The craziest, boldest thing the madam had ever done in her life was run away from an arranged marriage—after her family had settled the match, on the eve of her wedding. When she learned of the hasty arrangement, she fought against it with all her might, pleading through tears for them to call it off.
[If you won't marry into the Gong Clan, who do you want to marry?]
Hope flared in the madam's despairing eyes.
She firmly named the man she loved.
To her surprise, the elders scoffed at him.
[That frivolous playboy who spends all day among women—how could he protect you and be a good husband? What's more, his father has thoroughly offended Zheng Qiao. A great disaster is about to befall them!]
Only then did the madam learn that her beloved's family was a fence-sitting faction at court, always leaning toward whichever side had the stronger wind. Many upright scholar-officials despised them for it. Back when Zheng Qiao had yet to return to his country and was still in favor, her beloved's family had fawned over him shamelessly.
After Zheng Qiao returned, they immediately changed their tune.
They'd publicly said plenty of things cursing Zheng Qiao.
No one had expected Zheng Qiao to ascend the throne of Geng Country and return with its elite troops and generals. Those who had offended him back then would naturally be punished. If the madam married her beloved, she might be caught up in it before the wedding even began—and lose her life.
The madam refused to accept it. [So Gong Cheng is a good husband? I don't even know him. You yourselves said before that I could marry whoever I liked. Why are you going back on your word? I won't marry him!]
From childhood, everyone around her had