Malicious Medical Princess of the Marquis House

Dowry

Translated by atsam
Edited by atsam

Xie er laoye frowned.

“I heard that Gu Jiu is sickly.” 

Xie shi nodded.  

Xie er laoye was dissatisfied. “Aren’t you harming Xie Xian, by letting him marry a sickly person? Meimei, Xie Xian is your nephew. You cannot favour one and discriminate another.” 

Xie shi rolled her eyes. “Er ge is confused. It’s good that Gu Jiu is sickly. After she dies, Xie Xian can marry again and you can also get your hands on her dowry.” 

Xie er laoye knitted his brows.  

Xie shi continued, “I won’t hide this from er ge. Gu Jiu, this wretched girl, is becoming more and more outrageous. She made such a ruckus recently giving me no choice but to give up on Li pozi. Today, this damned girl made me feel anxious and annoyed again.  

“As long as this girl stays in the fu, I can’t relax. If er ge doesn’t help me, please find someone more qualified than me to help you with Lu hou’s matter.”  

Xie er laoye stared at Xie shi, his expression solemn. “Meimei won’t even listen to da ge’s words?”  

Xie shi said with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “If er ge cannot agree to help me with such a trifling matter, ultimately who is the one who is disobeying da ge? If you provoke da ge’s anger, can you handle the consequences?” 

“You…!” 

Xie er laoye didn’t expect that his own sister would threaten him. Truly unreasonable.  

Xie shi continued, saying, “I am the madam of Gu jia‘s second branch. Pingnan hou’s relative of the same clan. As long as my husband rises steadily in the officialdom and Pingnan hou doesn’t fall, da ge will still give me face.  

“As for er ge, if you are unable to complete da ge’s mission, how will you explain to him? Will er ge still let you continue to be in charge of the family property? Can you continue to stuff your pockets by taking bribes?” 

Xie er laoye’s face warped, his flesh trembling. He finally sighed.  

“I am afraid of you. Since childhood, you have been ambitious and aggressive, unwilling to endure defeat. Now that you’ve grown, your nature has intensified. You’re so severe with me, your biological brother.” 

Xie shi raised her brows. “If you weren’t my er ge, would you still be able to make Xie Xian marry Gu Jiu? Do you think that Xie Xian marrying Gu Jiu is wronging your precious son? 

“Let me remind you that with Gu jia‘s background and my husband’s official position, Xie Xian marrying Gu Jiu is actually climbing the social ladder. Moreover, you will still get your hands on Gu Jiu’s dowry. Gege, think carefully. Other than Gu Jiu being sickly, does this marriage truly wrong your darling son?” 

Xie er laoye frowned. “Will brother-in-law agree?” 

Xie shi laughed. “If it were any other household, my husband wouldn’t necessarily agree. Because it’s the Xie jia, I have some confidence in persuading him.” 

Xie er laoye pondered over this. Becoming relatives by marriage with the Gu jia was also cost-effective.  

Gu Jiu, this sickly person would probably not live for long. Once she died, he would let his son marry again.  

Xie er laoye pressed down the complacency in his heart, his expression still hesitant. “How much dowry does meimei plan to give Gu Jiu?” 

Xie shi wasn’t happy. She said stiffly, “When Su shi married my husband, the Su jia was still prosperous and provided Su shi with plentiful dowry. That dowry has been preserved till now. When Gu Jiu gets married, I will give you half of it.” 

Xie er laoye laughed. “Meimei is extremely greedy. Just like meimei said, when Su shi married into Gu jia, over a hundred and eight people might have carried her dowry. A minimum would be forty or fifty thousand taels. 

“After all these years, the dowry’s shops and zhuangzi must have collected a lot of silver. When Gu Jiu marries in, it’s absolutely unacceptable for meimei to take away half the dowry. With both Xie Xian marrying an ill girl and you taking away more than half the dowry, won’t that wrong my family?

“Meimei is also extremely stingy. You want the horse to run but you don’t feed grass to the horse. How will that work?” 

Xie shi’s eyes were shooting flames. She said with a stiff face. “If er ge thinks that I can preside over Gu Jiu’s affairs, then you are underestimating my husband. My husband had made arrangements for Su shi’s dowry a long time ago.

“Gu Jiu and Gu Ting, this pair of brother and sister, will each get half. This has already been agreed upon. Do you think I can casually interfere?” 

Second Master Xie didn’t believe these words at all. Su shi had been dead for so many years. He didn’t believe that his sister didn’t have the ability to convert some to her private treasury.  

For example, purchasing at an extremely low price and maximising profit by selling at a high price, deliberately withdrawing funds to artificially bankrupt shops and zhuangzi, then letting her confidants to purchase them.

In no time, Su shi’s dowry would turn into Xie shi’s private property. Having managed Xie jia‘s property and industry for more than a dozen years, Xie er laoye was very familiar with such methods. 

If Xie shi asked, he could immediately come up with over a dozen ideas to seize Su shi’s dowry and change it into her personal property. He could even guarantee that it wouldn’t leave behind any hidden dangers.  

Xie er laoye chuckled. “Meimei, let’s not beat around the bush. Tell me how much dowry you can take out when Gu Jiu marries Xie Xian.” 

Xie shi gritted her teeth. This time, it was her turn to feel her flesh ache.  

She said fiercely, “I will write to da ge letting him know of all the good things you have done.”  

Xie er laoye wasn’t the least bit afraid. “It just happens that I also want to talk to da ge. A few years ago, how much money did you greedily covet from that mine in the northwest? Right! Also, did you really think that er laoye would forget that matter of five years ago?  

“If it weren’t your detrimental affairs, how could his highness be implicated? Fortunately, da ge covered up for you and didn’t expose the matter.  You don’t share da ge’s burdens and you still want to haggle over silver here. In the end, what are your intentions?  

“Meimei, don’t forget that if the Xie jia is over, you will also not have good days. With Gu daren’s nature, if not ten points, then I am nine or eight points sure that he will send you to a nunnery, letting you dedicate your life to Buddha for a lifetime.” 

Xie shi’s face paled. “Er ge, don’t scare me.” 

Xie er laoye coldly snorted. “Now is the most critical time for his highness. Meimei should stop being selfish and cooperate with me sincerely, sharing da ge’s and his highness’ worries. When his highness ascends the throne, you can also can relax.” 

Xie shi inhaled, composing herself. “Okay, I will listen to er ge. You can see my difficulties in the fu with your own eyes. There is only about ten thousand taels in Gu Jiu’s dowry, no more. Er ge also shouldn’t force me. If you do, I can only anxiously take out money from my private property and send it with Gu Jiu.” 

Xie er laoye looked at her with disdain. Taking out only ten thousand taels, was she giving alms? 

“Meimei is too miserly.” 

Xie shi smiled. “Er ge shouldn’t think that it’s too less. I too have two daughters who have to marry. I ask er ge to understand my situation.” 

Xie er laoye said with dissatisfaction. “Then add two shops from zhuangzi along with this.” 

Xie shi nodded. “So er ge agrees.” 

“Everything that needs to be said has been said. Naturally I have to agree.” 

Xie shi laughed. “Since er ge shares my worries, I invite er ge to stay at the fu for a few days. If we work together, we can quickly finalise this marriage.” 

Xie er laoye said, “Be at ease. I will talk to Xian’er. You must quickly obtain brother-in-law’s assent.” 

“Er ge needn’t worry about the matter on my side. I will think of a way to let my husband agree to this marriage.”