Ch 22: Demanding An Explanation
Mr. Meng stormed into the room, seething with anger.
“Father,” Meng Tingyue said, noticing his unusual expression, her brow furrowed slightly.
Mr. Meng’s gaze fell upon Meng Tingyue’s pale, weak face. Remembering what he had just heard, the anger in his eyes intensified. He clenched the thin whip in his hand and rushed to the bedside.
Qin Mama and Qinglan and Qingdian, quick to notice the disciplinary whip in his hand, their faces changed drastically. They all stood before Meng Tingyue’s bed, blocking the way.
“Master, please talk things over calmly. My young lady just woke up.”
“Master, there must be some misunderstanding. My young lady is innocent.”
Mr. Meng looked at Qin Mama and the others with a grim expression. “Misunderstanding? This wicked daughter humiliated her younger sister, attempting to ruin her reputation. She didn’t come home last night, and rumors have spread throughout all of Jingdu. You wicked girl, you’re trying to ruin the Meng Family!”
“Get out of my way.”
Mr. Meng swung the disciplinary whip, hitting Qin Mama and the others. Qin Mama winced in pain but didn’t retreat.
Meng Tingyue was shielded behind them, only hearing Mr. Meng’s roar and the sound of the whip falling.
She was instantly filled with anger.
“Qin Mama, Qinglan, Qingdian, get out of my way.”
She tried to push them aside, but to no avail. The three of them stood as firm as iron posts in front of her bed, immovable.
The sound of whipping reached her ears again, each strike feeling like a blow to her heart, causing her immense pain.
“I’ll say it one last time, get out of the way! If you don’t, I’ll bang my head against the headboard and die!”
Qin Mama, Qinglan, and Qingdian’s hearts trembled. Filled with resentment, they reluctantly made way, allowing Meng Tingyue to face Mr. Meng. If Mr. Meng wanted to whip someone, it would only be them, not harming Miss in the slightest.
Meng Tingyue’s cold gaze met Mr. Meng’s, causing him to inexplicably feel a chill down his spine.
“Everything should be based on facts and evidence. I wonder what evidence Mr. Meng has to bring these accusations?” Meng Tingyue thought of the whiplashes that fell upon Qin Mama and the others, a burning anger threatening to consume her reason.
Mr. Meng snapped back to reality, ignoring the unease in his heart. “Evidence? So many noble ladies from prominent families saw it clearly at the Fifth Prince’s banquet today. If you hadn’t tampered with Jiaojiao’s clothes, would she have been humiliated in front of everyone?”
“Not only did you ruin Jiaojiao’s reputation, but you also angered the Fifth Prince, causing him to fall ill. Then, you went out with the Crown Prince and didn’t return home last night, leading to rumors spreading throughout Jingdu. This shameful behavior of yours is meant to destroy the Meng family!”
Mr. Meng was furious and wanted to whip her again.
Seeing his raised hand, Meng Tingyue said coldly, “If you dare to lay a hand on Qin Mama and the others, if I become the Crown Princess, the Meng family will never receive the Crown Prince’s support.”
As soon as she said this, Mr. Meng’s hand holding the whip froze mid-air, his face alternating between pale and green.
His expression was sinister. “Oh, you’ve learned to threaten me now, haven’t you? I’m your father.”
“I’ve never seen a father who, when his own daughter is ill, doesn’t offer a word of concern but instead comes storming in with a disciplinary whip to bring accusations.”
“A father who doesn’t listen to his daughter’s explanation but believes his adopted daughter’s words instead and scolds his own daughter—I’ve never seen such a father.”
Mr. Meng said, “If you treated Jiaojiao as your own sister, you wouldn’t say these things. It was clearly you who plotted to humiliate Jiaojiao in public.”
From the moment he had picked up the disciplinary whip without a word and intended to hit her, Meng Tingyue had completely lost faith in her father.
She looked at Mr. Meng with sarcasm. “Did I beg Meng Qingjiao to come to me and ask for clothes? Did I have the foresight to know she was going to see the Fifth Prince yesterday and tamper with her clothes?”
“If I had the ability to predict the future, I wouldn’t have left. I should have stayed with my mother, so that she could live a long life. Then Jiang Qingrou and her daughter wouldn’t have come into our home, and I wouldn’t have this unrelated sister.”
Mr. Meng was beyond angry. He instinctively raised his hand to strike, but Meng Tingyue got out of bed and stood in front of Qin Mama.
“Regardless, I am the Crown Princess appointed by His Majesty himself. If the Crown Princess were to die inexplicably at home, tell me, what would His Majesty’s reaction be?”
Meng Tingyue tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a dazzling smile, her eyes narrowed, the corners of her eyes lifted, like a sly little fox, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
After she spoke, Mr. Meng couldn’t bring himself to strike with the whip. Finally, he slammed the whip on the ground and stormed out.
After he left, Meng Tingyue felt as if all her strength had left her and she slumped back. Qin Mama quickly helped her back onto the bed.
Qin Mama tucked her in, her cloudy eyes glistening with tears. “We are just servants, young lady. You don’t need to protect us like this. We should be protecting you.”
Meng Tingyue rubbed her aching chest, her smile light and sincere. “In Jingdu, you three are my only family. If I don’t protect you, who will?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Mama’s tears flowed uncontrollably, a mixture of heartache, helplessness, and deep guilt.
She turned her face to wipe away her tears. “We will always be with you, young lady, until you no longer need us.”
Qinglan and Qingdian nodded in agreement, echoing Qin Mama’s words.
Meng Tingyue felt a warmth in her heart. “Having you is enough.”
“Young lady, do you want to sleep a little longer?”
Meng Tingyue shook her head, her gaze falling on the disciplinary whip on the floor. “Take that whip and burn it. It’s annoying to look at.”
“Yes.”
……
Meng Qingjiao kept twisting her handkerchief and looking outside.
“Mother, why hasn’t Father come back yet?”
Madam Meng shook her head, also feeling puzzled.
“Do you think Father might have beaten Meng Tingyue to death in a fit of rage?” Meng Qingjiao’s eyes gleamed with schadenfreude.
“I think she should be killed directly. She made me lose so much face, and I don’t know how I’ll ever get along in the circles of noble ladies.”
“It’s good that the Fifth Prince is alright. If something had happened to the Fifth Prince, Meng Tingyue would deserve to die a hundred times over.”
Madam Meng furrowed her brows slightly. “Do you really like that sickly Fifth Prince? He looks like he won’t live long, and he’s a powerless prince. How can he compare to the Crown Prince?”
Meng Qingjiao pouted. “What about the Crown Prince? Throughout history, few have managed to securely hold the position of Crown Prince. Moreover, he often leads troops into battle. What if something happens on the battlefield?”
Madam Meng didn’t know what had gotten into her daughter. She was obsessed with the Fifth Prince, constantly belittling the Crown Prince.
“The Fifth Prince was diagnosed by the Imperial Physician as unlikely to live past a few years.”
“So what? There are so many great doctors in the world. Maybe the Fifth Prince’s illness has already been cured. Now he’s just conserving his energy, waiting for an opportunity.” Meng Qingjiao didn’t care.
Madam Meng: “But did the Fifth Prince say anything to you?”
