Perfect Match – CH 084

Chapter 84

After Shi Zeyou discovered the intrusion at Hong Jin’s armored and firearms camp in the capital region, their secret infiltration could no longer be completely concealed. Not to mention that Shi Zeyou was now dead, and Teng Yue and Wang Fuxiang had dealt with the people in Hong Jin’s firearms camp, but the news could only be kept secret for a day at most.

They hurried back to the capital and had Minister Huang hand over the evidence they had gathered to Eunuch Tang.

Tang Yong, seeing this, knew this was the best, and probably the last, opportunity. Without hesitation, he went to the palace.

Teng Yue and the others waited in Kong Hui’s courtyard. They had delivered the evidence at noon, but no news arrived by nightfall.

The night was deep. Kong Hui paced under the eaves, Shen Yanxing leaned quietly against a tree, Wang Fuxiang could not resist eating meat and drinking wine, while Teng Yue stood in the center of the courtyard, looking up at the stars.

Under the bright moon, a touch of early autumn coolness had somehow crept into the summer heat.

A yellowish leaf drifted down first, landing at Teng Yue’s feet, scraping against the stone slabs with a soft sound.

But the courtyard was silent, making the sound all the more amplified.

Wang Fuxiang could not help but tilt his head back and gulp down a cup of wine.

“Why still no news? With such irrefutable evidence presented, is the Emperor still hesitating?”

Kong Hui glanced at him.

“Do you think it’s like executing a deserter, just killing him on a whim? Besides, this is the capital, not Ningxia. The Emperor is in the Forbidden City; how can news spread so quickly?”

Wang Fuxiang irritably went to call the three men. “When will this agonizing wait end? Come drink with me!”

Teng Yue ignored him, still standing with his hands behind his back under the stars and moon. Shen Yanxing did not speak either; he only sighed and sat down.

Kong Hui said, “You should not drink anymore. We need to see the results tonight. What if something happens if you all get drunk?”

Wang Fuxiang was annoyed by his words, but he did not drink anymore. He lay down on the bamboo couch in the courtyard and fell asleep in no time, snoring loudly.

Kong Hui was speechless for a moment, even wanting to laugh a little. “He’s the one who’s restless and anxious, and he’s the one who falls asleep the moment his head hits the pillow. How can his wife stand him?”

Shen Yanxing smiled as well. “Being able to eat and sleep is a blessing. Perhaps the news will arrive when he wakes up, which is better than us waiting all night.”

He told Kong Hui to go to sleep, too. Kong Hui had been busy ever since Teng Yue was arrested and had not had a full night’s sleep in days. Shen Yanxing’s words made him quite sleepy, and he went into the room and lay down on the chaise longue.

Shen Yanxing got up and walked to Teng Yue’s side. “Yu Chuan, why do you not go and rest for a while? I will keep watch on the news.”

Teng Yue shook his head.

Although Shi Zeyou was dead, if they could not capture the Chief Eunuch tonight, they would all be doomed sooner or later.

One man, Shi Zeyou, had ruined his family. His mother, terrified, had committed a wrong act, and Yunniang had disappeared. He had not found her yet. If the Chief Eunuch did not fall, what would happen next?

Teng Yue could not sleep at all. Seeing him standing motionless in the courtyard, his brow furrowed, Shen Yanxing did not try to persuade him further but stayed to keep him company.

The night watchman’s drum sounded several times; the sky seemed to be approaching dawn, and a light autumn dew was falling.

Just then, Huang Xiqing sent someone rushing in.

“Generals, the palace has ordered that Hong Jin be imprisoned!”

Upon hearing this, Teng Yue froze, his clenched fists trembling uncontrollably.

Shen Yanxing called the messenger to him, “The Chief Eunuch is already imprisoned?!”

The messenger readily agreed. As he spoke, Wang Fuxiang suddenly sat up from his bamboo couch.

“Imprisoned? What did they say? When will they behead that eunuch?!”

Kong Hui also rushed out of the room. “What did Uncle say?”

… …

Half an hour later, Huang Xiqing had a chance to see the four of them in person.

He said that last night, Eunuch Tang, seizing the opportunity of being close to him, first presented Prince Enhua’s proclamation.

“…The Emperor was quite surprised when he saw Prince Enhua’s proclamation against the traitor, and Eunuch Tang then presented the Emperor with the seventeen serious crimes of Hong Jin that I and the others had drafted.”

