Chapter 71 How dare you?

For several days in a row, the sun was shining brightly, and the osmanthus flowers were blooming exceptionally well. When the wind blew, the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus.

On August 24th, the sun was even bigger than it had been in the previous days.

The Song family.

Lady Zhang was helping Vice Minister Song pack his luggage.

This morning, His Majesty approved his request to go to the temple to devote himself to arduous practice and praised him for admitting his mistakes and correcting them.

His Majesty personally promised that the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites would be vacant for him during his two months of arduous self-cultivation.

After two days of distress, Vice Minister Song's mood finally eased a little, and he impatiently urged Lady Zhang to hurry up.

"Just pack a simple bag and bring a couple of clothes. I'm going to the temple for arduous practice, not for sightseeing."

"Look at this whole box of stuff you've packed! What kind of impression will it make if people see it?"

He frowned as he looked at the box that Zhang had stuffed to the brim.

Madam Zhang muttered under her breath, "I'm just worried about you, Master. We're not really going through a period of asceticism."

"It will take a few days to make it look like that. Just pack me a couple of sets of clothes, and hurry up."

I won't be staying for more than a few days. Once the dikes really breach in the Red Land, I'll return after I've rendered meritorious service. It'll only be about seven or eight days in total."

Thinking that he would be able to make a contribution and resolve his current predicament in a few days, Vice Minister Song couldn't wait.

Having no other choice, Madam Zhang took the clothes out of the chest again. Just as she was tidying them up, the servant came running in, panting.

"Master and Madam, hurry, hurry to the door, the eldest young lady is here."

Vice Minister Song frowned, his face full of displeasure.

“That wretched girl has turned this place upside down. How dare she come here? Tell her to get in here right now.”

The servant was bent over, pressing his legs and panting heavily. "No...no, sir, madam, you should go to the door and check."

My great-aunt brought a lot of people with her, there were many people outside...

Vice Minister Song's face turned ashen.

"A lot of people? What does that wretched girl want to do?"

He walked angrily towards the gate with his hands behind his back.

Madam Zhang felt her eyelids twitching. After thinking for a moment, she dropped the clothes in her hand and chased after them.

The area around the gate was packed with people, three or four layers deep.

The two old women each held a large red paper in their hands, unfolding it to show it to the people around them.

The onlookers pointed and commented on the red paper.

Song Yi stood to the side, covering her face and weeping.

Seeing this, Vice Minister Song felt a surge of anger and strode out the door.

Pointing at Song Yi, he angrily shouted, "Why are you causing trouble outside instead of coming home? Are you determined to break this family up before you're satisfied?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding crowd immediately let out a chorus of sighs, their eyes filled with blatant disdain as they looked at Minister Song.

"He immediately started scolding his own daughter upon meeting her; it seems these two pieces of paper are probably genuine."

"That stepmother is so heartless. She kept all the dowry left by the biological mother and only gave her a small fraction of it."

"They say that having a stepmother means having a stepfather, poor thing."

As soon as Zhang stepped out, she heard these whispers. The words "dowry," "stepmother," and "stepfather" entered her ears, and a bad feeling immediately welled up in her heart.

Her eyelids twitched more and more violently, and she immediately reached out and tugged at Vice Minister Song's sleeve.

Vice Minister Song also heard the discussions. He glanced at the two old women holding red papers with a dark face, and then glared fiercely at Song Yi.

"What nonsense are you talking about? What does it say on these two pieces of paper?"

"I'm being ridiculous? I've never been this clear-headed before."

Song Yi recalled the grievances, cold treatment, and being fooled like a fool for more than ten years that she had suffered since childhood.

Her eyes reddened involuntarily, her arms trembled at her sides, and she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly to keep the tears from falling.

She took a deep breath before speaking again, but her voice trembled and carried an uncontrollable hatred.

"The paper on the left is the dowry list that my maternal grandfather's Han family gave to my biological mother when she married you."

The document clearly states that the Han family's dowry includes twelve shops, one hundred acres of fertile land, one hundred acres of mountain land, and several boxes of gold and silver jewelry and various ornaments.

Moreover, for my mother's convenience in managing the property, the Han family exchanged all the fields and shops for those in the capital when my mother accompanied my father to Bianjing.

My mother only gave birth to one daughter, and according to custom, her dowry should be included in my dowry.

She turned around and pointed to the red paper on the right.

"This piece of paper is the dowry my family gave me when I married into the Marquis of Anping's household. Father, could you explain to me why my mother's dowry was reduced to just two small shops by the time I got married?"

Both Vice Minister Song and Lady Zhang's expressions changed.

Zhang reacted faster, immediately covering her face and crying out that she was innocent.

"This is a huge injustice! When you got married, I showed you the dowry list left by your mother."

Your mother-in-law and many other ladies were also present at the time. I took every last penny of the dowry your mother left you with you.

After all these years, how can you slander me and your father like this without any evidence? You're clearly attacking me from behind.

Song Yi stared coldly at Zhang Shi, clenching her fists tightly to suppress the urge to attack her.

After the blows of the past few days, and her brush with death, she has made up her mind that she must not show any weakness in the face of these people.

"Why are you in such a hurry, Madam? I was just asking my father for an explanation. I didn't specifically name anyone as saying that you embezzled my dowry."

Why is Madam in such a hurry to criticize herself behind her back?

Zhang was speechless for a moment, staring at Song Yi in disbelief.

They couldn't believe that Song Yi, who hadn't dared to resist even when being caned just two days ago, was now sharp-tongued and dared to fight back against them.

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately grabbed Vice Minister Song, crying and complaining aggrievedly.

"Master, this isn't about asking for a dowry; it's clearly an accusation that I, your stepmother, am heartless. This is like trying to pin a smear on me!"

"My own reputation is one thing, but if it jeopardizes your future, sir, I would be guilty beyond redemption, even unto death."

Minister Song's heart skipped a beat.

His reputation cannot afford to suffer even the slightest tarnish now.

He angrily strode toward the old woman holding the red paper.

"You wretched child, you've found some random order from who-knows-where and you're trying to slander us. How can you be so heartless?"

He snatched the dowry list from the old woman's hand, held it in mid-air, and was about to tear it to shreds without thinking.

Song Yi offered a gentle reminder.

"Father should take a closer look before tearing them up. One of these two dowry lists has the official seal of the Xinyang Prefectural Government on it."

The other document bears the official seal of the Bianjing Prefectural Government. If either one is torn up, Father will likely face difficulties explaining himself.

Minister Song's thumb and forefinger, which were holding the dowry list, froze. Upon closer inspection, the large red seals on the two dowry lists were particularly glaring in the sunlight.

It was as if they were mercilessly mocking him.

A surge of anger shot straight to the top of his head.

Song Yi walked over, her reddened eyes filled with undisguised coldness and hatred.

"Can Father explain this to me now? Or does Father think that the seal on this is also fake?"

If Father doesn't believe me, we can go to the Bianjing government office to verify its authenticity. But I wonder if Father dares to come with me to the government office?"

Song Shilang felt as if he had been hit hard on the head, leaving him dizzy.

He stared intently at Song Yi, unable to believe that in just two or three days, this wretched girl had lost all respect for him.

How dare she speak to him like that!

How could I dare!