"Please wait a moment, my lord is currently handling official business." Outside the storeroom, the young servant in grey clothing wore a smile, but his eyes held a hint of arrogance, clearly not taking the people before him seriously.
Lord Teng had interacted with Lord Tao before. Imperial officials were often haughty and looked down upon local officials. This one didn't even give Lord Qiu face, let alone officials from their Qianzhong Prefecture yamen. Being shut out was a normal occurrence.
Madam Xu and Qiu Jingyuan dared not speak out and stood quietly at the back, waiting.
Qiu Huaixin frowned slightly. Although he was a commoner, due to Lord Qiu's influence, he had never been treated with such coldness in Qianzhong Circuit. Coupled with the knowledge that Lord Tao had some conflict with his father, his expression turned unpleasant.
"Let's wait," Zhan Feiyu said, and casually sat down under the corridor.
The servant scoffed, glanced at them again, and retreated to the corridor to guard. As for when Lord Tao would finish his business, he, a mere servant, had no idea.
In the sound of wind and rain, a quarter of an hour quickly passed.
Madam Xu looked hesitantly at the servant guarding the door, contemplating slipping him some silver to go in and announce them again. They couldn't just keep waiting like this.
However, it was not her place as a woman to speak up, and with Qiu Huaixin still waiting, Madam Xu was even less inclined to do so.
"They say it's easy to meet the King of Hell but hard to deal with the minor devils. I'm gaining insight today!" Qiu Huaixin's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the servant at the door to hear.
The servant's face fell, and he glared angrily at Qiu Huaixin. But considering his status, he suppressed his anger, his expression becoming even more unpleasant.
Zhan Feiyu raised an eyebrow and smiled at the sullen Qiu Huaixin, "Deal with him!"
Lord Teng choked on his breath. He turned his head and coughed awkwardly. He likely hadn't expected Zhan Feiyu, who looked delicate and cute, to speak so defiantly. She was more like a dissolute young master than a young lady.
Qiu Huaixin was also taken aback. For the past two days, not only Lord Qiu but also Madam Qiu had repeatedly urged him to be more careful when out and about, to no longer act as whimsically as he did now. Prudence was the way to self-preservation.
The servant was even more incensed this time. But when he met Zhan Feiyu's half-smiling gaze, and recalled that her teacher was Scholar Gu, the servant's face turned red with suppressed anger, yet he dared not speak harshly to Zhan Feiyu.
This was still Qianzhong Circuit. What was he worried about? Qiu Huaixin laughed heartily and strode towards the door, which startled the servant standing there, making him uneasy.
Looking down at the tense, pale servant, Qiu Huaixin let out a proud cold snort, "Is it that you didn't go in to report, or is Lord Tao deliberately making things difficult for us?"
Even if the servant was foolish, he knew he couldn't bring trouble to Lord Tao. He quickly said, "My lord might have finished his work. I will go in and report now."
In less than half the time it takes for a cup of tea to brew, the door opened again. This time, the servant did not dare to act like a bully, and led the group into the storeroom.
Hearing footsteps, Lord Tao put down the official document he was holding, but remained seated behind his desk without standing up.
"This subordinate greets Your Lordship." Lord Teng spoke first and bowed. After straightening up, he continued to Lord Tao, "My lord, this young lady is the daughter of the Dou family. Madam Xu is her paternal uncle's wife..."
Lord Teng introduced their identities. He Sheng and Shi Song were still guarding outside. The two maids and the old woman behind Madam Xu also remained outside. He Nuan had entered the room but was now standing in the most inconspicuous corner.
"Since it is the Dou family's dowry, all irrelevant individuals should leave," Lord Tao said coldly, his displeased gaze falling on Qiu Huaixin and Zhan Feiyu. Neither of them were court officials, nor were they blood relatives of the Dou family, so by rights, they were not qualified to remain here.
Qiu Huaixin, already arrogant by nature, sneered, "Reporting to Your Lordship, all three branches are female. My father was worried, so he specifically asked me to come and look after them. If Your Lordship is displeased, you might as well send someone to the Provincial Administration Commission."
"Young Master Qiu, are you using Lord Qiu to pressure me?" a sinister voice sounded. Lord Tao dared to shut Qiu Huaixin out, but he didn't have the guts to fall out with Lord Qiu.
