"Insolence." Madam Jiang said angrily.
Xue Xingyue said lightly, "If I have offended Madam, please forgive me. I did not do it intentionally, I was merely speaking the truth."
"You..." Madam Jiang trembled with rage.
"If Madam has nothing else, I will take my leave!" With that, Xue Xingyue turned to leave.
From behind her came Madam Jiang's enraged laughter, "Do you think you can leave my room today?"
Xue Xingyue paused, then turned back to Madam Jiang and asked, "Madam, what do you mean?"
"What do I mean? Since you cannot do as I wish, then I cannot keep you," Madam Jiang said coldly.
Xue Xingyue's gaze turned a few degrees colder, and her expression followed suit. She said, "Madam, are you not afraid that the驸马爷 (Consort) will have a rift with you if he finds out?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang let out a few cold laughs, "Could he possibly turn against the mother who bore him for a lowly servant?"
However, a mere lowly servant actually dared to instigate a dispute between her and Jiang Ming. Indeed, she could not be kept.
Madam Jiang looked at Xue Xingyue coldly and said, "If you have anything to say, say it quickly. This Madam will kindly fulfill it for you. Of course, it is impossible for me to beg Madam to let you go, because this Madam will not let you go."
While Jiang Ming had not yet become too deeply involved, she had to quickly eliminate this person who could be a potential danger at any moment.
Xue Xingyue glanced at Madam Jiang lightly and said, "Madam, I am but a servant who can stir up no storms. Why the need for such a grand display?"
Madam Jiang let out a few cold laughs upon hearing this, "You are still a servant who can stir up no storms? Your storms could offend the Empress Dowager. If this Madam does not punish you, I fear Ningguo Gong Fu will not know how it perishes in the future."
"Madam truly underestimates me. If I had such capabilities, would I still be here?"
Madam Jiang sneered, "How would this Madam know what you are planning? Since no one has anything to say, I shall send you on your way early."
With that, Madam Jiang gave a look to Zi Luo beside her. Two young servants, who appeared strong and robust, entered from outside.
Madam Jiang pointed at Xue Xingyue and said, "Tie him up."
The two young servants stepped forward to touch Xue Xingyue. Xue Xingyue dodged, skillfully evading them. Madam Jiang was shocked, not expecting this servant to be so agile. Seeing that these two servants were no match, she quickly instructed Zi Luo beside her, "Call for people and block the doorway. No matter what, do not let him leave."
Zi Luo hurried out, about to call for help. Xue Xingyue casually took a copper coin from the two servants, flicked her wrist, and the coin struck Zi Luo's calf.
Zi Luo cried out in pain and instantly knelt on the ground. Madam Jiang, seeing this, said angrily, "Useless, get up and call for help!"
Zi Luo endured the pain and stood up, but after multiple attempts, he could not stand.
Madam Jiang was furious. She stood up and shouted, "Help! Help!"
Xue Xingyue walked to the door, threw the two servants out one by one, closed the door, and sat on a chair, saying, "Madam, even if you shout until your throat is hoarse, no one will come in."
Madam Jiang trembled all over and instinctively took a step back, "You... what do you want to do?"
"Madam refuses to leave me a way out, so I can only return the favor," Xue Xingyue said, looking up at Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang's body stiffened. She saw a pair of eyes as cold as ice.
Like a thousand-year-old block of ice, chilling to the bone. She shivered involuntarily.
"You... you want to kill me? I am the Madam of Ningguo Gong Fu. If you kill me, you will not escape," Madam Jiang asked.
"If I don't kill you, will I escape?" Xue Xingyue asked.
Seeing Madam Jiang remain silent, Xue Xingyue continued, "Since that is the case, why not go all the way and kill Madam? What do you say?"
Madam Jiang sneered, "If you kill me, you won't live either. Have you thought it through?"
"I haven't thought it through," Xue Xingyue replied.
Madam Jiang's lips twitched. "Let me go, and I will let you go."
"I don't believe you," Xue Xingyue said.
Madam Jiang said, "You must believe me now."
Xue Xingyue smiled at this, "Why should I believe you? Knowing that there might be no chance of success, it's better to strike first and then run out. If I can't escape, killing one person won't be a loss for me."
After speaking, Xue Xingyue drew a dagger from her waist. Madam Jiang stiffened, her tone changing, "I swear on the title of Madam of Ningguo Gong Fu that I will not harm you again."
"I'm sorry, I don't trust you," Xue Xingyue said.
Madam Jiang looked at the dagger in Xue Xingyue's hand, and sweat slowly trickled down her face, "I swear to you by the title of Madam of Ningguo Gong Fu that I will not move against you again."
Xue Xingyue then put down the dagger and said, "Alright, deal."
Madam Jiang was stunned.
Xue Xingyue put away the dagger and walked to the door. As she opened it, she threw out a parting sentence, "I hope Madam keeps her promise."
Watching the receding figure, Madam Jiang, furious, smashed everything in the room to pieces.
Xue Xingyue had no intention of harming Madam Jiang. If Madam Jiang had not pushed her too hard, she would not have made Madam Jiang gamble with Ningguo Gong Fu. However, only Ningguo Gong Fu could make Madam Jiang restrain herself.
After all, in Madam Jiang's eyes, the reputation of Ningguo Gong Fu was paramount.
She could understand Madam Jiang's obsession with the reputation of Ningguo Gong Fu. Once the reputation of Ningguo Gong Fu was shattered, Ningguo Gong Fu would cease to exist.
Although Ningguo Gong Fu had the Empress Dowager and the current Emperor behind them, from the conversation between Meng Jiangming and the Empress Dowager today, it could be seen that the Empress Dowager had always wanted to place people in Ningguo Gong Fu. This proved one thing: the Empress Dowager had begun to be wary of Ningguo Gong Fu.
After all, Ningguo Gong Fu was now dominant. Ningguo Gong Fu was the Empress Dowager's maternal family. Such great favor had already caused officials to seek connections with Ningguo Gong Fu. If the Duke of Ningguo knew about the dominance of his maternal relatives, it would be fine. But if he did not, the Empress Dowager might eventually abandon her maternal family.
After all, without Ningguo Gong Fu, the Empress Dowager would still be the Empress Dowager, the mother of the current Emperor.
But Ningguo Gong Fu was different. Without the Empress Dowager, Ningguo Gong Fu would merely be a target for everyone.