Chapter 286: A Kindly Mother
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Su Ying remembered that in the past, Little Madam Jiang would also ask her to bring the two children to the Prime Minister’s Residence, saying that she wanted to see her grandchildren.
Back then, she had listened to Little Madam Jiang and brought the children back even if the children didn’t like it.
In her memory, the children were very happy when they first went, but after that, they would always cower in fear. “She” didn’t care and so didn’t take it to heart. Now that Su Ying thought about it, what could have happened to the children in the Prime Minister’s Residence for them to have such a reaction?
Xiao Jin picked up the two children. The little ones immediately buried themselves into Xiao Jin’s shoulders and were not willing to look at Little Madam Jiang.
Su Ying’s eyes darkened slightly. “Alright, I’ll go back tomorrow.”
When Little Madam Jiang saw that Su Ying had accepted her invitation, she smiled faintly. “Mother will prepare your favorite food for you.”
With that, Little Madam Jiang turned around and left.
After exiting the palace gates and boarding the horse carriage, Su Ying carried the two children from Xiao Jin and asked, “Ji, Ling, tell Mother. Did that old granny bully you two in the past?”
The older toddler Ji’s big eyes were red-rimmed. He seemed to be both angry and afraid as he gripped Su Ying’s robe lapel tightly. “Mother, the piercing needles hurt.”
“What piercing needles? She told someone to pierce you two with needles?”
The younger toddler Ling puffed up her little face and was very angry. “She’s a bad person.”
The two children were too young to describe accurately what had happened back then, but Su Ying could imagine how helpless and scared the two children must have been back then!
That beast!
Su Ying tried her best to suppress the hostility in her body so as not to scare the children.
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes were ominous. After returning to Prince Qi’s Manor and handing the two children to Aunt Zhao for washing up, he said, “I’ll go with you tomorrow.”
“Why do you have to grace the Prime Minister’s Residence with your presence? Don’t worry. 1 know what to do.”
“The people of the Prime Minister’s Residence have too many tricks up their sleeves.” After all, the capital was not like the northern wilderness. Xiao Jin was worried that Su Ying might be tricked into the various traps and snares.
Su Ying gave a sneer. “Even if her sleeves are full of tricks, 1 can still straighten her out!”
Su Ying was still worried about the two little ones. After they fell sound asleep, she brought them into her interspatial store to do a detailed examination. After confirming that there were no remnants of sharp weapons in their bodies, she was finally at ease.
The next day, Su Ying woke up early.
After washing up, she summoned Aunt Zhao into the house.
“Aunt Zhao, do you have the dowry list belonging to my mother when she got married?”
“Yes. I have kept it all this while.”
The dowry list had been kept by Aunt Zhao in an unknown corner of Prince Qi’s Manor. As it was hidden and not valuable, no one noticed when Prince Qi’s Manor was searched and the belongings confiscated.
Aunt Zhao came back with a folding book that still carried some dampness and opened it. This folding book was actually several meters long.
“Where’s my dowry list when I got married?”
“It’s here too.”
Aunt Zhao brought another book over. When they compared the two lists, the dowry Su Ying was given when she got married was not even a fraction!
After Su Ying told Aunt Zhao to make a copy of both books, she put them away safely.
“Bai Shuang, let’s go.”
“Your Highness, this is the capital. If you can settle things by discussion, then discuss properly.” Before they left, Aunt Zhao reminded Su Ying worriedly.
“Got it.”
Although the Prime Minister’s Residence was not located at the foot of the Imperial City, it was still located in the best position on the main road of the capital.
When Su Ying arrived outside the Prime Minister’s Residence, there were only two guards standing guard outside.
After the two guards stepped forward and bowed, they brought Su Ying into the Prime Minister’s Residence.
The Prime Minister’s Residence was still the same as she remembered. Compared to the bold and imposing Prince Qi’s Manor, the Prime Minister’s Residence was much more exquisite. Even a pot of flowers casually placed in the garden was expensive enough that an ordinary family had to work hard for decades to afford it.
Su Ying was brought to Little Madam Jiang’s courtyard.
“Mistress, Princess Consort Qi is here.” The maidservant walked directly into the room and announced Su Ying’s arrival.
“What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and let Her Highness into the house.”
Su Ying could vaguely hear the voice of Little Madam Jiang from inside the room. Rightfully, with Su Ying’s status, the people in the Prime Minister’s Residence should have come out to welcome her, but they made it seem as if she was coming to them to beg for help, thereby diminishing her bearing.
However, Su Ying didn’t care about such details and walked straight into the house.
Inside the house, Little Madam Jiang looked kindly at Su Ying as she walked in.
The delicate-faced Su Yuyan was also by Little Madam Jiang’s side.
After Su Ying entered the house, she walked straight to the chair and sat down without giving the mother and daughter a second glance.
The smile on Little Madam Jiang’s face froze, but she quickly regained her kindly, motherly countenance. “You silly child, why are you still so willful? Go. Bring the food that has been prepared for Her Highness.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
Soon, the maidservant came back with stacks of greasy pastries and a bowl of chicken soup.
Su Ying liked to eat such things, but she didn’t like things that taste like she was drinking oil.
“These are all Your Highness’s favorite foods in the past. Have a taste.”
Su Ying glanced at her and gave a soft chuckle. “Leave them there. I’m here today for two matters. Firstly, I’m here to collect the dowry my mother left behind. Secondly, I want you to hand over the servant who attacked my two children back then.”
Su Yuyan was furious when she heard this. “What nonsense are you spouting, Big Sister? Did you think that the dowry you got was too little when you got married? The dowry that your birth mother brought here back then had long been squandered by her. Your dowry was still supplemented by my mother’s own private savings.”
Su Ying calmly took a sip of tea. She couldn’t tell whether the tea was good or bad, but she knew that it was definitely quite expensive.
Little Madam Jiang smiled without any change in her emotions and said, “There are indeed some items left from Elder Sister’s dowry. If Your Highness wants them, 1 will get someone to bring them to you.”
“Sure.”
Little Madam Jiang said to the servant beside her, “Go. Open the storeroom and take out all the things that Elder Sister left behind.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
When Su Yuyan saw that Little Madam Jiang had agreed so readily, she immediately became anxious. Those things were to be kept for her dowry. How could she just give them to Su Ying like that?
In the blink of an eye, Su Yuyan saw Little Madam Jiang give her a reassuring look, and Su Yuyan finally calmed down.
After a while, the maidservants came in with rolls of very old cloth.
Judging from the color, the quality of these fabrics was indeed not bad, but they looked a little old.
Little Madam Jiang said with a smile, “These were all Elder Sister’s favorite fabrics back then. I never allowed anyone to touch them because 1 wanted to keep them as a memento. Since you want them, Yingying, then take them back.”
Even though these fabrics were a little old, they were still valuable, so Su Ying naturally wouldn’t reject them.
However, Little Madam Jiang wanted to use this meager offering to send her away. Did she really think Su Ying was a fool?
Su Ying took out the dowry list and unfolded it in front of Little Madam Jiang.
“All of you can all read, right? I will give you three days to prepare them. Return every single item to me. If there is anything missing…” Su Ying’s expression paused for a moment, then she looked at the beautiful Su Yuyan with an ambiguous expression. “1 will smash her face into pulp.”
Shocked, Su Yuyan covered her face in horror..