Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 330 Towards the Golden Palace (34)

Xie Zhao originally didn't want to explain these things to Cheng Qingshuang in too much detail, but considering that she would find out about Luo Yun's entry into the mansion sooner or later, he told her that Luo Yun was still alive and had become a royal merchant.

Cheng Qingshuang's face changed in shock: "How is this possible? Luo Yun is illiterate, how could she know how to do business? You haven't been deceived by her, have you?"

“The imperial decree appointing her as a royal merchant has already been issued; there’s no way to lie about it.”

Cheng Qingshuang recalled how she had treated Luo Jun in the past, and felt uneasy: "But, but she's already a royal merchant, how could she possibly become your concubine?"

Speaking of this, Xie Zhao became confident: "She still thinks about me, and she can't let go of Zhaolin and Wanfang."

Luo Yun really cares about her two children.

Cheng Qingshuang accepted this explanation. Upon hearing that the Meng family had interfered, preventing Xie Zhao from being promoted, and that Xie Zhao now had to personally pick up Meng Zhenyue to return to the mansion, she was both angry and felt wronged for her son.

"That ungrateful wretch Meng Zhenyue is actually using your promotion as leverage to force you to apologize to her!"

Although Xie Zhao was also very resentful, when he thought that as long as Meng Zhenyue agreed, he could take Luo Yun into the family and all the wealth and glory of the Cao family would belong to him. He could also rise to prominence by taking advantage of the imperial merchant's influence. He felt that these grievances were nothing.

Once he surpasses the Meng family and tramples his father-in-law's family underfoot, he will immediately divorce Meng Zhenyue!

Without delay, the next day, Xie Zhao asked his superiors for a day off and went to the Meng family to pick up Meng Zhenyue.

However, upon arriving at the Meng family home, Meng Zhenyue was told by her mother-in-law, whose expression was not pleasant, that Meng Zhenyue was not in the Meng residence, but rather living in a villa in the suburbs.

So Xie Zhao personally drove the carriage to the villa in the suburbs.

Upon arriving at the villa, Xie Zhao knocked on the door, and the door was opened by the same gatekeeper who had previously worked at the Xie residence.

Upon seeing him, the doorman's expression was subtle; he addressed him as "Master," but his expression lacked respect.

Upon learning that he had come to pick up Meng Zhenyue, the gatekeeper turned to report and did not immediately let him into the courtyard.

Xie Zhao waited outside for an hour.

It was early summer, and the sun overhead was scorching hot, making him irritable and restless. He couldn't help but knock on the door again.

The doorman maintained his forced smile: "Look at my memory, I forgot to tell you, sir, that Madam is taking a nap and doesn't want to be disturbed. Please wait a little longer, and I'll let you know when she wakes up."

"..." A surge of anger rose in Xie Zhao's heart.

He humbled himself to take Meng Zhenyue home, but she actually acted arrogantly towards him!

Despite his anger, Xie Zhao suppressed it, realizing he was at a disadvantage, and turned to wait outside.

It took three whole hours, from morning until afternoon, before the gate of the villa finally opened again.

The gatekeeper stretched and came out: "Sir, Madam invites you in."

Meng Zhenyue was drinking tea in the flower hall when she heard Xie Zhao enter, but she didn't even lift her eyelids.

Xie Zhao adjusted his expression, trying to make his voice sound gentle and sincere: "My wife, I've come to take you back to the manor. I was wrong the other day, and I've come today to apologize to you. I hope you won't hold a grudge against me."

Meng Zhenyue stirred the tea foam in the teacup with the lid of the cup and said casually, "The imperial decree on the promotion of various departments just came down yesterday, and you've already rushed here to invite me back to the manor. What, have you figured out whose power you've gained in the court?"

As soon as he said this, the senior maids serving in the flower hall looked at Xie Zhao with subtle expressions, and one of them covered her mouth and chuckled in front of him.

Xie Zhao: "..."

Although everyone knew perfectly well why he had come to invite Meng Zhenyue back to the manor, to expose him in front of so many people was tantamount to slapping him in the face.

Xie Zhao was annoyed, but he smiled and said, "My wife is joking. Even without the promotion, I would have come to take you back to the manor sooner or later. We are husband and wife. How can I let you live in your maiden home forever? If word gets out, people will say that we are not getting along."

"Whether you're afraid of gossip or worried about being harassed by my father, you know the answer in your heart." Meng Zhenyue showed him no respect and put down her teacup. "Go back. I don't want to go back to the Xie family for the time being."

Xie Zhao frowned: "Why?"

“Because I didn’t feel the sincerity of your apology,” Meng Zhenyue said. “You don’t know where you went wrong, and you’ll still argue with me when you go back. I find it annoying to go back and forth like this, so I simply won’t go back.”

"..." Xie Zhao's face tightened. "Please tell me, my lady, what do you want me to do to return to the manor?"

Meng Zhenyue thought for a moment and said, "Kneel down and kowtow to me."

Xie Zhao was stunned for a moment, and his face immediately darkened after he realized what was happening.

Seeing his expression, Meng Zhenyue added fuel to the fire: "If you don't want to kneel because of your pride, you can have your mother come and kneel."

"Moon! There's a limit to your unreasonable behavior!" Xie Zhao finally snapped. "Are you going to take things so far because you don't want to be my wife anymore?"

"I've gone too far?" Meng Zhenyue's face darkened slightly, and her hands clenched into fists under her sleeves.

When it comes to going to extremes, who can compare to Xie Zhao?

They gave her a drug that would prevent her from having children, thus depriving her of the right to be a mother and shortening her lifespan. This was a scheme to murder her for money, leaving her no way out!

If it weren't for Madam Cao's repeated instructions that now was not the time to kill this scoundrel, she would have loved to close the door and beat him to death with sticks!

"I just want to remind you that if you're going to be a kept man, you should be prepared to be one."

Meng Zhenyue quickly composed herself, raised her chin to look at Xie Zhao, and said, "Your entire Xie family's food, clothing, and lodging in the capital are all provided by me. Without me, you are nothing. You take advantage of me and act superior to me all the time. What do you take me for? A sucker?"

Xie Zhao: "..."

"Don't mention to me that I'm lame, that my family can't accept me, or that I can't have children. It's not like I'm lucky to have married you."

I am disabled and my family can't accept me, but I didn't force you to marry me. After I was diagnosed with infertility, you took the initiative to not divorce me. Everything was your own choice.

"You're always acting like your mother, putting on a show that marrying me is a huge loss for you. Who are you trying to fool? Besides, even if you don't marry me, I won't live a miserable life."

Meng Zhenyue tapped her finger on the table. “This house is my mother’s private property. The location is a bit out of the way, but you couldn’t afford it even if you spent your whole life as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. A little bit of something that my Meng family can easily slip through our fingers is something that someone like you from a poor family can never achieve in your entire life. You are the one who is trying to climb up to us.”

These words made Xie Zhao's eyelids twitch and his lips purse tightly.

Just when Meng Zhenyue thought he would lose his temper, Xie Zhao took a step back and bowed to Meng Zhenyue, saying, "Your wife is right."

"..." This time it was Meng Zhenyue's turn to be surprised.

She never expected that Xie Zhao, who was always arrogant and aloof, would be so flexible and adaptable.

But then Meng Zhenyue realized something.

Xie Zhao's current forbearance is to ease the tension with her and coax her into agreeing to take Lady Cao as a concubine.

Madam Cao is not only the richest woman in Yinzhou, but also a royal merchant who controls the salt business in Daji, making her a true goldmine.

He was able to resist the temptation because it was strong enough.