Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Xiao Yao, dressed in a bright red brocade palace gown embroidered with gold peonies, the long skirt trailing on the ground, and draped with a white fur cloak, her head adorned with jewels, slowly alighted from the carriage with the help of her maids.

Fearing the mud would soil her fine clothes, two guards took out a roll of red silk from the carriage, shook it, and laid it steadily on the ground so that Xiao Yao could step on it to enter the courtyard.

There were seven or eight meters between the courtyard gate and the thatched hut, and the red silk was laid out for seven or eight meters.

Yu Wanran, who arrived carrying a bucket, was speechless.

If you think the countryside is dirty, why did you come back? To return in glory and show off your power?

She lived in the Duke's mansion for sixteen years and never cared about extravagance. Moreover, she loved martial arts and kept her jewelry and clothing as simple and unpretentious as possible.

Is Xiao Yao dressing herself up as a moving, talking decorative shelf?

Zhu Xiaozhen came out with a rice scoop to see what was going on. Seeing the scene in the yard, she was so frightened that she hugged Yu Xiaoxiang tightly. The mother and daughter quickly shrank back into the kitchen, not daring to breathe and trembling.

Xiao Yao applied a thick layer of fragrant powder to her face, and her eyebrows and eyes were drawn with exceptional delicacy. She curled her short fingernails, admiring the newly dyed buds on them.

However, after standing in the courtyard for a while, no one came out to greet her; it seemed they had all hidden themselves away.

Xiao Yao's face darkened: "What, are all the people in the house dead?"

Given her current status, the entire Yu family should crawl out and kowtow to her!

She went to great lengths to come out of the city to visit them, yet they dared to hide from her?

A maid immediately stepped forward, trying to please her mistress: "Princess, this servant will go knock on the door!"

Seeing that she was stepping on red silk and dirtying the place that Xiao Yao hadn't stepped on yet, Xiao Yao's eyes flashed with anger, and she casually slapped the maid hard across the face!

With a sharp "snap," the maid staggered backward, startling everyone.

"Who do you think you are, daring to step on the red ribbon that I, the county princess, am about to leave on? Or should I give you the title of county princess instead?"

She knew that her past as a peasant girl was looked down upon by many. Some people flattered her to her face, but in reality, they would turn around and make fun of her. Moreover, they always compared her to Yu Wanran.

She needs to establish her authority!

From now on, let's see who in Tongcheng dares to mess with her.

The maid never dreamed that her flattery would backfire so badly. She immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy.

Yu Wanran's eyes darkened.

Xiao Yao has started calling herself a county princess so quickly?

The title of County Princess used to belong to her. Logically, if the Duke's Mansion wanted to reclaim the title of County Princess for Xiao Yao, they should have reported it to the imperial court. But only a few days later, Xiao Yao is already claiming to be a County Princess?

Were the Duke and Duchess so eager to show their love for their daughter that they disregarded the laws of the land?

Just as she was about to go out, a large hand pressed on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw her older brother, Yu Wenbin, returning with a load of water. He shook his head at her, signaling her not to go out.

Xiao Yao returned, clearly intending to cause trouble. Yu Wenbin stepped forward and walked out himself.

He asked himself if he had treated Xiao Yao well in the past. His parents and aunt would occasionally beat and scold Xiao Yao, and he would even protect her. Even if Xiao Yao no longer recognized him as her older brother, she wouldn't make things difficult for him, would she?

Seeing that someone from the Yu family had finally come out, the beaten maid felt as if she had been granted a pardon. Taking advantage of Xiao Yao's attention shifting to Yu Wenbin, she hurriedly scrambled away.

After entering the courtyard, Yu Wenbin unloaded the carrying pole, poured the two buckets of water into the water vat in the yard, and then stood by the water vat, turning to face Xiao Yao.

The former brother and sister looked at each other, their gazes filled with complex emotions. Yu Wenbin was mostly filled with emotion, while Xiao Yao could not hide her resentment.

