Chapter 483 Provoking Hatred
Meng Jinyao and Song Xinning fell silent, unsure how to comment. Originally, Madam Shen and Duke Shen would have been a perfect match, but their eldest sister had stolen their marriage. As parents, they knew that their youngest daughter had fallen for Duke Shen, who was then the heir apparent, but they still favored their eldest daughter, thus cutting off any possibility of their youngest daughter marrying Duke Shen.
As for Madam Shen, because she resented her sister for taking away the man she loved, and her sister died young, she was unable to take revenge on her sister, so she could only transfer her hatred to her nephew.
However, Shen Yunzhou was innocent. The younger generation would not have known about the grudges between their elders if Madam Shen hadn't spoken up.
Not only Shen Yunzhou, but even the Duke of Shen probably doesn't know what Madam Shen is thinking.
After a moment, Meng Jinyao asked, "Does the Duke of Shen know that Madam Shen was in love with him when she was young, but her sister stole her marriage?"
Princess Jingning gently shook her head: "I don't know if my father-in-law knows or not. Perhaps he already knows. At present, my father-in-law's attitude towards her is as good as ever. If my mother-in-law hadn't taken advantage of my parents' favoritism to interfere, they would have been a happy couple."
"However, because of this incident, my husband has also let go of his grudges with her. It was my own mother-in-law who knew that she had fallen in love with my father-in-law first, but she still took advantage of her parents' favoritism to steal the marriage. To my husband, she was the perpetrator, but to her, my husband's biological mother was also a perpetrator."
Meng Jinyao said, "As a junior, I can't interfere in the grudges of my elders."
Princess Jingning nodded: "Yes, so my husband has let it go, but he is still wary of her in case she does something in the future. Sometimes you can't underestimate a sick person. If they want to do something, they can do it when they are clear-headed."
Song Xinning was utterly perplexed: "I really can't understand how sisters could like the same man and even resort to scheming to get him? Aren't sisters, who are connected by blood, closer than a man who is not related by blood?"
Princess Jingning said, "My mother-in-law and stepmother-in-law are nothing compared to the Lai twin sisters, who are truly insane."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao and Song Xinning fell silent again. The Lai family's twin sisters were famous throughout the capital a few years ago.
The two Lai sisters both fell in love with the same man. The man loved the older sister and they got engaged. However, on the eve of their wedding, the younger sister killed the older sister. The parents lost one child and did not want to lose another. They also wanted to maintain the family's reputation, so they concealed the death of their eldest daughter and had their younger daughter marry their brother-in-law in place of her older sister. Afterward, they planned to find a time to say that the younger daughter had suddenly died of an illness and then let her live on in place of the older daughter.
However, the prospective brother-in-law truly loved his sister and knew her very well. No matter how well the younger sister pretended, there would still be flaws. It wasn't long before the brother-in-law realized that he had married the younger sister, and that the person who had died was not his beloved's sister, but his own beloved. The murderer was his current wife. He lost his mind in a fit of rage and directly killed his enemy and his wife, becoming the first scholar in our country to be imprisoned for killing his wife.
Song Xinning sighed: "It's such a pity about the young master of the Ji family. He was so talented, but he was imprisoned for killing his wife. The Ji family worked hard for him and managed to save his life. He was sentenced to exile, but he fell ill and died on the way to exile."
Princess Jingning said, "Love and affection can drive people crazy."
Song Xinning said, "That's right. Over the years, I've heard a lot about other people's love and hate, sisters fighting over a man, brothers fighting over a woman, and even a younger brother killing his older brother and marrying his widowed sister-in-law."
Meng Jinyao said, "There was also a case where the father-in-law and son-in-law fell in love, but the daughter found out. This also happened in the capital and caused quite a stir. We were only eleven or twelve years old at the time."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinning and Princess Jingning felt a chill. The idea of a father-in-law and son-in-law falling in love and getting together was even more disgusting than fighting over a man or a woman. The mother-in-law was so angry when she found out that her husband and son-in-law were in love that she fell ill. The daughter was so shocked when she learned that her father and husband were having an affair that she went insane.
Song Xinning suddenly asked, "Ayao, how is Miss Gu now?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "Xuanyi is doing well now, she just doesn't want to get married. Her ex-husband is homosexual and she was also abused by him, so she is afraid of marriage."
Princess Jingning said, "The Gu family is large and wealthy, so raising a daughter is no problem at all. Whether she gets married or not doesn't matter, as long as she is well. Perhaps when the time is right, she will meet someone she truly loves and then consider marriage again."
Meng Jinyao gave a soft "hmm".
Song Xinning suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Ayao, my husband ran into your father at the tavern a couple of days ago. Your father is really a complicated person."
Upon hearing that it was related to her father, Meng Jinyao unconsciously frowned and asked, "What did he do this time?"
Song Xinning replied, "He was drunk and talking nonsense with his cronies, saying that your stepmother's baby is definitely a son, and if your third brother continues to be so useless, he will petition the emperor to depose him and make your stepmother's son the heir. If your third brother knew about this, he would probably hate him to death, and it would also bring hatred to your stepmother and her unborn child."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao frowned even more. In fact, she had no opinion on whether her stepmother's son could become the heir, as long as it wasn't someone as useless and scheming as Meng Chengxing. However, if her father's words were to spread, he would not only be ridiculed but also incur Meng Chengxing's hatred.
Princess Jingning wore a complicated expression and said, "Ayao, your father knows how to incite hatred in others and himself. After a few drinks, he'll say anything."
Meng Jinyao scoffed lightly: "He's used to praising one while belittling the other. He used to treat me and my second sister like that. While praising my second sister for being well-behaved and sensible, he would also scold me for being immature as the eldest sister and not setting a good example. Now that my second brother is starting to succeed, he's praising him while belittling my third brother. He says these things to my face without any restraint, as if he's afraid the children will get along too well."
Princess Jingning stammered, "Sounding like this, your father seems a bit like that kind of unreasonable, gossipy, and annoying mother-in-law in the inner quarters? He's clearly a man, yet his ability to stir up trouble is no less than that of a woman in the inner quarters."
Meng Jinyao pursed her lips and said, "He takes after his mother, my grandmother."
Princess Jingning frowned slightly: "I was deceived by your sister before. When I was on good terms with her, I went to the Meng family and met your grandmother. My initial impression of your grandmother was that she was a kind and loving old lady, and I liked her quite a bit. But after I met you, I realized that was all just a facade."
Meng Jinyao smiled faintly, "That's why you can't judge a book by its cover, or you'll suffer a great loss."
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