Chapter 21 My son insists on marrying no one but her
It's no wonder that Mingyu looks visibly much more tired after only half a month apart.
Those who are driven out by the heir apparent will not be kept in the manor. Only out of respect for their parents will they be sent to the estate.
No one paid any attention to Mingyu.
She glanced quickly at Song's mother, then started wailing and crying again.
“I have served by Jiang Shiyao’s side for four years. Because I served in the Prince’s courtyard for two years, she is wary of me. Whenever the Prince comes, she will send me away.”
“I was unwilling to accept that I had made a mistake. A couple of days ago, Jiang Shiyao found me and asked me to do something for her. So she brought me back from the estate.”
“Ever since the Crown Prince and Miss Song began their marriage negotiations, I have heard Jiang Shiyao say many times that once Miss Song enters the family, she will have no way out.”
Mingyu cried so hard that she kowtowed twice.
"I was bewitched and agreed to her request! I beg you to punish me, Madam!"
Song Jiyun immediately wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "Brother Congxian, it was clearly her who deliberately harmed me, forcing me to embroider the birthday gift with her."
Jiang Shiyao withdrew her gaze from He Dayou.
She looked at Mingyu with a sorrowful gaze, "Mingyu, you said I went to the estate to find you on business, but the estate is more than an hour away from the Duke's mansion even at the fastest speed, and it would take most of the day to go back and forth."
“I have been in the manor for many years. When have I ever been away for such a long time?”
Mingyu immediately turned around and pointed to He Dayou behind her, "Of course it wasn't you who came in person, it was him who came to find me!"
"He was originally the gardener of the household, and the maid He was his husband."
"He Dayou has already left the Duke's mansion. As for whether Madam He goes out frequently, the gatekeeper can find out with a simple question!"
Madam Song sneered, "Madam Jiang is truly shrewd. If it weren't for the maid's revelation this time, my Yun'er would have suffered countless more losses in the future!"
Old Madam Zhou's expression was very unpleasant. "Jiang Shi thought you were a sensible person, but I never expected you to be so vicious!"
She raised her hand and threw the burned embroidery at Jiang Shiyao's feet.
"The birthday gifts prepared for the Empress Dowager have been burned. If this gets to the ears of anyone with ulterior motives, the entire Duke's Mansion will be in trouble!"
Jiang Shiyao said, "The old lady Mingyu was originally driven out of the mansion because of her evil intentions. Now she has come back to make false accusations because she is unwilling to accept it."
“They are the elders of the household, having been here longer than I have. Since He Dayou left the household, it is common for the He family to rent houses outside. Mother He leaves the household frequently, so do I have to stop the couple from reuniting?”
Mingyu looked up angrily, "You can only do things conveniently because the He family members are out there!"
Madam Song stood up. "Aunt, I only agreed to marry Xian'er off because I thought she was steady and reliable. She hasn't even entered the house yet, and a mere concubine has already reached out her hand."
She then looked at Zhou Congxian and said, "Young Master Zhou, as an official of the court, you should know what crime it is to condone a concubine causing trouble everywhere."
Zhou Congxian pursed his lips. "Madam Song, isn't it hasty to convict Jiang before the truth has been revealed?"
Song Jiyun looked at Zhou Congxian in disbelief, "Brother Congxian, you're still going to defend her even now!"
Song's mother took her daughter's hand and snorted coldly, "Yun'er, let's go!"
Song Jiyun panicked for a moment, fearing that her mother would really break off the engagement in a fit of anger.
She held Song's mother's hand and couldn't help but shake it gently, "Mother..."
Song's mother glared at her daughter, annoyed. She had already said all that; was she just waiting to be laughed at if she didn't leave?
Old Madam Zhou spoke up to stop her, "What are you doing? I naturally have to give Yun'er an explanation. Besides, Jiang's matter has put the entire Duke's Mansion in jeopardy, so I will punish her severely!"
Zhao, who had been silent all along, picked up her teacup and said quietly, "Mother, your daughter-in-law thinks Xian'er is right."
“Mingyu was expelled from the manor for making a mistake, and He Dayou is a compulsive gambler who has never changed. They have both been in the manor for many years. Don’t they know whether Jiang Shi has the ability to bring them back to the manor?”
Zhao was already dissatisfied with the marriage, and now that she had the opportunity, she naturally wanted to add fuel to the fire.
Jiang Shiyao wiped away her tears as if someone had finally spoken up for her. "This matter is strange. When I was embroidering, Miss Song presented me with the exact same pattern."
"After finally finishing the embroidery, Miss Zisu, who was by Miss Song's side, said that the pearls I bought were fake."
“A few days ago, the young master angrily confronted me with a note in beautiful handwriting, which actually slandered me and Lord Liu. It was utterly despicable!”
"Yesterday, on my way back from the Jade Treasure Pavilion, I encountered robbers again. They didn't want money, but said they wanted my life. I am just an insignificant concubine."
"Today you're saying that the fire started by me."
Jiang Shiyao's face was pale, and her fingertips trembled slightly. "I don't even know who I have offended, that they would go to such lengths to take my life."
Upon hearing this, Zhao exclaimed in surprise, "How could you not tell me about something so important!"
Song Jiyun's face paled. "Madam Jiang, what do you mean? Are you saying I hired someone to kill you?"
