The Noble Woman's Guide On How to Tease One's Husband

Chapter 108- Punish the heart

An imperial decree arrived at Meng Mansion two days later.

It was Zhuo Jin who went to proclaim the decree and saw all the Meng clansmen who knelt prostrated on the ground in the courtyard revealed looks of shock. He handed the imperial decree to Meng Qi without haste before gathering up his sleeves and returning to his original spot.

"Lord Meng, Nucai[1] will return to the palace."

After all, Meng Qi was someone who has weathered many storms. Without batting an eyelid, he had someone handed a heavy pouch of silver before saying, "Trouble Gonggong[2] to make this trip."

Assuming his usual smile, Zhuo Jin said, "It's nothing, Your Excellency. This is Nucai's duty."

He bowed to Meng Qi after saying that and led a number of the imperial guards to leave. The moment the Meng mansion's gate was closed, the junior clansmen behind him swarmed around in unison, especially Meng Qian who opened his mouth and spoke bluntly.

"Father, why did His Majesty suddenly grant Chen'er a marriage? And it's even to that crappy Zhizi*. Who doesn't know that the relationship between Chu Country and Qiuzi is very tense now? He is obviously harming Chen'er!"

[T/N: 质子 (Zhízǐ) – a prince sent to be held in a neighboring state as a hostage in ancient China]

"Presumptuous!"

Meng Qi shouted, his loud voice shuddered the surrounding people to retreat a few steps back. When he swept his gaze over, everyone immediately understood and rushed out successively that the previous crowded courtyard became deserted at once and left only three of the Meng family members, father and daughter. Meng Qi turned to look at his daughter, who was still kneeling on the ground and unable to accept the facts, with mixed emotions in his heart.

"Go help your sister up."

Meng Gan also realized that he just had a slip of the tongue, hence putting his query aside momentarily, he turned to pull Meng Chen up. Meng Chen stood up wobbly and was still in a trance, and her eyes filled with tears that were about to trickle down.

"Chen'er, go back to your room first and let Father think about how to deal with this marriage."

"Father, is thinking still needed? Allow this Son to go to the palace with you and request His Majesty to retract the decree!"

"You are really muddled!" Flaring up with anger again, Meng Qi raised his voice and angrily rebuked, "How can he retract the decree that he personally made? What we need to do is to find out clearly the ins and outs of it!"

Meng Gan came to realization too after he pointed this out. As the relationship between Jungkook and the Meng family was good, how could he push Meng Chen into this fiery pit? After much pondering, he felt there was only one possibility and that was the pillow talk Lisa had out of anger after hearing about Meng Chen going to enter the palace to be an imperial concubine.

"Father, it must be Ye Lisa's nasty trick. Those are just rumors outside, Chen'er will not enter the palace at all. She is too scheming to play this kind of trick!"

Meng Qi looked profoundly at him and asked pointedly, "When have you ever seen His Majesty swayed by others' opinions?"

The implication was that this was Jungkook's own decision.

Meng Gan was shocked to hear those words that his chest seemed to split a gap with cold air gushing out "Then ... then why did His Majesty do this? He has always treated Chen'er well!"

This was precisely Meng Qi's bafflement too. Frowning with deep thought for a long while, this felt more and more like a punishment. Perhaps he had missed something significant. With this thought in mind, he raised his eyes slightly and his complexion changed abruptly — Meng Chen who was still standing here just now had unexpectedly gone missing!