Transmigrated as a villainous woman, she emptied the entire capital and went into exile while pregnant. - Chapter 5

Yunyang Marquis exclaimed in shock,
“Ten thousand taels?! Are you robbing us?”

Even as a marquis, he could not casually produce ten thousand taels of silver.

Yun Zhaoxue turned to Yun Jiaoyue.
“Second Sister, everyone praises you as kind-hearted and compassionate. I’m short on silver right now—help me persuade Grandmother, Father, and Concubine Wang. If they can’t produce the silver, that would make them go back on their word. Surely you wouldn’t bear to see me become someone who breaks promises?”

Yun Jiaoyue bit her lip, looking troubled.
“I… Elder Sister, ten thousand taels is no small amount. I really can’t make that decision.”

Yun Zhaoxue grabbed her wrist and lifted it.
“The bracelet you’re wearing is part of my princess mother’s dowry—top-grade mutton-fat white jade, worth five hundred taels. If you don’t have silver, you can use valuables as payment. You say you want to help me, yet hesitate when it comes to silver—clearly, you don’t want to help at all.”

She roughly yanked the jade bracelet off Yun Jiaoyue’s delicate wrist.

“Ah— it hurts!”
Yun Jiaoyue cried out, her wrist burning as her eyes reddened.

“And these items on your head,” Yun Zhaoxue continued coldly,
“Imperial Seven-Treasure hairpins—worth a thousand taels. A top-grade South Sea pearl necklace—fifty taels per pearl; this strand alone is worth at least a thousand. Red agate—one hundred taels. Second Sister, just this outfit alone is nearly three thousand taels.”

She smiled faintly.
“Good sister, I’m truly in dire straits. Your boudoir must hold even more. Go back and bring them to help me make up the rest.”

With every item she named, she removed one.

Bracelet. Hairpins. Earrings. Necklace. Even the decorative pearl flowers in her hair were stripped clean.

Yun Jiaoyue’s carefully styled hair fell loose and disheveled.

At the side, Hongzao neatly placed everything into a tray.

The Old Madam’s face darkened as she repeatedly slammed her cane against the floor.

Bang! Bang!

“This is rebellion! Utter rebellion! You’re already married out—how dare you return home and loot the family?!”

Yun Zhaoxue replied calmly,
“Grandmother, are you confused with age? Everything Second Sister is wearing belongs to my mother’s dowry. How is reclaiming my own property looting?”

She added indifferently,
“We’re already being extremely merciful by not demanding that Second Sister remove her clothes as well.”

Yun Jiaoyue retorted righteously,
“Elder Sister, you’re going too far. Your mother was also my legal mother—her dowry should include a portion for me.”

This was something she believed she was owed from her previous life.

When the enemy nation breached the capital and they were押 northward as captives, Yun Zhaoxue had stolen her credit for saving the Fourth Prince of the enemy state, making her suffer endless hardship.

Yun Zhaoxue searched the original owner’s memories. Such a rule did exist.

“Yes, there is a share—but only if this Commandery Princess agrees to grant it to you. Taking without asking is theft.”

She sneered.
“Wearing clothes more luxurious than mine—how shameless.”

Yun Jiaoyue’s delicate face flushed pale and blue in turns.
“I am the future Third Prince Consort. Dressing extravagantly is necessary so I don’t disgrace the Third Prince.”

“Oh?” Yun Zhaoxue smiled coldly.
“So Second Sister is willing to strip these clothes off and return them to me?”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

She reached out and grabbed Yun Jiaoyue’s collar.

The Old Madam roared again,
“Enough! This is the marquis estate—you will not behave outrageously here!”

Wang Shi lunged forward to shield her daughter.
“Yue’er—no one will touch my daughter!”

Yun Jiaoyue screamed and threw herself into Wang Shi’s arms.
“Mother! Save me!”

Maids and matrons rushed forward to protect her.

Hongzao and Lüzhi stepped in front of Yun Zhaoxue.
“Princess, don’t be afraid—we’ll protect you!”

The two sides devolved into a chaotic scuffle.

Outnumbered, Hongzao and Lüzhi were still pushed back, but they refused to retreat.

Just as a matron’s palm was about to land on Hongzao’s face—

Yun Zhaoxue struck.

