Chapter 8 Threat
How could Mother speak like that?
Min Rong was terrified and cried out in fear, "We are family! You are the closest person to my son in this world! It is only natural for my son to rely on you and depend on you. How can you say I'm taking the blame?"
Madam Min Qiao stared coldly at Min Rong. She had said everything she needed to say. But it was clear that Min Rong had no intention of giving up. Did he still want to use their mother-son bond to blackmail her?
Seemingly noticing the coldness in Madam Min's eyes, Min Rong's gaze darkened, and he said with a sorrowful expression, "Mother is so resolute, so merciless towards her son..."
“I know that from childhood to adulthood, in Mother’s heart, my third brother is your son! I am nothing more than a tool for you and Madam Wang to fight for power!”
Even though I am your own son, even though I am the Marquis, your heart still favors your third brother!
“In your heart, I can never compare to the kindness Madam Wang showed you, nor to the dying wish Madam Wang gave you!”
“I know you are grateful to Lady Wang for letting you marry into the Marquis’s family, and grateful to Lady Wang for allowing Father to elevate you to the position of heir after her death. You also feel guilty that Father bypassed your third brother to make me the heir, thus failing Lady Wang’s entrustment. Therefore, you have always favored your third brother. I accept all of this.”
"But you are still my own mother! When I need you, can't you think of me? Can't you stand up and help me?"
Madam Min Qiao looked at Min Rong with a half-smile.
Min Rong was right about one thing: if the Qiao family hadn't been merchants affiliated with the Wang family, as the daughter of a merchant from Jiangnan, Min Qiao would never have had the chance to bypass the merchants in the capital and the surrounding areas and marry into the Marquis's mansion.
If it weren't for the help of the first wife, Lady Wang, Min Qiao would not have been able to give birth to her eldest son, Min Rong, before Lady Wang, who was supported by the old Lady Hou.
Moreover, because Wang was in poor health and had been unable to conceive, after Min Qiao entered the household, Wang handed over the management of the household to Min Qiao and focused on recuperating her health. It was not until more than ten years later that she gave birth to her legitimate son, Min Hui, who was the third son.
Unfortunately, after giving birth to her third child, Wang's health, which had finally begun to recover, completely collapsed. She passed away less than two years later.
On her deathbed, in front of everyone, Lady Wang begged the Marquis to elevate Lady Min Qiao to the position of legitimate wife after her death. She then entrusted her third son, Min Hui, to his care.
However, less than a year after Lady Min Qiao was made the principal wife, the Marquis petitioned the Marquis to make her eldest son, Min Rong, the heir apparent.
In her past life, because of these things, Madam Min Qiao always felt that she had let down Madam Wang and her third son, Min Hui, so she always sided with Min Hui.
But the result was that Min Rong resented her, and Min Hui hated her!
Min Hui was also among the people who appeared at her bedside to criticize, humiliate, and torment her!
She had already died once, and she had already repaid what she owed Wang Shi in her previous life.
In this lifetime, she will never again favor or indulge her third son because of those past debts.
Having made up her mind, Min Qiao remained unmoved by Min Rong's impassioned accusations.
"In the end, all you want is for me to step in and break off the engagement, right?"
Madam Min smiled coldly, her tone still resolute, "I'll say it again, impossible!"
"From now on, I will no longer concern myself with anything related to the Marquis's mansion! Yours, your wife and children, the second son's, the third son's, I will not care about any of them!"
"Do whatever you want! I just want to be a quiet old feudal lord!"
"If this still doesn't satisfy me, I might as well die!"
Madam Min Qiao said jokingly, "I wonder if you'll still be able to keep your positions after I observe the three-year mourning period. I also wonder if the Emperor will continue to rely on you then."
“Mother, Mother…” Min Rong knelt down immediately, “Why do you have to say such hurtful things to your son? Your son will do as you say!”
"If you no longer wish to manage the Marquis's residence, then let Madam Wu manage it."
"If you don't want to personally break off the engagement with Xi'er, your son will handle it himself."
"Your son only wishes that you live to be a hundred years old."
This time, Min-young was truly afraid.
He never expected that Madam Min would say such a thing.
Min Qiaoshi is acting so strangely today!
He couldn't fathom Min Qiao's thoughts at all!
Previously, he could almost effortlessly know what Min Qiao was thinking and what she was going to do next.
Because, in the past, Madam Min Qiao devoted herself entirely to the Xuanping Marquis's mansion!
Everything she did, everything she was going to do, was for the good of the Marquis's mansion! Even if she favored the third son in some matters, there would be limits.
If you follow her line of thinking, it's not hard to guess what she'll do.
But he couldn't figure out Min Qiaoshi at all today!
Breaking off the engagement would damage the Marquis's reputation. Logically, Madam Min Qiao shouldn't have agreed. But she did!
Entrusting the management of the household affairs to Madam Wu was not a good thing for the Marquis's mansion. Yet, Madam Min Qiao still agreed!
There was also the matter of breaking off the engagement. He represented the Marquis's mansion, and his involvement would cause the most damage to them. Logically, Madam Min should have taken the blame for his actions and borne the brunt of the damage. However, she refused!
Even knowing that this was a crucial time for the Marquis's family to gain the Emperor's favor, Madam Min Qiao still dared to threaten suicide and ruin the Marquis's future!
This is incredible!
Now, he no longer knows whether Min Qiao will actually hang herself in the next moment.
"If you want me to live to be a hundred, then you'd better manage the Marquis's mansion well and not give me any trouble."
Madam Min coldly dismissed them without any mercy, "Go away, don't bother me if there's nothing wrong."
"Yes. Mother, please rest early and take care of yourself. Your son will take his leave now."
Min Rong left Songhe Hall in a daze.
Granny Fang brought hot tea into the warm pavilion, looking at Madam Min with a complicated expression. "Madam, what you said to the Marquis was a bit too heartless."
She heard it all from outside.
Madam Min gave a wry smile. "Ah Xing, you don't understand."
Min Rong is no pushover; if you don't speak harshly, he won't take it to heart at all.
Moreover, she felt that even if she had spoken so harshly, Min Rong would not let her enjoy her old age in peace.
"In a little while, around midnight, go find someone to fetch a doctor for me. Make a big commotion, preferably enough so that several nearby households know I'm seriously ill."
She needs to plan ahead.
After thinking for a moment, she added, "Also, send a petition to the palace first thing tomorrow morning to ask for a royal physician to come back for me. In short, make a big fuss about my illness, the bigger the better."
"Madam, what's wrong with you...?" Granny Fang was puzzled.
"You'll find out later," Madam Min Qiao said without further explanation.
Although Fang Mama was puzzled, she still solemnly agreed.
***
When Min Rong came out of Songhetang, his brows were furrowed and his expression was unpredictable.
Today's Min Qiaoshi seems so unfamiliar!
His words were sharp and resolute, full of sarcasm and mercilessness!
The key thing was the attitude that Min Qiaoshi showed today—a complete lack of concern for the Marquis's mansion, for him, and for the future—which truly alarmed him!
In the past, Madam Min Qiao always put the Marquis's mansion first in everything she did, and she was always thinking about the future and long-term prospects of the Marquis's mansion.
But today, he detected indifference in Min Qiao's words.
He had a gut feeling that Madam Min really didn't want to manage the Marquis's mansion anymore this time.
What exactly happened to cause Min Qiaoshi's attitude to change so drastically overnight?
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