Although Madam Du was mentally prepared, Jiang Zhong’s shout still startled her. She quickly composed herself and said softly, “Don’t yell. It wasn’t my idea.”
She was feeling quite happy and secure at the moment, and nothing could dampen her good mood. Even though Jiang Changyang and He Mudan had schemed against her, and the Emperor had indeed scolded her earlier, he hadn’t punished her. From her perspective, the Emperor still cared for her due to their old relationship. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have approved Jiang Changyang and He Mudan’s marriage so easily. This incident revealed certain trends: her son Zhong’er was gaining experience and would eventually succeed, with such powerful support behind him. Her confidence had naturally increased. She was truly grateful to her uncle, the Emperor.
Jiang Zhong couldn’t believe she was still denying her involvement and maintaining such a calm attitude. At the very least, shouldn’t she feel guilty and apologize? He now found everything about Madam Du irritating. Her once gentle and mild expression now seemed hypocritical and smug to him. He sneered, “Indeed, it wasn’t your decision, but you got someone to decide for you. Are you satisfied now? I never knew you were this kind of person. Such a vicious heart!”
Although she didn’t know what Jiang Changyang had said to his father earlier, judging by their mutual dislike, she assumed he didn’t know the details. Even if he did, he had no solid evidence and could just as easily believe that Jiang Changyang was framing her. Madam Du furrowed her brow and firmly denied the accusation: “I know you’re upset and very dissatisfied with this marriage. But you can’t keep taking it out on me, can you? He went to beg the Emperor himself. You don’t blame him or Wang Ayou, but instead blame me, the one who’s been tirelessly arranging matches for him? That’s completely unreasonable!”
Who was He Mudan? And who was Jiang Changyang? How could the Emperor suddenly tie these two together for no reason? If not for Madam Du, then for whom? Jiang Zhong was convinced she had schemed behind his back and wouldn’t allow her to argue. He said coldly, “You still won’t admit it, even at this point? Do you think I’m a three-year-old, easily fooled? I always thought you were gentle, frugal, and humble. I believed everything you said. Who knew you were so selfish and vicious? For your selfish interests, you’ve ruined him like this!”
Selfish? Was she expected to give up everything? Over the years, she had changed so much for him, working tirelessly day and night, living a secluded life, swallowing her pride. She hardly knew what it meant to enjoy life anymore. All she got in return was being treated as an outsider and falsely accused by him. No matter how much she endured, he still treated her like a pushover, while that other woman got more of his favor the more trouble she caused. If she didn’t push back a little, he’d think she was easy to bully.
Madam Du, filled with resentment and barely able to contain herself, finally snapped and said with a cold laugh, “I ruined him? How could I possibly ruin him? I should be thankful if he doesn’t ruin me. If you were so dissatisfied with this marriage, you should have spoken up to the Emperor earlier. You were so meek then, and now you’re lashing out at me? What good does that do? No wonder your son doesn’t respect you at all, you weak and cowardly fool! He can manipulate you however he wants. A marriage that could be easily discarded has turned us against each other and made me out to be a vicious stepmother who can’t accept his children. What a clever plan!”
Jiang Zhong felt as if he’d been stabbed in the heart. He trembled, his eyes widening as he raised his hand, about to slap Madam Du. In all these years, this was the first time he had made such a gesture, and it was for that woman’s son. Madam Du, having finally spoken her mind, felt relieved for a moment. But when she saw the impending slap, her heart sank. Tears welled up in her eyes as she grabbed his collar, bringing her small, flushed face close to his. Choking back sobs, she said:
“Go ahead, hit me! I know Wang Ayou is back, and she’s bewitched you again. What you want most now is to get rid of us, mother and son, so you can relive your old romance with her, right? You’re throwing all this dirt on me, and when that doesn’t work, you resort to violence! Who’s the vicious one here? How can you treat me like this? I’ve been with you for over twenty years in the Jiang family.
Even if I haven’t made great contributions, I’ve certainly endured hardships. Look around the capital, how many women have done as well as I have? How can you be so ungrateful? It wasn’t me who drove them away back then. I even said I was willing to call her ‘sister’ and serve her, but she wouldn’t compromise. The imperial decree was hard to defy.
What did you expect me to do? There’s no need to say more. The son I raised isn’t as clever as hers, doesn’t know how to scheme, and only gets framed by others. I’ve worn myself out day and night, growing old and losing my looks, while she doesn’t have to worry about anything, has people fawning over her, and keeps her youth. Fine, I’ll go back and kill Zhong’er myself to please you both!”
Madam Du cried bitterly, her heart breaking. The light from the street lanterns filtered through the carriage’s thin curtains, illuminating the interior. Jiang Zhong saw the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and suddenly remembered the bright, gentle, and charming young girl who had once seen him as her whole world and had been so obedient and alluring.
Memories of the past flooded his mind, leaving him stunned. After a long while, he heaved a heavy sigh, pushed Madam Du away, and called out to the driver in a low voice, “Stop the carriage!” Without looking at Madam Du, he turned and got off. Whether it was Jiang Changyang’s scheme or Madam Du’s move, this was an irreconcilable conflict. This family would never know peace again. After a lifetime of hard work, what would he get? Jiang Zhong stood on the street, his gaze heavy as he looked at the bustling crowd around him, feeling a wave of desolation and loneliness.
