Su Jinyue took a step back, smiling with a fake smile, "Jinyue's family is very poor, I'm afraid it can't fill the big hole in the Xie Mansion!"

Madam Xie’s face froze.

However, Xie Lin, who was standing behind him, immediately jumped out and said, "Who are you talking to? We in the Xie family still don't despise you for being a shameless whore who shows off!"

"I'm telling you, hurry up and prepare some money, go to the Xie Mansion and apologize, and serve the whole family well in the future, and then I'll consider whether to recognize you as my sister-in-law!"

"Otherwise, if I say a few more words to Qingyun," Xie Lin snorted with a very disdainful attitude, "You know Qingxu listens to his brother a lot, I guarantee you won't be allowed to marry!"

I heard that she had threatened me with not being able to marry Xie Qingxu, as if it would be a huge blow to her if she couldn't marry Xie Qingxu.

Su Jinyue just felt it was ridiculous. She was no longer the woman in her previous life who loved Xie Qingxu to the point of having no self-respect and who allowed herself to be manipulated just to marry into the Xie Mansion.

After being reborn, she only wanted to take back everything that originally belonged to her.

Seeing that Su Jinyue didn't say anything for a long time, Old Madam Xie thought that she was frightened by Xie Lin's words. She was secretly happy in her heart, but pretended to be understanding and came out to smooth things over.

"Okay, we're all family from now on, why do you have to say such harsh words?"

She turned to Su Jinyue and half coaxed and half lied: "Your sister-in-law is also impatient and speaks bluntly. Don't worry, as long as you apologize sincerely and let the Marquis' Mansion hold a new wedding banquet, we can write off the previous things..."

"Cancel what?"

As soon as Su Jinyue stretched out her hand, Xiaotao immediately handed her an account book.

"Over the years, you and your family have spent my money and owed me countless silver. Now that the marriage has been ruined, you should return my dowry in full!"

After these words were spoken, even Old Madam Xie could no longer maintain her usual smile, and her eyes suddenly turned gloomy as she looked at Su Jinyue.

"What do you mean by compensation? You willingly gave money to our Xie family. We didn't let you marry into our family in the first place, but you took your dowry and offered to pay us. Now you have the nerve to ask for money. I tell you, you are dreaming!"

When the money was mentioned, Xie Lin immediately became anxious. "Yesterday, a wedding banquet was ruined because of those two money-losing bastards from your family. The loss has not been compensated yet, and you still dare to ask me for money? Don't push me too far, I... I will stay in the Marquis' Mansion today and won't leave!"

As she said this she actually sat down on the ground, looking as if she was about to make a scene.

Old Madam Su's face also darkened. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Jiang Caiping.

She scolded Su Jinyue, "It's all your fault. I've never seen anyone rush to give a dowry before marrying into the family. Now, not only do you not get the money back, but you also caused such a big scandal. I really shouldn't have acknowledged you as my daughter in the first place!"

She looked as if she was very disappointed with Su Jinyue, as if everything that happened today was caused by Su Jinyue alone.

"Since you know that the Xie Mansion is not a good place, why did mother rush to let Su Zhiyao marry there as well?"

Su Jinyue sneered, feeling it was ridiculous. "If it weren't for mother colluding with the Xie family to raise Su Zhiyao as a co-wife behind my back, there wouldn't be such a farce today. How dare mother blame me?"

Jiang Caiping's eyes turned red with anger, and she shouted at Su Jinyue, "How can you be compared with Zhiyao? If it was Zhiyao who had decided to spend her life with Xie Qingxu, she would never have caused such a scandal like you!"

"Zhiyao is so good in every way, why is it that even though I took the initiative to cancel the engagement, the Xie family still doesn't seem to be willing to marry Su Zhiyao as their principal wife?"

Jiang Caiping choked and couldn't answer for a while.

But after not seeing each other for a few days, she could never have imagined that her daughter, who was born in the countryside and had a poor tongue, would become so eloquent today!

Su Jinyue looked at Xie Lin, who was sitting on the ground with a rogue look on his face, and snorted coldly.

"Xie Lin, listen carefully. Your Xie family and I have no marriage certificate, and we have not even been married. People all over the capital saw with their own eyes that I didn't even enter the door, and they canceled the engagement. Now you are unwilling to return the dowry, which is an illegal occupation of my property!"

She lifted her skirt and bowed to Old Lady Su.

"Grandma, Jin Yue is still young. Please help Jin Yue report to the authorities and get the money back."

Xie Lin stood up, looking a little flustered, "Report to the police? What do you mean?"

She was at a loss and subconsciously turned to look at Madam Xie.

Old Madam Xie's face also looked unhappy. She realized that Su Jinyue was determined to break up with her, so she took a step forward and spoke threateningly to Old Madam Su.

"Old Madam, don't forget that the imperial decree for Zhiyao to marry into the Xie family as a co-wife was sent to the Marquis' Mansion."

Old Madam Su lowered her eyes and said nothing.

But Su Jinyue knew clearly that Old Madam Su was calculating in her mind whether to marry her and Su Zhiyao into the Xie family, or to take a gamble and help Su Jinyue completely cancel the marriage.

Which choice will benefit the Marquis' Mansion the most?

Su Zhiyao now crawled and knelt at Old Madam Su's feet, sobbing and crying.

"Grandmother, it's Zhiyao's fault. I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult position. I've been in the army for three years, and everyone in the barracks knows that Qingxu and I have a special relationship. In the battle of Tongguan, it was Qingxu and I who joined forces, one killing the enemy in front of the battle and the other healing the wounded behind the battle, that led to the great victory. The emperor granted us marriage because of this contribution."

"If we rashly break off the engagement, wouldn't it hurt your majesty's reputation and chill the hearts of the soldiers and civilians?"

These words sounded very righteous, but in fact they were hinting at Old Madam Su how great her contributions were and how much she was trusted by the people and the Emperor.

It was an extremely unprofitable deal to hurt her adopted daughter, who was both capable and famous, for the sake of a mere country bumpkin's granddaughter.

Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, Old Madam Su's face shook, and she raised her hand to stroke Su Zhiyao's hair.

"You are a good child, and grandma knows your hard work."

When he looked up again, his expression became stern again. He was about to scold Su Jinyue when he heard her suddenly speak.

"Grandmother, Jin Yue is determined to get her dowry back, and it's not just for herself."

"In the past two years, the farms and shops of the Marquis' Mansion have been declining one after another, and the elders in the family have no business to make a living. They can hardly make ends meet. With the continuous battles at the border, my father and brothers don't have enough money, and the mansion has to give them money, so everyone in the mansion has to live frugally."

"But this is the capital after all. It costs money to make friends with noble families and to maintain personal connections. Our Yongning Marquisate is an old noble family and we have to maintain our reputation. We can't let those new rich look down on us. Each of these expenses is not a small amount, but where does the money come from?"

Old Madam Su, who was originally leaning on the edge of the couch, slowly sat up straight, and there was a strange look in her eyes when she looked at Su Jinyue.

"I have calculated that this dowry of eight million taels of silver is too much for a girl like me who never leaves the house. But it was also specially bought for me by my grandmother. After she passed away, my grandfather and his family were stationed at the border. I think this money can never be returned to them."

"It would be better to give half of it to the Marquis' Mansion. It can solve the urgent problem and it is also a small token of my gratitude as a junior."

The corners of her mouth curled up into a smile, "Grandma, what do you think?"