Chapter 95: The Dominant Qu Family

Note: If you want the continuity of this story consider to join Pãtreon/Flokixy to access advance Chapters and To Support The Daily Update Pay one time and unlock the full story and Future Chapters from the Shop After helping Lady Qu back to her room, Meng Zhirou unlocked the cabinet once again and lit some golden silk charcoal, placing it in Lady Qu's bedroom. Gradually, the temperature in the room began to rise. Meng Zhirou then carefully helped Lady Qu take her medicine. "Miss Su truly is our benefactor," Lady Qu remarked as she gazed at the falling snow outside and then at the glowing charcoal fire inside. Meng Zhirou nodded in agreement. "Indeed, meeting A Yao and Li Er has been such a stroke of luck for us." The mother and daughter continued chatting as they enjoyed their evening meal and sipped tea. Just then, Meixiang hurried into the room and announced, "Madam, Miss, I saw Master approaching this way, and his expression doesn’t look good." Lady Qu calmly set down her teacup and said, "I suspect he heard about the golden silk charcoal after finishing work today." Seeing her daughter’s worried expression, Lady Qu gently patted her hand. "Don’t worry." Meng Zhirou nodded slightly. As expected, when the Right Minister entered the room, he immediately noticed how warm it was. After glancing around, his eyes fell on the charcoal brazier. "You have charcoal? How could you only use it for yourselves? Why didn’t you share some?" His tone carried an accusatory edge, as though he were scolding them for being selfish. Lady Qu smiled faintly. "This charcoal was specifically given to us by Miss Su for my daughter and me." The Right Minister’s voice turned icy. "But Yun is still sick! You..." "It’s her problem if she’s sick. If you can’t buy charcoal for her, then she’ll just have to endure the cold. This charcoal is only enough for my daughter and me." The Right Minister was livid. Pointing at Lady Qu, he shouted, "What has gotten into you? How could you become so selfish? How dare you call yourself the mistress of this household!" Lady Qu remained composed, her smile unwavering. "To be honest, I no longer wish to be the mistress of this house. Meng Qichao, let’s divorce." The Right Minister’s eyes widened like copper bells. "W-What? Divorce?" Lady Qu nodded firmly. "Yes, divorce. Since marrying you, I’ve done nothing to wrong you. But what about you? You’ve spoiled your concubines and humiliated your wife, allowing one of them to climb over me. I’ve had enough of this for years." The Right Minister grew visibly irritated. "What nonsense are you spouting now? Is it really worth making such a fuss over a little charcoal?" He couldn’t help but feel that Lady Qu had changed recently—she had become much more assertive. "I’m not making a fuss. I’m completely serious." The Right Minister’s voice hardened. "I don’t want to discuss this right now. Just hand over the charcoal immediately! It’s freezing outside—you can’t be so selfish!" "No charcoal for you!" Seeing her resolute attitude, the Right Minister turned to Meng Zhirou. "You! Open that chest right now!" Meng Zhirou stood rooted to the spot, unmoving. The Right Minister exploded in anger. "You insolent daughter! Are you trying to defy your own father?" "Enough!" Lady Qu slammed her teacup onto the table with a loud thud. "Are you never going to stop? I already told you this charcoal was given to us by Miss Su. Are you planning to forcibly take it from us?" The Right Minister thought about how Zhao Shi would throw another tantrum if he returned empty-handed today. "Today, you must hand over the charcoal!" His face darkened with determination. Lady Qu rose to her feet. "Do you really want to force me to go to the palace and ask Empress Niangniang to settle this matter?" That single sentence struck a nerve. It wasn’t just the embarrassment of forcibly taking his wife and daughter’s charcoal that concerned him—if word got out, it would reflect poorly on him. Moreover, the Emperor himself referred to Lady Qu as his junior sister. Over the years, the Right Minister had achieved little in his position, and the Emperor tolerated him only because of his father-in-law’s influence. Who would the Emperor and Empress side with? There was no need to guess. "You! Unreasonable woman! Humph!" Furious, the Right Minister stormed out of the room, his sleeves flaring behind him. The servants exchanged astonished glances. This was the second time in recent days that the Master had stormed off in anger—an unprecedented occurrence. When the Right Minister returned, Zhao Shi was craning her neck in anticipation. "Master, where’s the charcoal?" "There isn’t any." Zhao Shi gasped, raising her voice incredulously. "None? How could that be? Not even Master managed to bring some back?" "Sister is too much! Such cold weather, and she wouldn’t even spare a thought for Master enduring the cold." "Enough," the Right Minister said wearily. "We’ll just have to make do with regular