Mrs. Xu dared not say anything more, but Xu Qingyue’s eyes darted around as she smiled and tried to smooth things over: “Mother is only looking out for us, worried that my sister and I might make mistakes once we marry into the Duke’s Estate. Since my sister and I rarely get the chance to visit, why don’t we accompany Mother for a stroll in the garden? Father, my husband, and eldest brother can discuss scholarly matters in the study.”
“Qingyue is right. I was so concerned that I acted rashly, which led Young Lord to misunderstand. I’ll take the two sisters for a chat now—please make yourselves comfortable here.” Mrs. Xu immediately caught Qingyue’s meaning. The two exchanged a glance, and their faces instantly shifted back into smiles.
“So they’re trying to lure me aside! They can see Young Lord is defending me here, and since they can’t get the dowry back through him, they must be planning to take me away and force me to secretly return it! Hmph, nice try! I’m not stupid—I won’t hand over my dowry to you! Just wait and see how I infuriate you, you old witch!” Xu Qingyan raised an eyebrow, silently sneering.
Pei Jingchuan saw what was happening and was about to speak up to stop them, but Pei Jingyuan beat him to it: “I actually have some matters I’d like to discuss with my father-in-law and eldest brother. Qingyue, why don’t you and the others take a walk with Mother-in-law?”
Xu Qingyue immediately rose enthusiastically, grabbing Xu Qingyan’s hand and pulling her outside. Pei Jingchuan had no choice but to hold back the words on the tip of his tongue. Fine—he’d find an excuse to go out and check on things later.
“Sister, it’s just the three of us now. You’re not really going to shamelessly cling to the dowry Mother prepared for me, are you?” Once they reached the garden, the smile vanished from Xu Qingyue’s face as she looked down at Xu Qingyan with an air of superiority.
In truth, Xu Qingyan was only two months younger than her, but she simply refused to acknowledge that Xu Qingyan was the di-daughter.
Mrs. Xu’s face was cold as she spoke: “Don’t think that just because you’ve become the Consort of the Heir Apparent, you’re so special. Young Lord only said those things to save face. You’re just a shu-daughter—don’t be so unreasonable. When you go back, have someone quietly pack everything up without alerting Young Lord and the others, and honestly return the dowry to me. Those were things I prepared for Qingyue, not things a shu-daughter like you deserves to enjoy!”
“Mrs. Xu, it’s not that I can’t return them to you, but you’ll need to prepare a new set of dowry for me instead.” Xu Qingyan looked at her.
When there were no outsiders around, Xu Qingyan refused to call her “Mother”—and she didn’t like Xu Qingzhi calling her that either.
“What did you say!” Mrs. Xu’s voice rose sharply at this. She hadn’t expected this shu-daughter to dare make such an outrageous demand.
“Is Mrs. Xu hard of hearing? I said you need to prepare a new dowry for me. I may be a shu-daughter, but I’ve still married Young Lord. With the dowry you prepared for me, aren’t you afraid others will say you’re slighting the Duke’s Estate?” Xu Qingyan finished speaking and looked at them calmly, not a trace of fear in her expression.
When she had first transmigrated here, she had indeed been fairly obedient—because she knew that when you’re under someone’s roof, you have to lower your head. But now, she was already married and out of that house, so there was no need to keep kowtowing to her stepmother.
And besides, wasn’t this stepmother the one who had caused her own mother to be unjustly demoted, living a miserable life? Moreover, she was the true di-daughter of the Xu family—those things were rightfully hers to begin with!
“Dream on! I’m ordering you to return that dowry to me as soon as you get back, or I won’t let you off easy! Don’t think you’re so special just because you married Young Lord—a married woman needs a powerful natal family behind her!” Mrs. Xu shouted harshly at Xu Qingyan.
Xu Qingyan let out a mocking laugh and sneered: “So if I return the dowry, you’ll treat me well from now on? I never had a natal family to rely on anyway, so why would I fear your threats? Do you really take me for a fool?”
