Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Then It Would Be Perfectly Justified

In the capital city, great clans had stood for hundreds of years, yet only the Wang Family had ever used the legal wife’s dowry to take a concubine. They had been mocked for years because of it, and Vice Minister Wang had even been rebuked by His Majesty.

Qi Shu Xian thought Sheng Zhi Wan was far too vicious. Was this her counterattack after she learned she had been sent to Wei Yang Courtyard? Not only did she refuse to repent, she kept making things worse. Since that was the case, Qi Shu Xian could not let Sheng Zhi Wan smear him and the Duke manor.

Qi Shu Xian said, “I came to ask you only because husband and wife were one. I never expected you to be so jealous. Just because I visited Meng Yang yesterday, you came up with a trick like this.”

Qi Shu Xian continued, “If you hate me and resent me, then come at me. Why drag other people into it? Shu Lang is only a child – when you smear him like this, don’t you feel guilty?”

Qi Shu Xian spoke as if his heart ached. The old men who had been quietly doubtful began leaning back toward him without meaning to. They had always heard that Duke Qi’s household was upright, and Qi Shu Lang was only a ten-year-old boy. Could a child like that really steal and swap his sister-in-law’s dowry? Maybe Princess Qing Ning truly was jealous and making trouble on purpose.

“Heh.” Sheng Zhi Wan laughed in open sarcasm. “I only wanted to find out who swapped my dowry. Heir Apparent doesn’t need to make it this dramatic. I cared even less about who you went to see. Fine.”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Then let’s report it to the authorities. No matter who did it, imperial-bestowed items must be traced and found. Ting Lan.”

“Wait!” A voice suddenly came from outside.

Sheng Zhi Wan raised an eyebrow. [They were here.]

Madam Cui walked in while coughing, supported by Qi Fei Yan. Madam Cui’s face looked terrible.

Qi Fei Yan shot Sheng Zhi Wan a venomous glare. Sheng Zhi Wan acted as if Qi Fei Yan did not exist and only looked at Madam Cui. “Mother, why did you come?”

“Was what you just said true?” Madam Cui stared at Sheng Zhi Wan as if she wanted to bore holes through her.

Sheng Zhi Wan asked, “Which sentence does Madam mean?”

Madam Cui choked. Of course she meant handing all private assets into the household accounts, but there were outsiders in the courtyard. Madam Cui sneered instead, “Was your dowry really swapped?”

“It was,” Sheng Zhi Wan said.

“You suspect Shu Lang did it?” Madam Cui’s chest rose and fell. Her youngest son had always been sensible and filial. Every time Shu Lang returned from the academy, Shu Lang came to greet Madam Cui first. Madam Cui felt that Sheng Zhi Wan’s dowry should belong to the Duke manor, but Shu Lang would never do such a thing.

“It isn’t that I suspect him,” Sheng Zhi Wan said. “It’s just that only Second Brother entered my storeroom alone.”

“Then investigate!” Madam Cui looked as if her heart was breaking. When Madam Cui saw Qi Shu Xian still trying to stop it, Madam Cui pleaded, “Otherwise, will Shu Lang carry this suspicion forever?”

Qi Shu Xian fell silent.

Only then did Madam Cui look at Sheng Zhi Wan in disappointment. “But doing this still hurt Shu Lang’s heart. I accept the wager you just made.”

“Mother truly loves her son.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s lips curled.

Madam Cui had too much faith in the son Madam Cui had raised. Then again, Qi Shu Lang had been too good at acting. At ten years old, Shu Lang played cute and obedient in front of family, yet showed a completely different face to people Shu Lang could bully. In her past life, Sheng Zhi Wan only started paying attention after that incident, and then discovered Shu Lang had been swapping and selling her dowry the whole time.

“Words mean nothing without proof!” Qi Fei Yan said. “Write a document right now. If you slandered Shu Lang, you must hand all your private assets to the Duke manor, and you must also go to the ancestral hall, go without food or water, and reflect and atone for three days!”

Sheng Zhi Wan had intended that in the first place, and it was even better with Qi Fei Yan saying it for her. Sheng Zhi Wan nodded. “Fine. But if the investigation proves Second Brother really swapped my dowry, the Duke manor must make my dowry whole, and it must also return all the silver I used to subsidize the Duke manor. Also, Second Brother must receive the punishment he deserves.”

“What?” Qi Fei Yan flared up. “You’re a daughter-in-law. Once you married into the Duke manor, you’re part of the Duke manor. Your silver naturally belongs to the Duke manor-”

“Eldest Sister!” Qi Shu Xian cut Qi Fei Yan off with a dark face. Then Qi Shu Xian turned to Sheng Zhi Wan. “Fine. We’ll do as you say. But fasting for three days is too much. One day is enough.”

“Three days means three days,” Sheng Zhi Wan said. Sheng Zhi Wan hated Qi Shu Xian’s false show of compassion.

Sheng Zhi Wan immediately wrote the document. After that, Sheng Zhi Wan ordered Ting Lan to go invite the Da Li Court.

“Is it necessary to make such a huge fuss?” Qi Shu Xian had not expected Sheng Zhi Wan to involve the Da Li Court at all.

Madam Cui and Qi Fei Yan looked unhappy as well.

“What is it?” Sheng Zhi Wan asked. “Heir Apparent has no confidence in Second Brother? If we don’t invite the Da Li Court, this document won’t have the authorities as witnesses, so it won’t count.”

Sheng Zhi Wan looked straight at Madam Cui.

Madam Cui’s eyes flickered. “I believe Shu Lang. Since you insist on inviting them, then invite them.”

In Madam Cui’s mind, the one who would lose face in the end was Sheng Zhi Wan. Sheng Zhi Wan would be known as jealous, smearing a ten-year-old brother-in-law, and outsiders would call Sheng Zhi Wan vicious and domineering. Then Madam Cui could turn Sheng Zhi Wan’s private assets into the Duke manor’s assets, perfectly justified.

Not long after, Da Li Court Assistant Fang Hong Zhi hurried over.

Fang Hong Zhi was nearly forty. Fang Hong Zhi was stubborn and inflexible, and even now Fang Hong Zhi had only reached the post of seventh-rank court clerk. After hearing everyone’s statements, Fang Hong Zhi immediately sent people to visit the pawnshops and the Black Market in the capital city.

Qi Shu Lang was still only a ten-year-old boy, with little experience. Shu Lang had grown used to being arrogant outside and never learned how to cover Shu Lang’s tracks. In less than a quarter hour, two men were hauled in.