"Madam Jiang, it is your pampering that has made him so unruly. If this continues, the Ning Guogong Manor will not last much longer," Meng Lian said coldly.
Madam Jiang sneered, her gaze filled with mockery, her tone laced with disdain. "Meng Lian, don't think I don't know what you and the Noble Consort are plotting."
Meng Lian froze. He looked at Madam Jiang, whose face was etched with scorn. For the first time, he realized he might not truly know the woman by his side.
Meng Jiang Ming listened, feeling a bit confused. He looked at Madam Jiang and asked, "Mother, what does this have to do with Auntie?"
Madam Jiang looked at Meng Jiang Ming, contemplating whether to tell him. At that moment, Meng Lian spoke, "Madam Jiang, have you considered the consequences of what you are about to say?"
Madam Jiang trembled all over. She looked at Meng Jiang Ming, knowing him better than anyone. Ming'er was an impulsive and easily angered person. If he found out that his marriage was orchestrated by Noble Consort An, then...
"Mother, do you know something?" Meng Jiang Ming had also picked up on something amiss.
"Ming'er, you misheard." Madam Jiang fell silent, not only because of Meng Lian's warning but also because she recalled Noble Consort An's threat. If that monstrous eldest prince became the Crown Prince, what future would the Ning Guogong Manor have? That monstrous child wasn't even of Meng blood! What was Noble Consort An planning?
"Mother..."
Before Meng Jiang Ming could finish, Meng Lian interrupted, "A loving mother spoils her child. Madam Jiang, you will resolve this yourself. But don't blame me for not warning you; a single misstep, and the Ning Guogong Manor's fate rests on your words."
With that, Meng Lian flicked his sleeves and left.
Madam Jiang trembled, fully understanding Meng Lian's words.
But Meng Jiang Ming did not. He looked at Madam Jiang, who had slumped to the ground. He stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and asked, "Mother, what exactly is going on?"
Madam Jiang looked up at Meng Jiang Ming, then lowered her head. "Ming'er, you must not be reckless anymore. Since you have agreed to marry Princess Xing Yue, you will stay home during this period. Only when Princess Xing Yue has entered the Ning Guogong Manor are you permitted to leave."
Meng Jiang Ming was stunned. He quickly asked, "Mother, what do you mean by that?"
Madam Jiang pushed Meng Jiang Ming's hand away. "Guards, take the heir back to Jiang Xi Xuan. Without my permission, the heir is not allowed to step foot outside Jiang Xi Xuan. Those who disobey will be expelled from the manor."
Meng Jiang Ming was shocked. "Mother..."
Madam Jiang didn't even glance at Meng Jiang Ming, waving her hand. "Take him away."
"Mother, you can't do this, you can't..."
Madam Jiang's back was to Meng Jiang Ming. Only when his voice could no longer be heard did she slowly turn around, tears streaking her face.
Ming'er, I'm sorry, but I cannot gamble the future of the Ning Guogong Manor for you.
"Heir, you cannot go out." As Meng Jiang Ming opened the door, he saw two servants blocking the entrance.
"Impudent! I am leaving, and it is none of your business!" Meng Jiang Ming took a step forward. He didn't expect the two servants to thrust a knife into his hand.
Meng Jiang Ming froze. He looked at the knife in his hand, about to ask why, when he looked up to see the two servants kneeling before him.
"You... what is this..."
The two were weeping profusely. One, who was thinner, cried, "Heir, please take pity on us. Madam said that if we let you out, we would be expelled from the manor. My wife is already pregnant. If I am expelled, I will have to face starvation. I don't mind for myself, but what about my wife and the child in her belly?"
Meng Jiang Ming was about to say, "What does this have to do with me?" when another person also cried, "Heir, my old mother is bedridden. Without the Ning Guogong Manor's money, I might as well die. Since my mother cannot live, I don't want to live either."
"Yes, if the Heir insists on going out, then kill us!" the two cried in unison.
Meng Jiang Ming was furious. "You are threatening me!"
"We dare not, but without the manor, there is no way to live. Rather than no way to live, it would be better for the Heir to kill us!" The thinner servant exposed his neck towards the knife in Meng Jiang Ming's hand.
Meng Jiang Ming held the knife angrily. "Don't think I won't kill you."
The two servants showed a look of determination to die. "Heir, please strike us!"
Meng Jiang Ming looked at the servants kneeling before him, kicked each of them, and cursed, "You only know how to threaten me."
Saying that, he threw the knife on the ground and slammed the door shut, entering the room.
The two servants exchanged a look and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the heir wasn't serious about killing them.
Meng Jiang Ming paced back and forth in his room. He thought his mother was just scaring him, but he never expected her to be serious. This time was different from before.
Just as Meng Jiang Ming was about to despair, a voice came from outside the door, "Open the door, I want to see the Heir."
Meng Jiang Ming's entire being lit up upon hearing the voice.
The door was opened, and he saw a handsome man in embroidered robes at the doorway. Meng Jiang Ming's face was filled with joy. "Wu Ran, you've finally arrived."
Ji Wu Ran looked at Meng Jiang Ming and opened his fan. His handsome face was graced with a foxy smile, full of smugness. "Meng Jiang Ming, you've fallen to this day?"
Meng Jiang Ming ignored Ji Wu Ran's taunt and pulled him into the room, whispering, "Wu Ran, quickly help me get out. I'm going to suffocate if I stay here."
Ji Wu Ran's foxy eyes narrowed slightly. "Young Master Meng, it's not that I don't want to let you out, but as you can see, there are people at the door."
Meng Jiang Ming said dismissively, "Wu Ran, you're just trying to fool them, don't try to fool me. I know this is a piece of cake for you."
"Young Master Meng, even so, I don't wish to offend the Ning Guogong Manor."
"Ji Wu Ran..." Meng Jiang Ming, angry, called him by his full name.
Ji Wu Ran looked at Meng Jiang Ming, his foxy eyes now exceptionally deep and alluring. Accustomed to Ji Wu Ran's unrestrained nature, seeing him like this, Meng Jiang Ming instinctively took a step back. "Wu Ran, you..."
Ji Wu Ran withdrew his gaze. His deep foxy eyes returned to their usual unrestrained state, as if what had just happened was his imagination.
"Let's go, Zhao Yan Luo is also waiting," Ji Wu Ran said.
Meng Jiang Ming was relieved upon hearing this. "I knew it, Wu Ran. You're not someone who would abandon a friend."
Ji Wu Ran curled his lips, opened the window, and jumped down. Meng Jiang Ming was startled. "Wu Ran, you... you're not going to make me jump out the window, are you?"
Ji Wu Ran stood at a distance, gently fanning himself. "If you don't want to jump, that's fine. Then I'm leaving."
"Sigh... you're too unreliable." Meng Jiang Ming clung to the windowsill and jumped down.
However, he hadn't expected the windowsill to be so high. As he landed, his foot twisted, and he fell to the ground.
"Ouch..." Meng Jiang Ming couldn't help but cry out.