The shop was on an upward trajectory, and Wu Caiwei came to check the accounts daily. This day, something delayed her, and she arrived late.
As soon as she walked into the shop, she saw Zhou Hanxiao, accompanied by servants, deliberating over choices. Enemies meeting, their eyes burned with hatred. Of course, given Zhou Hanxiao's disposition, she wouldn't resort to shrewish outbursts.
Considering the recent misfortunes in the manor were all her doing, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but taunt, "Sister, are you here to buy clothes? You seem to have a lot of leisure time. Yes, you have money, your betrothal is off, and you've thoroughly trampled the Zhou family underfoot. By all accounts, you're a winner in life."
"Naturally. The Emperor is wise and knows this was not my betrothal. He permitted me to return home," Wu Caiwei said, not wanting to dwell on it and immediately invoking the Emperor's name.
"You are free, but you have brought great suffering to Father. He's been on his feet non-stop lately, constantly being difficult. If you hadn't taken such a drastic approach, how could you have offended the Prime Minister and brought about this calamity?" Zhou Hanxiao felt a surge of annoyance at Wu Caiwei's dismissive attitude. When she heard about her actions, she knew things would turn for the worse. Her father had finally reached this point; from now on, forget about promotions, it would be a good outcome if his position remained secure.
"If you dare to act, you must be prepared to be gossiped about. The marriage wasn't my decision, and I wasn't the one who wanted to switch brides. I've been accustomed to a life with no one to rely on for a long time. Living alone is quite good," Wu Caiwei retorted, unwilling to back down.
"You... you... you took the Zhou family's silver, so you must work for the Zhou family. If you botched the job, return the money to me." Zhou Hanxiao felt heartache thinking about the large sum of money. Her father had once promised her ten thousand taels of silver as her dowry, but it had become fifty thousand taels by the time it reached her.
"You need to be clear. Back then, I only said I'd marry in your place, but I never guaranteed I'd enter his Lin family's door. If it weren't for me, you would now be the Fourth Young Mistress of the Lin family, branded with the reputation of a man-killer, living as a widow." Wu Caiwei argued, indeed, wealth moved people's hearts.
"Are you determined not to hand it over today? The capital is treacherous. How could someone like you, with no one to rely on, disappear from this world without anyone knowing?" Zhou Hanxiao was amused by her logic and threatened her with veiled words. Sudaan Novel Network
"Miss Zhou, aren't you here to threaten me today? I just saw you picking out fabric." She smiled charmingly, then raised her voice and called out, "Shopkeeper, Miss Zhou is a major client, famously generous and from a wealthy family. Quickly bring out the newest and most expensive items in the shop for Miss Zhou to choose from."
"Right away!" The shopkeeper happily replied and quickly approached them with enthusiasm. "Miss Zhou, please pick whatever you like. This shop guarantees your satisfaction. All our styles are the latest."
Zhou Hanxiao had lost her interest in shopping. However, seeing Wu Caiwei looking at her provocatively and the onlookers frequently turning their heads due to her earlier words, she felt she couldn't back down. She casually picked a few expensive items.
As she left, she saw Wu Caiwei still browsing in the shop, not buying anything after so long. She said with a hint of triumph, "Sister, if you find the prices too high, there's a place across the street that only sells coarse and fine cloth, with fair prices. The prices here are a bit higher, and the shopkeeper is quite busy. Don't disturb their business."
"Thank you, sister, for your concern. I'm afraid you don't know yet, but this shop belongs to me. The clothes you just chose were also designed by me. It seems you are quite satisfied with my craftsmanship. I wouldn't mind having more clients like you. Please come and support my business more often in the future," Wu Caiwei said happily, her gaze sweeping over the few items she had selected.
The smile on Zhou Hanxiao's face froze for a moment, almost breaking. Thinking of the over a thousand taels she had just spent on these few clothes, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken.
Seeing that she couldn't gain any advantage from her, Zhou Hanxiao called her maid and quickly left.
Wu Caiwei watched her near-fleeing figure, her mood greatly improved. "You cooperated well today. I'll reward you with a hundred taels of silver. Go to the accounting office to collect it later."
"Thank you, owner!" The shopkeeper happily accepted. He had just made a profit of almost a thousand taels with that exorbitant price. Knowing his owner was generous, he accepted it with a clear conscience. He could use it to improve his family's life.
Having lost face terribly today, Zhou Hanxiao was unwilling to accept defeat and constantly thought of how to regain her standing and curb Wu Caiwei's arrogance.
"Oh, our Second Miss is out again. Who is she going to meet?" As soon as she entered the inner courtyard, she heard an annoying voice.
"Why is Second Mother here? Isn't she being a bit too controlling? Do I need to report my every outing to you? Anyone who didn't know would think you are the mistress of this back courtyard." Seeing the other party's seemingly all-knowing demeanor, Zhou Hanxiao quickly deflected.
"If you don't want others to know, don't do it. I remember Father once said that we must avoid any dealings with royalty. If Father knew that Second Miss wanted to break off the marriage with the Lin family by getting involved with a prince, thus putting him in such a difficult position, what do you think he would think?" Xia Qing stared intently at her. She didn't want to meddle in her affairs, but her father had once told her about the potential consequences. She feared that if Wu Caiwei acted recklessly, she would drag the Zhou family into an abyss.
"Father is in a difficult situation now. If we get involved with a prince, people will show us some deference. The current situation can be resolved." Zhou Hanxiao saw that the other party clearly knew already and decided to admit it.
"Second Miss, you don't intend to stop, do you?" Xia Qing looked at her in surprise.
"Second Mother, you worry too much. Just mind your own business." Zhou Hanxiao knew that after that incident, the Zhou family's reputation was not good, and her own reputation was even worse. Who would dare to marry her? The Third Prince was like a lifesaver, capable of pulling her out of the mire. She was clinging to him tightly, how could she let go easily?
Xia Qing watched her leave with elegant composure with her maid and fell into deep thought. People often say that those who know you best are often your enemies. Looking at Zhou Hanxiao's expression and tone of speech, Xia Qing knew that even if she discovered it, Zhou Hanxiao still intended to enter the royal harem.
Although she sometimes felt that if they were allied with the royal family, her husband's situation might improve, what if they chose the wrong side? That would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family.
She quickly walked towards the main courtyard to find her husband for advice.
Zhou Xiangyu had been encountering obstacles everywhere recently. He knew it was the Prime Minister's revenge. Under the Emperor's watchful eye, he didn't dare to go too far, so he could only subtly exert pressure, which was already making him struggle. He was contemplating his retreat.
He didn't want to resign unless it was absolutely necessary. Too many people stood behind him, and they had gone to great lengths to support him. He hadn't yet repaid them properly.
Although the Prime Minister held great power, as long as he retired, the Lin family would be no threat. None of the Lin family's sons were accomplished; they were not to be feared.
Concubine Xia burst in, recounted the conversation between them to him, and then shared her own suspicions. Zhou Xiangyu's eyes widened in shock, feeling that heaven was about to destroy him.