In Chang Yuncheng’s room, Qiu Xiang was leading the maids in packing up belongings.

“The young mistress didn’t take anything with her…” Que Zhi said while wiping away tears, wrapping up clothes as she spoke.

Qiu Xiang glared at her, and Que Zhi quickly lowered her head and stopped talking.

Chang Yuncheng stood nearby, seemingly oblivious to their conversation. In his hands he held a box containing three gourds.

Chang Yuncheng had been holding it and staring at it for half the day already, until his eyes became dry and ached, then he snapped it shut with a sharp click.

“Lord, everything is packed,” Qiu Xiang came over and said quietly, her gaze sweeping over the box gripped tightly in Chang Yuncheng’s hands.

Chang Yuncheng said nothing, and the maids dared not speak either.

The silence in the room was oppressively heavy.

“Then send them away,” Chang Yuncheng finally spoke, his voice muffled and dull.

He didn’t hand over the box in his hands.

Qiu Xiang lowered her head and acknowledged the order.

The people in the room withdrew, leaving it even more empty and vast.

Chang Yuncheng swept his gaze around the interior, slowly walking from one side to the other, gripping that box tightly in his hands.

Everywhere his eyes fell, he seemed to see traces of that woman.

The bedding from the arhat couch had been moved away, and the room had returned to its former arrangement from when he lived alone.

Chang Yuncheng sat down, and there was still a faint, delicate fragrance lingering in the air.

He just sat there motionless, sinking into emptiness and solitude.

The prefect had no habit of rising early, especially on the rare days each month when he stayed in his concubine’s quarters. Waking up in the morning with soft fragrance and tender jade in his arms, the prefect inevitably indulged in another round of passion.

As his concubine panted beneath him, “Master, you’re so powerful,” the prefect floated in blissful oblivion.

After the clouds dispersed and rain ceased, they held each other speaking sweet words when footsteps sounded outside the door.

Everyone in the household knew his habits—who would be so blind as to disturb him?

The prefect’s face darkened.

“Master, Lady Qi requests an audience,” someone said from outside.

What Lady Qi?

The prefect cursed them to get lost. His concubine tugged at his beard, asking what lady this was and whether he had caused trouble with some woman outside who was now coming to the door. The prefect hurried to placate her carefully.

The person outside didn’t leave and cleared their throat.

“It’s the young mistress from the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion…” he said.

Only then did the prefect react.

“What young mistress from Marquis Dingxi’s mansion? The young mistress from Marquis Dingxi’s mansion has already been divorced. Where is there any young mistress? Tell her to get lost,” he said with a dark expression.

Only then did the person outside leave.

“Master, I heard the young mistress from Marquis Dingxi’s mansion is a divine physician. How could she be divorced?” the concubine asked while helping the prefect dress.

“What divine physician? Everyone was just giving face to the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion. How could she really be divine?” the prefect laughed. “If she were truly divine, let her get the Emperor to show her respect and see…”

His words had barely fallen when footsteps sounded outside again.

“Father!” Huang Ziqiao’s voice came from outside.

At this voice, the disheveled concubine completely ignored the prefect and hurried into the inner room.

Indeed, as soon as the voice fell, Huang Ziqiao burst in.

This only son had been so spoiled that he truly didn’t put his father in his eyes.

Seeing his son barge in, the prefect’s face darkened.

“Nonsense, you…” he opened his mouth to scold, but Huang Ziqiao grabbed his sleeve.

“Father, Lady Qi is looking for you on urgent business. Come out quickly,” he said.

This troublesome boy…

The prefect was dragged out stumbling.

Qi Yue waited somewhat anxiously in the guest hall. Seeing the prefect stride in, she hurried to bow.

The prefect irritably shook off his son and straightened his robes with a dignified expression.

“I didn’t know who else to ask, and I thought you would be the most knowledgeable,” Qi Yue said hesitantly. “Actually, I originally didn’t want to ask, but…”

The prefect grew impatient listening.

“What exactly is the matter?” he said.

“Since we’re divorced, how should the dowry matter be handled?” Qi Yue asked.

This had gone through court proceedings, right? So the dowry matter wasn’t for both parties to negotiate anymore, right? This should fall under your jurisdiction as prefect, right?

The prefect’s eyes widened.

