Chapter 11 Brother-in-law
What worries Meng Huanyan is her dowry.
The Prime Minister's mansion was not stingy with his concubines and illegitimate daughters, but this was mainly reflected in their food, drink and daily expenses. The only cash they actually received was their monthly allowance.
At such a young age, she naturally wanted to try all sorts of new things, and it was difficult for her to have any money left over from her monthly allowance.
All she could take with her was half a box of jewelry and a few pretty clothes.
Her mother, Aunt Lu, was timid and afraid of trouble. Although Du Shiyin was ill and had assigned some of the household affairs to her to manage, she dared not keep anything for herself and did not embezzle a single penny of her own money.
Upon learning of her shameful act, her mother scolded her for a long time before giving her two yellowed silver notes that she had kept hidden away.
It only cost two hundred taels in total, and judging from its color, it had obviously been stored for many years.
She didn't want it, but she had no money at all, so she was bound to be treated badly by the Guan family.
Even with her mother's money, such a small dowry was still not respectable for an official's wife.
Sitting in the swaying carriage, Meng Huanyan was preoccupied with the dowry and did not realize that even though Meng Lingge had broken off the engagement, Guan Yi'an had no intention of marrying her.
As for Guan Yi'an's rudeness towards her earlier, she believed it was nothing more than the man losing face and taking his anger out on her.
She might not be as good as Meng Lingge in other aspects, but when it comes to the art of winning over men, she believes she has no equal.
When the bridal sedan chair reached the area between the backyard and the front hall, Guan Yi'an originally intended to take a detour to avoid the front hall and not meet the guests, Wen Zhiming, and Meng Lingge, and instead quietly carry Meng Huanyan away.
He had visited the Prime Minister's residence many times and knew that there was a shortcut that allowed him to leave the residence directly without going through the front hall.
Just as the bridal sedan chair was about to turn, a well-dressed maidservant appeared with several guards and blocked the way. She said with a smile, "Young Master Guan, this road is blocked by the betrothal gifts brought by Young Master Wen. You should go through the front hall. There's nothing shameful about welcoming a bride. There's no need to hide from people."
"You..." Guan Yi'an was furious. He never expected that a mere maid would dare to ridicule him. He had an excellent memory and recognized the maid from her clothes at a glance that she was from the Prince of Anshun's residence.
He looked up at the path and saw two rows of red boxes in the middle of the road, completely blocking it.
If the red boxes were placed on both sides of the path, the bridal sedan chair could barely pass. But now the boxes are placed awkwardly in the middle of the road, making it impossible for even pedestrians to pass, let alone the bridal sedan chair.
Guan Yi'an knew that this was a deliberate sabotage by the people of the Prince of Anshun's Mansion, who wanted to see him make a fool of himself. Even if he sent someone to move the box, they would still find other ways to force him to walk through the front hall.
Prince Wen, being a simpleton, shouldn't have so many thoughts. I don't know if his subordinates were avenging their master or if they were acting under someone else's orders, but this is really too much.
Meng Lingge has already been snatched away by the Anshun Prince's Mansion, and Prince Wen even beat him up. He was as miserable and wretched as a drowning dog, yet the Anshun Prince's Mansion still wanted to humiliate him.
Guan Yi'an's expression was cold and serious as he asked, "Are Prince Wen and Miss Meng still in the front hall?"
The maidservant said with a charming smile, "Yes. The betrothal gifts brought by Young Master Wen are enough for four large carriages, and they haven't been moved yet. Miss Meng's dowry is also extremely generous. This back and forth, moving and delivering, will take quite a bit of work."
Guan Yi'an was well aware that Meng Lingge's dowry was extensive and valuable. He had seen the dowry list, and although it wasn't quite a grand wedding procession, it was worth at least ten thousand gold pieces.
Meng Lingge's dowry consumed half of the Prime Minister's mansion's wealth; apart from a princess's marriage, no one else in the capital had such an extravagant dowry.
The farmland is filled with shops, gold and silver treasures, daily necessities, furniture, and chests—everything imaginable.
Guan Yi'an has been living in the small courtyard that Meng Xingyuan gave him for over a month, but he hasn't bought anything decent yet. The whole family is waiting for Meng Lingge's dowry, and once the dowry arrives, everything will be complete.
Now it all benefits that fool, Prince Wen, while he can only return to that empty courtyard with a penniless illegitimate daughter.
Now they want to invite him, as if he were the victor, to see the wealth he missed out on—what a cruel and malicious tactic!
Since there was no way to avoid it, he decided to do as these people wished and go and see for himself.
Remember well the humiliation that Meng Lingge and the Prince of Anshun's Mansion have inflicted on him today. One day, he will take back what belongs to him and repay the humiliation they have caused him tenfold!
He turned and strode towards the front hall, leading the bridal sedan chair. In just a few steps, the sinister coldness on his face transformed into humility and gentleness, making him look like a joyful groom coming to fetch his bride.
He encountered all sorts of stares and mocking glances along the way, but he responded with a sincere smile. He also bowed and thanked the guests who came over to offer their congratulations, displaying his composure and elegance.
The open space in the middle of the front courtyard is now filled on both sides. One side is the betrothal gifts brought by the Prince of Anshun, and the other side is Meng Lingge's dowry. The gifts are dazzling and stretch all the way to the outside of the mansion.
Meng Lingge's bridal sedan chair had not yet landed when it stopped at the entrance of the courtyard. Wen Zhiming and Meng Xingyuan were whispering to each other. The sedan chair was surrounded by relatives and guests, and their congratulations and praises were endless.
Despite being well-prepared, Guan Yi'an still found the scene extremely jarring. It was exactly the same wedding procession he had envisioned, except that the spot that belonged to him had been taken by Wen Zhiming.
The moment Guan Yi'an appeared, the lively and festive atmosphere came to a standstill, and the expressions on the guests' faces became somewhat meaningful.
"Father-in-law, Prince Wen." Guan Yi'an smiled and stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, "Congratulations to Father-in-law on the good fortune of your son-in-law, and congratulations to Prince Wen and Miss Meng on your marriage. May you be forever united and live a long and happy life together."
The guests tried to find something amiss in his face or voice, but found that his smile was genuine and his voice was calm, giving them a sense of sincerity.
Some people thought to themselves that he was very shrewd, while others secretly spat at him, thinking him hypocritical and pretentious.
Meng Xingyuan nodded perfunctorily.
Wen Zhiming cautiously blocked the bridal sedan chair, looking at him and saying, "Stay away from my Xiaoling'er. If you dare to follow her again, I'll run you over!"
Guan Yi'an felt a little scared when she saw his fierce expression, but she still forced herself to speak.
“Young Master Wen, from today onwards we are brothers-in-law. Lingge is a good girl, and I am not good enough for her. Of course, my conditions are also far inferior to yours, so it is only natural that she chose you. Lingge said she was granting my wish, but in reality, she was granting hers…”
The sour tone in those words was so obvious that even Wen Zhiming could tell something was off.
Are you speaking ill of my wife?
Guan Yi'an sneered and remained silent.
Holly, indignant, replied in response.
"Yes. Young Master, Young Master Guan implied that my young lady is materialistic and that's why she broke off the engagement with him and chose you."
She knew Guan Yi'an had ulterior motives. He wasted so much breath trying to smear her mistress. Even though he was the one who did something shameful, he still wanted to pin the blame on her.
"You dare to bully my wife! You'll pay with your life!"
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