He said that after reading it, the Emperor remained silent for a moment. He only said, “Is Hong Jin so detestable to everyone?” Upon hearing this, Eunuch Tang thought the Emperor would dismiss it with a casual remark. But just then, Hong Jin arrived unexpectedly. Eunuch Tang and Hong Jin began arguing before the Emperor, their argument escalating until the Emperor lost interest and told them to go outside to argue, as he was going to bed.

After the Emperor retired for the night, Eunuch Tang did not want to continue arguing with Hong Jin. The Chief Eunuch, knowing he and Tang Yong were at odds, saw the Emperor’s reluctance to intervene and sneered at Tang Yong’s overestimation of his abilities, “So what if Prince Enhua’s proclamation is against the traitor? It still cannot do anything to me! With His Majesty here, you will never bring me down!”

Hong Jin, seeing that the proclamation had not angered the Emperor, became even more arrogant and disregarded Tang Yong, turning and leaving.

But Tang Yong remained waiting in the Emperor’s bedchamber.

The Emperor, having only dozed off briefly, woke up and could not fall back asleep. He asked Tang Yong, “Why are you still here? Do you have something to say?”

Tang Yong knelt down abruptly.

Hong Jin was not present, and there was no one else around. Tang Yong directly addressed the Emperor.

“Your Majesty has granted Hong Jin such great power. Have you considered what would happen if he harbored treacherous intentions, like Prince Enhua, and wanted to sit on your throne?”

This was a question countless courtiers had repeated to him, but the young Emperor merely chuckled.

“If he has such intentions, let him sit.”

He seemed indifferent, but Tang Yong looked up at him.

“Your Majesty may not care about the throne, but has Your Majesty considered what will happen to you if Hong Jin truly replaces you?”

It was not that the Emperor could simply abandon the throne and live a life of pleasure.

Throughout history, the dragon throne had always been imbued with a bloodthirsty aura. How many who had been overthrown had escaped unscathed?

These words caused the young Emperor to pause slightly, his brow furrowing.

“Does Hong Jin truly harbor such intentions?”

Tang Yong had been waiting for this very question, without presenting any irrefutable evidence.

As soon as the Emperor uttered these words, Tang Yong immediately had everything urgently retrieved from the capital the previous night that had been presented.

Swords, spears, armor, and firearms.

Tang Yong explained the address and the scale of the entire firearms battalion to the Emperor.

“…If Hong Jin has no intention of rebellion, what is his purpose in privately manufacturing these items near the capital, in such a large quantity and variety?!”

These weapons and armor were completely different from those in the court. The young Emperor examined each item, falling utterly silent.

The hall was utterly silent; no one dared to speak.

After a long while, the Emperor sighed deeply.

He closed his eyes.

“Hong Jin has betrayed me.”

*

Overnight, the capital was in turmoil.

The news of the Chief Eunuch Hong Jin’s imprisonment by imperial decree spread like wildfire throughout the capital and rapidly outwards.

The Chief Eunuch had only been imprisoned; the Emperor had not yet decided on his fate. Many believed that, given Hong Jin’s loyalty to the Emperor, he might not be beheaded.

But as long as he was not beheaded and remained alive, with Hong Jin’s abilities, how could he not make a comeback? Perhaps he’d be released from prison in a couple of days and regain favor.

Many in the capital relied on this Chief Eunuch. Seeing that Hong Jin was only imprisoned and not punished, people were somewhat uneasy, but they felt that nothing serious would happen.

Meanwhile, at the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion, Zhang Zhenhui frowned and rested her head on her hand upon hearing the news from outside.

Ever since the day the large sum of money that Old Madam Lin had promised to send had not arrived as promised, Zhang Zhenhui had felt something was amiss.

As a dignified and virtuous noblewoman of the Marquis’s Mansion, she naturally could not be too hasty. Therefore, she did not send anyone to inquire further. Two more days passed, but the money still had not arrived, and the Teng family had not even offered an explanation.

Only then did she send her wet nurse, Nanny Dong, to inquire with her aunt, Madam Yang. Unexpectedly, her aunt said that Old Madam Lin planned to send the money directly to the Marquis’s Mansion, believing it would be safer.

If it were sent directly to the Marquis’s Mansion, her failure to have her uncle, the Marquis, speak on their behalf would be exposed.

