"Concubine Tang, what are you doing here?"
Madam Chen's expression turned stony when she saw the woman.
Yu Yunxi looked at the woman as well. The woman was only almost thirty years old, but the thick powder on her face could not hide her fatigue.
Yu Yunxi knew Concubine Tang. Before she left the Prime Minister's Residence, Concubine Tang had just entered the residence. She was very beautiful and charming. For this reason, she was a thorn in Madam Chen's flesh.
Based on Qian Jiao's investigation, Yu Yunxi found out that Concubine Tang suffered a miscarriage three years ago and became infertile ever since. It was said that she suffered a blow mentally and became slightly crazy. Over time, she was neglected more and more.
Concubine Tang walked straight to Yu Yunxi as though she did not hear Madam Chen. She took off the jade bracelet around her wrist and placed it in Yu Yunxi's hand and said, "Young miss, this jade bracelet is from your mother's dowry. I thought it looked good at that time so I took it and wore it. Now that I think about it… snatching other people's things would shorten one's life and fortune. Now that you're back, I should return this thing to its original owner."
Yu Yunxi looked down. It was indeed her mother's jade bracelet.
Concubine Tang glanced at Madam Zhou and Madam Chen and said sarcastically, "It's easy for me to return the things I took, but it won't be easy for some people who have filled their coffers to return them."
Madam Chen's expression was unsightly as she reprimanded, "Concubine Tang, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you resentful because the Prime Minister has not visited you for a long time?"
Similar to Yu Yunxi's actions earlier, Concubine Tang calmly took a seat. She only looked amused when she looked at the fuming Madam Chen.
Yu Yunxi clenched the jade bracelet in her hands and questioned coldly, "Is what Aunt Tang said true? Was my mother's dowry used to fill people's coffers?"
"Don't listen to her! She's been crazy for so many years. No one in the Yu family even listens to her," Madam Chen denied vehemently.
Madam Chen's unfriendly gaze landed on Concubine Tang, and she said, "Concubine Tang, don't think you can be arrogant just because you have a sister who's a consort in the palace."
Yu Yunxi smiled coldly and said sharply, "Grandmother, if you think Aunt Tang is talking nonsense, then prove it."
Madam Zhou flew into a rage out of embarrassment. "Enough! How many times have we explained it to you? How could we covet your mother's dowry? If you continue to be unreasonable, I'll punish you."
Then, Madam Zhou waved her hand and quickly added, "Today's greetings are over. Everyone, return to your own courtyards!"
Madam Zhou could not wait to chase Yu Yunxi away.
Yu Yunxi covered her mouth and laughed. She said slowly, "Grandmother, since you don't allow me to go to the storage room to check my mother's dowry, I'll have to trouble you to check it for me before sending it to the Ministry of War."
'Send it to the Ministry of War?'
Everyone was puzzled. At the same time, a foreboding feeling rose in their hearts.
"What are you talking about, Yu Yunxi? What Ministry of War?" Madam Zhou asked, glaring at Yu Yunxi.
Yu Yunxi calmly brought out a piece of paper and said, "Before returning to the Prime Minister's Residence, I went to the Ministry of War and donated all of Mother's dowry to the government."
"What did you say?"
Madam Zhou felt dizzy and almost fell down. Fortunately, the maidservant behind her caught her in time.
Madam Chen and the others were also panicking at this moment.
Yu Wanrong managed to calm down with great difficulty. Then, she quickly walked over and snatched the paper from Yu Yunxi's hands to have a look. After she took a look, her expression turned panicked as well.
The paper clearly stated that Yu Yunxi had agreed to donate the dowry to the government and even stated that her reason for doing so was to buy military rations for the soldiers. Yu Yunxi's name was clearly written at the bottom, and her seal was also there.
Yu Yunxi raised the booklet she had taken out earlier and continued to say, "Mother's dowry was really too sensational back then. There was so much that when the government officials were dispatched to escort it, they recorded the things in the dowry clearly."
