The man listened to the gradually fading commotion, recalling the various actions of the young woman since her appearance, and silently grew wary in his heart.
She was an unfamiliar face, yet she dared to act so boldly upon arriving in the capital—she must have some backing. He wondered which faction she belonged to.
The murky waters of the capital were likely to grow even murkier.
Meanwhile, Lan Jin followed Chengenhou to the front of a courtyard. The plaque above the gate read: Jiaxi Courtyard.
Yu Zhi Yue was already in tears. This was her mother’s courtyard, inscribed by her father’s own hand. All her childhood memories were tied to this place.
Lan Jin gently nudged her from behind. “Only you are entitled to take and use your mother’s belongings. Take the bridal dowry list and verify each item one by one. I also request that Chengenhou lend some hands to move the verified items to the front courtyard.”
Not only were they taking away Madam Qi’s dowry, but they were also making the people of Chengenhou Manor carry it out themselves. This was truly adding insult to injury.
Clearly, the other party had even more humiliating plans.
“If Second Madam has taken anything else that she’s grown accustomed to, I hope she returns it as soon as possible. Before today, it could still be called a habit. After today, it would be considered theft.”
Second Madam had naturally taken many valuable items. Relying on the fact that she had just given birth to a son, she turned to complain to the Marquis, but Chengenhou preempted her: “If you’ve truly taken Jia Min’s belongings, return them immediately. Otherwise, even if Zhi Yue shows mercy, I will not spare you!”
Even now, he clung to his persona of deep affection and righteousness!
Lan Jin’s eyes held a trace of mockery. If she hadn’t investigated thoroughly, she might have truly believed he was a good and honorable man.
Unfortunately, beneath the surface, he was a monster.
The servants of the Marquis Mansion began moving the dowry items out of the room one by one. Yu Zhi Yue verified each item against the list. Those that matched were stamped with the seal she had brought with her, and then carried to the front courtyard.
Half of the people Lan Jin had brought were sent to guard the front courtyard.
Zhao Tang brought out a chair, and Lan Jin pointed to a spot for her to place it. She sat down quietly to wait.
The person who had relentlessly pressured the vast Marquis Mansion from the moment she appeared now sat silently under a tree, no longer speaking despite the constant comings and goings before her.
Strangely, however, this did not seem out of place to others. It was as if she had always been this way.
The onlookers were all curious about this unfamiliar face who had suddenly appeared in the capital. Acquaintances gathered together, gossiping and occasionally glancing in her direction.
But after all, they were people who valued their dignity. No one lost their composure and approached to inquire. There was no rush—as long as she remained in the capital, they could always find out more later.
No matter how unwilling she was, Second Madam could only return the items she had taken, her face alternating between red and black with humiliation. She watched as Yu Zhi Yue checked each item against the dowry list, then helplessly saw the boxes closed one by one and carried away. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Those were supposed to be her things! How had they become Madam Qi’s again?
Servants came and went, filling the courtyard and then emptying it.
The dowry items that Chengenhou Manor had already regarded as their own naturally did not match the list. Yu Zhi Yue walked up to Lan Jin and said, “Miss, the bottom-of-the-chest gold is gone, some jewelry is missing, and the land deeds for the manor estates, properties, and shop premises are also not here.”
“How convenient—the most valuable items in the dowry are all missing.” Lan Jin looked up. “What does Chengenhou have to say?”
Yu Qing, of course, could not admit that they had embezzled the items. “Jia Min had a habit of keeping valuable things in my study. However, I cannot guarantee that all the missing items are there.”
"Then I'll trouble Marquis Chengen to send someone to fetch it."
Yu Qing could only swallow his anger as he looked at where she was seated. He whispered a few instructions to Second Madam, who wore an unwilling expression on her face but turned and left under the Marquis's urging gaze.
Marquis Chengen then spoke softly to his mother. Though Old Madam was domineering, having lived to this age was not for nothing. Seeing her son's reaction, she knew he had been cornered, and even her greatest temper was restrained. She ordered her personal maid to fetch the items while she herself approached Yu Zhi Yue.
A child of this age, no matter how much resentment they harbored, could still be easily coaxed. The dead were already gone, but she herself still had to marry. Having a Marquis Mansion as a backing made a world of difference when it came to marriage prospects.
Lan Jin did not stop her, merely watching as Old Madam approached, heading straight for Yu Zhi Yue with clear intent.
The path had already reached this point. If Yu Zhi Yue bowed her head for her own future, that would be her choice, and there was nothing to criticize. After all, if one does not look out for oneself, heaven and earth will conspire against them!
Just as she was thinking this, she saw the young girl who had been standing in front of her moments ago dart behind her like an arrow. Turning to look, she saw the girl's eyes were as wary as if facing a life-or-death enemy.
Lan Jin smiled at the sight. She was happy for Qi Jia Min. In this world, her brother and her daughter were both doing their utmost to remember her.
Old Madam's face, however, fell to the ground. Accustomed to throwing her weight around, she could no longer maintain her kindly demeanor and instead put on the airs of an elder.
"Zhi Yue, you are a child of Chengenhou Manor, and that will never change, no matter what. Even if you resent your father, you must not become a tool in someone else's hands to use against Marquis Chengen. Wouldn't that only bring pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies? Be obedient. If you want to take your mother's bridal dowry, then take it. Whatever is missing will be made up to you. Do not make any more trouble. In the future, you will still be the legitimate young lady of Chengenhou Manor, and your grandmother will surely find you a good marriage."
Yu Zhi Yue trembled slightly as she listened to these words that even ghosts wouldn't believe. Under Lan Jin's protection for half a year, she had instinctively hidden behind the young lady just now. She felt that behind the young lady was the safest, most reassuring place.
But now, she felt she could handle this on her own without needing the young lady to step in for her.
Though she thought this, her voice still trembled as she spoke: "When Old Madam speaks of pain for loved ones and joy for enemies, does she mean I am joyful and Chengenhou Manor is in pain? If so, then indeed it is true."
Lan Jin tilted her head slightly, watching as the young girl stepped out from behind her. The hand gripping the armrest of the chair was clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"For five years away from the capital, I received not a shred of concern from you. Grandmother, you had long forgotten you had a granddaughter named Yu Zhi Yue. It was you who betrayed me first, and now you use my marriage prospects to threaten me, demanding that I show consideration for my father, be filial to my grandmother, and not hold the Marquis Mansion accountable for embezzling the dowry silver."
Yu Zhi Yue smiled through her tears: "What gives you the right?"
"What kind of talk is this? How is this threatening you!" Old Madam chided her with a glare. "Though you are only eleven now, the marriage of a legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion is not something that can be decided lightly. It is normal to consider matches for two or three years. You have returned at just the right time. Be obedient. Your grandmother will certainly not treat you unfairly."
"Wasn't my mother's marriage also decided with such great care? And what was the result?" Yu Zhi Yue lifted her chin slightly. "I will never follow in my mother's footsteps. I would rather be alone for a lifetime than be bullied, humiliated, and betrayed."
Repeatedly contradicted, Old Madam's expression grew increasingly unpleasant, and her inner thoughts spilled out: "Parents' orders and matchmakers' words—your marriage is naturally decided by your father…"
"Mother!"