It just so happened that she was also going to her parents' room.
The treasure chest Nu Bai mentioned was dug up and stored in Space, and all the gold, silver, jewelry, and ornaments on the dressing table were collected. Her father liked to collect calligraphy and paintings, as well as vases – there were quite a few in the room, and she collected them all.
She opened the wardrobe, and all the clothes inside were made of fine brocade. Each piece looked as new as if it had never been worn, and she collected them all. Although she didn't know if she would have a chance to wear them again, she could sell them for a good price!
The most important thing was that she wanted to prevent the people who were confiscating their belongings from taking even a single hair.
Thinking of this, she also put the bedding on the bed into Space.
The confiscation would take place in the second half of the night. Even if it was a robbery, who would care?
At most, the Dali Temple would only rule that Shen Manor was busy entertaining guests, and the guards were lax, giving the thieves an opportunity. By then, the accusers would be exiled, and who would be so full of themselves as to investigate this matter?
Thinking of this, she took everything she could see.
She ripped down the tables, chairs, benches, valuable flowers, plants, and bed curtains. If moving the bed hadn't been so obvious, she would have taken the carved bed made of Yellow Pear Wood!
Forget it. The tables and chairs could be explained, but if the bed disappeared, it would be too suspicious. If the Shen Manor were accused of Witchcraft, it wouldn't just be exile.
When she left, her parents' room was left with only a bare bed board.
She definitely couldn't forget her grandparents' room. Her father, mother, and other younger family members had given them many good things.
The same bed board treatment for them.
Then, there were her three younger brothers, one younger sister, her father's two concubines, and three illegitimate sons and three illegitimate daughters.
All of them received the bed board treatment.
Jumping over the wall led to her second uncle's house, and next door were her third and fourth uncles. A family should be together; they also received the bed board treatment.
The kitchens of several uncles' houses were also not spared. All of her uncles' families went to her house for the feast, and even most of the servants went to her house to help. Everything in the kitchens was taken!
Chickens, ducks, fish, meat, various cured and salted meats, vegetables, fruits, rice, noodles, and oil—anything in the kitchen was taken!
Even the frying pans were taken. She had all sorts of pots in her Space, but none of those blackened, large iron woks!
Cooking utensils were taken, and the firewood stacked high against the wall was taken too!
Red Luo charcoal, Silver Frost charcoal, loose coal briquettes, all taken!
A row of more than a dozen large water vats, all taken!
Pickle vats and fermented soybean paste vats, all taken!
"Master, Master, I accidentally swept through a cellar in the next house, and the cellar is filled with glittering treasures!"
Nu Bai's products were always top-notch, so they were all taken!
It took her more than two hours to clear everything out. After today, she would definitely be watched by many eyes, and it would be difficult to collect things like this again.
"Nu Bai, do you want to go big?"
"Master, Nu Bai knows what you're thinking! Nu Bai loves collecting things with Master the most. Master, just keep collecting!"
Shen Lanxi's phoenix eyes sparkled, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly: "Let's go!"
To confuse the public, she took Shen Manor as the center and specifically targeted wealthy merchants who were unrighteous and corrupt officials who were greedy for money, sweeping through everywhere. She would take a bed board full of items from three or five houses, and she chose which house to hit based on her mood.
After sweeping a circle, she headed towards the Duke of the South's Mansion.
Almost as soon as she arrived at the Duke of the South's Mansion, Nu Bai's notification sounded.
"A group of people in armor are heading towards Shen Manor!"
Here it comes, the house-searching has begun.
Instead of returning to the bridal chamber, she went straight to the Duke of the South's Mansion's warehouse. All of Zhou Ruyuan's rewards for his military achievements, the spoils of war he brought back from the battlefield, the Emperor's gifts when he left the palace to establish his own mansion, and the officials' tributes – all were seized.
And her dowry, totaling one hundred and eight chests, had all been carried into the warehouse for registration.
Seize everything! Not even a box of sewing supplies will be left for Zhou Ruyuan!
"Nu Bai, scan for any hidden treasures?"
"Master, no, but there are several rooms in the back courtyard filled with glittering things, and a man in red is flirting with a woman who looks a bit like you."
The only man in red in the entire mansion was Zhou Ruyuan. Could that woman who looked a bit like her be his beloved concubine?
Excellent, she was successfully disgusted!
"Just you wait, it'll be their turn soon!"
"Master, Master, you should say, it's those two lovebirds' turn."
Shen Lanxi smiled. Even Nu Bai, a non-human, had a moral compass. Those two were truly shameless!
Back in her room, she changed into her wedding attire and asked, "Has the Duke returned?"
Autumn Frost's voice responded, "Miss, not yet!"
Shen Lanxi's tone was thick with disappointment. "Oh, I see. Then I'll rest. Guard the door and don't let anyone disturb me. I might sleep in today!"
"Understood, Miss. With your servant guarding, I guarantee no one will get in!"
Shen Lanxi waited for three breaths. Autumn Frost's voice didn't come again. The next second, she leapt out of the Duke of the South's Mansion and headed straight for the Imperial City!
The Imperial City gates opened at half-past five in the morning to allow entry for daily purchases and waste disposal. The gates officially opened at six o'clock. Civil and military officials began entering the Imperial City from half-past six onwards, and court began around half-past seven.
She arrived at the gate at half-past five. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, shoppers, and waste disposal workers, she ran madly towards the city gates, her hair disheveled.
At first, the guards didn't recognize Shen Lanxi, and they pointed their spears at her with a cold gleam.
"Bold, Imperial City forbidden area..."
The rest of the words were cut off as Shen Lanxi swept her loose hair back from her face.
"I am Shen Lanxi! I want to see the Empress Dowager to complain! I want to see my uncle, the Emperor, to complain!"
Shen Lanxi had grown up in the Imperial City as a child, her status comparable to a princess. There wasn't a single person in the Imperial City who didn't know her!
"I want to complain! Zhou Ruyuan, the Duke of the South, has bullied me and humiliated me. He didn't even step into my room on our wedding night. He spent the whole night in his concubine's room, and called for water three times... I want to ask the Empress Dowager why he would treat me like this?" Shen Lanxi cried as she ran forward, holding up the token that allowed her entry into the Imperial City!
This token was a special gift from the Empress Dowager, allowing direct access to her sleeping quarters without needing to announce her presence.
The token was real, and no one dared to stop her.
Only a few people knew about the order to seize Shen Manor, the city guards were still unaware!
Shen Lanxi was like she was in a land of no one, crying and shouting as she ran towards the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters, holding the token high!
Along the way, no one spoke, and no one dared to stop her.
It wasn't until Shen Lanxi was out of sight that the head of the city guards finally slapped his head and realized what had happened.
"What are you all staring at? Hurry up and report this!"
At this moment, the guards remembered that even with the token, they still needed to report it.
They weren't just staring blankly; they were stunned!
Instead of sleeping with Shen Lanxi, such a beautiful woman, he went to sleep in his concubine's room? And on the wedding night, no less?
And Shen Lanxi found out about it. Even more incredible, she knew he had asked for water multiple times? What's the difference between that and seeing through someone's clothes to their underwear?
Duke of the South Zhou Ruyuan is going to lose face this time!