After a moment, Yu Wenbin sighed and spoke.

"Princess Xiao, my father and younger brother are in the fields, and my mother was crippled and bedridden after being beaten by the Duke's mansion. What makes you hate us so much that you've come here to kill us all?"

"Who said I came here to wipe them out?"

Xiao Yao let out a cold laugh.

“Your Yu family raised me for sixteen years, even though I only ate coarse food and was constantly beaten and scolded. But I, Xiao Yao, am clear about my grudges and won’t make things difficult for you.”

She raised her hand, and several maids immediately unloaded several large boxes from the carriage, placed them on the ground, and piled them up to a person's height.

Xiao Yao casually opened a box, took out a roll of smooth and bright satin, and looked smug.

"See this? This is Shu brocade! It's colorful and vibrant, changing like clouds and mist. You've never seen anything like this in your lives, have you?"

"And this imperial mille-feuille pastry can only be made by a chef from the Duke's mansion who used to be an imperial chef. I, the county princess, will repay evil with kindness and give you some to try."

Xiao Yao tossed the items back into the box, patted off imaginary dust from her hands, and glanced sideways at Yu Wenbin, whose expression was grim.

"These are treasures you've never had the fortune to see in your eight lifetimes. Consider this my repayment of the sixteen years' worth of meals owed to your Yu family! By the way, where is that fake Duke's daughter who impersonated me before?"

Changing the subject abruptly, her face revealed undisguised malice and mockery as she looked at the newly erected fence in the house and yard.

"Are you feeling guilty and afraid to show yourself?"

Yu Wenbin knew his former third sister's personality all too well. She was always filled with resentment and had a strong desire for revenge. He couldn't help but try to appeal to their past sibling bond to win her over.

"Yao Yao..."

"Shut up!"

Xiao Yao's expression changed, and she angrily rebuked, "Who do you think you are, daring to call me by my childhood name? Slap him in the face!"

Two guards rushed toward the stunned Yu Wenbin.

"Slap! Slap!"

Before everyone's eyes could see, a young girl had appeared in front of Yu Wenbin, holding a bucket in each hand, and knocked two guards away.

Xiao Yao was startled at first, then recognized the girl with the tattered skirt. Her gaze fell on the two familiar buckets in the girl's hands, and she instantly felt immense pleasure, unable to suppress a giggle.

"Yu Wanran, you imposter—your first day back at the Yu family, you're already washing chamber pots? This is truly the life you're meant to live! Hahaha..."

Yu Wanran, expressionless, placed the two buckets on the ground and curtsied to Xiao Yao.

"This humble woman greets County Princess Xiao! My elder brother was born in the countryside and is not very knowledgeable. He has offended County Princess Xiao by using her name. Please forgive him."

What Xiao Yao hated most was her calm and composed demeanor!

If she hadn't been switched at the beginning, she would have grown up in the Duke's mansion, wouldn't she be just like Yu Wanran before her, elegant and graceful? Why would she have suffered strange looks and ridicule in front of and behind people's backs!

She walked towards Yu Wanran, ignoring the fact that her long skirt trailed outside the red ribbon's reach. With a hard kick, she sent the chamber pot crashing into Yu Wanran. The chamber pot tumbled and rolled several times, making a crisp sound.

Yu Wanran lowered her head and remained silent.

She knew Xiao Yao's mindset all too well. If she didn't let Xiao Yao vent her anger, there would be endless trouble. What power did she and the Yu family have against the Duke's mansion now?

Seeing Yu Wanran and the others holding their breath, Xiao Yao's anger finally subsided somewhat. She realized she had come to establish her authority and show off, and getting entangled with counterfeit goods would be an insult to her title as a county princess.

Lifting her skirt, she stepped back onto the red silk, glancing at Yu Wanran with disdain.

"In my opinion, you haven't learned proper etiquette in your sixteen years of study! As a peasant girl from the countryside, is it enough for you to just kneel and curtsy when you see me, the county princess?"