Cheng Yujin felt sad for Cheng Yuanjing. In a sense, their experiences were very similar.
But she immediately reacted. No matter how pitiful Cheng Yuanjing was, he was still the crown prince. She was just an adopted eldest miss who was in a precarious situation. What right did she have to sympathize with the crown prince? If she had the time, she should think about her future path.
Cheng Yuan-hsien complained about Marquis Cheng's favoritism. Cheng Yujin did not respond, but Princess Qingfu frowned and glanced around. The maids on both sides quickly lowered their heads, not daring to breathe loudly.
Qingfu patted Cheng Yuan-hsien's arm, saying: "Eldest brother, father is still sick. If mother hears about this now and hears about it, she might be angry. "
"That's nothing." Cheng Yuan-hsien did not care, "The imperial physician said to prepare for his funeral, so it should be in a few days. Don't think that my mother and Xiao Xue have been fighting and competing for their entire lives. In reality, she is most concerned about my father's inheritance. My father is just a face. It's not to the extent that my mother has feelings for him. "
Princess Qingfu was slightly relieved when she heard this. Of course, she did not have any feelings for her father-in-law. In fact, she wanted Marquis Cheng to die quickly. That way, Cheng Yuan-hsien could inherit the title and she would no longer have to look at Old Lady Cheng's face. However, her mother-in-law was still a mountain above her head. Princess Qingfu did not dare to offend Old Lady Cheng. If Cheng Yuan-hsien said something about Marquis Cheng behind her back and it reached Old Lady Cheng's ears, Cheng Yuan-hsien's son would be fine. However, Qingfu would be miserable. Now that she heard from Cheng Yuan-hsien that the Old Madame was also concerned about the property arrangement, Qingfu felt relieved and could join in the discussion.
Qingfu stayed in the Inner Residence all day long, and all the expenses of the Marquis Household were taken care of by her, so she had a more comprehensive understanding of money. She said, "Eldest Master is the heir apparent, so the public lands should belong to Eldest Master. However, Old Marquis has been the head of the household for so many years, so it's inevitable that he's accumulated a lot of private property. Just by looking at how the Nine Masters studied for the imperial examinations and never lacked money, you can tell that the Old Marquis has a lot of money. "
This was also what Cheng Yuan-hsien was most concerned about. The Imperial Examination was not a money-saving job, especially since Cheng Yuanjing had always hired a tutor to teach him alone since he was young. Over the years, the amount of money spent on the Imperial Examination was not a small amount. Moreover, Cheng Yuanjing and Xiao Xue bought another residence and lived outside. All their expenses were taken from Old Marquis's private account. Old Lady Cheng had embezzled money for so many years that a normal man would not be able to support himself. However, Marquis Cheng did not. From the beginning to the end, he had never once asked Old Lady Cheng for money.
The amount of money in Marquis Cheng's hands was frighteningly large. Cheng Yuan-hsien, Cheng Yuanhan, and even Old Lady Cheng had been jealous of Marquis Cheng for many years. They were waiting for him to die so that they could immediately snatch the business of making money from Old Marquis. After all, the Marquis of Yichun had been sitting around and eating for so many years, so his financial situation was not good.
Qingfu, as the wife of the head of the household, knew this very well.
Therefore, Qingfu was also very concerned about Marquis Cheng's private property. In her opinion, they were the eldest son's eldest son and his eldest son was the eldest son. All of Marquis Cheng's savings should belong to the eldest son's family. The second son's family had another idea. The Nguyễn Clan and Cheng Yuanhan both felt that since the ancestral land and ancestral property were left to the eldest son's family, then the parents' private property should be equally divided between the two sons. In fact, the eldest son's family should even take care of the younger brother.
Old Lady Cheng also planned to take Marquis Cheng's savings into her own hands. Although she gave birth to the son, who did not like money? Old Lady Cheng held the property in her hands. Not only would she live a comfortable life, but her two sons and daughters-in-law would also compete to be filial to her. Why not?
However, there was no doubt that the Cheng Family and the mother and son had a common camp. That was, the money must not be left to Cheng Yuanjing. Even if these things were to be lost, they should be lost in the hands of their own family.
