“What?” Wen Zhenxue was surprised. “Don’t those below the fifth rank only need to donate two dan of grain?”
“That’s what they say, but I have a noble title. The Dingyuan Marquis Manor, also of marquis rank, donated three hundred dan. I can’t donate less than them.” He Zeyou frowned. “It would make people look down on me.”
“Three hundred dan?!” Wen Zhenxue was so shocked that her face turned deathly pale. “Do you know how much silver three hundred dan is worth? Where do we have that much money? The Dingyuan Marquis Manor has a wealthy second branch, but what do we have? Why are you comparing yourself to them?”
Mentioning this made He Zeyou quite unhappy: “Yes, the second branch of the Dingyuan Marquis Manor married a wealthy merchant’s daughter and is incredibly rich. You say I can’t compare to them, so should I have married Liu Ruyi back then? Then I wouldn’t be such a laughingstock now.”
Wen Zhenxue was so angry her hands trembled: “You also think it’s my fault? He Zeyou, if you hadn’t deceived me back then, making me think your family was wealthy and your feelings deep as the ocean, would I, the legitimate daughter of the Grand Scholar of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion, have married you while bearing the infamy of stealing another’s love?”
“Grand Scholar of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion.” He Zeyou’s eyelids twitched. “Sounds impressive, but after all this time, I haven’t seen him promote me at all.”
“Is it that my father doesn’t want to promote you?” Wen Zhenxue was extremely resentful. “You, a military officer by birth, first offended Shen Qiyuan, then fell out of favor with His Majesty. My father told you to go to Lei Zhou to earn merit for promotion, but you wouldn’t go, and when he made you deputy of the patrol battalion, you complained it was too tiring. Who can you blame?”
“Naturally, I can’t blame anyone.” He waved his hand impatiently. “But if Ruyi had entered my household back then, she would have found ways to pave the path for me.”
Wen Zhenxue was struck as if by lightning, gasping for breath and staring at him in a daze.
Are all men like this? As long as they had choices initially, they’ll always remember and blame all their misfortunes and difficulties on the person they chose?
If she had known this would happen, why did she marry him?
Feeling dizzy, Wen Zhenxue supported herself on her maid’s hand.
“If you’re going to say that, then I have nothing more to say.” Her voice was hoarse. “I still have one last jade Guanyin in my chest, a child-granting Guanyin my mother prayed for. Even if it can’t get three hundred dan, it can get two hundred. If you want to donate, then donate it.”
Hearing this, He Zeyou softened his expression and comforted her: “I’ll buy it back for you when we have money later. Besides, how can Guanyin grant you children? Only I can grant you children.”
After saying this, he immediately ordered the maid to take out the Guanyin to exchange for money, then buy grain to send to the Ministry of Revenue.
It doesn’t matter. Wen Zhenxue comforted herself. At least she still had the title of Marchioness. Compared to Liu Ruyi, who had no name or status following Shen Qiyuan, she was still superior.
However, an hour later, the accountant came in panic: “Madam, this old servant truly cannot balance these accounts. Please come take a look.”
She threw on her clothes and went out, only to be met with a pile of bills.
“Baozhai Hall?” The moment she saw these three characters, her vision went dark.
The maid quickly reported: “These are all things the Dowager bought. They filled an entire courtyard. She said the more you buy, the better the deal.”
“What did she use to pay?”
“The Dowager is a regular customer at Baozhai Hall. She put it on account, saying to send the items back first, and you could settle the payment tomorrow.”
Just as she was speaking, Dowager He’s voice could be heard from afar: “What do you mean no money? How could she have no money? I saw with my own eyes a large jade Guanyin in her room. Just sell that to pay the debt.”
With her eyes rolling back, Wen Zhenxue completely fainted.
The carriage swayed as it moved forward. Ruyi sat in Shen Qiyuan’s embrace, one hand around his neck, the other lazily resting on the window edge: “Do you think I could persuade Liu Ruyi?”
With fragrant soft jade in his arms, Shen Qiyuan’s expression appeared particularly gentle: “Persuade her of what?”
“Better to tear down a temple than destroy a marriage. I think He Zeyou and Wen Zhenxue are quite well-matched.” Ruyi smiled mischievously. “Why dwell on the past?”
Rather than separating them, it would be better to let them stay together and torment each other forever. That would be true retribution.
“A prayer-maker’s wish will not change.” He shook his head. “Nothing you say will be useful.”
“I know, I know, I was just saying.” Her chin nuzzled against his cheek, and Ruyi sniffed lightly at his nose, muttering in confusion, “Why didn’t you drink any wine at the banquet?”
Shen Qiyuan placed his wrist behind her suspended waist, saying in a low voice: “The banquet food was terrible. I used the excuse of going to relieve myself to wander around the marquis’s manor.”
“Oh?” Ruyi became interested. “Did you discover anything?”
“The main character of today’s celebration of a new addition, that newly born eldest son of the marquis manor, his birth mother should be a concubine the Ningyuan Marquis took recently.” He said, “That concubine is of commoner birth. Logically, she should have had a seat at today’s banquet, but she didn’t appear today, and the Ningyuan Marquis didn’t mention her at all.”
Ruyi pursed her lips: “Having an eldest son is naturally joyful, but the Ningyuan Marquis also doesn’t want to offend Wen Zhenxue to death. Plus, the concubine hasn’t finished her confinement month, so naturally, he had her stay in her room.”
“But when I checked with my spiritual sense, there was no one in the side room of the main courtyard in the back residence.”
No one?
Ruyi blinked: “That can’t be right. She’s at least the birth mother of his child. Could he have just thrown her out?”
Shen Qiyuan didn’t know what was going on either, only saying: “In any case, it’s their family matter and I can’t interfere. If you want to take this case, then take it, but I think he probably can’t afford six hundred taels of silver.”
“If he can’t afford it, then there’s nothing to discuss.” Ruyi chuckled, her red-painted fingernail tracing along his Adam’s apple. “Why is this red?”
Not just his Adam’s apple, but his ears were red too. Shen Qiyuan caught her mischievous hand, brought it down to rest on his chest, then lowered his head and gently nuzzled her hair with his forehead: “I’ve been waiting all day, yet you haven’t tried to please me at all.”
Ruyi blinked guiltily: “I’ve been with you all day, doesn’t that count as pleasing you?”
“Just being with me isn’t enough for me to forgive you. Even the Demon King wouldn’t believe that.”
“Then what do you want?”
Night had fallen, and Lin’an City’s night market was bustling. Shen Qiyuan looked at the peddlers calling out their wares and children playing with lanterns outside, the corner of his mouth curling slightly: “I want the biggest, reddest candied hawthorn skewer.”
Thinking it was something serious, Ruyi laughed softly as she stood up, pushed open the door, and stepped down from the carriage.
The street was crowded with people. A vendor selling candied hawthorn skewers stood calling his wares ten zhang away. The biggest, reddest skewer on his hawthorn mountain gleamed bright red and crystalline under the night lanterns.
She confidently walked over with silver in hand, but unexpectedly, a chubby little boy got there first, jumping and shouting while holding copper coins: “I want the one on top, I want the one on top!”
Hearing this, Ruyi couldn’t care about anything else. She pushed through all the people blocking her path and shouted from afar: “I want the one on top!”
The candied hawthorn vendor was stunned by this earth-shaking roar, looking in amazement at the young lady charging through like she was breaking through wind and waves, and said apologetically: “Miss, this young customer already asked for this skewer.”