Chapter 14: Delusion

The crowd grew larger and larger, with commoners exchanging whispers. In an instant, dozens of versions of the story had emerged, all of them invariably claiming that the stepmother was mistreating the children of the first wife.

The legal advisor tried to clarify a few times, but to no avail. He eventually gave up on trying to set the record straight; after all, that was what he believed as well.

Once the bailiffs had cleared out the shop, posted the official seals, and led their men in a whirlwind rush to the next establishment.

As night fell, all the oil lamps in the Duke of Wei's manor were lit.

The officials from the Ministry of Revenue were so hungry their stomachs were sticking to their backs; they had to eat several pieces of peach blossom pastry just to stave off the hunger.

Yin Wei walked over. "How is it going?"

"Reporting to the Excellency, the inventory is mostly complete," the official said, choking on his words before hurriedly gulping down several sips of tea to recover. "This subordinate is currently waiting for the list of missing property."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. "Excellency, the list of missing property has been compiled."

Yin Wei took the document and saw that it was densely packed, spanning five full pages.

The value of these missing items alone was enough to purchase a vast stretch of land in the most prosperous district of Luoyang.

As Yin Wei read more carefully, something felt increasingly wrong. "This Hehuan Agate Ruyi gold hairpin... I feel like I've heard of it somewhere."

The official from the Ministry of Revenue felt a surge of respect; the Excellency even understood women's hair ornaments.

Yin Wei paced back and forth before suddenly clapping his hands. "I remember now!"

When his wife attended the Plum Blossom Banquet a while ago, she had seen the wife of the Vice Minister of Rites, Lady An, wearing it. After returning home, she had pined for it for a long time. He had eventually spent all his private savings to buy a similar hairpin just to appease her.

As Yin Wei recalled the precious items worn by the members of the An family, the Vice Minister of Rites, he indeed found them all on the list.

This wasn't a loss; this was clearly theft!

Fuming with rage, Yin Wei found Tang Wen and demanded, "Manager Tang, how shall we handle these missing items?"

In just one afternoon, Tang Wen had developed three or four mouth ulcers. He replied indistinctly, "Excellency, it has been many years; occasional losses are to be expected."

"Expected my ass!" Yin Wei cursed. "Losses? They were 'lost' straight into the hands of the stepmother's natal family, weren't they?"

"Let me tell you, if this were a private family matter of the Duke of Wei's manor, I naturally would not interfere. But currently, these belong to the State Treasury!" Yin Wei shouted, shaking the list in fury. "If every item on this list were truly lost, that would be one thing. But if any of you have stolen and hidden them for yourselves, once I discover it, I will certainly charge you with the capital crime of theft!"

"!" Tang Wen's head buzzed. "Excellency, please wait a moment. This subordinate will go and ask again."

"Go, quickly!"

Tang Wen stumbled toward the backyard.

"Madam, something terrible has happened!" Nanny Zhao cried out again. "The property you sent to your natal family has been exposed by the Prefect of Luoyang!"

"What?" Lady An was shocked. "How did Yin Wei find out?"

"Oh, my Madam, isn't it obvious?" Nanny Zhao slapped her thigh. "The things you sent back to your family were all top-tier treasures. Once the Master, the Young Master, and the ladies received them, how could they not show them off!"

And once they showed them off, the whole world would know!

"I've already sent them; are they going to demand them back?" Seeing that Nanny Zhao remained silent, Lady An knew she was thinking exactly that. She screamed sharply, "On what grounds? I won't go! I don't have the face to demand back the things I gave to my family!"

"Waaaah, my parents will scold me to death, my brothers and sisters will mock me mercilessly, and those concubine-born siblings will find every way possible to cause trouble for me in the manor!"

"My Madam, the Prefect of Luoyang is watching like a hawk. You must get through this immediate crisis first," Nanny Zhao coaxed. "As for the mockery and ridicule, haven't you received enough of that since you were a child? As long as you are the Duchess of Wei, even the Old Duke and the Old Duchess must bow before you!"

Lady An wept like a pear blossom in the rain, saying unwillingly, "Can't I just not go and demand them?"

They had already emptied more than half the storehouse; were they still not satisfied?

"Looking at the Prefect's momentum, I fear he will take everything listed on your dowry. Madam, it is better to get the items back as soon as possible and send the bailiffs away," Nanny Zhao whispered.

"Madam, you are in the backyard and do not know what they are saying about us outside. You shouldn't hear those words. If the Duke finds out..."

Lady An stopped crying instantly from fear. "Nanny, you go in my stead."

Nanny Zhao was speechless. "You know the temperament of the Old Duke's family best, Madam. How could this old servant possibly do such a thing?"

As Lady An dawdled, refusing to go, a maid from the Old Duchess's courtyard arrived to deliver a message: "Madam, the carriage to your natal home is ready."

Lady An dared not delay any longer and boarded the carriage with a grievance.

In the front courtyard, Tang Wen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the Madam was finally willing to return to her natal home. He said politely, "The Excellency has worked hard all day. Would you like to dine within the manor?"

It was common knowledge that such a question was a polite way of seeing a guest out.

"Then I shall trouble the Manager," Yin Wei nodded, then said to the officials and bailiffs who had been busy all afternoon, "Everyone, the Duke's manor is hosting guests. Please finish your meal before returning to your duties!"

"Yes!"

Tang Wen: "..."

He smiled and said, "Please, everyone, follow me to the dining hall."

That night, the large and small kitchens of the Duke of Wei's manor were in constant motion. The chefs' spatulas swung so fast they practically threw sparks; after all, they had to feed over three hundred people, which was a massive undertaking.

While Yin Wei was hosting the officials and bailiffs to eat and drink their fill, Lady An arrived at the residence of the Vice Minister of Revenue.

Upon entering the main hall, she saw the An family enjoying a harmonious dinner. Lady An, both angry and furious, shrieked, "Father and Mother are certainly enjoying yourselves! Even with disaster looming, you can still eat!"

This daughter had married the best, and in doing so, had helped lift several mediocre sons. Although they were only minor officials, they were at least part of the scholar-gentry.

Therefore, even the Old Master An, who was deeply influenced by the preference for sons over daughters, could not help but show her a bit more affection. However, that did not mean a woman, especially a junior, could mock him to his face.

The Old Master An withdrew the smile from his face and rebuked her sternly, "Instead of staying home to rest during your pregnancy, why did you run back to your natal home? And in the middle of the night, too! If something were to happen, what would become of your chastity and reputation?"

"Reputation? My reputation was ruined long ago!" Lady An wailed loudly, thinking of the commoners' gossip and curses along the way.

Lady An's eldest brother, the current head of the An family, asked in a heavy voice, "What exactly happened?"

He was asking Lady An, but his eyes were on Nanny Zhao.

Nanny Zhao immediately recounted everything that had happened today and what she had heard on the road. Upon hearing it, the Old Madam An was the first to cry out in a shrill voice, "That little wench? How dare she?"

She then turned to complain to the Old Master An, "I told you back then we should have just killed that little wench! You insisted that would be too obvious and that it was better to leave her to fend for herself at the manor! Now look—not only is she not dead, but she married into a princely house and has now stabbed us right in the back!"

The Old Master An glanced at his wife and asked Lady An, "Are you certain this was that wench's idea?"

"If not her, then who?" Lady An insisted.

"That is not necessarily so. If that little wench had such capability, why didn't she use this tactic during the great floods in the south three years ago?"

Lady An sobbed, "What do you mean, Father?"

"I suspect that behind that little wench, the House of Prince Xuan is surely pulling the strings."