Cheng Yuan-hsien said: "That's right. Even if the money in father's hands is his own property, it still comes from the Marquis Household. It should belong to us. Seniority is in order. In the future, father and mother will rely on me for their retirement, so these properties should be left to me. Cheng Yuanjing spent a lot of money to take the imperial examinations and bribe the officials. These are all my money. "
Qingfu hurriedly agreed: "That's the reason. These years, father has not cared about the family's affairs. The Marquis Household is such a big business, but it is still supported by the eldest son. Besides, we still have Bao 'er. "
Cheng Yuan-hsien and Princess Qingfu were in agreement on this point. They could not help but discuss how much Marquis Cheng's private wealth. Cheng Yujin listened on the side and shook her head in amusement.
Cheng Yuanjing had indeed spent a lot of money on his studies. Looking at his clothes, the money he had spent on food and clothing over the years was not a small sum. However, this money had nothing to do with the Marquis of Yichun. It was not Marquis Cheng's expenses at all for Cheng Yuanjing and Xiao Xue. On the contrary, it was probably Cheng Yuanjing who was supporting the Marquis of Yichun.
The Marquis of Yichun had no one to hold a position in the imperial court. For many years, they had been living on nothing and could only rely on the fields, land, and shops left behind by their ancestors to survive. However, in this world, there was no such thing as' if I don't offend others don't offend me '. The weak were prey to the strong, and if one did not advance, one would fall behind. There was only so much meat. Once a family lost its protector in the imperial court, it would definitely be attacked by other families. The family's business would only be snatched away day by day and even taken over. Although the Cheng Family had not expanded in these years, the businesses left behind by their ancestors were still earning money for the Cheng Family. It could be seen that there was a deity behind the scenes, so outsiders did not dare to have any ideas about the Cheng Family.
Cheng Yujin had once thought that this person was Consort Shu. An imperial concubine and an official's family were on a completely different level. No matter how high a man's official position was, he would not dare to offend a eunuch. And no matter how powerful a eunuch was, he would not dare to easily offend a beauty or an imperial concubine. Consort Shu was the eldest daughter of the Xu Family of the Duke House of Chang. She had a roundabout relationship with the Cheng Family by marriage. Cheng Yujin originally thought that perhaps everyone was afraid of Consort Shu, so they also respected the Cheng Family somewhat.
Now that she thought about it, she was simply ridiculously naive. Consort Shu had no children and no power. Under the suppression of Empress Yang, her favor was really lacking. Even if outsiders wanted to give face, they would give face to the Xu Family. What did the Cheng Family count for? The reason they were able to enjoy wealth until now was clearly because of Cheng Yuanjing's good fortune.
It was laughable that Cheng Yuan-hsien and Princess Qingfu were still here scheming against Marquis Cheng's trump card, afraid that Cheng Yuanjing would take advantage of it. They did not even think about whether Marquis Cheng would be able to endure it. Cheng Yuanjing had been spending his own money all these years. Cheng Yuan-hsien, Princess Qingfu, and Old Lady Cheng were very envious. The so-called huge private property of Marquis Cheng was just a castle in the air, an empty account. The more greedy they were now, the more disappointed they would be when they got the account book.
Qingfu was wholeheartedly calculating the inheritance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cheng Yujin standing quietly on the side with her eyes downcast. She did not know what she was thinking. Her heart was moved. She said, "Eldest Young Lady, the most important thing in life is to clearly recognize your own identity. Eldest Uncle and I both treat you as our own daughter. The reason you can have your current life is all thanks to the eldest branch providing you with food and drink. Even the double-sided embroidery that was praised by the Emperor was learned from my dowry's embroiderer. People must know how to repay kindness. People who live off one's family and betray others are doomed to have a bad end. Do you understand? "
Princess Qingfu saw that Cheng Yujin did not speak. She thought that she was thinking about her biological parents. Princess Qingfu was afraid that Cheng Yujin would secretly report to the Nguyễn Clan, so she deliberately warned her.
