Chapter 19: Ye Jingchuan’s Hand Is Broken

Ye Chutang took note of the ugly expression on Ye Anling’s face and immediately put on her “silly and sweet” act.

“Second Miss Ye, did I buy too much?”

Before Ye Anling could respond, she continued, “You said before that I could use all your private money—that was just being polite, wasn’t it?”

“Sorry, I actually took it seriously.”

With that, she called out to the shopkeeper, “Stop moving the things. I don’t want any of it.”

Ye Anling was instantly put in a difficult position.

No matter how unwilling she was, she couldn’t say she wouldn’t pay.

“Elder Sister, I keep my word. If you like them, take them all. At worst, I’ll treat it as pawning off a few pieces of jewelry.”

Anyone else would’ve taken the hint and cut back on their purchases.

But Ye Chutang came shopping for the sole purpose of spending Ye Anling’s money—there was no way she’d hold back.

“Alright then, shopkeeper, send everything to the Ministry of Rites’ carriage.”

Ye Anling trembled with rage.

Just then, Doctor Xu was applying new medicine on her, and accidentally pressed on her wound.

She gritted her teeth in pain, eyes brimming with tears.

Soon, her wound was freshly bandaged again.

The shopkeeper handed Ye Anling the bill.

“Second Miss Ye, the total comes to three thousand one hundred and fifty taels. Since you’re buying in bulk, I’ll round it down to an even three thousand.”

Ye Anling’s vision went black for a moment and she gritted her teeth, replying, “Alright. Just send someone to the Ministry later to collect the payment.”

Doctor Xu packed up his medicine chest and slung it over his shoulder.

“Second Miss Ye, the consultation and medicine fee is two taels of silver.”

Neither Ye Anling nor Qiulu had any money on them anymore.

She was forced to turn to Ye Chutang. “Elder Sister, the banknotes I brought today were all given to you.”

Implying, of course, that Ye Chutang should pay.

But Ye Chutang returned both the banknotes and the silver.

“I kept them safe. I didn’t spend a single coin.”

She said it as if Ye Anling had handed her the money like she was a servant in charge of the household funds.

Ye Anling clenched her jaw and handed two taels of loose silver to Doctor Xu.

Then she said to Ye Chutang, “Elder Sister, I never planned to take the money back from you. Since I used two taels just now, I’ll return it to you once we’re home.”

“Alright. It’s getting late, let’s head back.”

Ye Chutang was finally ready to return to the estate, and Ye Anling let out a deep breath of relief.

Just as they reached the door, Ye Chutang suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Ye Anling’s nerves went on high alert.

Ye Chutang turned and said to the shopkeeper, “Shopkeeper, I won’t be embroidering handkerchiefs for wages anymore.”

The shopkeeper was stunned by her sudden change of heart.

“Very well. Whatever Miss Ye says goes.”

She couldn’t force her to work, after all.

Ye Anling thought Ye Chutang had finally come to her senses and recognized her own place as just the legitimate daughter of a declining noble family.

But what Ye Chutang said next nearly made Ye Anling spit blood.

“My mother left me a dowry worth a fortune. Even if the Ministry of Rites falls into poverty, it won’t affect me.”

As soon as she said that, everyone remembered the lavish wedding when Tang Wan’ning married Ye Jingchuan.

“I heard the Tang family in Jiangnan doted on their youngest daughter and gave her all the best items as part of her dowry.”

“Twenty-eight sedan chairs of dowry goods, enough to fill an entire boat—that was half the Tang family’s wealth!”

“Miss Ye owns mountains of gold and silver, yet was sent to the countryside to eat bran and swallow wild vegetables. How pitiful.”

Though the embroidery shopkeeper hadn’t seen the legendary wedding, she’d heard plenty of stories from palace maids.

A dowry that rivaled the national treasury—who wouldn’t be envious?

She smiled and said, “Miss Ye truly doesn’t need to earn money. With what your mother left you, you could squander money your whole life and never use it all.”

“As long as no one sets their sights on that dowry, that really is the case.”

With that, she left the embroidery shop.

Ye Anling followed behind in a daze.

Her confidence in becoming crown princess—and eventually empress—had always come from the dowry Tang Wan’ning left behind.

