The clan elder let out a long breath of relief. For a moment, he had thought she wanted everyone to call her “mother”!
So she just wanted money. False alarm.
It wasn’t strange that the elder’s thoughts had wandered in that direction. Zhu Xinyan’s ideas were simply too outrageous.
Not to mention anything else—just the idea of stripping people half naked and feeding them to mosquitoes was the kind of wicked punishment no normal person would ever come up with.
The elder relaxed, but the people kneeling below immediately became uneasy.
What if this mistress opened her mouth like a lion and swallowed up all their family fortunes? If that happened, they might as well stay here and keep donating blood to the mosquitoes.
At the same time, they secretly cursed the clan leader in their hearts.
They had all been minding their own business at home, yet he insisted on dragging them here to “join the fun.”
Now look what happened—they’d practically delivered themselves to be extorted.
The clan leader felt the accusing stares stabbing into his back like needles. He wished he could transform into a turtle and hide inside his shell.
The elder tried to mediate.
“These people all come from poor families. Miss Zhu, could you perhaps show some kindness and ask for a little less of that… ma-whatever?”
The old man’s English comprehension was truly terrible. Even after hearing it twice, he still couldn’t remember it.
Too exhausted to keep teaching him, Zhu Xinyan picked up her teacup to moisten her throat and said in an affected tone,
“I’m actually a very reasonable person. Otherwise I wouldn’t have named my son Jiang Li. So, I won’t ask for much. Ten taels each will do.”
These troublemakers all ran small businesses. For them, that amount was roughly equivalent to a month’s income—not insignificant, but not devastating either.
Just as everyone sighed in relief, Zhu Xinyan’s aggressive voice rang out again.
“That money only counts as a deposit. If any of you continue committing evil deeds or secretly scheme against me in the future, then it won’t merely be a matter of a few taels of silver. You’ll compensate me with one hundred times your entire family fortune. Verbal promises mean nothing—everything must be written down. Once you sign and stamp your fingerprints, I’ll let you leave.”
“Ah—ah—!”
The crowd erupted into shocked murmurs and immediately began whispering among themselves.
“I thought paying would settle it, but who knew there’d be something even worse afterward?”
“I knew this woman surnamed Zhu wasn’t kind-hearted. She was never going to let us off easily.”
“…”
Since Steward Qin had already returned to report back, the Prefect of Jingzhao couldn’t remain there long either. So he assigned a legal adviser and several constables to stay behind.
Officially, they were there to protect Zhu Xinyan.
In reality, they were there to prevent her from causing trouble and tarnishing Prince Rui’s reputation.
But after observing the situation, the adviser felt their concerns had been unnecessary.
This favored concubine candidate was truly clever.
The ten taels seemed small and merely served as a warning. Strictly speaking, it didn’t even count as extortion.
But these people were used to acting arrogantly outside. Could they truly restrain themselves forever?
From their current attitudes alone, the answer was clearly no.
So once they committed another crime and were arrested by the authorities, all their property would automatically become Zhu Xinyan’s compensation.
Miss Zhu’s move was truly brilliant.
Not only did she vent her anger, she also avoided accusations that she and Prince Rui were abusing power for profit.
At this rate, the adviser thought, this woman surely had a boundless future ahead.
While he looked at her with admiration, Zhu Xinyan happened to turn and look at him as well.
She gave a slight bow and politely nodded.
“My lord, could I trouble you to draft an agreement according to my instructions so they can copy and sign it?”
“Miss Zhu, you are too courteous.”
The adviser naturally didn’t dare delay. Before long, he completed the document and respectfully presented it with both hands.
Zhu Xinyan carefully read through it once before holding it up.
“My patience is limited. Well? Do you agree?”
Judging from the document the adviser had drafted, it was obvious they had no choice.
Whether they wanted to or not, they would have to sign.
Grinding their teeth in resentment, the crowd lined up one by one and signed with drooping faces.
Jiang Huairen and Jiang Sixth were rather crafty. They attempted to blend into the crowd and sneak away unnoticed.
But Zhu Xinyan had no intention of letting them off. She immediately had them dragged before her.
