Chapter 7 — The Dowry Without a Name

My brother arrived accompanied only by two accounting stewards, four servants to carry the trunks, and a meticulously transcribed copy of my dowry ledger. Upon entering the main hall, he first paid his respects to the Old Matriarch.

"I have come today to escort my sister home for a temporary stay, and while I am at it, to conduct an audit of her dowry."

The Old Matriarch had not slept well, and shadows of exhaustion clung beneath her eyes. At the mention of an audit, the lid of the teacup in her hand clattered sharply against the rim.

"Minh Duong and her husband are merely having a small disagreement; why must you alarm her maternal home?"

I stood behind my brother in silence. Lu Thua An opened the ledger, his voice steady and calm.

"If it is a small matter, the audit will be finished quickly."

Ta Hoai Can strode in from outside. He, too, appeared to have spent a sleepless night, his robes slightly disheveled. Seeing Lu Thua An, his brow furrowed immediately.

"Brother-in-law, this is a private matter between Minh Duong and me."

Lu Thua An lifted his gaze to meet his.

"Yesterday, she sent word that she wished to reclaim the dowry brought from the Lu household. As the dowry was a gift from our family, I have come to verify the records; I do not believe this oversteps my bounds."

Ta Hoai Can restrained himself, his eyes shifting to me.

"Lu Minh Duong, must you really go this far?"

"I must."

My reply was immediate, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"I have already told you, raising Lian to the status of a secondary wife was merely to repay a debt of gratitude."

"She saved your life," I said. Ta Hoai Can went stiff. I continued, "Therefore, it is right that you should repay her."

"You may give her your silver, your home, or the remainder of your life; I shall not stand in your way. But I am not silver for you to use in paying your debts. And I am certainly not the remainder of your life to be bartered for such a purpose."

A heavy silence descended upon the hall. Lu Thua An closed the ledger and glanced at Ta Hoai Can.

"If my brother-in-law wishes to repay a debt, the Lu family will not interfere. But if you intend to use a daughter of the Lu family and her dowry to settle it, then that is hardly appropriate."

Ta Hoai Can gripped his sleeves tight. "Is your family trying to force me to agree to a divorce?"

"It is not force," I replied. "I asked you for a letter of divorce yesterday. Whether or not you choose to write it is your business. My auditing of my own property is my business."

Ta Hoai Can let out a cold laugh. "Without a divorce letter, you are still a lady of the Ta household."

"That is why today I am only auditing my dowry, not the Ta household's assets." I looked him straight in the eye. "These items will be moved to the Lu estate for safekeeping until the divorce papers are finalized, at which point they will be officially cataloged. I shall not touch a single item that belongs to the Marquess's mansion."

I signaled my brother. "Proceed according to the ledger."

Lu Thua An nodded. The two stewards began their work.

"One long table of yellow rosewood."

The servants stepped forward and lifted the very table Ta Hoai Can had pounded upon the previous evening. He watched it being carried away without a word.

"One green jade screen."

"Six boxes of sandalwood."

"The deed to the Brocade Workshop."

"The deeds to the three storefronts in the South City."

"Four house managers who accompanied the bride; their contracts belong to the Lu family."

For every item called out, a servant moved to verify it. Nothing belonging to the Marquess's mansion was touched; nothing decorative belonging to the Ta family was disturbed. Even a silver cup belonging to the Ta household that had been mixed into my vanity chest was picked out by my maid, Thanh Hoa, and placed back on the table.

"This does not belong to the mistress," she noted.

I nodded. "Leave it."

The Old Matriarch leaned heavily against the back of her chair, unable to rise. She opened her mouth several times to speak, but the words died in her throat. By the time the audit was halfway finished, a steward rushed in, looking anxious.

"Marquess, if the mistress reclaims the deeds to the Brocade Workshop, we will no longer be able to settle the account for the winter garments for the inner courtyard next month."

I corrected him. "The mistress is not reclaiming them. The shop has always belonged to the Lu family." I turned to the others. "If the mansion requires fabric in the future, pay for it at the market price. If you wish to put it on credit, please have Ta Hoai Can sign for it personally."

The steward fell silent, glancing at Ta Hoai Can, whose fists were clenched, his face pale. Soon, the lists for the pharmacy, the bird's nest supplier, and the catering house were also pulled from the accounts. Every expense linked to my personal credit was severed, and the grace afforded by my household staff was withdrawn. Chu, the old nurse standing by the Matriarch, felt the blood drain from her face.

"Mistress, the medicine for the Old Matriarch has always been delivered via the pharmacy credit. If you cut it off today..."

I looked at the Old Matriarch. "If my mother is ill, one should naturally summon a physician and buy medicine." The Old Matriarch’s eyes flickered with a hint of relief, but I continued, "Let Ta Hoai Can pay for it." Her hands tightened against the armrests.

Ta Hoai Can finally snapped. "Lu Minh Duong, if you take all of this away, what will become of the Marquess's mansion?"

"When you took a secondary wife, you didn't ask what would become of me," I said. "Now you choose to ask about the mansion?"

Ta Hoai Can's throat moved as he struggled, but not a single word escaped his lips. At that moment, Su Lian, supported by a maid, appeared in the corridor. She wore a heavy cloak, her lips colorless, her eyes red and weeping.

"Mistress, if this is all because of me, I can leave."

Once again, those words. I looked at her.

"Very well."

Su Lian stood frozen. I pointed toward the door.