"The young mistress didn't take a single thing with her..." Quezhi wept as she folded a dress.

Qiu Xiang shot her a look, and Quezhi immediately lowered her head in silence. Chang Yuncheng stood nearby, seemingly deaf to their conversation, turning a small box over and over in his hands. Inside lay three gourds.

He had been staring at the box for a long time, his eyes burning and aching, before snapping it shut.

"My Lord, everything is ready," Qiu Xiang said softly, approaching and glancing at the box tightly held in Chang Yuncheng's grip.

Chang Yuncheng remained silent, and the maids dared not speak. The silence in the room was suffocatingly heavy.

"Then send it off," Chang Yuncheng finally said, his voice muffled.

He did not hand over the box in his hand.

Qiu Xiang bowed her head. "Yes."

The servants retreated, leaving the room feeling even more vast and empty.

Chang Yuncheng surveyed the chamber, walking slowly across the space, his hand clenched around the box. Wherever his gaze fell, he seemed to catch the phantom outline of that woman. The bedding from the Luohan formation had been removed, restoring the room to the state it had been in when he lived here alone.

Chang Yuncheng sat down. A faint, lingering fragrance still brushed his nostrils. He remained motionless, sunken into a profound emptiness.

The Prefect had no habit of rising early, especially after those rare nights spent in a concubine's room, where he would inevitably seek a second round of intimacy upon waking to soft beauty in his arms. Accompanied by the concubine's gasps of "Master, you are so formidable," the Prefect would swell with pride. As they lay entwined, murmuring sweet nothings after the storm subsided, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Everyone in the household knew his morning routine; who would dare disturb him? The Prefect's face darkened.

"My Lord, Madam Qi requests an audience," came a voice from outside.

What Madam Qi? The Prefect cursed, ordering them to clear off. Meanwhile, the concubine tugged at his beard, demanding to know which madam it was, worried it might be someone he had slighted outside demanding redress. The Prefect hastily soothed her.

The person outside did not leave, clearing his throat instead.

"It is the Young Mistress of the Dingxi Marquis's Estate..." he announced.

The Prefect finally realized.

"What Dingxi Marquis's Young Mistress? The Dingxi Marquis's Young Mistress has divorced him. Who is this Young Mistress? Tell her to scram," he snarled, his face grim.

The messenger outside finally departed.

"Master, I heard the Young Mistress of the Dingxi Marquis's Estate is a divine physician. Why would she seek a divorce?" the concubine asked while helping the Prefect dress.

"Divine physician? That's just the gentry humoring the Dingxi Marquis's Estate. Where is any 'divine physician' status?" the Prefect laughed. "If she were truly divine, she'd have the Emperor seeking her favor..."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than approaching footsteps echoed outside.

"Father!" Huang Ziqiao's voice boomed from outside.

Hearing this voice, the dishevelled concubine paid the Prefect no mind and darted into the inner room. As predicted, Huang Ziqiao burst in the moment the sound faded. This only son, spoiled beyond measure, clearly held his own father in no regard. Seeing his son rush in, the Prefect’s face hardened.

"Nonsense, you..." he started to scold, but Huang Ziqiao grabbed his sleeve.

"Father, Madam Qi is here on urgent business. You must come out now," he insisted.

That unfilial brat... The Prefect was pulled along, stumbling out of the room.

Qi Yue waited anxiously in the main parlor. Seeing the Prefect enter, she quickly performed a curtsy.

The Prefect roughly shook off his son, straightened his robes, and adopted an imposing demeanor.

"I don't know who else to ask, so I assume Your Excellency is the best informed," Qi Yue said hesitantly. "Truthfully, I didn't wish to ask, but..."

The Prefect grew impatient.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Since the divorce is finalized, what about the dowry?" Qi Yue inquired.

This matter must have passed through the courts, so the dowry arrangement wouldn't be a private negotiation between the two parties, right? This falls under your jurisdiction as Prefect, doesn't it?

The Prefect’s eyes widened. He glanced her up and down. This woman was no longer adorned in the extravagant jewels she wore at the Dingxi Marquis's Estate. Though her clothes still followed Marquisate standards, the jewelry was gone, making her look somewhat impoverished. Has she gone mad with poverty?

