Lady Xie’s forced smile vanished the moment Shen Yiru brought up how she had used her own dowry to subsidize the General Li's Mansion.
"I entrusted the management of the household to you because I trusted you," Lady Xie said, her voice tight. "The expenses of the General Li's Mansion are vast; one must be frugal. Besides, you offered to use your dowry to help out of your own free will. Neither I, as your mother-in-law, nor your grandmother ever forced you in the slightest. Furthermore, search your conscience—have I ever been harsh to you in these past two years?"
"I was willing to contribute because I believed you all truly regarded me as part of the family," Shen Yiru replied, her tone methodical. "Since we were family, I didn't mind giving more. But it appears now that you value a concubine more than you value your legitimate wife. If that is the case, then I must settle accounts clearly."
She gestured toward the ledger. "Mother, you should look at this. Every cent and every item I provided from my dowry is recorded in detail. I will waive the interest, but you must return the money and goods in full according to this ledger. Otherwise, within three days, the entire Capital City will hear rumors of how the General Li's Mansion relies on a daughter-in-law's dowry to maintain its facade."
Lady Xie felt a cold chill. She dared not argue; she knew that if such a scandal reached the ears of the Grand Princess, it would irreparably damage the reputation of the General Li's Mansion in her eyes. Even if Jingyou were eventually recognized by the Grand Princess, the Grand Princess would surely harbor resentment. Reluctantly, Lady Xie reached out and took the ledger. As she flipped through the pages, her shock grew until her hands began to tremble.
"In only two years, how could you have poured this much money into the mansion?" she finally gasped. "Is this ledger even correct?"
Shen Yiru was not moved by the accusation. "In my first month here, Grandmother said the courtyards were in disrepair. With only a few hundred taels left in the household coffers, it wasn't enough. I immediately provided three thousand taels from my dowry to renovate them. Later, you felt the furniture was too old and needed replacing to befit our status. I again did not hesitate to provide five thousand taels to refurnish the entire mansion—furniture of a much higher grade than what we had before."
"Those two items alone account for eight thousand taels," Shen Yiru continued. "Everything else is clearly recorded as well. If you have any questions about any specific entry, feel free to point them out. I am prepared to explain them all."
Lady Xie had no heart to nitpick the entries. Eight thousand taels was already a massive sum, and the total of sixteen thousand taels was staggering. If she didn't return the money, she knew Shen Yiru would not let the matter rest. It was a crisis she could not resolve alone.
"Within three days," Shen Yiru said, "if the sixteen thousand taels are not returned, I will consider the debt cancelled. But I cannot guarantee the reputation of the General Li's Mansion will remain intact."
Lady Xie could no longer maintain her composure. She pointed a shaking finger at her daughter-in-law. "You... you have a heart of stone. How did I not see before that you were such a petty person?"
"Is it being petty to prevent you from taking advantage of me?" Shen Yiru retorted icily. "If you share that sentiment with others, don't blame me when the General Li's Mansion loses all its standing."
Lady Xie trembled with rage. "Have you no regard for our ties at all?"
"I am not a fool, Mother. If someone treats me well, I naturally hold them in high regard. But if they treat me like nothing and even bully me, do not blame me for being heartless." Shen Yiru’s gaze was steady. "It is late. You should return and find a way to gather the funds. That sixteen thousand taels is nothing to me—I can do without it. But I imagine the General Li's Mansion cannot do without its reputation, can it?"
Lady Xie felt as though she couldn't catch her breath, clutching her chest in indignation. Hanyun hurried forward to support her.
"Qingyao, see the guest out," Shen Yiru commanded. She felt no pity for Lady Xie. She finally saw clearly that, like her son, Lady Xie was hollow, caring only for power and profit.
Lady Xie was ushered out of Qingyou Courtyard. She rushed directly to Shouqing Courtyard to find Old Madame Li. Upon hearing that Shen Yiru intended to reclaim the money, Old Madame Li flew into a rage and smashed a white porcelain teapot against the floor.
*Clatter!* The teapot shattered, splashing tea across the floor.
"How dare she!" the Old Madame shrieked. "This is blackmail! A merchant’s daughter, daring to provoke our mansion? What does it matter if we used a few of her taels? It was an honor for her that we used her money!"
Lady Xie trembled. "It is not a few taels, Mother—it is sixteen thousand. I simply cannot produce that much. If we do not pay her back, our reputation will be ruined."
Old Madame Li snatched up a teacup and hurled it at Lady Xie. "You useless creature! What use are you? Are you suggesting I use my own burial money to compensate her? You only have eyes for what little I have saved! Is this how a daughter-in-law behaves?"
The cup struck Lady Xie in the waist; luckily, the tea was only warm, leaving her dress merely soaked. Lady Xie knelt quickly. "Mother, please calm your anger. I am at my wits' end. For the sake of Wangzhou, you cannot simply wash your hands of this!"
Lady Xie kowtowed. "We must return the sixteen thousand taels to Yiru first to save our face. Later, if Yiru still refuses to allow Jingyou to be a wife of equal status, we can find a way to have Wangzhou divorce her. Once she is cast out, she won't be able to take her dowry with her. Then, that money will return to your hands—and there will only be more, not less."
Old Madame Li’s eyes darted back and forth. Repay the money to keep the reputation, then find grounds to divorce her for unfilial conduct and seize the dowry—it was a sound plan. Shen Yiru’s dowry was significant, not to mention the dozens of shops she brought with her.
Old Madame Li nodded slowly. She looked at Lady Xie and said, "Go back for now. Let me think on this."