Listen to these words—if one didn't know better, they'd think Ming Cui was the master and Rong Luoge the servant. The tone of reprimand couldn't be more obvious.
Rong Luoge couldn't be bothered to waste words on her and said directly, "You can get out now. I don't need a servant like you—one who lacks benevolence, righteousness, and respect for superiors—by my side. Go back to your Duchess."
Cang Yun was taken aback. Seeing the usually gentle girl become so resolute, she felt a surge of joy. The girl hadn't always been this soft-spoken; it was only after returning to the Duke's mansion from the estate that she had been forced into it.
Ming Cui, having been sent by the Duchess, was no fool. Hearing the Princess Consort's firm tone, a sense of foreboding washed over her. Instinctively, she put on a smile and said, "Princess Consort, how can I go back when I'm here to serve you?"
Rong Luoge hadn't expected her to be so adaptable. She sneered and looked at her, saying, "Ming Cui, do you really think I don't know why you're here? The Duchess sent you to my side precisely to spy on me and keep an eye on me, didn't she?"
Ming Cui's face paled. That was indeed the case, but having it laid out so bluntly made her feel embarrassed.
"Princess Consort, the Duchess meant well. You've spent many years in the countryside and might be unfamiliar with the capital's customs. She was worried you might make mistakes in the Prince's mansion, so she specifically sent me to remind you." Ming Cui certainly didn't want to go back. What good would come of returning to the Duke's mansion?
A useless person would only be abandoned.
Rong Luoge hadn't expected dismissing a servant to be so difficult. Her expression turned cold as she instructed Cang Yun, "Go to the gatehouse and call a few people over. Since she doesn't want to leave on her own, have her escorted back to the Duke's mansion."
Ming Cui's legs went weak. If she were escorted back, her days would only get worse. "Princess Consort, how can you be so heartless? I've served you for so long—if not for merit, at least for effort. Aren't you afraid this will damage your reputation if word gets out?"
She even dared to threaten her!
A servant like this would only become a serious problem if kept around. Rong Luoge had originally intended to spare her some dignity, but since the other party refused to cooperate, there was no need.
"A servant who dares to threaten her master—this is the first time I've seen such a thing. Zhenguo Gong Furen is said to govern her household strictly and manage her subordinates well, but it seems now that her reputation is undeserved." When Rong Luoge married over, the Duke's mansion had only given her two people: Cang Yun, whom she brought herself, and Ming Cui, along with a few rough-handed maids who weren't allowed to serve inside the courtyard.
From this, it was clear that Chu Ke, her stepmother, had never intended for the original owner to live comfortably.
With no one else to rely on, Rong Luoge had to take matters into her own hands. She lifted her foot and kicked the still-threatened Ming Cui out of the room. "If you don't leave now, you'll lose your life."
Rong Luoge held back, only kicking her out of the room without causing any real injury—more to intimidate than harm.
Ming Cui was indeed frightened. With a dark expression, she scrambled to her feet, her legs trembling as she said, "When I return to the Duke's mansion, I will report today's events in full to the Duchess."
Rong Luoge didn't even glance at her, only looking at Cang Yun and saying, "Go keep an eye on her. Don't let her take anything she shouldn't."
Ming Cui had sticky fingers, so it was only natural to be wary of her. After all, she was now living here in place of the original owner, and aside from the money she had on hand, there was no other source of income for the time being. She had to protect what she had carefully.
With Cang Yun keeping an eye on Ming Cui, Rong Luoge finally had some time to properly catch her breath.
She sorted through the current situation. The main task at hand was to reclaim the dowry of the original owner’s birth mother—this would be the foundation of her survival in the future.
Next, she needed to recruit and build her own team. Rong Luoge couldn’t rely solely on Cang Yun. She didn’t trust anyone from the Duke’s residence or the Prince’s mansion—only those she bought herself could put her at ease.
She planned to buy two maidservants, along with a few footmen and guards with some martial skills. Since she intended to establish her own household in the future, she couldn’t do without her own people to run errands and gather information.
Moreover, living under the same roof as that scoundrel Han Yifeng in this Prince’s mansion, she had to guard against this despicable man.
After all, anyone who would do such a thing in front of his wife on their wedding night was undoubtedly an abnormal pervert. It wouldn’t be easy for a royal daughter-in-law to seek a mutual divorce, so she had to prepare for a long battle. Recruiting her own people was essential.
Cang Yun returned quickly and said cautiously, “Your Highness, was it really all right to send her away like that? What if the Duchess uses this as an excuse to trouble you again?”
Rong Luoge looked at Cang Yun and smiled. “She wouldn’t dare. Cang Yun, from now on, I’ll make sure we live a good life together. We won’t have to endure humiliation at every turn like we used to. I’ve figured things out, so don’t worry.”
“Really?” Cang Yun brightened instantly. “Back at the manor, Your Highness was so happy. Ever since returning to the residence, you’ve been gloomy. It would be wonderful if things could be like before.”
Seeing Cang Yun’s joyful expression, Rong Luoge couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
Although the original owner’s life at the manor had been simple and frugal, she had indeed been quite happy. Without anyone oppressing her, she naturally felt at ease.
But after returning to the Duke’s residence, things changed. She had to tread carefully around her stepmother while yearning for her father’s elusive affection. Naturally, she tried her best to please them, hoping to earn even a single caring glance from her father.
Unfortunately…
What kind of paternal love could a scoundrel like her father, who would send his own daughter away for the sake of his new wife, possibly possess?
Or perhaps his paternal affection had never been meant for her.
Take Rong Dai, for example—she was the daughter Zhenguo Gong genuinely cherished. The original owner, a legitimate daughter, was far less favored than an illegitimate child. What a joke this life had been.
Thinking of this, Rong Luoge felt she couldn’t let that couple off so easily. “Go and bring me the dowry list to take a look.”
Cang Yun cheerfully agreed and turned to enter the inner chamber, soon returning with the bright red dowry list in hand.
Rong Luoge opened it and immediately sensed something amiss. The items listed were all quite impressive—a dowry of one hundred and eight chests. According to this list, it should have been worth at least thirty thousand taels of silver. Could that couple really have been so generous?
She stood up and headed straight for the storeroom where the dowry was kept. Opening her dowry chests, she couldn’t help but laugh bitterly in anger. Sure enough, the contents didn’t match the list.
There were no gold, jade, or precious stones as listed, nor were there any of the fine silks and satins. Even the valuable decorative items meant to showcase her status upon marriage were missing—for instance, the sandalwood four-season brocade kang screen listed on the dowry list was nowhere to be seen.
The chest was stuffed with cheap, worthless coarse cloth garments and low-quality utensils, all together worth at most five hundred taels at the very highest.
Rong Luoge was furious—this couple was truly disgusting.
The original host’s maternal family lived far away, and due to her soft nature, she had little contact with them. After all, Zhenguo Gong had deliberately kept them apart, and the original host had obediently listened to her scumbag father. It was truly…
But she was not the original host. She absolutely could not let this injustice go unanswered.
She returned to the main courtyard, wrote a letter, and had Cang Yun deliver it to the Duke’s residence. If that couple refused to provide her with the dowry listed on the inventory exactly as it was, and return her birth mother’s dowry to her, she would have people carry out these one hundred and eight chests of dowry and dump them all in front of the Zhenguo Gong residence.
Let’s see if they still cared about their reputation!