As Xu Qingyan sat in the carriage with the gifts bestowed by the Princess, returning to the Duke’s Estate in grand style, Xu Qingyue sat in the carriage behind her, nearly grinding her teeth to dust the entire way.
Pei Jingyuan likewise wore a gloomy expression, deeply displeased by the unexpected turn of events that day.
When the two returned to their chambers, Pei Jingyuan slammed his fist heavily onto the table, venting all the fury in his heart: “This Xu Qingyan is truly an eyesore! Not only did she take away the dowry, but now she’s ruined such an important matter!”
“So we need to find a way to get rid of her. As long as she’s dead, everything will be solved, and I can get my dowry back!” Xu Qingyue sat to the side, speaking with hatred.
“I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. Now Father, Mother, and Eldest Brother all like her very much. It may be difficult for us to make a move.” Pei Jingyuan’s face showed his hesitation.
Hearing this, Xu Qingyue couldn’t help but furrow her brows slightly. “Could it be that in this vast Duke’s Estate, there’s no one who can control her? By the way, I’ve heard before that the Duke’s Estate has a Grand Dowager?”
When Pei Jingyuan heard Xu Qingyue’s words, his eyes lit up instantly, and he said to her: “Your words remind me—Grandmother and Mother have been extremely at odds in past years. Anything Mother likes, Grandmother is certain to dislike. However, Grandmother went to live at the temple two years ago and hasn’t returned much since. We only send her monthly allowance on schedule.”
Xu Qingyue thought for a moment after hearing Pei Jingyuan’s words, then said: “Is there any way to get Grandmother to return? Husband, what is Grandmother’s attitude toward the Heir Apparent? If she were to learn that the Heir Apparent married a shu-daughter, and if we make her misunderstand that Xu Qingyan is someone with sinister schemes, wouldn’t she detest Xu Qingyan even more?”
“Grandmother comes from a scholarly family and has very high standards for women. Xu Qingyan’s background would indeed be beneath her notice. I can write a letter to tell her about the recent affairs of the estate, but I can’t guarantee whether she’ll come back.” Pei Jingyuan said uncertainly after thinking it over.
Xu Qingyue twisted her fingers, tilting her head in thought. After a moment, she said: “What if we secretly have someone rob the monthly allowance sent to Grandmother, and then intercept the letters she sends back requesting money? She’d surely be furious and come back immediately, wouldn’t she? After all, Xu Qingyan is still the one managing the household now—when the time comes, she’ll likely be blamed for mishandling things.”
“That’s truly a wonderful idea, Qingyue—you’re so clever!” Pei Jingyuan was overjoyed at the suggestion and immediately ordered people to carry it out.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xu Qingyan had no idea that Xu Qingyue was already scheming against her again. Since returning from the Princess’s residence, she had enjoyed several comfortable and leisurely days in the estate.
As for managing the household, Pei Jingchuan had assigned a capable young man to assist, which lightened Xu Qingyan’s burden considerably.
At the same time, the second and third branches of the family were thoroughly satisfied with Xu Qingyan due to the increased monthly allowances and improved treatment—no one came to cause her trouble anymore.
Until a few days later, when a maidservant hurried over to find her, saying: “Consort of the Heir Apparent, the Old Madam has returned and requests your immediate presence in the front hall.”
Xu Qingyan replied that she understood, then rose and made her way to the front hall.
When Xu Qingyan arrived, she saw the Duke of Guo, the Duchess of Guo, and Pei Jingchuan all standing to the side, barely daring to breathe. Everyone from the second and third branches of the Duke’s Estate had also gathered.
There, in the most honored seat in the center, sat an elderly woman with a stern face. The moment she saw Xu Qingyan enter, before she could even bow to pay her respects, the old woman’s gaze fixed upon her like a venomous snake.
“So this is the Heir’s Consort that Jingchuan newly married? Utterly lacking in manners—she doesn’t even know to greet me upon arrival. A lowly shu-daughter from a small household is truly base!” The Old Madam’s harsh words came crashing down before Xu Qingyan could even perform her bow.