“What?” He looked this woman up and down. She no longer dressed as luxuriously as she had at the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion. Though her clothing was still of the mansion’s standard, she wore no jewelry, looking rather shabby. Had she gone mad from poverty?

“What divorce? Lady Qi, this divorce, while called a divorce, was really the marquis’s mansion preserving your dignity…”

He said dismissively. Actually, it was abandonment! Abandoning his wife! And she wanted her dowry back? Besides, what dowry did she have? Everyone in Yongqing Prefecture knew she was a beggar who would have starved to death if not for the marquis’s mansion giving her food. What did she have?

Qi Yue naturally understood the prefect’s meaning. She looked at him, her expression becoming indifferent, the smile disappearing from her face.

That’s right—she, Qi Yue, was someone who respected others a foot if they respected her an inch, and vice versa.

Originally, she really didn’t want to ask about the dowry matter. She had always felt she wasn’t Qi Yueniang, and now she had completely given up that identity. From now on she was Qi Yue, and since she was Qi Yue, the past had nothing to do with her anymore. Moreover, asking for money was something that, for a modern person accustomed to independence and self-reliance, she truly felt embarrassed to mention.

But if it would make things difficult for Liu Pucheng and the others, she would rather sacrifice her dignity.

Besides, this was her being embarrassed to ask, not that they could assume it was natural and proper.

What was this prefect’s attitude toward her?

She didn’t demand gratitude, but at least basic courtesy should be there, right? I’m the one who helped you, not the one who owes you money!

“Your Honor,” Qi Yue looked at him and said, “That’s really not the case.”

The prefect was taken aback by her words.

“What’s not the case?” he asked, lifting his eyelids.

“It really wasn’t the marquis’s mansion preserving my dignity,” Qi Yue smiled slightly.

The prefect snorted with laughter.

This woman really was… really should have been abandoned long ago…

He was about to speak when he saw the woman before him take something from her sleeve and shake it before his eyes.

“Kneel down,” Qi Yue said.

The prefect flew into a rage.

“You dare,” he shouted.

“You dare!” Qi Yue raised her voice louder, drowning out his voice as she unfolded the bright yellow silk paper in her hand.

The prefect’s eyes immediately widened.

This was… this was…

With a thud, the prefect fell to his knees.

“Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live forever!” he kowtowed and shouted.

With the prefect’s kowtowing, the servants standing in the room also hurriedly knelt down.

What? The Emperor? They hadn’t heard clearly.

“Rise,” Qi Yue said, slightly lowering her body as she held the bright silk paper before the prefect’s eyes. “Look at this. Do you understand now?”

The prefect stared wide-eyed, his forehead covered in sweat. He raised his hand to wipe it away and nodded vigorously.

“I understand, I understand,” he said, standing up trembling.

“So I don’t really understand either. About this dowry, and also I want to ask if my people can come out with me too? Of course, let them choose voluntarily. They all have parents in the mansion, so if they don’t want to, that’s fine…” Qi Yue put away the imperial edict while speaking with some difficulty, frowning as she thought.

“No problem, no problem, no problem. Whatever the lady says goes. This official will handle it immediately,” the prefect said at once, his face full of respectful smiles.

“Troubling Your Honor with such a small matter…” Qi Yue said with a sweet smile.

“What small matter? All of Lady Qi’s matters are important matters,” the prefect immediately said. “This is what this official should handle. For the delay, please forgive me, my lady.”

Qi Yue smiled. Having the prefect handle it was better—it saved her from getting entangled with the marquis’s mansion people. She really didn’t have the energy to watch them quarrel, didn’t even have the energy to speak. It was just that no matter who went, once they started dividing property, everyone would look even worse.

But things already looked very bad, and since she’d never have to see them again in this lifetime, so be it.

The prefect acted with lightning speed, personally escorting Qi Yue out while rushing people to set off.

“Take everything and deliver it to the lady’s home,” the prefect said.

“This isn’t urgent, Your Honor doesn’t need to mobilize such a large force… As for the people, you must ask them properly. Don’t frighten them. If they don’t want to leave their secure positions… please don’t force them…” Qi Yue said, looking at the assembled team of constables with some embarrassment.