Zhang Zhenhui immediately sensed something was terribly wrong. While Nanny Dong was still puzzled as to why Old Madam Lin had suddenly changed her mind, Zhang Zhenhui pondered and asked Nanny Dong to recount the scene of her visit to offer congratulations.

After Nanny Dong recounted the events, Zhang Zhenhui’s face turned pale.

“It seems Old Madam Lin is suspicious of me.”

Nanny Dong was surprised. “Even if others spoke on her son’s behalf, how did they know our Marquis did not do so?”

Zhang Zhenhui was not entirely sure of the reasons, but now was not the time to discuss this.

Old Madam Lin’s claim that she would send the money to her uncle in the Marquis’s Mansion was not genuine; it was merely a ploy to subtly warn her to return everything, thus ending the matter.

Zhang Zhenhui, having been exposed so easily, was naturally extremely displeased. She needed more possessions and money for protection, but even more important was her high status as a noblewoman of the Marquis’s Mansion.

She had already intended to return the items yesterday, but today, everything had taken a sudden turn—the Chief Eunuch had been imprisoned by the Emperor.

Nanny Dong also felt this was a bad omen. “That Ninth Prince does not seem very reliable. Why do you not quickly return the gifts from the Teng family, Miss? We can find a better excuse to cover this up. Given the current situation, the marriage with General Teng is still the best option. Even when the Chief Eunuch was at the height of his power, he could not punish General Teng. If the Chief Eunuch weakens in the future, General Teng will surely rise to power.”

She said, “This is the best choice for a husband!”

How could Zhang Zhenhui not know what Nanny Dong was saying?

But Old Madam Lin was already suspicious; how could she be so easily fooled?

Her brows furrowed deeper, and her beautiful face twisted slightly, becoming sharp.

“No, now is not the time to send them back.”

Nanny Dong did not quite understand and looked at her young mistress.

*

Hong Jin was imprisoned. The Emperor did not personally intervene but only sent court officials to interrogate Hong Jin.

However, the court officials, having received the imperial decree, went to interrogate the Chief Eunuch. Unexpectedly, the Chief Eunuch remained fearless, even in prison, still displaying the air of a powerful figure second only to the Emperor.

He looked at the officials who came to interrogate him, sneering repeatedly, and asked them one question after another: “Which of you has not benefited from me before? Which of you has not served under me? Now you come to interrogate me, and by what right do you have to do so?!”

He remained arrogant and domineering, but this one sentence truly intimidated the officials who wanted to interrogate him. Who dared to claim they were upright and incorruptible and had never sought benefits from Hong Jin? If such a person existed, they would likely have been killed by Hong Jin long ago.

No one had the face to step forward to interrogate him, and this news quickly reached the Mansion of the Grand Princess Ningfeng.

The Second Master of the Bai family, the Imperial Son-in-Law Bai, was to depart for Fujian in three days. He passed by the courtyards of his three sons in turn.

The eldest son had been struggling to pass the imperial examinations, so Her Highness the Princess personally sent someone to supervise his studies. He often rose before dawn to study, the Princess saying that even poor scholars studied by lamplight until the early hours of the morning, and that someone like the eldest son, who seemed unable to learn, needed to be even more diligent.

Those who did not know better might have thought their eldest son was dull-witted, but he clearly possessed an extraordinary talent for painting. His earlier works, taken anonymously to the city for critique, were universally praised as masterpieces.

However, he had been trapped in the examinations for so long that he had lost his ability to paint.

The Prince Consort, seeing his weary eldest son, could only offer a few dry words of encouragement, unable to say anything more.

Then he went to see his second son, who had been drunk all night and had not woken up yet. The Prince Consort personally tried to feed him a hangover remedy, but he would not drink it and vomited it all up.

He said, “Father, my cousin is getting engaged next month. Besides living a life of debauchery, what other choice do I have?”

These words brought tears to the eyes of the Imperial Son-in-Law. He silently left his second son’s courtyard and went into Bai Chunfu’s.

The youngest son had also gotten up. The weather was sunny and dry today, so he had someone bring out all the medical books from his room to air them out. Once they were dry, they would be put back in their trunks and never brought out again. He, however, sat by the window, seemingly reading a letter, staring intently for a long time, so engrossed that the youngest son did not even notice when his father entered his room.

“Whose letter are you reading at the beginning of the year?”

He paused, then realized it was his father.

He rose and bowed. “I am reading a letter from a friend in Shaanxi… She asked how I am doing in the capital and when I will be able to return. I have not decided how to answer yet.”

