Chapter 295 Annulled Engagement
Wenxianglai is the most famous teahouse in Beijing.
The elegant seats by the window on the second floor were always reserved for the most prominent scions of wealthy and influential families in the capital.
At this moment, the atmosphere in this private room was even colder than the chilly wind outside the window.
Meng Shilan wore an apricot-colored silk dress, which made her skin look as white as snow and her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting.
But that face, which usually always had a gentle smile, was now covered with a layer of frost.
"Shi Lan, this matter... is not what I wanted."
Zhou Congxian's voice on the other end was as gentle as ever, but with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.
"Your Majesty's word is law, and I cannot disobey your decree."
Meng Shilan slammed the teacup in her hand heavily onto the rosewood table.
A crisp "snap" sounded.
The tea splashed everywhere, startling the young men and women from prominent families sitting nearby who all turned to look at it.
"Zhou Congxian, if you marry me, you must also take a concubine into the household!"
"His Majesty has granted the marriage, but has His Majesty ever said that she would enter the gates of your Duke of Ying's mansion with me, his legal wife?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and resonant.
The eavesdroppers held their breath, afraid of missing a single word.
Zhou Congxian's face also darkened.
"Shi Lan, you know perfectly well that you are the only one in my heart."
“Song Jiyun…her family suffered a great calamity and she is all alone and helpless. Your Majesty’s actions are merely out of pity.”
Why are you being so aggressive?
"Aggressive?"
Meng Shilan slowly stood up and looked down at him.
In those clear almond-shaped eyes, two flames burned that could not be suppressed.
“Zhou Congxian, I, Meng Shilan, do not consider myself a magnanimous woman.”
"Yet you're going to stick a thorn in my heart for the sake of some so-called 'pity'!"
"This thorn, planted today, will stay with you for life!"
"I'm telling you, I can't take it!"
She spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
Zhou Congxian suddenly stood up and tried to take her hand.
"Shi Lan, calm down! It's not what you think!"
Meng Shilan suddenly stepped back, avoiding his touch.
"No need to say anything more."
“Zhou Congxian, since you can’t let go of your compassion, then let’s part ways.”
"It's better if this marriage doesn't happen!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she didn't look at him again, abruptly flicked her sleeves, and turned to leave.
Zhou Congxian stood frozen in place, his outstretched hand hanging in mid-air, his face ashen.
The entire second floor was completely silent.
A heated discussion broke out only after Zhou Congxian left.
Meng Shilan let out a soft breath after getting into the carriage.
"I never knew arguing could be so satisfying!"
Shuang'er chuckled and handed her a cup of tea. "Sister, it won't even take tomorrow; the news will spread throughout the capital soon."
Meng Shilan smiled slightly, "Grandpa was still one step ahead, actually turning the tables on us."
She was suddenly betrothed during the autumn hunt, without her knowledge or her maternal grandfather's knowledge.
If you want to get married in spring, then you should marry into the Meng family.
Within half a day, the news that the Meng and Zhou families had reached the point of announcing the annulment of their engagement spread throughout the streets and alleys.
"That young lady from the Meng family is quite fiery; she just turned and walked away in front of so many people."
"Sigh, if you ask me, Miss Meng is being unreasonable. Taking a concubine was a marriage decree by His Majesty. How could she possibly force Prince Zhou to defy the imperial decree?"
The scholar who was listening to the gossip had a different opinion.
"I think it's not that simple."
"Think about it, Duke Meng and Prince Zhou spent months together at the border, and they've just returned in triumph. Why are they making a scene?"
Everyone was taken aback.
"you mean……"
"I bet it was at the border that the two of them had a dispute over important military matters, and they were just being friendly on the surface but not on the inside."
"This marriage is just a pretext. Think about it, what kind of person is Duke Meng? He has made great military achievements throughout his life. Although Prince Zhou is a rising star, he is also a young man who has achieved success and is full of vigor. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. How can there not be some friction when two military leaders are put together?"
"That makes sense! It must be that the old Duke Meng finds the young master Zhou to be a hindrance, while the young master Zhou thinks the old Duke is stubborn and self-willed!"
"So, it seems this marriage is really going to fall through!"
The rumors and gossip intensified.
What began as a matter of personal affection gradually escalated into a major political issue involving discord within the military and estrangement between generals.
The truth and falsehood in this matter are no longer discernible to anyone.
All people knew was that the highly anticipated marriage between the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Duke of Ying's mansion was likely doomed.
...
As night deepened, the study in the Duke of England's mansion was brightly lit.
The Duke of England paced back and forth anxiously, glancing every now and then toward the door.
Zhao was so dizzy from all the spinning around he was doing, she cried out, "Don't go!"
When Zhou Congxian returned, the Duke of England saw him and finally erupted in anger that had been suppressed all day.
"You damned brat! You finally know how to come back!"
"The whole capital is buzzing with rumors that you and Duke Meng are at odds at the border and that your families are going to break off the engagement!"
"Do you know how important this marriage is to you and to our British Duke's Mansion!"
He was so angry he was trembling, and he pointed at his son's nose.
"Who is Meng Yushan? He is His Majesty's trusted minister, wielding considerable military power! By marrying his granddaughter, you will have him protecting you, ensuring a smooth future for you!"
"If the marriage falls through, will he still treat you well in court?"
Zhou Congxian lowered his head, letting his father scold him without saying a word.
His face was gloomy, like an eggplant that had been hit by frost, and his whole body exuded a sense of dejection.
"It has nothing to do with Lord Meng."
"Shi Lan...she was dissatisfied with His Majesty's bestowal of a concubine and harbored resentment in her heart."
The British Duke never expected that the reason would be this.
"Just for a concubine?"
Madam Zhao comforted him, "Master, please don't get too upset."
She walked over to Zhou Congxian and took his hand with heartache.
"Xian'er, is this really because of that Song Jiyun?"
Zhou Congxian nodded, his brow furrowing with even deeper worry.
Upon hearing this, the heavy weight that had been hanging over Zhao's heart all day instantly lifted.
This is truly a stroke of luck!
Zhao chuckled inwardly, but on the surface she wore the worried expression of a loving mother.
She gently patted Zhou Congxian's hand and softly comforted him.
"Silly child, what is there to worry about?"
"She's just a concubine; no matter how great the favor, it can't surpass that of the principal wife."
“Song Jiyun is now nothing more than the daughter of a disgraced official. If it weren’t for His Majesty’s mercy, she wouldn’t even be worthy of carrying your shoes.”
A glint of shrewdness and disdain flashed in Zhao's eyes.
"Don't worry, once she's in the house, just say she's too weak to serve you and send her directly to the family temple outside the city to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures. That will save His Majesty's face and prevent her from getting in your and Shi Lan's way of being an eyesore."
She had planned it all out long ago.
This is a perfect excuse to get rid of it legitimately.
This would both appease Meng Shilan and eliminate any future troubles.
Kill two birds with one stone!
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