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Chapter 11: Holding Them Accountable

  Chapter 11: Holding Them Accountable

  When Wei Yuanwei looked up, she met Yun Xie’s deep, obsidian-like eyes. Though they appeared calm on the surface, she could sense turbulent undercurrents lurking beneath—a darkness that, once triggered, would be terrifying.

  Inside the Star-Gazing Pavilion, the Prime Minister had already ordered chilled fruits and herbal tea to be prepared for cooling off from the heat.

  As everyone took their seats, they noticed Wei Yuanwei seated at the head of the table. It was ughable. The illegitimate child who previously couldn’t even step into the Star-Gazing Pavilion was now in the seat of honor—all because she had become the Evil King’s consort.

  If not for Yun Xie, Wei Yuanwei would still be the lowly bastard child who lived and ate with the horses, scorned and humiliated by all.

  Yun Xie sipped the cool tea, letting it slowly flow down his throat and ease the heat from his body.

  Then, his frosty gaze swept across the room. The moment it did, everyone’s hand holding their tea froze.

  Realizing something, the Prime Minister quickly ordered for a cquered red and gold jewelry box to be brought forward. Inside were a pair of intricately carved white jade hairpins and another pair of silver ones inid with agate—exquisitely made and clearly not ordinary items.

  “This is my gift to the princess consort on her return visit,” said the Prime Minister, stroking his beard. Though he smiled, it was clearly forced.

  If it weren’t for the Evil King pressuring him, he would never have gifted such valuable items to Wei Yuanwei.

  Everyone else immediately understood the situation. Though they had prepared symbolic return gifts, they were nothing more than trinkets that even the maids would sneer at.

  Normally, return gifts were given privately by elders—not in front of the husband’s family.

  But they never expected the Evil King to directly ask for them the moment he sat down.

  Compared to the Prime Minister’s gift, their own items were too shabby. If they were brought out, the Evil King might fly into a rage.

  But they couldn’t very well send their maids back to fetch better ones in front of him—that would be a direct insult!

  Madam Shen, the head of the main house, gritted her teeth and removed the red gold bracelet from her wrist—this was a family heirloom passed down through three generations, always from mother to daughter.

  One half had already been given to her eldest daughter Wei Guanshu, and the other was meant for Wei Guanyue.

  Now she was being forced to give it to an outsider. Her heart ached. But before the Evil King, she had no choice.

  “The princess consort now has everything in the Evil King’s manor, so this aunt didn’t prepare anything extra. Since I watched you grow up, I feel this bracelet is most fitting for you.” Madam Shen forced a smile as she shoved the bracelet into Wei Yuanwei’s hands, eyes full of unwillingness and helplessness.

  What a touching “I watched you grow up.” Wei Yuanwei looked down at the bracelet, still warm from her aunt’s wrist. Though the woman was clearly reluctant, she had to put on a false smile before the King.

  Seeing this, Madam Song from the second branch hesitated—if she didn’t give something even grander, she might not make it past the Evil King’s scrutiny.

  She reluctantly touched the golden phoenix hairpin in her hair—crafted in the pace from pure gold, embedded with pearls, and currently in fashion. It had cost her half a year’s savings and had just arrived from the pace yesterday.

  She’d only worn it once—and now had to give it to this so-called “wild seed.”

  “Princess Consort, I had prepared another gift, but your outfit today suits this golden phoenix hairpin so perfectly that I must give it to you instead.” Madam Song forced a smile, though her narrow eyes betrayed no warmth.

  The hairpin was pced in Wei Yuanwei’s hair, making her appear even more regal and dignified.

  Madam Shen and Madam Song exchanged looks, both seeing the fury and frustration in each other’s eyes—but they could only suppress it.

  The rest of the family, including the eldest sons, grandsons, and their wives, followed suit, reluctantly handing over their most precious possessions. They smiled as they gave them, but the moment they turned away, the smiles disappeared, revealing bitterness and resentment.

  After finally enduring the torture of the gift-giving, everyone was just waiting to finish the meal and retreat to their rooms to vent their frustration.

  But before lunch was even served, Yun Xie asked the Prime Minister about the maidservants that should have come with the dowry!

  Indeed, when Wei Yuanwei was married off, though the Prime Minister’s mansion sent along a few items, not a single maidservant accompanied her.

  After all, she was raised in the stables—where would she get handmaids, let alone personal attendants?

  Everyone exchanged gnces, wondering if the Evil King truly didn’t know how she’d been treated here.

  Cold sweat beaded on the Prime Minister’s forehead. He had brought this upon himself. If he hadn’t married her into the Evil King’s household, this wouldn’t have happened. And if he hadn’t bragged to the Emperor about treating her like his own daughter, the King wouldn’t have demanded the full ceremonial dowry of ten miles of red decorations.

  And of course, the Evil King knew exactly how she had been treated here.

  This was retribution.

  “I had intended to send the full dowry, including the maidservants, to Your Highness’s estate after six months. That’s why the twenty maidservants haven’t been chosen yet,” the Prime Minister stammered.

  The room exploded with shock—twenty maidservants for that “wild seed”?! Plus the extravagant dowry normally reserved for noble daughters like Wei Guanshu?

  Madam Shen and Madam Song were fuming, along with the other daughters-in-w, granddaughters-in-w, and unmarried young dies. They were the legitimate daughters of the household, and none of them had ever enjoyed such treatment—yet this lowly girl from the stables was getting it all.

  “Since the Princess Consort lived here for so many years, it’s only right she take along some familiar attendants. Let her pick them now. The King’s manor has no maids yet—someone must serve her,” Yun Xie said coldly, his eyes sharp as a panther’s as he stared down the Prime Minister.

  As Wei Yuanwei sipped her tea, she couldn’t help but gnce again at Yun Xie. From the moment they stepped into the Prime Minister’s estate, every move he made was for her—as if avenging her past mistreatment.

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