Volume 1, Chapter 20: Qingqian desires nothing else; she only wishes to reclaim the dowry that is rightfully hers.
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“No! We cannot divorce her. Shi Qingqian has an excellent reputation in the capital. If I divorce her for no reason, Zhaoyang and I will become the subject of everyone’s gossip. Even if Zhaoyang takes the position of principal wife, her status will be neither proper nor legitimate!
“Grandmother, you have always loved me most. Can’t you help me? All that needs to be done is to kill Li Si and Nurse Zhao!”
Seeing matters develop in a direction so unfavorable to him, Qin Lang began to panic.
But he had no power to oppose the Northern Pacifying Prince’s Residence, so all he could do was beg his grandmother for help.
Madam Qin looked at him coldly. The disappointment in her eyes was like a bottomless pool of icy water, as though it meant to drown him completely.
Madam Qin let out a heavy sigh, her voice laden with endless weariness and anguish.
“Lang’er, even now, you still refuse to repent. You are still trying to use such filthy methods to conceal your crimes. How can you face the ancestors of the Marquis’s House?”
Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped the armrest, as though she needed its support to hold up her tottering body.
“You keep saying that you are afraid of being pointed at and criticized, but when you committed such an ugly deed, why did you never consider the consequences? Qingqian is your lawful wife. What has she done wrong? If this matter is confirmed, have you ever thought about what she will face? You are trying to take her life!”
She paused, and her gaze grew even sharper.
“Eldest Son, I will have someone accompany Qingqian to inspect her dowry. Anything missing or short will be converted into silver, and you will find a way to repay her. I will give you three days. After three days, if her dowry has not been fully restored, whatever Qingqian chooses to do, this old woman will not stop her!”
“Mother… this…”
The Marquis was somewhat unwilling as well. Though he had not managed the household affairs over the years, he knew its circumstances. His meager stipend was nowhere near enough to support such a large estate.
His daughter-in-law had supplemented the household expenses generously throughout the years…
Before the Marquis could finish, Madam Qin shot him a fierce glare. Her gaze was like a tangible arrow, and he immediately fell silent, though the resentment still lingering on his face remained.
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Madam Qin turned to Shi Qingqian and forced a trace of warmth onto her face, though the smile concealed a tangled mixture of emotions.
“Qingqian, are you satisfied with Grandmother’s arrangement?”
Shi Qingqian inclined herself slightly in a formal bow. Her expression was calm and composed, and her voice was neither servile nor arrogant.
“Thank you, Grandmother, for handling this matter fairly. Qingqian asks for nothing more than to reclaim the dowry that belongs to me. From this day onward, I wish to have no further connection with the Marquis’s House and simply live out the rest of my days in peace.”
Madam Qin nodded faintly. A trace of guilt flickered in her eyes before quickly disappearing. She turned toward everyone and raised her voice, her tone stern and unequivocal.
“As for what happened today, every one of you present will keep your mouths shut. If anyone dares to spread nonsense outside and damage the reputation of the Marquis’s House, do not blame this old woman for showing no mercy. When the time comes, I will make certain you suffer the consequences!”
The servants hurriedly acknowledged her order, each lowering their head and scarcely daring to breathe.
Qin Lang stood to one side, his face dark enough to drip ink. His heart was filled with fury and resentment, but with the situation beyond his control, he could only grind his teeth and swallow his anger. Inwardly, he began plotting how he might trouble Shi Qingqian in the future and restore his own reputation.
“That will do! Everyone, disperse. Nurse Sun, send someone with Miss Shi. Have the dowry counted tonight, and once the inventory is complete, deliver the accounts to the Marquis and Madam!”
Madam Qin waved her hand wearily, then turned and walked toward the inner room.
Nurse Sun hurried to Shi Qingqian’s side and said respectfully, “Young Madam, please. This old servant will accompany you to inspect the dowry.”
Shi Qingqian nodded slightly and turned toward the door. Her steps were light yet resolute, as though she intended to leave every dispute and grievance within the Marquis’s House firmly behind her.
The Four Pearls, Nurse Zhao, and Li Si followed closely behind. Their eyes held the relief of seeing their mistress finally escape her suffering, along with a measure of contempt for the people of the Marquis’s House.
Qin Lang watched Shi Qingqian’s departing figure, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“Lang’er, you truly are impossibly foolish! What is so wonderful about Lu Hongzhao that she could make you commit such a senseless act and ruin your own future? Look at the mess you have made now—you have lost everything and gained nothing!
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“Even if I were to pour every bit of my dowry into this, I do not know whether it would be enough to fill the enormous hole you have torn open!”
Madam Qin’s face was full of anguish. As she spoke, she raised a finger and jabbed it forcefully against Qin Lang’s forehead, her eyes filled with a complicated mixture of heartbreak and exasperation at his failure to live up to expectations.
“Qin Lang, listen carefully. As your father, I order you to get rid of that seductress at once. If you remain stubbornly deluded, do not blame me for interfering in the affairs of your household!”
The Marquis spoke coldly, his face dark.
Though he occasionally behaved recklessly in his daily life, he still had principles and limits. He would never commit the socially reprehensible act of favoring a concubine while abandoning his wife.
Now, seeing his own son mistreat his properly wedded wife so terribly for the sake of a woman from a brothel, he was both enraged and bitterly disappointed. He could only feel that the boy had truly lost all sense.
“Father, you cannot drive Zhaoyang away. I intend to elevate her to the position of principal wife,” Qin Lang said grimly.
The moment the Marquis heard this, his eyes flew open in fury. He was just about to launch into a tirade when Qin Lang hurriedly raised a hand to stop him.
“Father, Mother, there are too many prying eyes and ears here, and it is inconvenient to speak freely. Let us return to the Marquis’s House first and discuss this there…”
“As for this matter, I will certainly give you both an explanation…”
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