My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 11 The dove takes over the magpie's nest
Lu Jinshi sneered: "Jinyuan was built by my mother after she married into the Marquis's mansion. She bought the old Chen family house next door and commissioned the Ministry of Works to draw up the blueprints. It took three whole years to build this new courtyard for her future daughter. Every flower and tree here is my mother's wish."

I also remember the day you divorced Mother. Father, you promised me that Jin Yuan would be reserved for me. Therefore, the valuable dowry items that my mother placed in Jin Yuan, such as the nanmu bed and nanmu cabinet, were not moved.

Since I no longer live in Jinyuan, all those valuable dowry items should be moved out, and not a single brick, tile, flower, or leaf—all that my mother built—should remain in the Marquis's mansion.

Lu Jinshi instructed Caiyun behind him, "Caiyun, go to the Prince An's mansion and call people to move everything my mother left behind in Jinyuan that can be moved. As for things that can't be moved, smash them all today. Don't leave a single brick or tile behind!"

Madam He was furious and said, "He Jinshi, it's not your place to be arrogant in the Marquis's mansion."

Liu Xiuxiu hurriedly said, "Since Jinshi wants to live in Jinyuan, then you can stay there. I will move out of Jinyuan with Jinlan right now."

Lu Jinshi said, "Just moving out won't do. I find the place you lived in dirty, so let's tear it down and rebuild it clean."

He Tan looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "Do you really have to cause trouble right after your grandfather passed away?"

Lu Jinshi looked at He Tan. Her stepfather treated her very well, and she knew that He Tan had not contacted her for many years and probably no longer cared about her as his daughter.

But hearing his reproaches with her own ears, Lu Jinshi truly realized that her father no longer regarded her as his daughter.

Lu Jinshi said, "Father, I'm not making a fuss. I'm just taking back what I deserve."

You may have forgotten, but I still remember you telling me that even if Miaomiao wanted the stars in the sky, you would find a way to give them to her.

So you ordered people to dig a lake in the Jinyuan Garden and change the river channel to bring in lake water, just so that the stars in the sky could be reflected in the water.

Over the years, although you have never written me a single letter, I have never resented you, and I still regard you as my father.

I just returned to the Marquis's residence yesterday and learned that everyone in the Marquis's residence has forgotten that you have a daughter. You know that Huang Teng's reputation in Chang'an is already infamous. How can you just watch your grandparents make me marry Huang Teng?

"Father, I am your daughter too! How can you bear to see me marry such a ridiculous man?"

He Tan listened to Lu Jinshi's accusations and only lowered his head, saying, "It is your father who has wronged you."

"Can a simple 'I'm sorry' make up for the harm you've done to me?"

Lu Jinshi said, "Jinyuan is mine. If someone touches my things, I'll just find it dirty. I'll give you two quarters of an hour to move all your things out, or I'll smash them, throw them away, and donate them!"

Liu Xiuxiu hurriedly said, "Jinshi, it's fine for Jinlan and me to move out, but the obituary for the old Marquis's passing has already been issued. Soon, colleagues from the court, noble families, relatives, and friends will likely come to the Marquis's residence. It's a busy and crucial time right now. If someone comes and sees that you've driven your stepmother and sister out, your reputation and that of the Marquis's residence will probably suffer..."

Lu Jinshi looked directly at Liu Xiuxiu and said, "Does the Marquis's mansion still have a reputation? Back then, as a distant cousin who was staying at the Marquis's mansion, you seduced a married man, became pregnant, and were of depraved character. As long as you were still in the Marquis's mansion, what reputation did the Marquis's mansion have?"

He Jinlan was furious and said, "My mother was brought into the family by my father with great ceremony. You don't even call her 'mother,' so what right do you have to scold her? Although you grew up in the countryside, you are still a descendant of the Marquis's family. How can you be like an ignorant village girl who doesn't know any manners at all!"

Lu Jinshi slapped He Jinlan across the face.

After being hit, He Jinlan's first reaction was to raise her hand to retaliate, but before she could raise her hand, her hands were grabbed by Cai Feng and Cai Xia, the two maids behind Lu Jinshi.

Caiyun stepped in front of Lu Jinshi, protecting her, and said, "Miss."

Madam He stood up and exclaimed, "This is outrageous! This is outrageous!"

He Jinlan glared at Lu Jinshi and said, "He Jinshi, how dare you hit the Seventh Prince's Consort?"

