Chapter 56 A Visit "Has Mother taken a liking to anything?" (She agreed...)

The Marquis of Wuxing's residence.

The room was filled with the faint scent of aloeswood incense, yet it did nothing to soothe Zhao Xu's mind. He paced back and forth in the hall, his steps heavy, a dark cloud hanging over his brow. Every now and then he would stop, look out the door, a flicker of anxious hope in his eyes, which would then turn into deeper unease.

Zhao Ruxuan leaned against the window, her round eyes following her brother's figure with great interest, a smile playing on her lips, as if she were watching a fascinating play.

Madam Cui sat regally in the main seat, holding a cup of tea in her hands. She gently skimmed off any non-existent foam before bringing it to her lips to savor it. Beside her, her eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Fang, served her with demure demeanor, her movements gentle and silent.

Madam Cui glanced at her indifferently, feeling slightly relieved. Fang was the wife she had personally chosen for her eldest son. She came from a prestigious family, with her father and brothers holding important positions. She was gentle, polite, and knew how to behave appropriately. She never acted rudely in front of others and would never act on her own initiative.

This is the ideal eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's mansion that she envisioned.

However, the thought that her usually docile and obedient youngest son, Mingyuan, had somehow grown his own backbone and silently devoted his heart to that Meng family girl, even going so far as to kneel and beg her to propose marriage on his behalf... made Madam Cui feel as if a thorn was stuck in her heart, leaving her feeling neither here nor there, and even the fragrant tea she was drinking seemed to have lost its flavor.

She had seen the Meng family's daughter before. She was exceptionally beautiful, with rosy lips and white teeth, and a captivating gaze. She was beautiful, but too flamboyant. Moreover, she had heard that the girl loved painting and literature, often associating with scholars and literati, showing herself in public, discussing poetry and painting. In Madam Cui's eyes, this was simply a loss of the proper conduct of a young lady!

She considered forcefully stopping him. But she knew her youngest son's nature well; outwardly gentle, but inwardly resilient and unyielding. If she were to oppose him, it would only backfire.

Perhaps we should go along with his wishes for now.

It would be best if the Meng family member didn't have the fortune to enter the Marquis's mansion, but if he did... it wouldn't matter.

Ultimately, once a person enters the family and becomes her rightful daughter-in-law, how she teaches and disciplines them within that small world is entirely up to her, the mother-in-law.

There's still a long way to go; there are plenty of ways to slowly sculpt the stubborn stone into the shape she desires. Thinking this, Madam Cui's inner turmoil eased slightly, and the fingers gripping the covered bowl loosened a bit.

While she was pondering, the steward rushed in to report: "Madam, Madam Lu has arrived!"

Zhao Xu suddenly looked up, his eyes lighting up, and strode out to greet him. Madam Cui lowered her brows slightly, paused for a moment, then stood up and followed slowly.

Upon entering the front hall and seeing her young son's reaction, she stopped in her tracks.

Zhao Xu stood frozen in the center of the hall, his face deathly pale. On the floor, the gifts for visiting the bride's family were laid out untouched, the bright red silk still untied, and the chests tied with colorful ribbons unmoved, a sight so glaring it was chilling.

Madam Cui's heart sank, and her fingertips inexplicably felt cold.

"Good! Good for the Meng family!" Madam Lu trembled with rage. "They are utterly disrespectful and ignorant! In all my decades of life, I have never seen such a rebellious and rude family. Marriage is a matter of course, arranged by parents and matchmakers. But the Meng family is something else entirely, saying they 'need to ask their daughter's opinion.' Meng Yan, the dignified Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, is actually letting his wife make the decision? It's absurd!"

The words echoed in the hall. Fang, who was standing beside her mother-in-law, heard this and her eyes flickered slightly, revealing a complex expression.

Zhao Xu froze, his hopes shattering into nothingness.

He opened his mouth, then said with difficulty, "Aunt, please calm down. There must be some misunderstanding. Perhaps... perhaps the Meng family just felt it was too sudden and couldn't react in time..."

"Misunderstanding?" Madam Lu sneered, turning to rebuke Madam Cui, "Is this how you mock me? The Meng family has no intention of forming a marriage alliance, yet you expect me to come here and suffer this humiliation!"