He had already promised his mother, the Grand Princess, that he would no longer study medicine and would not leave the capital. Prince Consort Bai always felt that the Princess’s insistence on his ceasing his medical studies was merely a temporary measure, a way to suppress him, but she probably would not budge on his leaving the capital for at least three to five years.

Prince Consort Bai glanced at the medical books soon to be put away in the courtyard, looked at his dejected youngest son, then thought of his decadent second son, his exhausted eldest son, and himself, who had always obediently followed the Princess’s arrangements.

He suddenly thought, with all three sons in this state, even if the Princess, as the mother, was at fault, did he, as the father, bear no responsibility at all?

If he had stood in front of his sons, dared to “resist” and “speak out” against the Princess’s unreasonable arrangements, would their situations have been different?

The Imperial Son-in-Law stood dazedly in Bai Chunfu’s study.

Bai Chunfu did not know what was wrong with his father; his expression seemed off. He was about to ask him to sit down so he could take his pulse.

However, at that moment, news arrived from outside.

The Princess’s Mansion had known for some time that the palace had ordered the arrest and imprisonment of Hong Jin. The Princess forbade anyone from interfering and only intended to observe from the sidelines. After all, no matter how powerful or influential Hong Jin was, he could not possibly suppress a member of the royal family like the Grand Princess. But the Grand Princess had no reason to deliberately antagonize him.

However, the Imperial Son-in-Law still sent someone to keep an eye out. Unexpectedly, a messenger arrived reporting that Hong Jin had been imprisoned, but no court official dared to interrogate him.

Hong Jin boasted, “Which one of you was not once my subordinate? I’d like to see who dares to interrogate me!”

His words were incredibly arrogant. His arrogance, disregarding his imprisonment, only made him seem more secure, further discouraging the court officials from approaching, fearing he would regain his favor.

The newcomer repeated Hong Jin’s words.

Bai Chunfu frowned, but then he saw his father’s expression suddenly turn serious.

“He’s so arrogant, asking who was not once his subordinate? Fine, I am not. With my status as the Imperial Son-in-Law, should I not be able to interrogate him?”

He finished speaking and turned to leave the mansion.

Bai Chunfu was surprised, paused for a moment, then followed closely behind his father. His elder brothers, drawn by the commotion of his hasty departure, followed closely behind, asking questions. Hearing their father say that he, as the imperial son-in-law, would personally interrogate the Chief Eunuch, they were all shocked.

“Father, Her Highness will not agree to this!”

But the Imperial Son-in-Law Bai simply had his horse brought over, showing no intention of asking the Princess again, and was about to depart immediately.

Just as the horse arrived, the Princess, having heard the commotion, rushed over.

“What’s wrong with you?” the Grand Princess asked anxiously from a distance. “What does Hong Jin’s matter have to do with us? You do not understand the implications, so do not meddle!”

But when she called out from afar, the Imperial Son-in-Law Bai only said… “That treacherous eunuch who plagues the world, now that he’s imprisoned, how can he be allowed to live any longer? I may not know the full extent of the trouble, but I do know that eliminating corrupt officials and restoring order to the land is the duty of those of us who enjoy the Emperor’s bounty. Since no one dares to interrogate him, then I will go. If I do not go, what difference is there between those cowardly rats and me?”

This was almost the first time he had spoken to his princess wife like this. He looked directly at the Grand Princess and said.

“Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness, but I believe Your Highness’s decision is not entirely correct.” His gaze swept over his three sons one by one. “Perhaps this time, I should bypass Her Highness and make the decision myself!”

For himself and for his three sons.

Having said this, without waiting for the Grand Princess to send someone to stop him, he mounted his horse and rode away.

Princess Ningfeng watched in disbelief as her husband left, while Bai Chunfu’s eldest brother stared in astonishment, his eyes blazing with an indescribable fire. The third brother, now fully sober, called to Bai Chunfu to come along, and in front of their mother, pulled his horse and followed.

Bai Chunfu, however, was unhurried. Seeing his mother frantically sending people to chase after them, he said,

“Your Highness, even if you send people after them, it will be too late.” He suddenly smiled. “It would be better to see if Father can do as you said this time and return with merit in court.”

Princess Ningfeng looked on in astonishment, her steps halting.

*

After the court officials were all dismissed by Hong Jin, Huang Xiqing intended to submit a memorial requesting that he interrogate Hong Jin. Unexpectedly, the Imperial Son-in-Law Bai beat him to it, directly imprisoning Hong Jin in the main hall.

