Chapter 782 Anyone who didn't know better would think Meng Deguang was the King of Heaven himself.
Ji Xiang stood still, listening to Meng Yunlan's reprimand, without moving an inch.
Everyone says that the eldest young mistress of Yulu Courtyard comes from a noble family, is gentle and virtuous, understanding and considerate of her servants.
In the past, Qionghua Courtyard and Yulu Courtyard did not have much contact, and he thought that the eldest young mistress was really such a good person. But today, he realized that all her gentleness and consideration for the servants were just for show.
She stole the second wife's carriage. The courtyard was already filled with kneeling servants, but she refused to get out of the carriage, as if she wanted to run them over. She clearly regarded the servants as ants.
"Young Madam."
Ji Xiang spoke only after Meng Yunlan finished reprimanding him. His tone was neither humble nor arrogant: "If your carriage is broken, you can have it repaired. If you think repairing it will take too long, you can use the spare carriage next to you. If you don't like the spare carriage either, you can borrow a carriage from someone else temporarily."
"Our second young mistress needs to use her carriage today. This was arranged yesterday, so please, eldest young mistress, take it instead."
"The Second Young Madam has already sent someone to urge her. If the carriage isn't sent out soon, it will delay her from using it."
This time, Meng Yunlan didn't need to say anything; Bai Shao and Haitang, who were standing on either side of the carriage, scolded her for her.
Bai Shao's face was tense, and her tone was full of displeasure: "Jixiang, are you deliberately using the Second Young Mistress to suppress our Eldest Young Mistress? The Eldest Young Mistress is the head mistress of the Duke's Mansion and the Second Young Mistress's sister-in-law. You're putting on airs for her like this, not even willing to give up a carriage. Do you want her to be ridiculed?"
Haitang had just arrived at the Duke's mansion from the Meng family, and she still carried the Meng family's arrogance. She looked down on Shen Wantang's background, so she was particularly bossy towards Jixiang: "Your name is Jixiang? You're just a lowly servant from the stables, yet you dare to stop our young mistress. You really don't know who you are!"
“The eldest young mistress is in a hurry to return to her parents’ home. It would be bad to keep Lord Meng and Madam Meng waiting. The Meng family is not some small, insignificant family that doesn’t have any manners. We have never made our elders wait for our juniors!”
"Get out of the way! You're blocking the way, acting all high and mighty, and ruining things for the young mistress and the Meng family. Can you take responsibility for delaying their important affairs?"
Ji Xiang had accompanied Gu Qianhan to various places over the years and had seen countless high-ranking officials and dignitaries, including emperors and empresses.
Everyone knew he was Gu Qianhan's servant, and they were all very polite to him. Even after Xiao Qingyuan turned against his master, neither Xiao Qingyuan nor Mo Ji by his side ever humiliated him like this.
And now, the Meng family has actually allowed Meng Yunlan and her maid to act so arrogantly?!
Anyone who didn't know better would think that Meng Deguang wasn't just some Censor-in-Chief, but some powerful figure even more powerful than the Emperor!
That Bai Shao still had some brains; she only seized on his words to make a point.
This newcomer, Haitang, was incredibly stupid. She didn't even know he was the second young master's servant and thought he was just a lowly slave who shoveled manure in the stables. She spoke to him with arrogance and disdain.
Moreover, as far as he knew, this girl, Haitang, wasn't called by this name when she was in the Meng family. It was only after she came to the Duke's mansion that the eldest young mistress specially changed her name.
The eldest young mistress's choice of this name for her maid was clearly malicious. She knew perfectly well that the second young mistress's maiden name was Wantang, yet she deliberately named her maid Haitang. Wasn't this intentionally trying to disgust the second young mistress?
Jixiang glanced at Haitang and casually retorted, "Since the Meng family isn't some small, insignificant family, why do they need to steal the Second Young Mistress's carriage? What, can't the Meng family even afford a carriage?"
"So what if I'm a lowly servant? I know the rules much better than you! The rule in our Duke's mansion is that each household has its own carriage, and there's never any reason to steal someone else's carriage!"
"If you want to steal the carriage today, you'll have to step over this lowly slave of mine!"
Haitang never expected Jixiang to be so defiant and ungrateful. She was furious and shouted with a livid face, "You think I wouldn't dare to step over you? You lowly slave, who are you threatening?!"
"Driver! Where is the driver?! Driver, come here immediately and drive the carriage for the young mistress!"
In the huge courtyard, a whole bunch of people were kneeling on the ground, but not a single one of them responded to her.
"The person who drove for the young mistress today will be rewarded with ten taels of silver!"
Still, no one answered her.
"A reward of twenty taels of silver!"
Still, no one answered her.
Haitang's face turned from green to white with anger. She was caught in the middle and suddenly found herself in a very awkward situation.
How embarrassing!
How dare these people not give her any face! They're showing Meng Yunlan no respect at all!
She knew that Meng Yunlan would never allow such a shameful thing to happen.
So, she gritted her teeth, jumped onto the carriage herself, pulled the reins, and wanted to ride the horse herself.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Bai Shao merely watched coldly from the sidelines, never once reminding Hai Tang who Ji Xiang, covered in dust and smelling of horse manure, really was.
After all, with someone standing up for her, she would be much safer and able to survive.
Someone always has to stand up for Meng Yunlan and offend people, but as long as that person isn't her, she doesn't care who makes a scene.
Anyway, she had already spoken up for Meng Yunlan, that was enough.
Granny Ping and Camellia are still acting crazy right now. Their painful lessons are a constant reminder to her that she should avoid offending the second branch of the family as much as possible, otherwise she will be the next one to be killed by the second young master.
When Jixiang saw Haitang trying to drive the car, a cold smile appeared on her face. She clearly didn't know how to drive, yet she dared to show off. She was truly courting death.
"drive!"
Haitang shouted and whipped the horse.
The horse, in pain, neighed and ran away like a madman.
The maids and servants who were kneeling on the ground were so frightened by the sight that they quickly scrambled to their feet and hid.
But Ji Xiang, who was the first to be affected, did not hide.
He lightly touched the ground with his toes, flipped and twirled in mid-air, snatched the reins from Haitang's hand, then leaped onto his horse and pulled hard backward: "Whoa!"
This horse was Gu Qianhan's usual horse, and he was already very familiar with it. In addition, he had been personally feeding and washing the horse these past few days, making it even more intimate and familiar with him. So when he reined in the horse, even though it was still in pain, it stopped very quickly.
Haitang was initially startled by the horses' frantic charge, and her face turned pale. Seeing Jixiang's extraordinary lightness skill and agile movements, her face turned even paler.
She suddenly realized that this lowly slave might have another identity, otherwise it would be impossible for him to have such amazing lightness skills. It would take a lot of money to hire a famous master to teach him martial arts to achieve such a feat!
She belatedly realized that, right, just now, everyone knelt down in the face of Meng Yunlan's reprimand, except for Jixiang!
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