Wang Qingyao remained "ill" for six or seven days. Just as she felt she should be recovering, Consort Dowager Fang came to visit her.
Ah, how touching.
Ever since Consort Dowager Fang had sabotaged Feng Jiangduo and Xiao Mo's marriage and been severely reprimanded by the Old Dowager, she had seemed to vanish, staying within Jingwu Courtyard and never coming to pay her respects to the Old Dowager in the mornings or evenings.
For her to come and visit Wang Qingyao this time, she must have wrestled with her conscience quite a bit, right?
So, Wang Qingyao, who had planned to be well, lay back down in bed.
Her mother-in-law was visiting; she had to give her face, didn't she?
To her utter surprise, Consort Dowager Fang wasn't there to see her.
She was there to lecture Wang Qingyao, her daughter-in-law.
"While Consort Wei's methods were a bit ruthless, in the end, it wasn't entirely her fault. She was a good girl who married into our Wang household as a consort. On their wedding night, Ayun didn't even go to her room. Forget the Wei family's daughter; even an ordinary village girl would feel upset. Her anger is understandable; everyone has a temper."
"...That's one thing, but Ayun took her in merely as a decoration, never having touched her. Who wouldn't be angry about that? It's a profound humiliation! No wonder she was so angry she wanted to kill someone..."
"I'm not condoning her methods by saying this, but as the Princess of Ding'an, Ayun's principal wife, you should be magnanimous and tolerant, managing the inner court so he has no worries. To put it bluntly, if you hadn't prevented Ayun from getting close to Consort Wei, how would Consort Wei have harbored murderous intent?"
"Now that she has repented and taken her own life in prison, it shows she had a good heart, just went down the wrong path for a moment."
"You shouldn't dwell on it and make yourself so ill. It's also your parents' fault for passing away too early and not teaching you to be tolerant, magnanimous, and kind. Now that you are married to Ayun, you are half my daughter, and I have a responsibility to teach you these things..."
Wang Qingyao almost laughed from anger. What was this, victim-blaming?
She had almost been killed, and it was her fault?
Yinzhu and Zhizi, who were serving nearby, also showed indignation on their faces after hearing this long lecture.
What was this nonsense? Wang Qingyao was not about to indulge her.
She looked at Consort Dowager Fang with a puzzled expression: "Mother, I don't quite understand what you're saying. Since one should be tolerant, magnanimous, and kind, why does Mother constantly make things difficult for Princess Nange? Just because you dislike her, you ruined Ah Mo's lifelong happiness. Is this what Mother calls tolerance, magnanimity, or kindness? Furthermore, Consort Wei wanted to kill me; I am the victim. Mother comes to visit me, and without a word of concern, you immediately scold me for not being tolerant, magnanimous, or kind enough. Mother is truly virtuous. Isn't Mother afraid I'll faint from anger?"
As if to prove her point, as soon as she finished speaking, she clutched her head and cried out, "Oh dear, my head hurts so much." She then pounded her chest, "Oh dear, what should I do, my chest feels so tight."
Yinzhu and Zhizi, in perfect coordination, put on looks of alarm. One massaged her temples, and the other patted her chest.
Consort Dowager Fang was so angered she froze.
What? Her words were so reasonable and sensible, and Wang Qingyao not only refused to accept them but dared to mock and question her in return?
She was Wang Qingyao's mother-in-law!
And she had genuinely come to guide Wang Qingyao!
Consort Dowager Fang felt utterly wronged.
Actually, people like her were the most detestable, using their own thoughts to bind others, while believing they were doing it for their own good.
Consort Dowager Fang's face grew long, her expression as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"I'm doing this for your own good..."
Wang Qingyao waved her hand, and Yinzhu and Zhizi, holding their breath, retreated to the side.
Wang Qingyao looked at Consort Dowager Fang sincerely: "Mother, what I'm saying might be unpleasant, but I'm also doing it for your own good."
Consort Dowager Fang: "..."
"Also," Wang Qingyao continued, "Mother, don't push everything onto me. Ayun isn't a pet I raised; he's my husband. He has hands, feet, and a brain. If he truly wants to sleep with someone, I won't interfere, nor would I deign to. You have time to scold me; why not go scold your son and ask him why he doesn't learn from other men who have multiple wives and concubines? Heh..."
"Blaming women for everything. If a man is a philanderer, they blame the wife for not being gentle and beautiful enough to hold his heart. If a man is well-behaved, they blame the wife for being jealous and too controlling. Heh, I'm not his mother!"
Wang Qingyao's initial words still held some consideration for Consort Dowager Fang being her mother-in-law, and despite her anger, there was a hint of insincere courtesy.
As she spoke further, her rebellious spirit ignited, and her words became less polite.
Consort Dowager Fang froze again, her face turning bright red.
"You, you... you dare speak to me like this?" Consort Dowager Fang shrieked, her usual dignified demeanor as a Dowager and the serene tranquility of years of Buddhist practice completely vanishing.
Wang Qingyao flinched back "fearfully": "Ah, Mother, are you angry? You're angry already?"
"You, you, you..." Consort Dowager Fang's lips trembled with anger this time, rendering her speechless.
"I don't care about you anymore!" Consort Dowager Fang declared, then, with a huff, she took her entourage and swept out.
Wang Qingyao shouted after her retreating back: "Really? You said the same thing last time; don't go back on your word this time."
Consort Dowager Fang's receding figure stiffened.
In ancient times, arguing with one's mother-in-law was considered a grave act of filial impiety.
However, fortunately, it was in Kangping Courtyard, and no one would spread rumors.
Moreover, Wang Qingyao didn't hide it from Xiao Yun. When he returned, she recounted the entire conversation to him, word for word, without any embellishment.
Xiao Yun was at a loss for what to do, only able to apologize to Wang Qingyao repeatedly.
Wang Qingyao smiled gleefully: "It's alright, no need to apologize. I didn't suffer any losses. You just need to always stand on my side."
Xiao Yun swore to the heavens: "I will absolutely always stand on your side! I am your husband!"