Old Madam Feng was startled, staring at Jiang Si as if she didn’t recognize her.
Jiang Si remained composed, allowing Old Madam Jiang to scrutinize her. In her previous life, though she hadn’t lived past twenty, she had endured more misfortunes than most women experience in a lifetime. Naturally, she wasn’t afraid of being examined.
Jiang An-cheng’s expression softened. “Since Si’er has spoken, I’ll decide her father. We’ll break off the engagement!”
His forceful declaration of “breaking off the engagement” made Jiang Si feel a sudden relief.
“No!” Old Madam Feng shouted sternly.
Having hoped to use her granddaughter to control her eldest son, Old Madam Feng’s plans were thwarted by Jiang Si’s unexpected behavior. She immediately shed her façade of warmth, her voice as cold and sharp as a knife: “I refuse to break off the engagement!”
“Mother!”
“Don’t say another word! Do you know how many people envy our connection to the Duke An’s household? Not only are the First and Second Miss treated better in their married homes, but this past year, even the suitors for Third Miss have been of higher status. Simply put, it’s because they value the connection to Duke An’s family. Eldest son, even if you don’t consider Fourth Miss’s interests, you should think about our Earl’s household!”
“Mother, are you saying that for the sake of our Earl’s household, we can sacrifice Si’er’s lifelong happiness?” Jiang An-cheng retorted.
“Nonsense! How dare you say such heartless words!” Old Madam Feng swayed, clutching her forehead as she fell backward. Her senior maid A-Fu quickly stepped forward to support her.
“Mother, are you alright?” Despite his dissatisfaction with Old Madam Feng’s actions, Jiang An-cheng became concerned seeing her in this state.
Old Madam Feng glared coldly at Jiang An-cheng. “You unfilial son, you think I’d disregard Fourth Miss’s wellbeing for the sake of the Earl’s household! Isn’t she my granddaughter? Fourth Miss marrying into Duke An’s family is extremely beneficial for both her and our household, yet you want to break off the engagement over a momentary impulse!”
“I’m not acting on impulse—”
“Silence! Marriage is decided by parents, but since Si’er lost her mother at a young age, can’t I, as her grandmother, make decisions for her? Let me be clear: Duke An’s household is at fault first, and you can certainly make some demands for Si’er’s sake, but I won’t agree to break off the engagement!”
Old Madam Feng’s words left Jiang An-cheng feeling cold. As he was about to persuade her further, A-Xi, another senior maid of Old Madam Feng, rushed in breathlessly. “Old Madam, it’s terrible! The Second Young Master, he—”
“What trouble has that scoundrel caused now?” At this critical moment, Jiang An-cheng’s head throbbed at the mention of Jiang Zhan, wishing he could kick him if he were standing right there.
A-Xi’s face turned pale. “Second Young Master has smashed Duke An’s carriage parked outside our gates!”
“What?” Old Madam Feng was no longer dizzy and sprang to her feet.
Jiang An-cheng’s anger dissipated instantly.
Hmm, well done. His troublemaker son occasionally did something useful.
“Are the stewards eating for free? Quickly stop him!”
“Old Madam, we can’t stop him! Second Young Master is heading this way, and the stewards can’t pursue him—”
“Coming here?” Old Madam Feng’s eyes flashed with confusion.
Could it be that the scoundrel was coming to apologize?
Old Madam Feng quickly realized she was overthinking. Another maid rushed in to report: “Old Madam, Second Young Master is barging into the flower hall! The maids can barely hold him back!”
Old Madam Feng’s vision blurred, and this time she truly felt like fainting.
“Come with me!” Old Madam Feng shot Jiang An-cheng a glare before hurrying toward the flower hall.
“Second Young Master, you can’t go in! There are important guests inside.”
Jiang Zhan leaped three feet high. “Bah! What important guests? How can people who insulted my sister be considered important guests? Get out of my way!”
Jiang Zhan kicked aside the maid blocking his path, showing no regard for the fairer sex.
Madam Guo, the wife of Duke An’s heir, was already stunned.
“Are you from Duke An’s household?”
Madam Guo stood up involuntarily. If not for the handsome young man charging in, who looked nothing like a bandit, she would have already fled.
“I am the wife of Duke An’s heir. Who are you? How dare you be so discourteous?” Madam Guo attempted to reason with the handsome youth.
Hearing that she was a heavyweight, and caught in his own home no less, Jiang Zhan thought it would be a waste not to teach her a lesson. He picked up a nearby side table and hurled it at her.
Madam Guo let out a sharp scream and was about to faint.
A maid at the door shouted: “Madam, you can’t faint now! We can’t stop our Second Young Master when he’s on a rampage—”
Hearing this, Madam Guo snapped out of it. Her head cleared, her legs steadied, and she took off running.
The side table crashed into the corner of a larger table with a loud bang, instantly breaking off a chunk.
Jiang Zhan picked up the side table and gave chase. “Stop right there! You think you can bully my sister and get away with it?”
“You little beast, what are you doing?” Old Madam Feng arrived hurriedly, feeling dizzy at the sight of Jiang Zhan chasing after Madam Guo.
Madam Guo caught her breath.
Finally, the Old Madam of Earl Dongping had arrived.
A gentle girl’s voice came: “Madam, you’d better hurry back to your manor. When the Second Young Master goes berserk, even Old Madam can’t control him. Even if he’s punished afterward, the damage done at the moment can’t be undone.”
Hearing this logic, Madam Guo didn’t even bother to look at the girl who had advised her. With the maids’ protection, she lifted her skirts and fled.
Jiang Si watched Madam Guo’s retreating figure with a slight curve to her lips.
Jiang Zhan ignored Old Madam Feng’s scolding and persisted in his pursuit.
“Eldest son, stop that unfilial child of yours!”
“Mother, please don’t be angry. I’ll go stop that troublemaker right away,” Jiang An-cheng said soothingly.
“Then go already!” Old Madam Feng stomped her foot.
Only then did Jiang An-cheng walk out.
Jiang Zhan chased Madam Guo to the manor gates, where he smashed the side table on the ground, shattering it to pieces.
“This is what will happen if anyone from Duke An’s household dares to step foot in the Earl’s manor again!”
A crowd had already gathered outside when Jiang Zhan started smashing the carriage, eager for gossip. They had already learned the cause and were now discussing it among themselves.
“Looks like the two families have fallen out.”
“Tsk tsk, how could they not? Duke An’s son was about to marry but died with another woman. What about his fiancée’s reputation?”
“Exactly. Any family with a shred of dignity wouldn’t go through with this marriage. Aunt Niu, what do you say? The engagement is bound to be called off, right? You just said it couldn’t be broken because the man’s family is a Duke’s household.”
…
Jiang An-cheng arrived to hear these discussions and forced a stern expression. He shouted at Jiang Zhan, “Stop this nonsense and go back to receive your punishment!”
As the gates of Earl Dongping’s manor slowly closed, Madam Guo felt utterly humiliated. She wished she could sprout wings and fly back to the Duke’s manor, but their carriage had been smashed, and they had to wait for the coachman to hire another.
Under the public gaze, Madam Guo experienced for the first time what it meant for a day to feel like a year.
As soon as Jiang Zhan returned to the courtyard, he fell to his knees with a thud, though his face showed no concern: “Father, punish me as you see fit.”
“Bring out the family’s disciplinary tools! We must use them!” Old Madam Feng trembled with anger.
This commotion had already alarmed everyone in the various courtyards.
Jiang Si stepped forward from the crowd: “Grandmother, I believe Second Brother shouldn’t be punished, but rather rewarded.”