The scumbag ran away from marriage, I remarried on the spot

Seeing that she was still silent, Zhao couldn't help but said, "Ayao, please give me some advice. I don't know what to do."

Meng Jinyao did not answer but asked: "Mother, after my grandmother fell ill, what is my father's current situation?"

Zhao replied, "He meant that we should just do what we normally do and pretend that no one in the family is sick. Even Chengxing doesn't know about this. Now, on the surface, your grandmother is in good health and is chanting sutras and praying in the Buddhist temple. No one is allowed to disturb her. But if we try to cover up our mistakes, the news will leak out sooner or later. What if something happens to your grandmother..."

Zhao stopped talking halfway and did not continue.

"Third brother doesn't know either?"

Meng Jinyao was shocked. For the first time, she felt that her father was quite capable. He even hid the truth from his third brother. His third brother had a bad relationship with his father and his only support was his grandmother. If something happened to his grandmother, his third brother would definitely be the most worried one in the family.

Zhao glanced at her and shook her head gently: "It's not that your father concealed it well, but Chengxing has not been home these few days, so he doesn't know what happened at home."

Meng Jinyao asked, "Why wouldn't he go home? He's not like my second brother who lives far away from home. He studies in a college in the capital and can go home every day after school."

Zhao answered truthfully, "I don't know much about that, but your father knew that he didn't come home, but he didn't care about him. He also told me not to meddle in other people's business, saying that he was not my biological son and I had no right to care. Since your father said so, I would never care. But as far as I know, Chengxing has tried not to come home for a few days like he is doing now."

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao understood thoughtfully that her father was holding a grudge against her third brother and wanted to completely ruin him, and then find an opportunity to petition the emperor to depose him from the position of crown prince and appoint her second brother as the crown prince instead.

Thinking of this, Meng Jinyao's eyes sparkled, and she said in a gentle voice, "Mother, if father spread the news that grandmother was sick, it would be a disgrace to the Meng family. Grandmother values ​​the family's reputation the most and regards it as more important than anything else. I think we should wait until grandmother wakes up before making a decision on this matter. Now we should do as father says. When grandmother wakes up, how to deal with father will all depend on her opinion. What do you think, mother?"

After hearing this, Zhao looked at Meng Jinyao with inquiring eyes. She didn't believe that Meng Jinyao really chose not to expose Meng Dongyuan for the sake of the family's reputation. She must have other intentions. She pretended not to see through Meng Jinyao's intentions and pretended to be in deep thought. Then she replied: "Your grandmother does care about the family's reputation. I think your suggestion is good. Let's wait until your grandmother wakes up before making a decision."

"Mother, please keep the servants who know the inside story under close watch, and send them away if necessary, to prevent them from gossiping and causing trouble." Meng Jinyao then asked, "Father made grandmother so angry, what was his attitude after he sobered up?"

Zhao replied, "Ask the court doctor to use the best medicine to treat your grandmother." Thinking of her husband's panicked, cruel and complex expression when he sobered up and saw her mother-in-law unconscious, she could guess that her husband wanted her mother-in-law to die, but she was also afraid that her mother-in-law would really die, and that he would be convicted of unfilial piety if the truth were revealed.

Meng Jinyao was slightly stunned. Although her father was mediocre and incompetent, he was also somewhat clear-headed. If her grandmother was really dead, and her father could no longer hide the fact that he had angered his mother to death, he would definitely be in trouble. The current emperor was a filial son, and the kind of son he hated the most were unfilial sons. An unfilial son who angered his mother to death would probably not even be able to keep his title.

Zhao expressed her concerns: "Ayao, I'm worried that your grandmother won't wake up."

Meng Jinyao pretended to be silent for a moment, revealing a somewhat painful expression, and said in embarrassment: "Mother, if, if there is really a chance, we can only follow father's wishes. He is still my father. If I, as a daughter, report my father, it would be unfilial. And you are a wife, and if a wife reports her husband, she will be beaten and put in jail."

After saying this, Zhao looked at her in surprise. It was obvious that they were not on good terms as father and daughter, and this was also a handle to deal with Meng Dongyuan. Even if the old lady was really gone, Meng Jinyao would still pretend to be ignorant and cover for Meng Dongyuan. What was she trying to achieve?

Meng Jinyao lowered her eyes, her mind turning over and over. It wasn't that she was really that filial to her father, to the point of going against her conscience for her father, but she had to protect the title that her ancestors had fought for with their lives. She couldn't let a bad apple destroy the foundation laid by her ancestors.

Moreover, in her eyes, her grandmother deserved to die. Once a person deserves to die, he or she is dead. It is impossible for her to seek justice for a person who deserves to die. Now that her grandmother is dead, her third brother has lost his only support. It will be more convenient for her father to petition the emperor to appoint a new crown prince. She can also use this matter to control her father, which is a good thing for her.

Meng Jinyao pointedly said, "Mother, although father and you are not on good terms, after what happened to grandma, I think he should know that he was wrong and understand the seriousness of marital discord. He should not dare to treat you like this again in the future."

Zhao understood what Meng Jinyao meant and knew that she agreed to protect her and not let her father bully her. She looked at Meng Jinyao with gratitude.

She was not liked by her husband. No matter how tough and strong she was, it was only because of the support of her mother-in-law that she could live comfortably in the Meng family and make her husband suffer in her hands.

If her mother-in-law passed away, she and her daughter would be orphans and widows without any support in the Meng family. Life would be very difficult. Although she could let the servants who knew the news leak out, so that her husband would suffer a bad end and would not be able to deal with her, she did not want to do that unless it was absolutely necessary.

It's not that she has feelings for her husband and is reluctant to let him go, but for the sake of her daughter who is about to come of age. If she exposes the matter and divorces Meng Dongyuan, she can certainly get away from it.

But without the status of the Earl's wife, her family was of a poor family and there was no way for them to find a well-off husband for her daughter. Her daughter might even be used as a tool by her family to gain benefits and be arranged to marry her off to them for profit.

Now she is the lady of the Earl's Mansion, her stepdaughter is the wife of the Marquis of Changxing, and her stepson Chengzhang studies hard and is talented. With the help of the Marquis of Changxing, he will definitely have a bright future. As long as she has a good relationship with these two children, others will give her some face for the sake of her stepson and stepdaughter, and it will be much easier for her daughter to marry into a good family.

As a mother, she cannot just think about her own comfort, she must always plan for her daughter's future. If her stepdaughter can be her support, then she will listen to her stepdaughter's wishes, so that their lives will not be too difficult.

The two people with different purposes reached a consensus that no matter whether Madam Meng could wake up or not, they would pretend to be ignorant of the truth and follow Meng Dongyuan's wishes to conceal the truth. If Madam Meng was gone, they would announce to the public that she died of a sudden illness.