Seeing the situation, Lady Fu quickly tried to smooth things over: "Nansheng, this matter was poorly considered by Mother. But you must also understand Jiuque—he had no choice but to take a Pingqi."
Jiang Yuwei raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Lady Fu stammered, "You haven't given birth to an heir these past few years. Jiuque can't let the Fu family line die out."
"Hah!" Jiang Yuwei suddenly laughed. "What a fine excuse—'can't let the line die out'! Then let me ask you: if it's truly about heirs, why was contraceptive medicine added to the tonic soup the kitchen sent me every month after my period?"
Her words shocked everyone in the courtyard.
Fu Jiuque's face changed dramatically. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Jiang Yuwei calmly pulled a prescription from her sleeve. "This is the prescription I secretly took from the kitchen. Shall we call a physician now to verify whether it contains contraceptive medicine or not?"
Lady Fu retreated in fright. "That's impossible."
"How is it impossible?" Jiang Yuwei pressed forward step by step. "Your Fu family never intended for me to bear children from the start. Now you're using my lack of heirs as an excuse—what a clever scheme!"
She glanced around at the stunned Fu family members and sneered, "Today, I'll make this clear: whoever dares touch my dowry, I'll take it to the authorities and let the entire capital judge!"
When Yao Huiyi hurried to Caiyunyuan, the golden hairpin on her head shimmered glaringly in the sunlight.
Jiang Yuwei narrowed her eyes and recognized it at once—it was from Nansheng's dowry, something she had personally chosen for her daughter.
"Sister, what are you doing? Why make such a scene?" Yao Huiyi pretended concern and reached out to pull Jiang Yuwei.
Jiang Yuwei slapped her hand away, then grabbed the hairpin and yanked it hard!
"Ah!" Yao Huiyi screamed in pain as the hairpin, along with a strand of hair, was torn off.
"Sister, you…" Yao Huiyi covered her head, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Fu Jiuque.
"Shu Nansheng!" Fu Jiuque was furious. "Have you gone mad!"
Jiang Yuwei held up the hairpin and sneered at Lady Fu. "Lady Fu, do you recognize this? This is jewelry from our Zhaopinghoufu dowry. How did it end up on Miss Yao's head in the blink of an eye?"
Lady Fu's face turned pale.
Yao Huiyi hastily defended herself, "This was gifted to me by the Old Madam."
"Gifted to you?" Jiang Yuwei snorted coldly. "I'm not even dead yet, and you're already freely giving away my dowry? The Fu family prides itself on being a scholarly household—how did it raise such shallow, greedy dogs like you!"
Her words were harsh, and Lady Fu staggered on her feet, nearly falling if not for the maid supporting her.
Fu Jiuque trembled with rage. "Shu Nansheng, how dare you speak to Mother like that!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Jiang Yuwei's expression was icy. "Your Fu family conspired to steal my dowry. Now caught red-handed, you expect me to be polite?"
She suddenly turned to Lady Fu. "Lady Fu, since things have come to this, why don't we have a proper talk?"
Lady Fu seized this lifeline and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, we should talk properly."
"Good," Jiang Yuwei smiled slightly. "Then please, Mother and everyone, take a seat for a moment."
She signaled to Linlang and Shao'er with a glance. "Take people and search every room and courtyard carefully. Find every single item from our dowry—not one piece missing!"
"Yes!" The two maidservants, who had long been seething with anger, immediately dispersed with the servants who had come from Zhaopinghoufu.
Only then did Lady Fu realize she had been tricked, stamping her feet in agitation. "Nansheng! What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" Jiang Yuwei sat down on a stone stool in the courtyard. "Naturally, I am taking inventory of my dowry. Did Mother think I would stand by and watch you divide up all my belongings?"
Fu Jiuque tried to intervene but was blocked by two guards from Zhaopinghoufu.
Yao Huiyi hid behind Lady Fu, not daring to make a sound.
In less than half an hour, Linlang and Shao'er returned with people carrying chest after chest.
