Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Chen Qingluan," Qiu Mingqi said bluntly, seeing that she was unwilling to bring up the imperial decree. "The Emperor has already granted the marriage. You are now part of the Marquis's Residence, so you should stay there and fulfill your role as Madam Marquis. This Jade Pavilion will be handed over to..."
"Returned to the Chen Family," Chen Xiaode interjected shamelessly, picking up where Qiu Mingqi left off. "Once a daughter is married off, her family assets must return to her natal family. Qing Luan, rest assured, Father will prepare a generous dowry for you; you will not be wronged!"
What did a daughter matter? Everything about Jade Pavilion was what truly mattered.
With wealth in hand, it meant grasping Prime Minister Huang's weakness; he would have to regard him with newfound respect.
Ah, what a spectacle of dogs biting dogs! They both seemed to consider themselves dead. One wanted to marry her off and seize her property, while the other sought to control Jade Pavilion even before she was wed. Did they really think she was that useless? Or perhaps... they simply didn’t think at all, believing Jade Pavilion was theirs for the taking!
"This is Luan'er's property; how can it be given to the Chen Family?" Qiu Mingqi protested sternly. "Jade Pavilion should accompany Luan'er into the Marquis's Residence... Father-in-law, this is what we agreed upon initially; please do not stir up trouble!" Damn it, Chen Xiaode's ambition was so great that he hadn’t even noticed.
"What are you talking about?" Chen Xiaode retorted cunningly. "You once said Luan'er was just a maid at Jade Pavilion, merely a merchant's daughter who could earn some silver—unworthy of you as Young Marquis... But now that you know Qing Luan is the boss of Jade Pavilion, you want to swallow it whole and sought the Emperor’s decree for marriage... Let me tell you, I will never hand Jade Pavilion over to the Marquis's Residence; give up on that idea!"
Initially thinking Qing Luan was just a maid and not caring whether she could marry Young Marquis since she would only be a concubine—what difference could it make? He hadn’t expected her to hide her true identity, which infuriated him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have to look at Young Marquis’s face now.
If he had known she was the boss of Jade Pavilion from the start, he would have secured it first; then it wouldn’t matter whom she married.
Sister Yun followed behind Qing Luan and watched as two people who had just been as close as brothers were now arguing like enemies. She whispered, "How long are they going to fight before there's a resolution?" They truly treated Miss like she was dead.
"I don't know," Qing Luan shook her head and replied cooperatively.
"What should we do then?" Sister Yun asked with a headache.
The argument continued, with no resolution in sight, only serving to drive away customers from the Jade Pavilion. Who would dare to come back after being chased off repeatedly?
"Throw them out," Qing Luan said coldly, watching the two men before her, their faces flushed with anger and completely disregarding their status. She absentmindedly touched the bracelet on her wrist and asked casually, "Is that alright?"
"Miss, are you out of breath?" Sister Yun shot her a glare, knowing she was deliberately teasing her.
"You ask me what to do, and I’m telling you how!" Qing Luan explained innocently, a clear smile glinting in her eyes.
"Hmph!" Sister Yun snorted, narrowing her eyes at the two arrogant men who treated everyone around them as if they were invisible. She cracked her knuckles and sneered, "Miss, should I throw them out?"
"Do people like them deserve your effort, Sister Yun?" Qing Luan replied coolly, glancing at them dismissively before suddenly shouting, "Everyone shut up!"
The two men, who had been arguing heatedly, stopped in their tracks upon hearing Qing Luan's furious roar. They stared blankly at her for a moment before exchanging cold huffs and looking back at her with anxious expressions.
" Luan'er, this Jade Pavilion is yours; it’s up to you to decide what happens," Qiu Mingqi suggested with an apologetic smile as he noticed the anger flashing across her face.
"Is the Jade Pavilion really mine?" Qing Luan asked in feigned surprise. Then she added with confusion, "Seeing how you’re fighting over it without even knowing whose it is, I thought it belonged to you! I’m just here to watch the show!" Now that she was awake to the situation, it was too late for them; she had already seen their despicable greed.
"You..." Chen Xiaode's face darkened at her sarcasm. Remembering why he had come today, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself and coaxed Qing Luan gently, "Qing Luan, I’m your father. Once you marry into the Marquis's Residence, you’ll enjoy endless wealth and glory. But your father has no son to support him in his old age; as my daughter, you need to leave me something behind. Don’t you think?"
No son to support him? That’s what he deserves for all his wrongdoings while expecting heaven’s favor!
Seeing Chen Xiaode playing the victim, Qiu Mingqi quickly added anxiously, " Luan'er, there are so many people in the Marquis's Residence. You will be in charge there; if things don’t go well, people will surely say I married a Merchant's Daughter who can’t manage a household. At that point, not only will I lose face, but you will have a hard time too. Isn’t that right?"
Watching their ugly faces, Qing Luan raised a devilish smile, leisurely observing them as she tapped the handrail of the staircase. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Since Jade Pavilion is causing you so much trouble while it's in my hands, I might as well give it to Sister Yun. She has contributed to Jade Pavilion as well, and I believe you all won't have any objections to that!"
"Ah, Miss, really? You're really going to give it to me?" Sister Yun chimed in, her face brimming with surprise that she couldn't hide, provoking the other two who were desperate to obtain it.
"No way!" At this moment, Chen Xiaode and Qiu Mingqi shouted in unison, fearing that Qing Luan would actually give away Jade Pavilion.
You see, with Jade Pavilion in Qing Luan's possession, Chen Xiaode could use his father's name to acquire it, and Qiu Mingqi could do the same, using it as a dowry for the Marquis's Residence. But if it were given away, they would have no connection to it at all; their efforts would be in vain.
"Why not?" Qing Luan teased them like a cat playing with mice, feigning innocence as she asked. "Isn't Jade Pavilion mine? You all are so eager for me to marry; keeping Jade Pavilion would be pointless. It's better to give it to Sister Yun. She's been so good to me over the years; I think this is quite nice!"
"If she's good to you, just send her some silver! Why give her Jade Pavilion?" Chen Xiaode said anxiously, worry written all over his face. He glanced at Qiu Mingqi, signaling him to think of a way out.
Qiu Mingqi understood Chen Xiaode's meaning but found himself at a loss for a good plan given the urgency of the situation. He directly threatened her: "Chen Qingluan, our engagement was granted by the Emperor. Whether you agree or not, you are mine now. I demand that you keep Jade Pavilion as part of your dowry; otherwise, don't blame me for sending you a letter of annulment!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There should be another chapter, but the update is a bit delayed. Everyone can check back tomorrow. I've been busy with various matters at home and my little one hasn't been feeling well lately. So I haven't had a chance to thank those who sent gold medals; I'm really sorry about that. Once the updates stabilize, I'll make sure to add more. For now, let's leave it at that...
Comment 0 Comment Count