Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

When Aunt Feng stormed off to find the accountant, the steward, clutching the account books, returned with a mournful face:

"Aunt Feng, you are wise. There is truly no money left in the account."

The lady has given a strict order: not a single coin in the private treasury can be touched, and the official accounts of the manor... have long been empty.

Aunt Feng then panicked.

She secretly invested in a business a while ago and borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates.

I wanted to earn some extra money on the side, but now the loan is due and I can't get the cash.

If creditors come knocking on the door to collect debts, the consequences could be disastrous.

Aunt Feng wanted to ask Yun Chongshan for help, but the Duke's face had been as black as the bottom of a pot these past few days, and she would be scolded if she went to him.

Not only was Aunt Feng in trouble, but the illegitimate sons and daughters in the mansion were also anxious.

The third young master used to receive 500 taels of silver a month to buy antiques, but now the accounting department isn't giving him a single coin.

The embroidery shop came to collect the final payment for the Suzhou embroidery dress ordered by the Fifth Miss, but the mansion couldn't provide the money, so the dress was withheld and not delivered.

Even the servants' monthly wages were nowhere to be found, and the cleaning women complained privately.

"In the past, the madam would occasionally give us some silver coins, but now... life is unbearable."

The one in the most urgent situation is Yun Shuwen.

He made friends with some noble sons outside, and spent his days feasting and socializing.

I just agreed last month to give a prince an antique jade ruyi as a birthday present, valued at three thousand taels.

He had no choice but to speak to his mother himself, believing he could eventually get what he wanted, since Qin had never refused him no matter how much he asked for in the past.

Yun Shuwen, somewhat impatient, stepped into the Qin family's courtyard.

"Mother……"

He stood under the eaves, not going inside, his tone gentle and condescending.

"My son is short of money recently and needs three thousand taels of silver for emergencies."

You can give it to me first, then I'll have the accountant...

"no."

Qin's voice came from inside the house, calm as if keeping people at a distance.

Yun Shuwen was stunned; he had never been rejected by his mother before.

"Mother, please stop being so dramatic, okay?"

He frowned, and his tone became serious.

"The household has already witnessed your prowess, and Father hasn't said much. You've done enough."

"Son, this is a serious social engagement; it's a matter of my reputation..."

"That's my money."

Qin interrupted him, her voice coming through the window paper, carrying a hint of coldness.

"You certainly have a right to ask for it."

If you want to save face, earn it yourself.

Yun Shuwen's face flushed red instantly, then turned ashen.

He never imagined that his mother, who always obeyed him and was even somewhat subservient to him, would speak to him in such a tone.

He wanted to lash out, but looking at the tightly closed door and recalling his mother's retreating figure as she threw down her chopsticks in the dining room that day, he felt inexplicably apprehensive.

Finally, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and left, with only one thought in his mind:

My mother was only angry for a moment, and she certainly wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

The extravagance in the mansion deflated instantly, like a fish bladder that had been punctured.

The once extremely luxurious dining room is now filled with simple meals.

The top-grade Longjing tea that Yun Chongshan used to drink has been replaced with cheaper, coarse-leaf tea.

Yun Chongshan sat in his study, looking at a pile of bills demanding payment on his desk.

The unpaid construction fees for repairing the ancestral hall.

Gifts to officials in the capital are about to be given.

The formal greeting from the Prince of Yi's residence.

There were even outstanding payments for rice and grain purchased by the government.

Yun Chongshan then belatedly realized that the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion had long since become an empty shell, relying entirely on Qin's dowry and the Qin family's money to stay afloat.

He wanted to question Qin Shi, but he stopped abruptly as soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate.

He recalled that day, when Qin said, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have saved you back then."

Recalling her indifferent eyes and her resolute back, a nameless panic gripped him.

Going from extravagance to frugality is so difficult.

For the first time, the dignified Duke experienced... a sense of helplessness.

Even worse off than the Duke of Zhen's mansion was the Marquis of Yong'an's mansion.

The vermilion gates of the Marquis's mansion still stand there, but the verdigris on the door knockers seems to have deepened.

Even the gatekeeper had lost his usual energy, his shoulders slumped as if he were carrying a heavy burden.