Cheng Yujin clenched her fists. Every time Princess Qingfu gave her a little benefit, she wanted to shout and let the whole capital know. Even so, she still reminded her every day to know how to repay kindness. As for the Nguyễn Clan, whenever she saw an opportunity, she would cry and complain about how difficult it was for her to be pregnant for ten months. Because Cheng Yujin came out of her mother's womb first, she stole a lot of nutrients from her younger sister. Qingfu and the Nguyễn Clan both asked her to repay kindness. On the one hand, they both prevented her from living off one's family and betraying another's family.
One gave birth to her but did not raise her, the other raised her but did not teach her. Dare she ask where the kindness was?
Cheng Yujin felt that it was funny. In the beginning, it was not her who begged the Nguyễn Clan to give birth to her, nor was it her who begged Qingfu to adopt her. If they did not want to adopt her, the Nguyễn Clan and Princess Qingfu could have refused. In the end, the two did not dare to disobey Old Lady Cheng. They turned around and pushed all the blame to Cheng Yujin.
These two mothers, how could they have the face to ask Cheng Yujin to repay kindness? Cheng Yujin was very annoyed, but she quickly controlled her emotions. Instead, she smiled and nodded: "Daughter naturally understands. The first branch is of the same breath and branch. One's glory and one's loss are all together. This time, it was all thanks to mother that daughter was able to receive a reward from the Emperor. It's a pity that daughter's words carry little weight. Although the gold embroidery from the palace sounds nice, in reality, it can't do much. If daughter can find a good husband's family, in the future, I can rely on my husband's family to support third brother. "
When her son was mentioned, Princess Qingfu's expression became much more serious. She couldn't help but ponder this sentence. Qingfu always felt that Cheng Yujin was only a daughter in name. She was adopted to accumulate blessings for Bao 'er. In the future, she would be benevolent enough to give her a dowry. However, Cheng Yujin's words reminded Qingfu that marriage was originally a good thing. Every marriage was accompanied by a huge flow of wealth and sharing of resources. Cheng Yujin was good looking and had a good reputation. She seemed to be much more useful than the dowry.
Qingfu couldn't help but think that her maternal family, Ning Wang Fu, was far away in Jiangnan. It was too far away. Cheng Yuan-hsien was also a sloppy person. It would be difficult for Bao 'er to count on him as a father. In the second generation of the Cheng Family, the only outstanding one was Cheng Yuanjing. With the relationship between Cheng Yuanjing and the first branch, Qingfu didn't feel that Cheng Yuanjing could support his nephew. After thinking about it, the only one that could be supported was Cheng Yujin's husband, Bao 'er's future brother-in-law.
Cheng Yujin calmly reminded: "Mother, I only have Bao 'er as a younger brother. Although a woman follows her husband after marriage, her maternal family is what a woman relies on for a lifetime. In the future, I will have to rely on En Bao to support me. If I don't support En Bao, who else can I support? It's a pity that my engagement was broken and my reputation is damaged. Although I have the Emperor's words, they can't be compared to real benefits. I'm afraid that it will be difficult for my daughter to enter a prestigious family. On the contrary, Second Meimei has already mentioned a good marriage. In the future, with her help, Eldest Brother and Second Brother's official career will be much smoother. Thinking about it, Grandmother will also prepare a good dowry for Second Meimei. The second branch has great potential in the future. If Grandmother doesn't win over the second branch now, when will she? "
Princess Qingfu's expression changed. Even Cheng Yuan-hsien's face was unhappy: "Relying on the second branch? How is that possible! "
Cheng Yuan-hsien didn't care that he was sloppy for the rest of his life. He was neither good nor bad, but he absolutely couldn't accept that the second branch was better than him. Qingfu was even more so. Just thinking about the Nguyễn Clan gaining power in the future made her feel uncomfortable.
