Chapter 71 Second Master, please take care of yourself first.

Once outside the Duke's mansion, the midday sun shone brightly and gently, and even the breeze blowing on our faces was refreshing and tender.

Yao Qingling didn't go to the new mansion; she only instructed Taoye to keep an eye on things there and send all the dowry from there to the Marquis's mansion.

She was married into the Duke's mansion in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men, and now she only leaves through the threshold of the Duke's mansion.

Zhan Xingzhuo waited at the new mansion, but only saw Taoye guarding the storeroom, directing the servants to send things out.

The man's face was ashen.

Zhou Zhining and her son were kicked out and their whereabouts were unknown; he himself was also confined to his home and not allowed to go in or out.

The Grand Princess of Deyang dispatched a troop of guards to completely surround the new mansion. Granny Rong once again took charge of the household affairs. Granny Rong also relayed the Grand Princess's message, forbidding him from stepping into the Duke's mansion until he completely severed ties with the Zhou family.

Zhan Xingzhuo, his face dark and sullen, strode up to Tao Ye: "Where is Yao Qingling? Why didn't she come herself?"

Tao Ye glanced at him and said indifferently, "Second Master will never see my young lady again. She said she doesn't want to see you again."

Zhan Xingzhuo: "..."

He clenched his fists, veins bulging, his face so dark it could drip water.

Upon seeing this, Tao Ye quickly took a step back.

The man stared coldly at Tao Ye, spitting out each word through clenched teeth: "Without me, Yao Qingling is nothing. One day, she'll come crying back to me!"

Tao Ye couldn't resist teasing him, saying, "Second Master, you should take care of yourself first."

She glanced outside and saw two guards standing at the gate like door gods. Who was in a worse situation?

These guards were all under the watchful eyes of the Grand Princess, and there were guards at the entrance of each courtyard, so he couldn't move.

These words provoked Zhan Xingzhuo, who had been imprisoned for several days.

This is outrageous! How dare a lowly maidservant ridicule him like this!

He raised his hand high, and Taoye instinctively raised her hand to protect her head.

When Granny Rong came over to check, she saw Zhan Xingzhuo about to hit a servant. She calmly reminded him, "Second Master, do you want to be locked up for a few more days?"

Zhan Xingzhuo clenched his jaw, his cheek muscles bulging violently twice, and angrily flung his sleeves and left.

Yao Qingling, don't let him see her again!

Taoye rolled her eyes at his retreating figure and snorted.

Granny Rong's cold gaze swept over: "Miss Taoye, please hurry up."

Tao Ye pouted, waved her handkerchief, and shouted at the people, "Is everything packed? Don't leave a single thing behind, and be careful!"

"yes!"

After a while, everything was loaded onto the truck.

Taoye entered the storeroom, made sure no paper was left behind, and waved her little hand again: "Go home!"

At this moment, Yao Qingling, carrying her dowry moved from the Duke's mansion, stopped in front of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.

The procession was vast and long, winding its way through the land.

Marquis Yao Ying, the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, and his wife, Lady Ma, were standing at the door.

On both sides of the Hou residence, there were other neighbors watching.

How can it not be rare that the first person since the founding of the country has successfully divorced from the royal family?

They whispered and pointed at the Marquis's residence.

The Marquis of Zhongyong's face turned ashen.

Yao Qingling didn't need to read their expressions to know that she had offended the Duke's Mansion by divorcing them without consulting them or getting their permission. These offenses had thoroughly offended the Marquis's Mansion.

If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's decree, they wouldn't even have allowed her to step over the threshold; they would have expelled her from the clan.

Yao Qingling got off the carriage, and the surrounding crowd made way for her.

Amidst the whispers of the crowd, she walked straight up to Marquis Zhongyong and said in a clear and calm voice, "Uncle, your niece Yao Qingling has returned."

There was no weeping or wailing, nor a bitter expression; there was no elation, nor the smug satisfaction of having achieved one's goal.

She was calm and peaceful, as if she had just gone on a long trip and returned home safely with a bunch of things.

However, this pile of things was her wedding gift, and the bright red paint on the chest had not faded.

Now I'm back here.

