Chapter 2: Making a Scene

Everyone was shocked when they found out that Jiang Li hadn’t died in a carriage accident on the way out, but had faked her death and hid among the people, and was actually in the capital.

Besides the shock, most people didn’t expect it was Jiang Li’s idea.

Everyone thought that the one who silently did great things was the dull and honest Consort Yu.

After all, Jiang Li was only thirteen years old at the time, and she was an idiot.

But now, seeing Jiang Li’s arrogance and her unconventional rascality, almost everyone began to re-evaluate—was it she who took Consort Yu away back then?

Jiang Li touched her lips, swaggered to a chair, sat down with her legs crossed, and patted the small table, saying, “The servants of the Duke’s Mansion are getting worse and worse. Don’t they know to serve the future princess a cup of tea?”

She was the most pragmatic person and never worried about things she couldn’t change.

She also didn’t think that anything was unchangeable, depending on whether she wanted to or not.

At present, marrying the deposed crown prince was unchangeable, but what would happen in the future depended on her.

No rush, men are the last thing to consider.

The most important thing was not to suffer losses right now.

Otherwise, she would be so angry that she couldn’t sleep when she reviewed it later.

“How dare you!” The First Madam saw that the old lady was so angry that she couldn’t speak, so she braced herself and spoke.

Although she felt that she couldn’t deal with this rogue-like Jiang Li at all.

But she had to be the one to take the bullet, otherwise, how would the old lady see her in the future?

Who would Jiang Li’s mouth spare?

“Oh, my eyes are so bad, I just recognized you, it’s the First Madam! You are getting more and more prosperous over the years. It seems that you have been enriching yourself and eating very fat! Can the monthly salary in the mansion still be paid on time? Have you made up for the hole you lent out and didn’t get back?”

“You, you are talking nonsense!” The First Madam trembled with anger.

The Second Madam and the Fourth Madam exchanged glances, both somewhat happy.

Neither of them came forward.

Finally, someone exposed the true face of the First Madam, and they were happy to watch the excitement.

Anyway, they were never likable, so they didn’t need to charge into battle at this time.

They couldn’t wait for Jiang Li to continue exposing her, so that the First Madam would lose face.

The Third Madam, who was Jiang Li’s legal mother, was sick and didn’t come out at this time.

“Oh, so there is no such thing?” Jiang Li smiled sweetly, “Rumors are really harmful. I really thought the mansion was so poor that we couldn’t afford to eat!”

The First Madam’s face softened slightly, but she still didn’t dare to relax her vigilance.

She felt that the Jiang Li in front of her was too strange.

She was familiar with the tactics of household fights, speaking in roundabout ways, and killing people without seeing blood, but she had never seen a tough nut like Jiang Li.

“In that case,” as expected, Jiang Li changed the subject and said carelessly, “The Duke’s Mansion is a big family, so you can’t marry me off shabbily. The dowry is up to you, First Madam. My requirements are not high, just 100,000 to 80,000 taels of silver to keep at the bottom of the chest, and you can handle the rest as you see fit, just don’t disgrace the reputation of our Duke’s Mansion.”

100,000 to 80,000 taels?

Everyone gasped, what a big mouth she had!

Who didn’t know that the Duke’s Mansion was now just an empty shell, and even if a proper legal daughter got married, the money at the bottom of the chest was only 5,000 taels of silver.

“Shameless!” Old Madam Wan scolded, “Which unmarried girl would mention her dowry?”

“That’s because none of their families has a girl who dared to fake her death and run away,” Jiang Li said with a smug smile, “Old Madam, you are truly blessed.”

She returned this blessing to her intact, wishing her well.

Wishing her a lifespan longer than a turtle, after all, evil lives for a thousand years.

“I have a problem,” Jiang Li continued to herself, “My hands are restless when I sleep, and I always have to hold something down. If I don’t have silver, I might grab a dagger or something, and accidentally hurt the prince while sleeping at night… If I hurt a vital spot… Oh dear, wouldn’t that be considered murdering a member of the imperial family? Oh, would it implicate the whole family?”

If they didn’t give her silver, she would castrate the deposed crown prince!

Who was afraid of whom!

She had a worthless life, take it, anyway, someone would be her scapegoat.

She bet that these people were unwilling to die.

So, they would spend money to avoid disaster.

Everyone was once again refreshed by Jiang Li’s shamelessness.

Jiang Li: Face is a good thing, but unfortunately you don’t deserve it, so I can only tear it apart.

She thought that Old Madam Wan must be regretting it very much at this moment, reporting her and letting the emperor bestow the marriage.

But what’s done is done, regret is useless, just like her, fear is useless.

The chess piece had reached this point, and no one could take back their move. She could only fight for her own interests to the greatest extent.

“Don’t forget, your lowly consort mother, and the bastard she had with a wild man, are all in my hands!” Old Madam Wan said through gritted teeth.

“So what?” Jiang Li scratched her scalp, then flicked her fingernails, and said with a fake smile, “We are so lowly, and Old Madam is so noble, you wouldn’t bury us with you.”

She changed the subject, and her tone suddenly became sinister, “Old Madam can try, let’s see who is more ruthless! When I was thirteen years old, I already dared to take my consort mother away. After so many years, I can’t have made no progress at all.”

After a pause, she smiled again.

Old Madam Wan looked at her changing faces so quickly, and she was a little unsure.

This was really incomprehensible.

“Since what’s done is done and can’t be changed, why don’t we sit down and have a good talk?” Jiang Li said, “Give me enough dowry, and let my consort mother and younger brother continue their previous lives. I will maintain the dignity of the Duke’s Mansion.”

“Someone like me doesn’t care about anything when I tear my face apart.”

“So, my suggestion is, if I give you face, hurry up and take it, don’t wait for me to turn my back on you and drag you down to perish together, you won’t even have time to cry.”

After saying these words, she stood up, patted the non-existent dust on her body, “You are old, and your brain is slow, I will give you time to consider it slowly. Since you are not willing to give me a sip of water, then first have someone take me to see my consort mother. My consort mother is timid, don’t let you scare her, when I make a fuss regardless, I’m afraid that the noble Duke’s Mansion will become a laughing stock before being exterminated by three clans.”

Old Madam Wan obviously didn’t want to let her go, because she hadn’t suffered such a loss for a long time.

But at this time, the First Madam said a few words in her ear, and she didn’t say anything more, waving her hand to let someone take Jiang Li down.

Jiang Li smiled at the people in the room, revealing her neat and white teeth, and waved her hand, saying, “I would like to thank you all in advance for helping me put together my dowry.”

Everyone: “…”