Su Rong picked up the three thick account books. These were her mother’s private records, meticulously recording various belongings. One was left by the Crown Prince Derui for her mother, one contained the dowry of the Crown Princess, one was her mother’s own, along with the earned profits of 2.2 million taels of gold and silver.
After reading them, she inhaled sharply, "I really didn’t expect my mother’s inheritance to be so substantial. I did know that she left something in the Imperial Palace, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. After all, she has been gone for so many years. In my memory, it’s only been ten years, but to His Majesty of Daliang, she has been gone for seventeen years. As the saying goes, ’out of sight, out of mind’. Affection between siblings also fades away with time, but surprisingly, he still retains so much of her stuff. I wonder if it’s because of guilt, or if there are still some sibling bonds that make him preserve these things."
Zhou Gu didn’t know what to say.
Su Rong continued: "Back then, Crown Prince Derui didn’t just leave some public properties for my mother, but more importantly, he left some hidden properties and secret guards. After her death, he entrusted me and those hidden properties and guards to Uncle Xie for upbringing and management. My mother had never intended to leave these things in the palace. Surprisingly, Princess Qingping has unearthed them now, and His Majesty has returned them without any deduction."
"Now, you’re quite wealthy." Zhou Gu also sighed. Who could have imagined that she, being a princess, would be so rich? When they were in Jiangning County, his eyes widened at her large spending. In comparison to her garments worth tens of thousands of taels, his private money of a few thousand taels was negligible.
"How about trading these things for your weapons repository?" Su Rong quipped with a smile.
Zhou Gu rolled his eyes, "Knock it off."
"Trade or not?"
"No."
Su Rong stared at him, "This is what your mother-in-law left behind."
Zhou Gu paused for a moment.
Su Rong continued to say: "This is my dowry."
Zhou Gu embraced her, "Let’s pass it on from generation to generation!"
Su Rong laughed. Indeed, from what Crown Prince Derui left behind for her mother, his genuine love for his daughter is evident. It was just unfortunate that her maternal grandfather died too early. If he had ruled Daliang, Daliang would not have lost to Dawei, and her mother wouldn’t have to undergo so much hardship and loss her life too early.
She got up with Zhou Gu, "Let’s go and see. These things arrived just in time for my birthday, just as if it’s been calculated by the Crown Prince."
Zhou Gu grumbled discontentedly, "He has Duanhua now, yet he is still so good to you."
Su Rong glared at him, "So what if he’s good to me? He’s my cousin. My mother had a hard life striving for the prosperity of Daliang. Isn’t it right for him, who was born in the peace and prosperity of Daliang, to be good to me?"
Zhou Gu pinched her face, "Is that what they say?"
"Isn’t it?" Su Rong scolded him, "Jealous of my little cousin and now jealous of my cousin, the Crown Prince, you’ve really outdone yourself. Beware that your grandfather may rebuke you. During the feast just now, I saw my little cousin filing a complaint about you to him."
Zhou Gu picked her up over his shoulder, "What about you? If your grandfather rebukes me, will you stand up for me?"
Su Rong laughed, "Of course, of course, now put me down."
"No!"
The two of them playfully arrived at Su Rong’s private warehouse.
The King of Nanchu had partitioned off a large warehouse in between Feng Hall and Huang Hall, solely for storing Su Rong’s items.
Now, Fen Ling, along with several others, and the wet nurse, Yuewan, were directing people to move things into the warehouse.
There was also another person standing outside the warehouse -- Xie Yuan.
Upon seeing Xie Yuan, Zhou Gu hastily put Su Rong down, and with propriety, went forward to greet him, "Uncle Xie."
"Uncle Xie." Su Rong also shouted.
Xie Yuan turned his head to look at the two of them, nodded his head, but didn’t criticize their lack of decorum.
There were lights lit all around.
Su Rong handed the three account books to Xie Yuan, "These are the accounts of my mother’s private warehouse. There are so many things. I didn’t expect that my imperial uncle would be so generous. It must add up to seven or eight million taels of silver."
After skimming through them briefly, Xie Yuan commented, "Not only that, I’m afraid it might even reach a million tales."
He sighed lightly, "When the treasury of Daliang lacked silver, he didn’t take it out. He indeed has some fraternity, but your mother did not forgive him till the end. I understand, but she didn’t forgive him."
He continued: "At that time, your mother told me that she still had things in the Imperial Palace. After her feigned death and departure, she informed the Emperor and Empress Dowager to give them peace of mind, she had no intention to claim those things. They sent people looking for her everywhere, fearing that she might be in hardship. During that time, people did find their way to Jiangning County, but they were all stopped by the secret guards and were fooled. After all, who could have imagined that she, with such a status, would enter the Governor’s Residence in Jiangning and become a concubine?"
Su Rong nodded, "But now that Daliang has sent them, I graciously accept."
"Of course." Xie Yuan replied: "There is no reason to refuse them. After all, these are your mother’s belongings."
Then, the King of Nanchu came in haste, his eyes reddened, "When I asked Daliang for your mother’s relics back then, that bastard refused to give me anything. I didn’t expect that he had so many things of hers. It’s too hateful."
Su Rong wanted to say something, but seeing her father’s teary eyes, she sighed, hugged him, and comforted him indifferently, "Alright, how old are you? Although he didn’t give you anything, my mother left you the best gift - that’s me."
Actually, her mother didn’t even think of sending her to Nanchu. When she decided on Zhou Gu for her, she just wanted Su Rong to marry into the Duke’s Residence.
After she finished speaking, she added, "It’s my birthday today. Please don’t cry."
The King of Nanchu forcibly held back his tears, "I will not cry."
The King of Nanchu, who said he won’t cry, put his head between his knees and buried his face in his arms while he waited for the emotional wave to pass.
Su Rong watched him, sighed inwardly. Her mother had caused so much damage. How deep must this affection be for him to persevere like this? Alas.
She then looked at Xie Yuan, who seemed to be indifferent. He had no regrets. Even though he could not be with her mother, he cherished her for many years, accompanying her through peaceful days and was there when she closed her eyes forever.
Taking all this into account, she couldn’t tell who was more pitiful. But she thought that perhaps her biological father was more pitiable.
Xie Yuan looked at the King of Nanchu. He finally stopped feeling disgruntled. He sighed and said to the King of Nanchu, "Before she died, she called your name. She told me, if a day comes when you know of Xiaoqi’s existence and want to bring her to Nanchu, take good care of her. Take care of her daughter, witness the big wedding, see her children and grandchildren, the bits she can’t witness for herself, if you have witnessed them, it’s as if she has seen them too."
The King of Nanchu suddenly raised his head and asked Xie Yuan with teary and hoarse voice, "Really? Did she really say that?"
"Yes, why should I lie to you? The person she was most worried about till the end was Xiaoqi, and the person she missed the most was you." Xie Yuan replied helplessly, "All right, don’t cry anymore. Stay alive, spend more time with Xiaoqi, so when the time comes, you can face her in a composed manner. Perhaps then, she will still be waiting for you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
