Chapter 11: Identity

What dowry could the Xie family possibly have?

Would the Xie family prepare gold and silver for a fake daughter?

Is the Xie family unaware of this? How could they have the nerve to ask so righteously?

Old Madam Yang the Second and the steward beside her glared fiercely at Xie Yuyan. Zhang, standing nearby, felt her heart trembling, but Xie Yuyan acted as if she didn't see them at all.

"If the Xie family didn't provide a dowry, on what grounds did the Old Master agree to the marriage with them?"

Xie Yuyan said, "By picking up a son-in-law who died for his country for free, and latching onto a reputation for loyalty and righteousness... With such a good deal, why did the Old Master choose the Xie family?"

Old Madam Yang the Second was suddenly stunned; she had no way to refute Xie's words.

"The dowry list is here with me."

He, the wife of Yang Mingjing, walked over quickly. Seeing He, Old Madam Yang the Second couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, though her face also showed a bit of resentment.

After such a huge commotion earlier, He hadn't rushed over, only appearing once the people from the Inspection Office had left.

He coughed a few times into her handkerchief as she walked.

Upon reaching them, she first bowed to the Second Old Madam, then greeted Yang Mingjing, before finally looking at Zhang and Xie Yuyan.

He had fair skin, a slightly round face, and gentle eyes, appearing very kind-hearted.

"This is all my fault," He said. "My health hasn't been good lately, so I became negligent, and the dowry list wasn't sent to the Third Branch sister-in-law."

He had been ill for several months; the entire Yang clan knew this, which was why Zou had been helping manage the household.

"Everything the Xie family sent is on this list."

This marriage was a ghost marriage, and most of the dowry items were paper offerings. When Xie Yuyan woke up, she had already instructed Yang Qin to burn them.

He handed the dowry list to Zhang: "There are indeed two more chests of dowry, both kept in the West Courtyard; I didn't have time to pass them on to my sister-in-law."

Under normal circumstances, Zhang would have just nodded and accepted it. Since she had the things she wanted, what more could she say?

But now, she had Xie Yuyan by her side.

"Besides this, has our family ever asked the Xie family for help, or do we have any business dealings with them?" Xie Yuyan stared at He. "Does Aunt know?"

He had thought that by bringing the dowry list, all troubles would be resolved, but she hadn't expected the Sixth Brother's wife to have more to say.

"This... I suppose not!"

Xie Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good then."

Everyone stared at her. So? Why didn't she finish her sentence? What did "that's good" mean?

Old Madam Yang the Second couldn't catch her breath, and He's expression gradually turned ugly.

Yang Qin looked at these people, his heart full of joy. He hadn't expected his sister-in-law to leave them in such a sorry state with just a few words.

One had to know that Old Madam Yang the Second was always particular and had a bad temper, often scolding his mother. The Second Aunt, He, always wore a smile, making her seem easy to talk to, but in reality... last winter, when his mother was ill, Yang Qin had gone to He to ask to borrow some silver from the clan, and He had dragged it out for three full days before giving it to him.

If his mother's condition hadn't improved in time, he might have been left all alone that winter.

Seeing that Xie Yuyan had no intention of continuing, Yang Mingjing asked, biting the bullet: "Sixth Brother's wife, why do you ask these things?"

Xie Yuyan said: "I am going to the government office to sue the Xie family."

Old Madam Yang the Second gasped, preparing to faint from the shock, but was jolted back to consciousness by Xie Yuyan's next words.

"As long as our Yang family has not received any benefits from the Xie family because of this," Xie Yuyan said, taking the dowry list from Zhang's hand, folding it, and tucking it into her bodice, "and there is no disguised exchange of interests, then my case has nothing to do with the Yang family."

"Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt haven't returned from the government office yet, so I don't know some of the inside details, which is why I am verifying this in advance. Since Second Aunt says there are none, I can write the petition with peace of mind."

"This dowry isn't what I wanted either; it's all evidence for the government office. Second Aunt, keep it safe and don't lose it."

Old Madam Yang the Second truly couldn't breathe now. She reached out her hand: "What kind of family is the Xie family? How dare you..."

Xie Yuyan said calmly: "They harmed me; shouldn't I sue them?"

Old Madam Yang the Second gritted her teeth: "You are... you are... looking for trouble."