As Song's mother watched Jiang Shiyao secretly weeping, it was as if the scenes of her being framed back then were flooding back.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she stepped forward and slapped Jiang Shiyao hard across the face. "You little bitch, you're putting on an act again! What are you making up now!"
"If it weren't for you, my Heng'er would never be here!!"
"ah--"
Jiang Shiyao's head turned to one side as she was slapped, and she couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. It turned out that Madam Song's hysteria was indeed true.
"What are you doing!" Zhou Congxian raised his hand to stop him, but it was too late.
"Mother!" Song Jiyun's expression changed.
Jiang Shiyao raised her head with tears streaming down her face. "Madam Song, I may have a lowly life, but I will not let anyone trample on me. I will never admit to anything I did!"
"You still dare to deny it! You're the one who killed Heng'er!" Song, like a madman, tried to grab Jiang Shiyao.
Song Jiyun hugged his mother, "Mother, she is not Aunt Lu, she is not Aunt Lu."
Zhou Congxian pulled Jiang Shiyao up and whispered, "Don't say anything more."
Seeing Song's mother acting like she'd gone mad, Zhao immediately questioned Old Madam Zhou, "Mother, what's going on! Xian'er is your own grandson! Is this how you've harmed him?!"
She knew that Madam Song had been recuperating in the south for two or three years, but she didn't say it was madness!
Madam Zhou never expected that her niece-in-law, who had not been ill for many years, would fall ill at this critical juncture.
"What are you all standing there for? Take her inside to rest. Mama Gao, go and fetch the doctor from the Song family."
In cases like Song's mother's, the household would have a doctor to prevent gossip from spreading.
Looking at the messy state of the room, Mingyu's heart sank even further.
Even if Jiang Shiyao is punished today, she has seen Madam Song's ugly behavior. Will Miss Song still use her in the future?
Zhao was furious; Jiang Shiyao's matter was no longer important.
The most important thing is that her son's marriage cannot go through!
"break off an engagement!"
"This engagement must be called off. If a mother behaves this way, who knows if her daughter will behave the same way, or if her children will behave the same way!"
Zhou Congxian comforted Zhao, saying, "Mother, Aunt Song's condition was also caused by her illness back then."
"You!—" Zhao almost choked on her breath. "Have you lost your mind! There are so many good women in the capital, why do you insist on marrying her?!"
Zhou Congxian could not say much to his mother at the moment, and could only stubbornly endure it.
"Yes, my son will marry no one but her."
"well!"
Zhao pointed a trembling finger at Zhou Congxian, "Even if I put a knife to your throat, you won't change your mind, will you?"
Zhou Congxian: "Yes."
Zhao's face paled, and she hesitated before raising her hand to slap him. In the end, she couldn't bear to do so, so she flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.
Jiang Shiyao looked at Zhou Congxian's profile, which was now completely unmoved.
Indeed, if he hadn't been deeply in love with Song Jiyun long ago, how could Song Jiyun have obtained his warrant in the previous life?
After Song Jiyun settled his mother in, he came out and heard Zhou Congxian's words.
She bit her lip and slowly walked out. "Brother Xian, it's not that Yun'er lacks tolerance, it's just... Yun'er is worried about your safety."
Jiang Shiyao glanced at Zhou Congxian and Song Jiyun.
"I'll say it again: I won't admit to anything I didn't do."
He Dayou, who had remained silent until now, quietly raised his hand. "Your Highness, may I say something?"
Song Jiyun had almost forgotten about this person. He was a servant who had left the Duke's mansion. Once he was paid enough, he would naturally say whatever he was told.
"Then tell me! Who instructed you?"
He Dayou scratched the back of his head, looking confused. "Your Highness, I'm currently working at a grain depot in the south of the city. I haven't been to the manor."
"Someone slipped me a piece of silver today and pushed me in, telling me to just nod and agree to whatever they wanted."
Jiang Shiyao almost burst out laughing when she saw the silver He Dayou handed over.
They think they can bribe He Dayou with this little bit of silver?
He now controls a granary with several thousand taels of grain in his hands, so why would he care about such a small amount of money?
If He Dayou wants money, he has no choice but to be on the same side as her.
Song Jiyun almost fainted when he saw that piece of broken silver!
She clearly took a hundred taels, so how come he only has this little bit of silver left!
He Dayou glanced at Jiang Shiyao and said, "I used to be addicted to gambling and almost got beaten to death. It was my wife who borrowed money from Jiang Shiyao to pay off my gambling debts."
"How could I be so ungrateful as to betray Lady Jiang?"
Zhou Congxian: "Who gave you that money?"
"I don't know the younger one, but he's about the same age as the younger one, a bit fatter."
How could He Dayou not know?
But from the prince's words just now, he knew that the best answer was "I don't know."
Anyway, it's a mess, and in the end, Mingyu will probably be the one to bear the blame for deceiving his master.
If He Dayou could understand it, how could Mingyu not understand it?
She looked at Song Jiyun with a deathly pale face, "It really was Jiang Shiyao who instigated this, Miss Song, please save me!"
Song Jiyun took a step back in disgust. "I don't even know you, don't go begging!"
Jiang Shiyao's gaze turned cold.
"Since I instructed you, why are you asking Miss Song for help?"
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