Hearing Duchess Wei’s question, Madam Guo almost burst into tears. “Mother-in-law, you don’t know. The Second Young Master of the Marquis of Dongping’s household is a troublemaker. As soon as he returned home, he smashed our carriage. I had to rent another carriage to come back…”
“How can there be such ill-mannered juniors?” Duchess Wei was shocked.
“Indeed, I never imagined it either.”
“What exactly is the Marquis of Dongping’s household’s attitude?”
Madam Guo smiled bitterly. “The Marquis of Dongping said he wanted to break off the engagement, but their Old Madam seemed inclined to mend the relationship. Seeing this, I went to wait in the flower hall, hoping the Old Madam would persuade the Marquis. But before I could get any news, that Second Young Master rushed in, wanting to beat me to death. If I hadn’t escaped in time, I might have lost an arm or a leg…”
“How outrageous!” Duchess Wei slammed the table heavily. “What kind of family background does the Marquis of Dongping’s household have? Usually, they wouldn’t even be qualified to polish the shoes of our Duke’s household. We’ve already given them enough face by sending you to apologize, and the Marquis still talks about breaking off the engagement. It’s simply absurd!”
“That’s exactly what I thought. Such a family, originally not a match for our household, how else could they raise such arrogant descendants?” Madam Guo couldn’t help but feel resentful as she recalled her embarrassing escape from the Marquis of Dongping’s mansion.
Duchess Wei suddenly smiled. “This might be for the best.”
“Mother-in-law?” Madam Guo was puzzled.
Duchess Wei’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “The Marquis of Dongping’s thoughts are irrelevant. Everyone knows he doesn’t manage household affairs. In their family, Old Madam Feng handles internal matters, and Jiang Shaojing handles external affairs. Since Old Madam Feng is reluctant to break off the engagement, it can’t be broken. Just wait and see. Before long, the Marquis of Dongping’s household will take the initiative to send someone to negotiate.”
“What do you mean by ‘for the best’, Mother-in-law?”
Duchess Wei sneered. “You are the Young Madam of the Duke Anguo’s household. How dare a reckless boy think he can beat you? I originally planned to give them some benefits to appease the Marquis of Dongping’s household, but now we can use this incident to offset everything. I bet Old Madam Feng is regretting it now.”
Madam Guo felt a wave of discomfort hearing this.
Using her loss of dignity at the Marquis of Dongping’s mansion to offset her brother-in-law’s outrageous behavior—her mother-in-law’s heart was truly biased.
However, she dared not show her dissatisfaction in front of her mother-in-law and merely agreed, “Mother-in-law’s thoughts are indeed comprehensive.”
The two women looked at each other and smiled knowingly.
The head maid, Han Fang, hurried in. “Madam, the Marquis of Dongping has arrived!”
“Mother-in-law’s words are indeed correct. The people from the Marquis of Dongping’s household came very quickly,” Madam Guo complimented.
Duchess Wei’s face broke into a relaxed smile. “Just say that the Master isn’t in the mansion at this time, and I’m currently meeting guests. First, invite the Marquis of Dongping to sit in the front hall.”
“Madam, the Marquis of Dongping has come to break off the engagement—”
Duchess Wei froze, the smile stiffening on her lips. “What did you just say?”
The head maid Han Fang lowered her head, feeling immense pressure. “The Marquis of Dongping… has come to break off the engagement…”
“Why haven’t you invited him in yet?” Duchess Wei couldn’t afford to put on airs anymore upon hearing this.
Han Fang looked troubled. “Madam, the Marquis of Dongping has even brought the betrothal gifts directly. Right now, those gifts are displayed outside our mansion gate, attracting many onlookers.”
Duchess Wei’s head buzzed, and she swayed slightly.
Amidst her shock, Madam Guo quickly supported Duchess Wei. “Mother-in-law, are you alright?”
“How could I be alright? Quickly go and see if the Master has returned!” Duchess Wei pinched Madam Guo. “Send someone to tell Da Lang to hurry and invite the Marquis of Dongping in to talk.”
The Duke Anguo’s heir, Ji Chongli, almost ran to the main gate. As he stepped over the threshold, he was nearly frightened back by the dense crowd outside.
Why were there so many people watching?
