Chapter 26

Xiao Jiang was covered in melon seeds, her hair was sticky, and juice was running down her face, her collar was stained with yellow juice.

The Marquis of Huai’an was in the same state.

The Huai’an Hou carefully shook off the melon seeds from his head, picking them off one by one like he was picking lice…

Qiao Ling ate her melon with a blank expression, coldly and ruthlessly throwing out a sentence, “Just wait, my lawyer will talk to you!”

Seeing Mrs. Liang shrinking back to the side, with a look of hesitation, she asked, “Mother-in-law, do you want some melon?”

Mrs. Liang’s lips moved a few times before finally saying, “Yes!”

She took half a melon from Qiao Ling’s hand, and after taking a few bites, she asked in a dazed voice, “You have a lawyer?”

Qiao Ling said confidently, “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have made them wait!”

Mrs. Liang: “…Oh.”

The two “Tyrants” sat on the railing, “crunch, crunch” eating their melons. Several victims stood nearby, shaking and shivering.

At this moment, another row of maids passed by. Qiao Ling stopped them without hesitation, “Leave the melons, everyone go!”

Several maids looked at the mess on the ground hesitantly, shivering at the sight of the guests, and tremblingly put down their melon trays, running away like they were escaping for their lives.

Even Mrs. Liang was a little scared, she whispered, “I said Qiao Batian, that’s enough…”

Qiao Ling sneered, “I’ve already pressed them, what’s the difference if I press a few more?”

Mrs. Liang thought, “That’s true!”

She stopped trying to persuade her.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law ate melons in the quiet night, while several guests shivered with melon seeds in the quiet night. Finally, Jiang Yu, who had quickly changed clothes, arrived with the doctor. When he saw the scene, he fell silent.

Jiang Yu hesitated before approaching, looking at the mess on the ground, “What happened…”

Xiao Jiang finally saw someone she could reason with,it was like finding a reliable piece of driftwood after falling into the water.

She choked back a sob and said, “How can you…”

Before she could finish, she saw Qiao Ling jump up from the railing, and with extreme anger, pressed a melon against her face and burst it!

A crisp “bang”!

Everyone’s nerves jumped violently!!!

Xiao Jiang: “…”

Jiang Yu: “…”

The doctors: “…”

The cantaloupe juice flowed darkly in the night.

Xiao Jiang burst into tears.

Qiao Ling first told the stunned Jiang Yu, “It’s exactly what you saw.”

She then turned to the Huai’an Marquis and his Wife”What, you two won’t stand up for her?”

The Huai’an Marquis and his Wife trembled with fear, they mumbled and stammered, bowing and scraping, their heads bowed low, not daring to speak.

Qiao Ling sneered, took off the groom’s robe she was wearing, wrapped up the rest of the melons, and carried them on her shoulder, nonchalantly saying, “Let’s go, don’t keep the guests waiting. I’m getting married today.”

She walked a few steps, realized no one was following, and turned back with a vicious glare, “Go! What are you standing there for? Do you want me to invite you?!”

Everyone followed with mixed emotions.

When they reached the front hall, their appearance, which was too eye-catching, was like an invisible shock wave, spreading from near to far, and all the guests in the hall gradually fell silent.

The Wife of Marquis Huai’an, seeing people outside the Duke of Yue’s Mansion, felt like she had finally escaped from a terrifying and dark hell into a bright and glorious world. She immediately burst into tears like Xiao Jiang had done earlier, “Absurd, absurd! How can there be such a rude and arrogant person…”

The Princess looked at the three of them, their appearance was beyond simple “Embrassed,” and then she saw Qiao Ling carrying a bulging backpack, as if it was loaded with many things. She found it strange and frowned, asking the prince beside her, “What happened?”

The next second, she knew the answer—because Qiao Ling went back to her old ways, in public, she took a melon from her simple backpack and pressed it against the Wife of Marquis Huai’an’s head in broad daylight!

A “bang” sound exploded, melon seeds and juice splattered out!

Everyone was shaken violently!!!

The Wife of Marquis Huai’an could no longer hold back, she fell to the ground and cried out loud!

The royal relatives!!!

The nobles!!!

The civil and military officials!!!

Quiet.

Tang Wuji was always a cautious person, he had been through many storms and waves in the political sea for decades, but this kind of storm… he had never seen anything like it!

He gaped in astonishment, unable to give a timely and appropriate reaction.

The people below dared not speak rashly, the middle-level people were intimidated by Qiao Ling’s aura of “god-slaying and Buddha-slaying,” and dared not speak.

Several Prime Ministers exchanged glances, seeing that Tang Wuji had crashed, his head was about to smoke, they could only cough dryly and stand up helplessly.

