A whirlwind marriage: The real heiress marries a warlord.

Du Jia sat alone for a long time, and only after drinking a cup of tea did her emotions stabilize.

She originally wanted to go and talk to Lan Muhe.

If Lan Muhe continues to act so recklessly, she will be sent back to her hometown of Yicheng to reflect on her actions.

Fortunately, Lan Zheng and his wife were with the old lady, so she wouldn't make a scene.

As she was thinking, Lan Changming's adjutant returned.

"Madam, the Chief of Staff requests your presence at the military government," the adjutant said.

It seems the donations from overseas Chinese have been found.

This is a big deal.

She quickly changed her clothes, applied some powder and rouge to make herself look much better.

When Du Jia arrived, the head of the Du clan came.

This clan chief is named Du Changqing. Back then, Du Jia really wanted to choose him as her father's adopted son because she thought he was upright, but unfortunately Du Changqing's parents couldn't bear to part with him.

Du Jia's judgment proved correct.

Du Changqing is not only an upright person, but also a decent man.

He was from a collateral branch. Because the Du family had declined drastically in recent years, a very capable person was needed to manage the situation, so Du Changqing became the clan head.

He is quite authoritative, currently works for the municipal government, and enjoys excellent social prestige and family reputation.

"Rong Fei has been 'missing' for so long, and some people say they've seen him abroad. He doesn't dare to come back for the time being, but his room is too messy and needs to be cleaned up promptly. There's also money donated by overseas Chinese," said Du Changqing.

Several high-ranking military government officials were seated in the conference room, while Governor Cheng remained silent.

Du Jia stated, "I am willing to use Rongjia Bank to investigate the whereabouts of that money."

"I'll sign the rest," Du Changqing said.

They want to raid Rongjia Bank.

After all this commotion, we've searched everywhere we could, and the only thing that hasn't been touched is the safe deposit box at Rongjia Bank.

The safe was equipped with a mechanical lock, requiring two people's keys to open; otherwise, it would have to be forcibly broken. Du Rongfei certainly had a way to pick the lock, but Du Jia did not.

The Du family patriarch spoke up, saying that after he signed the document, the safe could be smashed.

Du Jia agreed.

Lan Changming nodded slightly.

After the matter was settled, Du Jia and Du Changqing were invited to a small lounge in the military government's conference building, where their adjutant served them tea.

"Brother Changqing, is there any news from the clan?" Du Jia asked.

About Du Rongfei.

He has been missing for several months.

"No," Du Changqing said with a wry smile. "I wanted to ask you something else, maybe you know."

After all, she was Lan Changming's wife, wealthy, and well-informed.

"He's nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead," Du Changqing said. "His house is a mess now; his wife is like a madwoman, fighting with his concubines and children."

Then he asked, "Have you gone to see it?"

"I've never gotten along with that couple, and my sister-in-law is unreliable; I can't be bothered to deal with her," Du Jia said.

Du Changqing then said, "Once things are settled, we will take back Du Rongfei's family property and distribute it to them according to the clan rules."

"This is the best."

"I'm afraid your sister-in-law won't agree. She's short-sighted," Du Changqing added.

He sighed. "This is going to be a mess."

If the clan doesn't intervene and lets their wives, children, and stewards and servants do whatever they want, it's like putting people in a gladiatorial arena.

Blood will flow like a river.

Where the property will ultimately end up is uncertain. Du Rongfei's children may not be able to win over his subordinates.

Without order, houses have no foundation; even the most sturdy houses can collapse in an instant.

Du Changqing has to take charge.

Du Changqing's uncle, who was also Du Jia's father, had sponsored his studies abroad. They had been kind to Du Changqing.

"Ah Jia, do you want to take back the property? It's all yours," Du Changqing asked her.

Du Jia: "When my father was alive, he repeatedly told me that wealth is like quicksand, and you can't hold onto it if you try to grab it."

The property given to Du Rongfei is his; I have no intention of taking it for myself. I already have mine.

He added, "My father's wealth came from his family's inheritance and good fortune, not from his life. He often said he was just an ordinary person, even a bit timid, and that he was simply lucky. He wouldn't begrudge the money he gave away, and neither will I."

Du Changqing stopped trying to persuade him.

The brother and sister sat there for a long time.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

"...They must have found something," Du Jia said.

If we don't find it, we'll be back soon.

"Let's resolve this matter first," Du Changqing said.

A moment later, the adjutant came over to invite Du Jia, but not Du Changqing.

Inside the meeting room, only the military governor and Lan Changming were present; the other high-ranking officials avoided any appearance of impropriety.

"Found it," Lan Changming told her.

The money donated by overseas Chinese, including the account books, is in the safe deposit box of Rongjia Bank.

