Meng Jiangming was startled, not expecting Madam Jiang to refuse to see him. "Are you sure you reported to Madam?"
Meng Jiangming still didn't quite believe it. Peony curtsied and said, "Master, this servant has indeed reported. Madam is tired."
Meng Jiangming had no choice but to say, "Alright, I understand."
Seeing Meng Jiangming leave, Peony breathed a sigh of relief. She was really afraid the驸马爷 would barge in.
Returning to her room, she said to Madam Jiang, "Madam, Master has left."
Madam Jiang nodded and said, "Peony, you did very well."
"Madam, but Master will come again tomorrow," said Peony.
Madam Jiang smiled bitterly upon hearing this, thinking, "I'll block him for as long as I can!"
However, Meng Jiangming did not return to his room. Instead, he went to Jiang Xiuyi's courtyard. Jiang Xiuyi's courtyard was not yet tidy, so she was still in her own courtyard. When she saw Meng Jiangming, Jiang Xiuyi was indeed stunned.
In fact, regarding Meng Jiangming, this cousin who was almost her childhood sweetheart, Jiang Xiuyi had invested the most emotion. She did not blame anyone for reaching this point, but no one else could blame her either.
"Cousin," Meng Jiangming said coldly, standing there.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiuyi put down what she was holding. A maid beside her asked in a low voice, "Your servant will report to the Duke of Ning."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jiangming sneered, "Jiang Xiuyi, you are truly capable, to have managed to climb onto Duke Ning."
Jiang Xiuyi's expression remained unchanged, just like before. "Meng Jiangming, when you say that, ask yourself, if I truly wanted to climb onto Duke Ning, would I have waited until now?"
Meng Jiangming sneered, "How would I know that? Perhaps you are just that kind of person."
"Meng Jiangming, anyone can say that about me. Only you cannot. Did you not abandon me after a casual affair?" Jiang Xiuyi asked coldly, word by word.
Meng Jiangming chuckled coldly, as if finding it the most amusing thing. "I abandoned you after a casual affair? Jiang Xiuyi, you really know how to speak. If I had abandoned you after a casual affair, could you have stayed in the Duke of Ning's mansion for so long?"
"So, does that mean I should be eternally grateful to you?"
"No need. Jiang Xiuyi, I will show you a clear path."
"What path?" Jiang Xiuyi asked.
Meng Jiangming took out several banknotes from his sleeve and said, "Here are ten thousand taels in banknotes, enough for you to live. As long as you leave the Duke of Ning's mansion, I will also purchase fields and houses for you."
Jiang Xiuyi laughed loudly upon hearing this, and tears even flowed at the end of her laughter. Finally, she stopped and looked at Meng Jiangming coldly, "Meng Jiangming, do you think I ever cared about these things?"
"Then what do you want?" Meng Jiangming asked.
His expression showed impatience.
"If I were to become Duke Ning's concubine, wouldn't I have wealth and honor? Why would I need to take ten thousand taels and live in constant fear?" Jiang Xiuyi asked, looking at Meng Jiangming with amusement.
"Jiang Xiuyi, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit," Meng Jiangming said angrily.
"I just like refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Meng Jiangming, what can you do to me?" Jiang Xiuyi said coldly, looking at Meng Jiangming.
Meng Jiangming trembled with anger and roared, "Bitch."
Jiang Xiuyi sneered, "Bitch? When it comes to bitches, I can't compare to..."
"Jiang Ming, what are you doing?" a voice called out. Meng Jiangming turned around to look at the newcomer and said, "You are finally willing to see me?"
Madam Jiang stepped forward and grabbed Meng Jiangming's arm, saying, "If you have anything to say, let's discuss it back inside."
Meng Jiangming pushed Madam Jiang away and said, "Why do we need to discuss it back inside? Here, I want to get to the bottom of this."
Jiang Xiuyi said, "Very well, I also want to understand what exactly is going on."
Madam Jiang trembled all over and said, "Jiang Ming, come back with me. Mother will tell you whatever you want to know."
Jiang Xiuyi said, "Madam, why the hurry? Is there really some unspeakable secret?"
"Xiuyi," Madam Jiang looked up at Jiang Xiuyi.
Jiang Xiuyi smacked her lips and said, "Is it alright if I shut up? But does Master want to go back?"
"Jiang Ming, come back with me," said Madam Jiang.
Meng Jiangming slowly broke free from Madam Jiang's hand and looked at Jiang Xiuyi, "You tell me."
Jiang Xiuyi said, "Are you sure you want to know?"
Meng Jiangming said, "Yes." He didn't want to be in the dark about everything.
"Jiang Ming," Madam Jiang's face turned much paler.
"If you won't tell me, I'll have to let others tell me," Meng Jiangming said.
"Jiang Ming, I'll tell you when we get back," Madam Jiang said, word by word.
"I want to know who is telling the truth between you and Jiang Xiuyi, and who is lying," Meng Jiangming said.
Madam Jiang trembled all over and looked at Meng Jiangming in disbelief, "Jiang Ming, don't you even trust your mother?"
"I only trust the truth," Meng Jiangming said.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiuyi laughed heartily, "Aunt, look at you, you have this day too. Did you ever think of this day when you did those things? I think probably not, otherwise, do you regret doing those things back then?"
"Shut up," Madam Jiang said coldly to Jiang Xiuyi, as if she wanted to devour her to vent her anger.
"What exactly happened?" a voice called out. Madam Jiang trembled all over.
Duke Ning looked at Meng Jiangming, his face somewhat solemn. "You... know everything?"
Meng Jiangming nodded. "Yes."
It was the first time Duke Ning felt a sense of guilt towards his son when facing him. After all, Jiang Xiuyi should have been his son's concubine, but he had taken her for himself.
However, it was fortunate that Meng Jiangming had been reluctant to take Jiang Xiuyi as his wife, otherwise, the father and son fighting over a concubine would have been too undignified.
Fortunately, Jiang Xiuyi was now alone, and the Jiang family no longer existed. He had already planned to change Jiang Xiuyi's name directly, so no one would remember that Jiang Xiuyi had once belonged to Meng Jiangming.
"Jiang Ming, this matter cannot be explained clearly in a short time, but there is one thing you must be sure of: I intend to take Xiuyi as my concubine."