The ledgers were piled on the table, their title pages blown open by the wind, revealing a series of shocking and chaotic numbers. The uncles exchanged glances and then looked away.
Song's mother's eyelids twitched, and she naturally understood what was going on, but she remained calm and composed: "This... how could this be? Perhaps it's due to poor management over the years, leading to a deficit in the accounts."
Then, Song's mother's tone became stern: "How are your subordinates managing things? Investigate them thoroughly!"
Seeing her evasiveness, Song Tangxue was not about to give in. She sneered, "Mother should not be investigating the person in charge, but the uncles, elder brothers, and other relatives. I want an explanation from Mother!"
The people named glared at him angrily as if their tails had been stepped on. Song Chi jumped up and said, "Song Tangxue, what do you mean? Do you think we're secretly withholding your property?"
"Alright, let's leave it at that. Let your men investigate thoroughly first." Mother Song rubbed her temples, swallowing this bitter pill, hoping to settle the matter once and for all.
Song Tangxue interrupted her: "I don't care about the Song family's losses, but these dowries that my maternal grandmother gave me, is Mother just going to let it go without giving me an explanation?"
Faced with Song Tangxue's assertiveness, Song's mother choked on her words, unable to speak, and her chest heaved with anger as she coldly said, "What? You even want to investigate your mother's accounts?"
"Why not? Didn't Mother say she wanted to settle accounts? Then let's settle them clearly. Shouldn't Mother give an explanation for the three hundred taels of silver you took three days ago?" Song Tangxue asked matter-of-factly, looking directly at her mother.
"It wouldn't sound good if word got out that the mother used her daughter's dowry."
Mother Song nearly fainted, her finger trembling as she pointed at Song Tangxue: "You...you..."
Seeing that Song's mother was embarrassed, Song Qing, the second uncle of the Song family, said rather shamelessly, "So what if we're in debt? We're all family. Why make such a scene and let others laugh at us?"
"Second Uncle is indeed very understanding, so why did you come to find me in such a hurry today?" Song Tangxue pushed the account book recording their household's records forward, her slender white fingers tracing the records one by one.
"On March 3rd, three hundred taels were withdrawn; on March 10th, five hundred taels were withdrawn. A few days ago, another five hundred taels of silver were withdrawn. What did Second Uncle do with it?"
"Besides, all this family property was left to me, Song Tangxue, by my maternal grandmother. Who are you to my maternal grandmother? How dare you talk to me about family? Has your Song family ever raised me in the slightest since I was a child?" Song Tangxue coldly accused, not giving her second uncle any face at all.
"Second Uncle, if you take it without asking, wouldn't that be considered theft?"
Song Tangxue would no longer tolerate these vampire-like relatives clinging to her, sucking her blood, eating her flesh, and then complaining that her blood was hard to drink and her flesh was hard to eat.
"How could my Song family have raised such a good-for-nothing scoundrel like you!" Song Qing was so angry at the word "theft" that his face turned red. With such a huge accusation pinned on him, how could he possibly stand up for himself?
Song's mother felt a splitting headache, slammed her hand on the table, and angrily shouted, "Enough! Song Tangxue, do you have to cause such a commotion in the household before you're satisfied?"
"What am I making a fuss about? Didn't Mother say so? Do I need to ask her clearly?" Song Tangxue looked back innocently, seemingly just following her mother's instructions.
"It's just a few hundred taels of silver, is it really worth you making such a fuss? You've completely ruined the Song family's upbringing and manners." Madam Song gritted her teeth: "Why bother with so much? How will you ever stand in the Eastern Palace with such a petty attitude!"
Song Qing smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Tang Xue was just confused because she was angry. We're all family, there's no need to hurt our relationship. I'll make up for the few hundred taels later."
With a few words exchanged between the two, they thought they could easily move on from this matter, just like before.
Normally, this matter would have ended there, since everyone knew that Song Tangxue was weak and easily bullied.
She treated the Song family with utmost respect, and as long as it was for the good of the Song family, Song Tangxue wouldn't hold a grudge.
These actions gave the Song family the illusion that Song Tangxue was as easy to manipulate as ever, and that anyone, human or ghost, could ride roughshod over her.
Song Tangxue's fingers twirled through the ledger, making a rustling sound: "Several hundred taels of silver?"
"This is only the beginning of the month, and it's only halfway through. Do I have to read the previous accounts to my mother slowly?"
Song Tangxue scoffed and pushed the thick stack of account books in her hand forward.
The ledgers were too thick and fell over with a clatter, with several scattering on the ground. Haitang bent down to pick them up, while Song Tangxue's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a knocking sound.
“Mother is so generous. Why don’t you give me the Song family’s assets as well? I’m about to move into the East Palace and I’m short of money for that. Mother is so reasonable, I’m sure you won’t refuse, right?” Song Tangxue pressed her words, her mother in her previous life was like a miser, not giving a penny.
Most of the Song family's expenses were covered by her; such a windfall would never happen again in this lifetime.
Song's mother felt a chill run down her spine. Looking at her daughter, she felt like she was meeting her for the first time: "Who taught you to talk back to me like that? I am your elder, do you even remember your place!"
"It's all thanks to Mother's good teaching. So when will the Song family's assets be given to me?" Song Tangxue looked at her mother with a smile: "Mother is so generous, she certainly won't care about these assets."
Song's mother couldn't utter a single word, and Song Tangxue's gaze slowly swept over her uncles and elders, as well as the group of elders in the clan who acted like they were old and arrogant.
The elders who met his gaze all looked away.
“Someone has to make up for these losses. Otherwise, if outsiders say that the Song family mistreated their eldest daughter and embezzled her dowry, what will happen to the Song family’s reputation? How will I, as the Crown Princess, stand up? Where will the imperial family’s face be then?”
Song Tangxue said calmly.
Suddenly looking at Song Qing, Song Qing's heart skipped a beat: "You agree, Second Uncle."
Song Qing looked embarrassed, cold sweat trickling down his temples.
When did Song Tangxue become so eloquent? She's like a hedgehog, completely impervious to reason.
"And you too, Third Uncle." Song Tangxue naturally wouldn't let her Third Uncle off the hook, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "No one is allowed to touch the money until the deficit is covered!"
"I'm doing this for the good of the Song family. Although the Song family is large and powerful, if they continue to lose money like this, they will eventually be eaten away by termites."
Song Tangxue made veiled accusations, her eyes sweeping over her uncles one by one.
He slammed the ledger on the table, raising a cloud of dust that struck the hearts of the men, sending a shiver down their spines: "Gentlemen, take a good look at the ledger and remember the amount of the deficit."
Song Qing looked up at Song Tangxue and saw a resolute look in her cold gaze. She was no longer the delicate little rabbit she used to be. He belatedly realized that his niece seemed to have really changed.
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