Zhongshu Ling Yu Anshi, the Madam Yueguogong, said in a gentle voice, “Duchess of Yue, let’s talk things over. After all, it’s your big day today, don’t spoil the mood…”

Qiao Ling chewed on a piece of melon, chewing and saying expressionlessly, “Sir, ask yourself, haven’t we had enough unpleasantness today?”

Yu An’shi: “…”

Yu An’shi was silent for a moment, then said, “Well, people should be more open-minded…”

He frantically winked at his colleague Liu Zhi.

Liu Zhi had no choice but to stand up and politely said, “Madam Yue, why can’t we sit down and talk things over? Didn’t we already settle the Li family’s matter? What’s going on now?”

Qiao Ling turned to the Huai’an Hou, “You tell me.”

The Marquis of Huai’an’s hair was wet, dripping with juice, and his face was covered with dozens of melon seeds. Even with his good temper, he couldn’t help but say, “I said, Duchess of Yue…”

Qiao Ling pressed a melon against his head and said extremely angrily, “I asked you to tell me the truth, I didn’t ask you to judge me! If you don’t speak, I’ll smash you, speak!!!”

The Marquis of Huai’an: “…”

The guests in the hall: “…”

The Marquis of Huai’an felt his nose sour, his eyes watery, and something sticky was dripping from his head.

He felt even more wronged, but he dared not disobey. He finally told the story of what had happened, “The servants of the mansion said that my wife had something happen, so they asked me to go and see…”

He then told the story of Xiao Jiang, but he didn’t add any fuel to the fire, “I think Mrs. Li must have been dizzy, so she misunderstood.”

Mrs. Liang listened to him finish and nodded in agreement, “That’s right.”

Yu Anshi didn’t jump to conclusions, he first called for a doctor, “Check Mrs. Li’s pulse and see if there is any injury on the back of her head.”

The doctor went forward to examine her, and after a while, he hesitated and said, “Mrs. Li is indeed emotionally distressed, but the back of her head… there is no injury, but there are many melon seeds in her hair…”

When Xiao Jiang heard this, she couldn’t help but cry again.

The onlookers: “…”

Yu Anshi also felt a headache, he sighed and said, “Since this is the case, it’s understandable that the Duchess of Yue is angry. There was a previous grievance between the two families, and after Mrs. Li vomited blood, her words were ambiguous, indeed implying a slander against the Duke of Yue’s Mansion…”

Xiao Jiang just cried she didn’t say anything.

Then Yu Anshi continued, “Mrs. Li’s actions were inappropriate, and the Duchess of Yue’s actions were a bit excessive, but what wrong did the Marquis and Wife of Marquis Huai’an do?  Using melons… well… it’s probably a bit excessive, right?”

The Princess suddenly spoke up, “When the situation was unclear, the Wife of Marquis Huai’an was the first to accuse the Duchess of Yue. Isn’t that wrong? It’s hard to tell who is right and who is wrong, right?”

Yu Anshi glanced at her, bowed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The Wife of Marquis Huai’an grabbed her husband’s arm and said angrily, “I’m the one who brought this upon myself, but what wrong did my husband do to suffer such humiliation? That’s not right, is it?!”

The Princess stared at her, her eyes unreadable.

Qiao Ling, however, had already spoken, “What you said makes some sense.”

The Marquis of Huai’an sneered, wiped her face haphazardly, and said, “Since that’s the case, why don’t you quickly kneel down and apologize to the Marquis?!”

Qiao Ling pressed a melon against her face, but she faced the Marquis of Huai’an, sincerely saying, “I’m sorry, Marquis of Huai’an, I’m too crazy, I’m sick in the head, can you forgive me?”

The Marquis of Huai’an was stunned.

The Marquis of Huai’an was once again splattered with melon seeds, he was both angry and scared, “You…”

Even Mrs. Liang was a little scared, she quietly pulled on her sleeve, “Don’t, don’t smash Qiao Batian, I’m scared…”

Qiao Ling laughed healthily, “Haha, it’s okay, I’m fine, Mother-in-law, look how energetic I am!”

Mrs. Liang: “…”

Liu Zhi said with a headache, “Madam Yue, you’ve gone too far!”

Qiao Ling snorted out of her nose and said loudly, “Apologizing is impossible! That’s the situation, that’s how things are, Sir, you guys figure it out!”

She looked down at the trembling Marquis and Marquis of Huaian and the still sobbing Xiao Jiang, sneering, while frantically smashing melons at the three of them, causing them to jump up, melon seeds flying everywhere, “Today is my big wedding day! And you, you made me the laughingstock of the entire capital!”

“But it’s okay, let them laugh, I accept it!”

