Chapter 25 Betrayal and Abandonment

"Good...good! What a traitorous, heartless bastard you are!"

Wang Mingyuan laughed in fury: "Was I, Wang Mingyuan, blind to have a sister like you! For a little bit of control over the household, you're willing to drag the entire Wang family down with you!"

"I was blind too! I actually helped my own family! What do you know! If I hadn't helped my family, I wouldn't be in such a predicament now! Brother, enough nonsense!"

Wang stood firm, her eyes fierce: "What you possess was given to you by me! To return it or not? I'm only waiting for one word!"

Wang Mingyuan stared intently at Wang Shi, his chest heaving violently.

Finally, Wang Mingyuan, as if all his strength had been drained, slumped back into his chair: "Wang Fu...go and ask the clan's accountant to settle the clan's accounts. Return all the money Wang Shi gave her! If that's not enough, then sell the house and the land!"

"Master!" the clan elders cried out in anguish.

"Shut up!" Wang Mingyuan slammed his hand on the armrest. "You won't sell? Are you waiting for her to take all that evidence and throw us all in jail?! Think it over! There are still younger generations in the clan who are taking the imperial examinations!"

Wang's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly, her back already soaked with cold sweat.

From now on, Wang Shi will have no support or way out in Jinling except for her position on the crater of the General's Mansion.

Your maternal home?

They've become mortal enemies!

For the next two days and two nights, the Wang family's ancestral hall was brightly lit, and the sounds of arguing, crying, and cursing were incessant.

Like a wicked overseer, Wang stayed by the makeshift accounting office set up outside the ancestral hall, never leaving its side.

She ignored the curses and scorn of her clansmen, her mind focused on only one thing: money! More money! She had to raise the deficit before the deadline! She had to retain control of the household!

On the morning of the third day, the rising sun cast a long shadow over the Wang Family Ancestral Hall.

Wang Mingyuan slammed a heavy sandalwood box onto the table in front of Wang Shi.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked ten years older: "It's all here! Even your sister-in-law's dowry shops... everything that could be sold has been sold! Everything that could be pawned has been pawned! A total of 120,000 taels! Take this silver and get out! Get out of the Wang family! From now on, I, Wang Mingyuan, have no sister like you!"

"The Wang family has no place for you! Your life, old age, sickness, death, wealth, honor, or disgrace are none of the Wang family's business! If you dare to set foot in the Wang family again, I'll break your legs!"

Wang rushed forward and hugged the box tightly. The cold wooden box made her feel a sense of security she had never felt before.

She looked at Wang Mingyuan through tear-filled eyes, as if it were her last glance: "I, Wang Zhentong, wish never to see you again in this life!"

"Get out! Get out of here!"

Hearing this, Wang felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she quickly came to terms with it. As long as the household management rights were preserved, that was enough... She no longer cared about the family; her family absolutely could not be driven out of the General's Mansion!

If she were driven away, she would certainly have no place in the Wang family.

Since I've never really had a family to rely on, what does it matter if I lose them...?

The sunrise at dawn cast Wang's solitary shadow.

——

Upon returning to the general's mansion, Madam Wang immediately took out the account book and began to check each item one by one.

It should be a little short; selling the dowry jewelry and the estate given to Xie Wuyou as part of her dowry should be enough.

When Wang found Xie Wuyou and told her about this, Xie Wuyou went mad.

"Why?!" Xie Wuyou jumped up from the embroidered stool, her face filled with disbelief, anger, and grievance. "That's my estate! My dowry! Xie Wulu also owns shops and estates! Why won't Mother sell his?! Why target mine?! Am I not your own child?!"

Wang's head was buzzing from her daughter's screams. She patiently coaxed her, "Wuyou! Calm down! Your brother is a man! He's the only hope for the second wife! You'll have to rely on him in the future! He needs to have some assets to rely on so he can have confidence in the future!"