"Miss, we found three chests in the old madam's room, two in the eldest young master's study, and one in each of the concubines' rooms," Linlang reported loudly.
With each announcement, the Fu family's faces grew paler.
Shao'er even unfurled the dowry list and began itemizing it piece by piece: "One gold hairpin with kingfisher feathers, one set of jadeite head ornaments, one pair of white jade ruyi scepters, twelve bolts of gold-woven brocade…"
With each item read aloud, another member of the Fu family lowered their head.
Once the inventory was complete, Shao'er reported back, "Miss, aside from a few damaged items, everything is here."
Jiang Yuwei nodded and stood up, addressing Lady Fu. "Since the dowry is all accounted for, I will take it back to Zhaopinghoufu."
"What?" Lady Fu exclaimed in shock. "How can that be?"
Fu Jiuque also grew anxious. "Shu Nansheng, what do you mean by this?"
"What I mean," Jiang Yuwei said, enunciating each word, "is that I want a divorce."
"No!" Lady Fu shrieked. "Absolutely not!"
Other members of the Fu family crowded around:
"Nansheng, marital quarrels are common. Why go as far as divorce?"
"Exactly, think of how bad it will sound if word gets out!"
"Where will Jiuque's face be then?"
Jiang Yuwei sneered. "Bad? Were you afraid of it sounding bad when you stole my dowry? Were you afraid when Fu Jiuque wanted to take a Pingqi? Now that I want a divorce, you suddenly care about face?"
She ignored their pleas and ordered directly, "Pack the chests, let's go!"
The servants from Zhaopinghoufu immediately set to work, repacking the chests and securing them with red silk.
Lady Fu watched as the gold, silver, and jewels were about to be carried away, her heart aching with distress. "Nansheng, please reconsider."
"There is no need for reconsideration," Jiang Yuwei declared resolutely. "From today onward, I, Shu Nansheng, sever all ties with the Fu family!"
Leading her dowry servants, she marched out the gate with dozens of chests in tow, a grand and imposing procession.
The Fu family members trailed behind, anxiously milling about in a flurry.
Outside the mansion, Zhaopinghoufu had already sent carriages to fetch them.
Seeing the commotion, the coachmen immediately stepped forward to help load the chests.
It was only then that the Fu family truly panicked.
"What are we going to do?" Second Master Fu fretted, rubbing his hands together. "If Zhaopinghoufu decides to pursue this, none of us will escape blame."
Third Master Fu, however, retorted, "What is there to fear? Clearly, it is Shu Nansheng who is unfaithful, running back to her natal home with her dowry. We are in the right!"
"What do you know?" Lady Fu wailed, her face ashen. "That Lady of Zhaoping Marquis, Jiang Yuwei, is not someone to be trifled with. If she finds out we mistreated Nansheng…"
Before she could finish, everyone fell silent.
Who didn't know that the Lady of Zhaoping Marquis was formidable in her methods and fierce in temperament? If she were truly provoked, the Fu family would likely face dire consequences.
Old Lady Fu stamped her feet in agitation, scolding Fu Jiuque, "Why aren't you going after her? If she really takes all her dowry back to Zhaopinghoufu, what will become of the Fu family's reputation?"
Fu Jiuque stiffened his neck. "Grandmother, it was clearly that shrew who was being unreasonable."
"Silence!" Old Lady Fu's face turned livid with anger. "Is this the time for you to be stubborn? Is Zhaopinghoufu someone to be trifled with? Go and apologize, and try to persuade her to come back first!"
Yao Huiyi gently stepped forward, softly tugging at Fu Jiuque's sleeve. "Brother Jiuque, Madam is right. Sister is still angry. If you say a few kind words, perhaps she'll change her mind. Huiyi doesn't mind being the lesser wife, as long as Sister returns."
These words made Old Lady Fu nod repeatedly, her gaze toward Yao Huiyi filled with admiration.
The other members of the Fu family whispered among themselves, all praising Miss Yao for her understanding and sense of propriety.