Before he could even speak to Jiang Ancheng, Ji Chongli’s face had already turned extremely unpleasant.
“The Marquis has come, and I failed to welcome you from afar. Please, Marquis, come into the mansion to talk.” Ji Chongli bowed politely.
Looking at the courteous Ji Chongli, Jiang Ancheng’s expression didn’t soften at all. He waved his hand and shouted, “What are you all standing around for? Carry the betrothal gifts back into Duke Anguo’s mansion!”
Seeing Jiang Ancheng’s men about to carry the betrothal gifts inside, Ji Chongli hurriedly blocked them. “What are you doing, Marquis? Let’s go inside and discuss this properly first.”
“There’s nothing to discuss! I’m here to break off the engagement, not to pay a New Year’s visit. Here, is the gift list. Young Master, please check it carefully. Our Marquis’s household won’t keep even a thread or hair of yours!” Jiang Ancheng threw a gift list into Ji Chongli’s arms.
Ji Chongli didn’t dare let these people carry the betrothal gifts into the mansion and hurriedly tried to return the gift list.
“Don’t return it. I have a dozen more here!” Jiang Ancheng pulled out another stack of gift lists from his bosom.
Ji Chongli: “…” The enemy had indeed come prepared!
“The letter to break off the engagement is already written. Call your old man out to stamp it decisively, and the marriage between our two families will be over!”
Ji Chongli finally found a reason to delay the situation. “Earl, my father has stepped out for some matters today and hasn’t returned yet. When it comes to such an important marriage, we juniors cannot make the decision. If you’re in a hurry, you could either come inside and wait or perhaps cool down and head back first—”
“Brother Jiang, what brings you here?” A familiar voice interrupted.
Ji Chongli turned to look and saw none other than Duke An, making his mouth twitch involuntarily.
Was Father sent by the other side to sabotage us? His timing couldn’t have been worse!
Duke An strode forward, his gaze immediately falling upon the pile of betrothal gifts spread across the ground. His brows furrowed deeply.
Because of his youngest son’s troubles, he hadn’t slept a wink last night. While handling matters outside today, he had been on edge the entire time. As soon as he finished his tasks, he rushed back, only to find his wife had failed to manage the situation properly, leading to the Earl of Dongping sending back the betrothal gifts.
“Your Grace, we’re both straightforward people, so let’s not beat around the bush. I’m here to annul the engagement!” Jiang Ancheng announced firmly.
Duke An bowed deeply, his expression earnest. “Brother Jiang, I’m to blame for everything. If you’re upset, you can slap your elder brother twice, but we absolutely cannot annul the engagement!”
The Duke’s humble attitude stirred murmurs among the onlookers.
“It seems like the Duke truly values this marriage alliance. His willingness to admit fault speaks volumes. If you ask me, annulling the engagement won’t benefit either family. It’s commendable that the Duke is willing to rectify things.”
“Exactly. With such a stance, it’s clear he’ll be more disciplined in dealing with his son from now on.”
Various voices drifted in, but Jiang Ancheng remained unmoved. He showed no signs of softening as he faced Duke An’s humility. “Your Grace, do you still remember the reason our families decided to form this alliance?”
“Of course, I remember. It’s because you and your brother saved my life—”
Back when the mountain collapsed, the Third Master Jiang also played a role in saving Duke An.
“In that case, Your Grace, can’t you simply agree to annul the engagement? Or do you intend to repay kindness with enmity?”
Duke An forced a smile. “Brother Jiang, how can you say such a thing—”
Jiang Ancheng let out a cold snort. “Insisting on marrying off your unruly son to my daughter—this, to me, is nothing short of repaying kindness with enmity!”
Duke An stared at Jiang Ancheng for a long moment, seeing the resoluteness in his stance. He finally let out a deep sigh. “Fine, I’ll do as you say.”
After Duke An affixed his seal to both copies of the annulment document, Jiang Ancheng collected his copy and nodded in satisfaction.
“I never expected things to turn out like this. Thinking of how you helped me back then, I truly feel ashamed.” Duke An’s face was filled with embarrassment.
Jiang Ancheng waved it off nonchalantly. “Don’t take it to heart, Your Grace. Just think of that day’s heavy rain—maybe it caused water to get into my head.”
Duke An: “…”