The crown prince's face stiffened.
He still owed Cheng Simian a real apology.
"Miss Cheng is truly as clever as they come,"
Daoist Qiu spared no praise for Cheng Simian. "She must have traveled far and wide and seen much of the world to have inferred from just a bit of red clay that Wang Feng had been to an unusual place."
His gaze fell on the "Poetry Collection of Mingxi" on the desk.
"In this regard, she is quite like Mr. Mingxi."
The crown prince was filled with remorse, and a faint ache welled up from the depths of his heart.
Cheng Simian must be extremely disappointed in him after being wrongly accused by him.
Daoist Qiu allowed him to wallow in his guilt silently for a while.
"Have you chosen the person to present the jade?" He straightened his face and got down to business.
The crown prince snapped back to reality. "I've already chosen someone."
This time, he had absolute trust in Cheng Simian.
...
As soon as Cheng Simian returned to the Marquis Mansion, she was summoned to the study by Cheng Yong.
There, Cheng Yong was sitting angrily in the armchair, putting on the airs of a marquis and glaring at her fiercely.
Yu Qiao'er was massaging his shoulders and pounding his back, serving him attentively.
Although she seemed submissive, a flash of schadenfreude passed through her eyes.
Cheng Simian disdained to give her a single glance.
"Father summoned me. Is there something?"
Cheng Yong frowned. "Why are there two fewer concubines in the mansion?"
If Yu Qiao'er hadn't told him that two concubines and the servants in their yards had disappeared, he wouldn't have known that Cheng Simian had secretly dismissed his concubines behind his back!
"Father is referring to Concubine Xu and Concubine Xue?"
Cheng Simian gave a calm smile.
Her attitude of showing no sign of realizing she had done something wrong annoyed Cheng Yong even more.
"You're becoming more and more out of line. Not only are you vulgar and rude, but you also act on your own initiative! You can just dismiss my people as you please? I let you manage the household in the hope that our Wude Marquis Mansion would have a thriving population. Instead, you've made the bustling inner courtyard increasingly deserted!"
He scolded her in a fit of anger. "Where did you learn all these underhanded tricks? When Concubine Yu was managing the household, there were five more concubines in the inner courtyard. Your mother didn't teach you anything else but to use your power as the household manager to get rid of those she disliked, right!"
Cheng Simian listened quietly. Only when Cheng Yong mentioned Rong Shi did a hint of coldness flash in her eyes.
For some reason, Cheng Yong felt a chill run down his spine.
"My mother doesn't care how many concubines you have anymore. You're putting the blame on my mother, thinking she'll still be jealous for you? Don't overestimate yourself. Has mother let you into her room these days?"
Since Cheng Yong didn't even want to act like a kind father on the surface, Cheng Simian didn't mind falling out with him.
Cheng Simian's words were like tearing off Cheng Yong's fig leaf. His face turned a blotchy mixture of red and blue, and he almost choked on his own breath.
These days, seeing Rong Shi looking radiant and as charming as ever, his heart had been itching. He had even dreamed of reliving the tender days with her.
Unfortunately, Rong Shi had left him outside the door for several consecutive nights when he knocked.
As the head of the family, Cheng Yong felt humiliated.
The smug smile on Yu Qiao'er's face could no longer be maintained.
It was as if acid was fermenting in her internal organs.
That old woman Rong Shi was already in her forties, yet she still knew how to seduce the marquis like a coquette!
And the marquis had been rendered speechless by a junior like Cheng Simian.
"The eldest miss's words are a bit too harsh. After all, the two concubines belong to the marquis. You dismissed them without even informing the marquis afterwards. You have no respect for your elders at all."
Cheng Simian shot her a sharp look.
Shuyi immediately stepped forward and slapped Yu Qiao'er hard across the face.
"Who do you think you are? How dare you lecture the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion?"
Half of Yu Qiao'er's face was distorted from the slap. With tears in her eyes, she covered her face and looked pitifully at Cheng Yong. "My lord..."
"You're being too presumptuous!" Cheng Yong slapped the table angrily and raised his whip to strike.
"If it weren't for Concubine Yu's gossiping, I'm afraid father wouldn't have noticed that there were two fewer concubines in the inner courtyard even if he died. Does father still remember how long it's been since he last visited their rooms?"
Cheng Yong was taken aback by the question, and his raised arm froze in mid-air.
"Concubine Xu has been in the mansion for three years. She's only twenty-one this year. Concubine Xue has been here for five years and is only twenty-two. Father only doted on them for a month or two before abandoning them. They haven't served you overnight for a full three years."