Marquis Zhongyong stared intently at Yao Qingling, his expression subtle, as if he was trying his best to hold back. After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a "hmm" from his nose.

Madam Ma glanced at the Marquis and felt that he lacked authority.

He thought to himself: Yao Qingling is so powerful, who can keep her in check when she returns to the Marquis's mansion?

Turning to Qingling, she said, "You're divorcing us without our consent. Qingling, you're incredibly audacious. You disregard the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, but don't you care about your parents' reputation either?"

As she spoke, Ma wiped away imaginary tears with her handkerchief, her voice trembling with sobs, "We raised you with so much care, found you a good family to marry into, and now you just want a divorce like that. All our hard work has been for nothing, all you do is be willful... How can we face your parents like this?"

She paused, wiping away her tears: "Fine, if you're coming back, then come back."

She instructed the servants behind her: "Go and take all the things to the storeroom. Be careful not to bump or hurt them."

About twenty servants filed out of the door to help transport the goods.

Madam Ma entered the room with Qingling, took her hand, and said gently, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I asked the cook to prepare some light meals, and the whole family can have a reunion dinner tonight..."

Madam Ma first flew into a rage, then put on a kind and benevolent demeanor; the fault lay with Yao Qingling, and the favor was bestowed by the Marquis's mansion, she perfectly portrayed the image of a good aunt in public.

Once inside, outsiders could neither see nor hear the conversation. Madam Ma loosened her grip and said coldly, "After you've eaten, go to the ancestral hall and kneel before your parents. We can't bear your kneeling any longer. You'd better take care of yourself."

Yao Qingling stood there, looking at the things in the Marquis's mansion, and smiled calmly.

The smile didn't reach his eyes; there was even a hint of coldness in them.

It still tastes the same. My aunt is always the same, two different faces, one in front of others and one behind.

When Yao Qingling first entered the Marquis's mansion, others pitied her for having just lost her parents, and Madam Ma treated her with great care and concern, putting on a show of concern. However, it took her three years to have a new set of clothes made for her, which she was only allowed to wear when going out, to show others, and had to take off after returning to the mansion.

Her other clothes were all hand-me-downs from her older cousins.

Madam Ma always said with a sorrowful expression that the Yao family only received the Marquis's mansion, and her father's pension was not much; the Marquis's mansion had many people, so money had to be used sparingly; the Marquis's mansion was supported by her eldest uncle's meager salary, and she was told to be grateful.

But the older brothers and sisters, and the younger brothers and sisters, never lacked food, clothing, or other necessities; and the younger brothers and sisters never used other people's old things.

The embroiderers in the mansion were masters of altering clothes—they only altered hers.

The children from the third wife's family had their aunts' help in securing everything, so they got everything they wanted; Qingling, however, had no parents to protect her and could only endure it.

Now that she's gone out for a while... her parents' things will eventually come back to her!

A sharp glint flashed in Yao Qingling's eyes. She clenched her fist, displaying a fierce determination amidst the falling petals, but it quickly disappeared.

With a calm expression, she returned to her former Mulan Courtyard.

As soon as they reached the courtyard gate, they heard a girl's clear and cheerful voice coming from inside: "Qingqi, don't run away, give me back my things!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a young woman in a light blue dress ran to the courtyard gate and almost bumped into Qingling.

Qingling stood quietly. The woman recognized her but said arrogantly and rudely, "Oh, I almost forgot. Mother said you were coming back. Yao Qingling, you're quite something. You've caused chaos and disgraced our Marquis's mansion, making it impossible for us to leave."

Yao Qingling glanced at the woman indifferently and said, "Yao Qingqi, this is my courtyard. Are you trying to cause trouble here?"

Yao Qingqi is the second daughter of her uncle. She is the same age as Qingling, but four months younger. She is already engaged and will get married in the second half of the year.

"Is this your cousin?" Another woman's voice came from behind Yao Qingqi. Her skirt swayed as she slowly walked up to Yao Qingling and looked at her curiously.

Yao Qingling sized up the woman in front of her.

Peach Leaf had a bad feeling. She looked at him nervously and defensively, and asked coldly, "Who are you?"