“But you guys better watch out—”

As she said this, Qiao Ling looked around, her aura so strong that those who were swept by her gaze couldn’t help but avert their eyes, not daring to meet hers, “Since it’s already a joke, I don’t mind dragging a few more people down to make a joke with me! If you don’t believe me, we’ll just wait and see!”

The room was silent.

Finally, the Prime Ministers were forced to take charge.

Yu Anshi carefully chose his words, trying not to provoke the melon-smashing maniac opposite him, so that she wouldn’t accidentally hit him.

For her, it was just a casual thing, but for him, it could easily become an unforgettable pain—heaven knows, he hadn’t been so careful even when talking to the emperor!

He said, “Madam Yue, calm down first, at least don’t smash me with melons! I’m innocent! Mrs. Li is understandable, but the Marquis of Huai’an, that’s really not right. Unless you apologize, and he’s willing to forgive you—”

Qiao Ling roared, “No apology!!!”

The Marquis of Huaian, with melon juice dripping from her head, also roared, “No forgiveness!!!”

They looked at each other with disgust, and Qiao Ling didn’t hesitate to give them both another melon!

Yu Anshi: “…”

Yu Anshi wiped a melon seed that had splattered on his face, and smiled ferociously, “Since that’s the case, I have no place in this dispute. Let the professionals handle it—where is the Jingzhao Yin? Hurry up and come and make a judgment!”

He then retreated into the crowd without hesitation.

Qiao Ling looked towards the guest seats, holding the melons in her backpack, her face contorted, she roared, “Where is the Jingzhao Yin?!”

Those who were swept by her gaze lowered their heads in fear like a tide.

Jingzhao Yin Tai Shu Hong stood up, slightly shrinking back, and said first, “Actually, in terms of seniority, Duchess of Yue, you should call me uncle-in-law—we are related, and we will have to meet in the future. Calm down, don’t smash me with melons!”

Qiao Ling looked at Mrs. Liang in confusion.

Mrs. Liang told her with a headache, “Tai Shu Hong’s wife is the daughter of King Han, she is my cousin. You met her at the Marquis of Huai’an’s mansion before.”

Qiao Ling nodded knowingly, “Oh.”

Then she heard Tai Shu Hong ask directly, “Duke of Yue, you will definitely not apologize, right?”

Qiao Ling said firmly, “Of course!”

Tai Shu Hong asked again, “The Marquis and Marquis of Huaian will definitely not forgive you, right?”

The Marquis of Huaian angrily said, “Are you hoping I say that so she can give me another melon?!”

Qiao Ling responded immediately, and casually gave them both another melon.

Tai Shu Hong ignored her, and quickly made a judgment, “According to the ‘Civil Law and Regulation’’ of our dynasty, Duchess of Yue is charged with provoking trouble. She is to be fined five hundred taels of silver and detained for three days. If either party has any objections, please file an appeal with the Jingzhao Yinfu within three days!”

He then turned and left immediately, “I have some business at my office, I’m leaving now!”

The Marquis of Huaian was furious, “Why?! She made us lose face, and she only needs to be detained for three days?!”

Mrs. Liang was furious, “Why does she need to be detained for three days? They didn’t lose an arm or a leg!”

She then glared at the Marquis of Huaian and said, “Don’t forget, you still have five hundred taels of silver!”

The Marquis of Huaian angrily said, “Do I need these five hundred taels of silver?!”

Mrs. Liang said coldly, “That’s hard to say…”

In the bridal chamber.

Jiang Mai’s veil was still on, she was leaning against the soft pillow, boredly counting the time.

She felt like a very long time had passed. Logically, the bride should have arrived by now.

Why hasn’t she come back yet?

Jiang Mai was suspicious. On her wedding day, it wasn’t appropriate for her to get up on her own or lift her veil first.

At this moment, a servant came to report, “The young lady Zhang, who is by the lady’s side, has arrived.”

Jiang Mai was slightly startled, then said, “Please let her in.”

Zhang Yuying entered the room, separated by a curtain, and said hesitantly, “Duke, I’m here to tell you, the lady, she ran into a little trouble, I’m afraid, um… she won’t be able to come over, you can rest first…”

She won’t be able to come over?

Jiang Mai was surprised, “Did the lady get drunk?”

Zhang Yuying shook her head with difficulty, “No, not that.”

Jiang Mai asked again, “Did she want to keep the guests for the night, drinking all night long?”

Zhang Yuying shook her head with difficulty, “No, not that either.”

Jiang Mai felt confused, “Then what happened?”

Zhang Yuying “…”

Zhang Yuying put her hand on her forehead and said, “Oh, the lady, the lady, she… she got caught…”