Xu Junying did not go to Jinhua Hall, but followed Meimei to the courtyard gate with Heng'er in his arms. Meimei said, "Things have to be resolved. Since you have done it, why don't you dare to face it?"
Xu Junying glanced at Heng'er, then looked at Meimei: "Don't you say he is very sensible? Say everything to his face!"
Meimei also went to see Heng'er. Heng'er was sitting on Xu Junying's arm, with one arm on his shoulder. He said, "Mother, don't be angry with father. Heng'er is obedient!"
Xu Junying's eyes flickered, and a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Meimei glared at him: "Are you proud? You actually taught him to do this!"
"He's my son, so he should be on my side! You're my wife, so you should do the same!"
Xu Junying put Heng'er down, touched his head, and pointed to the moon-shaped door leading to the east courtyard:
"Go find Ma Wei and ask him to take you out to play. Your father will be there soon!"
Heng'er liked to go to the East Courtyard to play. After hearing what Xu Junying said, he happily took a few steps forward with his chubby little legs. Immediately, someone came out from the moon gate and led him in.
Xu Junying and Meimei watched Heng'er enter the East Courtyard, then turned around and continued to walk towards the gate. Xu Junying said to Meimei, "I only admit my fault to you about that matter, and I will never admit it to anyone else! The Queen Mother deliberately punished me and did something behind my back without any evidence. I cannot go to the Queen Mother to argue, but I am not responsible! Let this matter be, let it go. A Yao wants a name, but she will never have it! She can go back to her hometown. If she wants to accompany the old lady, she can accompany her. It has nothing to do with me. As long as she is in Jinhua Hall, I will not go. I said this to the old lady yesterday. I also informed my brothers and sisters that when you go to Jinhua Hall, try to ignore A Yao, and don't confuse me with A Yao! I asked someone to pass on the message to the Queen Mother about what happened in Yiyun Villa. If you insist on making things difficult for me and spread the news, I will also spread the corresponding news!"
Meimei was stunned and said, "You dare to go against the Queen Mother, aren't you afraid that the Emperor will punish you?"
"Are you afraid?"
"Of course I'm afraid! Don't let us, mother and son, get involved!"
Xu Junying smiled bitterly: "Don't say such cruel words, we are a family, I am your and Heng'er's closest relative, if necessary, I will protect you with my life!"
Meimei lowered her eyes: "I'm going, are you really not going?"
"No! I don't want to hit a woman, but I might not be able to control myself. I also don't want to see the old lady and hear what she said!"
Xu Junying looked at her pleadingly: "Meimei, we are husband and wife, you should know what to do and what to say!"
"Okay, go see Heng'er, I'll be back soon!"
"We'll wait for you to come back and have dinner together!"
"No need, don't let Heng'er go hungry, I'll have dinner at Jinhua Hall."
Xu Junying smiled: "Let Heng'er eat first, I'll wait for you! You always just pretend to be in Jinhuatang and don't eat anything..."
Meimei's steps slowed down slightly, thinking of the appreciation and relief in Xu Junying's eyes when he discovered her secret. At that time, he began to care about her, but he still scolded her fiercely.
Bai Zhan was guarding the gate of the courtyard. Xu Junying said, "No matter what method you use, you must keep the young lady safe! Ah Yao doesn't dare to carry a sword, but she has practiced martial arts since she was a child. The young lady is just a show-off. If there is a conflict, she won't be able to handle it!"
Bai Zhan followed the order and took a few people with him, following Meimei, Cuixi and Cuisi from a distance, muttering in his heart: Is the young lady just a show-off? Not necessarily!
Xu Junying was wrong this time. If he kept his word, he would have waited an entire night with an empty stomach in vain. Meimei had a delicious meal in Jinhua Hall. In front of the old lady and Wu Ziyao, she raised her orchid finger, grabbed the chicken feet and drumsticks and chewed them very elegantly and freely. Wu Ziyao probably did this kind of thing at home and didn't think much of it. But the old lady frowned as she watched: This is the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Xu family. How can she be so disregarding of her image and the rules? And in front of the elders! But she didn't care to scold Meimei at this time. Her grandson was so obsessed with Meimei that he didn't even know her last name. In his eyes, she, as a grandmother, couldn't resist a word from Meimei. She was angry in her heart, but now it was useless to make a fuss. The grandson said such a decisive word, and it was expected that it could not be changed. She could only persuade him through Meimei, and promised to reconcile as a condition and never oppose the eldest grandson's wife from now on. If Meimei could take the initiative to accept Ayao for the time being, she could report to the Queen Mother.
When Meimei first heard the old lady's words of seeking peace, she thought it was ridiculous. The dead old woman was so tough that she didn't even cry when she saw the coffin. She was alone, but she respected the queen mother. How could her thousand-year-old witch's brain not turn around? Xu Junying dared to defy the queen mother. Was he not sure and confident? The old lady thought that the palace was the same as the Xu Mansion. Only the old were respected. The emperor always had to obey the queen mother's orders, just like her sons Xu Nanping and Xu Xiping. Little did she know that the royal family was just doing a good job on the surface. The most important thing in the emperor's eyes and heart was the world. He only wanted the stability of the regime, the prosperity of the country, and the throne to sit firmly. He could ignore trivial matters that were insignificant, but if it escalated to affect someone's emotions and mentality, who would he choose to protect! Xu Junying was caught off guard by the queen mother's plan and seemed to be caught, but if he didn't take the challenge, the queen mother would lose.
