Chapter 6
Lowering the carriage curtain, Lu Hanzhi thought to himself that he needed to act quickly—he had to earn enough exchange points as soon as possible and first acquire something that could defend against mental attacks.
The carriage swayed as it slowly left the capital. Watching the Lu family estate grow more distant, Lu Hanzhi finally let out a breath of relief.
At last, at long last—he was finally far away from that place filled with endless strife. Now, he could live freely.
By midday, Lu Hanzhi and his party arrived at the Lu family’s countryside estate.
No wonder the Lu family members had looked at him with such pity before he left. Although the estate was vast, all he could see was desolation and ruin.
In the scorching summer heat, the fields were overgrown with weeds, with only a sparse scattering of crops. A few indifferent tenant farmers, dressed in ragged clothes, glanced up at him before lowering their heads and continuing their work.
Logically, news of the third young master’s arrival to manage the estate should have spread long before he even got there. Yet, from the moment he stepped inside, not a single person came forward to greet him.
Lu Hanzhi handed the baby, Ah Chan, to an elderly maid and turned to a servant beside him. “Go inform them that the third young master of the Lu family has arrived and ask if the necessary arrangements have been made.”
Before coming, Madam Lu had given him a rough explanation of the situation here. Apparently, the estate was being managed by a distant cousin who had only recently passed the mourning period. Yet, for some reason, this cousin was nowhere to be seen.
It was one thing for that cousin to be absent, but even the servants and tenants hadn’t shown up to welcome him. Was this how they treated the young master of the household?
Lu Hanzhi turned to Luan Feng. “Are they deliberately refusing to welcome me?”
Thinking about it, he found it laughable. These fools—this was his own family’s estate. Since when did he need their permission to come? His expression darkened slightly.
Luan Feng had always followed him closely and rarely went outside, so she didn’t understand these underlying power plays.
Instead, Qin Se stepped forward and said, “Young Master, they’re trying to intimidate you, treating you like an easy target to suppress.”
Lu Hanzhi frowned. “What do you mean?”
Qin Se was a few years older than Luan Feng and was more reserved and composed in her speech and actions. Having served beside Madam Lu for years, she handled both household and external matters, making her well-versed in human nature.
She had long grown used to seeing opportunists who followed the wind and kicked people when they were down.
Qin Se explained, “The moment you arrived, the first person to feel threatened would naturally be the one currently in charge of the estate. Someone doesn’t want you here, Young Master.”
Lu Hanzhi was quick-witted. With just those two sentences, he immediately grasped the situation. He quickly called back the servant who had gone ahead to deliver the message. “Zai Yu, come back!”
The young servant named Zai Yu had been assigned to him by Madam Lu. He was clever and quick to react. The moment he heard Lu Hanzhi call him, he immediately turned around, bowed, and asked, “What are your orders, Young Master?”
Lu Hanzhi leaned back leisurely. “No orders. Just bring me a chair. I’ll sit here and wait.”
Zai Yu promptly acknowledged the request and, along with another servant named He Ming, brought over a chair for Lu Hanzhi to sit on.
Luan Feng held up a parasol to shade him from the sun, while Qin Se fanned him from the side.
The elderly maid, who was holding Ah Chan, worried that the baby would suffer heatstroke, so she moved under the shade of a tree to cool off.
Luan Feng looked puzzled. “Young Master, won’t it be too hot waiting out here? What if you get heatstroke?”
Qin Se glanced at her and chuckled softly. “I doubt anyone would dare let Young Master get heatstroke.”
Sure enough, Lu Hanzhi had only been sitting in the empty courtyard for the time it took to finish a cup of tea before a large group of people came rushing over.
The previously desolate courtyard instantly became bustling with activity. The man leading the group looked anxious. Upon seeing Lu Hanzhi, he immediately scolded the servants beside him with genuine anger: “You blind fools! Didn’t you see that the young master of the household has arrived? How dare you leave him sitting out in the scorching sun like this! Haven’t I told you all before? The young master was coming today, and you were supposed to prepare the main house for him! Are you all deaf or blind? Do you take my words as nothing?”
Lu Hanzhi remained completely unbothered, neither angry nor impatient. He simply motioned for Luan Feng to pour him a cup of iced green bean and osmanthus soup. Leisurely sipping on his drink, he watched the show unfold.
He finally realized that the phrase “I’ll just quietly watch you perform” was, in fact, a straightforward statement. He had been sitting there silently, watching the man put on a show for over ten minutes.
The man reprimanded the servants, arranged accommodations, packed his belongings, and settled the horses.
Yet, Lu Hanzhi remained unbothered, sitting there as if nothing concerned him, not moving an inch.
The other party felt unsure, hesitating before stepping forward to test the waters. “Hanzhi… cousin, it’s such a scorching day. Why don’t you come inside and rest?”
Lu Hanzhi unhurriedly finished his bowl of mung bean and osmanthus soup, handed the empty bowl to Luan Feng, cleared his throat, and said, “No rush.”
After uttering those two words, he picked up Ah Chan, who had been crying, and spent a long time soothing him. Only when the child finally fell asleep did he decide to speak.
“Oh, so you’re Lu…”
“Lu Quan! We’re paternal cousins, though we’ve just moved beyond the fifth degree of kinship!” Lu Quan quickly put on a fawning smile and introduced himself.
In truth, he had received word two days earlier that the main family was sending the third young master to take charge of the estate’s landholdings.
At first glance, this estate seemed desolate and remote, but in reality, there was plenty of wealth to be made.
Lu Quan had long established himself as the unchallenged authority here, ruling over everyone, with no one daring to utter a word of protest.
Over time, he had forgotten his own place, treating himself as the true master.
