Chapter 24 Emptying the Marquis's Mansion Again
Yun Zhaoxue laughed and said, "Second sister, the Marquis's mansion owes so much money. If we don't pay it back today, we will have to pay it back tomorrow. If we can't pay it back and are sued by the government, the Marquis's mansion will become a laughing stock in the whole capital."
Yun Xiuwen was also worried about this. If he were to be sued by the government, he would be unable to hold his head up in front of his colleagues when he went to court the next day. He chimed in, "That's right! Xue'er is right! Using part of the betrothal gifts won't be a problem."
Yun Jiaoyue bit her lower lip, her tearful eyes pleading as she looked at Madam Wang, "Mother, you can't use my betrothal gifts..."
Madam Wang felt sorry for her daughter. "My lord, Yue'er marrying a prince is a high-status marriage. If you use her dowry to fill the gap, how will she be able to hold her head high when she marries into the Third Prince's household? No, absolutely not!"
Yun Xiuwen was annoyed by her, and when he heard her opposing him, he wanted to strangle her. He glared at her and said, "Shut up! You have no right to speak here. You can't touch the betrothal gifts. How are you going to pay this debt? Unless you can scrape together Hu Yinzi."
Wang said awkwardly, "My lord, you've put me in a difficult position. With so much silver, what can a woman like me do?"
The last time I borrowed 10,000 taels from my family, I was met with disdain. I secretly vowed then and there that I would never borrow money from them again.
Yun Xiuwen ordered, "Someone, open the box and count the silver."
The betrothal gifts, including silver notes, gold ingots, and silver ingots, totaled only 100,000 taels.
As Yun Jiaoyue watched box after box of betrothal gifts being carried away, her heart ached. She clutched her handkerchief to her chest, tears streaming down her face, and turned away, unable to bear the sight.
Yun Zhaoxue glanced at it and then looked away. "The shopkeepers have finished settling their accounts. Is it my turn now?"
"How do you plan to repay the dowry you owe me?"
Yun Xiuwen said, "I already told you to go find the thief, and the rest of the betrothal gifts cannot be touched."
“If it’s missing while you’re in your possession, you should compensate for it. These dowry gifts probably aren’t enough. Take them away, and use the estate and shops to offset the rest.” Yun Zhaoxue waved her hand. “Men, take them away.”
The guards of the Prince's Palace stepped forward to carry the box.
Xiao Xiuning brought over a dozen guards, each carrying two loads.
"No! This is the betrothal gift from the Third Prince! Don't take it away! You're not allowed to take it away! I'm the future Third Prince's wife! Anyone who dares to touch my betrothal gift is going against the Third Prince!" Yun Jiaoyue shouted in despair, forgetting all about being dignified and virtuous, and tried to rush over to stop them.
Yun Zhaoxue grabbed her, preventing her from going over.
Yun Xiuwen also desperately shouted for people to stop them, "Stop! Someone, stop them quickly, don't let them take the things away."
Yun Jiaoyue, her eyes red, glared at her and questioned, "This is my dowry, it has nothing to do with the Marquis's mansion. Eldest sister wants to take my betrothal gifts for herself, preventing me from marrying the Third Prince. Does she also want to take them for herself?"
“What I want is silver. What does it have to do with the Third Prince? It is only right to pay back debts. If you won’t let me take away my dowry, then we’ll go to the government to reason with you. The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. No matter how much power the Third Prince has, he can’t overstep the law of the country.”
The servants of the Marquis's mansion rushed forward to snatch the dowry.
The guards of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion were all veterans of battle, with countless lives on their hands. They exuded a chilling aura, and a single cold, murderous glance swept over them.
Several timid servants were so frightened that their legs went weak and they retreated.
Those with the guts who tried to snatch the dowry chests were either kicked to the ground or lifted by the collar and thrown out before they could even touch them.
"Bang bang bang!!!"
He was beaten so badly he was rolling on the ground, clutching his wounds and crying out, "Ouch, ouch, it hurts!"
