Chapter 203 Am I, Meng Xi, not the perfect match?
Madam Xiao laughed heartily and called out, "Granny Zhang! Quickly go and fetch the jar of 'Drunken Sun Fragrance' that Old Lin personally brewed for me back then! Today, I am deeply grateful for the Emperor's grace, and today I should drink to my heart's content!"
"Yes, Madam!"
With a smile in her eyes, Granny Zhang left with brisk steps.
Madam Xiao grabbed Lu Zhaoruo's hand, her grip firm yet warm: "Good child, you deserve the most credit today! You must try your uncle's cooking—he's buried this jar of wine for over ten years, and even Ming'er gets scolded if he tries to touch the rim!"
Then he waved to Lu Bohong and the others, saying, "Young men, please don't stand on ceremony, come and share in the joy!"
She looked around with radiant joy, completely forgetting that her own son was still standing beside her.
Wang Wu leaned closer to Xiao Yeming and chuckled in a low voice, "General, look, the lady is even willing to open up the old general's manhood! Last time you tried to sneak a sip, you were chased and beaten for half a street..."
He expected to see his general looking jealous, but instead, he saw Xiao Yeming's lips slightly upturned, and a gentle warmth ripple in his eyes.
Wang Wu reached out in surprise to touch his forehead: "Are you perhaps drunk?"
Xiao Yeming gently brushed his hand away, his expression remaining solemn as usual: "Mother is rarely happy, why bother with these things?"
After saying that, he strode after the crowd.
Wang Wu watched his retreating figure, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, and scratched his head, muttering, "This isn't just jealousy, it's like he's been soaked in honey..."
Ning Anju.
The aroma of wine filled the air, and laughter almost overflowed from the eaves.
Madam Xiao personally filled everyone's wine glasses and loudly recounted amusing anecdotes from her youth, drawing cheers from the entire room.
Lu Bohong and Sun Jing also relaxed, and the atmosphere became warm and peaceful.
Kangning Hall.
It was as if shrouded in dark clouds.
The flickering candlelight illuminated Old Madam Xiao's somber face.
She clutched a string of Buddhist prayer beads tightly in her hand, her eyes closed.
Standing behind her, Madam He gently massaged her shoulders, barely daring to breathe.
Wang Miaoyin was even more apprehensive as she presented a cup of tea to the old lady. Perhaps due to her unease, her hand trembled slightly, and the scalding tea spilled out, wetting the old lady's sleeve.
"Useless thing! Clumsy!"
Madam He's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately rebuked him sternly.
Wang Miaoyin was so frightened that she knelt down with a "plop," tears instantly welling up in her eyes: "Grandmother, please forgive me! Miaoyin didn't mean it!"
Old Madam Xiao slowly raised her eyelids, her gaze sweeping over Wang Miaoyin, who was kneeling and weeping, and He Shi, who looked terrified, before she sighed.
She waved her hand and said, "Alright. I know what you're afraid of. Today, Madam Lu is riding high, and tomorrow she will be meeting the Emperor to receive a reward. Are you afraid that she will use this opportunity to completely curry favor with the Xiao family?"
She snorted coldly: "Stop your pointless worries. Ming'er has already refused the marriage, and I will never allow her to step into the Xiao family."
"Go back, all of you. Don't hang around in front of me. Let me have some peace and quiet."
Hearing this, Madam He and Wang Miaoyin were not completely at ease, but they dared not say anything more. They could only bow silently and leave quietly.
The empty hall was now empty except for Old Madam Xiao.
She gazed at the faint lights emanating from Ning'an Residence outside the window, listening to the indistinct laughter, her grip on the Buddhist prayer beads tightened, and a chilling glint appeared in her eyes.
She would never allow Ms. Lu to be her granddaughter-in-law.
The Xiao family already has a daughter-in-law with a bad reputation!
The Qi family residence.
Li Nian'er rushed into Jiang's room in a panic, her voice trembling with tears and disbelief: "Aunt! What should we do now? Not only has Lu Zhaoruo not been punished, but tomorrow... tomorrow she's going to the palace to meet the Emperor!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she blurted out without thinking, "It seems that the Empress Dowager's words don't carry much weight with the Emperor..."
"Smack!"
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang suddenly raised her hand and slapped her across the face.
"presumptuous!"
Madam Jiang's face turned ashen, and she shouted sternly, "How dare you speak ill of the Empress Dowager behind her back? You ignorant fool! If you dare to speak recklessly again, I won't be able to protect you!"
