Font Size:
For a moment, he was annoyed with himself for being so captivated by a woman.
“Three days have passed, and you still haven’t returned home for your *guining*.”
*Guining*?
She still had to go back to the Prime Minister’s Residence?
Her brows furrowed slightly as she nodded indifferently. “How considerate of the Heir Apparent to remember.”
“This Heir is swamped with official duties. You may return on your own!”
Shang Ruoyi nodded nonchalantly. After all, it was just a formality—whether he went or not made little difference.
After bidding farewell to the princess consort, she set off for her parents’ home with the gifts she had prepared in advance.
Upon arriving at the Prime Minister’s Residence, she saw Shang Nian and the First Wife already waiting at the entrance.
As the carriage came to a stop, they hurried forward. “Greetings to the Heir Apparent.”
The coachman opened the door, but out stepped Shang Ruoyi instead.
Shang Nian peered inside, finding it empty, and said in a low voice, “Why are you alone?”
“What? Is the Prime Minister waiting for that son-in-law you despised?” Shang Ruoyi strode into the residence, her gaze sweeping over the servants in the courtyard. They all kept their heads down, not daring to meet her eyes.
In the original host’s memories, these very people had once bullied her.
Now that she had transformed into the Consort of Prince Dingguo’s Heir, they must be terrified she would seek revenge.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Shang Nian stepped forward, raising his hand as if to strike her.
“Does the Prime Minister dare to hit me?” Shang Ruoyi said coldly. “Take a good look—I am now the Consort of Prince Dingguo’s Heir, not the Second Miss of the Prime Minister’s Residence who could be trampled upon at will.”
Shang Nian was frozen by her glare, his raised hand not daring to descend.
At this moment, the First Wife approached. “Since you’re here, you might as well stay for lunch before leaving. We wouldn’t want people to say we didn’t even offer you a meal.”
Shang Ruoyi’s lips curled slightly as she nodded in agreement.
“Before lunch, I’ll be in my courtyard. No one is to enter without my permission.”
She turned to the guards behind her. “Understood?”
“As you command.”
As she walked away, the matron beside the First Wife muttered under her breath, “Now that she’s climbed to a higher branch, she doesn’t even spare a glance for the master and mistress.”
“No matter,” The First Wife said with a cold smile. “Her days of fortune won’t last much longer. Once lunch is ready, send it directly to her courtyard. Let her eat quickly and leave.”
“Yes, this old servant understands.”
Shang Ruoyi’s courtyard was tucked away in the most remote corner of the Prime Minister’s Residence. Ordinarily, no one would come here, much less pay attention to what she was doing.
In the past, the First Wife had often withheld her meals, forcing her to sneak out in a maid’s disguise to find food.
As a result, she knew the layout of the residence like the back of her hand.
She removed her outer robe, changed into the maid’s clothes she had hidden away, and quickly applied a simple disguise before slipping out through the window.
The residence’s treasury was located in the southeast corner, right next to Shang Nian’s study.
Keeping her head down, she made her way to the treasury door.
Faced with the lock, she pulled out a silver wire and fiddled with it for a few moments. With a soft *click*, the lock sprang open.
Inside the treasury, dozens of large chests were stacked high, filled to the brim with gold, silver, and jewels.
*Tsk tsk tsk*, her scumbag father sure knew how to embezzle!
Just how many shady dealings had it taken to amass such wealth?
Since these were ill-gotten gains, she saw no reason to hold back.
Placing her hand on the treasures, she willed them away—and in an instant, everything vanished into her dimension.
In a moment, the storeroom was completely empty except for those opened chests.
The thought of Shang Nian and the First Wife’s expressions when they discovered this later filled her with immense satisfaction.
This was also why she had insisted on staying for lunch before leaving.
She stepped out of the storeroom, carefully restored the lock, and was about to return to her courtyard when she heard Shang Nian’s voice coming from the study.
“The memorial has already been submitted to His Majesty. Now, everything is ready—we only await the east wind!”
“Prime Minister, there’s no need to worry. His Majesty has already made his decision. We just need to wait for the good news,” an unfamiliar man’s voice replied. “Once the Dingguo Prince Residence is dealt with, we can rest easy.”
What?
This involved the Dingguo Prince Residence?
She was about to move closer to hear more clearly when hurried footsteps sounded in the distance.
Shang Ruoyi quickly retreated.
Back in her courtyard, recalling the First Wife’s earlier words, her unease grew stronger.
Just then, a piercing scream echoed throughout the Prime Minister’s Residence.
Had they discovered it so soon?
It turned out the First Wife had intended to store the gifts Shang Ruoyi brought for her *guining* in the storeroom. But when she opened the door, she found dozens of large chests completely empty.
This was wealth she had painstakingly accumulated over more than a decade—treasures she had planned to give Shang Yufu as a dowry.
Now, it had all vanished without a trace.
How could she not go mad?
“Shang Ruoyi! It must be her!” With that, she stormed toward the courtyard with a crowd of servants and guards in tow.
Just as she was about to barge in, the guards blocked her. “Madam, no one is permitted entry without the Heir Apparent’s Consort’s summons.”
“How dare you! This is the Prime Minister’s Residence! Since when does Shang Ruoyi call the shots here?”
“Madam, these are the Heir Apparent’s Consort’s orders. Please comply.” The guards from the Dingguo Prince Residence had no reason to fear the wife of a mere prime minister.
After a long standoff, the First Wife still couldn’t set foot inside the courtyard.
Frustrated, she began shouting at the gates instead. “Shang Ruoyi! Come out here!”
Seeing that the time was right, Shang Ruoyi rubbed her eyes and stepped out, feigning drowsiness. “Who’s barking so loudly here?”
“Shang Ruoyi! How dare you commit theft? Aren’t you afraid of being thrown in prison?”
“Theft?” Shang Ruoyi scoffed. “When did I steal anything? And what exactly did I steal?”
“You stole the treasures from my storeroom!” The First Wife roared. “Theft is punishable by the severing of hands! If you return everything now, I might still consider sparing you.”
“What treasures were in your storeroom? How much was there?”
“Dozens of large chests—” Before she could finish, realization struck her. Even several strong men would struggle to move dozens of chests filled with gold, silver, and jewels. How could Shang Ruoyi have managed it alone?
The guards at the gate couldn’t help but laugh. How could their Heir Apparent’s Consort possibly carry dozens of chests by herself?
“Madam, accusations require evidence. Otherwise, slandering a member of the imperial family is a grave crime!” Shang Ruoyi straightened her sleeves and spoke coldly. “Also, from now on, you will address me as the Heir Apparent’s Consort. If you dare call me by name again, I will have you punished for disrespecting the imperial family.”
The First Wife trembled with rage. Dozens of chests of priceless treasures—gone just like that! “Then where are my treasures? Where are they?”
“If you don’t believe me, send someone to search. This shabby courtyard can be taken in at a glance. See for yourself if there are any of the dozens of chests you speak of.”
The First Wife trembled uncontrollably, unable to hold on any longer, and fainted on the spot.
Shang Ruoyi walked out of the courtyard, watching the servants hastily help the First Wife up. A faint smile curled at the corners of her lips as she said, “Let’s return to the manor!”