The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

Qingwuyuan

Chunyan returned from the main kitchen with breakfast and shouted as soon as she entered the courtyard, "Miss, Miss, I heard that the Meng family is coming to the manor today to break off the engagement. Miss, are you ready...?"

Passing the shadowy wall in the courtyard, she was greeted by Granny Yan, whose hair was neatly combed, who stood like a statue under the eaves, holding a ruler in her hand.

Chunyan swallowed the words "go take a look at the front" that were about to come out, her sturdy body trembled, and she whispered, "Good morning, Granny."

Granny Yan glanced at Chunyan, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes. Without uttering a word, she turned and went into the house to look for Hua Sirong.

"Today marks the tenth of the month, young lady, would you like to pay your respects to the Lady of the Marquis?"

Since He Zhizhang's wedding banquet, Hua Sirong has stopped going to Fushou Hall to pay her respects to the old lady. Even if she does go, she only kowtows outside the courtyard.

Hua Sirong looked troubled. "If Chunyan hadn't said what she did, we could have gone to pay our respects in the usual way without any problems."

But if the Meng family really comes to break off the engagement, wouldn't it be suspicious that I, an outsider, would be making a fool of myself by going? This is truly a difficult situation.”

After spending these days, Granny Yan had come to understand Hua Sirong's situation.

If Lady Hou truly loved her niece, she would have sent a maid from her courtyard to inform her that the greetings were unnecessary today, thus avoiding an awkward situation for both sides.

News of the Meng family's visit reached the main kitchen, but no one came to visit Qingwu Courtyard.

Granny Yan was dissatisfied with the Marquis's residence, but her cold face showed no change. "It's alright. Anyway, the young lady is prone to flare-ups of her old ailments in winter. Why don't we wait until the matter of annulment is over before we go to pay our respects to the Marquis's wife?"

"Send a maid to Yimei Garden first and tell her that the young lady caught a chill this morning and coughed a few times."

If the Shen family still had any sense of shame, they wouldn't have blamed Hua Sirong for this.

Hua Sirong agreed with Granny Yan's suggestion, "Then let's send Fufeng to Yimei Garden to inform them."

Granny Yan gave Hua Sirong an approving look, "This old servant will go and tell Fufeng right away."

After watching Granny Yan walk away, Granny Wang whispered to Hua Sirong, "Miss, is there some reason for choosing Fufeng? Then Xiaoya can't assign tasks?"

Hua Sirong chuckled, "I've personally experienced Xiaoya's talent; she is indeed eloquent."

If I weren't her master, I would actually have some affection for her.

But she's prone to using twisted logic, and today is such a significant day as the Meng family's annulment of the engagement. If she speaks recklessly and says something she can't take back, it would be disastrous for me.

Madam Wang was shocked. "Why would Madam Hou send such a girl to our courtyard? What is she thinking?"

Mother originally thought that it was because Granny Yan came to Qingwu Courtyard that the Lady Hou sent two maids over to serve her in order to save face.

I already felt uneasy about Xiaoya's previous accusations against Miss Jin.

But considering that she was a loyal servant of the Marquis's mansion, and that they were both servants, he could understand.

Who would have thought that, upon hearing this now, she would cause the girl even more trouble than that vixen, Fufeng.

Madam Wang felt a wave of fear wash over her. "Luckily, Sister Yan was there to oversee things, otherwise I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to eat or sleep properly all night."

Hua Sirong looked at Wang Mama with a smile, "Mother has her good points, and Granny Yan has her merits. You are both doing this for my own good."

After that, Wang's mother became even more enthusiastic towards Granny Yan, seemingly showing no regard for Granny Yan's wishes.

At Fushou Hall, people from the He and Meng families each occupied one side, and neither side looked too happy.

It was the old lady, the hostess, who spoke first, "Master Meng has come to my Muqing Marquis's residence with such fanfare today, is it to annul the engagement?"

The head of the Meng family did not reply, but Madam Meng spat first, "Old man, putting on an act. Isn't it your Marquis He who keeps coming to my master to break off the engagement?"

"It's an arranged marriage, a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. Lord He has been very enthusiastic about the Second Miss He's marriage, running around doing all the work. Could it be that you, Lord He, are the Second Miss He's biological father?"

"If that's really the case, I'll make sure to spread the word about your Muqing Marquis's mansion on my way back later."

The old lady had heard that the lady of the Meng family was not someone to be trifled with, but she thought that the Meng family was, after all, a scholarly family, and even if the lady of the mansion was a troublemaker, there were limits to how much she could cause trouble.

But seeing it today has truly broadened her horizons.

She was just like a shrew from the marketplace. The old lady was glad that the two families were going to end their marriage alliance.

She was so angry that her hands trembled, and that's when the equally unruly Jin came in handy.

"Pah! Where did this vile woman with the foul mouth come from, daring to slander a nobleman of rank? Do you believe I won't go to the yamen and sue you!"

"If I don't send you to the yamen to be locked up for two days, I'm not a Jin."

Madam Meng was about to say, "Whether you're surnamed Jin or not is none of my business," but the head of the Meng family stopped her in time.

"Madam, Lord He. Although my wife's words are a bit rough, the reasoning is sound."

Today, my family came to break off the engagement, which was not our intention, and both families know this perfectly well.

Since that's the case, we've reached a consensus. Now, let's discuss how to terminate this engagement.

Lord He and the old lady exchanged a glance, and he spoke directly to the point, "The reason our two families are united by marriage is because of that rare book."

But that rare copy was stolen from the inner study, and many people can testify to that on the day of my son's wedding banquet.”

"Master Meng, there's no need to accuse our Marquis's mansion of embezzlement. After all, we still suspect that it was a scheme orchestrated by your Fourth Master Meng to kill two birds with one stone."

"Since we can't even agree on this point, there's really no need for this marriage to continue."

My second daughter at least calls me "uncle," I can't bear to push her into a pit of fire.

Madam Meng couldn't hold back any longer. "Lord He, you should think twice before you speak. What do you mean by 'a pit of fire'?"

You should be grateful that my son, Silang, didn't look down on your second daughter's looks.

"You even call our Meng family a pit of fire? I'd like to see what high branch your precious second daughter can climb up to after leaving my son!"

The head of the Meng family was not concerned with these trivial matters. "The Marquis's family wants to break off the engagement, but our Meng family is in a weaker position and has no choice but to break off the engagement."

In the end, my fourth son will have to bear the responsibility for breaking off our relationship.

My fourth son not only shows no gratitude for the person who saved his fiancée's life, but also blames her for losing her chastity because of it?

Hearing her husband say this, Madam Meng could not bear it any longer and was about to charge forward, but was stopped by the head of the Meng family with a single movement.

He continued, "But the truth cannot be determined solely by the words of the Marquis's family."

The reason for our marriage alliance is something we both know perfectly well. I now have reason to suspect that your Marquis's family intends to break the agreement, and that's why you deliberately set up this scheme.

Their purpose is to break contracts and promises.

"Since that's the case, let's just tear off the mask of civility. I'll go before His Majesty and submit a memorial, recounting everything that happened back then. At worst, my entire Meng family will just be commoners."