Madam Sheng also did not want to say more to him, so she waved her hand to have the wet nurse drive the person away, and then returned to the inner room.
Mo Lingxi was bewildered, truly not understanding where he had gone wrong.
He did not want to leave, but the wet nurses, maids, and servants all ganged up on him, even throwing all his belongings out, clearly indicating he was not to stay any longer.
In the end, Mo Lingxi was driven out of the residence, watching the gate close before his eyes.
"..." Why was he driven out?
Glancing at the various items scattered on the ground, he pinched his brow and turned to go to the palace to find Zicheng, perhaps Zicheng knew the reason.
When Zicheng, who had been too busy to rest, learned of this from his uncle, he looked at him with a complex expression: "...Uncle, sometimes I wonder if you have any feelings at all?"
"To say you don't, you know how to coax Auntie. To say you do, look at what you said; even I find it infuriating to listen to."
Mo Lingxi's handsome face was cold, his slightly quickened voice laced with displeasure: "Can you just tell me the reason?"
Zicheng was even more speechless: "Uncle, I genuinely think you should just divorce Auntie, otherwise you'll end up harming her."
Mo Lingxi shot him a cold glance.
Zicheng raised his hands in surrender: "Simply put, what you said was too infuriating. If it were you, and someone said such things to you, wouldn't you be angry?"
"Uncle, you must understand one thing: Auntie clearly stated her attitude to you long ago, and even mentioned that she might separate from you one day. Now you say such things, which clearly means you want Auntie to stay by your side forever."
Mo Lingxi still didn't quite understand: "She is my wife, we should be together."
At this point, Zicheng found the crux of the problem and posed a serious question: "Uncle, who dictates that a couple must stay together for a lifetime?"
Mo Lingxi retorted: "Which couple doesn't stay together for a lifetime?"
Zicheng pressed his aching temples and sighed with great weariness: "There are many couples in this world who don't stay together for a lifetime, and many more who are together in name only."
"Your words are a forced demand for Auntie to be with you forever; it's coercion, not a feeling born of affection. I truly admire Auntie for not poisoning you to death and merely driving you away."
Mo Lingxi vaguely understood something but still didn't grasp it fully: "She is my wife, and she wants to be with me, but she constantly thinks about leaving and is unwilling to accept my things. Isn't this her fault?"
Zicheng almost couldn't help but issue an imperial decree for his uncle and aunt to divorce. How could his brain have acted so erratically back then to help his uncle pursue his aunt?
With great effort, using the most common and understandable language, Zicheng finally made Mo Lingxi understand where he had gone wrong, but he more strongly wished for his uncle and aunt to separate.
It was truly a sin!
For Auntie to encounter a man like his uncle with a flawed mind was simply the worst luck in eight lifetimes.
Should he perhaps issue an imperial decree for his uncle and aunt to divorce?
Understanding where he had gone wrong, Mo Lingxi deeply regretted saying those words. He felt like slapping himself. He understood Tao Lengshuang; he knew she was not the type to rely on a man or to use her man's possessions. She had always relied on herself.
Moreover, Tao Lengshuang had made it very clear to him that there was a possibility of them separating one day, yet he had said such things.
It was no wonder Tao Lengshuang drove him out; his mistake was too egregious.
"I... I don't know what I was thinking at the time. Perhaps it was because I wanted Tao Lengshuang to stay so much that I said such things."
Zicheng shrugged: "Who knows if your brain malfunctioned then to say such things, offending both Auntie and your mother-in-law."
"In any case, your days ahead will be very difficult. Your wife and child are angry with you, your mother-in-law dislikes you. If you want to appease your wife and child, tsk, it won't be easy."
Mo Lingxi: "...Zicheng, aren't you being a bit too gloating?"
Zicheng spread his hands, claiming he wasn't. He truly wasn't gloating; he just wanted to see what kind of miserable state his uncle would be in, as he had never seen his uncle like this before and was very curious.
Mo Lingxi let out a couple of dry laughs and immediately assigned a large number of tasks to the busy Zicheng: "You are about to ascend the throne, you should handle these matters properly."
Zicheng grumbled: "Uncle, this is biting the hand that feeds you! If I hadn't helped you analyze and told you where you went wrong, would you have understood so quickly? You would have only offended Auntie more severely."
Mo Lingxi casually said "oh" and then went to find Tao Lengshuang. He wanted to resolve the misunderstanding as soon as possible.
But when he returned to the residence, he learned that Tao Lengshuang had already taken Xiao Feng and Madam Sheng back to the Sheng family and was no longer living there.
"..." This was a blatant rejection.
He went to the Sheng family again. As he was about to sneak in, he was stopped by a dark guard.
"Please leave, Prince Mingrui. My mistress does not welcome you."
The dark guard's words made Mo Lingxi frown: "I want to see Tao Lengshuang."
The dark guard remained unmoved, repeating himself, appearing ready to fight at any moment.
Mo Lingxi was well aware of the consequences of fighting with the dark guards. It wasn't that he couldn't win, but it would further anger Tao Lengshuang.
Helplessly, he had to ask the dark guard to pass on a message, feeling miserable in his heart. Truly, he had brought this upon himself.
The dark guard would not relay a message for him, nor would they allow him to enter the residence, nor would they step aside.
After a fruitless stalemate, Mo Lingxi had no choice but to return to Prince Mingrui's mansion, contemplating how he would follow the guests into the Sheng family for the banquet the next day and then sincerely apologize to Tao Lengshuang, ensuring she forgave him.
...
The next day.
The Sheng family's banquet.
Tao Lengshuang, dressed elegantly and nobly, chatted with Madam Sheng and Xiao Feng, along with a group of guests. The atmosphere was excellent.
Those who attended the banquet were all families with close ties to the Sheng family, and no one was foolish enough to bring up inappropriate topics.
"I truly didn't expect that the Princess Consort Mingrui would be Madam Sheng's biological daughter. Perhaps this is fate," said one madam, her words met with agreement from the guests.
"Indeed, Madam Sheng took an immediate liking to the Princess Consort Mingrui and even recognized her as her goddaughter. This indicates a connection between them."
"Now Madam Sheng has also fulfilled a wish. From now on, Madam Sheng can look forward to enjoying her grandchildren."
Madam Sheng smiled, covering her mouth, radiating joy and contentment: "Indeed, from now on, I will look forward to enjoying my grandchildren. I don't plan to manage those affairs anymore."
The madams and young ladies offered compliments to Madam Sheng and Tao Lengshuang, mother and son.
Tao Lengshuang listened calmly. Her gaze fell upon a maid peeking from the doorway. She walked out: "What is it?"
The maid curtsied and whispered, "Eldest Miss, Prince Mingrui wishes to see you. It's inconvenient for a man to come to a place full of female guests."