Chapter 492 Sowing Discord Among Them
Meng Dongyuan felt suffocated and wanted to vent, but he was restrained by the presence of his daughter and son-in-law, especially his son-in-law. He didn't want to lose his composure in front of his son-in-law, otherwise he would feel even more inferior to him in the future. So he could only hold back.
He took two steps back and sat down in his seat, asking with a glimmer of hope, "Ah Yao, before she left, did she leave any message for you to pass on to your father?"
When Madam Meng heard her son ask such a question, she was both angry and frustrated. She never expected that her son would be such a romantic. The other woman was trying to get a divorce and leave the family, but her son was still reluctant to part with her.
Is this just being a jerk?
My son used to love Sun Shi so much, but when he divorced her, he didn't feel the slightest bit of reluctance. Now, he's been married to Dong Shi for less than a year, and they're already inseparable. Dong Shi really has some tricks up her sleeve. She doesn't look like a vixen, but she has the skills to win a man's heart, making him infatuated and unable to forget her.
She agreed to the marriage because the matchmaker said that Dong's father was in the Hanlin Academy. She thought Dong must be a well-educated, sensible, and filial woman. In addition, the Dong family was a family of scholars with a good reputation, so she agreed to the marriage. Who would have thought that Dong would want a divorce less than a year after marrying into the family, having stolen her son's heart.
Upon hearing her father's words, Meng Jinyao subconsciously glanced at her grandmother. Seeing her grandmother's furrowed brows, she quickly thought it over and replied calmly, "Aunt Dong didn't say anything, only that she wasn't destined to be with my father and our unborn child, and that she was leaving now that their fate had run its course."
Not meant to be?
Meng Dongyuan was slightly taken aback. He glanced at his mother and son out of the corner of his eye, feeling not only dissatisfaction with his son but also with his mother.
How could he not have a good connection with the Dong family and that child?
Someone interfered, severing his connection with Dong and the child. His son severed his connection with his unborn child, and his mother forcefully protected her grandson, severing his connection with Dong.
Meng Jinyao was also happy to see him upset, so she sat down to the side and continued to poke at his heart: "Ah, Aunt Dong is a very good woman. My second brother and I both felt maternal love from her. It's just a pity that she won't be our mother anymore. My second brother is at the academy and doesn't know about this yet. I don't know how sad he will be when he finds out. You don't know, Aunt Dong prepared a lot of things for my second brother, but she hadn't had time to send them to him before this happened. That's why she asked me to send them to him."
Upon hearing this, Meng Dongyuan recalled the scene of Dong Shi being gentle and considerate to him, as well as the way she looked at him with a gentle smile on the day she married him, dressed in a red wedding gown. His heart ached, and the more he felt uncomfortable, the more dissatisfied he became with his mother and son.
He looked at his daughter and saw tears in her eyes, as if she were a child who couldn't bear to part with her mother. Then he looked at his son and immediately flew into a rage. This unfilial son showed no sadness whatsoever, and even had a hint of a smile on his face. He knew that his son had never reflected on or felt guilty about his actions, and was even quite pleased with the consequences of his behavior.
Meng Dongyuan suddenly stood up, disregarding the presence of his son-in-law and mother, and pointed at his son, scolding him: "You unfilial son, look what you've done! At such a young age, you have such a vicious heart, plotting to harm your unborn brother! If you weren't so wicked, how could our family have suffered such a tragedy? You've ruined our once happy family!"
Madam Meng, ever protective of her child, immediately retorted: "What do you mean by ruining the family? Our family is the same with or without her. I think you've been bewitched by her."
Meng Dongyuan said with dissatisfaction, "Mother, you know that Chengxing has done something wrong, but you still choose to protect her. If you weren't so unreasonable, why would she have left?"
"presumptuous!"
Old Madam Meng was struck on a sore spot. She grabbed a teacup and smashed it against her son's shoulder. The teacup hit his shoulder and then fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Seeing her son staring at her in disbelief, she paused for a moment, then continued to scold, "How dare you speak to your elders like that? There are several younger relatives here. You, as a father, are not setting a good example. If your child is naughty and gets into trouble, it's because you, as a father, haven't done a good job!"
Seeing the tension between the two sides, Meng Jinyao tried to mediate: "Father, Grandmother, please calm down. What's done is done, and we can only look forward. Father is still young, and he will find a good marriage in the future."
These words pleased Old Madam Meng. She didn't want to completely fall out with her son, so she softened her tone and went along with her granddaughter's words: "Son, what A-Yao said is right. You will have a good marriage in the future. Let's look forward to the future. Your mother will find you a good wife."
Seeing that his mother's attitude had improved, Meng Dongyuan didn't want to continue arguing with her, but his dissatisfaction was growing. He slowly sat down and didn't say anything more.
Meng Jinyao casually mentioned, "Father, I heard that you were telling your friends at the tavern that you wanted to find an opportunity to petition the Emperor to depose my third brother from his position as heir apparent and instead appoint Aunt Dong's child as heir apparent. I advise you not to talk about such things outside anymore, so as not to cause people to gossip behind your back."
Meng Chengxing was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that his elder sister, who was at home taking care of her pregnancy, had also heard about this matter. It was because he had heard about this that he was determined to get rid of the child in Dong's womb. The existence of this child was a threat to him, unless it was a girl. But he was unwilling to gamble. If it was a boy, he would lose his position as the heir apparent.
Madam Meng was shocked. She never expected her son to have such thoughts. No wonder her grandson did something foolish. She said with a dark expression, "A-Yuan, you, as a father, have not treated your children equally. It's one thing to favor Chengzhang and neglect Chengxing, but you even thought about crippling Chengxing. Chengxing's foolishness is all your fault as a father."
Meng Dongyuan: "Mother, I..."
Madam Meng said in a deep voice, "I only recognize Chengxing as the heir apparent and heir to the title. No matter how many sons you have in the future, the heir apparent can only be Chengxing, and the future Earl of Yongchang can only be Chengxing! If you want to change the heir apparent to another child, you will only do so if I die!"
Meng Dongyuan hurriedly said, "Mother, that's not true. I never thought of making another child the heir. It's just a rumor."
Madam Meng glared at her son, her dislike for him growing stronger. She snorted coldly, "It had better be that way. If I find out you have such thoughts, don't call me 'mother' anymore. I don't have a son like you."
Meng Dongyuan agreed verbally, but in his heart he was thinking of a reason to remove Chengxing from his position as heir. Today he understood that Chengxing had completely lost his loyalty to him and was vicious. He could not allow Chengxing to continue as heir.
Now that Dong Shi has divorced him, he and Dong Shi can no longer have children. So, let Cheng Zhang be the heir. In this way, he can repair his father-son relationship with Cheng Zhang, and also repair his father-daughter relationship with A Yao.
As for his mother, he must not let her know what he is thinking in the future. His mother only has Chengxing as her grandson. She can openly favor and be unreasonable for Chengxing's sake. She doesn't care about him at all.
If it weren't for them, grandfather and grandson, how could I have lost the Dong family?
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