Chapter 22 Collecting Debts from the Marquis's Residence
Those outside, hearing the insults, were about to draw their swords, but as soon as they appeared at the door, Xiao Xuance waved them away.
Unbeknownst to the guards, Yun Zhaoxue was applying wound medicine to him, tearing open his tattered undergarment, stained with sweat and blood from the whipping.
After applying the medicine, she opened the water pouch and held it to his lips, saying, "Drink."
It contained diluted spiritual spring water. Xiao Xuance in the book was exceptionally intelligent, and the spiritual spring water was so effective that the wounds healed too quickly, which would arouse suspicion.
Xiao Xuance pursed his thin lips and refused to drink.
Yun Zhaoxue noticed that the people outside had left again, and unconsciously raised her voice, "What, are you afraid I'll drug you?"
She remembered that the original owner had bribed a yamen runner to put aphrodisiacs in his food to consummate their marriage. She had a criminal record, so he didn't believe her.
"Fine, don't drink then. I'll just let you cough yourself to death."
Yun Zhaoxue tossed the water pouch onto the pile of straw next to him.
She opened the food box, picked up the food inside, and fed it to him, saying, "This is food made by Mother Consort. It's non-toxic. You can eat this now, right?"
The prince's men have returned.
Yun Zhaoxue deliberately made a gesture, stuffing the food into his mouth in large gulps, "Eat! Give it to me! ~ I'll choke you to death, you cold-blooded dog who doesn't even want his own flesh and blood."
"A divorce decree? Bah! Who cares? I'll divorce you as soon as I get out of here, you cold-blooded good-for-nothing man."
"Can."
The bowl of rice was finished quickly.
Yun Zhaoxue smashed the bowl into the straw pile. "When the child grows up, I will tell him that his father is a cold-blooded and heartless man who stood by and watched our child die. I will make him hate you for the rest of his life!"
Xiao Xuance gave her a deep look, and said in a hoarse, almost indifferent voice, "What do I care about what happens after I'm dead? Our marriage is over, so don't come back again."
"Fine! If you don't want to come, then don't come."
Yun Zhaoxue stood up defiantly and kicked the food box away with a loud "Bang!"
The food box hit the mouse in the corner, and the mouse fainted.
She put on her veil and turned to leave the cell.
She deliberately acted like the original owner of the body, spoiled and willful, "Brother Guard, you heard it too. No matter how I threaten him, he won't listen to reason. He's a cold-blooded dog who doesn't even care about his own child. Quickly have my cousin, the Crown Prince, kill him. He's infuriating me, hmph!"
The guard said, "Princess, please calm down. I will report what happened tonight to the Crown Prince."
If Xiao Xuance had compromised so easily, he would have confessed and signed the agreement long ago if they had threatened him with hundreds of members of the Xiao family.
They just wanted to use his wife and children to break down his psychological defenses. If a man becomes a useless person and his wife and children abandon him, what is there for him to cherish in this world?
Yun Zhaoxue deliberately said that because she knew the Crown Prince wouldn't kill Xiao Xuance.
But the Third Prince is a different story. In the original novel, the Third Prince repeatedly poisoned Xiao Xuance in prison, trying to kill him and frame the Crown Prince.
The Xiao family army was extremely loyal to the Xiao family, and Xiao Xuance's prestige within the Xiao family army was second only to his father, the Prince of Zhenbei.
This is why the Crown Prince didn't just kill him directly, but instead wanted him to confess and find a legitimate reason to kill him.
The crown prince only wanted military power.
The third prince was greedy, wanting more, military power, and also wanting to bring down the crown prince.
In my past life, when I was reading the book, the male protagonist was the one I hated the most. He was handsome, strong, and tragic, but he was hypocritical, selfish, and deceitful. He favored treacherous officials and suppressed loyal ministers, showing the face of a petty person who had achieved success. Unfortunately, this person was the male protagonist, which made readers hate him so much that they would curse him while following the updates.
...
The next day.
The Third Prince's residence sent betrothal gifts to the Marquis of Yunyang's residence, totaling sixty-six sets.
People passing by stopped and watched.
"Sixty-six palanquins, stretching for two streets. The Third Prince clearly values his future Third Prince's wife very much."
"They are both daughters of marquises. Princess Zhaoxue is about to be beheaded or have her family property confiscated and be exiled after marrying into the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, while the second young lady is the future wife of the third prince. The two sisters live very different lives."
“That wicked Princess Zhaoxue rode her horse through the streets, beat up the common people, snatched candied hawthorns from children, ran away with her husband’s money and eloped with another man, and made her mother-in-law fall ill. How can such a wicked woman be compared with the number one talented woman in the capital?”
"The Second Miss is kind-hearted. She can't bear to step on even an ant. She often brings food to beggars. I remember last winter when it was snowing heavily, the Second Miss took off her cloak to keep warm and covered a little beggar with it. The Second Miss is a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering."