Seeing him leave without a backward glance, standing on the street and staring blankly at the passing crowd, Madam Du felt a surge of fear. She quickly wiped away her tears and called out softly, “Zhong, Zhong, what’s wrong? Come back up! Let’s talk about this calmly.” She then urged Bai Xiang and Jiang Zhong’s servant to go and persuade him.
Jiang Zhong just stood there, motionless. Yes, he didn’t dare say a word of disagreement to the person on the dragon throne. He hadn’t dared when he was young, and he dared even less now that he was old. He couldn’t make Ayou listen to him, couldn’t make his eldest son respect him, his younger son was useless, and even his once gentle and virtuous wife had suddenly shown a different face… Jiang Zhong was not a man who would cry no matter how upset he was. He glared fiercely at Bai Xiang and the servant, who shrank back in fear at his vicious look, not daring to say another word.
Madam Du grew anxious. Forgetting about her dignity and her disheveled appearance from crying earlier, she hurriedly got out of the carriage to persuade Jiang Zhong. Just as she reached his side and gently called out “Zhong,” while grabbing his arm, they heard the sound of approaching hooves and a cheerful female voice: “A couple out together to enjoy the lanterns, what a loving pair you are.”
Before Madam Du could react, she felt Jiang Zhong’s arm tremble slightly. She turned around to see a beautiful woman riding a tall, dark purple horse amidst the brilliant lantern light. The woman was smiling broadly, dressed in fiery red, her every movement exuding charm. The touch of rouge on her chin particularly stung Madam Du’s eyes. She tightened her grip on Jiang Zhong’s arm and forced a bright smile: “Oh, it’s Sister Wang. Congratulations to you!”
That “Congratulations to you!” carried many meanings: your son tried to harm me but failed, your son finally got the beautiful bride he wanted, and you’re about to remarry someone else. This man is mine, and so is Duke Zhu’s manor. No one can take them away.
Madam Wang looked amusedly at Madam Du, who was clutching Jiang Zhong tightly, indirectly declaring her ownership, with her disheveled appearance. She smiled slightly and said, “Congratulations to you too. We’ve all been spared a lot of worry.” Then she laughed loudly at Jiang Zhong, “Make sure to write a good marriage letter! I can hardly wait.”
Jiang Zhong silently looked at Madam Wang. Her complexion was even better than when she first arrived, and wearing that bright red dress made her look even more radiant. Her smile was genuine, not forced. She was truly happy, and he couldn’t understand why. How could she be so pleased about such a marriage? She must be crazy! He realized he really couldn’t understand this mother and son anymore. Perhaps he was just getting old?
Hmph, what’s there to be smug about? She’s good at pretending. Losing and still acting so nonchalant, fine, if she can pretend, I can do it even better! Madam Du swallowed her bitterness and smiled even more sweetly. She stepped forward to greet the Princess Consort of Fen who had just arrived, then looked at Jiang Changyang and Mudan whispering to each other nearby. She said in a coy voice, “Princess, look at them. What a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman. I’m so envious of Sister Wang, to have such a wonderful son and daughter-in-law.”
Madam Wang smiled and said, “No need to envy me. Isn’t your second son also of marriageable age? Madam, you should quickly find him a good match. Soon you’ll have your wonderful son and daughter-in-law, and ensure Duke Zhu has an heir.”
Her smile was very gracious, without any hint of sarcasm. But Madam Du would have preferred if she had been confrontational, rather than chatting so casually as if nothing was wrong. For a moment, she couldn’t find a way to respond to Madam Wang’s words.
Seeing that Madam Du was speechless and Jiang Zhong’s expression was becoming increasingly grim, Madam Wang called out to the Princess Consort of Fen and then playfully scolded Jiang Changyang, “It’s getting late, hurry up and take Danni home! How inconsiderate of you!” She then bid farewell and left without looking back, though Jiang Zhong kept watching their retreating figures.
Madam Du felt indescribably frustrated and angry. She wanted to slap Jiang Zhong hard to wake him up, but she restrained herself, digging her nails into her palm. She said sweetly, “Zhong, it’s late and cold. Shall we go back?” Turning around, she saw Bai Xiang looking at her hesitantly and snapped, “What are you skulking about? What do you want to say? How petty!”
Bai Xiang, with a pained expression, carefully said, “Madam, your makeup…”
Only then did Madam Du remember that she had been crying and arguing with Jiang Zhong earlier, and had hurriedly gotten off the carriage to persuade him. She hadn’t given any thought to her appearance, which was probably a mess. No wonder that woman had smiled so brightly! She had been laughing at her! To have made such a fool of herself in front of that woman was utterly humiliating. She wished she could dig a hole and disappear into it. Turning back to see that Jiang Zhong had no intention of leaving with her, still standing motionless, she felt a chill in her heart. Without another word, she got back into the carriage and quietly instructed the driver, “Back to the manor.” She couldn’t rely on anyone; she could only depend on herself. Until Zhong’er secured his position, she couldn’t let her guard down for a single day.