You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 101 I Laugh, Madam Fang Is Pitiful

Liang Jiang lifted the red cloth on the tray, and just as he had expected, it was not a hairpin, but a brass waist tag.

With this waist token, one could enter the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.

She respectfully accepted it and thanked the palace maid, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, sister."

The palace maid smiled, pursing her lips: "Does Your Highness not remember me?"

Liang Jiang was taken aback. She looked at the palace maid in front of her and thought she looked familiar, but she couldn't remember her no matter what.

Seeing her puzzled expression, the palace maid smiled and said, "Your Highness, you really have a bad memory. A few years ago, when you went to the palace for a banquet, you made a name for yourself by doing this for me, and you offended the second young master of the Earl's mansion..."

Before the palace maid could finish speaking, Liang Jiang suddenly realized, "Oh, it's you! You haven't left the palace yet?"

The palace maid shook her head: "I am fortunate to have the favor of the Empress Dowager. I have no relatives or friends outside the palace, so I have stayed in the palace."

Liang Jiang vaguely understood something. It turned out that she was the old friend that Eunuch Lin had mentioned, which was why Eunuch Lin had stood up for her that day.

"No wonder the Empress Dowager was so lenient with me today. It must be because you spoke well of me to the Empress Dowager, sister."

"It was nothing more than a small favor. If it weren't for the princess standing up for me back then, I would have lost my composure in front of the palace and screamed in terror, and I would probably have been beaten to death on the spot."

"Your Highness, you are kind-hearted; your hardships will surely be overcome and your happiness will come."

Liang Jiang never expected that her foolish act in her childhood would lead to this good fortune.

Including what happened in the main hall today, I took such a big risk to gamble. If it weren't for her speaking well of me to the Empress Dowager beforehand, how could things have gone so smoothly?
Thank you repeatedly, I am extremely grateful.

After the banquet, as they left the palace, they unexpectedly ran into Fang Chengxu and Tong Zhao'er at the palace gate.

Fang Chengxu was beaten three times by Liang Jiang and had to rest in bed for more than ten days before he was able to return to his post as a guard.

Who knew that upon returning to the guard, he would be met with coldness from everyone, a stark contrast to his condition before he was injured.

When speaking with Xie Fubai, Xie Fubai's words were always full of hidden meanings and barbs.

He knew he must have offended someone unintentionally. At today's birthday banquet, when he heard the old lady protecting Liangjiang in every way, he knew perfectly well that his act of taking advantage of others had probably been exposed.

Upon seeing Liang Jiang, he felt both ashamed and guilty, and also harbored a hatred that wanted to destroy her. He grabbed Tong Zhao'er and took a few quick steps, causing her to stumble.

Tong Zhao'er shook off his hand: "Why are you running away? You're so distracted when you see Liang Jiang."

Her voice wasn't quiet, and Fang Chengxu, seeing the crowds coming and going at the palace gate, quickly whispered, "Keep your voice down, aren't you ashamed?"

"What shame do I have?" Tong Zhao'er raised her voice confidently: "After being divorced, some people are involved with the son of an earl and the heir of the Marquis of Huaiyuan. They are fickle and promiscuous. Isn't she the one who is shameful?"

Everyone around could tell who Tong Zhao'er was referring to indirectly.
Just now at the birthday banquet, in front of the Empress Dowager, no one dared to be presumptuous. Now that they're outside the palace, those who were keeping their mouths shut have all fallen silent.

They pointed at the ginger and made unrestrained comments.

Liang Jiang did not retort to Tong Zhao'er's sarcasm. As she passed by the two, she smiled slightly and said, "It seems that Young Master Fang's injury has healed well. I wonder how the old lady is doing these days? Is she still at the mansion in the capital?"

Fang Chengxu glanced at Tong Zhao'er, who retorted sarcastically, "What a joke! Do you think it's your place to fawn over someone like that?"

"Madam Fang has probably misunderstood. The money the Fang family owes me is due soon. I'm just worried that Old Madam Fang will use the excuse of a relapse of her heart disease to refuse to repay the money, so I'm asking in advance to let you know that everything is alright."

