Mingxi didn’t really want to see Jin Wangfei, but considering the stir in court today, she had her brought in anyway.
Jin Wangfei entered with a face like thunder. Upon seeing Mingxi seated on a rosewood chair in the flower hall, she grew even angrier.
Mingxi greeted her with a light smile. “What wind has blown Jin Wangfei in today?”
Jin Wangfei glared at Duan Mingxi, finding her smile especially jarring. “Are you feeling proud of yourself now?”
Mingxi raised an eyebrow slightly. “What does Jin Wangfei mean by that? I really don’t understand.”
“Don’t play dumb when you know exactly what I mean. Isn’t this all because I didn’t accompany you to your bridal chamber on the night of your wedding? Is that reason enough for you to take revenge on me like this?”
Mingxi’s expression instantly darkened. She looked at Jin Wangfei and said coldly, “You’ve got some nerve to say that. I took revenge on you? Then by all means, why don’t you tell me exactly how I did so? If you can’t give a clear explanation, don’t expect to just walk away from this today!”
“Hmph! A woman raised in a merchant family—what kind of manners could she possibly have!”
“Yes, I was raised in a merchant family,” Mingxi shot back, “but at least I don’t have a sister who committed adultery before marriage. What a fine example your noble upbringing is!”
“You—!”
“What? Did I say anything that wasn’t true? Please, Jin Wangfei, feel free to correct me!”
“My little sister was deceived by Yu Wang!”
“Oh?” Mingxi let out a cold laugh. “Then your family’s upbringing is truly astonishing. Didn’t you ever teach your daughters self-respect? All it takes is a few sweet words from a man and she gives herself away? That’s what you call nobility? Even I, raised as a merchant’s daughter, know that a proper marriage involves matchmakers, formal betrothal gifts, and an official bridal sedan through the front gates.”
“Duan Mingxi! You may be good at twisting truth into lies, but even your shamelessness has its limits. Inciting Duan Wang to convince Jin Wang to divorce me—such skill!”
Mingxi’s gaze turned sharp. “I twist truth into lies? How dare someone who lies as easily as breathing and acts without shame turn around and fling mud at others? You know exactly what you’ve done, yet you still try to pin your crimes on someone else. Do you think that makes you look innocent?”
“You dare say you’ve done nothing?”
“I have done nothing!” Mingxi sneered. “I didn’t bully my new sister-in-law to assert dominance. I didn’t meddle in others’ marriages to steal someone’s husband. I didn’t cause someone to miscarry and rack up karmic debt. And I certainly didn’t serve as an accomplice to evil, committing every crime under the sun.”
With every accusation Mingxi uttered, Jin Wangfei grew paler, her hand trembling as she pointed at Mingxi.
Mingxi stared at her. “Instead of trying to drag me down as your scapegoat to wash away your own guilt, you’d do better to worry about surviving this crisis. Who knows whether your so-called backers are planning to kick you aside as a scapegoat—or if they’re still willing to reach out and save you.”
“You’re scared too, aren’t you?” Mingxi added, her voice like a blade. “That’s why you’re cornered and lashing out, coming to me trying to stir up trouble and drag me down with you. Should I praise you for being clever, or scold you for being stupid?”
Jin Wangfei hadn’t expected Duan Mingxi to hit the nail on the head. She had, indeed, come to stir the waters, hoping to pull Duan Mingxi into the mess—just to see whether Duan Wang would dare remain so arrogant.
She hadn’t expected Duan Mingxi to be like a shameless rogue, even less that she would be so sharp-tongued and relentless!
Jin Wangfei felt her vision darken. She grabbed the armrest of the chair and barely managed to steady herself.
The maid at her side hurriedly stepped forward to support her, her face full of worry and eyes red, but she didn’t dare show the slightest dissatisfaction in front of Duan Wangfei.
Duan Mingxi looked at Jin Wangfei coldly. “Instead of bringing your bad luck to me, why don’t you think about how to save Xingan Marquis? If I hadn’t discovered things in time back then, my birth mother and Yang Yiniang would have both been dead. Two human lives—do you people even care?”
“Winners are kings and losers are bandits. When you held the upper hand, human lives meant nothing to you. Now that you’ve lost your advantage, suddenly your own lives are precious? What a joke!”
“There’s a god three feet above our heads. Heaven sees what people do. It’s not that there’s no retribution—just that the time hasn’t come yet.”
“You… What are you so smug about? Do you really think you’ll have the last laugh?” Jin Wangfei realized she had come in vain today. Duan Mingxi was far harder to deal with than she had imagined. She couldn’t beat her!
“Does it matter whether I laugh last? As long as I see evil punished, I’m already happy.”
Jin Wangfei didn’t believe a word of it—but whether she believed it or not didn’t matter. Duan Mingxi was right: she would likely fall before Mingxi ever did.
She slumped into the chair and waved for her maid to step back.
The maid hesitated a moment, then bowed and withdrew.
Seeing this, Duan Mingxi frowned slightly. She had expected a tongue-lashing to drive her away—why was she still sitting there?
Qiancao hesitated, wondering whether she should offer tea. She looked to Mingxi.
Mingxi shook her head. Qiancao retreated as well.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to serve Jin Wangfei tea, but if something happened after drinking it here, she didn’t want to bear the blame.
The flower hall fell silent. Only Jin Wangfei’s slightly rapid breathing could be heard.
Mingxi didn’t speak, just sat and waited.
Jin Wangfei stared into empty space, deep in thought. The handkerchief in her hands was tightly twisted. After a long while, she finally spoke.
“Do you really think Side Consort Qian is a good person?”
Mingxi looked at her. “What does whether or not Side Consort Qian is good have to do with me?”
Jin Wangfei froze. “Weren’t you just now speaking in her defense?”
“Oh, that? I was simply telling the truth, not speaking on anyone’s behalf.”
Jin Wangfei was nearly driven into a heart attack. “Duan Mingxi, how can someone like you exist? Does Duan Wang know? Does he know what kind of creature he married?”
“Of course he knows. I’ve always been this way. I’ve never pretended to be virtuous in front of him.”
Jin Wangfei: …
Duan Mingxi looked at her and said, “If you have nothing else, you should go. If something were to happen while you’re here, I can’t take the blame.”
That sentence actually calmed Jin Wangfei. Her dark eyes locked onto Mingxi. “Do you think one Qiao Wan is enough to bring down the Crown Prince? You’re being too naive.”
“You’re wrong. We never intended to bring down His Highness the Crown Prince. We just wanted the wicked to pay for their crimes. Whoever harmed my family—I merely wanted justice.”
Even now, Duan Mingxi didn’t say a word against the Eastern Palace. So careful, so measured—even provoking her didn’t work. Jin Wangfei knew she was no match.
“My Father… probably can’t be saved.”
“Evil begets evil. It’s satisfying to see justice served. If that offends your ears, pretend you didn’t hear it.”
Jin Wangfei let out a bitter laugh. “You mock me now, but do you know? One day your Marquis Household might be worse off than mine.”
“Perhaps not,” Mingxi said calmly. “I, Duan Mingxi, have never done anything against humanity and righteousness. I’ve never schemed against others first, never treated another’s life as worthless.”
“Jin Wangfei, do you still not see? You did all those evil things, and now you must face the consequences. You took the fall for others—do you think they’ll come save you? Only saving yourself is the true path.”
