Chapter 12: The Sowing of Discord

Chapter 12: A Strategy of Alienation

Lu Feng wore an expression of bestowing a great favor. "You have difficulty conceiving, and Xueying is willing to adopt a child. After a hundred years, you will have someone to offer incense and worship to your spirit. You should feel grateful to her and treat her with more kindness in the future."

Su Qingwan’s expression turned cold. "Then I sincerely hope she gives birth to a son for me soon."

Lu Feng caught the mockery in her tone and felt slightly displeased. However, priding himself on being a man of letters, he was unwilling to bicker with a woman and flicked his sleeves as he left. Lüzhu was so angry her face turned red; had it not been for Nanny Li holding her back, she would have rushed in to strike Lu Feng just now.

"I’ve never seen such a shameless person. When the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones go awry—the son they raise is a beast too!" Lüzhu stood with her hands on her hips, so angry she nearly slipped into her southwestern dialect.

Nanny Li asked, "Young Miss, what are your plans now?"

"Lu Feng prides himself on being a scholar, aloof and arrogant. Lu Shaoqing and the Lin woman both feel that merchants are beneath them, and their words are full of contempt. If that’s the case, I shall take back my dowry and cut off their funding. I want to see how the Lu family maintains their extravagant and wealthy lifestyle without the Xie family’s support. Bring me the dowry inventory; let’s go through it."

Nanny Li quickly brought the list. Su Qingwan was shocked just looking at it; the dowry included fifty thousand taels of silver alone, not to mention other assets. The head of the Xie family had originally been a personal guard to the old Prince of Huainan. Even after establishing his own household, he still cherished the bloodline of his former master as if it were his own flesh and blood.

Nanny Li said, "Young Miss, since you have no offspring, it is customary for the dowry to be returned to the maiden family upon your death. The Xie family is wealthy and wouldn't have minded the dowry. When the Master came to the capital to handle this matter, he had an agreement with the Lu family: once Lu Feng married and had children, he only needed to adopt one child under your name to inherit the dowry, and the Lu family agreed. After the Master passed away, the Lin woman used excuses to seize your dowry and dismissed all the maids in Meilan Garden. I knew the Lin woman’s scheme, so I held firm to the agreement, waiting for the day a young master would arrive so the dowry could be handed over personally. Even so, over this past year, the Lin woman has taken away a great deal of wealth. Old servant... I am truly ashamed."

Beyond the money in the treasury, the Lin woman had also used various excuses to seize over a dozen shops that Xie Zhaolan owned in the capital. As Su Qingwan looked at the list of missing items compiled by Nanny Li, her anger continued to rise.

"What a truly shameless family, actually reaching their hands into the dowry of a deceased daughter-in-law."

"When you were alive, you managed the household affairs. It sounds prestigious, but it was actually exhausting. Master Lu’s salary is not high, and the main branch’s expenses are enormous. When the Old Matriarch was ill, it took money every day just to keep her alive. The Lin woman also loves socializing, which costs money, and the Fourth Young Miss’s clothing and expenses are even more extravagant. You could only use your own dowry to subsidize them; you truly had grievances you couldn't voice. The Lu family could only rely on your dowry to maintain their spending, and the Lin woman kept her eyes on it every single day."

Lüzhu listened from the side, feeling indignant. "Such a large Lu family, is it all supported by you alone?"

Fearing that walls have ears, the nanny and Lüzhu had decided that from now on, they would treat Su Qingwan as the real Xie Zhaolan, and their forms of address remained consistent.

"The second branch’s expenses are smaller. The Third Young Master has a high salary and subsidizes the public funds." Although the Lu family was a scholarly household, Lu Jing served in the military. After returning to the capital from guarding the border, he joined the Jinyiwei. Later, having performed great service while accompanying the Emperor on an inspection tour, he was highly appreciated and promoted three ranks in succession. He was now a Deputy Commander of the Jinyiwei, holding a rank far above Lu Shaoqing.