Cheng Yong's fickleness and heartlessness were mercilessly exposed by Cheng Simian.
"Since father can't even remember who they are, the mansion still has to give them eight taels of silver as monthly allowance. Instead of keeping them idle for a lifetime, it's better to let them go and find new marriages. Otherwise, father will get a reputation for mistreating his concubines."
Cheng Yong's fat face had turned as red as a pig's liver. He sheepishly put down his hand and threw away the whip in his hand.
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead, and he felt extremely guilty.
He didn't even know how many concubines he had.
During the eight years when Yu Qiao'er was managing the household, in order to please him, she often found beautiful young women for him to enjoy.
He didn't think it was shameful; instead, he felt proud.
But when the words were spoken by Cheng Simian, he felt embarrassed.
Cheng Simian's cold and contemptuous look made him break out in a cold sweat.
He forced out a couple of awkward smiles.
"It's not a big deal. Just let them go."
Cheng Simian lifted her eyelids indifferently.
Yu Qiao'er was not willing to have been beaten for nothing. She leaned on Cheng Yong and swayed coquettishly.
"There's another thing you did very inappropriately."
Cheng Simian was already a bit impatient. "What is it?"
"Your younger sister's betrothal banquet is the day after tomorrow. Why did you only prepare eight tables of banquets? The food and drinks are not very sumptuous either. Siyi is your own younger sister. Even if you're jealous that she's gotten a good marriage, you shouldn't skimp on the money for the drinks and dishes. Your sister's betrothal banquet should be held in grand style. Go and prepare the banquets again. Our Marquis Mansion is a prestigious family. There will be a lot of guests at that time. Even eighteen tables may not be enough!"
"She picked up the trash I didn't want. What should I be jealous of? I should even thank her for taking over my burden and letting me out of the苦海."
Cheng Simian retorted, her beautiful face showing a cold sneer.
Yu Qiao'er was furious, but feeling her swollen cheek, she dared not say anything.
"My lord, has our Marquis Mansion become so poor that we can't even afford a few tables of betrothal banquets?"
She cried and whined to Cheng Yong as if she had suffered a great deal of injustice.
Cheng Yong put on an air of wanting to question Cheng Simian.
"Father must have forgotten that all the silver in the Marquis Mansion was used to send New Year gifts to the eldest princess. The remaining money is only enough for eight tables of banquets. If Concubine Yu thinks the occasion is not grand enough, she can pay for it herself to supplement her daughter's banquet. I have no objections."
Cheng Yong opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
Yu Qiao'er was not willing to give up. "Siyi is registered under the name of the madam. She can be considered the madam's daughter. On her daughter's betrothal banquet, shouldn't the mother show something?"
"Do you want my mother to use her dowry to supplement the Marquis Mansion? Do you want father to become a laughingstock in the capital? A man who spends his wife's dowry is a gigolo."
Yu Qiao'er wanted to retort defiantly, but Cheng Yong's face had already turned ashen.
"Enough!" He roared angrily, making Yu Qiao'er tremble.
She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbed aggrievedly.
Cheng Simian found the noise beside her ear annoying.
"There's another thing I need to tell father. There's no money to hold the banquet for Concubine Yu's promotion to a noble concubine either. Nowadays, even the eldest princess has become more low-key. If we still hold grand weddings one after another, we're afraid it will displease the eldest princess."
Yu Qiao'er couldn't even cry now.
She was counting on this banquet to announce to the world that her status had been elevated. A noble concubine and an ordinary concubine were not on the same level!
From now on, she would be a person of status!
If the banquet wasn't held, then what was the difference between being promoted to a noble concubine and not being promoted?
She tightened her grip on Cheng Yong's sleeve even more. Even if she had to cry, she would cry this banquet out!
But as soon as the eldest princess was mentioned, Cheng Yong immediately sobered up.
"Yes, yes, you're right. We need to be more low-key and follow the example of the eldest princess recently."
Yu Qiao'er was stunned.
Cheng Simian gave her a cold look. "Get out. I have something to talk to father alone."
Yu Qiao'er didn't want to leave. If she left this time, she would completely lose the chance to speak!
Seeing her being so hesitant, Shuyi directly called two old women from outside and dragged Yu Qiao'er out of the study.
Cheng Simian didn't bother to waste words with Cheng Yong. She directly put a package on the desk.
"Right now, there's an excellent opportunity to curry favor with the eldest princess. Father must seize it!"