Chapter 27 027 I felt angry, resentful, and helpless towards him.

The next morning, the room was silent during the meal. Qingli took two bites and then asked the food to be taken away.

Granny Sui glanced at her young mistress. Her skin was fair, like the first ray of sunlight shining through a flower petal under a dewdrop, making the dark circles under her eyes particularly striking and heartbreaking. She coaxed her softly, "Miss, please use some more."

Qingli felt bloated and frowned, unable to eat any more. She got up, sat on the soft stool, picked up a book, and continued reading.

Jiang Yue quietly cleared away the food. When no one was in the room, Granny Sui stepped forward and said gently, "Miss, this old servant is old and thick-skinned, so I'll say a few words to you."

"The relationship between men and women is the most complicated and difficult to explain. There is love in hate and hate in love. It is hard to make a clear distinction, which often leaves people conflicted and struggling."

Qingli's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't respond. Granny Sui was trying to comfort her or persuade her to let go of the grudges in her heart, but right now he was far from enough to keep her up at night. Her grandfather was the most important thing.

A series of heavy footsteps sounded outside. Qingli looked through the window, and Granny Sui also stopped talking and looked over, and couldn't help but scold, "Jiang Zhao, that maid with big feet."

Jiang Zhao strode into the room, ran to her mistress's side, and said breathlessly, "I heard from the kitchen staff that the General and the Old Madam had a huge outburst of anger."

Granny Sui thought of the old lady's way of looking people up and down, as if she wanted to pass right through them, which made people feel inexplicably scared.

Qingli had no interest in this, only grunted in response, and returned to her book.

Curious, Granny Sui pulled Jiang Zhao aside to the corridor and whispered among herself.

Inside the West Garden, cups and saucers shattered on the floor. Meng's mother slumped into a chair, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She looked up at him, his head held high, staring straight ahead at the air. He neither dodged nor flinched at the cups and saucers she had thrown at him. It was this indifferent attitude that infuriated her. She demanded sharply, "Why can't she be married?!"

Hiding in the inner room, Li Qingwu listened intently against the wall, her heart trembling. Ever since she told her aunt about Qingli's actions, she had been plotting something. The day before yesterday, her aunt took her out to a banquet, and seeing the handsome and promising men at the table, she whispered in her aunt's ear, "Aunt, why are these young men so unrestrained?"

"With a distinguished family background and official rank, how could he not live a carefree life?"

Li Qingwu sighed softly, "I wonder if the He family's daughter is good enough for her."

She noticed her aunt's eyes pause for a moment, and knowing that she had taken it to heart, she stopped talking.

Li Qingwu was worried that her cousin would find out that she had instigated the whole thing. Her hands and feet were ice-cold with nervousness. Her aunt's questions outside made her heart pound, but she didn't hear her cousin's words. It was as if she knew that thunder was about to roar, but it never came. Her heart was in a state of high anxiety. She prayed that her cousin would still consider the bond between mother and son and grant her aunt's wish.

“That Scholar Li is handsome and talented. He comes from a family of nobles and holds a title. His only shortcoming is that his first wife died, and he waited three years before sincerely seeking a second wife. What’s wrong with him?”

The words that Meng's mother had kept in her heart for many years were poured out without any pause: "She is an orphan, a concubine, and not pure herself. What can she possibly be presentable about?"

Five years is enough time to leave a mark on someone; can he really cover it up so easily?

After such a belittling remark, Mencius' mother's expression gradually calmed down. Her anxiety subsided, and she waited patiently for his response.

Meng Qingshan sneered. Although Li Yuhe was a scholar, he failed the imperial examination three times. He was indeed a nobleman for centuries, but in his generation, he was only a baron. He was a good-for-nothing. How could he save the family's glory? He was nothing but a pretty face. His wife was a wealthy merchant from the capital. Her entire dowry was not enough to pay for her, and she died young because she suffered day and night.

Yun Xiu learned of this information with just a little inquiry; how could she not know?!

He suddenly felt annoyed, and his words were as cold as if they had been soaked in ice and snow: "Whether she is good or bad, what right do you have to judge her here? Have you forgotten what you said back then?"

