Upon hearing this, the ladies turned to plead with Old Madam Sun, "Mother, you always love Tian'er the most, please save her, Mother, your daughter-in-law begs you."
"Mother, Su'er is the most filial child. Please save her. Mother, quickly kowtow to the princess. Mother, your daughter-in-law cannot live without Su'er."
Madam Sun looked at her usually shrewd daughters-in-law with a mixture of disappointment and resentment, "They're useless, they've fallen into a trap without even realizing it."
“Mother, how can you say such a thing? Su’er is the most filial to you. She stayed up all night to make clothes for you. How can you bear to say such hurtful things?”
Hearing the old lady's words, the ladies felt utterly devastated. They knew that Zhao Shu was merely retaliating against the old lady for calling her a "whore," and they knew that she didn't really intend to sell her. But that was their daughter, whom they had raised with their own hands. How could they not love her? How could they risk their daughters on Zhao Shu's promise?
"Shut up!" Old Madam Sun stopped the other ladies, glared at Zhao Shu, and said coldly, "Don't even think about threatening me with a few worthless girls. I'm not afraid of you!"
"Haha." Zhao Shu mimicked Huo Baichuan, chuckling twice. "Money-losing goods." She looked mockingly at the Sun family's young lady, who was being held by the guards. "Tsk tsk, your grandmother, who pays her respects morning and night, calls you money-losing goods. No family with any means of livelihood would say that about their granddaughters. Even peasants wouldn't call their granddaughters money-losing goods. Do you know what peasants are? My ancestors were peasants. My daughters and granddaughters not only have generous dowries but also fiefdoms. And you? Your grandmother, whom you think loves you, is nothing but money-losing goods in her eyes. Even if you were sold to a brothel, she wouldn't even bat an eye."
Upon hearing Zhao Shu's words, some of the more timid young ladies immediately burst into tears, "Grandmother, you said you loved your granddaughter the most."
"You like me? That's because you're good-looking, and I can use you for marriage alliances in the future, you idiot." Zhao Shu was merciless, stabbing her heart hard.
"Mother, I'm giving you my entire dowry, please save Su'er, Mother!"
"Yes, yes, Mother, whatever you want, your daughter-in-law will find it for you. As long as you are willing to save Tian'er, your daughter-in-law will give you anything."
The ladies were sobbing uncontrollably, their tears soaking their clothes.
As Madam Sun listened to her daughters-in-law and granddaughters' comments, none of them understood her meaning. Did she not want to save people? She simply didn't want Zhao Shu to get her way. The more she acted like she cared, the more leverage Zhao Shu would have.
"Mother, please don't beg anymore. I never thought that my grandmother would be so heartless. Mother, I won't be by your side. Please take care." One of the young ladies from the Sun family, named Su Jie'er, suddenly pulled out a knife from a soldier's body and tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, the soldier was quick, otherwise she would have died on the spot.
"Sister Su!" A scream rang out, and she fainted.
Seeing this, Madam Sun noticed that her daughters-in-law standing beside her had all taken a few steps back with their daughters. "You!" she pointed at her daughters-in-law and granddaughters, and fainted from anger.
"Did you see clearly? Today, I, the princess, have come to liberate you. From now on, you will never have to put up with this old woman's attitude again. Have you found the key?" Zhao Shu said, then turned to ask Wan Dong.
Wan Dong stepped forward, stretched out her hand, and showed it to Zhao Shu with her five fingers. "Princess, I've found it."
"Go, Madam Sun has been in charge of the household for many years, and she must have embezzled a lot of public property. All the ladies can come and take a look." Even Jingxin Garden was given to Sun Si as a dowry, so the eldest branch must be a fat sheep.
The other wives of the Sun family exchanged bewildered glances, thinking that Zhao Shuding would deal with them, but unexpectedly, she asked them to divide up the eldest son's private treasury together...
"Princess, the key to the old lady's private vault." The quick-witted Wan Dong volunteered to search the old lady's body while Zhao Shu was speaking. The old lady had the key hanging around her neck, which was quite secretive.
Zhao Shu glanced back at the guards she had brought, then looked at Wu Liang and asked, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
Wu Liang scratched his head, his face flushing. "Princess, our team must take the lion's share." Why did he knock out the Fourth Prince and his wife? Wasn't it so he could get some military funds to take back? Now that the commander had brought so many men, and the old lady had fainted, and the warehouse key had been found, if he left now, knowing these ravenous brothers as he did, it would be like a locust swarm passing through. He might not even have any soup left when he returned.
Mo Qin kicked him angrily upon hearing this, "If you delay Miss Sun's important matter, don't even mention Da Tou, you won't even get a drop of soup!"
Forced by Mo Qin's tyranny, Wu Liang had no choice but to abandon Zhao Bi and Sun Si, and take his leave with his men.
Zhao Shu naturally wouldn't let anyone snatch it. She glanced at the young ladies and said, "As fellow women, although you have often looked down on me in the past, I don't want to make things difficult for you. After all, I have a heart full of love. The common flaw of kind people is that they don't hold grudges. You look down on me, but I will use my kindness to influence you."
Yan Ruyu: ...You're about to raid someone's grandmother's private treasury, and you still call yourself kind? You still call yourself compassionate?
Zhao Shu continued, "Your grandmother thinks you are a waste of money, but I think you have great integrity. I will only take the compensation that the old lady should give you today, and the rest you can have."
"Let's make money together and share the spoils"—these words contain great wisdom. Those who try to enjoy things alone are easily resented.
When the ladies heard that their daughters wouldn't be sold, their dowries wouldn't be given, and they could even receive the old lady's private property, it was as if a pie had fallen from the sky, catching them completely off guard.
About half an hour later, Sun Yun led a large group of people quickly from the main courtyard. When she saw Zhao Shu, her frosty expression softened slightly, and she couldn't help but rush over and hug Zhao Shu, bursting into tears.
She didn't say anything, she just cried and cried for a while before letting go of Zhao Shu. Zhao Shu wiped away her tears and comforted her, "It will be alright, don't worry."
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