Chapter 17: Blushing, She Walked Over

Prime Minister’s Residence.

After returning from the palace, Fei Yan did not head to the inner courtyard but instead stayed in his outer chamber.

Upon arrival, he summoned a physician.

Dong Xinrui thought he had fallen ill and hurried anxiously to the outer courtyard.

When she learned that Fei Yan had been caned by the Emperor, her eyes turned slightly red, and she bit her lip.
“Why would His Majesty punish the Prime Minister with a beating?”

She directed this question to Guard Cheng.

Inside the room, Fei Yan was lying facedown while the physician checked his pulse and applied ointment. Since the injury was on his rear, he couldn’t apply the medicine himself.

Guard Cheng replied in a low voice, “The Second Master occupied someone else’s ancestral secret recipe back in his hometown. The Censor reported it to the Emperor, blaming His Lordship for poor discipline and dereliction of duty.”

The reason Fei Gang dared to snatch someone’s formula in the first place was precisely because Fei Yan was the Prime Minister.

Dong Xinrui hadn’t expected the Emperor would order a caning over something like that.
“It was clearly the Second Master’s fault. And besides, which noble household in the capital hasn’t caused deaths or scandals? Why is it only Fei Yan who gets beaten?!”

But halfway through, she stopped herself—it had, after all, been an imperial order.

Once the physician finished, Dong Xinrui asked about the wound’s care in detail before letting him go.

Then she entered the inner room.

The chamber was brightly lit. Fei Yan was lying face down on the bed.

Her eyes landed on the man’s bare upper body, his well-defined back clearly visible.

Blushing, Dong Xinrui walked over.

“Ah Yan.”

“Hmm? Don’t worry. It’s just a superficial wound,” Fei Yan replied, frowning slightly when he saw how thinly dressed she was.
“What were the servants thinking, letting you come here in this cold dressed like that? Someone, bring her a fur cloak.”

Dong Xinrui’s heart melted like it had been filled with sugar. Even while injured, Fei Yan still cared for her.
“I came in a rush when I heard you’d called for a physician. It’s not their fault.”

A senior maid entered, eyes respectfully lowered, holding the cloak. She didn’t dare glance at the man lying on the bed.

Dong Xinrui glanced at her, saw her behaving properly, and was satisfied. She took the cloak and put it on herself, then dismissed the maid.

She had planned to stay and chat with Fei Yan, but suddenly Guard Cheng requested an audience from outside.

Fei Yan got out of bed, threw on a robe, fastened his belt loosely, and allowed Guard Cheng to enter.

“My Lord, the magistrate of Yingtian Prefecture sent word—Miss Tang has gone to the prefecture yamen to file a complaint, accusing the Prime Minister’s residence of seizing her dowry.”

Guard Cheng didn’t even dare look at Fei Yan’s expression anymore. That Miss Tang is something else.
“There’s more. Some scholars have already written essays criticizing you for stealing a woman’s dowry.”

When Tang Chaoyang went to file the complaint, she didn’t name the Old Madam specifically. She had simply said “the Prime Minister’s residence.”

Fei Yan actually laughed in disbelief—she really was causing a storm.

First he had been punished by the Emperor over Fei Gang’s theft, and now came this scandal over Tang Chaoyang’s dowry.

His reputation had taken a hit. Those who wanted to bring him down would surely fan the flames further.

Dong Xinrui’s gentle expression almost cracked when she heard that Tang Chaoyang had filed a complaint at the prefecture yamen.

That woman had come for her dowry just before noon—and she was already at the yamen by afternoon!

The thought made her chest tighten.

Fei Yan turned to Dong Xinrui.
“Xinrui, when did Tang Chaoyang come to retrieve her dowry?”

Dong Xinrui gave a helpless look.
“She came before noon today, but Mother stopped her. Ah Yan, I tried to talk her out of it.”

She added, “I was even planning to speak to Mother again in the next few days and send the dowry back to her. I didn’t expect… she’d go to the yamen today.”

Fei Yan’s gaze darkened. Tang Chaoyang’s accusation and the Censor’s memorial—was it coincidence?

Or was someone orchestrating it all?

The man pondered.