Mencius' mother's cheeks twitched uncontrollably, and she immediately retorted, "The despicable things she did are open to judgment by everyone."

Upon hearing those two words, Meng Qingshan tensed up instantly. He took two steps forward and looked down at his mother, making sure she could clearly see the impatience on his face. "You asked me to pick up Li Qingwu on the way to the capital, simply because you wanted me to marry her. Let me tell you now, she is stupid, ignorant, and ugly. I won't even give her a second glance."

He spoke very slowly and in a very low voice, making Meng's mother feel that even mentioning Li Qingwu's name would annoy him.

There was a sound from inside the room, but he didn't even look up. "She's only able to stay in the manor peacefully because of her cousin's name. Otherwise, do you really think she can wear gold and silver?"

The coldness in his words left Meng's mother speechless for a moment. The moment she heard Qing Li's identity, she knew! She knew he harbored ulterior motives, that he was scheming and calculating, and that he even included her in his calculations.

"Hmph, aren't you afraid people will gossip about you behind your back and call you unfilial!"

"Do you think I'm afraid of this? You're just a woman in the inner quarters, yet you eat the finest delicacies, wear silk and satin, and are surrounded by servants. You have everything you could ever want. That's already more than enough for you."

Mencius' mother felt resentful and shouted, "I'm only doing this for your own good! Would I, as your mother, harm you?!"

Meng Qingshan took two steps back, raised his eyelashes, his eyes were thin and arched, framing brown pupils, and when he stared at people with a fierce look, it made people soften their momentum. After Meng's mother finished shouting, her heart started pounding.

He refused to look at the fake faces anymore and spoke directly, "First you criticized her, then you tried to control my marriage, and finally you said you were doing this out of concern for her as a mother. Do you know what you're saying? Or is this your usual rhetoric? When you can't belittle her and you can't achieve your goal, you talk about feelings. Are you trying to fool me like a three-year-old child?"

Upon hearing these words, tears welled up in the corners of Mencius' mother's eyes. There was no need for her to shed any more tears, so she finally let them fall, bringing a chill with her. She lowered her gaze, lost in thought.

“Mother, do you still remember what you said back then? My grievances with her and I have been settled.”

Upon hearing this, Meng's mother completely lost her strength. Her previous madness vanished like bubbles, leaving only endless emptiness. Recalling his harsh words from years ago, she finally asked with a sliver of hope, "Are you serious? I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. Your father died early, and I endured so much bullying to raise you. You cannot be unfilial to your mother!"

“You know my feelings, yet you still ignore them. If you hadn’t intervened back then, she might have already married someone else peacefully. Since you’ve cut off her life, I will give it to her. If you don’t interfere now, you can still be the old lady of the Meng family.”

"You did all those things back then for her, but what did she do? She actually cursed you. What is she that makes you so desperate for her?"

Meng Qingshan was a man of few words and rarely argued with a woman like this. His patience had run out, and he said directly, "Don't use the excuse of doing it for someone else's good. In my opinion, it's just jealousy."

Meng Qingshan turned around and said, "Jingning Nunnery on the outskirts of the capital is quiet and peaceful. I have already sent the silver there, and I will send you there to cultivate in peace in the next two days. Li Qingwu will have someone send her away today."

Mencius' mother slumped from the chair to the ground, her mouth trembling uncontrollably, only able to whimper.

Inside the room, Li Qingwu was in no better shape. But thinking of what she had acquired over the past few days, she rushed out in a hurry, without even glancing at the hall.

Lin Mama was released by the guards and allowed to enter the room. Seeing the old lady's ashen face, she hurriedly went to help her up. The general's words were still echoing in her ears, but she dared not say anything to comfort her. She only said, "Old lady, please rest assured, this old servant will come to see you."

After saying that, he went to the wardrobe to collect some thick clothes and also grabbed the key to the mansion's storeroom.

Yun Xiu glanced at the general's face from time to time, first chuckled, and then said, "General, the situation at the camp outside the capital is unclear, and the return date is uncertain. Why don't you tell Miss so she won't worry?"

