Noble Lady

"You, you really scolded her like that?"

After listening to Xue Chenyu's account of her confrontation with Madam Du in the flower hall, Du Jingyuan couldn't control the smile on her face.

She had never felt so good before - even the arrogant Mrs. Du had times when she was left speechless by someone's criticism.

Her face was ashen, and just thinking about Du Jingyuan was enough to make her wake up from her dream with a smile.

If Xue Xiaoyu hadn't said it herself, she would have thought she was hallucinating.

"Yeah, I've been displeased with your mother for a long time. Today I have something important to do and I don't have time to waste with her, so I just want to piss her off."

Xue Chenyu finished speaking in boredom, took a bite of preserved fruit, and asked her again, "Why, do you want justice for her?"

"What justice are you asking for? I can't even thank you enough!" Du Jingyuan held her hand excitedly.

Sister, you are really amazing. You did something that I have always wanted to do but didn’t dare to do.

Finally, she sighed again, "It's a pity that I didn't see her miserable appearance with my own eyes." What a pity, such a scene is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Xue Chenyu was immediately at a loss for words, "Why do I feel like you're gloating over someone else's misfortune?"

"How can this be called gloating? This is called speaking up for justice. My blind mother deserved to be scolded by you."

"It was clearly He Minzhi's fault that you were getting a divorce, but she didn't mention how He Minzhi squandered your dowry, nor did she mention his despicable act of committing adultery with his cousin right under your nose. She only attacked you by saying you were getting a divorce."

"What's wrong with the divorce? She hasn't committed any crime and doesn't eat the Du family's rice and rice, so why should she worry about it?"

Xue Chenyu couldn't help laughing. "She's naturally concerned about your reputation. She's afraid that if you interact with me too much, it will leave a bad impression on your future husband's family. That wouldn't be good."

"And don't you think about it? You were away from home for two months, and no news of this leaked out at all. Except for those close to you, everyone else thought you were sick and recuperating at home for the past two months."

It was because everyone in the general's mansion kept their mouths shut that Chen Mingxuan had not yet discovered that the Miss Du he liked and his fiancée, Miss Du, were the same person.

Du Jingyuan curled her lips subconsciously. "She's not doing this for me. She just wants me to be a perfect commodity so she can sell me for a good price and pave the way for her good son."

She felt uncomfortable when she received these.

If she didn't really like Chen Mingxuan, she would rather die than agree to marry a bastard.

"Okay, let's not talk about those annoying things. Let's talk about something happy."

Mrs. Du has been using Du Jingyuan as a commodity for sale for a long time. Even a blind person can see that she is utilitarian in using her daughter's marriage as a means of exchanging benefits.

But she still has to pretend to be a loving mother who is good to her daughter.

In fact, if she really wanted to do this for Du Jingyuan's own good, she wouldn't have been so determined to force Du Jingyuan to squeeze into the Duke's Mansion.

In terms of status and family ties, Chen Mingxuan has some talent, but in the Duke's Mansion he is a bastard. He is not even eligible for the title of heir, let alone inherit the Duke's Mansion's business.

There are many scholars who are more suitable for the identity of Du Jingyuan, the eldest daughter of the general's mansion, than him. There are many legitimate sons of civil servants in the capital, and those families have a long history of learning.

But Madam Du was very satisfied with Chen Mingxuan, because he was born in the Duke's Mansion. Even if he was born out of wedlock, he was born to the Duke's concubine, and there was also a favored imperial concubine behind him.

Even if Chen Mingxuan is now unwilling to take the initiative to interact with the Duke's Mansion.

However, Xue Chenyu also didn't want A Yuan to be tied down by this matter all the time, and to feel only grievances and resentments when thinking about the marriage.

Besides, A Yuan will eventually get married. Instead of being arranged by Mrs. Du to marry someone she doesn't know and doesn't like, it would be better for her to marry Chen Mingxuan, a talented and promising young man who loves her.