Xu Qingyan felt speechless at these words and muttered quietly to herself: “Ridiculous. I was just about to bow, wasn’t I? You scolded me before I could even kneel—and now you’re blaming me? Where’s the sense in that!”
Pei Jingchuan, standing nearby, was also quite displeased with the Old Madam’s words and was about to say something, but the Duke of Guo held him back.
Xu Qingyue and the others stood on the other side, watching Xu Qingyan being reprimanded, feeling as though they had finally vented some of their frustration.
“Why haven’t you knelt yet?” The Old Madam saw that Xu Qingyan was frozen and hadn’t moved, so she scolded her again.
Hearing this, Xu Qingyan had no choice but to kneel and offer her respects: “This granddaughter-in-law pays her respects to the Old Madam. May the Old Madam enjoy health and prosperity, and may all things go well.”
Just as Xu Qingyan finished speaking and was about to rise, the Old Madam unexpectedly let out another cold shout: “Stay kneeling! Who told you to get up!”
At this, Xu Qingyan’s brows furrowed deeply, and she thought to herself with exasperation: [Damn! You fake, what are you being so fierce about! Truly, the uglier the person, the more trouble they make. You’re a character with barely any presence in the book, and yet you’re throwing your weight around? You’re nothing but a foot-washing maid—what right do you have to act so high and mighty! But the Duke is truly pitiable, not knowing his own mother has already been cruelly killed. The one throwing her weight around in the Duke’s Estate right now is nothing more than a foot-washing maid wearing a human-skin mask.]
The moment Xu Qingyan’s inner thoughts surfaced, the three of them—the Duke and the others—froze stiff, especially the Duke, whose expression nearly cracked.
Pei Jingchuan remained slightly more composed. He knew that if Xu Qingyan said the Old Madam before them was a fake, then it must be true, and the real Old Madam had likely been murdered.
“Grandmother, Qingyan sustained some injuries while rescuing the Princess recently, and her health isn’t suited for prolonged kneeling. Please allow her to rise first,” Pei Jingchuan said, finding an excuse as he stepped forward to address the fake Old Madam.
The fake Old Madam’s face showed displeasure, but upon hearing Pei Jingchuan invoke the Princess to pressure her, she had no choice but to let Xu Qingyan stand. If word got out, she feared the Princess might come to support Xu Qingyan.
Though she allowed Xu Qingyan to rise, that didn’t mean she would let her off the hook. This Xu Qingyan had the audacity to cut off her silver supply, leaving her with no money to spend at the temple.
So, she turned to Xu Qingyan and accused her: “You’ve only just begun managing the household, and you already have the nerve to dock my monthly allowance!”
Hearing the fake Old Madam’s words, Xu Qingyan was somewhat taken aback. She explained, “Grandmother, you must be mistaken. I haven’t docked your allowance at all. Everything is the same as before!”
Upon hearing Xu Qingyan’s explanation, the fake Old Madam picked up a teacup and hurled it at her, fuming: “You dare make excuses! I didn’t receive any silver this month. I wrote letters asking for it, but you all ignored me, so I had no choice but to rush back from the temple!”
Hearing the fake Old Madam’s words, Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but suspect: “With that corrupt Steward Zhou gone, who else would embezzle the silver? Could it be… is the Old Madam lying? After all, she has a lover at that temple, and that lover keeps another woman on the side, all supported by the Old Madam’s silver. Could it be that her lover asked her for money, she didn’t have enough, and so she came back to swindle some?”
The Duke and the others were utterly shocked by Xu Qingyan’s words. They looked at the fake Old Madam and thought: Isn’t the Old Madam supposed to be cultivating in quiet retreat at the temple? How does she have a lover?
They wanted to hear more of what Xu Qingyan had to say, but suddenly she stopped.
Seeing Xu Qingyan fall silent, the Duke said anxiously in a low voice: “Why did you stop? Go on—what happened next? Tell us!”