Half an hour later, inside Shoukang Courtyard.
Dowager Consort Meng, who had just been angered into suffering a headache attack yesterday, was leaning against a pillow while Nanny Sun massaged her temples.
With the same force used when kicking down the door before, the door of Shoukang Courtyard was kicked open once again!
Jiang Zhaoxue brought her people in aggressively. She marched straight into the main room and slammed a thick stack of account books onto Dowager Consort Meng’s purple sandalwood table.
“Jiang Zhaoxue! What madness are you causing again? This is Shoukang Courtyard, not a place where you can act wildly!”
Dowager Consort Meng glared with widened eyes and shouted furiously.
Jiang Zhaoxue raised her right index finger and waved it lightly, smiling sweetly.
“I’m not here to cause trouble today!”
“I’m here to collect a debt.”
Jiang Zhaoxue pointed her chin toward the pile of account books.
“Dowager Consort, you have managed the household for three years. The accounts show a deficit of six hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver. All of this silver went into the Meng family’s pockets.”
Dowager Consort Meng’s pupils contracted sharply as she stared at the stack of account books. A storm surged in her heart.
How was this possible?
How could she have uncovered everything so quickly?
“You… you’re falsely accusing me! I have always acted with integrity. You want to slander me with these forged account books?”
Dowager Consort Meng argued desperately, though she lacked confidence.
Jiang Zhaoxue’s smile disappeared, and she let out a cold scoff.
“Manager Ge has already confessed everything. Even the private seal marks used by the Meng family when they came to collect the silver are recorded in these books. If the dowager consort refuses to admit it, I will have people make one hundred copies of these account books right now and paste them all over the streets and alleys of Shengjing.”
“Let the entire city’s people judge for themselves! How does that sound?”
“You… you dare!”
Dowager Consort Meng pointed at Jiang Zhaoxue, her finger trembling.
“Let’s see whether I dare or not.”
Jiang Zhaoxue stepped forward, her gaze as sharp as a blade.
“Six hundred and fifty thousand taels. If even a single coin is missing, I’ll tear off one of Manager Ge’s arms and send it to the Meng family’s doorstep! Today, you will spit out the money whether you want to or not. If you refuse, I’ll personally bring people to the Meng family and seize their property!”
“Rebellion… this is truly rebellion…”
Looking at Jiang Zhaoxue’s appearance—like a bandit who could not be threatened or bribed—Dowager Consort Meng was both anxious and furious. She felt a surge of blood rush to her chest, then her eyes rolled back, and she fell straight backward, fainting from anger.
“Dowager Consort! Dowager Consort, what happened to you?”
Nanny Sun was frightened out of her wits. She rushed forward and desperately pressed her fingers against Dowager Consort Meng’s philtrum.
The entire Shoukang Courtyard instantly descended into chaos.
Jiang Zhaoxue jumped backward.
“I didn’t touch her! She fainted by herself. Don’t blame me.”
“Don’t even think about trying to blackmail me.”
Granny Cui looked at the unconscious Dowager Consort Meng. Although she felt extremely satisfied inside, she was also a little uneasy.
“Princess Consort, this… the dowager consort has fainted. Should we leave first?”
Jiang Zhaoxue thought for a moment before replying.
“Fine, but even if she fainted, she still has to pay back the money. If she doesn’t give it to me today, I’ll come again tomorrow! If she refuses for one day, I’ll come every single day!”
After saying that, she flicked her sleeve and left with her people in high spirits.
While the trouble inside Jing Prince’s residence had turned everything upside down, things outside the residence were also far from peaceful.
A few days ago, Madam Wang, the wife of the Jiang family’s head, had suffered humiliation at the gates of the prince’s residence. After returning home, she caused a huge commotion in the Jiang family and simply could not swallow her anger.
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Since one plan had failed, she came up with another.
Not only did she fail to restrain herself, but she became even more aggressive.
Early that morning, rumors began spreading throughout the streets and alleys of Shengjing.
“Have you heard? Jing Prince’s princess consort rose to great status overnight and doesn’t even acknowledge her own family anymore!”
“Exactly! Old Madam Jiang became so sick from missing her granddaughter that she’s been bedridden, eagerly waiting for her to return home for a visit. But who would have thought that she wouldn’t even allow her own family through the gates of the prince’s residence?”
