After Jin Wang’s complaints about the title, more and more people began turning their attention to Zhiyi.
Mingxi kept Zhiyi inside the palace, playing quietly and avoiding the outside world, paying no heed to the rumors.
She knew full well that several other Wangyes were behind the scenes stirring the pot. With the Crown Prince gone, everyone was vying for that position.
Normally there wouldn’t be any excuse, but the matter of the princess’s title gave them a pretext—perfect for testing the waters.
While Duan Huirou was still in her postpartum recovery, she wrote a letter to Mingxi saying that the whole issue of the title had triggered Jin Wang’s dissatisfaction, leading to a quarrel between the two.
Duan Mingxi was honestly surprised. She knew Duan Huirou’s nature better than anyone—selfish and self-serving, always putting herself first.
After marrying Jin Wang, she always listened to Mingxi—not because she truly respected her sister, but because she was at a disadvantage and knew she had to bow her head.
But now, she had actually argued with Jin Wang over this? Mingxi was genuinely caught off guard.
She originally intended to write back, but then figured reading might be hard on the eyes during recovery, so she simply got into the carriage and went to visit herself.
Since she hadn’t sent word ahead, she didn’t expect to run into Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang looked furious, while Duan Huirou had red-rimmed eyes. The mother and daughter looked like they had just had a major fight.
When Duan Mingxi arrived, Madam Jiang’s gaze changed immediately—none of the evasiveness she showed at the birth. Instead, there was a sharp edge to her expression.
Before Mingxi could figure out what was going on, she was bombarded by Madam Jiang: “Great, everything’s going your way now. You really are something—even your own sister isn’t spared. Are you satisfied now?”
Facing Madam Jiang’s somewhat ferocious gaze, Duan Mingxi thought how much she resembled the way she had once ruthlessly turned against her over the Gao family’s marriage proposal.
Time seemed to superimpose those two faces of Madam Jiang onto each other. The resentment Duan Mingxi had already let go of was now being dug up again by her own hands—boiling over, making her feel deeply irritated.
“What madness is she going on about now?” Duan Mingxi didn’t even acknowledge Madam Jiang and instead looked directly at Duan Huirou and asked.
Duan Huirou’s expression showed clear frustration and helplessness. In a low voice, she replied, “Just because of the trouble over the title, I quarreled with Wangye.”
Just that one sentence was enough for Duan Mingxi to understand everything.
Madam Jiang was upset because Duan Huirou argued with Jin Wang over Zhiyi.
She turned her head and looked at Madam Jiang. “She’s still in her confinement period and you’re picking a fight with her? Truly a mother.”
Madam Jiang flushed at being rebuked, then quickly straightened her back and barked, “What, did I hit a nerve? Isn’t it true? I said you resent us mother and daughter—how could you sincerely help Huirou? You just tricked her into doing your bidding.
You’ve gained the benefit, while Huirou is left alienated from her husband. How is she supposed to live in Jin Wang’s household from now on? You’re truly vicious.”
Duan Mingxi let out a breathy laugh at that. Looking at Madam Jiang, she asked, “How can you say such things with a straight face in front of me? Aside from giving birth to me, what other motherly affection have you ever shown?
Oh right, when you took me back in, you were already scheming to sell me off to the Gao family for profit.”
At the mention of that, Madam Jiang’s eyes flickered, but she quickly retorted, “Why bring that up again? You didn’t end up marrying them, did you?”
“That’s only because I had the ability to stop you. But what if I hadn’t? Have you ever thought about what kind of life I’d have had in the Gao family?”
“Of course not. You’re the kind of person who never considers others. All you thought was—this daughter wasn’t born in vain. Someone else raised her for you, and you could sell her off for a big return.
Jiang family’s third son harmed my foster Father, and your family tried to seize the Duan family property. You trampled over my bones and my foster Father’s to pave the way for your Jiang family. Selling me to the Gao family—my dowry would’ve been used to pave their road too.
Only when you’ve squeezed out every last drop of oil from the Duan family’s bones would you be satisfied, right? I’m telling you now: dream on!”
Madam Jiang was left speechless, her heart riddled with holes by Duan Mingxi’s words. Her face turned dark as she said, “Now that your wings have hardened, you no longer put your mother in your eyes. Whatever you say goes.”
Hearing her shameless words, Duan Mingxi instead felt a calm settle over her. She looked Madam Jiang in the eye and said coldly, word by word, “I don’t care to speak a single word more with someone like you. Don’t use talk of mother-daughter bonds or childbirth debt to tie me down. If you dare try that, I’ll crush the Jiang family under my foot.
Your eldest son, your youngest son, and even your youngest daughter standing before you—all are in the palm of my hand. If you make me unhappy, I’ll ruin their reputations, make them targets of public scorn, lose their official positions and futures.”
“You dare?!” Madam Jiang screeched.
“Try me and see if I don’t follow through.” Duan Mingxi sneered. “Besides your own children, there’s still Duan Ning in the main branch. He holds an official post and is favored by the Emperor—his future’s bright. If Duan Yu’s reputation is destroyed, the title will naturally fall to Duan Ning.
Oh, and you can use your status as legitimate wife to accuse him of unfilial conduct and destroy him too. You’re good at that sort of thing. But no matter—if the main branch is finished, there’s still the second and third branches. Someone in the Duan family will wear that hat.”
Madam Jiang was completely shaken by Duan Mingxi’s cold tone and took an involuntary step back. She muttered, “No wonder… no wonder you support the second and third branches. No wonder you helped Yang Yiniang and her son. You planned all this from the beginning, didn’t you?”
Duan Mingxi scoffed. “To deal with someone as despicable as you, one must be even more shameless. You think only you can do such things? When the knife cuts others, you feel pleased. But when it’s your turn, suddenly it hurts?”
“Eldest sister, stop!” Duan Huirou covered her face, tears falling through her fingers.
Duan Mingxi looked at her coldly. “Duan Huirou, I pulled you up once, but there will never be a second time. From now on, walk your path alone.”
She turned to leave, then looked at Madam Jiang again. Stepping forward, her presence so overwhelming that Madam Jiang stepped back.
“From today on, our ties are severed. Life or death, we shall never meet again.”
Duan Mingxi strode away.
Madam Jiang watched her back and bit her lip, hissing, “Raised by a merchant’s family, indeed—utterly ungrateful…”
“Mother!” Duan Huirou’s eyes were red. “Was it my aunt-in-law who’s been whispering in your ear again?”
Madam Jiang frowned. “Why do you care?”
So it was true!
Her eldest brother and younger brother had already persuaded their mother to change, and she had been much kinder to Eldest Sister lately. Now she was back to her old self.
Eldest Sister was right—the Jiang family is a poisonous vine!
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this woman is stupid to the bone. even makes me frustrated by what bulshit she speaks