“What did you say?” Madam Xie thought she had misheard, setting down the calendar placard in her hands.
Nanny Su was also startled. She didn’t think she had misheard, but Chang Yuncheng’s words were too unexpected, and she didn’t dare believe them for a moment.
“Mother, your son doesn’t want to take another wife,” Chang Yuncheng said again, kneeling before Madam Xie as he lifted his robes.
“Why?” Madam Xie heard clearly, was stunned for a moment, and asked.
“Your son doesn’t want to,” Chang Yuncheng said with his head lowered.
Madam Xie looked at him and smiled coldly.
“Is it that you don’t want to, or that woman doesn’t want to?” she asked.
“It’s that I don’t want to,” Chang Yuncheng replied without the slightest hesitation.
With a crack, Madam Xie smashed a cup.
Chang Yuncheng knelt on the ground without moving.
“Mother, please calm your anger,” he said.
Madam Xie was about to say something when a maid outside announced that Marquis Dingxi had arrived.
“What’s all this about now?” Marquis Dingxi entered and saw the scene, frowning as he asked.
The maids hurriedly cleaned up the broken teacup fragments and left.
“You’ve come at just the right time,” Madam Xie said. “Your wonderful daughter-in-law is getting anxious…”
“Mother, it’s me. I’m the one who disagrees. It has nothing to do with Yueniang,” Chang Yuncheng hurriedly said, interrupting Madam Xie’s words.
Madam Xie raised her hand and slapped him.
Marquis Dingxi was startled. Madam Xie hitting the child – this was truly the first time he’d seen it. Usually, if he raised his voice even twice, it was as if he’d skinned her alive. How was she taking action herself this time? This showed she must be extremely angry!
“What’s going on exactly? With such a joyous occasion ahead, what’s all this commotion?” he said unhappily.
Really, he had personally petitioned for the Emperor’s own written decree – such a glorious matter, yet there wasn’t a trace of celebratory atmosphere anywhere, inside or out! How truly depressing!
Others not knowing was one thing, but shouldn’t those who knew be beaming with joy and gratitude toward him?
Look at this – what was all this…
“Chang Yuncheng, although I didn’t give birth to you, I’ve raised you all these years. If I can’t even see through your little schemes, I’ve truly lived in vain,” Madam Xie said with a cold laugh, looking toward Marquis Dingxi. “Your wonderful daughter-in-law disagrees with Yuncheng taking another wife.”
Marquis Dingxi was stunned.
“What are you talking about? How could she disagree?” he asked, his face full of disbelief. “Yueniang is the most sensible!”
“Yes, yes, she agrees. It’s I who disagree,” Chang Yuncheng took over and said.
“You disagree?” Marquis Dingxi slammed the table with a crack, glaring as he shouted, “What business is it of yours! When is it your turn to make decisions! Get out! If you dare mess around with me again, I’ll break your legs!”
Madam Xie didn’t like hearing this. Her son – she could shout at him and scold him however she wanted, but others could not.
“What are you shouting about! Didn’t I already say? It’s not Yuncheng’s business – it’s that lowly servant Qi Yueniang causing trouble!” Madam Xie also raised her voice and shouted.
“Mother…” Chang Yuncheng called out hurriedly again.
“You shut up! Chang Yuncheng, try saying one more word for that woman! I’ll divorce her immediately!” Madam Xie coldly shouted.
Chang Yuncheng looked at her, moved his mouth but didn’t speak.
Now Marquis Dingxi didn’t like hearing this.
“What’s all this talk about? Yueniang wouldn’t do such a thing. She’s the most reasonable,” he said with a frown.
Madam Xie laughed coldly.
“Marquis, in this kind of matter, there really aren’t many women who can be reasonable. Otherwise, why would elder sister have been angered to death back then?” she said.
As soon as these words came out, Marquis Dingxi’s expression suddenly changed, looking at Madam Xie with a dark expression.
He had always been a refined and cultured man, always maintaining a gentle demeanor. This kind of dark expression was extremely rare.
“Xie Zhengmei!” he shouted in a deep voice. “Are you saying I drove my first wife to death?”
The death of Great Madam Xie was a secret that could not be mentioned in the Marquis Dingxi’s household. Actually, Great Madam Xie had originally been weak and sickly, so her death wouldn’t have been anything unusual. But it happened to occur right after Marquis Dingxi’s private meeting with Concubine Zhou in the garden. At that time, Concubine Zhou wasn’t yet a concubine, but a young cousin. The Xie family insisted that Great Madam Xie had been angered to death – this was something Marquis Dingxi absolutely refused to acknowledge!
Setting aside that he didn’t acknowledge that Madam Xie’s death was related to him, even if it was related, it was because Great Madam Xie herself had a jealous and narrow heart and sought her own death. If men weren’t romantic, could they still be called men? If women really died of anger because of men’s romantic affairs, then far too many women in this world would have died!
“Mother,” Chang Yuncheng was also startled by Madam Xie’s words.
What Madam Xie wanted was precisely Marquis Dingxi’s embarrassed anger. She wasn’t rushed or panicked, snorting with laughter.
“The Marquis didn’t,” she said. “However, the Marquis is about to see it happen. If you don’t believe me, try it. As soon as we finalize the engagement with the Rao family, your wonderful, reasonable daughter-in-law will threaten death.”
Marquis Dingxi laughed coldly.
“Fine, I’d like to see if she dares,” he said.
“What if she does dare?” Madam Xie asked.
“Then I’ll divorce her,” Marquis Dingxi said without hesitation.
Women could be indulged in everything – being spoiled, willful, or crude didn’t matter – but this jealous fault absolutely could not be tolerated! Never!
Jealous women deserved to die, and it had nothing to do with him!