Consort Fang had thrown caution to the wind, clearly stating her opinion.
"That's precisely what I mean. I do not agree to this marriage."
Silence fell upon the reception hall once more.
The Old Consort shot her a displeased glance, her eyes sharp and her expression vexed.
She shouldn't have allowed Consort Fang to meet guests.
Consort Fang hadn't been willing to show herself to outsiders for over a decade. Her主动 proposal this time must have had ulterior motives.
She should have sensed it earlier.
The Old Consort deeply regretted her oversight.
But regret was of no use now.
Prince Dingnan slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"You actually look down on my Dingnan Prince's granddaughter? How is my Duoduo not worthy of your brat?"
Seeing his intended bride about to be driven away by his mother again, Xiao Mo hurried to Prince Dingnan's side to declare his devotion.
"It is I who am unworthy of Duoduo. Her willingness to marry me is a blessing from my past three lives..."
However, Prince Dingnan was not listening at all. He glared at Consort Fang, "Have you been widowed for so many years that your eyes have gone bad? My Duoduo comes from a noble lineage, is as beautiful as a fallen nation, is accomplished in both literature and martial arts, can manage a household and grace a hall, is proficient in all arts from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, is gentle and considerate, virtuous and dignified, and respects the old and loves the young..."
"Cough, cough." Feng Jiangduo herself felt a blush creep up her neck.
That was too much, too exaggerated.
What's more, Xiao Mo was egging him on as Prince Dingnan spoke, "Yes, yes, Your Highness is right."
Consort Fang was furious. She looked at the seemingly worthless Xiao Mo and angrily said, "Can you show some backbone? Is Feng Jiangduo the only woman in the world?"
Xiao Mo looked at Consort Fang earnestly, "Yes, Feng Jiangduo is the only one in the world. I will not marry anyone but her."
"Fine, then I will tell you today as well. If you want to marry Feng Jiangduo, you'll have to do it over my dead body!"
Consort Fang had made up her mind, deciding to go all out to sabotage this marriage.
"You shut your mouth!" The Old Consort had always given Consort Fang face, never speaking ill of her in front of others.
But Consort Fang was too much today, repeatedly challenging her authority as a mother-in-law. The Old Consort refused to give her any more face, giving her a fierce glare and sternly stopping her from saying more incorrect things.
Xiao Yun also went to pull Consort Fang's sleeve and softly advised, "Mother, speak with caution."
Under normal circumstances, if Xiao Yun intervened, Wang Qingyao wouldn't get involved.
After all, Consort Fang was Xiao Yun's biological mother. Whatever their arguments, they were still family behind closed doors. But she, as a daughter-in-law, wasn't necessarily so.
Though she remained silent, she cast a cool glance at Consort Fang and turned to support the Old Consort.
"Grandmother, be careful not to anger yourself."
Feeling isolated and unsupported, Consort Fang's mind felt as if it had been blown apart by explosives. She glared at Xiao Mo desperately, "If you want to be an unfilial son, then go ahead and marry her!" She then roared at the Old Consort, "I am A'mo's mother, why should I shut up!"
It was on the verge of escalating into a full-blown family dispute.
Prince Dingnan, tired of wasting words with the Xiao family, turned to call his descendants.
"Let's go."
The Feng family members left without any hesitation, not dragging their feet at all.
As Prince Dingnan left, he even took back the gifts he had brought.
Xiao Mo rushed out in a hurry.
At the main gate, Prince Dingnan drew his large saber and blocked his path.
"Why are you still following? I'm telling you, the women of our Feng family will never set foot in your Xiao family's home again!"
Xiao Mo looked at Feng Jiangduo and said, "She is my mother, I cannot be unfilial. But I will not retract my words. I, Xiao Mo, will only marry Feng Jiangduo in this lifetime. Even if you marry someone else, I will not marry."
"A'mo..." Feng Jiangduo was moved, her gaze tender and lingering as she looked at Xiao Mo.
Madam Wei also showed a look of gratified relief.
But Prince Dingnan was not swayed. He let out a cold snort, pulled Feng Jiangduo along, and left without looking back.
Feng Jiangyi, the second son of the Feng family, patted Xiao Mo's shoulder sympathetically, "The road ahead is long."
The third son, Feng Jiangbo, "...Brother Mo, if you bribe me a bit, I can say a few good words for you to Grandfather..."
Before he could finish, his brother yanked him away by the collar.
Xiao Mo kept his word. For the next nearly ten years, as long as Consort Fang did not relent, he truly did not marry.
Feng Jiangduo also did not marry.
The two, like modern couples, only dated but did not marry.
Of course, that was a story for another time.
Meanwhile, back in the reception hall, Consort Fang erupted, unleashing all the grievances she had suffered over the years.
"I am the mother of A'yun and A'mo, the Consort of Ding'an Prince's Estate, yet I have no say in this household. Even Madam Jing, who serves the Old Consort, carries more weight than I do!"
Madam Jing, who was innocently caught in the crossfire, immediately knelt down, "Your servant dares not."
"My mother-in-law doesn't take me seriously, my daughter-in-law doesn't regard me, and my two sons don't have me in their hearts as their mother!"
"If I had known this would happen, I should have followed the Old Prince to my death when he passed away!"
Xiao Yun and Xiao Mo, the "unfilial sons" who were named, knelt down amidst Consort Fang's accusations.
Logically speaking, if the husband knelt, the wife, Wang Qingyao, should have knelt with him.
However, Wang Qingyao did not have this awareness. She merely stood by the wall like a decorative flower, silent and quietly observing the unfolding drama.