During dinner, Yun Shuyue asked Nanny Tao to bring her the dowry list.
Nanny Tao was puzzled: “Madam, when you married, your father and mother prepared an exceptionally generous dowry. Every item was of the finest quality, worth a fortune.”
Chun Liu chimed in instinctively: “If you ask me, marrying Miss is the lord’s blessing. But Miss marrying into the Prime Minister’s household is also a great fortune.”
Yun Shuyue tilted her head: “How do you mean?”
Chun Liu set down her bowl and spoke earnestly: “Back at home, you were always frail and listless. You never cared about household matters, and even the slightest breeze or rustle would leave you melancholy for days. But since coming to the Prime Minister’s residence, you’ve changed completely. You’re full of energy; your once-pale, weary complexion has grown rosy. You don’t even know—on the wedding night, when the lord didn’t come, I worried so much I couldn’t sleep. I checked on you three times, afraid you’d be crying alone.” She exaggeratedly held up three fingers.
Yun Shuyue laughed and tapped her forehead with a finger: “Let’s not dwell on the past. From now on, we must live well.”
This wasn’t just a slogan—it was her genuine resolve, born of transformation.
Looking at the dowry list shocked her. Gold cups and jade vases, agate and emeralds, silks and brocades—all treasures beyond price. There was even a finely carved huanghuali beauty couch with a hundred‑flower motif, and a rosewood dressing table inlaid with bronze mirrors. Every item was priceless.
The silver alone amounted to ten thousand taels!
The Yun family truly was wealthy. Clearly, Yun Shuyue had been a cherished jewel in her household—pampered by parents, indulged by her brother. A girl who could have anything she wished, yet who still sank daily into sorrow, unable to free herself. In the end, she had died in melancholy.
Nanny Tao, seeing her study the list carefully, asked curiously: “Madam, all these things are stored in Jinglan Garden’s warehouse. After dinner, would you like to go and look?”
These past few days, since arriving at the Prime Minister’s residence, Nanny Tao had been busy managing many matters and hadn’t yet properly arranged Jinglan Garden. By rights, the dressing table should have been placed in Yun Shuyue’s room—her mother had insisted on it, since the fragrance of rosewood was said to calm her delicate spirit.
When she arrived at the residence, Yun Shuyue seemed like a different person. Even on her wedding night, left alone in the bridal chamber, she hadn’t shed a single tear—nor shown the slightest trace of sorrow. In this way, she had completely forgotten her mother’s earnest instructions.
Yun Shuyue shook her head: “No need to look. Tomorrow, find two servants to move the dressing table and the beauty couch into my room.”
Chun Liu laughed: “Miss, you sleep so soundly these nights—what use is the scent of rosewood anymore?”
Yun Shuyue: “…”
Was it really just about the fragrance? No—she wanted the feeling of living amidst treasures, the intoxicating aura of luxury—fine rosewood and huanghuali, priceless treasures indeed.
The next morning, just before dawn, Yun Shuyue rose, washed, and dressed. She then went to Jiang Chengyuan’s study. Though she had no affection for him, the ritual of returning to her family after marriage could not be neglected. She needed to discuss it with him, lest he be delayed by official duties tomorrow.
At the study door, Chen Ping, holding a basin of water, quickly stepped aside: “Madam.”
Yun Shuyue glanced at the tightly closed door: “Has the Prime Minister risen?”
Chen Ping nodded: “Yes, yes—he’s just about to wash.”
Yun Shuyue: “Then please inform him that I have something to discuss with him.”
Inside the study, Jiang Chengyuan, whose hearing was sharp, had already caught their conversation. Dressed neatly in his official robes, he called toward the door: “Come in.”
Chen Ping, holding the basin of water, closed the door behind him with a sigh. To him, this hardly resembled a newlywed couple—everything about them felt distant and detached.
Within, Yun Shuyue noticed the desk covered with densely written memorials, and the candle burned down to a stub. Clearly, he had worked late into the night.
Jiang Chengyuan gestured toward the Eight Immortals chair by the wall:
“Please sit, Madam.”
Yun Shuyue shook her head: “No need. You must attend court soon. I’ll just say a few words and leave.”
She paused, then continued: “Tomorrow is the day of returning to my family. I wished to ask if my lord has time.”
Jiang Chengyuan hesitated briefly. His mother had already mentioned the matter. He replied: “Tomorrow happens to be my day of rest.”
Yun Shuyue asked again: “Then when do you think we should go?”
Jiang Chengyuan: “I’ll follow Madam’s arrangement.”
Yun Shuyue, unreserved, suggested: “Then let’s leave at the third quarter of the hour of Chen (around 7:45 a.m.). At that time, the shops on Lique Street will just be opening, and there should be fewer pedestrians. The carriage will move faster.”
Jiang Chengyuan: “I’ll have Chen Ping prepare the return‑visit gifts. Madam need not trouble herself.”
Yun Shuyue smiled faintly, bowing: “Thank you, my lord. Then please wash and have breakfast quickly so as not to delay the court. I’ll return now.”
As she left, Chen Ping entered with the basin: “My lord, though spring has begun, mornings are still chilly. This warm water has cooled a bit.”
Jiang Chengyuan withdrew his gaze, thoughtful, and answered: “It doesn’t matter.”
With the return visit settled, Yun Shuyue felt relieved. Back at Jinglan Garden, she immediately began preparing to tally her silver.
In the storeroom, Nanny Tao stood beside her, looking at the row of large wooden chests laid out on the floor: “Madam, with so many, it will take forever to count them all. Besides, the dampness here isn’t good for your health if you stay too long.”
Yun Shuyue realized the difficulty. Ancient times were not like the modern day—currency was pure silver ingots. To tally everything properly might take three days and nights without rest.
At last, she gave up the idea and said: “Nanny Tao, just count out five hundred taels for me.”
Nanny Tao was startled: “Madam, what do you need so much silver for?”
Five hundred taels—an amount ordinary families might never see in a lifetime.
Yun Shuyue considered carefully: “After returning to my family, I plan to go out and purchase an estate, and also acquire two shopfronts.”
Now, Nanny Tao was not just surprised, but confused: “Madam, your dowry list already includes two fine estates in the western suburbs, with a hundred acres of fertile land. An elderly couple manages them well—you need only wait for the autumn harvest to calculate the income.”
Yun Shuyue knew of those estates, but shook her head: “I want to buy property within the city—better location, better surroundings. As for the shops…”
Nanny Tao couldn’t hold back: “Madam, you are the Prime Minister’s wife. Why would you need to run shops? And your dowry already includes one, on Lique Street.”
Of course, Yun Shuyue couldn’t reveal that she was planning for life after divorce. She found another excuse: “That shop is too large—it’s already rented out as a restaurant. I want to acquire a smaller one. If I have free time in the future, I can use it to occupy myself.”
She added: “Preferably in the east of the city. It’s near the gate, with heavy foot traffic every day—good for business.”
The Yun family was immensely wealthy, but Yun Shuyue wanted to be self‑reliant. If she truly divorced Jiang Chengyuan, she had no intention of moving back to the Yun household. She only wished to live freely and simply.