Lesson Cousin

"How can I possibly know any martial arts? I only saw some guards practicing and witnessed a few tricks of embroidered legs," Murong Xue replied casually, feigning nonchalance while her eyes flickered unnaturally.

Being reborn from another world was such a strange occurrence that if it hadn't happened to her, she would never have believed it. Murong Ye, who was only fourteen years old, would probably think she had fallen into evil if she revealed the truth. It was better for her to keep this secret hidden.

"Is that really all?" Murong Ye furrowed his brows slightly, clearly not convinced by her words.

"Of course, why would I lie to you?" Murong Xue hurriedly interjected, sensing Murong Ye's intent to continue questioning. "It's getting late. I'll take the Tibetan mastiff for a bath first. It's covered in dirt, and I'm sure it's uncomfortable."

When Murong Ye heard the mention of the Tibetan mastiff, his suspicion waned instantly, and he became excited. His gaze shifted to the Tibetan mastiff and he proposed, "Sister, you're not in good health, so don't strain yourself. Let me take care of bathing it. Those maids in your courtyard have frail arms and legs. They might not be able to clean its fur and reveal its true color before dark. Give the Tibetan mastiff to me, and I'll have my subordinates help wash it before sending it back to you."

The Tibetan mastiff was highly valued by his sister, and by refusing to hand it over, he could build a good relationship with the dog and take advantage of his sister's lack of attention to secretly take it out a few times. Plus, it would give him a chance to save face.

"Alright then!" Murong Xue nodded, pretending to be reluctant, and handed the Tibetan mastiff over to Murong Ye. She carefully instructed, "Its fur is tangled, so be careful when cleaning it. Don't hurt it."

"Understood, understood!" Murong Ye nodded eagerly, leading the Tibetan mastiff away with brisk steps. The Tibetan mastiff was a rare and powerful dog, and it was also a future source of wealth for him. Naturally, he would order his subordinates to handle it with care.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly paused, turned to look at Murong Xue, and asked anxiously, under her puzzled gaze, "Sister, I didn't consult with you before taking the initiative to withdraw your marriage with Ye Yichen. You won't blame me, will you?"

In the past year, he had spent less and less time at home, and he had only seen his sister a few times. But he knew well that his sister had a strong affection for Ye Yichen.

"Of course not," Murong Xue smiled lightly and reassured him, "When Ye Yichen belittled me as a side concubine at the Dust Washing Banquet, I proposed to withdraw from the marriage. The emperor did not object and ordered the old King Jing to come to Beijing as soon as possible to discuss the matter of withdrawing from the marriage..."

"Really?" Murong Ye's eyes lit up. "So, you don't like Ye Yichen?"

Murong Xue sneered disdainfully. "A despicable person like him is not worthy of my favor."

"That's right!" Murong Ye nodded approvingly. "Ye Yichen doesn't care about you. He doesn't value you. He's not a good match for you. It was absolutely right for you to take the initiative to break off the marriage!"

"Woof!" The little Tibetan mastiff barked, seemingly impatient to leave.

Murong Ye looked at it and exclaimed happily, "Alright, no time to waste. Let's go for a walk. Xiaoye will take you for a bath!" With that, Murong Ye disappeared around the corner, and Murong Xue strolled along the bluestone road, her ears catching the sound of laughter like tinkling bells in the distance. Raising an eyebrow, she made her way to the main courtyard.

As she entered through the courtyard gate, she noticed a group of maids standing in front of the west wing room, each holding a delicate ebony box. The boxes contained sapphire hairpins, ruby earrings, jasper bracelets, and various exquisite pieces of jewelry, each worth a considerable amount.

Dressed in a pink attire, Song Qingyan, with a smile brighter than flowers, caught Murong Xue's attention. Slowly approaching, she asked, "What's going on here?"

A cold voice reached her ears as the maids and aunts turned around and saluted carelessly, saying, "Miss!" Song Qingyan glanced at her with indifference and explained, "My cousin has returned, and my grandmother wants to reward me with some jewelry. She asked me to pick what I like."

The grandmother she referred to was not Murong Xue's own grandmother but her step-grandmother, Murong Jian, the sister of Murong Rou. The former Marquis of Zhenguo, Murong Yue, originally belonged to his wife.

Song Qingyan, as the eldest daughter of the Wu'an Marquis Mansion, was the only one to come out of the family and was favored by the old lady of the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion. Whenever she visited the mansion, she would dress plainly, but when she left, she would be adorned with exquisite jewelry.

Murong Xue sneered inwardly and said leisurely, "If your grandmother wants to give you something, you should go to her storeroom to choose. Why did you come here to take my mother's dowry?"

Song Qingyan paused in her motion of putting on earrings, furrowing her brows tightly. She used to take jewelry from this place during her visits to the mansion, and Murong Xue had never said anything before. Today, she was being questioned ruthlessly. What was wrong with her? "Your mother is my aunt. It's not too much for her to give me a few pieces of jewelry."

"My mother didn't authorize you. You came here without her consent. That's called stealing, or rather, robbery."

In those last few words, Murong Xue emphasized her tone, making Song Qingyan, who was previously mocking her mercilessly, blush and glare at her hatefully. "Your mother has been dead for ten years. How can I ask her for permission again, Murong Xue? You've gone too far."

Murong Xue's face darkened slightly, and she spoke coldly, "Someone inexplicably stole my mother's dowry. I was merely asking you excessively. So, wouldn't it be even more excessive for you to steal from another prominent family?"

"I didn't steal," Song Qingyan retorted furiously. "I took the key, opened the lock, and took the jewelry openly."

The corner of Murong Xue's mouth curved into an almost invisible arc. This was exactly what she had been waiting for. "Who is responsible for the warehouse key?"

"It's an old servant!" A thirty-something grandmother stepped forward. Her hair was meticulously styled, her face was pale, and her eyes were gloomy. It was evident that she was a shrewd person.

"Seize her! Give her a hundred lashes and then sell her!" Murong Xue ordered sharply.

The grandmother was shocked and cried out in surprise, "Miss, what did I do wrong?" Murong Xue had always been gentle and never lost her temper with her subordinates. Why was she suddenly so ruthless? She wanted to beat her and sell her.

"My mother gave you the key to guard the items in the warehouse, not to hand over the warehouse to you. You opened the warehouse without the master's permission. That's an act of thievery and bullying. Shouldn't you be sold?"

The previous owner's kindness had caused some subordinates to forget who the real owner of the warehouse was. Murong Xue didn't mind helping them remember.

Song Qingyan's face turned pale instantly. Her grandmother had opened the warehouse for her, and now she was being beaten by Murong Xue and facing the prospect of being sold. Murong Xue seemed to be punishing her grandmother, but she was actually striking her directly in the face.

Murong Xue's actions served as a warning to others and made Song Qingyan feel humiliated. She couldn't find a reason to refute Murong Xue's words. Murong Xue's methods were truly clever and infuriating.

The grandmothers looked around for support but found that the maids all lowered their heads, not daring to interfere and risk angering Murong Xue.

Unable to rely on anyone else, the grandmother clenched her teeth and pleaded with Chen Qing, "Miss Chen, I opened the warehouse under the orders of the old lady..."

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