The old matriarch's face darkened. "What do you mean?"
Shen Qing patiently explained again, "What I mean is that there has never been much silver in the public treasury of the Marquis Mansion."
They were so stupid that they couldn't even understand this. Only she was so good - tempered as to explain it to them in detail.
"Nonsense! I went to the treasury last time and saw quite a lot of inventory. How could there be no silver?"
The old matriarch was almost fuming with anxiety, but Shen Qing was completely unhurried. She said slowly, "Mother, what you saw should be my dowry. It was okay to keep it in the treasury when I was in charge of the household affairs. But now that the side - lady is in charge, what if she doesn't know and spends my dowry?"
"Although we are all family, my things are managed by special people. If word gets out, won't it make others speculate that the Guangping Marquis Mansion is using the dowry of its daughter - in - law? It won't sound good."
Shen Qing spoke in a tone as if she was doing this for the good of the family, which made the old matriarch so angry that she almost exploded, but she couldn't lose her temper.
Otherwise, wouldn't she be the person Shen Qing accused of coveting her daughter - in - law's dowry?
"What about the Brocade Workshop? Isn't it our own shop? Why did they come to the mansion to ask for the final payment?"
When the people from the Brocade Workshop came, the old matriarch almost lost face!
Shen Qing replied, "Mother, have you forgotten? The Brocade Workshop is part of my dowry. To be exact, it's not an industry of the Marquis Mansion. Even if I go there myself, I have to pay on the spot. Mother didn't know before because I had already paid the final payment in advance. Now that the person in charge of the household affairs has changed, the shopkeeper has already given the Marquis Mansion a few more days out of respect for me. This huge Marquis Mansion surely isn't so poor that it has to use its daughter - in - law's dowry to pay for a few clothes, right?"
The old matriarch was left speechless by Shen Qing. Xu Yanchi also felt uncomfortable.
What did Shen Qing mean?
Was he, a marquis, supported by a woman's money?
"The Marquis Mansion will surely not use your dowry. You talk about money all the time. This vulgar behavior doesn't suit the mistress of a noble family at all!"
Xu Yanchi looked at Shen Qing with disgust. By the time the old matriarch realized and wanted to stop him, it was already too late.
This was exactly what Shen Qing wanted. She immediately sneered and said, "Since the Marquis thinks I'm vulgar and has spoken so firmly, the Marquis Mansion should never ask me for another single coin in the future!"
Wasn't he so tough? He'd better stay tough!
After saying that, Shen Qing ignored the people in the room and left with a flick of her sleeve.
The old matriarch was extremely angry and wanted to send someone to call Shen Qing back, but the servants of the Marquis Mansion were no match for Zhuxing.
Once Shen Qing decided to leave, how could they stop her?
"A bunch of useless people! They can't even keep a person!"
The old matriarch's chest heaved with anger.
Jiang Chan buried her head low, trying to minimize her presence.
Xing and Ge were also a bit stunned by this turn of events.
Was Shen Qing really so tough that she just left like that?
And no one could stop her?
At this time, a servant came to report, "Old Matriarch, the shopkeeper Yang from the Brocade Workshop is here again. He said that if he doesn't receive the final payment today, he will stay in the Marquis Mansion until he gets the money."
"What does he mean? Does he think our Marquis Mansion will owe them this little money? Tell him to get out!" The old matriarch flew into a rage.
This shopkeeper was really Shen Qing's man. Just as vulgar as her!
Xu Yanchi's disgust for Shen Qing deepened.
The servant went down to reply. Of course, he couldn't say that to Shopkeeper Yang. He couldn't help but groan inwardly.
The old matriarch closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and then said, "There's not much silver left in the Marquis Mansion. Each family will pay their share from now on."
Ge exclaimed in disbelief, "How can this be?"
They hadn't divided the family yet!
The old matriarch swept a cold look at Ge. "Didn't your second branch wear the clothes? If you don't pay, don't count your branch when we make new clothes in the future!"
