Chapter 592 I Disagree
The Changxing Marquis's Residence.
When Meng Jinyao learned that her father wanted to use her second brother's marriage for personal gain, she was so angry that she put down her chopsticks after only a few bites of dinner. If her stepmother hadn't protected her second brother and told him the situation, her father would have really arranged the marriage for her second brother without her consent. She didn't know what kind of sin she had committed to have such a father.
Other parents, seeing their children succeed, are afraid of holding them back and do everything they can to support them. But her father, on the other hand, deliberately hinders them. He's willing to take any opportunity to entice them.
Gu Jingxi asked, "Ayao, what's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"
Meng Jinyao waved her hand, dismissing the maids, and replied, "Today, Mother sent someone to tell me that the Huang family intends to marry their daughter to my second brother. Father also thinks it's a good idea and asked Mother to send a matchmaker to propose marriage to my second brother."
Upon hearing the name "Huang family," Gu Jingxi instinctively became wary and asked, "Which Huang family?"
“Lord Huang, the brother-in-law of the second wife of the Wen family.” Meng Jinyao said, then added, “It’s the Wen family that is the Minister of Personnel. The eldest granddaughter of the Wen family is about to marry the fourth prince as his principal wife. I think if my second brother gets engaged to the Huang family’s daughter, the Meng family will be joining the fourth prince’s camp, and the Gu family will also be dragged into it. The Huang family really has a good plan.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi frowned and said, "Recently, the Fourth Prince has been making some moves, secretly winning over officials in the court to his side. He is intelligent and has a good reputation. He used to be in poor health, but now that he is better, he has many supporters."
Meng Jinyao's expression turned solemn: "Did the Fourth Prince or the Wen family instruct the Huang family to form a marriage alliance with the Meng family?"
Gu Jingxi said, "It's hard to say. The Fourth Prince is not as pure and gentle as he seems. Now that he has his eye on that position, he will do everything in his power to get it. Setting a trap for my father-in-law is just a trivial trick."
Meng Jinyao cursed her unreliable father in her heart for being as stupid as a pig, taking the bait so easily. She said, "I'll go back to my parents' home tomorrow and have a good talk with my father."
Gu Jingxi was worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it, so he asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"
Meng Jinyao gently shook her head: "No need, I can handle this little thing. I have something on him, so he won't dare to break ties with me and go his own way."
Seeing that she was confident, Gu Jingxi didn't insist anymore. He picked up his chopsticks and put some food in her bowl, saying softly, "Ayao, you didn't eat much just now, eat some more."
Meng Jinyao really didn't have much of an appetite, but she didn't refuse his kindness and ate all the food he put on her plate.
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The next morning.
After having breakfast, Meng Jinyao took her son to Old Madam Gu's place and then went back to her parents' home. Her return was sudden, but the timing was perfect. She ran into Meng Dongyuan, who was about to leave, and stopped him.
When Meng Dongyuan saw that she had suddenly returned to her parents' home early in the morning, and noticed that her complexion was extremely bad, he subconsciously assumed that she had had a conflict with her husband's family. He asked in an unpleasant tone, "Ayao, why did you come back so early in the morning?"
Meng Jinyao's tone was also unpleasant as she retorted, "Father is unhappy to see me return?"
Meng Dongyuan scolded with a stern face: "Did you quarrel with Yaoling? What couple doesn't bicker? You run back to your parents' house after just a few words? What kind of behavior is that? Go back right now, or Yaoling won't come to pick you up, and you won't even have a way to save face. Just pretend you went shopping. Go buy something now, and pretend nothing happened. After you're done shopping, go home."
Fortunately, Meng Jinyao had no expectations of her father. Otherwise, an ordinary girl would have been very upset to hear her father scold her without knowing the facts. She said calmly, "Father, you are overthinking it. My husband treats me very well. Why would he quarrel with me? I came back this time because there is something I want to tell you."
Hearing her say that, Meng Dongyuan breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether his daughter would help her family, the fact that his daughter was valued in her husband's family made him proud, and he had to maintain a certain level of respect when he went out. His tone softened as he said, "That's good. I have something to do now. If you have something to say, please get to the point."
Meng Jinyao raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice, "Father, are you sure you want to say this here?"
Meng Dongyuan sensed something was off about her tone and his heart skipped a beat. His intuition told him that this rebellious daughter was up to something again. Servants passed by frequently, and she wouldn't care. She might embarrass him in front of them, and he would lose face. So he took a deep breath and said, "Come with me to the study."
As soon as she entered the study, Meng Jinyao got straight to the point: "I heard that Father has found a good marriage for my second brother, so I came here today to ask if it is true."
Meng Dongyuan paused. The news that the Huang family intended to marry their daughter to Chengxing had not spread. How did his eldest daughter know? Could it be that Zhao Shi had informed on him again? Yesterday, he thought Zhao Shi would handle things well, but he didn't expect that this woman would turn around and inform on him.
He nodded and readily admitted, "That's true. The Huang family is a scholarly family, and the girls they raise are dignified and gentle. I'm very satisfied with such a daughter-in-law, so I'm thinking of arranging a marriage for Chengzhang as soon as possible."
Meng Jinyao said in a deep voice, "I do not agree to this marriage."
Upon hearing this, Meng Dongyuan's face immediately darkened. His fatherly authority had been trampled on once again. He immediately put on the airs of an elder: "Marriage is a major event that has always been decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. While our parents are still alive, when did it become your place as the older sister to interfere in Chengzhang's marriage?"
Meng Jinyao glanced at him and asked, "Father, are you going to get involved in the struggle for the throne?"
Meng Dongyuan looked confused and asked, "What succession struggle? We're talking about your brother's marriage right now, don't interrupt me."
Meng Jinyao then asked, "Which camp does the Huang family belong to? Has Father not thought about that?"
Meng Dongyuan was taken aback. He hadn't really investigated this matter in depth. He only knew that the Huang family was related to the Wen family, the Minister of Personnel. So when Lord Huang said he would help him out, he knew that Lord Huang was definitely not lying to him. The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the transfer of officials. The Huang family and the Wen family were related. All the Huang family needed to do was to communicate with Minister Wen, and his promotion would be guaranteed.
Wait a minute! The Wen family, didn't they just produce a prospective fourth prince's wife?
The Fourth Prince is currently in good health and no different from a normal person. He also has an excellent reputation. He might as well compete for the position of Crown Prince. The Wen family will definitely stand on the Fourth Prince's side, and given the relationship between the Huang family and the Wen family, the Huang family will definitely stand on the Fourth Prince's side as well.
If Lord Huang wants to become his in-law, does that mean the Fourth Prince values his talent and wants to recruit him into his camp?
He knew that the Fourth Prince had many supporters. Although the Sixth Prince was the second son of the legitimate wife, he was only ten years old and might not be able to compete with the Eighteen-year-old Fourth Prince. By the time the Sixth Prince grew up in a few years, the Fourth Prince would have already completed his plan.
If the fourth prince were to ascend the throne in the future, he would have been credited with supporting the emperor, and his career would certainly be smooth sailing.
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