Returning What Was Taken

Chen Shi dug her nails into her palm, barely managing to steady herself. Forcing an ugly smile, she said, "Wanning, you know how things have been at the Duke's Household all these years, so the things your father and mother left behind..."

"What do you mean by that, Second Aunt?" Yan Wanning drank a cup of warm tea and said with a rather innocent air, "Father and Mother trusted you and Second Uncle so much. Surely you wouldn't have touched the things they left behind without permission? I trust you both too, and I know it hasn't been easy for you to manage things all these years, Second Aunt."

Seeing that they said nothing, Yan Wanning sneered. "Why do you look so pale, Second Uncle, Second Aunt? Could it be that you really did touch those things?"

Si Yunqi, who had been silently holding her hand and playing with it, said coldly, "If the Princess Consort cannot get her things back today, I don't mind bringing people to search the place myself, or asking the people from Yingtian Prefecture to come."

Duke Yan and his wife were thrown into a panic, their bodies trembling. Duke Yan said to Chen Shi, "Hurry up and have everything brought out."

A look of terror appeared on Chen Shi's face. "But... but..."

Duke Yan moved closer to Chen Shi, pretending to scold her, but in truth he said quietly, "No matter what it takes, you have to replace what's missing. Otherwise, the Duke's Household won't be able to withstand Prince Anbei's anger."

Duke Yan had never imagined that this eldest niece of his would be so favored by Prince Anbei. The indulgence in his eyes was practically overflowing.

Chen Shi was unwilling to accept this. She truly did not want to hand the things over, and there was the shortfall too. Making it up would cost more than half the Duke's Household's wealth. How could she bear to part with it?

But even if she could not bear it, she had no choice. If Prince Anbei held the Duke's Household accountable, it could not bear the consequences.

The malice in Chen Shi's eyes grew stronger. Had she known it would come to this, she should have sent Yan Wanning on her way with her dead mother back then.

"Please be quick, Second Aunt. My prince is rather busy."

Chen Shi paused in her retreat, then gritted her teeth, agreed, and quickened her steps.

Yan Wanwen clenched her hands. Seeing that something was wrong with her parents' expressions, she knew the situation was bad. Besides, she knew a little about this matter too. Her heart pounded fiercely, and she resented Yan Wanning all the more for meddling.

Everything had been fine. Why had she brought this up, making Father and Mother worry for nothing?

Before long, Chen Shi had servants carry out more than a dozen large chests. Smiling, she said, "Wanning, look. These are the things your father and mother left behind. They're all still sealed up, and not a single thing has been touched. They've just been gathering dust in the storeroom."

"Sorry for the trouble, Second Aunt." Yan Wanning beckoned Xiao He forward, handed her the inventory, and said gently, "Go and check everything against the list."

"What is the meaning of this, Princess Consort?"

"Nothing. I'm only making sure there won't be any misunderstandings later, and that Second Uncle and Second Aunt won't be wrongly accused."

"Open all the chests," Yan Wanning said.

Xiao He obeyed, going over to inspect the contents against the inventory.

She finished checking everything after two quarters of an hour. When she returned to Yan Wanning, her expression was grim.

Yan Wanning saw her face and asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Xiao He presented the inventory and said indignantly, "Princess Consort, less than half the things on the inventory can be found in these chests."

Xiao He pointed out several of the most valuable vases, jade pieces, calligraphy and paintings on the inventory, as well as several other valuable items, for Yan Wanning to see.

At a glance, Yan Wanning, gentle as she usually was, grew angry too.

She had known Duke Yan and his wife would help themselves to the things, but they were even more insatiable than she had imagined. Before she could say anything, Si Yunqi's furious voice rang out. "Has the Duke Yan Household grown too comfortable, to dare embezzle my Princess Consort's belongings?"

Duke Yan and his wife fell to their knees together. "Your Highness, we've been wronged! There must be some misunderstanding. Please look into it, Your Highness."

Si Yunqi gave a cold laugh. "Hah! A misunderstanding? Are you trying to tell me you didn't take those things, and that they grew legs and walked away themselves?"

The couple were left speechless, unable even to think of an excuse.

Crash!

As the teacup fell to the floor, Duke Yan's forehead split open and blood streamed down. Si Yunqi withdrew his hand and said coldly, "Yan Chengyi, you and your wife not only embezzled what your brother and sister-in-law left for their niece, but now that you've been exposed, you stubbornly refuse to admit it. That makes your crime all the worse."

Seeing her parents being treated so harshly, Yan Wanwen could no longer sit still. With tears falling, she said, "Elder Sister, how can you treat Father and Mother like this? Even if they did take those things, it wasn't easy for them to raise you all these years. Besides, weren't those things used on you too?"

"Father and Mother really had no choice but to do it."

"No choice?" Yan Wanning was angered by her shamelessness and self-righteousness. "Second Uncle and Second Aunt did raise me all these years, but didn't you get anything out of it?"

Yan Wanning slowly rose and stopped in front of Chen Shi and Duke Yan. Looking them straight in the eyes, she said, "Back then, Mother gave Second Uncle and Second Aunt plenty of things. If you had used them well, living in silk and feasting on delicacies would have been no problem. Mother gave you those things to repay you for raising me, but what have you done all these years? Must I remind you?"

In their eyes, Yan Wanning had always been gentle by nature. Now her bearing had suddenly changed, becoming rather like Prince Anbei's, and Duke Yan and his wife found themselves somewhat cowed.

Si Yunqi rose and went to her side, drawing her into his arms protectively. He was worried that the vicious couple, like cornered dogs jumping a wall, might hurt her.

Si Yunqi held her as he led her outside. "In three days, I want to see everything on the inventory."