"Of course." Cheng Yujin smiled and slowly said, "Who told Second Meimei to already be engaged? Let's not talk about the distant future. Just based on the fact that Second Meimei is about to get married, Grandfather will give Second Uncle and Second Aunt a large sum of money. I previously heard from the maidservants in Grandmother's courtyard that Grandmother plans to give my dowry to Second Meimei. When the time comes, Grandmother will subsidize a sum of money from the family's funds. Adding on the money that Mother had prepared for me, and then Grandfather will secretly give us a sum of money. Second Meimei will be able to help your parents and brothers earn back a large sum of money. "
Princess Qingfu stood up with a bang, her face ashen. Cheng Yuan-hsien also secretly cursed. Why didn't he think of this before! Seeing that Marquis Cheng wouldn't live for long, if the second branch used the excuse of their daughter's marriage to secretly run to Marquis Cheng and act pitiful, who knows how much money they could get from Old Marquis!
When Cheng Yuan-hsien thought of this, he immediately couldn't sit still. Qingfu was also very angry. She repeatedly walked in circles on the ground, "Hateful, clearly this is Eldest Young Lady's marriage, but now all the benefits are being taken away by them. Eldest Young Lady won't be able to persuade her husband in such a short time, what should we do! "
"Foolish!" Cheng Yuan-hsien scolded, "Seniority is the order of seniority. Elder Sister hasn't married yet, so what is the reason for Younger Sister to leave early? As long as Eldest Young Lady hasn't been engaged, the second branch has to wait for me! Besides, even if Eldest Young Lady hasn't found a good husband, the dowry can be prepared in advance. While Father is still alive, let him add a portion of dowry for his granddaughter, and perhaps his illness will be cured. "
The more Cheng Yuan-hsien spoke, the more he felt that his idea was reasonable. Qingfu was also immediately convinced. She repeatedly praised, "Eldest Young Master, you are right. Also, Mother is also muddle-headed. It belongs to whoever it belongs to. How can she give Eldest Young Lady's dowry to others just because her marriage was canceled? Presumably, the husband and wife of the second branch said this in front of Mother and coaxed Mother into doing what they wanted. We, as children, can't say that the elders are wrong. However, in this family, Father has the final say. Why don't Eldest Young Master talk to Father about this matter? "
Cheng Yuan-hsien agreed. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that time waits for no one. He lifted his robe and walked out. Qingfu didn't expect Cheng Yuan-hsien to walk so quickly. She chased after him and shouted twice. She held on to the door frame and anxiously didn't know what to do.
Cheng Yujin smiled and called Princess Qingfu. He reached out and took out an embroidered pouch, "Mother, Father left in a hurry and forgot to take his pouch. You should quickly give it to Father. "
This was like someone sending a pillow to him when he was dozing off. Qing Fu didn't know how to chase after them. She let the maidservant take the pouch. She still looked hesitant. Cheng Yujin said what was in her heart, "Mother, don't worry. I will take good care of Enbao. On the other hand, Father doesn't have any pocket money. I'm afraid it's not right. You should quickly give Father the things! "
Princess Qingfu's face looked better. She followed Cheng Yujin's steps and said, "You take good care of Younger Brother. I'll go see Eldest Young Master."
"Yes."
Qingfu finally went out as she wished. They went to Marquis Cheng's room to ask for the family property. After they left, Cheng Yujin suddenly became the only master in the room. Princess Qingfu's maidservant saw Cheng Yujin and was very respectful.
Cheng Yujin arranged things for them and sat in the trees to look at the flowers. Lian Qiao saw that there was no one around and asked in a low voice, "Miss, don't you need to go to the front and watch?"
"No need." Cheng Yujin was calm and composed as she said, "How can I do such an ugly thing as asking for money from an old and weak elder? Don't worry, the excuse of preparing my dowry is very useful and convenient. They will help me fight for enough property. "
Lian Qiao prostrated herself in admiration, "Miss is very good at divination."
"There's no need for divination. With their brains, they can do it easily. I know them too well. "Cheng Yujin leisurely took a sip of tea. She enjoyed the dense fragrance of the tea and nodded her head. The sunlight made people feel warm. Cheng Yujin didn't need to go out. She only needed to quietly watch others quarrel and she could enjoy the fruits of others' labor and obtain a large amount of dowry.
Quarreling was a waste of energy and looked fierce. Why should she do it herself?
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