charcoal for now." "Master, how could you..." The Right Minister waved dismissively. "For now, avoid provoking her." A flicker of confusion passed through Zhao Shi’s eyes. "When have I ever dared to provoke Madam? Your words make no sense..." Several days passed in relative calm. "Mother! Uncle has replied to our letter!" Meng Zhirou rushed into the room, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Over the past few days, Lady Qu had been diligently taking her medicine, and her spirits had noticeably improved. "Quick, let me see it!" Though they had received letters from her brother before, the content of this one was sure to be different. Meng Zhirou handed the letter to her mother and snuggled close to read it together. Tears welled up in Lady Qu’s eyes as she read. By the time she finished, her face was streaked with tears. "It’s my fault—I’ve been a failure, burdening my parents with worry even at their age." Meng Zhirou gently wiped away her mother’s tears and consoled her. "Mother, don’t be sad. From now on, everything will get better." Lady Qu nodded. "Let’s go. We need to visit the front courtyard." Meng Zhirou agreed and helped her mother walk toward the outer hall. "Well, well! Sister finally decided to grace us with her presence?" Zhao Shi sneered as she saw Lady Qu and Meng Zhirou emerge. It was a rest day, and the Right Minister was also home. Seeing Lady Qu, he asked, "Are you feeling better?" Before Lady Qu could respond, Zhao Shi interjected. "With golden silk charcoal warming her room, of course Sister feels better! Unlike us, who freeze every day—we’re the ones who should be falling ill." Lady Qu ignored her sarcasm and addressed her directly. "Since you’re all here, it’s convenient. You manage the household accounts, so here’s a list of my dowry items. Sort them out for me—I’ll take charge of them from now on." Zhao Shi immediately jumped up in protest. "Sister, surely you’re joking! Your dowry has long been used to cover household expenses. How could we possibly retrieve it now?" Lady Qu’s voice turned icy. "Simple. I won’t make things difficult for you. For the items already given away, we’ll calculate their value in silver instead." The Right Minister stood up. "Your health isn’t good, Xiang’er manages these matters for you. Why trouble yourself?" Most of Lady Qu’s dowry consisted of valuable paintings and calligraphy pieces, many of which he had already gifted to others in his political dealings. Converting those into silver would practically bankrupt their household. Lady Qu scoffed. "There’s no need. My health has improved, and besides, Rourou is grown up now. Those items were always meant for her—I’ll teach her how to manage them herself." Zhao Shi’s face darkened. "Sister, aren’t you deliberately making things difficult for me?" "What difficulty? Each item on the dowry list includes an estimated monetary value. Or are you suggesting that this grand household of ours intends to seize a woman’s dowry? If word gets out, Meng Qichao, you’ll become the laughingstock of the entire kingdom." The Right Minister’s expression soured. Turning to Zhao Shi, he ordered, "Inventory her dowry and hand it over to her!" Zhao Shi felt bitter resentment. She knew exactly how much Lady Qu’s dowry was worth. Lady Qu truly was fortunate to have parents who doted on her so deeply. At first glance, the Qu family didn’t seem remarkable—their dowry consisted mostly of paintings and calligraphy. Initially, Zhao Shi hadn’t thought much of them. But when she casually took one painting to a pawnshop, the price offered by the shopkeeper left her astounded. Handing over such a vast fortune felt like carving out her own flesh. She had assumed that Lady Qu’s health would continue to decline, and with her eventual passing, the dowry would naturally fall into her hands. But then, Su Li appeared unexpectedly. Ever since Su Li treated Lady Qu, her health had steadily improved, day by day. "Master, where would we even find so much silver?" Zhao Shi pleaded. The Right Minister shot her a sharp glance, causing her to avert her gaze guiltily. "The amount of silver in this household is clear to me," he said coldly. Ignoring them, Lady Qu spoke in a chilling tone. "I’ll give you two days. If a single item is missing, I’ll go to the palace and have a heart-to-heart with Empress Niangniang. After being cooped up for so long, I’m actually looking forward to getting out more." With that, she walked out of the hall without sparing them another glance, leaving her daughter to follow. "Master! Look at her arrogance!" The Right Minister watched Lady Qu’s retreating figure with narrowed eyes. Turning to Zhao Shi, he demanded, "Tell me the truth—are you the one who tampered with those items?" "N-No! I swear I didn’t!" "Hmph! You’d better pray that’s true. Replace whatever’s missing with silver. If I hear even a whisper of gossip outside, I’ll hold you accountable!" Zhao Shi had never seen him so furious. Trembling, she quickly nodded. "Y-Yes... Yes."