"I'm sorry you had to go through this! Once we get through this, I'll make it up to you double! I'll get you a better estate! A better dowry!"

"Double it? Make up for it? Ha!" Xie Wuyou couldn't listen to these promises at all.

It's always like this! It's always like this! In her mother's eyes, Xie Wulu will always be more important than her!

His future, his reputation, everything about him is worth sacrificing everything to protect, while I... deserve to be sacrificed and abandoned!

Looking at Wang's matter-of-fact, even slightly impatient expression, an unprecedented sense of desolation overwhelmed her.

Suddenly, Xie Wuyou felt quite bored, as if all her strength had been drained.

Xie Wulu will always be more important than myself.

Suddenly, a wicked idea popped into her head;

Since... since the younger brother is thinking of taking Xie Sangyu's place and becoming the rightful eldest son of the General's Mansion, inheriting this immense wealth and power...

Then why can't Xie Wuyou replace Xie Sangning and become the unparalleled legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion?!

By then, who would dare to look down on Xie Wuyou?

Who would dare touch her things? Xie Sangning's current wealth and status will all fall into Xie Wuyou's hands!

As for Xie Wulu... well, he has to watch his own expression too!

Thinking of this, Xie Wuyou trembled slightly with excitement, and his cheeks even flushed with a sickly redness.

She now sees clearly that her good younger brother despises her, his older sister, from the bottom of his heart, yet still tries to take advantage of her in every way!

Since she couldn't rely on anyone else, Xie Wuyou was determined to fight for a real future for herself!

That night, Xie Wuyou lay in the brocade quilt, his eyes open until dawn.

As dawn broke, Xie Wuyou finally came up with a solution.

She wanted to wait for Xie Sangning to leave the mansion!

As soon as she steps out of the General's Mansion... he has a way to ruin her reputation! To completely destroy her haughty face and her disgusting arrogance!

Xie Wuyou had calculated it clearly: once Xie Sangning lost his innocence, he would have no place to stand in Jinling City or in the General's Mansion!

A woman's reputation is greater than anything else.

The household will surely hastily marry her off and send her away!

At that time, Xie Wuyou, as the only remaining daughter in the mansion, will naturally receive all the resources and support from the entire mansion!

Why worry about not being able to marry into a high-ranking family, or even climb the social ladder to become a prince or nobleman?

Although they are currently engaged, who would be willing to stop here if they could climb to a higher branch?

Her fiancé was Wei Zikai, the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Yongning.

Although born out of wedlock, this man is quite capable. In the past two years, he has been promoted to a fifth-rank general at a young age based on his military achievements. He can be considered a rare young talent and has been the talk of the town for a time.

There are even rumors that Wei Zikai was chosen by the emperor to be the one who could fight against Xie Zhenting.

The original plan was for the eldest son of the Marquis of Yongning to marry the eldest daughter of the General of the State.

But the Emperor was not willing to do so, as this would only make the General's Mansion even more powerful.

It just so happened that the Marquis of Yongning favored his concubine, and he actually changed the marriage partner to a son of a concubine! This change was exactly what the Emperor wanted.

After all, how could a legitimate daughter marry a son born out of wedlock?

In addition, Wang Shi also had this idea in her mind - even if he was a son of a concubine, he was still a family that Xie Wuyou could not reach in the past!

This marriage alliance fell to the illegitimate son Wei Zikai and the second wife Xie Wuyou.

Wei Zikai's mother was furious, but it was a marriage approved by the Emperor, so there was nothing she could do even if she didn't want to.

Xie Wuyou herself was also unwilling, believing that she should not marry only a son born out of wedlock.

But ever since Wei Zikai received the title of general, Xie Wuyou was extremely radiant, and in front of her close female friends, her eyes practically looked up to the heavens.

She had already made up her mind: if she failed to scheme against Xie Sangning, she would marry Wei Zikai, who had a bright future, and that wouldn't be a bad deal.

But if it succeeds... Wei Zikai will no longer be worthy of her!