Zhao Xu was struck as if by lightning, and his body swayed unsteadily.

Even Zhao Ruxuan was stunned and spoke first, "How is that possible? Aunt Lu, you've got it wrong. How could Meng Lingyao not want to marry my second brother?"

In her fury, Madam Lu forgot to reprimand her for disrespecting her elders and instead mocked, "A mistake? I really wish I were the one who made a mistake. Do you know how utterly disgraced I am in the Meng family today? It wasn't just the Marquis of Wuxing's family who came to propose marriage; the Duchess of Dingguo also came personally to propose marriage for Pei Xu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

Pei Xu!

Zhao Xu pressed on, "Did Miss Meng agree to his marriage proposal?"

"No." Madam Lu glanced at her distraught nephew and said, "No one in the Meng family has agreed; they only said they would listen to their daughter's opinion."

In her view, not explicitly agreeing to the Marquis of Wuxing's request was tantamount to a refusal. Although Zhao Xu was her nephew, she couldn't honestly say that Zhao Xu was superior to Pei Xu.

Madam Cui was seething with anger, but she remained outwardly calm. "The Meng family only has one daughter, so she is precious. I was careless in thinking this through. I'm sorry to have troubled you, sister. Please calm down and don't upset yourself."

Seeing her attitude, Madam Lu's anger subsided slightly, and she snorted coldly, "Fine. Since the Meng family has no sincerity, I think there's no need to waste any more effort."

Madam Cui nodded slightly, her eyes filled with a chilling coldness.

After Madam Lu left, the hall was deathly silent.

Zhao Xu remained standing in the same spot, motionless.

A moment later, he leaped to his feet, muttering, "I'm going to go ask the Meng family..."

"You are not allowed to go."

Those three words seemed to freeze him in place; Zhao Xu stopped in his tracks instantly. He turned around, his face pleading, "Mother..."

"I said, you're not allowed to go."

Madam Cui said coldly, "If you go there today, you will be trampling the dignity of the Marquis of Wuxing's mansion and the Cui family underfoot."

Zhao Xu's hands trembled, and his whole body shook violently.

That step felt like an insurmountable weight, and he ultimately did not take it.

Zhao Ruxuan slowly walked to his side, "Second Brother..."

Zhao Xu closed his eyes briefly, his voice hoarse, "I'm fine."

Madam Cui watched coldly, her fingertips lightly stroking the rim of the teacup, already having made her decision.

—Since the Meng family dares to do this, then we'll see.

She wanted to see if her good luck could last forever.

The crowds dispersed from the front courtyard of the Meng residence, and the hustle and bustle subsided into silence.

Meng Yan slumped into his chair with a sigh of relief, exhaled a long breath, rubbed his temples, and sighed, "Sigh... today's scene is even more tiring than the court assembly."

Madam Zhong sat upright to one side, took the freshly brewed tea from the maid, and drank two large gulps to quench her thirst. She put down the teacup and said to the waiting maid, "Go and invite Miss over."

Before she could finish speaking, familiar footsteps echoed from the corridor, light and melodious. The beaded curtain was lifted, and Meng Lingyao peeked out with a beaming smile.

"Is my mother calling me?"

When Madam Zhong saw her enter, she narrowed her eyes slightly. "You've come at just the right time."

Meng Lingyao obediently walked to her mother's side, took the teapot and refilled her tea with practiced elegance. Madam Zhong took the teacup, took a sip, and said indifferently, "I wonder which little girl it is. Just a few days ago she swore she would never marry, but now, after only a few days, suitors have been coming one after another, each one more impressive than the last."

Meng Lingyao held the teapot and poured herself a cup as well.

I sighed inwardly, realizing that plans can't keep up with changes, and life is unpredictable.

She looked up at her mother and asked, "Mother, have you found one you like? Which one have you agreed to?"

Madam Zhong glanced at her sideways, "Without Miss Meng's approval, who would dare to agree?"

Of course, even if she were to agree to one of them, she absolutely couldn't mention what had just happened. To agree to one in front of both families would be to create a deadly feud, wouldn't it? She recalled Madam Lu's expression when she left; she feared she had offended her badly.

That's fine then. We can't agree on anything, so a few words are too much.

She remained calm, brushed aside the foam, and took a small sip of tea.

