A moment later, the court lady Xiao emerged, smiling. She wore a round-collared white robe and a black gauze hat. Without further ado, she mounted her horse and joined the group heading to the Liu residence.
As her horse drew near, Lady Xiao leaned in and whispered, “Congratulations, Madam He.”
Mudan quickly replied, “It’s all thanks to the Princess’s blessing.”
Lady Xiao smiled faintly. “I heard that last night, you and Princess Qinghua enjoyed strolling through the streets together. You had quite a pleasant conversation, didn’t you?”
Mudan glanced at Lady Xiao, puzzled by her meaning. How could she have enjoyed a stroll with Princess Qinghua? They despised each other. With so many people on the streets that night, surely everyone knew about their encounter. Why ask such a pointed question? It seemed Lady Xiao wanted her to forget the incident. Despite others praising Princess Kangcheng, she was still Princess Qinghua’s aunt. They were on the same side. What was the point of tattling? But Mudan refused to acknowledge any pleasant conversation. She vaguely responded, “We met briefly and exchanged a few words.”
Lady Xiao smiled. “You’re very gracious, Madam. You’ll surely be blessed in the future.”
Mudan was bewildered. Then she thought, as long as she ultimately benefited and remained safe without major harm, what did it matter if she couldn’t understand everything? She couldn’t bite off a piece of Princess Qinghua anyway. With this in mind, Mudan set aside her worries and brightened up.
As the group exited Anxing Ward, they suddenly encountered a group of young men approaching, laughing and joking. The leader wore bright red lantern trousers and was bare-armed, holding a steaming meat pie. He kept exclaiming how hot it was while stuffing it into his mouth, his eyes narrowed in satisfaction as he declared, “It’s truly indescribably delicious!” It was none other than Zhang Wulang.
The men behind him teased, “What’s indescribably delicious? The meat pie or the beauty Mudan?”
Mudan spotted them and drew a sharp breath, knowing she couldn’t avoid the encounter. She apologized to Lady Xiao and dutifully dismounted with He Zhizhong and Dalang to greet and thank them.
Zhang Wulang hadn’t expected to run into them so early. He quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, handed the remaining half of the pie to a companion, and wiped his hands on his waist. He then stepped forward to properly greet He Zhizhong and the others. This time, he was very formal, not even glancing at Mudan. When He Zhizhong expressed his gratitude, Zhang Wulang responded with appropriate modesty. His companions stifled their laughter, but a fierce glare from Zhang silenced them.
He Zhizhong instructed Mudan to step forward and thank Zhang Wulang with a curtsy. Then he said, “We have urgent matters to attend to. Another day, we’ll treat you to a meal, Young Master Zhang.”
Zhang Wulang repeatedly declined, saying he dared not trouble them. As the He family mounted their horses, he fixed his gaze on Mudan’s back, as if trying to burn holes through her with his eyes. Once they were out of sight, his companions joked, “Brother Zhang, why are you here at this hour? It seems you were planning to visit Daning Ward to see her. They must have encountered some business and had to rush back.”
Zhang Wulang coldly replied, “Don’t spout nonsense. The woman in the gauze hat is an official from the Princess’s household. They’re probably helping with the divorce. The He family’s fourth son is my good friend, so his sister is like my own. Anyone who gossips should watch their tongue.” He watched until Mudan and the others turned into Yongxing Ward and disappeared behind the walls. Only then did he snatch back the half-eaten meat pie and stuff it into his mouth, chewing vigorously until his jaw ached before swallowing.
When they arrived at the Liu residence, Mudan and Madam Xue didn’t enter. Lady Xiao led He Zhizhong and his son inside.
Liu Chengcai dramatically emerged with his head wrapped in white cloth, supported by two servants. He limped and groaned, repeatedly apologizing. He Zhizhong knew Liu was trying to extort them again, so he feigned concern. In Lady Xiao’s presence, Liu Chengcai didn’t say much, only mentioning he had been injured by thugs.
In front of Lady Xiao, He Zhizhong accepted Mudan’s divorce papers and burned the guarantee letter Liu Chengcai had written. As they prepared to leave, Liu Chengcai, not seeing the contract, became anxious. He let out an agonized cry, startling Lady Xiao. “What’s wrong, Minister Liu? You should rest. Shall we call the imperial physician? Who committed this violence? Have you reported it to the Capital Prefecture? How can such criminals roam free in the capital?”
Liu Chengcai thanked Lady Xiao for her concern while glancing at He Zhizhong. “We’ve located where the criminals are staying. We’re about to report it to the Capital Prefecture.”
He Zhizhong smiled faintly, thinking, “You old scoundrel, still up to your tricks.” He pulled a folded paper from his sleeve and handed it to Liu. “I happen to have a folk remedy here, excellent for treating injuries from falls. Would you like to try it, Minister Liu?”
Liu Chengcai replied, “In my desperation, I’m willing to try any remedy.” He eagerly took the paper from He Zhizhong and opened it. It was the original contract between their families. Realizing this troublesome document was finally back in his possession, allowing him to sleep more soundly at night, he exclaimed with joy, “What a marvelous prescription!” He then called for gifts to be brought out as a generous thank-you to Lady Xiao.
