"What do you mean?"
Inside the ancestral hall, Xie Jinyao nearly jumped up.
"You really want me to give Ye Zhen a gift?"
Does she deserve it?
"Young Miss, please don't be angry, listen to what I have to say."
Zhiyun comforted her, "This gift is ostensibly for Ye Zhen, but it's actually for the Marquis to see."
"Young Miss, do you recall if the Marquis has ever punished you before?"
Xie Jinyao remained silent.
No, not even a harsh word.
But today, her father publicly berated her as a scoundrel and even made her kneel as punishment.
Zhiyun pressed her advantage, saying, "If you don't win over the Marquis's heart soon, his heart will lean more and more towards Ye Zhen."
Whether Madam can return by then is another matter; Ye Zhen might even be able to interfere in your marriage.
Putting aside the question of what kind of family Ye Zhen could possibly recommend for you, what good intentions has she ever had towards you?
After all, the Lady of the Marquis and the eldest daughter have not been very good to the young mistress over the years. How could Ye Zhen not take revenge now that he has gained power?
"She dares!"
Xie Jinyao retorted, but without much force.
Because what Zhiyun said was true. If her mother could not return to the manor, Ye Zhen would be her sister-in-law and the head of the household. Even if her father believed her, Ye Zhen could indeed tamper with her marriage.
Thinking of this, Xie Jinyao couldn't sit still any longer. "I'll write to my grandmother."
Grandmother loves them the most and will not let Ye Zhen bully them.
Zhiyun whispered, "Madam has already written to the old lady, but the journey is long and the old lady is too old to travel."
Before she returns, you'll have to get through this on your own. I'll help you sort through some of your old jewelry..."
The Marquis is a man, a father-in-law, and wouldn't be so meticulous as to check what the young lady gave Ye Zhen.
Xie Jinyao understood the meaning behind the words and agreed, but asked Zhiyun to find some old items belonging to the maids and servants and send them over.
Zhiyun didn't see anything wrong with it. Humiliating Ye Zhen was fine, it would make her understand her true identity.
When Marquis Zhongyong learned that Xie Jinyao had indeed given Ye Zhen jewelry and headdress, he felt much relieved.
Children may be spoiled and willful, but they're not completely bad.
He thought this to himself, but he was also afraid that Xie Jinyao was just putting on a show.
“Send her three meals a day at regular times, and also send her a copy of ‘Admonitions for Women’ and have her copy it a hundred times.”
That night, Xie Jinyao delivered a portion of the copy to Marquis Zhongyong.
Along with it came a small note with two silhouettes drawn on it.
The man was tall and imposing, facing the sunrise, holding a long spear in one hand and leading a little girl with a small bun on her head in the other.
The little girl faced the man and wrote, "Yao'er was wrong. Yao'er will reflect on her mistakes. Daddy, please don't be angry, okay?"
When Marquis Zhongyong saw the painting, he recalled that many years ago, he was ordered to go to a city near the capital on an official business, but he had to return to the border in three days.
Liu met him on the road with her child, and they stayed overnight in a temple in the mountains.
He got up early to practice shooting when his four-year-old daughter slipped out of her room, her chubby little face full of adoration as she looked at him.
At that moment, he felt his heart melt and also felt guilty, as he had spent half his life guarding the frontier and fighting enemies on the battlefield, neglecting his children.
While Liu failed in her duty of guidance, how could her father not bear responsibility as well?
The Marquis of Zhongyong carefully tucked the note into his treasured rare book.
He went to the ancestral hall.
Looking out the window, I saw Xie Jinyao kneeling upright, diligently copying "The Precepts for Women".
A night breeze blew in, and she shivered. The Marquis of Loyalty and Courage felt a pang of anxiety and instinctively reached out to get her some clothes, but he managed to hold back.
He cannot be soft-hearted until his daughter has fully repented, otherwise he will be harming the child.
After standing there for a long time, he went to his youngest son's yard.
Little did he know that as soon as he left, Xie Jinyao slumped down, rubbing her wrists, her eyes filled with resentment.
Copying books did indeed help her calm her mind, which led her to think of a way to deal with Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen's Dream Pavilion.
Wanxing looked at the jewelry that Zhiyun had brought with disdain. "Miss, should we keep these for the Marquis to see, or should we pawn them?"
Xie Jinyao has the nerve to send these junk things to the young lady. Some of them are so bad that they're not even good enough to tip a servant. Who is she trying to humiliate?
Ye Zhen glanced at them and said calmly, "Keep two that are usable, and pawn the rest."
He'd take whatever he could get; no matter how worn or cheap, it was still money. Ye Zhen wouldn't turn down money, nor would he get angry.
She and Xie Jinyao were destined to be enemies, and it wasn't worth getting angry over an enemy.
The following day, the Marquis of Zhongyong ordered his steward to deliver the keys and the token.
Ye Zhen didn't rush to meet with the various stewards in the manor. Instead, he had the steward send over nearly three months' worth of account books.
She stayed in the courtyard all day, reviewing the accounts, and did not go out.
While delivering the food, Zhiyun told Xie Jinyao about it.
"This servant thinks that the young mistress doesn't know how to proceed."
Managing such a large marquis's mansion is no easy task.
"The Marquis said earlier that he would send someone to teach her, but today the steward only delivered some things and then left."
The servant girl thought that the Marquis probably also wanted to find out about her background.
So if the young lady performs well this time, she still has a very good chance.
No matter how good a daughter-in-law is, she can't compare to a daughter.
Xie Jinyao sneered, "The Ye family doesn't value her. They're already being generous by letting her learn a few characters; they wouldn't send anyone to teach her anything else."
A new broom sweeps clean, and Ye Zhen, a poor man who has suddenly become rich, should be showing off.
She hid in the courtyard, probably not because she didn't want to start a fire, but because she couldn't get it going.
Xie Jinyao felt quite happy at the thought that Ye Zhen might not even be able to understand the account books.
She was waiting to see Ye Zhen make a fool of himself.
He handed the copied women's precepts and the drawn portrait to Zhiyun, saying, "Take these to my father for me."
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