Ji Xiaoxiao's mutterings were extremely loud, creating a cold and quiet atmosphere like a sparsely populated mass grave, which the night watchmen could hear clearly.
"Zeng, what nonsense are you spouting again?" Jian Guangyang roared.
Jian Guangyang's desperate, piercing voice shattered the heavens and split the rocks. Ji Xiaoxiao rubbed her ears and casually stated the facts, "Where have I been talking nonsense? Sixteen years ago, when the Marquis married me, there was no dowry whatsoever. Isn't that the truth? After I entered the manor, I handled all the affairs, big and small; all the expenses were paid by me; even the money you needed to bribe officials came from my dowry. Every penny I spend now is earned by myself, stitch by stitch. Marquis, you have never allocated a single coin to Wutong Garden. Marquis, tell me, where have I been talking nonsense?"
Jian Guangyang stood up abruptly, raising his broad, calloused hand high.
"My lord, are you trying to force a confession out of me?"
Ji Xiaoxiao neither dodged nor flinched, but instead extended her face towards him.
"You...you...you are simply unreasonable, Zeng Feizi, don't think I won't divorce you?" Jian Guangyang clenched his hands, his starry eyes turning bloodshot.
Ji Xiaoxiao straightened her chest, looking like a heroic savior ready to die for her country.
Jian Guangyang despised the original owner's identity. He wanted to divorce the original owner and sever all ties with her. This wasn't just talk; he genuinely wanted to fulfill his wish and was working towards it.
Because of concerns about his reputation, Jian Guangyang did not divorce the original owner's wife, who was not worthy of being in public, early on, and instead promoted Hu Yanyan to a higher position so that she could openly enter the household.
“My lord, you have long been tired of me and have not set foot in Wutong Garden for many years. If you want to divorce me, I will not be surprised at all.”
Ji Xiaoxiao was not surprised at all; on the contrary, she was delighted.
Who wants to serve that scumbag Jian Guangyang!
Ji Xiaoxiao immediately lowered her head, concealing the tears glistening in her eyes.
Upon seeing this, Jian Guangyang frowned in disgust.
"You should stay home and reflect on your mistakes for three months. During these three months, you should read and write scriptures to get rid of the stench of money and the mercenary air about you."
Jian Guangyang was unwilling to linger and turned to stride out of the newly renovated gate of Wutong Garden.
The courtyard gate was locked, and Ji Xiaoxiao raised her head, her eyes icy cold.
"He didn't divorce me?"
Ji Xiaoxiao, a newcomer, deliberately made a commotion and tied up Jian Piaoyi. It was her intention to provoke Jian Guangyang into a fit of rage and divorce her in a fit of anger.
"Why didn't he divorce me? Did he have feelings for the original owner? No, if Jian Guangyang had feelings for the original owner, why would he turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to her and let her starve to death? Something is definitely amiss. Jian Guangyang must be plotting something."
Ji Xiaoxiao thought and thought, but really couldn't figure out Jian Guangyang's plan.
Jian Guangyang initially married the original owner of the body only because he was after her wealth. Now, Jian Guangyang is successful, wealthy, and renowned...
Wait, renowned?
Jian Guangyang, having served the emperor, now holds the highest rank of official and enjoys the emperor's favor, wielding considerable power. If he wishes to advance further and become second only to the emperor, he will need to work even harder, carefully climbing the ranks and striving for advancement.
In ancient times, a person's reputation was worth a thousand times more than their life. In the officialdom, a good or bad reputation was crucial to promotion. If you were a great literary figure of your time, talented, capable, and virtuous, you would be admired by all, and promotion and wealth would come easily to you. Conversely, the opposite would be true.
"Is that really the reason?"
Ji Xiaoxiao fell asleep with questions in her mind.
After sleeping until dawn, Ji Xiaoxiao began her leisurely life of seclusion and reflection.
"Granny Zhang, how long has three months been?"
Ji Xiaoxiao lay on the chaise lounge, holding a lychee that her maid had already peeled.
Granny Zhang did the math and said, "It will be three months in seven days."
"Seven more days?" Ji Xiaoxiao stopped what she was doing and turned to look at Zhang Mama. "Zhang Mama, have you returned to the Zeng residence all these years?"
Granny Zhang was stunned, clearly not expecting Ji Xiaoxiao to pull such a stunt.
"Without your orders, Madam, I dare not act on my own."
Granny Zhang felt uneasy and rubbed her hands together.
"I see... "
Bang! The courtyard gate was kicked open.
"Zeng Feizi." Her voice could be heard before she arrived.
Jian Gongxin stormed into Wutong Garden, leaving the flowers and plants half-dead in his wake.
"Zeng Feizi!" Jian Gongxin shouted again.
Ji Xiaoxiao spat out the lychee pit and asked, "What is it, Your Highness?"
Jian Gongxin was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, his bulging eyes filled with rage.
"Zeng Feizi, I knew it! I knew you weren't so kind-hearted! You black-hearted, venomous woman, how could you possibly hand over Jin Jin Fang to me? Zeng Feizi, you framed me!" Jian Gongxin was somewhat incoherent.
Ji Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.
"What happened?" Ji Xiaoxiao asked knowingly.
Jian Gongxin stepped forward and kicked over the small tea table next to Ji Xiaoxiao.
With a clatter, the fine-quality official kiln blue-and-white porcelain dish shattered into pieces, lying scattered on the floor. The lychees, painstakingly peeled by the maids, rolled and rolled until they reached Jian Gongxin's feet. Jian Gongxin lifted his foot and stomped on them hard, spraying the sweet juice of the lychees everywhere.
"This young master... Jin Jin Fang is heavily in debt," Jian Gongxin said, his voice lacking confidence.
"Then what?"
Jian Gongxin took a deep breath to avoid losing his temper and making an irreparable mistake.
“Zeng Feizi, you are insidious and vicious. If you didn’t want to hand over Jinjinfang to me, you should have just said so. Would I have taken it by force? But you pretended to be all lovey-dovey and solemnly handed Jinjinfang over to me, while secretly causing trouble behind my back. You caused Jinjinfang to have frequent accidents, making it unable to make ends meet and ruining my reputation.”
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