was overjoyed. I wasn't even afraid of leaving home."
"But after I arrived in the capital, I didn't see you for a long time. I thought maybe you didn't receive the Yu family's letter. Another month passed, and I found out you weren't in the capital anymore. But I thought, as long as I stayed in the capital, you would eventually return."
"But I didn't get to see you... When I was underwater, it was so cold..."
"Enough!"
Yu Shi interrupted Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian's words made her uncomfortable, and she didn't want to listen anymore!
Meng Qianqian's eyes glistened with tears, "Mother, have you ever thought of me and my brother these years?"
Yu Shi turned around and said, "Didn't the Elder Madam promise you? From now on, you'll be the Marquis Manor's precious daughter."
Meng Qianqian looked at her intently, "I don't want to be someone else's daughter. I only want to be yours. If you agree, I'll go talk to Madam Xie right now. I can be the Marquis Manor's eldest daughter, but my mother must be you."
Yu Shi suddenly became agitated, "Meng Qianqian! Do you want to ruin me?"
Meng Qianqian asked in confusion, "Ruin you?"
Yu Shi turned to look at her, tightly gripping her handkerchief, "I don't want the people of the capital to know my past! Why are you so immature? Why must you embarrass me? The Elder Madam has already agreed to let you into the manor and even gave Ling'er's daughter status to you. You can still call me Mother in the future, and I'll treat you like Ling'er. What more could you want?"
After saying this, she left without looking back.
Below the window, the eavesdropping group grew from Qing Shuang to include Taner and later, Bai Yuwei.
Bai Yuwei communicated with her eyes: So she's had such a miserable life.
Taner: This calls for rebellion!
Meng Qianqian's tears fell.
However, her face showed no sign of sadness.
She stared at the tear on her fingertip and said coldly, "Meng Qianqian, do you see? It's not because of my bad temper that she doesn't acknowledge you. Even with your pleading, she still doesn't want you."
A hidden pain emanated from her heart.
Meng Qianqian's gaze turned colder, "Does it still hurt? This is the only time I'll indulge you, and it's the last. If you dare to feel pain again, I'll stab the knife in. I'm Shang Xiaojiu, and I won't always be controlled by your obsession."
Bai Yuwei looked at Taner and Qing Shuang in horror: You all saw it, right? She's truly gone mad! A perfectly fine person, driven to insanity by her own mother!
Qing Shuang looked bewildered: Isn't she Meng Xiaojiu?
Taner looked up in thought: Shang Xiaojiu, this name sounds so familiar.
Yu Shi stormed out of the room.
Madam Xie frowned, "What's going on with the eldest daughter? Another quarrel?"
Soon, Madam Xie saw Meng Qianqian walk out gracefully.
Madam Xie said worriedly, "Qianqian! Did you and your mother just argue? I shouldn't have let you meet her alone. She's also stubborn."
Meng Qianqian smiled slightly, "Grandmother, what are you saying? My mother and I had a wonderful chat. Thank you, Grandmother, for helping me understand my mother's intentions."
Madam Xie heaved a sigh of relief and pulled Meng Qianqian's hand, "As long as you understand, that's good! The guests have arrived. Now, I'll introduce you to everyone."
Meng Qianqian smiled, "Sure."
Little maid, watch closely, I'm about to take revenge for you.
Xiaojiu: With the husband away, I can finally use my ultimate move.
(End of Chapter)
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