“A woman who becomes wealthy and powerful but forgets her roots, who is so unfilial and unrighteous… she truly has no conscience…”
The rumors spread like they had grown wings, reaching the main courtyard of Jing Prince’s residence in less than half a day.
“This is simply going too far!”
Granny Cui stomped her feet in anger.
“The Jiang family abandoned you at the charity burial ground for thirteen years and never cared about you. Now they are turning the tables and using such despicable methods to ruin the princess consort’s reputation! They are forcing you to submit!”
Jiang Zhaoxue was leaning against the soft couch, cracking sunflower seeds while listening to Granny Cui’s report.
After hearing everything, she patted the seed shells off her hands and yawned.
“Using morality to pressure someone? Interesting. As long as I have no morals, they can’t use morality to bind me. Hehe!”
After saying that, she rubbed her chin and thought for a moment.
“Since Old Madam Jiang wants to see me so badly, wouldn’t it be rude if I didn’t go back and give her a little surprise? Otherwise, wouldn’t I be letting her ‘serious illness’ go to waste?”
The beaded curtain in the inner room was lifted, and Xiao Chenghuai was pushed out by Laifu while sitting in a wheelchair. His face was still somewhat pale, but the gloom between his brows had already faded significantly.
“I heard the rumors outside.”
Xiao Chenghuai’s voice was deep.
“The Jiang family is using filial piety to pressure you. If you don’t go, you will be accused of being unfilial. The memorials from the Imperial Censorate could fill His Majesty’s desk tomorrow. But if you go, the Jiang family will definitely take advantage of you and manipulate you.”
He looked at her and seriously asked:
“How do you plan to deal with it?”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue asked:
“Then if I don’t go, will this so-called emperor come after you to settle the matter?”
Xiao Chenghuai did not speak, which was as good as admitting it.
Jiang Zhaoxue snorted.
“Fine. If she wants to see me, I’ll let her see me to her heart’s content. Those people in the Jiang family only understand force, not kindness. I’ll go back and give them some medicine to cure their lovesickness.”
Looking at her fearless appearance, a rare trace of an extremely faint smile appeared in Xiao Chenghuai’s eyes.
His little princess consort was truly very interesting!
Xiao Chenghuai gave a slight nod, then turned his head toward the doorway and shouted in a deep voice:
“Someone!”
The shadow guards waiting outside the door immediately appeared and knelt on one knee.
“Mobilize one hundred Black Armor Guards from the prince’s personal guard battalion! Prepare the full ceremonial escort of a prince!”
“Tomorrow, escort the Princess Consort back to her family home!”
The moment those words were spoken, Granny Cui and Laifu both sucked in a sharp breath.
One hundred Black Armor Guards!
These were the elite troops of the prince’s residence, warriors who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses.
Ever since the prince had been stripped of his military command, he had rarely mobilized his own guards.
Yet this time, he had made an exception for the princess consort.
Jiang Zhaoxue was also stunned for a moment. Looking at Xiao Chenghuai’s stern profile, she suddenly found the sickly prince much more pleasing to the eye.
“With such a grand display, Your Highness, aren’t you afraid you’ll scare the soul right out of Old Madam Jiang?” she asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
Xiao Chenghuai met her gaze. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, but his tone was so cold that it sent chills down one’s spine.
“If she dies from fright, this prince will pay for her coffin.”
Early the next morning.
One hundred fully armed Black Armor Guards from Jing Prince’s residence stood in two orderly rows, radiating a fierce killing intent. A grand red-and-gold sedan chair for the Princess Consort, carried by sixteen bearers, stood steadily at the entrance.
This was hardly the sort of procession one would expect for a newly married woman returning to visit her family.
Judging by the gleaming blades and overwhelming murderous aura, anyone unaware of the situation would have thought that Jing Prince’s residence was about to wipe out the entire Jiang family.
Jiang Zhaoxue looked at the impressive display and was thoroughly satisfied. Before leaving, she promised Xiao Chenghuai that she would read his fortune when she returned. Under his instructions, Granny Cui also accompanied Jiang Zhaoxue on the trip back to her family home.
Xiao Chenghuai let out a soft sigh and murmured to himself,
“Since I can’t go myself, someone has to be there to protect her.”
Standing nearby, Laifu was practically rolling his eyes.
With more than a hundred elite guards escorting the princess consort, wasn’t that already enough protection?
Your Highness, you’re really smitten!