The warehouse door was wide open, and the inside was empty except for a few dusty wooden crates.

The manager stood to the side, head bowed, clutching a half-empty ledger in his hand, barely daring to breathe.

That's it? That's all?

Marquis Yong'an Gu Yan's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded. He pointed to the empty space in the storeroom, his chest heaving violently.

"Is this all that's left of my Marquis's family's century-old legacy?"

The manager replied, trembling.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, everything that could be pawned has already been pawned..."

Jade artifacts, calligraphy and paintings, silks in the storeroom, and even the set of silverware newly made two years ago were all used to cover the deficit of 700,000 taels of silver…”

Seven hundred thousand taels.

This number is like a mountain, pressing down on the Marquis's mansion, making it hard to breathe.

Who would have thought that the young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, who was not yet betrothed, would actually dare to so openly break off relations?

Even the Duke of Zhenguo couldn't stop it.

Gu Yan's vision went black, and he had to hold onto the edge of the table to steady himself.

He had always assumed that the Qin family was the richest family in the capital, and that after Yun Shuyao married into the family, her generous dowry would naturally be in the Hou family's pocket.

It is only natural to fill the deficit in the mansion and keep the facade intact.

Unexpectedly, the daughter-in-law was so assertive, not only refusing to give them any advantage, but also stripping the Marquis's family of their last shred of skin.

"Great, excellent!"

Gu Yan slammed his hand on the table, causing the empty teacup on the table to bounce.

"Yun Shuyao! The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion! I will remember this debt!"

And that foolish woman, if she hadn't been so greedy... the Marquis's mansion wouldn't have suffered such a disgrace!

Gu Yan's gaze swept across the courtyard, landing on the abandoned courtyard in the northwest corner, his eyes filled with venom.

That was the place where Lady Su, the wife of the Marquis, was imprisoned.

The weeds in the desolate courtyard were knee-high, and the window paper of the three dilapidated houses had several holes, letting the wind whistle through.

Su was wearing a faded old dress, her hair disheveled, and she was squatting in the corner, holding a chipped rough porcelain bowl.

"Water...give me some water..."

Su's throat was parched and she shouted towards the courtyard gate, but only the sound of the wind answered her.

She can't even get a sip of clean water now, let alone the bird's nest soup she used to drink every day.

She couldn't understand how she had ended up in such a predicament after only being greedy for a little money.

If Yun Shuyao hadn't been so aggressive, insisting on taking back the shop and settling the accounts, how could she have been discovered? How could the Marquis's mansion have been emptied out?

Hatred, like a poisonous vine, grew wildly in her heart, suffocating her.

Meanwhile, Gu Jinghuai, the heir of the Marquis's mansion, was standing in his study, looking at his pale face in the bronze mirror.

He was the object of pursuit by noble ladies in the capital since childhood.

His status as the heir of a marquis's family meant that he never took anyone seriously, including his fiancée who came from a merchant family.

In his view, Yun Shuyao's ability to marry into the Marquis's family was a blessing earned over several lifetimes.

However, she caused a huge commotion over the dowry.

Now, he wants to go to a restaurant for a social occasion, but the accountant says there's no money.

He wanted to get a new outfit, but the manager said the storeroom was empty.

Even the few poor students he had always looked down on looked at him with a hint of mockery.

"Yun Shuyao..."

Gu Jinghuai clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"How dare you humiliate the Marquis's mansion and this young master like this!"

He never imagined that the Marquis's mansion's prestige was entirely supported by that dowry he looked down upon.

I never imagined that one day I would feel ashamed to even go out because I had no money.

This disparity felt like a slap in the face.

Gu Yan's cough came from outside the courtyard, carrying suppressed anger.

"Jinghuai! Prepare the invitation and go to the Duke of Zhenguo's residence!"

"Settle everything for the wedding day! The Marquis's mansion has fallen to this state; we absolutely cannot allow Yun Shuyao to escape unscathed!"

Gu Jinghuai took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

He looked into the bronze mirror, where the figure's eyes were sinister.

Yes, we can't let her get away unscathed.

Even if it means dragging her, we must get her back in her original position!