Madam He was furious and said, "You unfilial daughter! Your father and I are still alive. This is not a place for you to act arrogantly. How dare you slap your sister?"

Lu Jinshi looked at He Tan and said, "Father, my sister insulted me. Was it wrong for me to teach her a lesson?"

"No," He Tan said.

He Jinlan looked at He Tan and said aggrievedly, "Father."

He Tan said, "You were in the wrong first." Lu Jinshi gave a light sarcastic laugh, "Since you're not in the wrong, then let your sister go to Jinyuan quickly and move all the things that need to be moved. In a quarter of an hour, I don't care what they are, I'll handle them myself."

Liu Xiuxiu looked at He Tan pitifully and said, "Young Master, it's not that I'm unwilling to move, but I'm worried about the reputation of the eldest daughter. The Lu family will soon have guests to pay their respects. If the eldest daughter drives away her stepmother and sister, it will probably make her a laughing stock."

He Jinlan said angrily, "Mother, why are you still worried about her reputation? She should be ridiculed by others."

Liu Xiuxiu looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "Jinshi."

Lu Jinshi said, "Two quarters of an hour. Anything left in Jinyuan after two quarters of an hour is up to me to deal with."

He Jinlan took Liu Xiuxiu's hand and said, "Mother, let's go pack our things. I want to see how her reputation will be ruined after today."

After He Jinlan and her daughter left Shouhe Courtyard, a Taoist priest came to handle the funeral arrangements for the old Marquis.

Lu Jinshi then went to the mourning hall and, along with the Hou family members, offered incense to the old Hou.

When Caiyun arrived at the Marquis's residence with the people from the Prince's Mansion, Lu Jinshi went to Jinyuan, where Liu Xiuxiu was still having people move the trunks out.

Lu Jinshi said, "It's been half an hour."

He Jinlan frowned and looked at Lu Jinshi, saying, "You!"

Lu Jinshi said to the people Caiyun had found from the Prince's mansion, "Move all the furniture and beds out of here."

Liu Xiuxiu said, "Young lady, it's one thing for you to move the bed in my room, but your sister is still a virgin and unmarried. The bed she slept in can't be touched by others. It's also for the sake of her reputation."

Lu Jinshi said, "I am not like you, who can watch helplessly as a young lady is poisoned and falls into a fire pit. Since it is for my sister's reputation, I can give her this nanmu bed, but you have to give me 10,000 taels of silver. After all, it is a top-quality golden nanmu bed, and 10,000 taels of silver is not too much."

Upon hearing the amount of ten thousand taels of silver, Liu Xiuxiu was extremely shocked and frowned, saying, "Young lady, where did I get such a large sum of money?"

He Jinlan said angrily, "He Jinshi, don't go too far! How could you ruin my reputation like this?"

Lu Jinshi leaned against the door frame and said calmly, "You have taken over my bed and slept on the bed that my mother had craftsmen carefully made for me for more than ten years. Is that not too much to ask?"
If I really wanted to ruin your reputation, I should have just dragged the bed out onto the street and sold it off.

"Ten thousand taels of silver is already more than I could ask for. If you don't have it, the Marquis's mansion does. I'll only give you half an hour to raise the money."

Even the most patient Liu Xiuxiu couldn't hold back any longer. Her words lacked their usual gentleness: "He Jinshi, you're not married yet. When you get married, you'll be leaving the Marquis's mansion. After all, the Marquis's mansion is your maternal home. Aren't you afraid that on your wedding day..."

Hearing Liu Xiuxiu's threat, Lu Jinshi raised an eyebrow and said, "Since you're not willing to pay ten thousand taels, then fifteen thousand taels will do."

He Jinlan said, "You! Lu Jinshi, you are too arrogant."

No sooner had He Jinlan finished speaking than a young maidservant hurried over.

"Madam, Miss, the Seventh Prince has come to offer his condolences."

He Jinlan asked with delight, "The Seventh Prince has returned from Jiangnan?"

"I need to see the Seventh Prince."

He Jinlan was overjoyed and lifted her skirt to go find the Seventh Prince.

Liu Xiuxiu stopped He Jinlan: "Lan'er, you still have finger marks on your face. Put on some face powder before you go out."

He Jinlan said, "Then I need to apply some rouge. Mingyue, quickly fix my hair and bring me the white satin mourning clothes I made some time ago."

(End of this chapter)