Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Confiscating Property, Canceling Engagement

General Fu’s question implied that he had already taken the side of Prince Ling’s Mansion.

If Jun Yuyan had the ambition to claim the succession, he would surely assist to the end.

Jun Yuyan looked towards Murong Jiu and replied to General Fu, “I did not have it before, but now I do.”

Murong Jiu responded with a smile, her heart sweet as honey.

The Prince developed these ambitions because of her.

In this world, there was no one more suitable to be Emperor than the Prince, an Emperor who would be good for the country and the people.

General Fu saw the expressions on their faces and understood the meaning behind Prince Ling’s words.

Actually, when he fought side by side with Jun Yuyan, he knew that Yuyan had no desire for the throne, but now that had changed.

He nodded, “If that is so, I shall assist with all my might.”

Having said this, he took a few more glances at his daughter before leaving.

He still had many matters to attend to.

After he left, Murong Jiu said to Jun Yuyan, “Father handed over the Tiger Talisman just so he could help you properly, without making the Emperor wary.”

Jun Yuyan nodded. It was only right for General Fu to hand over the Tiger Talisman, as the Emperor was overly suspicious. To pave the way for his Third Younger Imperial Brother, he needed to keep a check on the forces of him and the Second Prince.

The Emperor had indeed condemned Marquis Yongning and Lady Wang in a moment of anger, but at that moment, he did not mention much about General’s Mansion, which showed that he was still being cautious inside, fearful that after General Fu became his father-in-law, the balance would tip too far to one side.

As soon as General Fu handed over the Tiger Talisman, the Emperor was immediately pleased, thus he provided a small compensation—holding a palace banquet for Ah Jiu’s return.

To the Emperor, it was a minor gesture, but for him, for Ah Jiu, and for General Fu, it meant a great deal.

It signified a complete break from the past identity, it signified the importance everyone placed on her.

Both Jun Yuyan and General Fu hoped that she would return in honor, for she had suffered too many grievances in the past.

If today General Fu had not handed over the Tiger Talisman, all they would have received was the Emperor’s boundless suspicions.

Murong Jiu thought about how her father in her past life had not handed over the Tiger Talisman. Was it because he had found out about her identity and wanted to hold tight to the Tiger Talisman, to plan for her?

Her heart soured, but she quickly adjusted her feelings. It was not her past life anymore, the trajectory had long been different, and she would not allow the General’s Mansion to make the same mistakes again.

Yongning Marquis Manor.

After the imperial decree was announced, everyone in the Yongning Marquis Manor was incredulous, collapsing to the ground, unable to believe that they were to be demoted to commoners!

From the nobility of the capital to penniless commoners!

They didn’t even have the time to hide some gold and silver treasures before the officials in charge of the confiscation, along with the government officials, stormed in, turning the Marquis Mansion upside down in no time!

They stripped the brocaded robes from everyone’s body, not to mention items like gold hairpins and jade bracelets.

Apart from Murong Man, not a single person from the Marquis Mansion was spared; they all wore plain white clothes and were driven out of the Marquis Mansion, the signboard taken down and trampled upon several times.

Outside, the common people who had come to watch the excitement filled the air with their jeers, curses, and even applause, feeling it was a just dessert.

The Old Madam had fainted when the imperial decree was announced. This time it was not an act; she truly fainted from acute distress.

But the others had no time to care for her as they became disorganized, all seeking Murong Man’s help and relief.

In the entire Marquis Mansion, only Murong Man was not considered a commoner, for she still had the opportunity to marry the Second Prince as a Concubine.

However, Murong Man felt as if her soul had been scattered to the wind, her heart filled with intense hatred toward Murong Jiu.

She was originally meant to become the Second Princess Consort, destined for a life of endless glory. If it hadn’t been for the sudden exposure of Murong Jiu’s origins, and the discovery of Lady Wang and the Marquis Mansion’s crimes, they wouldn’t have lost their noble status and been demoted to commoners!

The Emperor must have felt that her status was no longer presentable, demoting her from being the Crown Princess to a mere concubine!

A concubine is equivalent to a mistress!

That aside, at least the Second Prince truly cherished her.

But whenever she thought of attending banquets in the future, the way those Noble Girls would look at her, how they would talk behind her back, discuss her cruel mother Lady Wang—soon to be executed—!

That was what truly tormented her.

At this moment, Murong Man was unaware that the people of the Marquis Mansion, accustomed to luxury and indulgence, would cling to her like leeches in the future, craving to drain her dry.

Now she was consumed by resentment, hating Murong Jiu, hating Lady Wang for leaving loopholes, and also hating Fu Baozhu for her stupidity that allowed the Fu Family to harbor suspicion and ultimately uncover the truth!

“What are we going to do, Miss? We were kicked out before we could hide any silver. Now we have nowhere to go! The Old Madam has fainted, and she needs rest!”

“Miss, only you can save us now. They didn’t dare to touch the jewelry on you. Quickly pawn it for some silver so we can go stay at an inn! And we must buy some clothes too! It’s too shameful for us to look like this!”

“Yes, exactly! Big Sister, let’s hurry and leave. Being gawked at like this is too embarrassing.”

The crowd was all talking at once, urging Murong Man on.

Murong Man herself did not want to be the focus of everyone’s gaze, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.

They quickly made their way through the crowd to a pawnshop, while Murong Jian—no, formerly Lord Murong—together with his second and third brothers, took the Old Madam to the nearest medical clinic.

However, Murong Man was known for her elegant and demure fashion, seldom wearing gold or silver adornments. Her valuable jade hairpin, a gift from the Second Prince, could not be pawned. That left only a decent quality bracelet on her wrist as pawnable.

The bracelet fetched a mere two hundred taels of silver. Though it was expensive to buy, jade bracelets simply couldn’t be pawned for much.

To ordinary people, two hundred taels might last a long while, but the members of the Marquis Mansion were used to the best. For instance, the young lords of the mansion could easily spend a few hundred taels on a few days of leisure at the Flower Tower.

Seeing only two hundred taels, everyone was displeased.

“What can we do with two hundred taels? It’s not even enough to buy a decent outfit!”

A young girl from the third branch pouted as she spoke.

The Second and Third Ladies were eager to grab the two hundred taels, “Manman, give us the silver quickly to buy some decent clothes. You can’t let the marriage arrangements for your sisters go awry!”

They needed to hurry and confirm the engagements with their daughters’ future in-laws to prevent any broken betrothals.

But before the silver could be fought over, several servant boys from major families had already arrived.

“Our Madam sent me to break off the engagement. Here are the betrothal gifts, we are returning them to you!”

They had all come spontaneously to break off the betrothals.

No harsh words were spoken, they simply returned the betrothal gifts.

But the Second Lady and Third Lady would not have it, and their words carried their displeasure:

“What is the meaning of this! Just as the Marquis Mansion faces difficulty, you come to break off the engagement, kicking us while we are down, despising the poor and fawning over the rich? Who would dare marry into your family after this!”

“Where is Madam Chen? Let her come talk to me herself! It was she who personally came to propose. Now she sends just a servant boy? Is she looking down on me? I absolutely refuse to break off the engagement! Don’t even think about it!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on N𝘰vgo.co