Princess Ningfeng’s husband, Bai, was usually a mild-mannered and unassuming man in the capital. However, this time he used ruthless methods, conducting a thorough interrogation until the afternoon of the following day. Hong Jin was under torture until he was delirious, and in his confusion, he revealed the location of a mansion.

The Imperial Son-in-law immediately ordered a search of the mansion’s exact location. If more irrefutable evidence were found, Hong Jin would surely die!

The capital was in complete turmoil. A slightly autumnal wind swept the first wave of fallen yellow leaves, swirling them through the streets and alleys.

At the Yang Mansion.

Upon hearing the news of the large-scale search, Old Madam Lin and Madam Yang both silently murmured a Buddhist prayer.

If they could find this mansion and uncover more evidence, this matter could be completely resolved.

However, just as the two were praying with joy, Zhang Zhenhui’s wet nurse, Nanny Dong, suddenly arrived.

She came not to see Madam Yang but to see Old Madam Lin. Upon seeing Old Madam Lin, she was no longer as evasive as before.

She simply asked Old Madam Lin when she planned to propose marriage to the Zhang family so that General Teng could marry their fourth young lady.

Upon hearing this, Madam Yang was incredulous. Previously, they had not given her the large sum of money, had even reprimanded her niece, and had returned the gifts she had taken. This meant they were severing all ties. How could her clever niece not understand this?

Not to mention, with the Chief Eunuch’s downfall imminent and the Yongchang Marquis’s household having always been too close to him, who would dare to want the Zhang family’s young lady now?

Madam Yang wanted to make things clearer with the wet nurse, Nanny Dong; after all, she was a niece of the Yang family; she should not embarrass herself further.

But Nanny Dong said, “The Chief Eunuch is clearly finished, and none of his cronies can escape unscathed. Old Madam Lin sent such a generous gift to our Zhang family; I wonder how General Teng will exonerate himself after the court’s purge?”

After she finished speaking, she looked only at Old Madam Lin. “But if Old Madam considers these merely as betrothal gifts for our young lady and quickly arranges the marriage, General Teng will naturally not face this calamity. What does Old Madam think?”

She told Old Madam Lin to think it over carefully, and once she had decided, she should send someone to the dowry mansion of Zhang Zhenhui’s mother to deliver the message; the Fourth Young Lady was waiting there for the good news.

After the wet nurse, Nanny Dong, finished speaking, she left, but Madam Yang’s face turned pale.

“Good heavens! No wonder she did not return those things; I did not expect that she was planning to use them to blackmail us?!”

If Old Madam Lin did not keep her original agreement and welcome her into the family so that she could protect herself as a married woman after the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion fell, then she would only drag the entire Teng family down with her.

Second Madam Yang found it hard to believe that this heartless girl was truly the virtuous niece she had once thought of.

But when she turned to look at her cousin, she saw her cousin lower her eyes and let out a soft, mocking laugh.

She said she was not laughing at anyone else, but only at herself.

“I once thought noble ladies were all the better, and I thought that by using the Zhang family to establish a connection with the Chief Eunuch, I could ensure Yu Chuan’s smooth official career. I never imagined that it was the Chief Eunuch who framed him, and now, the one trying to drag him down is my own daughter-in-law, whom I valued…”

She initially only looked down on Yunniang’s background, believing Yunniang could offer Teng Yue no further help.

But when Teng Yue was arrested in Ningxia, it was Yunniang who ran around contacting officials for him, none of whom she knew, yet she dared to visit their homes. After Teng Yue’s release, it was Sixth Young Master Bai who, out of respect for Yunniang, pleaded with his princess mother, allowing Teng Yue to be rescued early.

Yet, she mentioned twice that she wanted to get rid of Yunniang. The first time, she failed; this time, she directly kicked her out.

No wonder Xiao’er said she wanted to be irreconcilably opposed to her mother.

“Yes.” How could they respect and love a mother like her, who seemed to be helping her children but whose actions only hindered them?

Seeing her silence, her cousin tugged at her sleeve and asked urgently.

“What’s the use of saying all this now? That heartless girl is going to eat us alive! Think about what you are going to do!”

Old Madam Lin paused, slowly stood up, and walked out.

“I brought this upon myself; I will have to clean up my own mess.”

*

At Zhang Zhenhui’s mother’s dowry mansion.