"I really hope that wicked princess is also beheaded. Death is too easy for her. Cut off her head now, or exile her to eat chaff and wild vegetables, suffer hunger and cold, and endure all kinds of human suffering, making her life worse than death!"
...
Inside a private room on the second floor of Zuixianlou.
The hot-tempered Hongzao immediately rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush down and beat them up. "Princess, they've gone too far! How could they talk about you like that? I'll beat their mouths to a pulp!"
"Don't pay any attention to them. If you shut one mouth, there are always a million others. Let them say whatever they want, it won't hurt me."
At that moment, Green Branch, dressed in men's clothing, pushed open the door and entered.
Yun Zhaoxue asked, "Have those messages been spread?"
The Marquis's household had no money or food, and was accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle. In addition, they had to go to the palace for a banquet, and in just a few days, they had accumulated a lot of debt outside.
If the Marquis's mansion falls into ruin and the debts cannot be recovered, how will they explain themselves to their former master?
"Your Highness, they have been dispersed. The manager of Jinlu Pavilion even sent people to the yamen to inquire."
The food was served, and lunch was finished.
The Marquis of Yunyang's residence has become quite lively.
Xiao Xiuning brought her fifth brother and several servants from the Prince's mansion to collect the debt.
Her mother was so poor that she couldn't afford a doctor or expensive medicine.
By what right does the Marquis's family take their money?
We must get the money back.
A crowd gathered at the entrance of the Marquis's residence where the Third Prince had been betrothed.
The old lady, Yun Xiuwen, and Wang Shi couldn't sit still any longer. They came out to try and send her away, since the officials from the Ministry of Rites were still at the mansion. They couldn't let her ruin the marriage alliance between the Marquis's mansion and the Third Prince.
“Yun Zhaoxue said that she put all the valuables of our Prince’s Mansion into your Mansion. We only want to take back what belongs to our Prince’s Mansion. Please return it to us, Lord Marquis.”
Wang said, "What evidence do you have that we conspired to take your things?"
Xiao Xiuning continued, "On the day the things were moved, more than a dozen cartloads of goods were seen by all the people in the city. Do you still want to deny it?"
Those things are worth at most tens of thousands, which is a drop in the ocean for the Marquis's family. They won't even give them back, let alone return them. It's simply outrageous.
"The items are packed in boxes, how can you be so sure they belong to your palace?"
Xiao Xuanwu's lips tightened into a straight line, his eyes blazing with anger which he forcefully suppressed. "If it's not from our royal residence, then what is it? Among them are some of our royal residence's property. Marquis Yunyang, please hand over the items."
He gripped the spear tightly, his knuckles turning white, the tip of the spear trembling slightly. If he didn't return it, he shouldn't blame his spear for being ruthless.
Yun Xiuwen just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible, so he blurted out, "It's Xue'er's dowry, not something from your royal palace."
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhaoxue was spotted in the crowd.
Yun Xiuwen wished he could bite off his own tongue.
He shouldn't have admitted it. If this wretched girl wanted a dowry, and the Marquis's mansion had been emptied by others, where would he find a dowry for her?
Madam Wang forced a fawning smile as she stepped forward. "Xue'er, you've come at the perfect time. Today is the auspicious day for the Third Prince to propose to Yue'er. Miss Xiao and the Fifth Prince say that we conspired to take their money from the Prince's mansion. That's not true at all. I think they're just desperate for money."
Xiao Xiuning and her brother had no hope for Yun Zhaoxue.
She was wholeheartedly devoted to her maternal family, treating the people in their royal household as outsiders and enemies.
Xiao Xiuning retorted, "You're the ones who've gone crazy with poverty. You're taking other people's money and not returning it. What's the difference between you and robbers?"
"Xue'er, take her away quickly. Our Marquis's mansion will not pursue this matter today. Let's not let others laugh at us."
Yun Zhaoxue stepped forward, her voice cold and clear, "Since it is my dowry, then please return it to me, Father."
Wang said, “According to the laws of our Great Zhou Dynasty, when a woman is divorced or remarried, her dowry is usually returned to her parents’ home.”
“Divorce? When did I ever say I wanted a divorce? Even if I did say it, it was just in anger. I never actually divorced. Please, Father, return the dowry.”
Yun Xiuwen waved his hand, "I already told you that your dowry is not in the manor. It was transported elsewhere according to your request and has not been returned yet. Just wait a little longer."
Bandits roam freely everywhere; they can then find an excuse to say they were robbed by bandits.
At this moment, several shopkeepers arrived at the entrance of the Marquis's residence to collect debts.
"My lord, you have purchased 35,200 taels of treasures on credit from our Jubao Shop. The owner has sent me to collect the debt. Would you like to pay in silver or silver notes?"
"Madam, our Treasure Pavilion has been granted a loan of 15,000 taels of silver by your esteemed household,"
"My lord, your household owes five hundred taels of silver to Furongzhai. The owner has sent me to collect the debt. Please do me a favor."
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