Entering the Imperial Selection
Before Hua Meng had finished speaking, the others in the room had already begun to look puzzled, shocked, or angry.
But when she finally finished, not one of them dared speak up.
Hua Meng was simply too different from the way she had been before.
As though she had not noticed their strange looks, Hua Meng continued to address Madam Zhang. "If the Zhang family doesn't know how to write the notice breaking off the engagement, the Hua Family can do it for you."
With that, Hua Meng finally moved, walking toward an empty seat nearby.
Once seated, she looked at Madam Zhang, who was sitting diagonally across from her. "If you can't make the decision, Madam Zhang, you're welcome to go home and discuss it with your family. But if the Hua Family hasn't seen the notice within three days, we'll have to do it for you."
With those words, Hua Meng cut off the Zhang family's escape route.
Her meaning was clear: if the Zhang family did not do it, the Hua Family would.
Madam Zhang no longer had time to wonder why Hua Meng was different today.
All she could think about now was what the Zhang family should do about Hua Meng's demand.
If they did not do it, the Hua Family would.
But if they did?
Just thinking about it, she knew that if they really did it, the Zhang family's reputation would be ruined.
The world would not care whether it really was the Elder Princess who had taken a fancy to her Jinghong and insisted on marrying her daughter to him.
In the eyes of the world, the Zhang family was in the wrong for breaking off an engagement a month before the wedding to marry someone else.
As for seeking the Elder Princess's help...
Madam Zhang knew exactly how the marriage to the Elder Princess's daughter had come about, so she naturally did not dare entertain the thought.
"I... I need to go home and discuss it."
Hua Meng was not surprised by Madam Zhang's choice.
She could also guess what the Zhang family would do.
Looking at Zhang Jinghong, who stood before her less than a shichen later, Hua Meng wore the same expression she had shown Madam Zhang.
"I've said everything I needed to say. We can break off the engagement, but your family must send out notices far and wide stating that it was the Zhang family who proposed breaking it off to marry someone else."
Zhang Jinghong looked troubled. His peach blossom eyes gazed tenderly at Hua Meng, as though he wanted to speak but hesitated. "Mengmeng, I..."
Looking at Zhang Jinghong's pretended affection, Hua Meng sneered inwardly, though her face remained expressionless. "Are you about to tell me that breaking off the engagement wasn't what you wanted?" She stared straight into his eyes and continued, "Do you want me to go beat the Dengwen Drum?"
At those words, Zhang Jinghong knew there was no room for negotiation.
Though he wondered why Hua Meng, who had once adored him and had eyes only for him, had become like this, Zhang Jinghong only dared scheme over the marriage for now; he still did not dare kill anyone outright.
Zhang Jinghong left defeated, and with the Zhang family's most likely hope of persuading Hua Meng sent home with clipped wings, it also meant that if they wanted to marry the Elder Princess's daughter, they could only do as Hua Meng demanded.
Otherwise, if the Hua Family caused a scene on the day of the wedding and displeased the Elder Princess, everyone in the Zhang family would likely suffer.
In the end, Father Zhang, who had passed the same imperial examination as Father Hua, stepped forward and pleaded for two days before the notices that were to be distributed throughout the capital were limited to being posted in South City.
Besides that, the betrothal gifts the Zhang family had sent back then were all to be given to Hua Meng as her dowry.
From then on, the Hua and Zhang families would have nothing more to do with each other.
"They got off far too easily!" Hua Meng's second brother said indignantly, then turned to her. "Little sister, don't be sad. I'll find you a husband ten thousand times better than Zhang Jinghong!"
As soon as Hua Peng finished speaking, Father Hua was about to rebuke him.
But before he could speak, Hua Meng, seated at the lowest place, looked up at Hua Peng. "Second brother, do you know where to find a husband ten thousand times better than Zhang Jinghong?"
As soon as Hua Meng spoke, everyone present turned to look at her.
With so many people watching her, Hua Meng smiled faintly and looked in the direction of the imperial palace. "I heard that His Majesty is holding another imperial selection."