Jiang Fourth, now completely wilted like a shriveled eggplant, had lost all his earlier arrogance. His legs shook so violently they looked like spinning propellers.
Zhu Xinyan laughed teasingly.
“What’s this, Jiang Fourth? Are you preparing for takeoff?”
His legs gave out instantly and he collapsed to the ground, pressing his hands together in pleading prayer.
“Miss Zhu, I’m sorry! I’ll return all the property I stole from you. No—not just double, ten times over! Please, I beg you, spare my miserable life.”
The moment Jiang Huairen and Jiang Sixth saw him surrender, they too collapsed to the ground crying and begging for mercy with snot and tears streaming everywhere.
Zhu Xinyan looked down on their pathetic behavior. After throwing a few disdainful glances at them, she tossed the problem over to the clan elder.
“They are members of your clan. As an outsider, it’s not appropriate for me to interfere. I’ll leave the judgment to you, Elder.”
Having served as clan leader for decades, the elder had long become shrewd enough to read between the lines.
The moment he heard her words, he understood Zhu Xinyan had no intention of sparing them—but also didn’t want to dirty her own hands.
He secretly lamented his own blindness for ever choosing Jiang Huairen as clan leader.
He had nearly dragged the entire clan into an abyss of eternal ruin.
“These three are wicked at heart and nearly harmed Miss Zhu. I intend to first punish them according to clan law before handing them over to the authorities.”
Zhu Xinyan nodded in satisfaction.
“Then I’ll trouble you with the matter.”
Considering their crimes, fifty lashes were guaranteed. And if they were then handed over to the authorities afterward, would they even survive?
The three men immediately lost control of their bladders.
Before they could beg again, filthy rags were stuffed into their mouths, and they were dragged away like dead dogs.
Following Zhu Xinyan’s instructions, Qiao’er took the dowry inventory and accompanied the constables to Jiang Fourth’s house, carefully checking through all the valuables that had been seized over the years.
Anything missing or already sold off was recorded in written agreements, with silver used as compensation.
By the time she finished and returned, Zhu Xinyan was racing against time devouring a table full of meat dishes in huge mouthfuls.
Qiao’er had never seen her young lady behave like this before.
She was shocked again and again, forcibly brainwashing herself to accept it.
Miss must have gone too long during mourning without seeing even a speck of meat, which was why she was currently eating like a starving ghost.
Given enough time, she would surely return to normal.
Zhu Xinyan automatically ignored Qiao’er’s stunned little expressions. She scooped a bowl of rice for her and asked,
“Everything settled?”
“Rest assured, Miss. Everything’s been handled properly.”
Sitting beside her with chopsticks in hand, Qiao’er finally asked the question weighing on her heart.
“Miss, was that divorce document really written by the young master?”
“Of course not.” Zhu Xinyan blinked. “People with that kind of power can accomplish things far beyond what ordinary mortals like us can imagine.”
“Then Miss is truly willing to become a concubine?” Qiao’er pressed.
Zhu Xinyan spread her hands helplessly in resignation.
“What else can I do? I can’t exactly kill the Princess Consort and forcibly take her place, can I? Besides… he’s offering far too much. I can hardly bear to refuse.”
The moment she thought about the chests full of property deeds, land deeds, and banknotes, her heart couldn’t help but surge with excitement.
Women in ancient times held low status, and her natal family no longer existed to support her.
Now she was also a newly widowed woman. Even though she possessed money, every step forward would still be difficult.
So why not take advantage of her youth and find a sturdy tree to lean against?
True, being a concubine meant lower status.
But at least she would be Prince Rui’s favored concubine. Her starting point was already higher than most others, and in the future there would still be room for advancement.
And with Prince Rui’s peerless appearance, how could one’s heart not flutter?
Afraid Qiao’er might feel upset on her behalf, Zhu Xinyan added another sentence reassuringly.
“I already asked the adviser earlier. If Prince Rui ever commits some huge crime in the future, as a concubine, I’ll actually be excluded from the extermination-of-nine-clans punishment.”
Qiao’er’s face immediately darkened.
“…Is that really something I’m supposed to hear?”