Early the next morning, Jiang Yao had originally planned to have breakfast in her own courtyard before leaving to continue exploring Luo Gu Cheng, intending to visit the Jiang family by noon.
Unexpectedly, just as she finished breakfast at Hanmei Yuan and was about to go out, Pei Muzheng intercepted her in the courtyard.
Jiang Yao thought to herself: What awful luck!
Yet her face showed no sign of it, only a slight surprise as she asked, “Husband, why have you come? Did you not attend the morning court session today?”
It seemed today was his day off.
Pei Muzheng looked at Jiang Yao before him—her skin glowing, her spirit vibrant—she didn’t look at all like someone who had been running around outside all day.
Pei Muzheng felt displeased and somewhat irritable, though he couldn’t quite explain why.
Because of this irritation, the words he had intended to use to invite Jiang Yao to the Main Courtyard turned into an accusation. “Jiang Yao, what exactly do you want?”
Jiang Yao widened her eyes slightly. “What does husband mean by that? Have I done something to upset you? Is it wrong for me to go out and help mother-in-law seek Divine Doctor Xue to treat her heart condition?”
Pei Muzheng frowned. “I’m not talking about that. I’m asking if you still refuse to forgive Xingyu? Don’t you know that harmony in the family leads to prosperity in all endeavors? I’m already exhausted from my daily duties in the Grand Secretariat and have no energy to deal with matters of the inner household. Madame, please don’t distract me further.”
“So that’s what this is about.” Jiang Yao still looked somewhat puzzled. “I forgave Xingyu long ago—otherwise I wouldn’t have returned. Why would husband think I haven’t forgiven her?”
“Then why are you still unwilling to manage the household?” Pei Muzheng demanded.
“So it’s about managing the household.” Jiang Yao frowned slightly. “Husband, isn’t it fine for mother-in-law to manage the household? My forgiving Xingyu has nothing to do with managing the household, does it? Moreover, in other prominent families, if the matriarch is still healthy, she typically handles the Zhong Kui. Previously, when I helped manage the household, it was already somewhat overstepping.”
Pei Muzheng grew increasingly agitated. “You know mother has a heart condition and shouldn’t overexert herself. Managing the inner household is very taxing. How can you bear to let mother continue working so hard?”
He couldn’t very well say outright that Pei Manor had little money and he wanted her to continue using her dowry to support the Pei family’s expenses.
She used to always consider his needs and never gave him any worries about money—what had changed recently?
Jiang Yao sneered inwardly. This despicable man clearly wanted her to keep using her dowry to support the Pei family, yet he pretended otherwise.
It had always been like this. Though he coveted the Jiang family’s wealth, he was utterly hypocritical, claiming he didn’t need anything while never hesitating to accept the expensive ingredients, fine inkstones and brushes, valuable gifts, and silver notes she provided.
Besides, his mother didn’t have any damned heart condition!
Now, she would expose this hypocritical man for what he was.
She would bring everything out into the open and see how he would choose.
Jiang Yao said gently, “Since mother-in-law has a heart condition, it’s indeed right for me, as her daughter-in-law, to help share the burden. But husband, there’s hardly any money in the household accounts. Previously, all the manor’s expenses were covered by my dowry. I’ve been thinking… if this gets out, it would sound terrible. And you serve in the Grand Secretariat—all the officials there are known for their integrity and nobility. If word reached them, I fear it would make your position even more difficult. What does husband think? If you want me to continue using my dowry to support the entire household, I don’t mind taking over the management. I’m just worried that in the future…”
If it gets out later, don’t blame her.
It is not uncommon for a woman to use her dowry to slightly subsidize her husband’s family after marriage.
However, if the entire household’s living expenses—food, drink, and daily necessities—rely entirely on the woman’s dowry, it would sound extremely disgraceful if word got out.
More than just disgraceful, the family’s reputation would be tarnished, and in the future, when the daughters or sons of the household seek marriage, they would be subjected to gossip and pointed fingers.
Pei Muzheng’s face instantly turned pale, then darkened with displeasure.
Of course, he knew that the extravagant lifestyle the family had enjoyed over the past few years had been subsidized by Jiang Yao’s dowry.
But now Jiang Yao had openly brought it up.
What choice did he have?
For the first time, Pei Muzheng felt a sense of powerlessness, as if he could no longer control her.
In the past, he had always believed he could easily manipulate her as he pleased.
Before, even if he refused her offerings, she would insist on giving them to him.
Why had things changed so much now?
Pei Muzheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
What could he possibly say?
Jiang Yao gazed at Pei Muzheng, who was avoiding her eyes, not bothering to conceal the mockery in her own.
“Husband, shall I continue to support the Pei family with my dowry?” she pressed.
This man was utterly hypocritical. Even Liu Shi and Pei Xingyu displayed their greed openly and unabashedly.
But Pei Muzheng’s greed lay hidden deep within his heart, never exposed, disguised under a facade of cold, gentlemanly composure.
In truth, he was the greediest and most repulsive of them all!