Yu Yunxi looked at Madam Zhou and Madam Chen and smiled tauntingly before she continued to say, "The Ministry of War only gave me ten days. Grandmother, Madam, ten days should be enough for you to count the things in my mother's dowry, right?"
Madam Zhou was so angry that she trembled all over. "You little b*tch, are you crazy?!"
'The dowry was worth several times more than the assets of the Yu family. She actually donated all of it to the Ministry of War! She must be crazy!'
Madam Chen was also furious. "Why didn't you discuss such an important matter with us?"
In Madam Chen's eyes, those gold and treasures belonged to her. She even planned to prepare a huge dowry for Yu Wanrong using it when Yu Wanrong married the Crown Prince. How could she not be furious that the idiotic Yu Yunxi donated it all?
Yu Yunxi's expression was frighteningly cold when she heard Madam Chen's question. She said, "The dowry belongs to my mother. Even if I throw it into the sea, it's my business and has nothing to do with you! All of you better think of a way to gather those things in the next few days. If you miss the deadline, then you might really lose your heads."
After saying that, Yu Yunxi turned around and left, leaving a group of angry and panicked people behind.
"Young Miss!"
Aunt Tang quickly caught up with Yu Yunxi after Yu Yunxi left.
Yu Yunxi stopped in her tracks and asked, "What's the matter, Aunt Tang?"
"I really admire Eldest Miss' means today. You returned this time to avenge your mother, right? I can help you…"
Yu Yunxi interrupted Concubine Tang and said, "There's no need. I donated my mother's dowry because I pity the soldiers of Tianxia who don't have enough clothes and food."
After that, Yu Yunxi nodded at Concubine Tang and left.
Concubine Tang watched Yu Yunxi leave. Her expression slowly turned cold, and in the end, a hint of resentment could be seen in her eyes.
…
Qian Jiao followed Yu Yunxi. After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked, "County Princess, I think Concubine Tang is sincere about helping. Why don't we cooperate with her?"
Yu Yunxi stopped in her tracks and asked, "Sincere? How did you see her sincerity?"
Qian Jiao replied softly, "She… She returned the bracelet to you."
Yu Yunxi rubbed her temples. She looked a little helpless as she said, "Qian Jiao, although your martial arts are good, you're not as mature as Qian Mei. How sincere do you think people in the harem can be? If I'm not mistaken, Concubine Tang's miscarriage was caused by Madam Chen. Concubine Tang is alone and without help in the Yu family. Now that I returned, what do you think she'd do?"
"She'd naturally try to ally with you!"
"That's right. Since she can do that, in the future, she can also ally herself with my enemies. Do you understand?" Yu Yunxi asked solemnly.
"I understand. I didn't think things through," Qian Jiao hurriedly said and nodded. She finally understood that Concubine Tang only wanted to use Yu Yunxi. Now that she was aware of this, she thought it was fortunate that Yu Yunxi refused Concubine Tang.
After a moment, Qian Jiao asked again, "There's one more thing. County Princess, isn't it too much of a loss to donate the dowry that scum Emperor?"
Qian Jiao's heart ached when she thought about the dowry.
Yu Yunxi smiled. "When the Great Ancestor was alive, he strongly encouraged merchants to donate to solve the problem of the insufficiency of the national treasury during wartime. One of the rules is that one can choose which army to donate to."
"So?"
"When I pledged to donate, I specified that I want to donate to Xinan's army," Yu Yunxi replied.
Yu Yunxi had long known that the jackals of the Yu family would not easily return what they had taken from her mother's dowry so she had come up with this method to deal with them.
"County Princess, you're amazing!" Qian Jiao exclaimed in excitement. The dowry would eventually return to their hands. After a moment, she asked again, "County Princess, what do you plan to do next?"
"Mother opened a medical center back then, and it has been occupied by the Chen family for so many years. It's time for me to go and take a look," Yu Yunxi said as she continued walking.