Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Infighting in the Li Family

The moment Su Xuan Ming said it, shock hit like a wave.

Behind the rockery, Su Yun Ting and Su Yun Yan lit up so brightly it felt like they might glow in the dark.

“Brother finally spoke like a person for once,” Su Yun Ting breathed. “The household authority should’ve been Mother’s all along.”

He practically wanted to shove Jing Niang’s head down and force her to agree. If only his plan hadn’t stalled—if only—

He clenched his teeth, remembering how easily he’d been fooled. Jing Niang had once gifted him a fine sword, and he’d actually thought she’d make a decent elder sister-in-law.

If time could turn back, he would’ve smacked that sword right into her face.

Su Yun Yan thought of her crushed bird’s nest and felt even more certain: life had been better when Mother was the one in charge.

A jade hairpin was valuable, sure. But you couldn’t eat it.

Gu Nan Xi, on the bamboo chair, felt her scalp prickle.

She’d only just managed to push that burden away. Now her “good” son wanted to drag it right back into her arms?

Boys really did lean outward. This grown son was no good.

And the person breaking the most was Jing Niang.

Her hands curled as if she truly wanted to scratch Su Xuan Ming’s handsome face. “I spent silver, worked myself sick, said every hard word I needed to say—and now you want me to give up?”

Su Xuan Ming shrank under her fury but still tried to reason, voice low. “But you spent the money and we didn’t see a single coin come back. Instead, life got harder. The servants don’t move unless someone pokes them.”

Then, as if trying to soften the blow, he forced a weak smile. “Saying tough things isn’t anything. I always tell Grandmother and Mother I’ll place first in the imperial exams. With my grades, I’d be lucky to even pass the licentiate.”

Jing Niang’s face flushed red with rage.

She’d thought Su Xuan Ming was a chicken rib—tasteless, yet too much trouble to throw away.

Now she realized he was worse than that. He was a blockhead.

He knew nothing about women’s battles. Nothing about how ruthless his mother truly was.

“No,” she said, biting the word clean through. “I can’t give up. I’ve come too far. I’ll cover half the debt for you. The rest—you figure out yourself.”

And with that, she turned and walked away.

Behind the rocks, Su Yun Ting snorted. Brother had no self-awareness at all. Mother loved him most. If he coughed once, she would drop everything and run to him.

Su Yun Yan puffed out her cheeks. Mother valued her most. She’d even given her the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

Gu Nan Xi listened to them both and almost laughed.

Loved Su Xuan Ming most? That worthless piece of char siu?

The one she cherished most was clearly Jing Niang. Jing Niang had taken the steward’s authority even under pressure. Compared to these children, she was downright considerate.

The show ended without anything truly changing. Mother and children left the garden the way they’d come, their hearts full and their hands empty.

Jing Niang returned home seething, ready to vent to Old Man Li—only to be stabbed in the back by her family’s decision.

“What?” she demanded, eyes wide. “Give up? Why should I?”

Li Da slammed the account books so hard they thudded. “Because the family is nearly broke! For half a month the herb shop hasn’t earned a single coin. Even the old commoners are going to Tong Ji Hall now. And why? Because you insisted on that extravagant funeral!”

Once he started, he couldn’t stop.

“I told you not to storm their doorstep. Even if you had to make a scene, you didn’t need to set up a fancy canopy. Know your limits. Our family isn’t Marquis Yong Chang Manor. A simple arrangement would’ve been enough.”

“You were scared they’d look down on you after you married in, so you threw away most of our fortune for face.”

Jing Niang’s voice went cold. “You all agreed back then.”

Li Da’s wife spoke up timidly, as if testing the air. “We didn’t know the Marchioness was that formidable. I truly thought she was a living bodhisattva… I even wasted an eternal lamp offering.”

Jing Niang crossed her arms and snorted. “So what if she’s formidable? Her son will still marry me. I still hold the steward’s authority in Marquis Manor. Let her have ten thousand schemes—how can she break this?”

“I’m not afraid of gossip. She cares about Marquis Yong Chang Manor’s reputation far more than I do.”

She told herself setbacks made people strong. After enduring all those rumors, her heart felt hard as iron. Nothing could break her now.

Then Old Man Li spoke, voice low and almost weary.

“These days I’ve been slipping silver to Matron Xing. I finally pried her mouth open. Do you know why the Marchioness handed you the steward’s authority, and Old Madam Hou didn’t object?”

He took a long drag from his pipe and exhaled slowly.

“Because for years now, Marquis Yong Chang Manor has only looked grand on the surface. It’s been living on the Marchioness’s dowry.”

Jing Niang’s pupils constricted. “That’s impossible.”

“Jing Niang.” Old Man Li’s gaze sharpened. “Forget whether our money can last until your wedding. Even if you do marry in—can you bring a dowry like hers?”

His eyes drifted, caught by old memories.

“The Marchioness was raised at the Grand Empress Dowager’s knee. When she married, she had her own dowry, the Grand Empress Dowager added another, and even the current Empress Dowager gave additional gifts.”

“The procession was magnificent—something you don’t see once in decades. Dowry chests packed full. Porters’ steps heavy and steady. I still remember it.”

He looked older all at once, as if those memories carried weight.

“They gave you a chance to back off. You refused. She dug a small pit, and you threw in nearly everything we have. If you keep charging forward, are we supposed to wager the whole family’s lives too?”

Li Da’s wife dropped to her knees with a thud, clinging to Jing Niang’s leg. “Jing Niang, please. I’m three months pregnant. For your unborn nephew’s sake—leave us a way to live.”

Li Da’s voice turned harsh. “Two-legged men are everywhere. If you insist on Su Da Lang, then become a concubine. He claims he loves you. Even as a concubine, he won’t mistreat you.”

Jing Niang’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile.

This was her family. When they smelled profit, they pushed her forward. When things turned sour, they tossed her aside and called it her fault.

“I, Li Ning Jing,” she said, voice trembling with fury, “will never be a concubine. I won’t give up!”

She’d been careful. She’d saved a decent sum and stored it in the bank.

Old Man Li didn’t even blink. “That’s not up to you. That money will be taken as compensation to the family.”