"This is only the beginning; how could we possibly trouble Your Highness so easily?"
Xie Yuan smiled, not caring at all about losing face, and directly pushed open the car door and jumped off the oxcart.
She stood tall and straight outside the Xie family's gate, dressed in a bright red wedding gown.
This bizarre attire and persistent demeanor quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers.
"Oh dear, who is this? Why is she wearing a wedding dress and standing outside the Xie family's gate in broad daylight?"
"It seems to be that young lady from the Xie family, who went to the Eastern Palace as a substitute bride?"
"Hiss! Judging by the timing, today really is the day for the bride's return to her parents' home. What's wrong with the Xie family—"
"Tsk, they're just collateral descendants, they don't know any manners. They've truly disgraced the Xie family of Chen Commandery!"
"Did you all see that? Miss Xie is still wearing her wedding dress. Could it be that the Xie family didn't even provide a spare set of clothes as part of her dowry?"
"It can't be that bad. Xie Ze stole the entire Xie family's wealth accumulated over hundreds of years. Not to mention their ancestral property, even the dowry of Miss Xie's birth mother, Madam Wang, was extremely substantial!"
"By the way, she was a substitute bride, a sacrifice made by the Xie family to appease the royal family. For that reason alone, she should be given some compensation!"
"...Xie Ze is shameless! Utterly shameless! He's a disgrace to the Xie surname!"
Among the crowd, there were a few quick-witted individuals who kept speaking up and setting the pace.
Soon, the onlookers learned of the Xie family's shamelessness and Miss Xie's grievances.
"Minister Xie, you are the Attendant-in-Ordinary, in charge of etiquette, how come you yourself do not know or observe etiquette?"
"That's right, open the door quickly! Even if it's not our young lady's homecoming, you can't lock the door in broad daylight."
"Xie Ze is a treacherous, shameless, and despicable man!"
"Miss Xie is vain, opportunistic, bullies her cousin, and has no respect for the emperor..."
Three or five idle people from the city were shouting at the top of their lungs at the deep, secluded mansion.
Everyone echoed this sentiment.
For a time, the area outside the Xie family's gate was as bustling as the East and West markets.
Helian Jue sighed, tsk, his little princess seemed to really enjoy this kind of thing.
They incited public opinion, letting scoundrels and beggars stir up trouble, and deliberately smeared the reputation of the Xie family, a distinguished clan that valued integrity.
If Xie Ze had any sense of shame, or rather, if he still valued the prestige of aristocratic families, he wouldn't have stood idly by.
Of course, this approach isn't truly invincible.
If Xie Ze completely breaks off relations and forcefully releases his powerful servants and retainers, Xie Yuan's methods will be completely useless!
Helian Jue gently traced the patterns on the jade pendant at his waist, and several images flashed through his mind—
On the night of the wedding, Xie Yuan firmly declared, "I am willing to marry Your Highness."
The fourth prince acted like a scoundrel, and Xie Yuan smiled as he used a candlestick to set the curtains on fire.
And just now outside the Prince of Guangling's mansion, she cleverly helped Helian Chen vent his anger...
Helian Jue stopped thinking about it, got up from the carriage, and went to Xie Yuan's side.
Even as a deposed crown prince, he still had some use.
He simply couldn't believe that Xie Ze would be so arrogant.
Squeak!
Helian Jue appeared, and not long after, the tightly closed gates of the Xie family were opened.
...
Xie Ze's face was ashen, but he still welcomed Xie Yuan and Helian Jue into the Xie family.
"Uncle, let's not beat around the bush, let's just follow the list."
Xie Yuan immediately took out the dowry list.
"Ah Yuan, always leave a way out for others, so you can meet again someday."
Xie Ze gritted his teeth and said in a hateful voice, "I advise you not to go too far."
That brat is too greedy. In addition to demanding her mother, Madam Wang's, dowry, she also wants a third of the Xie family's assets.
If they were all given to her, the Xie family would be severely damaged.
Although he had stolen all of these things, he had already swallowed them and was truly reluctant to spit them out.
Writing a dowry list was merely a stopgap measure.
Xie Yuan has now married the Prince of Yue and has been ordered by the Emperor to leave the capital as soon as possible.
Xie Ze had no intention of fulfilling the contract.
"Oh dear, Uncle, you also know that His Highness is leaving the capital tomorrow?"
“But if His Highness’s enfeoffment is delayed because you are delaying the dowry, I’m afraid it will be difficult to explain to the Emperor.”
Xie Yuan used the same words he used to demand money and personnel from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to continue blackmailing Xie Ze.
The technique may be old, but as long as it works, that's fine.
Helian Jue shook his head slightly; the same move wouldn't work after a few tries.
Public opinion manipulation, spreading rumors, and even competing to see who is more domineering or shameless are utterly useless in the face of absolute power.
Sure enough, Xie Ze gave a cold laugh, "The Princess Consort of Yue is quite imposing and has a sharp tongue. I, Xie, cannot bear such slander."
"However, even if you have managed to deceive the world, and I have indeed delayed the King of Yue's departure, my crime does not warrant death."
"And the King of Yue will be implicated by you and end up with the charges of 'disobeying imperial orders' and 'great disrespect'."
Even threatening suicide is a way to gauge whether the other party cares.
If the other party is also willing to go all out, then you can't really coerce them.
Xie Ze wasn't fearless; it was just that Xie Yuan wanted too much.
Xie Ze weighed the enormous wealth against offending the royal family, and found the former to be more unbearable.
Furthermore, being blackmailed is a recurring problem.
Xie Ze put himself in others' shoes; he was most unwilling to be held accountable and blackmailed by others.
He'd rather die than let Xie Yuan, that brat, really take the Prince of Yue and his brother down with her!
Hmph, even if Xie Yuan is willing to go all out, the King of Yue probably won't agree.
King Helian Jue of Yue made a move; he took out a stack of white paper from his sleeve pocket.
"In the third year of Yuande, Xie Ze's elder brother seized farmland from the people and allowed his slaves to commit violence, causing havoc in the village."
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