Now that Ye Chutang had exposed the truth about the dowry, would she still get what she wanted?

After the two left, the embroidery shop was abuzz with gossip.

“Miss Ye looks dumb and naive, but she’s not one to mess with.”

“No wonder—she’s the daughter of a merchant. Even if she was raised in the countryside, she’s got a sharp mind.”

“Exactly. She was clearly at a disadvantage but flipped the entire situation around.”

“With that massive dowry left behind by her mother, I bet matchmakers are already trampling down the gates of the Ministry.”

“Looks like the Ministry’s about to get lively!”

---

By the time Ye Chutang and Ye Anling returned to the Ministry of Rites—

Ye Chutang had outshined the Princess of Anping.

Eunuch De wanted to marry Ye Anling.

Ye Chutang was earning a living by embroidering handkerchiefs.

Ye Jingchuan only had five thousand taels left to his name.

Tang Wan’ning had left her only daughter a dowry worth a fortune.

These five explosive pieces of gossip had already spread across the entire capital.

In the palace, Eunuch De had heard that Ye Jingchuan was unhappy with him marrying Ye Anling and wanted to substitute her with the more beautiful legitimate eldest daughter instead.

He had a weakness for beauty. If the empress hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have even considered Ye Anling.

If he could swap her for a more pleasing wife to share his table, he’d be more than happy.

But he also hated being manipulated and felt he owed the empress a favor.

So whether it was Ye Anling, who dreamed of being crown princess, or Ye Chutang with her enormous dowry—he wanted both!

As for what others might say, he couldn’t care less.

“Three days from now is the Ministry’s homecoming banquet. I’m starting to look forward to it.”

His sharp, duck-like voice carried a sinister amusement that sent shivers down one’s spine.

“Xiao Zhuzi, go find out more about the eldest Miss Ye. I want her portrait.”

He wanted to see for himself whether Ye Chutang was truly as beautiful as the rumors claimed.

“Yes, Chief.”

---

Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Rites—

Ye Jingchuan sat at the head seat in the outer hall, glaring at Ye Chutang, veins bulging on his forehead.

He slammed his hand down on the table. “Wretched girl, kneel!”

Ye Chutang didn’t kneel. Instead, she feigned ignorance. “May I ask what has angered Lord Ye so?”

“You know exactly what you did!”

“Then let me ask you, which of my words was a lie?”

Ye Jingchuan was so furious he nearly had a heart attack.

“You’ve utterly disgraced the Ministry and still dare claim innocence!”

Ye Chutang sneered. “Lord Ye, put yourself in my shoes. Did I really do anything wrong?”

Naturally, Ye Jingchuan couldn’t empathize with her.

He only felt heartache for his precious daughter, Ye Anling.

“Anling was injured so badly for your sake, and you’re still slandering her—has your conscience been eaten by dogs?”

Ye Chutang scoffed. “She wasn’t protecting me. She was protecting this face of mine—the one that caught Eunuch De’s eye.”

At this moment, Eunuch De likely already knew Ye Jingchuan wanted her to be the replacement bride!

Who knew if that eunuch would start making trouble for her scumbag father?

Just hearing her mention Eunuch De again made Ye Jingchuan even angrier.

He stood up, strode up to her, and raised his hand to slap her.

Smack!

Ye Chutang clashed with Ye Jingchuan’s slap once again.

This time, she used all her strength.

A sickening crack echoed in the room—Ye Jingchuan’s hand snapped.

“Aaaargh!”

His pig-like shriek nearly lifted the roof.

The swelling on his palm instantly turned into a bruised, purple-black mess.

He stared in disbelief at his limp, dangling hand, eyes rolling back from the pain.

Steward Chen and the guards rushed in after hearing the scream.

Inside the main hall, only Ye Jingchuan and Ye Chutang were present.

One clutching a broken hand and howling, the other watching coldly like it was a show.

Steward Chen’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Ye Jingchuan’s injury. “Master, what happened?”

Without waiting for an answer, he ordered the guards to fetch the family physician.

Ye Jingchuan gritted his teeth in pain, gasping for air. His gaze at Ye Chutang was filled with murderous intent.

He ordered the guards, “Seize this unfilial girl—fifty strokes with the rod!”