“Madam, I have come today to ask you for a favor.” Knowing that all the cryptic talk would be useless, Aunt Meng was firm in her stance and simply said, “I grant you permission to break off the engagement with Ting-ge’er, and to seek out other respectable women from good families in the future.”
Lady Dingbei was surprised. She had thought that Aunt Meng might be worried about Fang Ting's marriage, but she did not expect that she could be so straightforward as to say that she wanted to break off the engagement.
Who does she think she is?
Lady Dingbei was both angry and amused. Could she really control her husband's marriage with just a few words? She was only giving her face because of her past obedience and understanding. She was just a concubine, after all. Even if she was a noble concubine, did she think she could be the head of the household?
"Meng, do you know what you're saying?" The faint smile on Lady Dingbei's face had vanished, replaced by cold indifference. "The marriage of Ting'er is a matter for the Marquis and for me to decide. Are you questioning the Marquis's and my decisions?"
Seeing that the words of the Lady of Dingbei were not good, Aunt Meng steeled her heart and knelt down on the ground.
"Madam, I never meant that!" Concubine Meng pleaded bitterly. "I know you love Ting-ge'er just as much as you love Master, but now rumors about Miss An-jiu are spreading all over the capital. How will Ting-ge'er face people in the future?"
Lady Dingbei's face darkened.
"It's just a bunch of rumors. You want to break off the engagement with the Marquis of Nan'an just because of some wild rumors? You're taking things too lightly!" The Lady of the Marquis of Dingbei said coldly. "Breaking off the engagement just because of some trivial rumors? How is the Marquis of Dingbei supposed to maintain its standing in the capital?"
"You only think about Ting-ge'er, but don't forget that Ting-ge'er has the backing of the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion!" A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the Marquis of Dingbei's wife. She looked directly at Aunt Meng and said, "Does the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion's misfortune mean that Ting-ge'er will be alright?"
Today, Aunt Meng had already made up her mind, so no matter what the Lady of Dingbei said, she insisted on breaking off the engagement.
"Outsiders don't know yet, there's still room for maneuver," Aunt Meng pleaded, her eyes red-rimmed, her pleas growing increasingly humble. "This way, the reputation of the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion won't be damaged!"
Lady Dingbei had previously thought she was a smart and sensible woman, but she never expected that she would be so muddle-headed when it came to her own son.
"Madam, please grant my request, for the sake of my respectful service to you for the past twenty years!" Seeing that the Lady of Dingbei Marquis would not budge, Concubine Meng simply kowtowed repeatedly on the ground.
"I only have this one son, and my only wish is for him to succeed." Aunt Meng wept bitterly, utterly heartbroken. "In the past twenty years, I have never made any demands, never asked anything of you, Madam. Please grant my request, only out of consideration for my past obedience!"
Seeing that Consort Meng was making a complete mess of things, Lady Dingbei immediately gave a signal and had her maid find two strong old women to help pull Consort Meng up from the ground.
Her smooth forehead was now covered in bruises.
The more she coerced her, the more displeased the Lady of Dingbei became.
"Please grant my request, Madam! Even if I die, I can die in peace!" Aunt Meng cried out hoarsely, "Please, Madam, have mercy!"
As she spoke, Aunt Meng somehow mustered a bit of strength and broke free from the two old women who were holding her, then rammed her head against a pillar in the corridor.
Lady Dingbei was startled.
Fortunately, a clever maidservant at the door stopped her in time. However, Aunt Meng was too strong. Although she didn't hit the pillar, she knocked the maidservant down the steps, and Aunt Meng herself fell on the corridor. Her palms were scraped, and she was probably injured as well.
Lady Dingbei hurriedly ordered her men to carry the clever little maid away and find someone to treat her. Seeing that Consort Meng was acting so ruthlessly, the two old women, fearing their mistress's wrath, quickly stepped forward from either side and grabbed Consort Meng, rendering her unable to move an inch.
"Meng, how dare you!" The Lady of Dingbei looked at her with venom. "You dare to threaten suicide in my courtyard?" The Lady of Dingbei said sharply, "Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Aunt Meng was no longer the graceful and serene woman she once was. Her clothes were torn, her hair disheveled, and her face contorted with madness, making her look like a lunatic. "Please, Madam, have mercy! Please, Madam, have mercy!"
This commotion had already alerted the others.
However, the women in the backyard were either unmarried young girls or the wife of the Marquis of Dingbei, so it was not appropriate for them to come forward and offer advice.
Eventually, the news reached Fang Ting's ears. Fang Ting rushed over and, seeing Aunt Meng's frantic state, didn't dare to recognize her for a moment.
"Auntie, what's wrong with you?"
When Aunt Meng saw Fang Ting arrive, she grasped at a straw and cried out, "Ting-ge'er, you should quickly beg your mother and ask Madam to cancel this marriage for you!"
Fang Ting's heart sank.
It seems the rumors reached his aunt's ears, which is why she insisted on breaking off the engagement. He knew how much effort his aunt had put into him, but... the filial Fang Ting couldn't agree immediately.
His thoughts were not only about the reputation of the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion, but also about the little girl he had only met once.
In the garden of the Marquis of Qingxiang's mansion, her radiant smile as she turned her head was deeply imprinted in his heart. Although he had only spoken one sentence to her, her charming figure lingered in his mind.
He really liked An Ran! Even though rumors were spreading throughout the capital, he didn't think about giving up on the marriage.
"Ting-ge'er, An Jiu will only ruin you!" Seeing that her son was still stubborn, Aunt Meng said shrilly, "You're only temporarily blinded by her beauty, that's why you can't see the truth. If you marry An Jiu, one day you'll regret it!"
Fang Ting wanted to refute, but intimidated by Meng's suicidal attitude, he didn't dare to refute directly.
Lady Dingbei, with her keen insight, immediately grasped the key point. She made a decisive decision without hesitation.
"Meng, I agree." The Lady of Dingbei spoke calmly without a trace of emotion. She curled her lips into a smile, and looked at Meng as if she were looking at a dead person. "This marriage is hereby annulled."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief. As if all her strength had been drained, she collapsed to the ground and finally stopped crying.
Fang Ting did not immediately go to help him up; the words of the Lady of Dingbei Marquis made him stand still.
Want to break off the engagement?
He still wore the knotted cord that An Jiu had made herself. Just moments before, he had been thinking about his future with An Jiu...
"Ting-ge'er, your aunt is doing everything for you, you should understand." Lady Dingbei said these last few words curtly before turning and going into the house. "Have someone return that jade pendant you're wearing."
Fang Ting felt a moment of disorientation and refused to believe it was real.
"Ting-ge'er, Ting-ge'er, did you hear that?" Aunt Meng's voice was full of excitement. "Madam has agreed!"
Fang Ting showed no sign of joy.
He gripped the jade pendant tightly in his hand, its exquisitely carved patterns digging fiercely into his palm. Yet he felt no pain; he refused to let go, as if he could grasp the last connection between himself and An Ran.
Fang Ting composed himself and said to the two old women, "I would like to trouble you two to escort my aunt back."
Ignoring Aunt Meng's calls, Fang Ting strode towards the main room of the Marquis of Dingbei and had a maid announce his arrival.