"What divorce? Madam Qi, this 'divorce' is just a formality for the Marquisate's reputation to save face for you..." he stated indifferently. It’s a dismissal! A wife dismissed! And she asks for her dowry? What dowry does she even have? Everyone in Yongqing Prefecture knows you were a beggar. If the Marquisate hadn't thrown you a scrap of food, you’d have starved to death. What assets could you possibly possess?

Qi Yue understood the Prefect’s meaning perfectly. She met his gaze, her expression turning calm, the smile vanishing from her face. Indeed, she was the type to reciprocate respect generously, but the reverse was also true. She had genuinely not wanted to bring up the dowry; she never truly felt she was Qi Yueniang, and now, having abandoned that identity, she was simply Qi Yue. As Qi Yue, past affairs were irrelevant, especially asking for money—something a modern person accustomed to self-reliance found embarrassing.

However, if allowing Liu Pucheng and the others to be troubled meant she had to sacrifice her pride, she would rather do so. Furthermore, her embarrassment was no license for them to assume entitlement. What attitude was this Prefect showing her? She didn't demand gratitude, but surely basic courtesy was warranted? I bestowed a favor upon you, sir; I don't owe you money!

"Your Excellency," Qi Yue said, looking at him, "it truly was not."

The Prefect blinked, taken aback.

"What was not?" he asked, raising his eyelids slightly.

"It truly was not for the Marquisate's reputation to save face," Qi Yue replied with a slight smile.

The Prefect scoffed. This woman truly is... I should have dismissed her long ago...

Just as he was about to speak, he saw the woman in front of him draw something from her sleeve and flick it before his eyes.

"Kneel," Qi Yue commanded.

The Prefect roared in anger. "How dare you..." he bellowed.

"How dare you!" Qi Yue raised her voice higher, drowning out his, shaking open the piece of bright yellow silk in her hand.

The Prefect’s eyes immediately widened. This was... this was...

With a thud, the Prefect knelt.

"Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years," he kowtowed, shouting the acclamation.

Following the Prefect’s kneel, the young servants standing nearby also scrambled to the floor. What? The Emperor? They hadn't heard clearly.

"Rise," Qi Yue said, slightly bowing her head to present the yellow silk document before the Prefect. "Look, now you understand?"

The Prefect stared, sweat beading on his forehead. He wiped it away and nodded vigorously.

"Understood, understood," he stammered, rising unsteadily.

"So, I'm not entirely clear on this—the dowry, and I also wanted to ask if the people who attended me could come out as well. Of course, only if they choose willingly; their parents are still in the Estate. If they don't want to leave, that’s fine," Qi Yue said, carefully rolling up the Imperial Edict, knitting her brows slightly as if troubled.

"No problem, no problem, absolutely no problem, Madam. Whatever you say, this subordinate will handle it immediately," the Prefect replied instantly, his face fixed in a respectful smile.

"I apologize for troubling Your Excellency with such minor matters," Qi Yue said sweetly.

"What minor matter? Anything concerning Madam Qi is of the utmost importance," the Prefect immediately declared. "This is what this subordinate should do. If I have delayed you, I hope Madam can be magnanimous."

Qi Yue smiled. It was better to have the Prefect handle this directly, saving her the entanglement with the Marquisate staff. She lacked the energy to watch them argue, lacking even the strength to speak, yet no matter who handled the division of property, ugly confrontations were inevitable. Still, things were already ugly, and since she wouldn't have to see these faces again in this lifetime, let it be as it will.

The Prefect acted with swift authority. While personally escorting Qi Yue out, he hurried his men to their destination.

"When you retrieve it, send it directly to Madam's residence," the Prefect instructed.

"There's no need to rush, Your Excellency doesn't need to make such a grand show... Please, question the staff carefully. Don't frighten them. If they don't wish to leave their stable employment... do not force them..." Qi Yue said, feeling a pang of awkwardness as she watched the contingent of yamen runners assemble. Truthfully, she had hoped the Prefect would pay a private visit to the Marquis to discuss matters, but judging by the Prefect’s current display, he seemed intent on storming in and seizing everything.

