Chapter 111

Chapter 111: To Lian Manor

“First, the Heir Apparent’s face was not ruined by me.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s presence suddenly pressed down like a storm. Her gaze swept sharply over Qi Shu Xian and Meng Yang. “It was ruined by someone who broke into my storeroom, borrowed without returning, swapped items for fakes, and never cared about the Heir Apparent’s face at all!”

“Second, what I lost was not just a few pieces of jewelry and calligraphy.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes turned cold as frost. “Just the Ruby Hair Ornaments Set Grandmother gave me was a treasure Te Dan offered as tribute to the Late Emperor, worth over ten thousand taels!”

“Who gave them the nerve to steal an imperially bestowed item? Do they not want their heads anymore?”

At those words, Meng Yang’s face turned pale, then green. Qi Shu Xian pressed his lips tight, veins jumping at his temples.

Sheng Zhi Wan walked to the boxes and took out a painting scroll. After a brief glance, she snorted and suddenly flung it down hard at Qi Shu Xian’s feet.

Meng Yang cried out, “Princess, what are you doing?!”

Sheng Zhi Wan ignored her and narrowed her eyes at Qi Shu Xian.

“This Spring Scenery of Luo City was the final work of Master Fu Liu, the greatest painter of the previous dynasty. It was once sold up to five thousand taels. Heir Apparent, look for yourself. Does this crude brushwork look like Master Fu Liu’s hand?”

“And this one.” Sheng Zhi Wan lifted a finger. An Zhi immediately helped unroll it to display the writing for everyone to see. “The Autumn Sun Rhapsody in my collection was personally written by Master Xi He. Countless people offered fortunes and still could not obtain it.”

“That dog-crawl of a script dares to pretend it is Master Xi He’s?”

Everyone looked over and saw that the characters on the scroll were indeed ordinary, without the slightest backbone.

“And these jade bangles.” Sheng Zhi Wan lifted the pair. “How does this muddy, low-grade thing deserve to pretend it is my Pure Jade Twin-Phoenix Bangles?”

Meng Yang’s expression slowly went blank.

Every time Sheng Zhi Wan named another item, Meng Yang’s heart shook.

She had thought that gathering more than twenty thousand taels in a single night was already shocking. What could Sheng Zhi Wan possibly do? A woman in a feudal era could not be better at earning and managing money than someone from the modern world.

Yet now, no matter how proud Meng Yang was, she had to admit that Sheng Zhi Wan’s wealth far exceeded her imagination.

If Sheng Zhi Wan truly made them compensate in silver, how much would all this be worth?

“Well?” Sheng Zhi Wan mocked. “Do you want me to point them out one by one for you two?”

“No need.” Qi Shu Xian’s face was iron-blue. He forced out the words through clenched teeth.

Meng Yang stood silently like a mute. More than twenty thousand taels was already too much. She had no intention of filling more holes for the Duke’s residence.

Seeing her like this, Sheng Zhi Wan gave a small laugh. “I will have someone write out a list of what is missing. Does the Heir Apparent plan to return the originals, or compensate me in silver at market price?”

Qi Shu Xian’s eyelids twitched.

Where would the Duke’s residence find that kind of money? The silver brought today was almost all the Wine Workshop’s profits. If they tried to cover the rest, even selling the entire Duke’s residence would not be enough.

“I will send people to search,” Qi Shu Xian said, forcing down the rage in his chest. “Once I find them, I will return everything to you.”

“Fine.” Sheng Zhi Wan nodded. “That saves me the trouble of finding someone to price everything. Then I will trouble the Heir Apparent to recover the items as soon as possible. I will wait here for good news.”

*That very day, the Duke’s residence turned into chaos again.

Qi Shu Lang, who had only just recovered from his injuries, was thrown back into the ancestral hall. If Madam Cui had not stopped him desperately, Duke Qi would have beaten him another dozen times.

Several pawnshops in the capital city suffered terribly. Once they learned that what Qi Shu Lang had pawned were imperially bestowed items, they cursed him in their hearts, yet still had to cooperate and hand everything over.

Of course, they refused to take a loss. Qi Shu Xian could not simply take back their silver, so he had to redeem the items again at the same price Qi Shu Lang originally pawned them for.

But beyond that, the swapped jewelry and headpieces were almost all Qi Fei Yan’s handiwork.

Duke Qi immediately sent word through Madam Cui’s people for Qi Fei Yan to return to the Duke’s residence.

Qi Fei Yan knew she had swapped items and felt guilty. How could she possibly come back? She only sent a maid to say she had caught a chill and had a cold.

“Forget it. Let her rest properly,” Madam Cui said, pressing a hand to her chest as she looked at Qi Shu Xian. “Is all this still not enough? What does Sheng Zhi Wan want? Does she only stop once she tears this household apart?”

“Take these and send them to her. Tell her that if she still wants the rest, then she can take my life, this old servant woman’s life, instead!”

Madam Cui closed her eyes.

Qi Shu Xian had no choice. “Mother, the Da Li Court is already involved. If you refuse to make Eldest Sister hand over the items now, do you want the Da Li Court to personally go to Eldest Sister and take them?”

Madam Cui’s face grew even uglier. Back then, it was she who had agreed to invite the Da Li Court.

Qi Shu Xian’s face stayed dark. “Since Eldest Sister is ill, I will go personally to visit her.”

He immediately took some medicines and went to Lian Manor.

When Lian Manor first heard he was coming, they were overjoyed.

Even though they had become in-laws to the Duke’s residence, the Duke’s residence looked down on them. Even Lian Wen Hui’s position had only been secured after Qi Fei Yan went back to plead again and again.

Now that Qi Fei Yan was sick, Qi Shu Xian, the Heir Apparent, was actually visiting in person. Clearly, he valued his Eldest Sister.

“Where is the Eldest Young Master?!” Old Madam Lian demanded at once, turning to her daughter-in-law.

Madam Lian looked awkward. “Hui’er might have stayed at a friend’s house last night.”

“Enough!” Old Madam Lian snapped. “Stop covering for him. Hurry and send someone to bring him back!”

As she spoke, she ordered people to help her change clothes. The people around Madam Lian had already hurried out with quick eyes.

Old Madam Lian rushed to the main hall, only to hear that Qi Shu Xian had already gone to Lian Wen Hui’s courtyard.

They hurried there as well. Before they even stepped inside, they heard a daughter-in-law’s wailing cry.

“No! Shu Xian, if you dare take this away, I’ll smash my head into the wall right here!”

Old Madam Lian stopped short.

Madam Lian stared in shock. “What is going on?”

A maid saw the household masters and rushed over to report, “Old Madam, Madam, the Heir Apparent said many things in Young Madam’s courtyard belong to the Princess. Jewelry, headpieces, even furnishings. He is taking them away right now!”

“W-what?” Old Madam Lian’s eyelids jumped. She strode in immediately.

Sure enough, inside Lian Wen Hui and Qi Fei Yan’s room, besides Qi Shu Xian, Qi Fei Yan, and two flustered Lian Manor servants, there were also several unfamiliar maids.

From their clothes, they were clearly from the Duke’s residence. At that moment, they were searching through Qi Fei Yan’s dressing table.

“What is the Heir Apparent doing?” Old Madam Lian demanded. Even though Qi Shu Xian’s status was high, she could not help questioning him when she saw this scene.

Qi Shu Xian turned back. When he saw Old Madam Lian, he was about to greet her, but his gaze suddenly landed on a white jade bangle on her wrist, and his mouth twitched.