Given Tang Chaoyang’s personality, she would go to the authorities if she didn’t get her dowry back. But surely she hadn’t somehow known this would coincide with today’s incident?

He said calmly to Dong Xinrui,
“Have someone organize Tang Chaoyang’s dowry and send it to the General’s estate immediately.”

Dong Xinrui nodded gracefully, though she nearly coughed blood. She had originally planned to sit back and enjoy watching Tang Chaoyang and the Old Madam clash for a few days.
“Ah Yan, you rest. I’ll handle this matter.”

Just as Tang Chaoyang had guessed, most of her dowry had already been taken by the Old Madam and Fei Li.

When Dong Xinrui heard Nanny Huang report that over half the dowry was missing, her face fell.

So shameless…

“Nanny, take some people personally to the Old Madam and Fei Li. Tell them to return Tang Chaoyang’s dowry. Say she’s already filed a complaint at the yamen against the Prime Minister’s residence.”

Let them direct their hatred toward Tang Chaoyang instead.

Nanny Huang accepted the order and led some servants to Rong’en Hall.

Inside Rong’en Hall—

Fei Li had just returned to the estate. After hearing from the head maid that Tang Chaoyang had tried to retrieve her dowry, she rushed to Rong’en Hall. She had a few of Tang Chaoyang’s jewelry sets in her possession.

The Old Madam frowned and forced herself to finish a bowl of medicinal soup.

She hadn’t been sleeping well, and her headaches had worsened.
“What’s the rush? The dowry is in the Fei household—she can’t take it. If she wants it, she has to send Fei An’an back first.”

Fei Li smiled at that.
“You always know what to do, Mother.”

She had never liked Tang Chaoyang. That woman always wore fancy clothes and acted so high and mighty.

But now, she was nothing more than a laughingstock—an abandoned woman.

As the mother and daughter were chatting, a maid entered to report that Nanny Huang had arrived.

“Let her in.”

Soon, several servants began carrying out valuable pieces of Tang Chaoyang’s dowry from Rong’en Hall.

The Old Madam clutched her forehead. Her headache worsened from the rage.

She cursed Tang Chaoyang viciously.
“That wretch! She used to pretend to be filial, and now she dares to shout and stir trouble!”

The servants kept their heads low and quickly carried things out.

The Prime Minister was such an outstanding man, and yet the Old Madam acted like a common shrew.

Once the dowry inventory was completed, Dong Xinrui instructed the steward to arrange for it to be sent to the General’s estate.

She also sent her head maid to open the treasury and personally selected two sets of jewelry—one for the Old Madam, and one for Fei Li.

She was skilled at coaxing people and made it look like she had no choice in the matter.

The Old Madam accepted the jewelry and said,
“It’s not your fault. If that woman hadn’t gone to the authorities, the Prime Minister’s residence wouldn’t be the talk of the town.”

Fei Li chimed in with consolation,
“That’s right, Sister-in-law. It’s not your fault.”

After all, her sister-in-law was the Empress’s niece and the legitimate daughter of the Imperial Tutor’s household—an identity far more noble than Tang Chaoyang’s.

Nowadays, when she attended social gatherings, noble ladies competed to curry favor with her because of her brother and sister-in-law. Back then, she couldn’t even get invited to such events.

Fei Yan soon heard everything that had happened at Rong’en Hall.

He gifted Dong Xinrui a calligraphy painting by the esteemed Master Qingwu, which he’d obtained some time ago.

Dong Xinrui adored it. She had only given away two jewelry sets and already gained her husband’s affection in return.

Nanny Huang was pleased for her mistress.
“Madam, the Prime Minister sees and appreciates your goodness.”

Dong Xinrui ordered the painting to be carefully stored.
“Have the kitchen be more attentive these days. Ah Yan needs to recuperate and build his strength.”

Nanny Huang agreed.

Just then, a young maid entered to report. She knelt and said,
“Madam, the Prime Minister has personally delivered the dowry to the General’s estate.”

“What?!”

Dong Xinrui’s eyes widened in disbelief. In her shock, her hand clenched tightly, nearly tearing the calligraphy scroll she was holding.

Ah Yan… why would he personally deliver it?!

He’s still injured!