Chapter 26 What I ask for is never much, just one person's true heart.

Yao Qingling was stunned, and blurted out, "What do you need a thousand taels for?"

Could it be that he's going to redeem Zhou Zhining from the Wang family? But Zhou Zhining is a lady, not a maidservant with a death contract.

Even maids have never been paid a thousand taels.

Furthermore, Zhou Zhining herself did not want a divorce, so how did it come to be related to redemption?

Qingling thought about many things for a moment, her focus entirely on the one thousand taels.

Zhan Xingzhuo looked at her with an expression so open and matter-of-fact: "I presume you already know about Zhi Ning's matter. Since you don't care about her, I don't need to say anything more. But you must give me this thousand taels."

Yao Qingling chuckled.

She called the servants to clean the table.

The atmosphere was tense, and the young maid was trembling with fear as she packed her things, not daring to glance around.

The table was quickly cleared, and no one dared to bring tea.

The couple looked at each other from a distance.

Zhan Xingzhuo guessed that she wouldn't give it to him readily.

Women are just petty and jealous. He suddenly spent a thousand taels on Zhou Zhining, and she felt bad for him.

The man frowned slightly, his face grim and unpleasant, and said, "Since you don't welcome Zhi Ning, I've arranged a room for her outside. She can recuperate there without troubling you or getting in your way."

"Her house isn't big; it's just a small courtyard with a place to stay. Qingling, you can't just stand by and watch her die, can you?"

"To be honest, her suicide was caused by you. Zhi Ning didn't want me to punish you and even tried to exonerate you. For Zhi Ning's sake, I won't hold it against you. Just give her the money."

He reached out to Yao Qingling, palm outstretched, with an expression that said he would let her go as long as she gave him the silver notes.

Although Yao Qingling was already heartbroken, hearing his words made her want to slap him, but she was also filled with a sense of powerlessness.

She coldly replied, "Not a thousand taels, not even a single tael of silver."

Zhan Xingzhuo's expression changed, from solemn to angry.

Even at this point, she's still only concerned with her own petty concerns and doesn't understand the bigger picture.

Does she even know how miserable Zhou Zhining's situation is right now?

She needs a quiet environment to recuperate, a doctor to treat her, and maids to serve her.

She can't afford to delay!

The man slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"Bang!"

The loud noise was like a thunderclap, and even Taoye, who was guarding outside the door, couldn't help but shrink back.

Peach Leaf peeked inside.

Yao Qingling remained expressionless and didn't even blink.

Taoye thought, "Actually, Miss has always been very strong and brave."

When she was in the Marquis's mansion, she didn't let others bully her; she would fight back. However, they outnumbered her, and she couldn't win. She was often injured.

Lady Hou always sideped with her own children and never spoke up for her daughter. She even said that her daughter was wild and unruly and that she would be punished after being beaten.

Later, when the young lady married the young man, he would stand by her side and speak up for her.

The young lady said at the time that she was finally being protected by someone, and that she hadn't felt the feeling of being protected and loved in a long time.

She was so tired, and she really appreciated and was content to have someone offer her a shoulder to lean on.

In return for his love and care, and for the sake of their own home, the young lady reciprocated by loving her son-in-law wholeheartedly.

Otherwise, why would she have swallowed her anger for those two years?

If it were her old temper, how could she have come down like that?

The young lady never asked for much, just one person's sincere heart.

But now, the son-in-law is even better than the people in the Marquis's mansion.

He hurt the young lady, making her life even harder and more tiring.

Tao Ye seemed to see Qing Ling donning armor again, fighting to protect her.

Taoye silently wiped away her tears and clenched her fists.

If the son-in-law makes a move again, she will fight to the death to protect her mistress and prevent her from getting hurt in the slightest.

Inside the room, after Zhan Xingzhuo struck down with that palm, he saw Yao Qingling's fearless eyes.

She wasn't afraid of him.

Yes, he was too good to her. She only loved him, so why was she afraid?

In her eyes, he lacked the authority of a husband; he was merely a lover who allowed her to act as she pleased.

Thinking of his beloved, he suddenly realized that she had recently started calling him "My Lord."

He frowned slightly.

But he didn't think too much about it; Zhi Ning's matter was still the most important thing.

"Yao Qingling, what's wrong with what you eat and use? You won't even share a little bit with Zhi Ning. How can you be so selfish and cold-hearted?"

Qingling sneered: "Young Master, you seem to have forgotten that the last time the manor was repaired, it was only because you pawned your jade pendant that we had two hundred taels of silver."

“If you don’t have anything else to pawn, sir, I have an idea.”

Zhan Xingzhuo's expression shifted slightly: "What idea?"

Yao Qingling said coldly, "The new mansion is independent, but there has never been any talk of dividing the family property. If my husband insists on this thousand taels, he can go and talk to the Duke about dividing the family property."

"The Duke's mansion is a grand mansion with warehouses larger than other people's houses. Stacks of banknotes are piled up in several boxes, and there are countless gold and silver treasures. Shops, estates, tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, and houses and villas... there are too many to count on ten fingers."

"After the family splits up, my lord, let alone a mere thousand taels, even a hundred thousand taels would be just a small amount of money."

"Or, sir, would you like to visit the Duke's mansion tomorrow?"

Yao Qingling thought it was better that the family had separated.

If the family were to separate, Zhan Xingzhuo would form his own household, making a divorce much easier.

Zhan Xingzhuo was furious when he heard this.

I knew Yao Qingling had ulterior motives. His sudden departure from the spring banquet will surely anger my mother. If he goes to discuss dividing the family property, won't all the blame fall on Zhou Zhining?

With a bang, he slammed his hand on the table again, stood up abruptly, walked to Qingling, glared at her fiercely, scrutinized her, and was furious at her stubbornness.

How could she be so wicked!

"You actually dared to come up with such a terrible idea? I never imagined your mind could be so vicious!"

She wasn't giving him advice; she was using the power of the Duke's mansion to restrain him, leaving Zhi Ning alone and driving her to her death!

The man was tall, and his size made Qingling look up at him.

Qingling also remembers the pain of him gripping her arm tightly, causing her entire arm to swell and go numb.

Fear flashed across her eyes, and she took a step back, keeping her distance from him.

Taoye was already standing at the door; if the young master made a move, she would poke him down with her hairpin.

Zhan Xingzhuo also noticed the fear in her eyes, but she still held her chin up and confronted him, as if she was ready to make a scene.

"...Brother Xingzhuo, don't argue with Qingling when you go back. She loves you so much, it will hurt her. I know I've wronged her, I can't owe her any more." Zhou Zhining's hoarse voice echoed in his mind.

That's it. She won't budge an inch, simply to protect her own interests and unwilling to give him up.

That's how women are; they have a narrow perspective and only focus on their own little world.

“…Brother Xingzhuo, if Qingling is unwilling to give you silver notes, you can rent me a room. It’s just a place to stay; I can take care of myself.”

The thought of Zhou Zhining gradually cooled Zhan Xingzhuo's boiling anger.

But he couldn't let Zhou Zhining suffer any longer; she was already so heartbroken, and her body was also suffering.

Yao Qingling was unwilling to give money, but he was the head of the family, and he needed the money; he didn't necessarily need her consent.

The man's expression softened slightly: "Give me the warehouse keys."