She caught the woman’s wrist and twisted hard.

Crack!

With a shove, she sent the matron crashing into Wang Shi and the others, knocking several people to the floor.

“Ow! Ahh!”

Bang!
The Yunyang Marquis slammed the table in fury.

“Guards! Seize this unfilial daughter at once!”

Several servants rushed in with clubs, surrounding Yun Zhaoxue and her maids.

Hongzao, hair in disarray and cheeks swollen, declared resolutely,
“Princess, don’t be afraid. Even if this costs my life, I’ll protect you.”

Yun Zhaoxue scoffed, pushing Hongzao and Lüzhi aside.

“My father’s belt-set emerald is also my mother’s dowry. So is Grandmother’s emerald bracelet. The ruby gold hairpin and jade comb on Concubine Wang’s head—every last piece came from my mother’s dowry.”

She continued icily,
“A dignified marquis estate sustaining its reputation by leeching off a woman’s dowry—how disgraceful.”

“Even this residence—no, the mansion itself—was renovated and rebuilt with my mother’s dowry.”

“You all cling to my mother’s bones to suck blood—aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed by the world?”

“If I don’t get what I want today, every last filthy secret of this marquis estate will be exposed.”

The Old Madam sneered,
“If the marquis estate becomes a laughingstock, do you think you’ll have an easy life at the Northern Prince’s residence?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Yun Zhaoxue replied coldly.
“If I can’t get silver, I won’t have a good life anyway. If I suffer, no one gets peace.”

The Old Madam locked eyes with her for a long moment—then yielded.

“Wang Shi. Go fetch ten thousand taels for her.”

The Yunyang Marquis, who valued his reputation above all, nodded urgently.
“Yes—go quickly!”

Wang Shi feared that Yun Jiaoyue would remain here and be humiliated, and instructed a maid,
“Escort Second Miss back to her room.”

She then went to retrieve the silver, unwilling and resentful.

Soon, Wang Shi returned with a box, clutching it tightly as though reluctant to let go.

Yun Zhaoxue shot Hongzao a look.

Hongzao immediately stepped forward and snatched it.

Hand it over.

Hongzao opened the box and presented it.
“Princess.”

Yun Zhaoxue flipped through it casually.
“There should be ten thousand taels.”

“Let’s go. I’ll come back when it’s spent.”

Amid the murderous glares of those present, Yun Zhaoxue swaggered out with Hongzao and Lüzhi—one hugging the silver chest, the other holding a tray piled with jewelry.

Once she was gone, the Old Madam waved away the servants and concubines.

She scanned the remaining family members coldly.

“That wretch… cannot be allowed to live. What do you all think?”

Yunyang Marquis hastily waved his hands.
“Mother, you mean to kill her? She is, after all, a commandery princess personally titled by His Majesty.”

Wang Shi clenched her handkerchief.
“Does my lord hesitate? Our Yue’er is the capital’s foremost talent and the future Third Prince Consort. With those dowries, she can marry with splendor. How can she be compared to the wife of a disgraced criminal?”

She had been suppressed by Zhao Mingzhu—Yun Zhaoxue’s mother—for her entire life, and pinned all her hopes on her daughter marrying the Third Prince.

Yunyang Marquis still hesitated.
“We can just keep her dowry. There’s no need to kill her. If this traces back to us, the entire marquis estate will be finished.”

He had many children and lacked nothing without Yun Zhaoxue—he simply feared trouble.

Yun Jiaoyue spoke calmly,
“Father, the prince’s residence is already suspected of collusion and treason. At best, they’ll be exiled; at worst, the entire family will be executed.”

“Our marquis estate hasn’t formally severed ties with Elder Sister. If the prince’s residence falls, we’ll certainly be implicated.”

“At this critical moment, cutting ties would make us look heartless. Only if Elder Sister is gone will we be completely safe.”

The Old Madam nodded in agreement.
“Yue’er is right.”

The Yunyang Marquis, weak-willed and indecisive, was soon persuaded.

“Then… kill her. But how?”

Wang Shi lowered her voice.
“Has my lord heard of the Assassin Pavilion?”

The Assassin Pavilion was a jianghu organization. As long as the price was right, they would accept any job—murder, robbery, rape, kidnapping—anything at all.