He had gone to the southwest on official business a month ago and had not yet returned, so Su Qingwan had not yet met him.

As an imperial guard, his salary was high, and he received many rewards. He also frequently associated with powerful figures in the capital who often offered him gifts, so the second branch was actually wealthier than the main branch.

Nanny Li sighed, "After the Second Master passed away, Madam Zhang lived with the main branch as a widow with her children. Now, the tides have turned; because the Third Young Master is capable, the entire Lu family has to curry favor with him, and Madam Zhang is much firmer in front of the Lin woman. During the three years you were married into the Lu family, Madam Zhang often spoke well of you, and you always remembered her kindness."

Su Qingwan curled her lips in mockery. Her sister had been wholeheartedly devoted to everyone in the Lu family, yet Lu Yunxiu still cursed her for being of merchant origin and despised her background. If not for that false accusation, her sister would have been the Princess of Huainan, and Lu Feng wouldn't have even been able to touch the hem of her garment, let alone cause her such grievances. She had died so tragically, yet no one in the Lu family spoke a word for her, and they were all happily busy preparing for Lu Feng’s new marriage.

A maid from the courtyard came to report that Lu Yunshu had arrived with her maid, Xuedan.

Xuedan was holding a vanity box in her hands.

Lüzhu served tea and retreated to Su Qingwan’s side to wait.

"Sister-in-law, this is a box of jewelry that Mother sent to my room several months ago. I have seen you wear these pieces, and you have always been very kind to us sisters. I originally wanted to keep them as a memento and never wore them. Since you have returned, these jewels should be returned to their rightful owner." Lu Yunshu smiled gently.

Xuedan placed the box on the table. Su Qingwan opened it to find some gold and silver items, none of which were particularly valuable.

The Lin woman was biased toward her own daughter, keeping the best jewelry for Lu Yunxiu.

Su Qingwan said, "Second Sister, many things have happened this past year, and I am not at peace with it all. I don't care about these worldly goods, but I just wanted to vent my frustration. If you truly came to return them, it would only make me seem petty."

She turned and instructed Nanny Li, "Nanny, go to the treasury and get that set of ruby hairpins and pearl flowers. Consider it a token of my affection and give them to Second Sister."

"Yes!" Nanny Li went to open the treasury to retrieve the items.

Lu Yunshu’s face flushed, and she looked deeply ashamed. "Sister-in-law, I... I shouldn't accept your favor. I... I have failed you."

"Second Sister, why do you say that?"

Lu Yunshu wiped her tears with a handkerchief, took a breath, and said, "That plate of reed cakes earlier—Mother wanted me to place it in front of you to test you. My position is humble, and I can only live by relying on Mother. I hope you won't blame me."

Concubine Zhou was beautiful and had a gentle, quiet temperament, which made her quite favored by Lu Shaoqing. She had one son and two daughters, and the Lu family treated their children almost equally. Concubine Zhou had no desire to compete, and since the Lin woman was overbearing, she simply stayed in her corner and lived her own life. In the end, she was a concubine and could not go out to socialize; the marriages of her children were all controlled by the Lin woman, and Lu Yunshu could not resist her.

Su Qingwan understood and smiled faintly. "Second Sister, don't take it to heart. I walk upright and act with integrity; I am not afraid of Mother’s tests."

Lu Yunshu held Su Qingwan’s hand. "Yes, I am truly happy that you could come back."

Su Qingwan calmly pulled her hand away, unwilling to have too much contact with the Lu family members to avoid exposing any flaws. After Nanny Li brought the jewelry, Lu Yunshu saw that she looked a bit tired and did not stay long, taking Xuedan with her as she took her leave.

Nanny Li said, "Except for the Fourth Young Miss, you and the other young ladies of the house have always been very close, including the eldest young lady who married out. The eldest young lady is steady and quiet, the second young lady is intelligent, and the third young lady is innocent and lively. They are all very easy to get along with."