Qianzhong Circuit was the Qiu family's territory. Offending the Qiu family would likely mean not being able to leave this region alive.
Qiu Huaixin snorted arrogantly. These were the kind of people who, when treated with courtesy, would try to put you down. Now that he had stood firm, Lord Tao had backed down.
Zhan Feiyu, standing to the side, narrowed her eyes and smiled as Lord Tao's gaze fell upon her. "Reporting to Your Lordship, this student had promised Madam Xu. Since Your Lordship deems it inappropriate, this student will take her leave now."
Her words were decisive, and Zhan Feiyu's steps as she turned to leave were brisk. He Nuan, standing in the corner, immediately stepped forward to follow her. Master and servant turned to leave without another word.
Lord Tao, seated behind his desk, was stunned. Qiu Huaixin and Madam Xu and the others were also taken aback. Earlier, outside, Zhan Feiyu had been so assertive, throwing out the words "Deal with him!" to Qiu Huaixin, and now she was the one backing down, leaving just like that.
Lord Teng did not speak, but cast a sympathetic glance at Lord Tao. This man was arrogant. He knew that this young girl was Scholar Gu's junior disciple, and Lord Qiu treated her with courtesy. Yet, this man still put on airs as the Assistant Minister of Revenue, wanting to gain some advantage.
Zhan Feiyu's move was far more astute than that of Young Master Qiu. If Qiu Huaixin used Lord Qiu to pressure someone, it would not only affect his own reputation but also Lord Qiu's.
However, Zhan Feiyu's withdrawal had put Lord Tao in a difficult position. If you say it's against the rules, then the young lady immediately leaves, showing no signs of bullying others with her influence.
Seeing Zhan Feiyu, with her short legs, about to walk out, Lord Tao almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He could only say, "Miss Zhan, please stay. You came with Miss Qiu, so it's fine for you to remain."
Zhan Feiyu, who had lifted her foot, placed it back down. She turned and asked Lord Tao with a smile, "Is it really in accordance with the rules? After all, this is a sensitive area of the prefecture. If word gets out, outsiders might think I'm acting recklessly using my teacher's name!"
"Miss Zhan worries too much," Lord Tao squeezed out through gritted teeth, his eyes dark and menacing. What a troublesome little girl.
Having suffered a silent defeat, Lord Tao stopped his antics. He first had the clerk verify Qiu Jingyuan's household registration, had her sign and affix her fingerprint, and then ordered the storeroom keys to be brought. The group proceeded directly to the storeroom at the back.
Passing through the corridor led to a row of rooms. The doors and windows were specially made, fireproof and theft-proof. Unless one had the key, ordinary thieves would absolutely not be able to pry open the storeroom locks.
"My lord, we have arrived at Storeroom D-3." The escorting yamen runner stopped. This storeroom was not large and was usually vacant. It was now used to seal the confiscated property of the Qiu family's third branch.
However, most of the third branch's property had been sealed and transported to the capital along with the male members of the Qiu family. What was now in this room was the dowry of the female members and some personal property.
Besides Dou Shi's dowry, Madam Xu and her sisters-in-law also had some personal property sealed inside. Only after the court's judgment determined the ownership of the confiscated items could they be returned to Madam Xu and the others according to the law. Otherwise, they would remain sealed in the storeroom.
With a creak, the storeroom door was opened. A few yamen runners and clerks holding lists went in first. Moments later, five camphor wood chests with seals were carried out.
"My lord, these five chests are the ones," the clerk reported and then stepped aside.
Lord Tao nodded and looked at Qiu Jingyuan, "These are the five chests that were carried out from your home that day. Take out the inventory list, and then verify them one by one. Once confirmed, you may take them back."
Qiu Jingyuan, who had been silent, bowed to Lord Tao, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Lordship."
Madam Xu did not dare to delay and quickly handed the dowry list to Qiu Huaixin, as she did not feel reassured by having the yamen officials verify it. "I trouble you, Huaixin."
This was the purpose of their visit today. Qiu Huaixin took the list and quickly scanned it. The dowry list was very detailed, even recording the quality and size of the gemstones inlaid in the jewelry.
However, the subsequent list was somewhat crude, only recording the names of some items, with little else. In this way, if someone tried to pass off inferior goods as superior, or fakes as genuine, Qiu Huaixin would not be able to tell.