After leaving the foot of the mountain, Qiao Zilin hurried back into the city without stopping, following her memory to a quiet manor her mother had once left behind. She quickly changed into men’s clothing and headed straight for the central market.
As someone who could not go without meat, securing protein was her first priority. Although her space already held several hundred chickens and ducks, she had no intention of stopping there. She moved swiftly through grocery stores, pastry shops, grain wholesalers, and clothing boutiques, buying everything she could until every last coin was spent. Only then did she leisurely make her way back. In a place as remote and underdeveloped as Lingnan, such supplies would be impossible to find, she had to prepare in advance.
At dinner, she had expected her Prime Minister father to speak plainly about her marriage, yet he did not mention a single word. Qiao Zilin also acted as if nothing was wrong and did not ask.
At dawn the next day, she quietly slipped out through the back gate, still dressed as a man. When she arrived at her mother’s private manor, a line of horse drawn carriages was already waiting in the alley. The goods she had ordered the day before were being delivered one after another. Once everything had been unloaded, she shut the gates and, with a single motion, stored all the items into her space.
Xiao Bai grumbled, “Master, why are you buying so much meat? I don’t even eat raw meat.”
Qiao Zilin ignored it. These supplies would last her a long time. The journey to Lingnan would be long and difficult, she could not afford to be unprepared.
…
Prime Minister’s Manor
Qiao Zina had everything she took from the warehouse packed into crates, each sealed with red paper. They were carefully moved into her private storeroom. To her, these were the treasures she would take into her new life.
Back in her own courtyard, Qiao Zilin spent the entire second day packing. She gathered all the clothes and jewelry her mother had left her and stored them safely in her space. She knew that by tomorrow, she would be married off, leaving behind the home where this body had grown up.
That evening, after dinner, the Prime Minister summoned her to his study.
“Lin’er, the Emperor has issued a decree. You are to marry the hunter Long Zhenting. Tomorrow is an auspicious day, I will personally see you off.”
Qiao Zilin widened her eyes in feigned shock. “Father, why is this so sudden? Why would His Majesty issue such an order without warning? I haven’t heard anything about this.”
The Prime Minister cleared his throat awkwardly. “Two days ago, after court, His Majesty kept me behind to discuss it. I know you are not suited for palace life, so I arranged for you to take Zina’s place. Unless, of course, you have changed your mind and wish to enter the palace?”
“Father, stop right there,” Qiao Zilin interrupted firmly. “Before Mother passed away, she made it clear that I was never to marry into the imperial family. Have you forgotten?”
In her previous life, he had ignored that final wish and sent her into the palace anyway. In the end, she lost everything, her wealth, her freedom, even her life. This time, she wanted nothing to do with that world.
She vaguely remembered that her engagement to Long Zhenting had been arranged by her mother long ago. She did not know why it had changed in her previous life, but now she felt nothing but relief. At least she would not have to marry that dangerous Prince Regent.
“Father, since I am leaving tomorrow, have you prepared my dowry? Everything Mother left behind should go with me.”
“Lin’er, your younger sister has yet to marry. Could you leave half of it for her? Besides, Lingnan is far away. Bringing so much wealth on the road is not safe.”
Qiao Zilin knew very well that most of her mother’s belongings had already been taken and sold off over the years. Still, she could not reveal that just yet. She immediately put on an indignant expression.
“Father, am I truly your daughter? How can you say such things? Mother left that dowry for me. Zina is not even her child, what right does she have to it? Don’t you think you’re being unreasonable?”
The Prime Minister knew he was in the wrong, but he was unwilling to back down. Seeing this, Qiao Zilin suddenly changed her tone, sounding both hurt and reckless.
“If you dislike me this much, then let us sever ties. You have many daughters, one less will not matter to you.”
At first, the Prime Minister was furious, but then an idea crossed his mind.
“It is not impossible, if that is what you truly want. But if we sever ties, you cannot take any part of your mother’s dowry. Instead, I will give you fifty thousand taels of silver. What do you think? A hunter would never earn that much in a lifetime. With this money, you can live comfortably.”
He had already calculated everything. The true value of the dowry exceeded two hundred thousand taels. When his late wife married into the family, her dowry procession had stretched for miles.
Qiao Zilin looked at him and suppressed a smile. If she did not have her space, she would indeed suffer a great loss. But now, she had already secured what mattered, and on top of that, she would gain fifty thousand taels.
Still, she kept up her act.
“Do you truly wish to cast me aside, Father? I know I am not your favorite, but is it necessary to go this far? Without family ties, I will have nowhere to return.”
“You were the one who suggested it,” the Prime Minister replied, but she cut him off.
“Fine. If you insist, then so be it. I will be married far away anyway and cannot fulfill my duties as a daughter. It is better this way. After all, you still have Zina.”
An hour later, Qiao Zilin returned to her courtyard, feeling light and carefree. In her possession were fifty thousand taels in banknotes and an official document confirming the severance of ties.
The moment she entered, Qing Mei cried out, “Miss! How could you sever ties with the Prime Minister? A woman without family is like a lone boat drifting at sea with nowhere to dock. Miss, what have you done?”
Qiao Zilin gave her a reassuring look. “Trust me. One day, you will understand why this was the right choice. Now keep watch over the courtyard. I need to go out for a while.”
She returned to her room, changed into dark clothing, and quietly made her way toward Qiao Zina’s courtyard. Reaching the small storeroom with ease, she used a thin wire to pick the lock.
Inside, rows of wooden crates sealed with red paper filled the space. There were fifty in total.
“These are all mine now,” she murmured with a soft laugh.
Her mother’s original dowry had consisted of a hundred crates. This was only part of what had been taken. With a wave of her hand, the crates disappeared into her space. In their place, she arranged identical boxes she had prepared in advance, each one filled with heavy stones.
Once the swap was complete, she slipped back into the night.
When she returned, Qing Mei hurried over. “Miss, where did you go? Hurry and take a bath. Once we leave tomorrow, we’ll be on the road for days. You won’t get a proper chance to wash.”
“I went to take back what belongs to me.”
Qiao Zilin stepped into the inner room, removed her clothes, and sank into the tub. Qing Mei followed, looking at her delicate skin with concern.
“The Master is truly heartless, marrying you, who has always lived in comfort, to a mere hunter. He is far too biased. We don’t even know if the groom is kind. You’ve never even met him. This is practically a blind marriage. The more I think about it, the angrier I get.”
Qiao Zilin smiled faintly and patted her hand. “Alright, don’t be upset. You’re not as cute when you’re angry. Go take your bath and get some rest. We have a long journey ahead tomorrow.”