Chapter 491

Zhou Yuxin dared not imagine what would await her if she were recognized."Think it through. If someone recognizes us, I won't mind, but you're different. Do you really think Prince An would let you live?" Ding Chen looked at Zhou Yuxin, speaking smugly.

Although Ding Chen's family lived next to the Zhou family, the Dings had long since fallen into decline.

Now, no one in the Ding family held an official position at court. The only reason their mansion hadn't been confiscated was because of the lingering favor granted by his grandfather.

Ding Chen himself had no real talent, but he had set his sights on Zhou Yuxin, the eldest daughter of the Zhou family.

In the past, he had made no secret of his goodwill toward her.

This had earned him a favorable impression from Zhou Yuxin. Unfortunately, the Zhou family looked down on him in the end.

They had forced Zhou Yuxin to marry into Prince An's household.

Of course, he resented Zhou Yuxin for her heartlessness.

He also resented the Zhou family for rejecting him.

He never reflected on his own shortcomings; if he had been more accomplished, perhaps the Zhou family would have considered him.

Later, unable to bear the loneliness, Zhou Yuxin sought him out again.

It was then that he decided to take revenge on Zhou Yuxin and on Prince An, who had taken his woman.

He visited her every day, coaxed her into bearing him a child, and then convinced her to elope with him.

During their days on the run, he nearly forgot how Zhou Yuxin had once betrayed him.

But then, Zhou Yuxin began to complain that he was useless and poor.

He too could no longer endure the bitter life of eating chaff and swallowing vegetables, so he thought of returning to the Zhou family to ask for some silver to spend.

Little did he expect such a coincidence—they happened upon Xu Heming's wedding.

Seeing this, Ding Chen was actually thrilled.

After all, making Zhou Yuxin watch Prince An marry another woman gave him the same satisfaction he had felt when he watched her wed Prince An all those years ago.

As for Prince An marrying someone else, so what? Prince An's Heir was his son, after all.

At this thought, Ding Chen even fantasized about one day lying back and enjoying a good life in Prince An's mansion.

Still, he realized that Zhou Yuxin could never return to Prince An's household and would have to stick with him, a useless man.

Not only would Zhou Yuxin have to stay with him, but she would also have to take money from the Zhou family for his use.

"Come on, let's go back quickly!" Ding Chen said, tugging the dazed Zhou Yuxin toward the Zhou residence with a smug look.

As for how much dowry Xu Heming had brought, Ding Chen couldn't care less. After all, whatever she had would eventually become his, right?

The more, the better.

When the two arrived at the Zhou house, they were stunned.

The Zhou mansion now stood in obvious decline, with its front gates tightly shut.

A sense of foreboding washed over Zhou Yuxin.

"Your house... why does it look so strange?" Ding Chen frowned at Zhou Yuxin.

He cursed inwardly, wondering if the Zhou family had fallen from power.

At that thought, Ding Chen, his face dark, walked toward a small side door.

He didn't even bother to call out to Zhou Yuxin, who was still frozen in place.

Zhou Yuxin paid no attention to Ding Chen's departure. She walked straight to the Zhou family's main gate and cautiously knocked.

But the gates remained closed, with no response.

"Open up! Open up! Uncle Wu, open the door!" Zhou Yuxin was terrified.

Had something happened to her parents?

Where had they all gone?

She pounded on the gate desperately.

"Miss, are you a relative of this household?" An passing elderly woman could not bear to ask, seeing a young girl continuously knocking on the Zhou family's gate.

Zhou Yuxin turned to look at the unfamiliar elderly woman, asking timidly, "Ma’am, do you know where the Zhou family has gone?"

"This family? A few days ago, they got into trouble and were expelled from the capital," the elderly woman said, letting out a sigh as if she still remembered how the Zhou residence had caught fire, nearly burning to death the young heir of Prince An's estate.

"Got into trouble? How could that be? The master of this house is the Vice Minister of War, and he is also Prince An’s father-in-law," Zhou Yuxin murmured in disbelief.

"Hmph, this family almost caused the death of Prince An's Heir, yet they expect Prince An to protect them? Besides, this decree came from the Emperor himself, so naturally, the master has also been stripped of his rank," the elderly woman said, shaking her head before walking away.

Zhou Yuxin collapsed onto the ground in disbelief.

Her parents had nearly killed her son?

Now, her entire family had been driven out of the capital.

Zhou Yuxin simply could not believe how things had come to this.

"What are you still doing here? Afraid someone will see you?" Ding Chen said impatiently, stepping out from the side and looking at Zhou Yuxin, who was still stunned, with an annoyed tone.

"My parents are in trouble; they've been expelled from the capital," Zhou Yuxin whispered, sobbing softly.

"What?" Ding Chen could hardly believe that misfortune had come so swiftly.

"What do we do, Ding Chen? My family has lost everything," Zhou Yuxin said, realizing as she spoke that she had no idea what to do.

Her home was gone.

Her parents, her elder brother, and her younger sister had all been banished from the capital.

What meaning was there in her returning?

"Lost everything? How can that be?" Ding Chen exclaimed in shock.

Damn it. They had come back this time hoping to get more money from the Zhou family.

But now the Zhou family was gone, and the silver he had wanted had slipped through his fingers?

At that thought, Ding Chen's face darkened as black as ink.

"Ding, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‍did you ask your parents what exactly happened to my family?"

Zhou Yuxin looked at Ding Chen with a hopeful expression, asking, still clinging to a shred of hope that perhaps Ding Chen's parents might know something.

"No!" Ding Chen said gruffly.

Just thinking about how, when he had returned to the Ding household, his parents had looked at him not with joy but with wariness, asking why he had come back, made him irritable.

He was very clear that there was no place for him in the Ding family anymore.

He had originally counted on the Zhou family to support them so they could leave immediately. Now that the Zhou family had collapsed, where would the money come from?

In contrast to the despondency at the Zhou residence,

over at the Li residence, the atmosphere was lively.

Xu Heming, leading his men, had broken through multiple barriers and arrived outside the Ban Yue Pavilion.

Unfortunately, the young ladies inside the Ban Yue Pavilion refused to open the door.

"Your Highness, in the future, who will have the final say in the prince’s mansion?" one young girl asked with a smile.

After asking, she felt a little regretful, but this question was exactly what the heir had told her to ask.

"Within the mansion, naturally, the princess consort will have the final say," Xu Heming frowned, puzzled as to which family the young ladies inside the Ban Yue Pavilion belonged to, and why they would ask such a tricky question.

Or perhaps they were sent by an enemy?

“Ask him quickly—in the Prince’s residence, between his father, mother, and grandmother, have him say who is most important and who is the least important!” Xu Qingshi said with a dissatisfied air, hands on her small waist, speaking to a young girl.

“Your Highness, is this question really something I can ask?” the girl asked, blinking fearfully.

“Why not?” Xu Qingshi asked, puzzled.

“Are you sure your father, the Prince, won’t come after me for this?” the girl repeated.