Even the servant was no match for them, so no one else dared to step forward.
The women huddled together, trembling, upon seeing the ferocious appearance of the guards from the Prince's residence.
Yun Zhaoxue was very satisfied with the guards' behavior. "They can't understand human language at all. No matter how much they talk, it's all nonsense. They should have taken it themselves a long time ago."
Enraged, Yun Xiuwen cursed them, “Insolence! Your guards from the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion have gone too far! Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to the Emperor and have you sentenced to death? Put them down! Put them all down for me!”
There aren't enough people to carry the betrothal gifts; there are still a few left.
Xiao Xiuning and Xiao Xuanwu also stepped forward to help.
Yun Zhaoxue had Lüzhi hire several carriages, and after moving the dowry out, she put it on the carriages.
The courtyard, once filled with betrothal gifts, was instantly emptied, leaving not a single item behind.
Yun Zhaoxue said, "My lord, you said you wanted to sever ties with me. There's no better time than now. Let's write the letter of severance now."
Yun Xiuwen said in a deep voice, "Sever it! Sever it now! You rebellious daughter, since you are heartless, don't blame our Marquis's mansion for being unjust."
"Someone, bring me paper and pen."
Yun Xiuwen quickly wrote the letter of severance on the paper and had his servant take it to the government office for filing.
He pointed at Yun Zhaoxue and said harshly, "You rebellious daughter, from now on, whether you live or die has nothing to do with our Marquis's mansion. Don't come begging to me whether you are beheaded or exiled."
"Don't worry, I won't beg you, Lord Marquis. Farewell." Yun Zhaoxue didn't need to think to know that he was accusing the original owner of crimes in the letter of severance of kinship. She didn't care. The original owner's reputation was not good either, so a few more would make a difference.
Yun Zhaoxue smiled.
Having extorted money and witnessed the Marquis's family suffer a setback, he was in high spirits and left triumphantly with his men.
Yun Jiaoyue's legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, "Why? Why did this happen? The Marquis's mansion's money is all gone, the betrothal gifts are all gone, how am I supposed to get married? Waaaaah..."
In her previous life, she married the Third Prince in a grand and glorious way, without any of the troubles that followed. Why is everything different now that she's been reborn?
She suffered so much in her past life, all because of Yun Zhaoxue.
She should be living a life of luxury.
Madam Wang comforted her, saying, "Yue'er, you are a disgraced official of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. Once you become the Third Prince's consort, you can get your things back."
"How can I get married without a dowry and betrothal gifts?"
Yun Jiaoyue felt a bit resentful towards Wang Shi at this moment. It wasn't like he and the steward had an affair, or that they had offended the Assassin's Guild, that Wang Shi would have taken away her dowry to pay off the debt.
Madam Wang assured her, "Don't worry, just focus on your wedding. I'll go to great lengths to borrow tens of thousands of taels of silver for you to have a grand wedding, even if it means losing face."
He then instructed the maid, "Someone, help the second young lady back to her room to rest."
As Yun Zhaoxue left the Marquis's residence, she bumped into a man who walked unsteadily and had uneven shoulders, resembling a cripple.
“Princess Zhaoxue, where are you taking Yue’er’s betrothal gifts? Put them down and return them to her immediately.”
The person who came was Shen Yan. He had been injured in the back after being drugged that day and had been bedridden. He had only been able to get out of bed in the last two days.
The Marquis of Yong'an's residence was next door, and upon learning that his beloved Yun Jiaoyue was in trouble, he rushed over.
Yun Zhaoxue said calmly, "I can return it to her."
A smug glint flashed in Shen Yan's eyes, his expression seeming to say, "I knew she would listen to me."
Xiao Xiuning looked at him with exasperation and said, "Are you stupid? You listen to everything this man says. He asked you for a betrothal gift for your second sister. He's using you. He's not sincere towards you. Don't be fooled by him."
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