"There's no need to report on her affairs from now on."

He didn't want to hear anything more about her marriage to Gu Ziyu.

Steward Li's eyes flickered, and he respectfully agreed.

Judging from the Emperor's words, he intends to let go of Miss Su.

Miss Su is really something, actually choosing Gu Ziyu.

A forced relationship will not be sweet.

But this is also a good thing.

With the mourning period for the late emperor nearing its end, the harem is likely to become increasingly lively.

...

Su Wanwan and Su Wanying were having breakfast when they suddenly heard a commotion in the courtyard.

The new heir of the Duke of Wei, Xu Pengju, stormed into the room.

With a fierce look in his eyes, he demanded, "Su Wanwan, how dare you bully my people?!"

Su Wanwan looked at Aunt Luo, who was being held in Xu Pengju's arms and sobbing softly, and said calmly:

“Aunt Luo was my late husband Peng’an’s concubine. Her indenture is still with me. When did she become my second uncle’s woman?”

Xu Pengju gritted his teeth: "Then why don't you hand over the indenture?"

"Su Wanwan, don't think I'll be nice to you and put up with you, you unfaithful and filthy slut."

"I, the young master, will make the whole world know about your debauchery, and see which noble family would still be willing to marry you!"

Su Wanwan curled her fingers, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and said leisurely:

"Young Master Xu, by tarnishing your widowed sister-in-law's reputation, you will also ruin the reputation of the Duke of Wei's mansion. You'll kill eight hundred enemies but lose a thousand of your own. Have you really thought this through?"

Xu Pengju coldly observed her behavior and sneered:

"If you're worried about ruining your reputation, hand over your indenture and dowry, and the Duke of Wei's mansion won't stop you from remarrying."

Su Wanwan then looked up at him, her expression calm: "What if I say no?"

Xu Pengju was so angry that veins bulged on his forehead, and he pointed his finger at her: "Su Wanwan, you're courting death!"

Su Wanwan said calmly, "I want to see what makes Prince Xu think he can smear me."

Xu Pengju was taken aback by her composure, and stood there stunned for a moment before finally turning away and leaving.

"We'll see what happens when we see the coffin!"

Aunt Luo glanced at Su Wanwan, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned to follow Xu Pengju.

Su Wanwan sat at the table for a long time without saying a word.

Su Wanying grasped her hand: "Sister, I support you. You are definitely not that kind of person!"

Su Wanwan paused slightly: "..."

If Aunt Luo hadn't come and made a scene yesterday, and she hadn't been suddenly questioned in person, she might have lost her composure and revealed her weaknesses.

After a whole night of mental preparation, she was able to face it calmly.

Unless Lu Xingjian confronts her directly, she can handle anything with ease.

However, since the Xu family is after her dowry, she still needs to prepare well.

Because she had planned to leave the Xu family, many of her newly opened shops and businesses were not registered in her own name, and many of the businesses in her dowry were transferred out through sales.

Even if the Xu family were to seize all of her dowry, they could only take a portion that hadn't yet been transferred.

Later that evening, Yan Rong and He Ying, the servants who had stayed at Xiaoyuan, returned. Su Wanwan gave the two strong women a lot of gold, silver and cloth to thank them for taking care of her these past two days.

Su Wanwan was waiting for the Xu family to make trouble again.

Unexpectedly, Han Xiufen came to find her three days later.

Han Xiufen said with a smile, "The Duke of Anguo's mansion has already sent a matchmaker to inquire about your name. Wanwan, as your mother-in-law, I naturally hope you will live a good life."

"But as you know, the Duke of Wei's mansion is running out of money. Most of the salaries issued by the court are worthless paper money, which is not enough to cover expenses."

“From the previous dynasty onwards, the property of a woman who remarries shall be subject to the jurisdiction of her former husband’s family, including her original dowry.”

"Your dowry, both theoretically and emotionally, should remain in the Duke of Wei's mansion."

Su Wanwan stared at her for a while, then lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Mother, does the law of the Great Liang state stipulate that a remarried woman's dowry belongs to her former husband's family?"

Han Xiufen's smile froze, and after a long while, she pouted and said:

"Although this dynasty's laws do not stipulate it, the laws of the previous Yuan dynasty clearly stipulated it."

Su Wanwan said calmly, "The Great Yuan Dynasty has been driven back to the grasslands for over a hundred years, and the first Duke of Wei made great contributions to this cause."

"Mother, are you planning to take away your daughter-in-law's dowry according to the laws of the Great Yuan Dynasty?"

"If the founding emperor knew that someone was still using the laws of the previous dynasty to build the empire with their blood and sweat, would he still be able to keep his head up in his coffin?"

Han Xiufen's face changed instantly, her chest heaving, and finally she suppressed her anger and said resentfully,

"What a sharp tongue you have! I can't argue with you, the eldest granddaughter of the Grand Secretary. But if you think you can defy your mother-in-law just because of your good birth, don't expect to earn a good reputation!"

Han Xiufen left in a fit of rage.

Su Wanwan took a deep breath.

She could roughly discern the Xu family's true intentions.

They wanted to force her to give up her dowry and remarry, but they didn't want to make a big fuss about the scandal and lose face for the Duke of Wei's mansion.

Because, nowadays, the Duke of Wei's mansion has nothing left but a hollow title.

Su Wanwan summoned Yan Rong: "Go and find out how the young master's betrothal gifts are being prepared?"

Yan Rong accepted the order and left. When she returned, her expression was strange, with a hint of schadenfreude.

"The Marquis of Qingyang's family demands that the betrothal gifts be comparable to those of the Marquis of Shouning's family. Right now, the young master is throwing a tantrum in the front yard. It is said that even if the entire family scrapes together the money, it will still be less than 30% of the total."

He Ying said angrily, "Taking his widow's dowry to help him get married and save face? I've never seen a brother-in-law with such a thick skin!"

Su Wanwan lowered her eyes and had someone find the betrothal gift list that Xu Peng'an had given her when he proposed marriage.

She gathered up all the betrothal gifts that later became part of her dowry.

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