"Pull her away, pull her away!" Duke Ning was truly enraged.
"Aunt, please grant my cousin and me our wish!" Jiang Xiuyi kowtowed to Madam Jiang again. Madam Jiang turned her head away, refusing to speak.
Jiang Xiuyi was stunned, not expecting such a turn of events. As the servants moved to apprehend her, she fled behind Meng Jiangming and cried, "Cousin, save me."
Meng Jiangming looked at Jiang Xiuyi's piteous gaze, her eyes filled solely with him. He knelt on the ground and stated resolutely, "Father, these actions are all my fault, and have nothing to do with anyone else."
"You..." Duke Ning was so angered he almost couldn't breathe.
Suddenly, Meng Jiangming noticed a pair of red boots in his line of sight, embroidered with a golden-threaded totem. Only one person wore such shoes. He trembled all over and looked up, meeting a pair of cold, aloof eyes, frigid as the frost and snow of midwinter.
An inexplicable chill slowly rose from the depths of his heart, quickly spreading throughout his entire body, as if threatening to freeze him solid.
And those eyes showed no sign of thawing; all around seemed to have condensed into frost and snow.
"Meng Jiangming, do you know what day it is today?" a clear, cold voice inquired, devoid of any warmth.
Meng Jiangming stiffened, unsure why Princess Xingyue would ask such a question, but he nodded, "I know. It is the day of my wedding with the Princess."
"So you do know. I thought you didn't. And so, on our wedding day, you are absent, instead indulging in debauchery with another. Meng Jiangming, do you believe I will not punish you, or that I am understanding and will not bother with these matters? Or do you believe that because of what you proposed to me in the past, I should let you act as you please?" Xue Xingyue said coldly.
Meng Jiangming shook his head, "Your Highness, I absolutely did not mean anything of the sort."
"You didn't? Then tell me, why are you doing this now?" Xue Xingyue looked at Meng Jiangming, her aloof gaze as cold as frost.
Meng Jiangming trembled inexplicably and quickly replied, "Your Highness, it was truly an unintentional act. I did not know this would happen."
"You didn't know?" Xue Xingyue laughed, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.
For some reason, Jiang Xiuyi, standing beside him, felt an unprecedented chill. She subconsciously tugged at Meng Jiangming's sleeve.
Only then did Meng Jiangming remember Jiang Xiuyi's presence.
He bowed his head to Xue Xingyue and said, "Your Highness, regarding what I discussed with you previously, does it still hold true?"
Duke Ning was taken aback, and everyone present was astonished. "You scoundrel, even now, what right do you have to negotiate with Her Highness the Princess?"
Before Duke Ning could say more, Madam Jiang tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "My Lord, look at what Jiangming intends to say?"
Duke Ning glanced coldly at Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang bit her lower lip and said, "My Lord, you must think carefully. We only have Jiangming as our child. Can you truly bear to see him condemned?"
Duke Ning trembled all over. After a moment of silence, he stopped speaking.
Xue Xingyue took in everyone's expressions before turning her gaze back to Meng Jiangming. She curved her lips slightly and said, "Of course, when I say something, I never go back on my word. However, it seems the Prince Consort is never one to keep his word. What do you say?"
Meng Jiangming froze, feeling a surge of shame.
"So, what is it that you wish to say, Prince Consort?" Xue Xingyue looked down at Meng Jiangming from her high position.
Her icy gaze fell upon Meng Jiangming, who shivered, "Previously, I told Your Highness that even on our wedding day, I would take my cousin as a concubine, and you agreed."
"Yes, I agreed," Xue Xingyue admitted without denial.
Meng Jiangming breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that Princess Xingyue acknowledged it. "Therefore, today I wish to take my cousin as a concubine."
Madam Jiang's eyes flickered at this. She looked at Meng Jiangming and asked, "Jiangming, did you truly say this to Princess Xingyue?"
Meng Jiangming nodded, "Yes."
Madam Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. If this were true, then the matter between Meng Jiangming and Jiang Xiuyi would not be so difficult to resolve, would it?
Madam Jiang raised her head and looked at Xue Xingyue. The crimson attire was breathtaking, and her fair, beautiful face was as cold as frost. However, for her son, she had to try.
Madam Jiang stepped forward, curtsied, and said, "Since Her Highness the Princess truly agreed to what Jiangming said, then..."
"Madam Jiang, what is it you wish to say?" Xue Xingyue turned her gaze to Madam Jiang, speaking coldly.
Her gaze was so chilling that Madam Jiang was momentarily rendered speechless.
Xue Xingyue walked back to her chair and sat down. She surveyed the room and said, "At that time, I did indeed agree to the Prince Consort's request. However, even so, there is no rule that I and a concubine must enter at the same time, is there? Or is it only the Duke Ning's estate that has this regulation?"
"Your Highness, even commoners do not have such a rule, let alone the Duke Ning's estate, a place of nobility and status?" Ji Wuran, who had remained silent, interjected coldly.
Xue Xingyue chuckled upon hearing this, "I see. So, Duke Ning, only your estate has this rule? Who established this rule? Was it you, Duke Ning?"
Her voice was as cold as ice, chilling to the bone.
Duke Ning quickly knelt on the ground and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. The Duke Ning's estate does not have this rule. These are the words of my wicked son to exonerate himself. I beg Your Highness to clarify."
"Is that so? But did Duke Ning not just agree with what the Prince Consort said earlier? Duke Ning did not utter a single word of objection then." Xue Xingyue said, word by word, coldly.
Duke Ning trembled and quickly replied, "Your Highness, please forgive me. It... it is that this minister was too fond of his son and acted out of momentary confusion, committing a grave error. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."
"Duke Ning need not be like this. As I said, since I allowed you to enter the Duke's estate in place of the wedding procession, it signifies that I did not intend to escalate the matter. However, even if I did not wish to escalate it, Duke Ning, you cannot go too far, can you?"
"Your Highness, you speak the truth." Duke Ning secretly wiped the sweat from his brow. He had never realized that this Princess Xingyue was not someone easily dealt with.
"It seems Duke Ning also agrees that what I said is not wrong," Xue Xingyue asked coldly.
Duke Ning nodded. He wanted to say she was wrong, but he dared not.
"Since that is the case, then is it not reasonable for me to decide how to punish them?" Xue Xingyue asked again.
Duke Ning nodded. Madam Jiang was about to speak when Duke Ning stopped her with a look.
"Your Highness, please proceed with your judgment," Duke Ning said, bracing himself.