Chapter 28 Green Beauty Sees You at the Dilapidated Temple

When Meng Yanzhi returned home that evening, she found the entire Meng family home brightly lit. She frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then went inside. Once inside, she realized that the situation seemed to be more serious than she had imagined.

"You rebellious daughter, you dare to come back!"

Where have you been?

Sitting in the main hall, Meng's mother slammed her hand on the table and stared intently at Meng Yanzhi.

"Kneel down now!"

Meng Yanzhi stood there coldly, looking at her angry mother, and said calmly, "What wrong have I done? Why should I kneel down?"

"Meng Yanzhi, how dare you talk back to me!"

"Let me tell you the truth, I discovered your shady dealings a long time ago! Did you think no one knew about your trip to the dilapidated temple in the west of the city?"

Meng Anxian stepped forward, glaring at Meng Yanzhi through gritted teeth.

"It's one thing for you to be shameless, but you're dragging us all down with you, aren't you?"

As she spoke, Meng Anxian almost instinctively slapped him across the face.

This time, Meng Yanzhi didn't take it lying down. Instead, she grabbed her wrist and looked at her coldly: "You're the younger sister, and I'm the older sister. What kind of sister is it to always slap her older sister? You have any shame? I don't see any shame in you."

Meng Anxian stood there stunned, never expecting that Meng Yanzhi would dare to talk back to her like that.

Her eyebrows furrowed tightly as she forcefully pulled her hand back, coldly saying, "Meng Yanzhi, you've done shameless things outside, and you still have the nerve to talk about me?"

"All I did was go out to study and learn to read. How did that become a shameful and disgraceful thing?"

"There are more than just the two of us in this dilapidated temple; there are more than a dozen children there. Are you blind and can't see them?"

Meng Yanzhi argued her case forcefully.

In her previous life, whatever they said went. Meng Yanzhi never defended herself and always swallowed her anger, suffering many losses for no reason.

But now, Meng Yanzhi will definitely not suffer in silence like before; she will speak out if she has a point!

Seeing Meng Yanzhi like this, Meng Anxian became even more furious and looked straight at her mother: "Mother, look at what my sister has become! Mother, say something!"

"Fine, now your sister can't say anything to you, so I, as your mother, can't say anything to you either, right?"

Kneel down!

Meng's mother gritted her teeth and stared intently at Meng Yanzhi.

"Guards, bring the family discipline!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Anxian immediately became gloating.

But Meng Yanzhi remained standing there and coldly said, "I did nothing wrong, why should I kneel?"

"Very well, very well indeed. Today I'm going to teach you a good lesson, you disobedient and unfilial brat!"

"The Crown Prince has arrived!"

Just as tensions were about to rise, Meng's father and the crown prince walked in together from outside.

Upon entering, Meng's father noticed something was amiss. He paused for a moment, then looked sternly at Meng Yanzhi: "What are you up to now?"

Meng Yanzhi knelt on the ground with tears in her eyes: "Father, please do justice for me! I was just studying outside, but my mother and sister insist that I was having an affair and want to be punished according to family law!"

What?

Meng's father knew that the inner quarters of the household were never peaceful, but he never expected them to be this peaceful.

His expression changed, and then he looked at Meng Yanzhi with great displeasure: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

The Meng family's inner quarters can be as unsettled as they may be, but they must not show it in front of the Crown Prince. Otherwise, if it were to happen in court, it would be seen as a sign of unrest in the Meng family's inner quarters!

Upon hearing this, Meng Yanzhi cried even more miserably.

"I dare not speak nonsense. I only beg my father to do justice for me and clear my name!"

"Sister, please don't make things difficult for Father anymore, okay?"

Meng Anxian looked at Meng Yanzhi with some helplessness, as if everything was just Meng Yanzhi being silly.

“Lüqiao saw it with her own eyes. She saw you go out during the day and come back at night. You stayed in the dilapidated temple all day long. You...you are now the eldest daughter of the Meng family, no longer a wild girl from the countryside!” Meng Anxian sighed. She stepped forward, took Meng Yanzhi’s hand, and said softly, “Good sister, I know you are so anxious because you lost Xu Shize’s marriage, but don’t worry, your parents will definitely find you a good marriage. They will not let you suffer.”

Now, Meng Yanzhi has been branded as a shameless harlot who goes out to find men.

As Meng Yanzhi looked at Meng Anxian, her gaze gradually turned cold.

Her face was full of disappointment, and she said softly, "Sister, I thought you would believe me!"

As she spoke, Meng Yanzhi suddenly shoved Meng Anxian aside, then grabbed a teacup and smashed it on the ground. She picked up a shard of porcelain and held it against her neck.

"Since none of you believe me, I am willing to die to prove my innocence!"

It's nothing more than crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide; Meng Yanzhi has already mastered it to perfection.

"Rouge, don't do anything reckless!"

Xiao Ce finally reacted, quickly stepped forward, and grabbed Meng Yanzhi's wrist.

"Whether it's a secret meeting or a lecture, we'll find out tomorrow, and then we'll know everything."

Xiao Ce's face was very ugly as he looked at Meng's father.

"You can't even manage the affairs of the inner quarters, how can we expect you to handle matters of the court!"

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Ce grabbed Meng Yanzhi's hand and strode outside.

"Your Highness, where are you taking my sister?"

Meng Anxian hurriedly stepped forward and blocked their path.

Xiao Ce snorted coldly: "I'm taking her to the Crown Prince's residence to settle her in. She'll be sent back when this matter is cleared up!"

"Absolutely not! My sister isn't married yet!" Meng Anxian said anxiously.

If Meng Yanzhi could really live in the Crown Prince's residence like this, what would people outside say and think?

She would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.

Mother Meng was getting a little anxious. She walked over and frowned at Meng Yanzhi: "Yanzhi, come here right now!"

Meng Yanzhi almost instinctively tried to pry the Crown Prince's hand away, but Xiao Ce held her hand tightly.

Xiao Ce looked coldly at Meng's mother: "What, do I need to consider your opinion when I want to take someone away?"

"This humble woman dares not!"

Overwhelmed by Xiao Ce's aura, Meng's mother dared not utter another word and could only watch them leave.

"What on earth are you all doing?!"

Meng's father looked very unpleasant. This was not the first time. If the inner quarters continued to be so uneasy, how could he ever go out again? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?

Upon hearing this, Meng's mother was also furious: "This Meng Yanzhi, she truly lives up to her reputation as someone who grew up in the countryside. She's an ill-mannered brat who only knows how to bring shame to the Meng family!"