"Mother..."
Jiang's eyes widened as she looked at Meng Jiangming's open eyes, her own immediately turning red. "My son, my son..."
Seeing Jiang's utter grief and heartbroken state, Meng Jiangming suddenly remembered what Princess Xingyue had told him. If he truly died, would his mother be even more grief-stricken than she was now?
"Mother, I'm sorry, your son is unfilial..." Meng Jiangming said with shame.
Hearing this, Jiang wept even more sorrowfully.
"Mother, don't cry, don't cry." Meng Jiangming said, his voice hoarse, as he reached out to wipe the tears from Jiang's face.
Jiang cried, "If anything happened to you, this mother would not want to live either."
Meng Jiangming stiffened. At that moment, angry shouts came from outside, "If he wants to die, let him. Just don't drag the Ning Guogong Manor down with him."
Meng Jiangming looked up, watching as a majestic figure walked in.
Upon hearing this, Jiang stopped crying and angrily said, "Meng Lian, do you have any conscience? This is your own son, and you're actually hoping he dies?"
Meng Lian responded coldly, "If he wants to seek death, who can he blame?"
Jiang was taken aback and looked at Meng Lian, asking, "What do you mean?"
Meng Lian let out a cold snort and said sternly, "Why don't you ask your good son?"
Jiang knew that although Meng Lian was sometimes strict with Meng Jiangming, he was not someone who spoke carelessly. Could it be that Meng Jiangming had said something extraordinary?
She turned to Meng Jiangming and asked, "My son, what is going on? Have you angered your father again?"
Meng Jiangming's eyes flickered. After a long pause, he looked up at Meng Lian, who was not far away, and said, "Father, I'm sorry. Your son was rash. There won't be a next time."
Meng Lian heard this and said with cold anger, "I really don't know what you're thinking. Princess Xingyue is such a wonderful person, why do you see her as so unworthy?"
Meng Jiangming was stunned and quickly said, "Father, I..."
"Jiangming, I also agree with your father's words. Princess Xingyue is someone I am very pleased with. Why are you so insistent on canceling the marriage? Setting aside whether His Majesty will be angered by the cancellation of the engagement, a person like Princess Xingyue might never be encountered again."
As a proud daughter of heaven, not arrogant nor impatient, she truly liked this Princess Xingyue. She just didn't know why Jiangming had done such a thing.
Meng Jiangming felt a slight pang in his heart. He looked up at Jiang and said, "Mother, do you know, it's not that your son dislikes Princess Xingyue, but that Princess Xingyue has never had your son in her heart."
Jiang looked at Meng Jiangming and sighed, "Jiangming, what your mother is about to say might not please you, but your mother must say it. Otherwise, you truly won't know how unworthy you are."
Unworthy? Meng Jiangming was stunned. This was the first time he had heard the word "unworthy" from his mother's mouth.
Jiang looked at Meng Jiangming's surprised expression. She knew that saying this might strike a blow to Meng Jiangming, but for the sake of the Ning Guogong Manor and for Meng Jiangming, she had to say it.
"Jiangming, when your mother was carrying you, the court was unstable, and your father was by the Emperor's side every day. Therefore, your mother poured all her attention onto you. After you were born, your mother gave you everything she could, which cultivated your prodigal nature.
Ask yourself, even your friend, the young marquis Ji, could not have lived as comfortably as you. Your prodigality and willfulness were all due to your mother's indulgence. This is because your mother believed that the Ning Guogong Manor, at its current standing, would no longer face any turmoil.
Therefore, she allowed you to be a prodigal, leading to your poor reputation. However, your mother did not care, because you were in the Ning Guogong Manor, with an aunt who was a favored concubine and a father who had served the Emperor since his rise to power. Whatever you wanted, you could have.
However, Princess Xingyue is different from you. She went to the border at the age of twelve. It is not easy for a proud daughter of heaven to endure hardship in the military camp. Her current status and achievements are truly earned by her own efforts."
"So, do you really think you are worthy of Princess Xingyue?"
Meng Jiangming lowered his gaze. After a long while, he said, "I have never been worthy of Princess Xingyue."
"Since you know you are not worthy, why do you yearn for Princess Xingyue to have you in her heart? Jiangming, one cannot be too greedy. When you possess everything, you will inevitably lose something," Jiang said.
Meng Jiangming trembled. He looked at Jiang and said, "So, you knew all along."
"Yes, mother saw it from the beginning. Princess Xingyue doesn't truly like you. She merely..." Jiang stopped speaking. She believed that even if she didn't say the rest, Meng Jiangming would understand.
Meng Lian was surprised that Jiang would speak so directly. However, it was good this way. Otherwise, if this brat truly went before the Emperor to cancel the engagement, the Ning Guogong Manor would truly be finished.
"But I already told Princess Xingyue to her face that I wanted to cancel the engagement." At this moment, Meng Jiangming was already filled with regret. He actually always knew that Princess Xingyue didn't like him. Since he knew, why was he using this as an excuse now?
He knew deeply in his heart that he was simply unwilling. Truly unwilling. He wanted to win Princess Xingyue's heart.
"You don't need to worry about this. Princess Xingyue told me before she left that she never had any intention of canceling the engagement, and naturally, she will not cancel it," Meng Lian said.
Jiang heard this and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Meng Jiangming and said, "See? How sensible Princess Xingyue is! Unlike you, your father and I are truly worried sick about you."
"I'm sorry, Mother. I'm sorry... Father."
"You should focus on recovering from your injuries. Do not leave the manor before the wedding," Meng Lian said coldly.
Meng Jiangming replied, "Yes."
Meng Lian left. Jiang said, "You, you are all grown up now, don't be so willful. Think before you act. Now you still have your father and me. Later, when we are gone, you cannot be like this."
"Mother's teachings are right. Your son will keep them in his heart."
"Does it hurt?" Jiang asked with concern, looking at Meng Jiangming's pale face.
Meng Jiangming shook his head. "It doesn't hurt."
"You, you say. You've become honest after a beating. Do you truly not know that a blow to the son is pain to the mother's heart? Do not defy your father anymore. He is doing it for your own good. You don't know, your aunt is under house arrest, which has already made His Majesty quite displeased with the Ning Guogong Manor. We cannot have any more disturbances at this time."
"I know, Mother. I won't." Meng Jiangming said.
Jiang sighed and said, "I wonder how your aunt is doing."
Although she did not get along with Consort An, she had to admit that Consort An had reached her current position entirely through her own means. However, house arrest was truly a first. She wondered how Consort An could have made such a mistake so close to Jiangming's wedding.