Meng Qingshan's already bad expression darkened even more. He thought to himself that she had said such heartless things yesterday, showing no mercy whatsoever. He wanted to see what she was so tough about.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Furthermore, a wise man devises strategies to subdue others. He can win every battle against treacherous foreign tribes, and he can even let her, whom he raised since childhood, succeed in her schemes!

Meng Qingshan glared at Yun Xiu and said, "As the commander of the guards, you can't even find a trace of someone. What use are you?"

Yun Xiu choked and quickly apologized, thinking to himself that he was a general, yet he was still completely fooled by the young lady and took her anger out on him.

For two consecutive days, the mansion was in chaos, with even cries and shouts. Qingli didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Meng family, but even the servants below were slacking off. Yesterday, she heard Jiang Zhao say that the rough servants in the backyard were actually gambling, and the back door was not even closed.

She only found out after asking that Meng Qingshan had actually gone to the camp outside the capital at this critical juncture. Didn't Meng's mother care? Before Jiang Zhao could get any news back, she heard that Granny Lin was requesting an audience.

The curtain was lifted, and Granny Lin bent down to enter. Qingli looked up and saw that Granny Lin was dressed in a coarse ginger-yellow cloth dress, without even a silver hairpin in her hair. She looked too plain.

Lin Mama knelt down and presented the account book with both hands, on which rested a bunch of keys. "Miss, the old lady has requested to go to Jingning Nunnery for spiritual cultivation. The mansion cannot be without a master for a day. You know how uncouth this old servant is. How can I possibly sort out the account book? This old servant is truly at a loss. Please save this old servant."

As Lin Mama spoke, she felt increasingly distressed and began to sob in the room, "Miss, I have been in the Meng family for ten years and have been in charge of the household. Seeing this mansion in such a mess makes me very anxious. This is a place that the General risked his life for, how can we let these servants ruin it?"

Qingli frowned as she listened, thinking that what Granny Lin said was going too far; how could it have come to this?

"Miss, Miss, please save the Meng family." Granny Lin crawled two steps on her knees and arrived directly in front of Qingli.

Although Granny Sui didn't understand why Meng's mother wanted to go into seclusion, the Meng family was not a desirable place. Besides, Meng's mother was malicious, and if the young lady took her there, who knew how she would ridicule her.

Sui Mama said angrily from behind, "You servant, you keep begging for help, but I think you're just taking advantage of Miss because you're soft-hearted. Go away, go away. Our Miss doesn't care about this Meng family and doesn't want to get involved in this trouble."

After saying that, they were about to call for Granny Qiu, and together with the maids outside, they tried to carry Granny Lin out. However, Granny Lin was broad-shouldered and lay on the ground, dodging left and right. Granny Sui and Granny Qiu started shouting, and four or five people worked hard with all their might.

The room instantly descended into chaos.

Seeing this absurd scene, Qingli actually let out a short laugh.

"alright!"

At her call, the room fell silent, and everyone turned to look at her. "Get up, everyone."

Looking at the account books and keys already placed on the table, he pointed at Granny Lin and said, "Tell me what exactly happened?"

Lin Mama hesitated twice, not daring to hide anything, but she really didn't know the truth. She only reported, "I was detained outside the courtyard at the time. I only know that the general and the old lady had a big fight. Then the general left the mansion, the young lady was sent back to Taiyuan, and the old lady was sent to a nunnery."

She added at the end, "Madam, she probably won't be back for some time."

Qingli wondered what Meng's mother had done to make him so angry.

He abandoned his post and left the Meng residence without a care in the world, leaving the mansion in complete chaos.

Her mind is currently focused on her grandfather, and she plans to take advantage of the discord between them to sever ties. Naturally, she has no intention of taking over the Meng family mansion.

But if she leaves again, there will be no one to manage the mansion. When he returns, the Meng mansion will probably not even have a gate left.

For a moment, she felt angry, resentful, and helpless towards him.

He then wondered if it was a scheme orchestrated by him.

After pondering for a moment, with the outside world in such a chaotic state, and unable to come up with a clear answer, he had no choice but to give up. "Please have the housekeeper and the kitchen manager come here."