Meimei didn't say anything either. Seeing the food being served one after another, and soon filling up the two large tables in the flower hall, she suddenly felt hungry, so she sat down to eat first. She sat at one table with the old lady and Wu Ziyao. There was another table empty. Originally, they said that all the grandfathers and grandmothers had been invited, but in the end, no one came except Meimei.
The old lady said regretfully, "They can't come because they all have their own things to do. Some of them didn't come back. The granddaughter-in-law was disturbed by the children. As for the girls, the fourth girl is not feeling well, so the third girl is accompanying her... Never mind. I asked the kitchen to cook so many dishes. Let's eat them together, three of us!"
Xu Junying was the one who did it. The brothers and girls in the Xu family have always been filial. Even when the old lady was chanting Buddha's name behind closed doors, they could still come to the gate of the courtyard to pay their respects. How could they not come even if they were specially invited? Meimei smiled secretly and was too lazy to say it out loud.
What surprised her was A Yao's attitude. Perhaps she realized that she had changed from a girl to a woman. She changed from her previous lively and bright personality to a calm and gentle one. There was no pain or sadness on her face that was caused by being ignored or rejected. Didn't she like Xu Junying? Even though he treated her like this, she could still remain calm. Meimei expressed her admiration.
A-Yao bowed to Mei-Mei and called her naturally, "Sister!"
Meimei glanced at her and said, "I don't deserve it! The Concubine Zhen in the palace is your elder sister, so you can just call me sister-in-law!"
The old lady scolded: "Mei Niang..."
"Madam, I am not Mei Niang. The emperor gave me the name: Mei Mei!"
The old lady snorted, "Qin, don't you remember what I just said to you? You are a lady of rank and should obey the orders of the harem. You'd better obey the Queen Mother's words, otherwise you will have a hard time in the future! Junying got drunk and acted like a fool. It's very accommodating for Ayao to be his concubine. You should accept it for him and choose a date for the wedding. Ayao doesn't ask for anything, just a proper status. You are not in good health, and Ayao is young and strong. If she gives birth to a few sons for Junying in the future, it will only be good for you!"
Meimei looked at the two red clouds rising on Ayao's face. Thinking of her giving birth to Xu Junying's child, she felt jealous for no reason and deliberately said:
"Madam, I can't make the decision. Junying said when I came here just now: If I dare to agree to anything without permission, he will divorce me! But I know he won't. I have Heng'er. The Xu family values offspring, and they will not let a mother suffer for the sake of the child. I think he will only raise me in another courtyard even if he is angry. But I have an idea. If Ayao is pregnant this time, Junying will have to marry her for the sake of his own flesh and blood."
The old lady was startled, looked at A Yao and asked, "Girl, have you had your little day these two days?"
A Yao shyly shook her head: "Grandfather, my little life has only been over for ten days..."
Meimei nodded: "Well, this is the best time to get pregnant. If you are lucky, you may already be pregnant!"
The old lady's eyes flashed with joy, and she looked at Meimei and said, "If Ayao gets pregnant, will you persuade Junying to marry a concubine?"
Meimei nodded: "No need to persuade, if there is really one, can Junying not marry him? Not to mention the Queen Mother, the Emperor will not let him go. But if there is no one, I advise Miss Yao to return home and find another good man to marry. Junying will not change his decision!"
The old lady glared at her: "Nonsense! You're already a virgin, who can you marry?"
Meimei said calmly, "Why not? Look at those maids who have been married to the emperor. They have also lost their virginity. Who can't get married?"
Ah Yao's face flushed: "You! You treat me as a concubine? You are going too far!"
Meimei smiled and said, "Of course I know you are Miss Wu, but this is the Xu residence. If the master doesn't like you, you can't even be a maid who sleeps with you and warms the bed!"
A Yao was so angry that she clenched her fists, tears welled up in her eyes, but the old lady was inspired by what Mei Mei had just said, and automatically ignored Mei Mei's words, patting A Yao's hand gently: "Good child, let's take it slowly, I know my Xu family's children, we won't force him, let him reflect on himself, one day he will figure it out, then it won't be too late to marry. Take good care of him these days, accompany the old ancestor in Jinhua Hall to talk, do some needlework, and say a few comforting words to the empress dowager. If you are pregnant, Junying will not say anything, and will get married immediately. You see how much he loves Heng'er, if you have his child, he will treat you well!"
Looking at A Yao sobbing and aggrieved, Mei Mei curled her lips. There was nothing to pity about. It was just what she deserved!
In such a dynasty, it is common for men to have three wives and four concubines. Are women numb or too motivated to willingly marry men who have wives, and then fight for their love and affection. She doesn't want to live like this. She wants a man who belongs only to her, a couple for life. If he agrees, she will spend her life with him lovingly. If she wants to hug him, then I'm sorry, if you don't leave, I will leave. She can still feel Xu Junying's deep love for her. In the morning, she took a break and walked around. She went to the East Courtyard to find two guards and asked them. She knew that Baoju and others had received military sticks and were dying at home to recover from their injuries. She also learned about what happened in the imperial farm outside the city. Xu Junying was indeed innocent. She chose to believe her husband and decided to work with him to get through this level together and not give others the opportunity to snatch her husband. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)