Lady Xiao accepted the gifts with a smile but added, “The Princess instructed that in cases of civilian divorce or wife dismissal, even ordinary families should provide money and goods as a show of generosity… Miss He…”
Before she could finish, Liu Chengcai understood. It meant Mudan had been wronged and should be compensated. This was to help Princess Qinghua resolve grudges and assist the royal family in saving face. However, the money had to come from the Liu family. Though it pained him, Liu Chengcai realized this small sum was insignificant compared to what he owed the He family. He told Lady Xiao, “To be honest, I’ve always felt guilty towards this child. I had already prepared something – two thousand strings of cash. I’ll send it right away.” He then ordered someone to fetch the money, pack it in boxes, and send it out immediately.
Lady Xiao frowned slightly but said nothing. Liu Chengcai quickly added, “And twenty bolts of fine silk.” Lady Xiao found this amount satisfactory, allowing both parties to save face, so she said no more.
The Liu family steward, having received the order, went to find Mama Zhu and explained the situation, asking Lady Qi for the keys to the storehouse and the matching tally. Before he finished speaking, Lady Qi smashed her porcelain teacup on the ground, gritting her teeth, “Why should we give that lowborn woman money?” She refused to hand over the keys.
The steward stood helplessly in the corridor, repeatedly glancing at Mama Zhu for help. Mama Zhu had barely poked her head out when a porcelain pillow flew towards her, striking her forehead. She staggered, dizzy from the impact. Touching her forehead, she felt something sticky and saw bright red blood. She let out a shrill scream and fainted.
Lady Qi watched with eerie calmness, showing no concern or fear. Seeing Niannu’er about to help Mama Zhu up, she sneered, “This place is too small for her. Take her out and don’t let her serve here again.”
Mama Zhu, who had just regained consciousness, fainted again upon hearing this.
Niannu’er sighed, knelt before Lady Qi, and kowtowed. “Madam, please take care of your health. Don’t let these trivial matters and people upset you. It’s not worth it.”
Lady Qi seemed somewhat pleased by these words but still sneered, “What’s this? Are you trying to plead for someone?”
Niannu’er looked up at her sincerely. “This servant only believes that your health is most important, Madam. Everything else is insignificant.”
The steward, fearing further delay would cause trouble, quickly said, “Madam, the master is in a difficult position as well.”
Lady Qi was merely venting her frustration. She knew her husband was even more reluctant to part with the money. Finally, she sighed and handed the keys to Niannu’er.
Mama Zhu struggled to her feet and kowtowed desperately. “Madam, I was wrong. I’ll never dare again. Please, for the sake of my decades of service to you, spare me this once.”
Seeing Mama Zhu’s face streaked with blood and tears, Lady Qi snorted and said viciously, “Our family has been more than generous to that He woman. She ruined her body and can’t bear children, always stirring up trouble. We’re not even holding it against her. Let’s hope she can find another high-ranking husband.” She glanced at Mama Zhu as she spoke.
Mama Zhu paused, then kowtowed forcefully. “This servant understands.”
Lady Qi turned towards the pearl curtain and snorted. “Go tend to your wound.”
After leaving, they accompanied the He family to the Capital Prefecture to obtain official approval for the divorce, completing all the necessary procedures. They graciously accepted the He family’s generous gifts and took He Zhizhong’s thank-you gift for the Princess, then returned to report to the Princess’s residence.
Mudan, learning of the events, whispered to He Zhizhong, “Father, that old scoundrel is extorting us. Now that he has the contract back, he won’t spare those cousins. Haven’t we lost out? Shouldn’t we have pressured him more?”
He Zhizhong shook his head and sighed. “Danchild, I’m not letting the old scoundrel have his way. This was necessary. First, I promised to return his contract once we got your divorce papers, without asking him to repay the money. Although we had help, if he refuses to repay and causes trouble with this contract, it would be a nuisance. It’s better to settle it cleanly. Second, the Li family got into this trouble because of us. Now that the old scoundrel is threatening to report to the Capital Prefecture, we must pay generously, regardless of the amount. His greed is his problem, but we absolutely cannot be stingy. Otherwise, no one will be willing to help us in the future.”
Mudan sighed deeply. “It’s not that I begrudge the money. I just feel like he’s getting away with too much.” Given Liu Chengcai’s character, he would likely try to extort this two thousand strings of cashback later, and it might not even be enough. While others might profit from a divorce, she not only failed to recover all of her dowry but also gave away significant wealth. It had caused so much trouble and worry for everyone. Everything comes at a price, and climbing the social ladder is no easy feat.
Seeing her dejected, He Zhizhong smiled gently and patted her shoulder. “Silly child, look at you. Today is such a joyous occasion. Why aren’t you happy? Why dwell on these matters? Your brothers and I will handle them. You should just be cheerful and do whatever you want.”
Mudan composed herself and smiled. “I’ll do as you say, Father. Let’s go see Cousin first, then enjoy some family time together.”
He Zhizhong knew she always had weighty thoughts in her mind. Though she didn’t say it, he suspected she felt guilty about the family spending so much money on her behalf. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry. We have other plans for the Liu family. We’ll make sure they return the money. As for this money, when we get back, listen to what your eldest sister-in-law says and follow her lead. Understand?”
Mudan paused briefly, her mind already working on a different plan.