"Since your mother left, you haven't set foot in Ningyin Pavilion. I suppose you don't remember what it looks like?
Back then, your mother and the Marquis were deeply in love. Everything in Ningyin Pavilion was of the highest quality. After so many years, it's not surprising that it's in this state."
Madam Lan cursed Lu Qing Wan's cunning in her heart and resented Steward Zhou for his incompetence.
She put on a sheepish smile, "It's just that several distinguished guests have come to arrange your wedding, and I didn't want to inconvenience them?"
"Is that so?"
Lu Qing Wan coolly spat out two words, "I think Ningyin Pavilion is quite good."
She walked elegantly into the courtyard, heading towards the storeroom according to her memory, and then stepped aside, "Aunt Lan, please open the door!"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Madam Lan had no opportunity to play any tricks and reluctantly opened the storeroom door.
Rows of vermilion lacquered chests appeared before their eyes, and Madam Lan's eyes turned red with jealousy.
They were both women of Lu Zhen Ting. Just because Xiao Liang Yin was a princess of Xiliang, she had a dowry of one hundred and twenty-eight large chests.
She, a dignified legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel, only had a mere forty-two chests as a concubine, most of which were worthless clothes and accessories.
On the other hand, Xiao Liang Yin's dowry was all solid gold and silver ware. Forget ordinary families; even a family like the Lan family, officials of the third rank, would have enough for a lifetime.
But now, all these things were going to become that little vixen Lu Qing Wan's!
Madam Lan felt a pang of pain just thinking about it.
Seeing Madam Lan's pained expression, Lu Qing Wan's lips curved imperceptibly. 'This is just a pang of pain. Soon, you'll be in more pain than this.'
She stepped into the storeroom and said with a smile, "Two aunties, my mother's dowry is all here. Please help yourselves to inventory it. My dowry will come from here."
"Yes, Eldest Miss Lu."
Lan Yin replied, taking out a somewhat worn ledger. With a wave of her hand, Steward Chen stepped forward and opened the chest closest to her.
"Ah!"
A short gasp. Steward Chen quickly turned back, "It's empty!"
"Impossible. My mother's dowry hasn't been touched since it entered the Marquis's mansion. How could it be empty?"
Lu Qing Wan stepped forward and hurriedly tried to open other chests. Lan Yin also helped.
After opening over a dozen chests, they were all empty.
Lu Qing Wan's body went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground. Lan Yin quickly stepped forward to support her, "Eldest Miss, don't worry. Perhaps there's some misunderstanding. We can certainly clarify this."
Over there, Xu Guo had already started to question Madam Lan, "Aunt Lan, what exactly is going on? Can you give us a reasonable explanation?"
Madam Lan was dumbfounded, "This is impossible. All of Xiao Liang Yin's dowry was here. How could it disappear?"
"Lan Yu Ru!"
Lu Qing Wan let out an angry growl from her throat, "Who gave you the right to call my mother's name directly?!"
Hearing this, Lan Yin, Xu Guo, and the others looked towards Madam Lan, who was stuttering in panic.
"I, I didn't mean to, but what about this dowry, I really don't know!"
Lan Yu Ru just kept waving her hands, "Xiao Liang Yin, no, Princess An Yang's entire dowry was here from the moment she entered the mansion. I never touched it. I really don't know what happened!"
She had taken some money and jewelry, but most of it was still here. How could it have disappeared?
Who could steal so many things from such a large Marquis's mansion? Madam Lan's mind raced through everyone she could think of, suspecting them all!
Lu Qing Wan, however, gave her no chance to quibble, "From the beginning, when I said I wanted Aunt Lan Yin and the others to live in Ningyin Pavilion, you kept making excuses.
Just now you said my mother's dowry wasn't here, and now you say my mother's dowry has always been here and you never touched it.
Lan Yu Ru, which of your words is true?"
Reminded by Lu Qing Wan, Lan Yin and the others also recalled Madam Lan's previous strange behavior, and their gazes towards her became complex.
Xu Guo even said with great authority, "Aunt Lan, allow me to remind you that Princess An Yang's dowry was registered and stored by the Ministry of Rites.
If this matter is not handled properly, it might even alarm His Majesty. By then, it will no longer be a simple inner-house affair."
Steward Chen, who was startled when she first saw the empty chests, added softly, "If my old servant's eyes are not mistaken, the cinnabar gold phoenix tail agate tassel hairpin on Aunt Lan's head is a special tribute from the Xiliang royal family, which only royal consorts can wear.
May I ask Aunt Lan, where did you get it?"
"And this white jade interwoven bracelet, the jade Guanyin carrying sons that was carried out by the servants earlier..."
Lan Yin held the ledger and read out a string of precious items, "All are part of Princess An Yang's dowry. Aunt Lan, do you still dare to say that you never touched Princess An Yang's dowry?"
Madam Lan's face turned ashen, and she stood there swaying, almost collapsing into the arms of her maids.
"Lan Yu Ru, all these years, you've withheld my daily expenses, tarnished my reputation, and conspired with Lu Si Wan to ruin my marriage. I tolerated it all.
Now, you are also hiding my mother's dowry. You know perfectly well that I have nothing left but my mother's dowry to fall back on. Are you determined to ruin me before you're satisfied!"
Lu Qing Wan's voice was hoarse, and her expression was grief-stricken, as if she were roaring out all the grievances she had suffered over the past decade.
In this era, men of any standing disdained to misappropriate their wives' dowries, but a dowry was a woman's foundation.
The amount of dowry indicated the importance her maternal family placed on the woman. Lu Zhen Ting was at the border, and with no one to escort Lu Qing Wan to her wedding, there was already much gossip about her.
If she were to have no dowry, one could imagine what the outsiders would say about Lu Qing Wan.
Even the servants of the Regent's mansion would look down upon their penniless mistress.
Lan Yin and Xu Guo, having spent many years in the palace, were perfectly aware of such matters.
Upon hearing Lu Qing Wan's words, their sympathy overflowed. Lan Yin simply put away the ledger.
"Aunt Lan, I will give you two choices. First, on the sixteenth of this month, the Regent will come to the Marquis's mansion to propose marriage. You will return Princess An Yang's dowry before then.
Second, I will immediately return to the palace and ask Noble Consort to inform His Majesty, and let His Majesty decide to retrieve Princess An Yang's dowry. The choice is yours, so act wisely."
After speaking, without giving Madam Lan a chance to interject, she directly said to Lu Qing Wan, "Eldest Miss Lu, people from Prince Chen's mansion should have arrived to deliver the dowry. Let's go and receive that portion of the dowry first."
"Okay."
Lu Qing Wan replied distractedly, stumbling on the threshold of the storeroom as she left.
"Miss~"
Yue'er quickly helped her, looking as if she was about to cry from distress.
The miserable pair of mistress and servant walked slowly ahead, while Lan Yin and Xu Guo sighed repeatedly.
To see the dignified eldest miss of the Marquis's mansion bullied to this extent was truly pitiful!
"Wait!"
As they were about to leave Ningyin Pavilion, Madam Lan called out, "I will return all of Princess An Yang's dowry before the sixteenth of the seventh month."
Lan Yin glanced at Lu Qing Wan. Seeing that she had no objections, she nodded proudly, "I hope Aunt Lan will not break her promise, otherwise, we will have to meet before the Emperor."
"I understand."
Madam Lan lowered her head, almost gnashing her teeth.
Watching Lu Qing Wan and her entourage leave Ningyin Pavilion, she could no longer hold back and coughed out a mouthful of blood with a "poof."