Li Nian'er covered her burning cheeks, tears of grievance welling up instantly, but she still argued unwillingly: "But...but Aunt, didn't you say before that the Empress Dowager was very angry after hearing the rumors? Why did the Emperor still reward her and want to see her?"
Jiang took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and looked at her with cold and clear eyes: "Fool! Don't you understand yet? What Lu Zhao did wasn't just ordinary donations of money and rice! She presented a map of the Japanese pirates' lair! Do you even know what a lair map is?"
She stepped closer, her tone heavy: "Although Linhai is the smallest of the seven seas, it is the place with the most complex waterways and the most ferocious Japanese pirates! In the past hundred years, countless famous generals have fallen and died, unable to even find a trace of the pirates' lair! Now, this tremendous achievement is inscribed with her name, Lu Zhaoruo! How can such merit be easily erased by a few idle words from women in the harem?"
"Then you're not going to avenge my brother?"
Li Nian'er cried out in despair, "My brother died so tragically... are we just going to let her enjoy such a glamorous life?"
Jiang looked at her weeping niece, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but her tone remained calm: "What's the use of crying? Can tears bring your brother back to life, or bring down someone who has just made a great contribution and is favored by the emperor?"
She pressed down on Li Nian'er's shoulder, her voice low and full of warning: "Revenge is not the same as suicide! Right now, she's at the height of her power. Anyone who touches her is courting death. You must remember these four words: 'There's always tomorrow.' Stay calm and live, and you'll have a chance to see your enemy's fate."
Meng Mansion.
Meng Xi leaned against the window, listening to Chang Hong's low report, a cold smile flickering across his lips.
"The person has been sent over?"
"Yes, as you instructed, two of the best-looking ones were selected and sent to the master's residence. The news was also... 'just in time' leaked to that person at the hermitage in the back mountain."
"very good."
He waved his hand, and Changhong quietly retreated.
After dealing with this matter, he turned and went into the inner room.
The room was quiet, with only a dark blue brocade robe with cloud patterns hanging on the rack, contrasting with the sparse shadows outside the window, as still as water.
Meng Xi stopped in front of the robe, his gaze fixed on it, and he froze.
One hour later.
Outside the window, Changhong paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "The eldest young master has been staring at this robe for a full hour... what does he mean by that?"
He finally couldn't resist and tiptoed into the room, tentatively asking, "Young Master, this robe... is it the thank-you gift that Madam Lu gave you when you asked her to find someone back in Jizhou? Didn't you look down on her then, thinking she had impure intentions? On the way back, I asked you if you wanted to get rid of it, and you said you'd keep it. Now it's hanging here, and you've been looking at it for so long today..."
Meng Xi seemed not to hear, his fingertips lightly brushing over the delicate cloud patterns on the robe, and he murmured to himself: "This material is cool to the touch, and its texture is as light and soft as smoke. The dark blue background is calm and not gloomy. The collar and cuffs are embroidered with sparse 'cloud and mountain patterns' and 'water ripple patterns' in ink lines."
"The pattern is extremely freehand, without any complicated designs. It is like distant mountains shrouded in mist and flowing water without leaving a trace. It is understated yet elegant, which... suits me perfectly."
He paused, then added as if savoring the moment, "Excellent taste."
Changhong was taken aback and almost burst out laughing. He mustered his courage and took a step closer, lowering his voice to tease, "Young Master, could it be that you... have taken a liking to Lady Lu?"
"presumptuous!"
Meng Xi snapped back to his senses, the slight tenderness in his eyes instantly freezing, and he reverted to being the eldest son of the Meng family who loathed the world.
He shouted angrily, "Nonsense! Get out!"
Chang Hong shrank back, not daring to say anything more, and quickly retreated.
The room returned to silence.
Meng Xi poured himself a cup of cold tea and looked out the window at the waterside pavilion.
The image of her rescuing him, soaking wet, a few days ago kept flashing through his mind.
And... the icy touch of when I grabbed her slender wrist in a moment of panic, and the instant furrowing of her brows.
He suddenly closed his eyes and drank the cold tea in his cup in one gulp.
When he opened his eyes again, a solitary smile curved his lips, and his gaze returned to the dark blue robe with cloud patterns, as if he were confronting an unseen opponent.
Who says there are no men in the world worthy of her?
He muttered to himself.
"Am I, Meng Xi, not the perfect match?"
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