Chapter 606: Sadness
Mu Yangling looked at Madam Xia in shock and couldn’t help but feel sad for Fan Zijin. She suddenly understood why Fan Zijin was so evil but was so devoted to Qi Haoran. Anyone who had been soaking in cold water and suddenly came into contact with a source of warmth would definitely not give it up.
She suppressed the dampness in her eyes, but she could not suppress the sobs in her throat. Mu Yangling questioned in a slightly hoarse and sobbing voice, “Aunt, don’t you feel guilty for treating Cousin like this? Do you have to force him to be biased towards the eldest son of a concubine and let his relationship with his legitimate son deteriorate? You’re his mother!”
Madam Xia’s expression changed slightly. She looked at Mu Yangling with a dark expression and said meaningfully, “Madam Mu, I hope you can remember that you’re Haoran’s wife now, and Zijin and Haoran have a deep brotherly relationship. You should know your limits.”
Mu Yangling widened her eyes. Was Madam Xia suspecting that she was having an affair with Fan Zijin?
Mu Yangling almost couldn’t help but curse. Would Fan Zijin fancy her? No, would she fancy someone like Fan Zijin?
Forget it, this was not the main point. The main point was, how did Madam Xia come to such a conclusion?
Mu Yangling’s expression also darkened as she asked, “Aunt, I’ve always remembered that I’m Haoran’s wife. However, I’m not afraid to say that I, Haoran, and Cousin Zijin can be considered to have grown up together. Although Cousin Zijin has many shortcomings, he’s sincere to Haoran and the few of us. Haoran and I have always respected him as a big brother. Now, not to mention our friendship, even ordinary people will feel sad for him when they hear this. I don’t know how you came up with such a guess. In any case, I, Mu Yangling, have a clear conscience.”
Seeing Madam Xia sitting there stiffly, Mu Yangling felt a little frustrated. Madam Xia was clearly Fan Zijin’s mother and seemed to love him very much. She couldn’t understand why she was on Fan Siwen’s side and not her son’s.
If there was disharmony in Fan Siwen’s family, other than being beneficial to the children of concubines, what benefits could it bring them?
Mu Yangling glanced at the pretty servant girl with a cold gaze. If the young lass hadn’t stepped forward just now, Madam Xia would have agreed.
The girl trembled, lowered her head, and took two steps back. Mu Yangling turned to look at Madam Xia and said, “Since Aunt can’t make the decision on this matter, let me see Uncle.” Mu Yangling sneered. “It’s still early and there’s no court meeting today. Uncle won’t go out so early, right?”
Madam Xia’s face turned from pale to green. She looked at Mu Yangling deeply and said, “Your uncle is sick and shouldn’t be meeting guests. But since you’re considered family, it’s good to pay your respects to him.” Madam Xia looked at the pretty servant girl and said, “Qingmei, bring the Princess Consort over.”
Qing Mei opened her mouth and led the way under Mu Yangling’s cold gaze.
Mu Yangling snorted and said, “If your leg hurts, I can get someone to carry you away.” As she spoke, she bent the corner of the table and broke a piece of wood off. Not only the servant girl, but even Madam Xia widened her eyes.
Not daring to be negligent anymore, Qing Mei hurriedly took two steps forward. Mu Yangling bowed to Madam Xia insincerely. “Aunt, you can continue to sit while I go see Uncle first.”
After they left, Nanny Zhu heaved a sigh of relief and whispered, “Madam, this is against the rules. How can a niece-in-law pay her respects to the uncle?”
Madam Xia rubbed her forehead and said tiredly, “Our household doesn’t conform to the rules in so many ways anyway. This isn’t a big deal.”
Nanny Zhu sighed and went forward to massage her temples. “Since you also wish to let Second Madam go to Second Master, why do you have to stop her? Why don’t you let Second Madam leave? This way, your mother-and-son relationship with Second Master can be preserved and the tension between you two can be eased.”
“Even if I don’t let his wife go to him, surely he won’t abandon me, his mother?” Madam Xia questioned resentfully.
Nanny Zhu choked. Knowing the young master’s personality, he might very well just do so. As a bystander, Nanny Zhu saw things clearly. Second Master had returned to the capital for nearly three years, but he had barely interacted with Madam Xia. When the mother and son met, they would always quarrel over trivial things. Although there were heartwarming moments here and there, they would always be ruined shortly after because of Old Master.
In Nanny Zhu’s opinion, a person like Fan Siwen was really not worth entrusting to. Second Master was successful now and was already a Duke at such a young age. Including General Yuan, who had just been conferred the title, there were only three Dukes in the entire Great Qi. As his mother, Madam Xia certainly didn’t have to worry about the quality of her life.
However, she also knew that Madam Xia’s obsession was rooted from the love from her days of youth. After so many years, not only had Madam Xia’s love not been worn down, but it had also metamorphosed.
As soon as Madam Xia said that, she felt aggrieved and tears fell from her eyes. “Every time the father and son fight, I’m the one who’s caught in the middle. I always stood on his side. What’s wrong with leaving Little Madam Xia behind to be filial to me this time? He’s going to be away in Qiannan for five to six years, leaving me all alone in the residence…”
Nanny Zhu said helplessly, “Didn’t Second Master ask you privately if you wanted to follow him to Qiannan? As long as you’re willing, Old Master can’t stop Second Master.”
Madam Xia was a little confused. “How can I follow him to Qiannan when his father is still around? Besides, the miasma in Qiannan is heavy and there are many poisonous insects. I’m getting on in age…”
Nanny Zhu felt that the sighs of her life had been given to Madam Xia. She looked up and said, “I wonder if the Princess Consort can convince Old Master.”
“It’s difficult,” Madam Xia said calmly. “Old Master rarely changes his mind. I’m afraid she won’t even be able to see him.”
“Then why did you ask Qing Mei to bring her over?”
“We have to let her give it a try before she gives up.” Madam Xia said, “Besides, if she succeeds in Old Master and manages to take Little Madam Xia away, it will naturally be a happy ending. If not, it’s her who fails to do what Zijin entrusted her to do, so his resentment towards us might be lessened.”
In Madam Xia’s eyes, Mu Yangling had always been a little shy and not good at socializing. Hence, she did not think that Mu Yangling would succeed in convincing Fan Siwen considering the odds were so incredibly low.
However, Mu Yangling was not as tame as Madam Xia had assumed. There was anger bottled up inside her the entire time. When she was stopped in Pine Garden, she simply kicked the butler away.
This action shocked everyone. Mu Yangling took a deep breath and felt that she had lost control just now. However, it was obviously too late to smile now. Hence, she simply looked at the butler who had been kicked to the ground with a cold expression and said, “Are you going in to report my arrival, or do I kick down the door and enter by myself?”
The butler’s expression changed again and again, before he got up from the ground and hurriedly ran into the courtyard to report.
Fan Siwen was practicing calligraphy when he heard the noise outside. Clearly displeased, he said, “Didn’t I order you to stop her? Why is there a commotion at the entrance of the courtyard?”
The butler held his chest and said, “Master, Princess Consort Rong kicked me away. She said that if you don’t go out to see her, she will kick the door in.”
The butler hesitated and said, “Princess Consort Rong is probably just making empty threats. Should I get a few burly maidservants to send her away?”
“Princess Consort Rong?” Fan Siwen gripped the pen in his hand tightly. “Hasn’t the residence always called her Young Madam?”
The butler lowered his head and said, “The Princess Consort called herself that just now.”
Was she planning to use her power to suppress him?
Fan Siwen thought for a moment before waving his hand and relenting. “Invite her in.”
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