Volume One, Chapter 12: Never Have I Seen Such Shamelessness

Huo Qingchu lowered her eyes slightly, sighing with a hint of resentment.

“Yi’an, it’s too late now. Tomorrow, you will marry into the residence of the Prince of Chu. Life in such a deep and secluded household will be difficult. From now on, your maternal family must be your support.

You cannot fall out with your family. Consider those external possessions as a form of security for you.

I have also prepared a dowry for you—enough to ensure your life will be without want in the Prince of Chu’s mansion.”

As she spoke, Huo Qingchu took a box from the handmaiden behind her.

“These are the property deeds and land titles that accompanied my dowry when I married into the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household.”

The reason Huo Qingchu had specially prepared these land and property deeds for Su Yi’an was that they would provide a steady, long-term income through rent.

If she were given a large sum of cash all at once, her young and inexperienced mind might not be able to manage it properly.

A whole box of property and land deeds!

Su Yi’an’s eyes widened.

“This lady really treats me like her own flesh and blood. Even for a daughter marrying out, this is quite something.”

“How could I dare accept such precious things from you, lady?” Su Yi’an said shyly.

Huo Qingchu’s expression was warm and kind.

“Accept them. These items originally belonged to the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household. You are the only living bloodline of that family. They rightfully belong to you.”

“Thank you, lady. You truly are a good person,” Su Yi’an said gratefully.

Huo Qingchu smiled with the tenderness of a mother and brushed back the stray hairs from Su Yi’an’s forehead to behind her ears before continuing.

“Child, once you marry, you must guard your property carefully. Do not give it to anyone, especially not that half-sister who came with your dowry.”

“Mm-hmm!” Su Yi’an nodded obediently.

Huo Qingchu’s eyes darkened as she recalled the past, her voice tinged with anger.

“Back then, Su Pianran was your mother’s handmaiden who came with her dowry. Your mother treated her like a sister, but look what she did.

When the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s household fell into ruin, she climbed into the bed of the master’s lord, shameless beyond words.

Like mother, like daughter! Now her daughter is coming to fight for the prince as well.”

Su Yi’an’s eyes widened in shock. “There’s such a thing?”

Huo Qingchu nodded gravely.

“Yi’an, you must carry yourself with the dignity of the principal wife. Do not let Su Wan’er lay a finger on your property.

Before you bear a legitimate son, you must not let her become pregnant.

Otherwise, your days in the prince’s mansion will be unbearable.”

“Oh, I understand,” Su Yi’an nodded vaguely, her mind only grasping the main point.

“So Su Pianran was my mother’s handmaiden who accompanied her dowry.”

***

“Yes. Your eldest sister was always simple-minded and kind-hearted, easily fooled by that handmaiden. Had I known how restless she was, I would have sold her off before I married!”

Huo Qingchu’s eyes welled with tears as she spoke of her eldest sister’s misfortune.

Su Yi’an took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

“Lady, mother has been gone so many years now. Please don’t be sad anymore.”

Huo Qingchu nodded through her tears.

“Now, I can send you off in marriage and still look after you a little in the capital. That’s some measure of peace for your eldest sister. When my time comes, I’ll have some dignity to face her.”

“Thank you, lady. Mother would never blame you. She would be grateful.”

Su Yi’an’s interest in money returned. She took Huo Qingchu’s hand.

“My mind is sometimes clear, sometimes muddled. Today, I recognized all the words on that dowry list.

Why don’t you read it out to me? That way I can remember, and if any servants cheat me and something is missing, I’ll know.”

Huo Qingchu felt a pang of sorrow. She wanted to send her some reliable handmaidens, but Su Yi’an was marrying the Prince of Chu — a royal prince.

If a general’s wife from the Southern Garrison household sent maids to the prince’s consort, the prince would think they were spies planted around him.

That was absolutely unacceptable; she was powerless to help.

All she could do was pick up the dowry list and start reading.

Su Yi’an listened to a few lines, then got up and went to the courtyard, opening the dowry boxes one by one.

After opening several boxes, she looked back at the room with a confused expression.

“Lady, what’s in these boxes doesn’t match what you just read.”

Huo Qingchu hurried over and saw the boxes filled with broken, chipped bowls, pots with broken handles, cracked wooden basins...

Not a single piece of gold, silver, silk, or jadeware from the dowry list.

A grand minister’s daughter’s dowry turned out to be fake!

Huo Qingchu, a warrior daughter of a military family, was so furious her vision darkened. She had never encountered such shamelessness before and could no longer hold back.

“I’ve never seen so much junk in my life. Where did Su Huairen find this rubbish?”

She had thought Su Huairen would at least withhold some of the dowry, never imagined there would be none at all!

A penniless man relying on good looks is so unreliable.

What use is good looks when he treats his own flesh and blood like this?

Now Huo Qingchu pitied her eldest sister’s misfortune and was furious at her lack of resolve.

As the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s house, her eldest sister could have married a prince.

But the day she saw Su Huairen, a top-scoring scholar riding through the streets, she fell for him at a glance.

Like she was bewitched, she refused to marry anyone else, even secretly petitioning the late emperor herself for a marriage decree.

If only she had broken her eldest sister’s legs back then, she would never have let her petition for an imperial marriage order...

Alas! Such regret was unbearable.

At that time, old grudges mixed with new hatred, and Huo Qingchu was furious.

“Go and summon Lord Su immediately!”

Su Huairen never expected Huo Qingchu to meddle so deeply, even opening the dowry boxes to inspect.

He, of course, would never admit to his involvement and immediately kicked the steward Wu, shifting blame.

“You scoundrel! How could you prepare such a dowry for the young lady?”

The sensible steward knelt, taking the blame.

“Master, please calm down. It was my fault for poor management. Someone below must have taken advantage of the young lady’s naivety to swap out the real dowry.”

Only a fool would believe such an excuse.

They had seen shameless people, but never this shameless.

Huo Qingchu watched their clumsy performance silently, gritting her teeth to endure an eye-roll, still giving Lord Su some face.

“Lord Su, tomorrow is Yi’an’s wedding day. The urgent matter is not just to find the missing dowry but to restore what has been lost.”

Su Huairen’s face twisted in pain.

“Where could I possibly get so many things at once?

I’m just a Hanlin Academy civil official—this stuff took me over a decade to accumulate!”

Huo Qingchu suppressed her anger and spoke slowly and clearly.

“It may be hard to prepare some things, but property and land deeds are ready-made.

Back then, I know exactly how many shops and farms my eldest sister brought as dowry.

Only the most useless men would squander their wife’s dowry. Those things should still be in the Su household.

Logically, now that Yi’an is marrying, those should be given to her as dowry. Lord Su would not refuse, would you?”

At this, Su Huairen almost cried.

Over the years, he had secretly kept over a dozen concubines and fathered over forty children; the expenses were enormous.

The gold, silver, and jewels that Su Yi’an’s mother brought had long been spent. Now they lived off these shops and lands.

If all were taken away, how could he live?

Su Huairen looked troubled and stammered.

“Madam Pei, may I have a word with you?”