"Is there anything worth being happy about?" Du Jingyuan held her chin with one hand, lacking interest. The gloating spirit she had just had was gone.

"On the day I returned home, I luckily escaped the disaster by relying on Ji Minrou's tricks and was not surrounded and attacked..."

"But ever since I moved into the backyard, Madam Du won't let me go out. She said that since I've learned my lesson after going out, I should be obedient and wait for my marriage from now on."

As she spoke, she began to complain to Xue Chenyu.

Not only her own mother, Mrs. Du, but also her grandmother, aunt, sister-in-law and many others, all lined up to reprimand and warn her.

She said that her marriage with the fifth son of the Duke's Mansion was of vital importance to the General's Mansion and there must not be any mistakes, otherwise if the marriage failed, the General's Mansion would lose all its money.

It was as if she was not a person, but just a commodity in the business transaction between them and the Duke's Mansion. She could not have any thoughts and only needed to be obedient and let herself be manipulated.

Du Jingyuan felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and angrily said, "If I had known that things would be like this when I returned, I might as well have just stayed in Lingnan like Dongyue and the others."

"If you stay in Lingnan, what should you do if the General's Mansion attacks the Marquis' Mansion and asks me for someone?" Xue Chenyu was helpless.

Du Jingyuan: It seems so.

"But it's better than being in jail like this."

"Du Jingyuan, are you stupid?" Xue Chenyu suddenly stood up and looked at her as if she were a fool.

Being called stupid, Miss Du was naturally unhappy. "Xue Xiaoyu, if you dare to scold me again, I will fight you to the death. Let me tell you, my martial arts have improved greatly during this trip to Lingnan. Now I can carry three bags of 20 kilograms of rice."

The tone is exactly the same as Xue Luoluo's.

Xue Chenyu held her forehead with her hand.

"Du Jingyuan, you're really just playing dumb. They all said that your marriage to the Fifth Young Master of the Duke's Mansion is extremely important to the General's Mansion. There can't be any mistakes. Isn't this your biggest bargaining chip?"

chips?

Du Jingyuan's brain, which had become a bit rusty from her martial arts training, spun for a moment, "...You mean, I have the final say on this matter?"

"You will get sick if you stay at home for too long..." Xue Chenyu said slowly.

Du Jingyuan interrupted her, "I'm fine, strong as a bull, how can I be sick? I'm not..." At this point, she realized belatedly, "Yeah, I never like being trapped at home."

"The wedding is coming soon. If you get sick and delay the wedding, how will the General's Mansion cope?"

In this marriage, it was Madam Du who was eager to use her own legitimate daughter to curry favor with the illegitimate son of the Duke's Mansion, and the General's Mansion had no initiative at all.

If the marriage is delayed and the Duke's Mansion holds her accountable, wouldn't Mrs. Du be trembling with fear for her son's future?

If the marriage falls through, the general's mansion will lose all its money and also damage the reputation of the legitimate daughter, and it will be difficult to sell her at a high price in the future.

Du Jingyuan suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment, as if "after climbing high and deep, you thought there was no way out, but when you turn around, you see another village with willows and flowers."

She had indeed been trapped for too long, and it turned out there was this angle.

"Thank you, Xue Xiaoyu, I understand what to do."

"By the way, I came here today specifically for Chen Mingxuan's matter."

"What's wrong with him?" Perhaps because the wedding date is approaching, Du Jingyuan couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.

Xue Chenyu took a sip of tea. "He's been busy handling urgent official business these past few days since returning to Beijing. He even took some time out yesterday to visit Qinglong Temple and inquire with the abbot about becoming a monk."

"Becoming a monk?!" Du Jingyuan jumped up from her chair. "Why are you telling me such an important thing now?"

Having said that, he hurried out.

But Xue Chenyu was still sitting motionless in the chair. "Why rush? Even if he wants to become a monk, he won't be able to fly to Qinglong Temple in a short time."

"Instead of thinking about that, you might as well think about what to say to him when you see him."

These words calmed down the anxious Du Jingyuan.