Old Madam Lin and Second Madam Yang arrived in person, and Zhang Zhenhui personally served tea to the two elders.

The threatening words were all spoken by Nanny Dong; she, as a young lady, maintained her usual dignified and virtuous demeanor.

However, at this point, beating around the bush was pointless.

Old Madam Lin did not drink her tea and spoke directly.

“The city is under constant search. If the Chief Eunuch’s irrefutable evidence is found again, he will surely not escape unscathed, and the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion will likely be doomed as well. I understand that you want me to fulfill my promise and marry you to protect yourself. However, my purpose in finding a wife for Teng Yue is to find him a noblewoman who can be of service. If, after this, I have to marry a woman from a disgraced family like yours, I will have to think twice.”

She said that even if she dragged the Teng family into this mess, “it’s not so easy for the court to convict Teng Yue, a meritorious official who quelled the rebellion, based solely on these gifts. At most, it will just mean my son and I going to prison, will it not?”

Upon hearing this, Nanny Dong, the wet nurse, frowned and looked at her young lady.

Zhang Zhenhui had thought that by sending Nanny Dong to threaten her, Old Madam Lin would be alarmed. Putting aside everything else, just for Old Madam Lin’s own reputation, marrying her would prevent further complications. She assumed the matter was most likely true.

However, she had not expected the old lady to remain so calm. All the gifts she’d sent were stored in her courtyard; a search by the authorities would provide incriminating evidence. This old lady, disregarding all pride, was prepared to go to jail.

Her composure, ironically, made Zhang Zhenhui uneasy.

She told herself she absolutely had to stay calm.

Since Old Madam Lin was not afraid of threats, perhaps she could discuss the benefits of marrying her.

She took a sip of tea to calm her nerves and could not help but speak.

“The court has always refrained from punishing married daughters. I am merely a niece of the Marquis’s family, not his biological daughter. Even if the Marquis’s family falls, and I lose my father’s side of the family, I still have my mother’s side.” She looked at her aunt, Second Madam Yang. “The Yang family has been operating in the Shaanxi army for many years; the Teng family must have benefited from their support.”

Second Madam Yang was a less favored daughter-in-law in the Yang family. The eldest branch of the Yang family, Zhang Zhenhui’s maternal uncle’s family, was the one in charge.

The Teng family, if they married her, would naturally be closer to the Yang family than someone who only had a distant kinship with Second Madam Yang.

Having said this, she added, “I know far more high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital than you two ladies do. When people I am on good terms with mention me, they always speak of me much better than my fifth sister.”

Her reputation in the capital was indeed quite good. Zhang Zhenhui could maintain her noblewoman’s composure at this moment; she frankly stated that even without the backing of a marquis’s family, her status and reputation were not bad. “Not to mention,” she continued, “my parents left me a considerable amount of property; my dowry, no matter what, is far more than some girl from the countryside.”

The “girl from the countryside” she was referring to was, of course, Deng Ruyun.

Old Madam Lin, seeing her still arrogantly comparing herself to Ruyun’s family background, regretted even more how blind she had been.

Ruyun entered the family penniless, but within a year, she owned her own pharmacy and supported her own family. How could she compare to Ruyun?

However, this time, Old Madam Lin did not say much but instead pretended to ponder and asked Zhang Zhenhui.

“This house was your mother’s dowry, was it not? Houses in the capital are not cheap; I wonder how big it is?”

Seeing that Old Madam Lin was considering her house, Zhang Zhenhui sensed that Old Madam Lin still had some favor towards her.

She immediately smiled and said that her mother’s dowry house was not originally large, but after her mother’s years of management, she had expanded it with a courtyard at the back, “and many of my mother’s belongings are here too, filling the entire courtyard.”

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Lin raised her eyes. “Words are no proof; let’s take a look.”

Zhang Zhenhui always pretended to be poor in public, but all the money and possessions she had acquired over the years were stored in this courtyard.

She was not afraid of Old Madam Lin coming to see and personally led them into the courtyard.

The courtyard gate was not large, but the interior was indeed quite spacious.

Old Madam Lin continued walking inside, calling over Second Madam Yang and Qingxuan to help her look around.

The courtyard was indeed ornately decorated, and the rooms were crammed full of belongings. Second Madam Yang, thinking of her niece at the Yang family home, who often complained about not even having enough to eat, almost rolled her eyes.

