The Duchess, exasperated, said, "What are you saying? Your brother is jealous of a mere fifth-rank official?"

"What? You don't like me? Then send me away! Do you think I want to stay in this mansion?"

"You want to be expelled from the manor? Do you think we wouldn't dare?"

"You dare! Haven't you ever wanted to kick me out all these years? Let's split it up! Who wants this Duke's mansion!" Yin Jin'an stood up. "If you want to split it up, then hurry up and do it!"

The Duchess was so angry that her hands trembled.

Yin Jinzhuo, who was about to chase after Pei Yue, stopped and deliberately provoked Yin Jin'an: "Second brother, is this your idea of ​​dividing the family property?"

“Yes, I want to separate from the family!” Yin Jin’an said bluntly. “The sooner the better, but let’s make it clear that you can’t expect me to leave with nothing. You can’t give me back a single penny that’s rightfully mine.”

Yin Jinzhuo felt a mix of excitement and worry, like a cat scratching at her heart. She was excited because Yin Jin'an had taken the bait without hesitation; she was worried because her parents wouldn't agree.

He pointed at Yin Jin'an and said to the Duchess, "Look at my second brother, how many times has he tarnished the reputation of the Duke's mansion since he was a child? He even wants to divide the family property! Do you think we dare not divide the family property? If you usually mess around, my father and I will cover for you; but if you become an official and make mistakes in the court, that will be a crime punishable by the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your clan."

The Duchess was utterly terrified by this.

Yes, the second son has become an official, a Palace Guard officer. One wrong move and the whole family could be implicated!

With the second son's personality, it's hard for him not to cause trouble!

Seeing her mother's expression change, Yin Jinzhuo knew she was afraid, and immediately added fuel to the fire: "Second son, do you dare to swear in the ancestral hall that you will be careful in your conduct and work from now on?"

Yin Jin'an looked at him and said sarcastically, "You don't need to instigate or provoke me. I'm not as well-educated as you, nor do I have as many schemes as you. What's with all the vows? If you want to separate the family, then separate the family. What's with all the fuss?"

The Duchess was feeling very complicated. No matter how much of a scoundrel Yin Jin'an was, he was still her son.

He's not even married yet. If he were to be transferred to another household, wouldn't his reputation be completely ruined? I'm afraid no decent family would be willing to marry their daughter to him in the future!

However, keeping him around could bring disaster to the household...

Yin Jin'an stood up and said, "You can think about it slowly. I have an appointment to go drinking with someone, so I'm leaving now."

"If you don't go to court, what are you drinking?"

"Why bother with court? I'm too lazy to go."

Yin Jin'an strode out of the mansion to inspect the assets of the Duke's mansion.

His desire to establish his own household was originally undecided, but Yin Jinzhuo couldn't withstand Pei Yue's persistent questioning, so he told Pei Yue in advance about Yin Jinan's plan to separate the family.

Pei Yue wished she could kick Yin Jin'an out immediately, but the matter was too big for Yin Jinzhuo to make a decision on her own.

She went back to her parents' home and spoke with her mother, Madam Pei, asking for her opinion.

“Now, the idea of ​​dividing the family property was proposed by the second son himself, and the young master also wants to take this opportunity to separate him from the family. However, eight or nine out of ten people in the clan will not agree to it,” Pei Yue said.

Madam Pei chanted "Amitabha," and said, "While he is still unmarried, we should quickly separate the family business from him. Otherwise, the Duke's mansion will have to pay for everything, including the betrothal gifts. Besides, he is so dissolute that he has already squandered the entire family fortune. We should quickly separate the family business from him."

"Is there any way to make him leave the manor? Mother, please give me a foolproof plan?"

"Isn't that simple? Didn't he spend three thousand strings of cash on drinks and gifts? Just find an imperial gift at home, take it out and pawn it, and say that he pawned it to pay for the drinks... With such a disaster, your in-laws will definitely separate him immediately."

With her mother's guidance, Pei Yue immediately thought of the pair of imperial celadon vases that had been bestowed upon her by the emperor.

That was bestowed upon the Duke of Xun by the late emperor.

That's it. Find someone to pawn it, bribe the servants, and insist that it was Yin Er who pawned it.

She hurriedly boarded a carriage and left the Ministry of Revenue's residence to return to the Duke's mansion.

Tao Yin, the maid who had been eavesdropping at Madam Pei's place, hurriedly returned to report the mother and daughter's plan to the eldest young lady, Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan is the eldest daughter of the Pei family whose marriage was stolen, and Pei Yue's biological older sister.

When she was engaged to Yin Jinzhuo, she thought she would spend her whole life in the Duke's mansion. From the wife of the heir apparent to the wife of the Duke, and then be granted the title of a first-rank noblewoman, she would live a smooth and successful life.

Unexpectedly, her scheming younger sister drugged her on the day of her wedding and took her place in the bridal sedan chair.

The mother, in doing as she pleased, allowed her younger sister to become the wife of the heir of the Duke of Xun, while she herself became synonymous with incompetence.

Which noble clan would allow its matriarch to be so foolish?

So two years passed, and no matchmakers came to her door again, making her a laughing stock in the capital.

Now that Pei Yue has returned, she is plotting with her mother to frame the second son of the Yin family. How is this any different from how Pei Yue harmed her back then?

"Taoyin, deliver this letter to Qingpu Garden and give it to Madam Gu." Pei Yuan handed a completed letter to Taoyin. "Be careful. Give it to the gatekeeper of Qingpu Garden, don't say anything, and come back quickly."

Tao Yin couldn't help but ask, "Second Master Yin has a terrible reputation. What could he possibly have to do with Madam Gu? Can Madam Gu even get involved in this matter?"

Pei Yuan said, "Haven't you heard? Before the Grand Secretary's wife got married, Yin Er, Li Er, and Zhou Er gave her a dowry of thirty loads. If they didn't have a strong relationship with her, would those three give her such a large dowry?"

Pei Yuan couldn't reach Xie Zhaozhao's circle, and even if Pei Yue became the wife of the Duke of Xun's heir, she still wouldn't be able to get close to it.

Pei Yuan believed that Xie Zhaozhao's intervention would definitely thwart Pei Yue's plans. Her aim wasn't to save Yin Er, but to take revenge on Pei Yue.

Tao Yin left the mansion and quietly went to Qingpu Garden.

She stood outside Qingpuyuan, looking at the once beautiful garden now surrounded by a wall two people high, and felt a little scared.

Looking at the imposing guards standing at the door, she said cautiously, "My young lady is the eldest daughter of the Minister of Revenue. She has a letter to deliver to the Grand Secretary's wife."

The guards at the gate received the letter and went inside, telling her to wait.

Not long after, the guards returned and handed a copy of the Tao Te Ching to the maid.

Tao Yin returned to the manor with the Tao Te Ching and handed it to Pei Yuan. The two of them flipped through the Tao Te Ching several times, but there wasn't a single note in it.

"Miss, why did she give you a copy of the Tao Te Ching?"

Pei Yuan slowly turned the pages again, reaching the page with a folded corner, and softly read aloud: "To contract something, you must first expand it. To weaken something, you must first strengthen it. To abolish something, you must first give it to it. To take something away, you must first grant it..."

She smiled and said, "Taoyin, we may have formed a good connection."

After receiving the letter, Xie Zhaozhao chuckled. Who did Pei Yue think she was? Trying to harm my business partner? Just you wait!

They didn't even investigate the authenticity of the letter, and directly protected their own.

He called Manman and Moyan in and said, "I'm assigning you a task. Do it well for me."

And so on, and so forth.

The two men received the order and went out.