Actually, she had thought the prefect would just visit the Marquis Dingxi privately for a discussion, but looking at his manner, he clearly intended to march straight in and seize everything…

Indeed, understanding superior intentions, implementing superior thinking, showing loyalty, and singing high-pitched slogans were skills that officials excelled at across all times and places.

The prefect and his people swept into the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion. The marquis had been in no mood to receive guests lately, especially this prefect who extremely annoyed him.

“Tell him to get lost,” the marquis said irritably.

But unfortunately, the prefect didn’t obediently get lost. Instead, he strutted in with his head held high.

“Your Lordship, by imperial command, this official has come to collect Lady Qi’s dowry,” he declared righteously.

The marquis’s eyes widened.

By imperial command? What imperial command?

“Lady Qi received an imperial edict for divorce, so naturally this official has come by imperial command to handle Lady Qi’s dowry. Initially, the old marchioness gave Lady Qi quite a substantial dowry, didn’t she?” the prefect said solemnly while bowing toward the imperial city.

Divorced by imperial edict…

The marquis felt his head explode with a thunderous roar.

It was over. Did everyone know now…

“Get lost!” the marquis shouted in fury, throwing a teacup from the table.

One by one, they were all petty people! Bullying petty people!

“Your Lordship,” the prefect was no longer as easily intimidated by the marquis as before. Now his back was straight, his legs steady, his demeanor incredibly solemn, displaying the bearing of one who could not be bent by force or corrupted by wealth. “You wouldn’t be planning not to give it, would you? That would be defying imperial command—this is no joke.”

The marquis threw another teacup.

“Why should I give her my family’s things! I won’t give them!” he shouted with a livid face, pointing at the prefect and cursing, “You spineless coward, stop coming here to aid the tiger!”

The prefect was also angered by the scolding. In the past, he would have endured it, but now with the imperial edict backing him, who was afraid of whom!

“Chang Rong, Marquis Dingxi, are you planning to defy the imperial edict?” he also pointed at the marquis and shouted.

In the midst of the commotion, Madam Xie entered from outside.

“Your Honor, Your Honor, stop shouting. It’s already been given,” Madam Xie said.

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Given?

At this moment, Qi Yue, who had returned home, was also stunned.

The courtyard was filled with no fewer than ten large chests.

“My heavens,” she couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed. “What is all this?”

“These are the dowry items the old marchioness gave you back then,” an elderly woman’s voice said.

Qi Yue looked at the old woman emerging from the house with even greater surprise.

“Old Madam, how did you come here?” she asked.

“Young mistress.”

A’Ru and A’Hao stepped out from behind Old Madam Xie, looking at Qi Yue and crying.

It seemed like she hadn’t seen these two maids in a long time. Qi Yue immediately smiled.

“You came too?” she walked over.

A’Ru and A’Hao ran over from left and right, grabbing her arms and weeping loudly.

“These items were too conspicuous to keep at home. I’ve already found a shop. They’ll come to collect them shortly, and you can store them there. Take what you need when you need it,” Old Madam Xie said, gesturing for two maids behind her to bring over two cases. “These are the property deeds.”

She opened them as she spoke.

Qi Yue looked over and saw both cases were filled with documents.

My heavens, these were all given to her by the old marchioness? She had only heard A’Ru mention that the old marchioness had given her a generous dowry. When she truly saw how generous this generosity was, she was genuinely frightened.

Didn’t this amount to taking away half of the Marquis Dingxi’s family fortune?

“This is the original dowry list,” Old Madam Xie continued, handing over a thick stack of papers. “Check it against the items.”

Qi Yue took it in a daze.

“When we came, we asked around. A warehouse keeper and two servant couples came along. As for maids, A’Ru and A’Hao volunteered to come out. These are their indenture contracts,” Old Madam Xie continued.

Qi Yue interrupted her.

“Old Madam, why are you doing this?” she asked. “Is it because of the favor of treating your great-grandson?”

Old Madam Xie smiled faintly.

“Treating my great-grandson—isn’t that what you should do as a physician? Besides, I paid you substantial consultation fees. Are you implying we haven’t settled accounts yet?” she said.

Qi Yue smiled.

“Then Old Madam, this is…” she asked.

“This isn’t my idea. This is Yuncheng’s intention,” Old Madam Xie said quietly.