That night was destined to be sleepless.
After making sure Qing Mei had fallen into a deep sleep, Qiao Zilin quietly got dressed and made her way to the courtyard where her mother had once lived. She pushed open the gates and found the place spotless, just as she had arranged by sending people to clean it every few days.
Stepping into the inner chamber, she saw her mother’s memorial tablet standing in silence. The sight instantly broke through her composure, and tears streamed down her face.
“Mother, your daughter is getting married tomorrow. I am marrying the man you chose for me. You once said you would watch me put on my wedding robes and personally see me off, how could you break your promise?”
Her mother had always been in good health. She could not understand how a simple illness had taken her life so suddenly.
Looking at the tablet, Qiao Zilin’s heart hardened. Since her father had never cared for her mother, she might as well take her along. With that thought, she reached out and placed the memorial tablet into her space. After wiping her tears, she turned and walked back.
As she passed by her father’s courtyard, she noticed the lights were still on. Faint voices drifted out from inside.
“Keep your voice down. Walls have ears. This matter must never be spoken of again, do you understand?” The Prime Minister’s tone was stern.
“Oh, Master, why so harsh? Who would be wandering around at this hour? Don’t worry, no one will hear us. Besides, if she had just handed over the household authority and her dowry, she wouldn’t have died so suddenly of ‘illness.’ She brought it upon herself.”
The words struck Qiao Zilin like a thunderclap.
So her mother had not died of illness at all. It had been murder.
No wonder they had seized her mother’s dowry immediately afterward, using her youth as an excuse. Rage surged through her chest, and for a moment, she wanted nothing more than to kick the door open and drag them out.
But she held herself back.
She was leaving tomorrow.
Her gaze swept across the manor. Aside from the buildings granted by the Emperor, nearly everything else had been purchased by her mother. These people did not deserve a single thing.
Without hesitation, Qiao Zilin went straight to the Prime Minister’s private treasury and emptied it completely into her space. Gold, silver, jewels, nothing was left behind. She then moved on to Lady Chen’s courtyard and the other concubines’ quarters, stripping them of everything of value.
As for the furniture, she would deal with that later. She would not leave so much as a thread behind for those ungrateful parasites.
By the time she finished, dawn had already broken.
The moment she returned to her room, Qing Mei urged her to bathe and prepare, but Qiao Zilin simply collapsed onto the bed.
“Qing Mei, there’s still an hour before the auspicious time. Let me sleep a little. Wake me later.”
Before she even finished speaking, she had fallen asleep.
Qing Mei looked at the faint dark circles under her mistress’s eyes and her slightly swollen lids. She assumed Qiao Zilin had spent the entire night mourning before her mother’s tablet.
Ever since her mother passed away five years ago, her mistress had changed. Though her father was still alive, it felt as though she had become a child without support. And yet, Qiao Zilin had grown strong, excelling in her studies and fully capable of protecting herself.
Qing Mei remembered her own mother’s words.
“A woman must learn to protect herself. Everything in this world can change. Even the strongest mountain can crumble, and those you rely on may not always be there. In the end, only you can depend on yourself.”
As the sun rose higher, Qing Mei finally woke her.
“Miss, get up. There’s barely any time left. We cannot miss the auspicious moment to leave.”
“Mhm.”
Qiao Zilin sat up, her eyes clear and sharp the instant she opened them.
With Qing Mei’s help, she washed quickly. Qing Mei then took out a bright red wedding dress from the chest and helped her put it on. After dressing, Qiao Zilin applied only a light touch of lip color before lowering her bridal veil. She refused heavy makeup, saying it would only make the long journey more uncomfortable.
“Miss, wait here. I’ll go see if the groom has arrived,” Qing Mei said before hurrying out.
The moment she left, Qiao Zilin pulled out two steaming meat buns from her space. Qing Mei had only allowed her a small pastry earlier, worried that wearing wedding clothes would make it inconvenient to use the restroom. But was she supposed to endure for days?
She quickly ate the buns and wiped her hands just as Qing Mei came rushing back.
“Miss, the groom has arrived. He’s riding a tall horse and brought a grand bridal sedan.”
“A tall horse? I thought he was just a hunter. That sedan must have cost him dearly,” Qiao Zilin muttered.
At that moment, a loud voice echoed from outside.
“The auspicious hour has arrived. The bride departs!”
“Miss, the Master isn’t even coming to escort you. Are you supposed to walk out on your own? This is too much,” Qing Mei complained.
Before she could finish, a tall, imposing man wearing a mask stepped into the room.
“Wife, your husband has come to take you home.”
He signaled for Long Shiyi to move the luggage, but Long Shiyi was stunned. The room was nearly empty, aside from a few boxes and the chair Qiao Zilin was sitting on. Was this truly how the Prime Minister treated his own daughter?
Without waiting any longer, Long Zhenting stepped forward, lifted Qiao Zilin into his arms, and carried her out.
Behind them, the matchmaker hesitated, wanting to protest that this went against tradition, the bride should be carried out by her father or brother. But looking around, there was no sign of either. It seemed the rumors were true, the eldest daughter was completely neglected.
At the main gate, the Prime Minister finally appeared, moving slowly. Qiao Zilin gave a brief bow before Long Zhenting carried her straight into the sedan. Once she was settled, he mounted his horse, and the procession began its lively departure from the city.
Qiao Zilin thought to herself that the capital had likely never seen such a casual wedding for a Prime Minister’s daughter. But it did not matter. She was not the original girl.
Once they left the city, Long Zhenting dismissed the musicians.
“Husband, can we change our clothes and return to the city for a moment?” Qiao Zilin asked softly.
Long Zhenting’s heart softened at her tone. “Did you forget something?”
“Yes, Husband.”
Qiao Zilin stepped out of the carriage. She still had unfinished business at the Prime Minister’s manor. She would not leave anything behind for those people.
“Long Shiyi, wait here. We’ll be back soon.”
With his approval, she changed into male attire inside the carriage and emerged as a young scholar. Long Zhenting pulled her onto his horse, and the two of them rode back toward the city.
The sudden closeness made Qiao Zilin’s face flush. His chest pressed against her back, warm and solid. She instinctively tried to move forward, but his arm tightened around her waist.
“Sit still. It would be troublesome if you fell.”
They arrived at the back gate of the manor. Qiao Zilin told him to wait and slipped inside.
Fifteen minutes later, she returned empty-handed.
Long Zhenting did not ask any questions. He simply turned the horse around, and together, they left the city for good.