Chapter 243 Min Qiao's Counterattack
Everyone was waiting for Madam Min to erupt in anger and hysterically retort.
Unexpectedly, before Madam Min could speak, Qiao Yuanyao preemptively retorted, "You're talking nonsense! How could my cousin treat my aunt like that?"
Cousin? Aunt?
Upon hearing this title, everyone immediately recognized Qiao Yuanyao's identity.
Old Mrs. Wu naturally knew Qiao Yuanyao. She had even wanted Qiao Yuanyao to be her eldest grandson's concubine in order to humiliate Min Qiao Shi.
Upon hearing Qiao Yuanyao speak, he immediately retorted sarcastically, "Do you, a junior, have the right to speak when your elders are speaking? You have absolutely no manners!"
“That’s right, how can a twenty-year-old unmarried woman have the nerve to come out and embarrass herself?” Mrs. Liu quickly chimed in.
Qiao Yuanyao was so angry that her eyes turned red. She really wanted to rush up and slap them across the face. But remembering Wei Jia's instructions, she held back and looked pitifully at Min Qiao Shi with bloodshot eyes.
Min Qiao remained seated calmly, but a hint of sorrow appeared on her face.
She patted Qiao Yuanyao's hand and sighed, "Sigh, your cousin is such an ingrate!"
These words stunned everyone present.
The previous remarks by Lady An'nan about the discord between the mother and son of the Marquis of Xuanping were, after all, made by outsiders. As long as the mother and son do not admit it, others will at most just gossip.
Anyway, the reputation of the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion has already hit rock bottom in the past year, so it won't be a big deal if people say a few words about it.
However, if Lady Min Qiao herself said that Lady Xuanping was an ingrate, then the rumors of discord between mother and son would be confirmed.
The censor could also use this as grounds to impeach Min Rong for filial impiety. In serious cases, it's not impossible for him to lose his official position and title.
While everyone was still reeling from Min Qiao's startling words, they heard her say with a pained expression, "You don't know, your cousin grew up with his father and has never been close to me since childhood."
"But you can't stand me treating your third cousin well, so you've harbored resentment towards me since you were little."
“Over the years, I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to managing the Marquis’s mansion for him, but he complains that I interfere too much.”
“I voluntarily relinquished my management rights and even separated the household for him, kicking out the second and third sons from the Marquis’s mansion. But he still complained that I was too heartless and useless, treating me like dirt.”
"Because I was utterly disappointed in him, I took back my dowry and declared that I would no longer contribute to the Marquis's mansion. Because of this, he hated me even more."
"From then on, whenever I was bullied, he would either stand by and pretend not to know, or he would force me to compromise and apologize to the bully."
"In the end, he's just selfish! He only cares about his own future!"
At this point, Madam Min wiped away her tears.
Perhaps she was so engrossed in the performance that she didn't even realize when the tears started falling.
But it was precisely because of her tears that fell involuntarily that people believed her words were sincere.
The dignified Lady Dowager, a first-rank noblewoman, tearfully denounced the Marquis's son's faults on the spot, which was utterly astonishing.
Many people felt sorry for Min Qiaoshi, while simultaneously looking down on Min Rong.
The Earl of Annan and the Wu family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were also confused by Min Qiao's words.
What's going on here?
Shouldn't she have been furious, swallowing her anger for her son's betrayal while vehemently refuting them to save face for the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion?
Why did they agree with them and admit that their mother-son relationship was strained?
Incomprehensible!
Surely she doesn't want to ruin her own son?
But what good would doing this do for her?
Just as everyone was wondering, Madam Min Qiao continued with tears in her eyes, "I know that shameless scoundrel Min Rong would rather ignore the feud between the Min family and the Lu family than lower himself to fawn over the Annan Earl's Mansion. In the end, isn't it just because the Annan Earl is about to lead his troops to take over the position of the Zhenguo General's Mansion and guard the west?"
Everyone was taken aback by these words.
When did this happen? How come they haven't heard about it?
Good heavens! Is the Annam Marquis's mansion about to strike it rich?
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lady Annam was so frightened that her face turned pale.
Although she had heard about this from her husband, and it was pretty much true, she was just waiting for news of the death of the second young master of the Zhenguo General's Mansion before her husband took office.
However, things could still change before the imperial edict was issued. They couldn't let Min Qiao's nonsense ruin their family's plans.
Madam Min Qiao did not argue with her, but continued, "I also know that Min Rong humbled himself to ask for a marriage between his son and a concubine's daughter from the Wu family, just to curry favor with the Crown Prince through the Wu family, isn't that?"
"The Crown Prince is second only to the Emperor. Who would dare to offend him? I can understand his actions, as he is afraid of being implicated by me."
"But why doesn't that brainless idiot think about it? Is the Crown Prince's doting on the Crown Princess and his indulgence of the Wu family really for the sake of so-called true love?"
"That's the Crown Prince! That's His Highness the Crown Prince, whom the Emperor himself raised and on whom he placed great hopes! Could he really be someone so easily swayed by personal feelings?"
"Is there really not a single trace of calculation in this doting affection?"
Today's banquet was truly breathtaking! How could everyone be so outspoken?
This Madam Qiao is truly unscrupulous; she dares to blurt out anything!
The Wu family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were also quite frightened by Min Qiao's words.
Old Mrs. Wu's face turned deathly pale, and she could barely speak, "What, what do you mean?"
Madam Min wiped away her tears and scoffed, "I just think you guys are a bit stupid."
"You, you dare to call us stupid?" Old Mrs. Wu glared angrily, but her heart was still pounding, and she couldn't think of a rebuttal for a moment.
Min Qiao said disdainfully, "Isn't that so? The crimes you commit now will become evidence for His Highness the Crown Prince to settle accounts with you in the future!"
"If I were you, I would restrain my descendants and be careful with their words and actions. Don't give the Crown Prince any leverage."
Originally terrified, Old Mrs. Wu instantly felt she had seen through Min Qiao's intentions upon hearing this. Her spirits lifted, her face cleared, her voice regained its strength, and she said, "Ha, so you were trying to sow discord!"
Mrs. Liu patted her chest and nodded in agreement, "Mrs. Qiao really knows how to sow discord perfectly!"
"They previously tried to sow discord between the Marquis of Annan's family and Minister Sun's family, and now they're trying to sow discord between our family and the Crown Prince! Their intentions are truly despicable!"
Lady Annan had fully recovered and spoke up to mock Madam Min Qiao on behalf of the Wu family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, saying, "Madam Qiao just said the Wu family is stupid, but isn't the stupidest person in the world you, Madam Qiao?"
"Does Madam Qiao think it's not stupid to publicly reprimand her son for being unfilial and ruining his future?"
"Isn't the reason why Madam Qiao can speak to us in such a condescending and arrogant manner now just because she is relying on the power of the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion?"
"If the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion is destroyed, whose power will you rely on, Madam Qiao, to act arrogantly?"
Everyone agreed with what the Countess of Annam said.
People were discussing Min Qiao's stupidity.
But just then, a young voice rang out at the door.
"Even without the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion, my grandmother still has the Earl of Enping's mansion to rely on!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the speaker was none other than Su Rongrong, the wife of the Earl of Enping, who had returned.
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