Well, she would tear off his mask. Since the matter was now out in the open, let’s see if he would dare to demand that she continue managing the household in the future!
“So that’s how it is,” Pei Muzheng muttered awkwardly, averting his gaze. “I had no idea you were using your dowry to support the family all this time. I will go ask Mother about it.”
With that, he could no longer stay and turned to leave.
His retreating figure was utterly discomposed.
Jiang Yao sneered. See? He had indeed pretended not to know.
By exposing this matter, she had likely earned his deep-seated hatred.
Pei Muzheng was indeed filled with resentment.
As he left Hanmei Yuan, his face twisted slightly, and he clenched his fists tightly.
Jiang Yao had humiliated him so blatantly.
How dare she!
She had even insulted him to his face, claiming she was supporting the Pei family.
After Pei Muzheng’s figure disappeared beyond the Chuihua Gate, Jiang Yao called for Zhenzhu and Xiao Liuzi and left Pei Manor.
She wandered around the city, hoping to find clues about Divine Doctor Xue.
Jiang Yao knew that to gather information, teahouses were the best places. Porters, laborers, outlaws, scholars, and artisans often gathered there to chat idly, making it far more effective than blindly searching within the inner city.
After strolling around the city for a while, Jiang Yao found a teahouse and chose a seat by the window on the second floor, partitioned off by a screen.
She ordered a pot of Biluochun Tea and casually selected two plates of snacks, then had Zhenzhu sit with her to listen to the various idle gossip and amusing stories from around the world.
This teahouse was relatively large in Jingcheng.
Yet, it was inevitably a mix of all sorts, with people from every walk of life.
Jiang Yao listened to the chatter around her, which mostly consisted of everyday small talk or gossip about the noble families in the capital.
Even when other topics arose, none had any connection to the information Jiang Yao sought.
But Jiang Yao was in no hurry. She sipped her tea slowly, absorbing the sounds around her.
As the conversations continued, a few scholars at the next table began reciting poetry to express their sentiments.
“Fine wine in luminous cups, / We’re urged to drink when pipa summons. Ah~ This poem truly paints a vivid scene of warriors, filled with heroic spirit, feasting on the eve of heading to the battlefield.”
“Exactly, and the second half goes, ‘Lying drunk on the battlefield, do not mock me, for how many warriors throughout history have returned from war?’ It’s absolutely brilliant! How could Miss Shen possess such extraordinary talent to conceive such a magnificent poem? It’s as if she had witnessed with her own eyes the soldiers fighting desperately on the battlefield and the cruel, tragic sacrifice of giving their lives for the nation!”
“Miss Shen is indeed remarkably gifted. Not only this poem, but also her ‘Invitation to Wine’ is a timeless masterpiece—’Heaven has made us talents, we’re not made in vain… A thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again.’ It’s unimaginable how a teenage girl could compose such eternal verses in what state of mind. If Miss Shen were a man, she would surely be a prodigy, capable of serving Da Ning with her talents!”
Jiang Yao sat listening from behind the partition.
These scholars were discussing Shen Yuanwu’s poetry.
Jiang Yuanwu was exceptionally talented. From composing her first poem at age twelve to now at seventeen, over five years she had produced only five poems. Each one conveyed a depth of emotion that could make one’s soul tremble, compelling countless scholars to bow in admiration.
Even Jiang Yao found those five poems extraordinarily breathtaking.
Thus, she couldn’t reconcile how someone like Shen Yuanwu—who, after being reunited with her biological father, looked down on them for being merchants, and ultimately framed the Jiang family for treason and led a raid on her own parents’ home—could possibly possess the spiritual depth to create such timeless, exquisite poetry.
If it wasn’t her, then who could it be?
Even her second brother couldn’t compose such unparalleled masterpieces at his age.
Jiang Yao quietly continued listening to the scholars’ conversation next door.
“But it’s been so long—has Miss Shen’s sixth poem not appeared yet?”
“Miss Shen disdains writing ordinary verses. Look at these five poems she’s composed—each is a timeless masterpiece. Sometimes it takes years to produce just one.”
“I heard Miss Shen’s maid recently at Dingguo Duke Manor…”
Someone immediately interrupted, “Nonsense! What does that have to do with the Commandery Princess? It was her maid’s doing.”
“True… By the way, I heard Miss Shen has been inquiring about Divine Doctor Xue’s whereabouts recently?”
“Divine Doctor Xue? The one who recently announced he wants to take an apprentice? Could Miss Shen be hoping to become his disciple?”
“Miss Shen truly cares for the nation and its people, just like the Princess Protector of the Nation. Back when the world was in chaos, the Princess used her martial skills to join the military camp, which brought about Da Ning’s decades of peace and prosperity. Though she’s not Miss Shen’s birth mother, their virtues are alike…”
“So, does anyone know Divine Doctor Xue’s whereabouts? If Miss Shen wishes to become his apprentice and study medicine under him, we should certainly help.”
“Doesn’t Miss Shen already have some knowledge of medicine? I’ve seen her offering free clinics in the city a few times before. She’s both intelligent and righteous—the title of Commandery Princess truly suits her.”