Indeed, understanding the superior’s spirit and executing the superior’s will by singing loud praises was a skill honed by officials across all eras and nations.

The Prefect and his entourage swept into the Dingxi Marquis's Estate. The Marquis had been in no mood to receive guests lately, let alone this Prefect whom he deeply disliked.

"Tell him to scram," the Marquis commanded dismissively.

Unfortunately for him, the Prefect did not obediently leave but swaggered inside instead.

"Marquis, by Imperial command, this official has come to collect Madam Qi's dowry," he stated righteously.

The Marquis’s eyes widened. By Imperial command? What Imperial command?

"Madam Qi received an Edict of Divorce. Naturally, this official has come by Imperial decree to manage Madam Qi's dowry. Madam Old surely bestowed considerable dowry upon Madam Qi back then, did she not?" the Prefect said sternly, cupping his hands towards the direction of the Imperial City.

Edict of Divorce... The Marquis felt his mind reel. It’s over. They know everything...

"Get out!" the Marquis roared in exasperation, hurling the teacup from the table. All of them are petty villains! Villains bullying me!

"Marquis," the Prefect was no longer intimidated as he had been before. His back was straight, his legs steady, his demeanor utterly solemn, displaying the spirit of one who cannot be swayed by wealth or pressure. "Surely you do not intend to refuse? This is a matter of Imperial command; it is no joke."

The Marquis hurled another teacup.

"Why should I give her my family's possessions! I refuse to give them!" he snarled, his face ashen, pointing at the Prefect. "You spineless weakling, don't come here acting as my lackey!"

The Prefect was genuinely provoked. If he had been insulted before, he might have let it pass, but now he had the Emperor’s Edict backing him—who was afraid of whom!

"Dingxi Marquis, Chang Rong, are you planning to defy a direct Imperial Edict?" he retorted, pointing back at the Marquis.

As the argument raged, Madam Xie swept in from the doorway.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, stop shouting! They have already been given," Madam Xie announced.

Everyone in the room froze. Given?

Meanwhile, Qi Yue, having returned home, was also stunned. In the courtyard lay at least ten large chests, piled high.

"Heavens above," she couldn't help but widen her eyes. "What is all this?"

"These are the dowry items Old Madam Marquis bestowed upon you years ago," came an aged woman's voice.

Qi Yue looked at the old woman emerging from the house, even more astonished.

"Old Madam, how did you get here?" she asked.

"Young Mistress."

Behind Old Madam Xie stood A'ru and A'hao, who rushed out crying upon seeing Qi Yue. It seemed like ages since she had last seen these two maids. Qi Yue immediately smiled.

"You came too?" She walked towards them.

A'ru and A'hao rushed over, each taking an arm and weeping uncontrollably.

"Keeping these things here is too ostentatious. I have already secured a shop. They will come shortly to collect some of it. You can store them there and fetch whatever you need when you need it," Old Madam Xie explained, motioning for the two maids behind her to bring forward two caskets. "These are the property deeds."

She opened them as she spoke. Qi Yue looked inside and saw the two caskets overflowing with official documents. My God, all of this was from Old Madam Marquis? A'ru had only mentioned that the dowry was generous, but seeing the extent of the generosity truly shocked her. Did this account for nearly half of the Dingxi Marquis's entire fortune?

"This is the dowry list from that time," Old Madam Xie continued, handing over a thick stack of papers. "Please check it against the list."

Qi Yue took them numbly.

"I inquired when I came. Accompanying me are one stewardess, two laborers—a couple—and as for the maids, A'ru and A'hao volunteered to come out. These are their contracts of servitude," Old Madam Xie finished.

Qi Yue interrupted her. "Old Madam, why are you doing this?" she asked. "Is this repayment for saving your great-grandson?"

Old Madam Xie smiled faintly. "Saving my great-grandson—wasn't that the duty of you, a physician? Besides, I paid you a substantial consultation fee. Are you implying we are still not settled?"

Qi Yue smiled. "Then, Old Madam, this is..." she inquired.

"This is not my doing; this is Yuncheng's wish," Old Madam Xie stated calmly.

One more chapter to come~RS