"If your conscience is clear, why fear trouble?" Xie Yuyan found it strange. "It's not just me; Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt were also implicated and imprisoned. This was all caused by the Xie family. Shouldn't we demand justice from them? If we don't sue, people will say our Yang family has a guilty conscience and is trying to cover things up."

"Besides, since the Sixth Brother is gone, why should I have agreed to marry into the Yang family?"

"I don't remember the past. Without household registration in Daming Prefecture, I am just a vagrant. A woman alone and weak, how can I fight the Xie family? It's different now; I have the Yang clan as my backing. No matter where I sue, or how long I am entangled with the Xie family, I am not afraid. I am a daughter-in-law of the Yang family; my affairs are the affairs of the Yang clan. With so many clansmen behind me, even if it's difficult, I can hold on until the day my grievances are cleared."

Old Madam Yang the Second really couldn't hold on anymore. She could almost foresee the Yang clan being destroyed by this "Xie Shiniang."

"Since you married into the Yang family, you must obey the arrangements of the clan elders," Old Madam Yang the Second said, her voice trembling. "If you dare to act recklessly..."

"Only when those with virtue manage the household can the family prosper. Decisions made by those who are shameless, arbitrary, overbearing, and who do not distinguish right from wrong or ask for the reasons cannot be followed."

Xie Yuyan's face darkened, her expression becoming more solemn: "The Old Madam may not know me. I have lost my memory and don't know myself very well, but there is no doubt that I must come from a scholarly family, a daughter of a high-ranking household."

She spread her hands: "I have calluses on my hands from holding a pen, and the principles of poetry and books in my heart. I entered the Yang family uprightly and have an official household registration at the government office. In the future, when my family comes looking for me, whether I am dead or alive, they will be able to identify me based on this."

Xie Yuyan paused intentionally for a moment, then suddenly beamed with a smile: "Whether I am good or not concerns the life, death, honor, and disgrace of the Yang family. Second Grandmother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, don't you agree?"

"You, you..." Old Madam Yang the Second could only utter this one word at this moment.

Xie Yuyan had no patience to go in circles with her. She withdrew her smile, her gaze deepening.

Old Madam Yang the Second didn't know if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but at this moment, she saw a sense of grace in Xie Yuyan. She shrank back in her heart, feeling a sense of fear, and actually dared not look directly into Xie Yuyan's eyes.

Xie Yuyan said: "Qin-ge, what did that registrar say to you just now?"

Yang Qin's voice was crisp: "He said for me to go to the government office tomorrow; he wants to take me to see a teacher in the city who can teach me to read."

Xie Yuyan said: "What if you don't go tomorrow?"

Yang Qin responded bluntly: "That registrar would definitely send someone to the house to ask."

Xie Yuyan shifted her gaze to Yang Mingjing: "The registrar went to such great lengths to make these arrangements—isn't it just to let Qin-ge report that he is safe under the guise of studying? Second Uncle, why do you think the officials at the government office are taking such good care of us?"

Yang Mingjing swallowed. What Xie said might be true. After entering the government office, one had to be examined by a midwife; the Inspection Office might really have suspicions about Xie's identity.

With so many high-ranking families in the Great Liang, it would be hard to find out which family had lost a female relative in a short time. Even so, to be safe, they absolutely must not move against Xie until they found out.

Thinking this, Yang Mingjing put on a smile: "It's not that I won't let you sue the Xie family, but some things need to be discussed at length. Don't worry, since you've entered the Yang family, the Yang clan will certainly protect you."

Seeing Yang Mingjing's flickering gaze, Old Madam Yang the Second knew her son was afraid of that Inspector He, so she dared not say anything more, forced to suppress the anger in her heart.

"It's been a long day, everyone is tired," Yang Mingjing continued. "Third Sister-in-law, take the Sixth Brother's wife back to rest first. I... will go and find out what stage the case is at, and then discuss with the Sixth Brother's wife how to arrange things later."

Xie Yuyan replied: "Then... I'll trouble you, Second Uncle."

Watching Zhang and the others leave, Yang Mingjing and He helped Old Madam Yang the Second inside.

Dismissing the servants, Old Madam Yang the Second spoke impatiently: "Second, do you really believe she is a daughter from a high-ranking family? Do you really intend to help her deal with the Xie family?"