Given that Mrs. Xu’s family had gone so far as to have someone demoted from wife to concubine before remarrying, did she really expect that returning the dowry would make them help her in the future? Since her treatment from them wouldn’t change whether she returned it or not—it would remain just as bad as before—why should she do them any favors?
“You… you… just wait until I deal with you, you little wretch! Someone! Seize her! Family discipline!” Mrs. Xu pointed at her in a fury, barking orders at the servants standing around.
Though Xu Qingyan had two maidservants by her side, they were also dowry maids who had come from the Xu household—their indenture contracts were firmly in Mrs. Xu’s hands.
Hearing Mrs. Xu’s orders now, they immediately stepped forward to block Xu Qingyan. But Xu Qingyan moved nimbly, slipping right through their grasp in a flash.
“Seize her, now!” The moment Mrs. Xu’s words fell, a swarm of maidservants and older serving women rushed after Xu Qingyan.
Xu Qingyan’s body had grown up in the countryside, where she had done plenty of physical labor, so by now she was running at full speed. Like a nimble swallow, she lifted her skirts, darted through the garden, raced up the corridor, and fled toward the main hall without looking back.
Help! Murder! They’re trying to finish me off! Run… I have to run, I have to get out of here! I’m never setting foot in this wretched Xu estate again!
Pei Jingchuan happened to be walking with Father Xu and the others at the other end of the corridor. He had been fretting over not having caught sight of Xu Qingyan earlier when suddenly he heard her thoughts. His heart tightened, and he immediately turned and sprinted toward the direction the thoughts had come from.
“Brother, where are you going?” Pei Jingyuan watched Pei Jingchuan with confusion and ran after him, asking.
Pei Jingchuan had no time to acknowledge him. He only quickened his pace, charging toward Xu Qingyan’s direction.
Mrs. Xu was practically summoning every servant in the courtyard to seize Xu Qingyan, who was now fleeing for her life like a desperate fugitive.
“You little slut! Where do you think you can run? Grab her and teach her a proper lesson!” An old maidservant, seeing she was about to catch up with Xu Qingyan, crowed triumphantly to the servants behind her.
Wah wah wah… It’s over, I can’t run anymore! I’m going to be beaten to death right here, poor me! That gentle, handsome Young Lord—I haven’t even had my fill of him yet, haven’t given him a child, and now I’m going to die here! As Xu Qingyan ran, her foot suddenly twisted and she crashed to the ground with a thud, sobbing in despair.
She knew Mrs. Xu had always been vicious. If they beat her to death today, they would surely toss her body into the lake afterward and claim she had slipped and drowned.
According to the customs of the Great Xia Dynasty, once a woman died, her dowry had to be returned to her natal family. Since Xu Qingyue was already married to Pei Jingyuan, Xu Qingyan no longer held any value to them.
“What are you people doing!” Just as Xu Qingyan closed her eyes in despair, a furious male voice rang out from above.
It was Pei Jingchuan! Her eyes flew open, and she raised her head, gazing up at him with a pitiful look.
Pei Jingchuan looked down and saw her pouting lips, red-rimmed eyes, and a face full of grievance—his heart melted on the spot. Thank goodness he could hear her thoughts; otherwise, who knew what might have happened!
“Wah wah… Young Lord, save me! They’re going to beat me to death!” Xu Qingyan couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into loud sobs.
Pei Jingchuan’s face instantly turned grim, his eyes carrying murderous intent as he fixed them on the old maidservant clutching a club across from him. He barked, “It seems you people want to commit murder?”
The maidservant trembled all over at his words, her lips quivering as she stammered, “N-no… no… it’s a misunderstanding. Young Lord, this is all a misunderstanding. This old servant was merely… merely seeing that the Consort of the Heir Apparent had fallen and wanted to help her up!”
“Ha! You help someone up with a club in hand? And you were cursing her as a ‘little slut’?” Pei Jingchuan sneered.
“Brother, what’s going on? What happened here?”
At that moment, Pei Jingyuan caught up as well. Seeing the scene before him, a sense of foreboding rose in his chest.