But Zhang Zhenhui did not care about that. She led everyone through several side rooms until Old Madam Lin’s steps suddenly stopped at one of them, a place filled with the lavish gifts sent by the Teng family.

Old Madam Lin pointed over, “I’ve seen quite a bit too. Let’s sit and talk in this room.”

She wanted to sit and talk where her own things were piled up. Zhang Zhenhui frowned slightly, but then thought that this was her private mansion. Old Madam Lin could not just take everything and run, could she? With so many things, she could not possibly carry them all away, could she?

She agreed, had someone open the door, and everyone went inside.

Old Madam Lin entered and began to scrutinize the gifts she had brought. “It seems they are all here?”

Nanny Dong nodded in response, then remarked, “Look at all this stuff. If you were to welcome our young lady into the family, would not all of this just be taken back to your own home anyway? What are you hesitating for?”

After she finished speaking, Old Madam Lin chuckled.

Zhang Zhenhui felt something was amiss with that chuckle, but the next moment, she saw Old Madam Lin suddenly pull a tinderbox from her sleeve.

She quickly pulled the tinderbox away and threw it directly into the gift boxes.

In an instant, the Teng family’s valuable gifts burst into flames.

By the firelight, she stood beside the flames and poured the oil Qingxuan had handed her onto the pile of gift boxes.

These were all silks, tea, calligraphy, paintings, and books—extremely flammable.

The raging fire illuminated even Old Madam Lin’s eyes with its blazing flames.

Zhang Zhenhui was completely stunned. Nanny Dong shouted for help to put out the fire, then called to Old Madam Lin.

“Oh! These are all good things! So many, so valuable, just going to burn them like this?!”

Zhang Zhenhui stood frozen, still in shock.

Meanwhile, Old Madam Lin chuckled softly amidst Nanny Dong’s cries.

“I’ve spent my whole life building up for my children. Now they’ve all turned away from me. What use are these things to me? Burning them will only cut away the thorns that are tangling in their path!”

As she spoke, she took books from the gift box and threw them to the other side of the room. In an instant, the room filled with valuable gifts was completely engulfed in flames, and everyone hurried out, flames licking at their feet.

The people Nanny Dong had called to put out the fire were also firmly blocked by Old Madam Lin’s group. Nanny Dong screamed incessantly, and Madam Yang, seeing so much stuff burned, felt a pang of regret.

But her cousin, watching the flames engulf all the valuable gifts, slowly smiled.

“Finally, it’s clean. The sins I, as a mother, have committed will no longer hinder Yu Chuan…”

She smiled contentedly, watching the towering flames.

At this moment, Zhang Zhenhui, who had been standing silently by, her eyes shifting.

“Why? Why?” she glared at Old Madam Lin. “Why are you bullying a child without parents, bullying an orphan? You promised to marry me as your daughter-in-law, and now you’ve broken your promise and are burning down my house? Why are you bullying me like this?!”

Old Madam Lin, seeing that most of what she had sent was burned, stopped ordering her servants to stop the Zhang family from putting out the fire.

She said she had no intention of burning down Zhang Zhenhui’s house: “I will only burn my own things.”

Having said that, she did not want to argue further with this so-called noblewoman and turned to leave, calling to Madam Yang.

But Zhang Zhenhui grabbed Madam Yang’s arm.

“Aunt, Aunt! Are you just going to watch Old Madam Lin bully me? She’s your cousin, but am I not your niece?!”

She said, “Grandmother thinks you are foolish for ruining Second Cousin’s reputation, and she’s been setting rules for you everywhere. I even speak up for you to Grandmother. You indulge Old Madam Lin like this, even joining her in bullying me. How do you think Grandmother and Uncle will treat you?”

She even tried to use Madam Yang’s mother-in-law and husband to pressure her.

Madam Yang was incredulous, feeling that the one she had been taking care of was clearly a heartless wretch.

But then, something suddenly connected in her mind.

She did not shake off Zhang Zhenhui’s grip but instead turned back to ask.

“Your eldest cousin was almost killed by the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion because they heard that the Chief Eunuch’s nephew-in-law was about to die, so they wanted to harm your eldest cousin and arrange a marriage between her and the Hong family. But he was far away in Xi’an; how could he have known this beforehand?”

Zhang Zhenhui saw her aunt staring intently at her.

“At that time, only you had just arrived in Xi’an from the capital. Tell me, from whom did they get this news?!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Zhenhui suddenly staggered.