Ge had no choice but to sit down angrily, secretly resenting both Jiang Chan and the old matriarch.
The Marquis Mansion was short of money, but did they have extra money?
Jiang Chan was also to blame. Shen Qing had managed the household for so many years without any problems. She had only been in charge for a few days, and their second branch couldn't even get summer clothes.
If she didn't have the ability, she shouldn't have snatched the power!
Xing didn't say a word, but it was obvious that she was also very reluctant.
In the end, the families pooled their silver to settle the account, and the matter was finally over.
That night, Jiang Chan went to Zhuoying Courtyard.
Shen Qing refused to see her directly.
Jiang Chan came to her probably because she had found that managing the household was a thankless task and wanted Shen Qing to be the scapegoat and pay for her mistakes. She was really adaptable, but why should Shen Qing help her?
Jiang Chan was stopped outside by Yuzhen, with a hint of pleading in her eyes.
"Sister Yuzhen, please pass on my message one more time..."
Yuzhen was extremely annoyed. It wasn't long since Jiang Chan tried to seduce the Marquis in Zhuoying Courtyard. How dare she come again?
Did she really think she had a good relationship with their miss?
Just as she was about to drive the person away, Yingxiu came out, curtsied slightly, and said with a smile, "Side - Lady, you'd better go back. Our mistress is still ill and doesn't want to see anyone. Instead of wasting your time here, why don't you go and find out where the Marquis has been staying these days?"
Jiang Chan's heart skipped a beat. She came to Shen Qing partly to find out about this, but when Yingxiu said this... Could it be that cousin hadn't been in the Protector - Duke's Mansion these days?
Jiang Chan thought of a possibility and didn't care about seeing Shen Qing anymore. She returned to her own courtyard and immediately sent someone to find out Xu Yanchi's whereabouts in the past few days.
Jiang Chan had been quite influential in the mansion these days. Coupled with the fact that she and Xu Yanchi had a childhood friendship, the servants in the mansion naturally wouldn't offend her. So Xiangyun soon found out.
Xu Yanchi really hadn't been in the Protector - Duke's Mansion these days. He had gone somewhere else. They couldn't find out exactly where, but how could Jiang Chan not guess?
Jiang Chan was so angry that she smashed two cups.
Damn it!
She had been so carried away by the joy of becoming a side - lady and the numerous household chores that she had forgotten the most important thing!
If that woman gave birth to a child safely, wouldn't it threaten her status?
Jiang Chan suddenly remembered how her mother had dealt with the concubines who were pregnant. A plan came to her mind.
She called Xiangyun, who was silently cleaning up the broken pieces, and a look of cruelty flashed across her eyes.
Xiangyun hesitated. "Miss, isn't this a bit too much... What if the Marquis finds out..."
"What's wrong with it? What right does that woman have to give birth to cousin's first child!"
"Besides, if she has a premature birth because she trips and falls, what does it have to do with me?"
Xiangyun felt uneasy, but she had to do it.
On the other hand, Shen Qing called Zhuxing in. Zhuxing usually didn't stay in her inner chamber but guarded in a place where she couldn't see.
"Can you communicate with the palace?"
Zhuxing nodded. There was no extra expression on her cold face. "Yes, Mistress. Do you have something to ask the Emperor?"
Shen Qing said, "It's not a big deal. I left in a hurry that day. The Emperor must be angry."
The fact that the Emperor had left the palace in a huff after not finding her had been "accidentally" told to her by Zhuxing.
Shen Qing took out a small parcel. "I've thought it over. I should apologize to the Emperor. So I made a piece of clothing. The Emperor is busy with state affairs and probably can't leave the palace often. Can you help me pass it on?"
Zhuxing thought for a while. The Emperor had meant that as long as it was the mistress's request, they should try their best to meet it. And it wasn't difficult to deliver something, so she agreed.
Yingxiu: "???"
She had always been by her miss's side. How come she didn't know when her miss had made the clothes?