Now, with the sudden arrival of a young master from the main family, his comfort was instantly disrupted, and he was itching to stir up trouble.
In reality, the only reason he got this position was that his father had swallowed his pride and shamelessly begged the head of the Lu family for it.
For distant relatives like him, let alone those beyond the fifth degree, even those within it were often overlooked by the family.
However, since the person had pleaded, and given that they were still somewhat connected by blood, handing out a minor post was just a matter of convenience.
Yet now, this mere steward dared to try and intimidate the young master of the family—he must have had the audacity of a bear and the heart of a leopard.
Lu Hanzhi didn’t even spare Lu Quan a proper glance and merely said in a calm voice, “Alright. You’ve worked hard these past years. Now that I’m here, you can finally take it easy. Bring me the land deeds and account books for the estate, so we can do the handover.”
Lu Quan was stunned. He had assumed that this young master, pampered and raised in luxury, wouldn’t know a thing. A little intimidation, a few firm words, and the boy would surely be cowed.
Who would have thought that his attempt at establishing dominance had backfired, and instead, the young master had asserted his authority the moment he stepped in?
Lu Quan forced a smile and said, “Cousin, well… the account books and land deeds… they’re not something I can gather in such a short time. Why don’t you rest first, and we can… take care of it tomorrow?”
Lu Hanzhi took another sip of mung bean and osmanthus soup, leisurely saying, “No rush, I can wait.”
Lu Quan was completely dumbfounded. He had truly run into an immovable force today.
Forget the land deeds and account books—just the records of grain collection and distribution were a complete mess.
If Lu Quan couldn’t produce the books, this matter wouldn’t simply be brushed aside.
Finally, Lu Hanzhi rose from the intricately carved sandalwood chair and circled around Lu Quan, his mind filled with curses.
This fool actually had the audacity to take him for an idiot.
Over the years, Lu Quan had undoubtedly lined his pockets while managing the estate. In a land without tigers, the monkeys had taken the throne.
Very well. He might as well start by making an example out of this insolent lackey today.
Lu Hanzhi spoke, “Qin Se, bring the account books.”
Qin Se was in charge of bookkeeping for the Madam. Since she had sent Qin Se along with Lu Hanzhi, it was clearly not just for show.
Since the Madam had entrusted Lu Hanzhi with managing the estate, she had already made all the necessary preparations.
Qin Se retrieved a small brocade box from the carriage and took out a record book detailing the estate’s finances.
Lu Hanzhi asked, “Does this include all the stipends for the servants sent from the main house, as well as funds for repairing the residence, building farmhouses, and other construction expenses?”
Qin Se replied, “Not only that. It also contains records of all the money the estate submits to the main house every month, including profits from four dye houses, three silk shops, two wineries, seven farms, one brick kiln, one horse ranch, and two salt wells. Every transaction is recorded in detail. If Young Master wishes to verify them, each location has its own clerks keeping accounts. Perhaps Steward Lu could guide us, and we can check everything in person.”
Lu Hanzhi waved a hand and said, “No need for that. Have them bring the books here instead.”
At this moment, Lu Hanzhi felt as if he were leading a raiding party into a new game dungeon, ready to sweep through everything in his path.
Rather than pretending to bask in the sun outside, he carried little Ah Chan into the main house.
Fortunately, Lu Quan hadn’t been bold enough to occupy the master’s quarters. After a quick cleaning, while it wasn’t as refined and elegant as his previous residence, at least it was tidy and presentable.
Once the furniture, curtains, and decorations sent by Madam Lu were arranged, the place finally had a touch of warmth and liveliness.
Lu Hanzhi felt that the two assistants assigned to him by Madam Lu were truly capable—Qin Se managed the internal affairs, while Zai Yu handled the external matters.
In less than half an hour, after Lu Hanzhi had fed Ah Chan and coaxed him to sleep, Zai Yu returned with a towering stack of account books.
By now, Lu Quan was as pale as a sheet, barely able to stand. Kneeling in the courtyard, his face was filled with terror.
He knew there was no escaping this today. All of his initial arrogance from when Lu Hanzhi first arrived had completely vanished.
He Ming and Zai Yu raided his residence, uncovering some rare antiques and calligraphy pieces from the estate, along with silver and coins that hadn’t yet been transferred. After that, they sent him back to his parents and permanently barred him from employment.
It was clear that Lu Quan wasn’t well-liked here either. He acted as if he wielded great authority, but the tenant farmers must have suffered terribly under him—so much so that not a single person stepped forward to speak on his behalf.
Lu Hanzhi’s forceful entrance served as a warning to others. After all, he was still the young master of the household—he couldn’t allow the servants to treat him as if he were clay to be molded at their whim.
At noon, he had the servant women prepare a simple meal. In the afternoon, he instructed Qin Se to gather a master ledger. When it was finally handed to him, everything became clear at a glance.
In and out, Lu Quan had siphoned off at least a third of the estate’s earnings. Simply sending him back to his parents was far too lenient.
That said, Lu Hanzhi didn’t want to be too ruthless. Besides, it was true that the estate had fallen into disrepair. Even that missing third amounted to only a few dozen taels of silver. For such a vast estate, producing only that much—it really had been reduced to utter poverty.
Gazing at the meager sum left in the accounts, Lu Hanzhi felt a deep headache. Poor! He was outrageously, pitifully poor!
How the hell was he supposed to boost GDP in this state?
Yet when his eyes landed on the two tins of powdered milk wrapped in oil paper inside his bundle, then shifted to the little one curled up on the bed, wrapped in a red bellyband and sleeping like a tiny, plump spirit, what choice did he have? He was helpless too! If he didn’t start working soon, this freeloading little glutton would end up starving.
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