With a single sentence, Liang Jiang smoothly turned the tables, leaving Tong Zhao'er speechless. Fang Chengxu stammered guiltily, "You know my situation. I've only been with the Guard Army for a short time, and I'm afraid I can't raise the money in a short period of time."

Liang Jiang asked in surprise, "Is life in your household already this difficult? I remember when we married Miss Tong, the dowry alone was six thousand taels."

"The Fang family is willing to offer such a high dowry because I, Tong Zhao'er, am worthy of it. Unlike some people who offer money to the Fang family but still don't care."

Liang Jiang remained calm and composed: "Although my dowry is meager, it is still a proper marriage; Madam Fang, on the other hand, is offering a 'try before you buy' deal, a buy-one-get-one-free deal. It's not certain who is more worthy and who is not."

“You…” Tong Zhao’er’s face turned ashen with anger.

When it comes to sharp tongues, Liang Jiang has never lost.

She smiled and said, "The Fang family has gone bankrupt to climb up to the General's Mansion. Surely they will rise to great heights and have a prosperous future. Surely they won't default on a mere few thousand taels of silver?"

Young Master Fang has just received three strokes of the cane. If he were to face legal trouble and be punished with further caning for refusing to pay his debts, who knows how long he would need to recover?

Tong Zhao'er's face turned ashen: "This petty person has gained power, but he's only relying on the ill-gotten gains that the Duke of Liang made by selling out the country! How dare he swagger around here!"

The mere mention of her father brought another pang of pain to Liang Jiang's heart. "Traitor," she thought, "anyone else can call you, the Tong family, but you are not worthy of such a label!"

She harmed my father, stole my husband, and then publicly tarnished my reputation, flaunting her power and influence.

Today, if I don't stab you, Tong Zhao'er, in the heart, I'm not Liang Jiang.

Liang Jiang's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a grim expression. She stared intently at Tong Zhao'er and said, enunciating each word clearly, "His Majesty has not yet made a decision regarding my father's alleged treason. If you dare to spout nonsense and insult my father again, I will not be polite."

Seeing that she had hit Liang Jiang where it hurt, Tong Zhao'er became even more smug: "Why are you being so rude? If you're so capable, go ahead and sue me. Let the yamen give me a few lashes too, and see if everyone believes you or me?"

These words drew ridicule from those around them: "The evidence of the Duke of Liang's treason is already conclusive. The Emperor's failure to make a final judgment is merely out of compassion and leniency, sparing her and her daughter a way out. Yet she takes it as an excuse."

“Be careful what you say. Don’t forget that someone just used a painting of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix to win the Empress Dowager’s favor.”

……

Fang Chengxu tugged at Tong Zhao'er's sleeve, signaling her to stop being so unreasonable, but Tong Zhao'er shook him off forcefully.

"Don't you understand? When my father exposed the Duke of Liang's treason, she hated our family to the core. Even if I swallowed my anger, she would still not let it go."

Liang Jiang clenched and unclenched her hands inside her sleeves, then clenched them again. Looking at Tong Zhao'er, she suddenly grinned.

That smile had a strange quality to it, which made Tong Zhao'er feel a chill run down her spine.

"why are you laughing?"

Liang Jiang stepped forward, moved closer to Tong Zhao'er, and lowered her voice: "I laugh, Madam Fang is pitiful."

Tong Zhao'er was stunned: "Me, pitiful? Liang Jiang, what are you joking about? I am the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, and my husband is a fourth-rank deputy commander with a limitless future. On the contrary, you are nothing but a rat crossing the street, an unwanted abandoned woman. What makes you pity me?"

Liang Jiang curled her lips: "You poor frog in a well, you've never eaten fine food in your life, and you treat a man that I, Liang Jiang, don't care for as a treasure."
"You're pitiful; besides the title of the general's legitimate daughter, you're good for nothing. Without your father, you're nothing."

Tong Zhao'er sneered: "You just happened to help the Marquis's mansion find the stolen birthday gifts. Do you think you're so great?"
I, Tong Zhao'er, was once a skilled warrior, a master archer, and if I hadn't married, I would be a female general by now, having fought on the battlefield and achieved great deeds. Your mediocre skills, Liang Jiang, are like crushing an ant to me.

(End of this chapter)