Meng Lingyao smiled, put down her teacup, walked behind her mother, and gently massaged her temples with moderate pressure, saying softly, "I knew Mother loved me the most."

On the other side of the table, Meng Yan held a teacup and deliberately cleared his throat.

Meng Lingyao's hands didn't stop moving. She turned her head and smiled sweetly at her father, readily replying, "Father, you should also treat Lingyao very well!"

Meng Yan stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes full of kindness.

Madam Zhong enjoyed her daughter's service, her eyes slightly closed, and asked seemingly casually, "In that case, Yaoyao must have some concerns in her heart? Why don't you tell us?" Before her daughter could answer, she began to scold her, "That Pei Xu is absolutely unacceptable. You have never liked him, and you don't even bother to mention his name, so naturally we won't pay any attention to him."

Meng Lingyao's fingertips paused slightly, as a draft of air blew in from somewhere, choking her throat and causing her to cough for a while.

Madam Zhong patted her back gently and scolded, "You child, how old are you and you're still so impulsive! Stop pressing, sit down and have some tea to calm down."

After her daughter caught her breath, she continued, "Speaking of General Zhao from the Marquis of Wuxing's mansion, I've heard of him too. He used to always be with Dingming and Dingyao. He seems to be a good person, and his temperament is quite gentle. However..."

She hesitated for a moment, "I know your temperament best. You are ambitious, have big ideas, and don't care about details. But Madam Cui of the Marquis of Wuxing's mansion is a strict mistress who can't tolerate any nonsense. If you face her every day in the future, I'm afraid it will be like... a clash of titans, extremely uncomfortable."

Meng Lingyao lowered her eyes, her raven-feather-like eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her cheeks. She nodded slightly, her tone carrying a hint of sadness that she herself was unaware of, "Mother is very thoughtful. My birth charts are incompatible with those of the Marquis of Wuxing's family, which may affect our fortune."

Madam Zhong, with her keen perception, immediately sensed something amiss in her daughter's casual remark about their incompatible horoscopes. She glanced at her sideways. Meng Lingyao happened to look up and winked at her, instantly dispelling the unease as if it had been a mere illusion.

Madam Zhong hesitated before turning her gaze away and said, "So, it seems that neither of these two will work out today."

"Madam, Master, Young Master Pei requests an audience." A servant's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Madam Zhong suddenly turned her head, her two sharp gazes shooting straight at her daughter who was "concentrating" on sipping tea beside her. Meng Lingyao held the teacup as if it contained some celestial elixir worth savoring, wishing she could bury her face in the small teacup.

She raised an eyebrow and said quietly, "To see, or not to see?"

Meng Yan had always had a good impression of this young man, and seeing that he had come all this way today, he felt a pang of sympathy. Knowing that his daughter had no interest in Pei Xu, he felt relieved and said, "Since he's already here, and we're colleagues, perhaps..."

Before he could finish speaking, his daughter beside him said crisply, "See you."

Meng Yan stopped abruptly, her face instantly freezing.

He said he wanted to see her, and his daughter said she wanted to see him—those are two different things!

Madam Zhong had already addressed the person outside the door, saying, "Please invite Pei Shaoqing in."

A moment later, Pei Xu stepped into the hall.

He didn't glance at Meng Lingyao again, but respectfully bowed to Meng Yan and his wife as a junior.

"Junior Pei Xu greets Uncle and Aunt. I am sorry for coming without prior notice. Please forgive me."

Madam Zhong was somewhat pleased to see how polite he was.

Meng Yan became increasingly dissatisfied with the look, and his earlier appreciation suddenly turned into a sour and wary feeling—wolf's ambition!

Last time they called her "Madam Shaoqing," but this time they directly called her "Uncle and Aunt," revealing their true intentions!

Looking at his appearance, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a face as handsome as jade, he's just too flashy!

Meng Yan subconsciously used his old face-reading skills to examine it carefully—it turned out to be an extremely good face.

A full forehead, a square jaw, resolute eyes, and a firm lip line all indicate a strong will. Thick ears suggest wealth and nobility. Moreover, clear and honest eyes suggest that this person is not promiscuous.

No, no!

Meng Yan shook his head repeatedly. His wife said that these physiognomy techniques were all fraudulent.

Miscellaneous and heretical books should never be taken seriously!