"Give me the ledger, and I'll make a new one based on it," Du Jia said. "As for what was found in the safe, I don't know."

Governor Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

Du Jia obtained the account book and wrote a check for 200,000 silver dollars to thank the warlord for concealing the matter and preventing her from being dragged into the abyss of public opinion.

Governor Cheng was very pleased.

He said, "Our two families are relatives, so we're just having a meal together."

I glanced at Du Jia again.

Du Jia then said, "Yes, Commander-in-Chief, we are related by marriage."

Lan Changming hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

The warlord believed Qin Yan was an illegitimate daughter, and Du Jia seemed to know as well, but...

"Could you invite the second young mistress as well?" Du Jia asked tentatively. "I've met her a few times, but we've never really exchanged more than a few words."

Lan Changming's expression changed.

"Good." Governor Cheng was very pleased. "Let's eat in the inner quarters of the official residence. I'll send someone to tell Madam to arrange for the main kitchen to prepare the meal."

Governor Cheng had some matters to discuss with Lan Changming, so he arranged for Du Jia to have a more spacious and comfortable lounge where she could drink tea and read the newspaper.

Lan Changming, preoccupied, said, "Commander..."

"Don't take it too seriously. Your wife is much more magnanimous than you. What, are you worried that your wife will fight with Qin Yan in front of us?" Governor Cheng laughed.

He was in a great mood after receiving the huge sum of money, and his speech became much more witty.

Lan Changming smiled, but his smile looked more like a grimace.

"Actually, I should have turned on the gas in my house first," he said.

Governor Cheng dismissed it: "Don't be so old-fashioned. You're a smooth operator, but you value your reputation too much. In this world, what does reputation really matter?"

Lan Changming: "..."

The warlord's office called Qin Yan and Cheng Tianxun.

Cheng Tianxun answered the phone and relayed the message to Qin Yan.

"Perfect, make a scene in front of the warlord and let them know your grievances," Cheng Tianxun said.

This time, Qin Yan didn't refuse: "Okay."

"Change into a nice outfit," Cheng Tianxun said again.

Qin Yan: "Just dress normally."

She casually picked up a plain-colored cheongsam.

Cheng Tianxun looked at her and found that she was not nervous at all, and her emotions were not fluctuating. She said that she needed to control her anger so that she could free up her energy to deal with Liu Jinyao.

In that case, it's best not to go too far today.

Anyway, there's plenty of time.

The couple arrived at the military government. The warlord's wife had just returned from the government office and went to change her clothes first.

After changing into more comfortable clothes, the warlord's wife came downstairs and sat with the young couple.

"...I want Chief of Staff Lan to change his tune and stop calling me an illegitimate child."

"Apart from that, I have no other requests. I've been busy lately and don't have time to get involved with unimportant people and things," Qin Yan said.

The warlord's wife nodded: "Business is important, and you've always been very organized."

He added, "Since they are all unimportant people, there's no need to get involved."

Dinner was held in the banquet hall of the Governor's Mansion.

The banquet hall is very large, usually accommodating two to three hundred people for banquets, with a very high dome. Countless crystal chandeliers hang down.

The marble floor was so shiny that it reflected light like a mirror.

We only have one table today, so we chose the small hall to the west of the main banquet hall.

The lights are dazzling and the decorations are exquisite.

Governor Cheng, Lan Changming, and Du Jia entered together; then the Governor's wife led Qin Yan and Cheng Tianxun in together.

They took their seats, distinguishing themselves by rank.

Qin Yan sat to the left of Cheng Tianxun, directly opposite Du Jia across the long table.

Du Jia smiled at her.

They haven't seen each other since she learned about the rumors of the illegitimate daughter.

Du Jia realized her smile was inappropriate and withdrew it slightly; Qin Yan, however, merely nodded slightly, her attitude indifferent.

The maids served the dishes one after another.

"Qin Yan likes this eel dish, put it here," Cheng Tianxun said to the governor's wife.

The eel slices were placed in front of the warlord's wife.

Without waiting for the maid's help, the warlord's wife personally picked up the bowl and handed it to Cheng Tianxun.

Du Jia suddenly heard "Qin Yan" and her breath caught in her throat.

Her daughter's nickname is Qinyan.

She wasn't familiar with the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from the governor's mansion, and for some reason, it seemed that no one mentioned the young mistress's name to her.

"You two look so alike," Governor Cheng suddenly said with a laugh.

Lan Changming's eyes glistened with tears: "It is very similar."

Du Jia also reads Qin Yan's work.

People may not be very good at recognizing their own appearance.

"We should be family, this is quite a connection," Governor Cheng said with a smile.