Gu Qinlan's heart trembled slightly, but she quickly composed herself, stood up slowly, and bowed respectfully to Zheng Dinglian.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Her voice was calm and gentle, yet polite.
Zheng Dinglian quickly stood up and returned the greeting with a smile: "Miss Gu, you are too kind. It is my honor to marry Miss Gu."
At this moment, Old Master Gu, sitting at the head of the table, nodded slightly, looking at the perfect couple with satisfaction.
Jiang Wenyuan smiled and patted Gu Qinlan on the shoulder, his eyes full of approval: "Good child, I have heard about your marriage. This Prince Zheng is very talented and a man of good manners. You should get along well with him in the future."
Gu Qinlan nodded slightly, but felt a little uneasy.
She didn't know Zheng Dinglian, nor did she know if the marriage would be happy.
Jiang Wenyuan looked at Old Master Gu and asked in a serious tone, "Old Master Gu, I heard that according to the laws of Western Wei, the dowry left by a deceased mother should be inherited by her biological daughter. I wonder if the dowry arrangements for Qinlan have been made?"
Old Master Gu frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, but he still calmly replied, "Wen Yuan, since you are concerned about this matter, then I will tell you. The Song family has already handled Qin Lan's dowry matters very well, so you don't need to worry."
Jiang Wenyuan nodded slightly, but his eyes grew even sharper. He pulled out a wrinkled dowry list from his pocket. He handed the list to Gu Qinlan and said in a serious tone, "Qinlan, this is your mother's dowry list. Take a look."
“Okay, Uncle!” Gu Qinlan said with a happy expression as she stepped forward to take the list.
Upon seeing this, Madam Song's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly stood up, pointed at Jiang Wenyuan, and said, "What are you doing? What do you want her to know by giving her this list?"
Gu Qinlan's heart tightened. Madam Song had always been resentful about her mother's dowry, and her strong reaction upon seeing the list must have a reason.
So, suppressing her excitement, she calmly said, "I naturally have the right to know about the dowry my mother left behind. Mother, you don't need to be so nervous."
A hint of panic flashed in Madam Song's eyes. She gritted her teeth, turned around, and gave a wink to the maid beside her.
The maid understood immediately and brought a cup of tea to Gu Qinlan.
Just then, Prince Duan's heir, Zheng Dinglian, suddenly appeared beside Gu Qinlan. With quick reflexes, he blocked the teacup.
Tea spilled on him, but he didn't care at all, staring coldly at Madam Song and the maid.
Gu Qinlan looked at Zheng Dinglian in astonishment, a feeling of gratitude welling up in her heart.
She never imagined that this prince, known for his coldness and ruthlessness, would actually step forward at such a crucial moment.
"Madam, what do you mean by this?" Zheng Dinglian asked coldly.
Madam Song's face turned pale. She hadn't expected Zheng Dinglian to appear so suddenly and even to shield her from the tea. She smiled awkwardly and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted Qinlan to have some tea to quench her thirst."
Zheng Dinglian remained unmoved, his eyes growing even colder: "If that's the case, then I won't disturb you any longer. However, if anyone dares to disrespect my fiancée again, I will not stand idly by."
Song felt a chill run down her spine. Knowing Zheng Dinglian's power, she dared not say anything more. She turned and returned to her seat, looking at Gu Qinlan with a complicated expression.
Gu Qinlan looked at Zheng Dinglian, feeling both grateful and puzzled. She couldn't help but whisper, "Young Master Zheng, why did you help me?"
Zheng Dinglian said calmly, "I just can't stand what some people are doing. Miss Gu, you don't need to take it to heart."
Gu Qinlan nodded.
Zheng Dinglian wouldn't easily change his aloofness, but his actions today have made her look at him in a new light.
Gu Qinlan lowered her eyes and gently unfolded the dowry list. It was filled with a dense list of various treasures, jewelry, land, and real estate, which made her heart tremble.
She suddenly looked up at Jiang Wenyuan, her eyes filled with surprise and doubt: "Uncle, this list doesn't match..."
Jiang Wenyuan frowned, took the form and examined it carefully, then handed it to Old Master Gu. Old Master Gu took the form, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing it line by line, his expression gradually becoming serious.
"Qinlan, tell me, where does it not match?" Old Master Gu asked in a deep voice.
Gu Qinlan bit her lower lip and mustered her courage to say, "Grandfather, the dowry listed on the list is far from what I actually received. There are many things on this list that I didn't receive!"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Gu's expression grew even more grim. He glared at Madam Song, a hint of confusion and anger flashing in his eyes: "What's going on? Madam Song, you tell me."
Madam Song's face turned pale, and she hurriedly knelt down: "Master, I... I was just worried that Qinlan was young and naive and would squander her dowry, so... so I replaced some less important things."
"Replace? What right do you have to replace?" Jiang Wenyuan questioned coldly. "The laws of Western Wei stipulate that a woman's dowry should be inherited by her children or returned to her family, and should not be seized. You are blatantly violating the law!"
Madam Song turned pale with fright and dared not argue further. Gu Qinlan watched this scene, feeling both angry and disappointed. She had never imagined that her stepmother would be so greedy, even trying to seize her dowry.
"Grandfather, I want justice!" Gu Qinlan stood up, looking at the old man with a determined gaze.
After a moment of contemplation, Grandpa Gu slowly said, "Qinlan, don't worry, your grandfather will definitely stand up for you."
As he spoke, he glared angrily at Madam Song and shouted, "Madam Song, you have embezzled Qin Lan's dowry, a crime deserving of death! Today you must hand over Jiang's dowry in full, without fail!"
Madam Song turned pale. She hadn't expected Old Master Gu to be so stern, and she hurriedly knelt down.
At this moment, Prince Duan's heir, Zheng Dinglian, suddenly stood up, cupped his hands to Master Gu, and said, "Master Gu, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."
Old Master Gu glanced at him and nodded slightly: "Please speak, Your Highness."
Zheng Dinglian said, "In addition to returning the dowry in full, Song should also return the profits generated by the estates and shops under Jiang's name over the years to Gu Qinlan. After all, those are her mother's private property."
Old Master Gu smiled slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "The young master is right, I had overlooked that point. Madam Song, do you understand?"
Song nodded tremblingly, her eyes filled with despair.
Old Master Gu said, "In that case, you go and sort out the accounts of the estate and shops. I will send the accountant to settle them to ensure that nothing is missed."
Song reluctantly agreed, secretly lamenting her predicament.
Soon, the accountant, accompanied by a group of servants, began searching through boxes and cabinets to find the accounts. Meanwhile, under Zheng Dinglian's supervision, Madam Song meticulously checked her dowry item by item.
With her dowry tallied up, Madam Song arrived at Old Master Gu's study with a long face.
Grandpa Gu glanced at her and said indifferently, "Have all the items been inventoried?"
Madam Song said in a low voice, "Yes, Father-in-law. Everything has been checked and inventoried as you instructed."
Grandpa Gu said, "Alright, then give these dowry items to Qinlan and let her keep them herself."
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