Chapter 247: It Seems Everyone Knows What Zheng Jinxiu Has Done

Chapter 247: It Seems Everyone Knows What Zheng Jinxiu Has Done

Despite being a great scholar, he was deliberately acting pretentious and pedantic in her presence, which left her speechless.

He was like a walking billboard for his own pretentiousness.

Finally, they were able to leave.

Getting off the carriage and returning to the Zheng residence, they still had a portion of the journey together.

Listening to Cui Yongnian's incessant praise of the Princess Mansion's collection, Zheng Jinyu couldn't help but roll her eyes at him several times.

She wondered, doesn't he get tired of pretending?

"Cousin, now that everyone knows you're Mr. Qinghe, there's really no need for you to act like a bumpkin."

Cui Yongnian was taken aback, then said earnestly, "I'm not pretending. The collection at the Princess Mansion is truly unparalleled. I can guarantee that even the treasures of the imperial palace can't compare."

Zheng Jinyu thought to herself, as if anyone didn't know that anything the princess favored ended up in her mansion.

"Alright," she conceded, acknowledging that he must have been genuinely impressed.

...

The mansion was bustling with activity, given how rushed their wedding arrangements were compared to when Zheng Hongyan married.

As for the Wang family, they were equally busy. Yet, amidst all this, Wang Fuzhen still found time to visit the Zheng residence.

Upon receiving the visiting card from the Wang family, Lady Zheng felt her head throb.

"Hmph, visiting? I think she's here to kick down our door."

"Well... Madam, should we let her in?"

Lady Zheng tossed the visiting card to the servant at the gate. "Send it to the eldest miss. If she wants to see her, she can."

"Yes."

Lady Zheng didn't want to see her. She believed that the grievances between Wang Fuzhen and Zheng Jinxiu needed to be resolved by them.

But could they be resolved? Given how their relationship had deteriorated in the past, who knew how far their rivalry would escalate in the future. Resolving conflicts? It seemed more likely that Wang Fuzhen was here to assert her dominance.

With this thought, Lady Zheng's heart sank, and she hurriedly called for a maid.

"Quickly, intercept Wang Fuzhen and bring her to me."

She couldn't let her provoke Jinxiu. Jinxiu's unborn child was a significant advantage over Wang Fuzhen, and if something happened to it, it would be disastrous.

Soon, Wang Fuzhen was escorted to Lady Zheng. She looked at her with a gentle smile, politely bowed after greeting her, and sat on the embroidered stool opposite her.

Lady Zheng's expression turned stern. "What do you want with Jinxiu?"

Wang Fuzhen smiled faintly. "Lady Zheng, I'm not looking for her."

"Not looking for her?" Lady Zheng looked at her curiously.

Wang Fuzhen replied, "Yes, why would I look for her? In a few days, we'll become family, and there will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future."

Hearing this, Lady Zheng became agitated. "Then why are you here?"

"I'm here to see you, Lady Zheng."

"You want to see this lady?"

"Yes, Lady Zheng. Do you regret breaking us apart, separating me from your son?"

Lady Zheng paused for a moment before laughing coldly. "Regret? Why would I regret it? A girl with such malicious intentions and so many tricks up her sleeve would bring misfortune to any family she enters. If I allowed you into the Zheng family, wouldn't I become a sinner to the Zheng family for eternity?"

"Haha, oh?" Wang Fuzhen laughed. "Everyone else says I'm brainless, always being used as a pawn by Zheng Jinxiu, leading myself to my current predicament. You, however, are different. You're the first one to call me cunning and malicious."

Lady Zheng's face darkened. "Don't try to sow discord here."

Wang Fuzhen smiled. "Whether I'm sowing discord or not, Lady Zheng, you should be very clear about it. You know the truth behind what happened on the day of your eldest son's wedding, yet you refuse to accept reality. You'd rather pin all the blame on me than believe that Zheng Jinxiu was responsible."

At this point, Lady Zheng's complexion was ghastly. "You're wrong. I'm not refusing to accept that she did something wrong. I know she made mistakes, and I've punished her and scolded her. But Jinxiu is our own child, and as parents, we must accept our children, regardless of whether they're good or bad. After reprimanding and punishing her, that's the end of it. But you, why should I forgive you?"

Wang Fuzhen was stunned for a long moment before nodding as if she had suddenly understood.

"So that's how it is. You're right. Because Zheng Jinxiu is your own child, whatever mistakes she makes are forgivable. It's just a pity for Zheng Jinyu. Does she know that even before she arrived in the capital, Zheng Jinxiu started spreading rumors about her being an uncultured country girl? Does she know what lengths Zheng Jinxiu went to make everyone dislike her?"

Lady Zheng, sitting in her chair, turned pale, her hands gripping the armrests tightly.

"What are you saying?"

Wang Fuzhen smiled faintly. "Wasn't I clear enough? Lady Zheng, you're not deaf. You heard me, and you understand exactly what I mean."

Indeed, she understood.

But she refused to believe it.

"You're lying. You girls are truly vicious. You exposed Jinxiu's identity, nearly preventing her from marrying into the Lu family as a proper wife and almost ruining her life. And you still won't let her go. Now, you're trying to sow discord between us. How can you be so wicked?"

"Wicked? Haha, how laughable. Do you think I'm making baseless accusations without evidence? If you have the inclination, inquire about how she speaks about others in her social circle. After all, the circle of noble ladies in the capital isn't limited to just me, Wang Fuzhen."

"Oh, right." Suddenly remembering something, Wang Fuzhen said, "After she went to Xingyang last year, she wrote me many letters, which I still have. Lady Zheng, would you like me to send them to you another day so you can see for yourself what kind of face she presents in her letters?"

At this moment, Lady Zheng's face was ashen. She believed Wang Fuzhen, yet she dared not fully accept it.

She knew that since Jinyu returned, Jinxiu had done many foolish things.

But she had always regarded it as a petty jealousy game between young girls. Even biological sisters would compete with each other for their parents' favor, let alone the situation between Jinyu and Jinxiu.

After Jinxiu found out that she wasn't born into the Zheng family, she felt insecure and inevitably acted foolishly.

However, what could she do if some truths that could be described as vicious were laid bare before her?

Just as Jinyu had once said, protecting Jinxiu meant hurting Jinyu.

Jinyu was her biological daughter. After she was born, they hadn't taken good care of her, causing her to suffer greatly. They already felt guilty toward her, so how could they bear to hurt her again and again?

A fierce battle raged in Lady Zheng's mind.

Wang Fuzhen watched with interest. Seeing that Lady Zheng didn't respond for a long time, she added, "Then I'll send it over another day. Whether or not you choose to read it is entirely up to Lady Zheng."

Lady Zheng's hands were clasped together so tightly that her fingernails were almost digging into her flesh.

"By the way, Lady Zheng, may I meet your third son?"

Lady Zheng gritted her teeth and said, "What? Not satisfied with what you have, now you're eyeing something else?"

Wang Fuzhen smiled calmly. "If it's possible, then it's possible. If not, then forget it."

The Autumn Imperial Examination had ended, and these few days, all the young masters were at home.

Lady Zheng didn't know what Wang Fuzhen was up to, but she agreed to let her see him.