Chapter 253: Warning
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Mingzhu casually thanked him and arranged for Hu Yi to sit outside the curtain, offering him tea. She leisurely picked up the personnel register and glanced through it twice. She had already remembered the names and numbers on it and could match most of the people she had met before.
Then she briefly flipped through the financial records, calculated the approximate figures of her maternal family, recalled the financial situation of the Linan Wang’s Mansion in previous years, and had a rough idea in her mind. Indeed, Yuwen Chu was very wealthy, and he was usually very thrifty, with no wasteful spending. If there was a sudden increase in expenditure, it was just before he was about to marry her and after she entered the mansion, almost doubling the expenses.
Mingzhu felt a bit embarrassed. Was she really so extravagant? She hadn’t done much, just some eating and drinking. Where did she spend so much? Slander, this was slander!
Mingzhu closed the account book with a smile, “Why has there been such a sudden increase in expenses recently?”
Hu Yi nervously answered, “Your Highness, several famous chefs have recently been added to the mansion. These chefs all have their temperaments and require attendants to serve them. They also need one or two maids to wash clothes and make tea. Their living quarters can’t be too shabby, and their wages can’t be too low. They have daily requirements for three meals a day and often need to buy high-quality ingredients to try and cook…”
Mingzhu didn’t want to hear any more. They were indirectly telling her that she was spending too much on eating and drinking. She quickly changed the subject, “How much surplus money can our mansion have in a year on average?”
Hu Yi replied, “Your Highness, His Highness manages the household well. Excluding food and silk, we can save about twenty thousand taels of silver.”
It must be more than that. Yuwen Chu’s money must have been hidden away! Mingzhu put the account book back in the box, took the handkerchief handed to her by Su Lan to wipe her hands, and asked, “Why did I hear His Highness say it’s more than that?”
Hu Yi, trembling with nerves, replied, “That, that, I’ve only seen so much.”
This accountant was really clever. His answer was watertight, leaving no room for confirmation of whether there was indeed more money or not. He didn’t confirm that there was more money, nor did he lie. He really only saw this much. If she didn’t believe it, she could ask His Highness. There were really no foolish people in Ying Wang’s Mansion except Zhu Changsheng! Mingzhu smiled gracefully, “Don’t be nervous, Mr. Hu. I was just asking casually. As the mistress, I need to know the state of our family affairs. The mansion is different from the outside. We have to reward our subordinates and offer tribute to the palace on various occasions, right?”
Even though separated by the pearl curtain, Hu Yi was dazzled by Mingzhu’s bright smile, “The Wangfei is wise and speaks very well.”
Mingzhu gestured for Hu Yi to leave, “I’m fine here. You can go busy yourself, Mr. Hu.”
Not long after Hu Yi left, Zhu Changsheng and Li Quanxin arrived together, both smiling. Zhu Changsheng had a strand of hair sticking out from under his gauze hat, while Li Quanxin’s boots had a faint footprint on them. Mingzhu knew they had probably had a fight, criticizing Yuwen Chu for not being strict, as these two really had no manners. The chief stewards of the inner and outer households of the mansion actually fought each other. On one hand, she felt disdainful, and on the other hand, she felt somewhat pleased. Li Quanxin really listened to her, and he understood. Let them fight; it would be more fun if they did.
Zhu Changsheng had been following Yuwen Chu for a long time and had countless merits. In the past, Yuwen Chu would occasionally reward him with a seat, so when Mingzhu offered him a seat, he sat down without thinking much of it. However, he didn’t expect to only have half of his buttocks on the chair, and Li Quanxin gave him a glance, saying with a fawning tone, “There’s no place for a servant to sit in front of the Wangfei. I’ll stand here and serve the Wangfei, waiting for your orders.”
With Li Quanxin’s interruption, the remaining half of Zhu Changsheng’s buttocks was left hanging in the air, unable to sit down properly or stand up. He wished he could tear Li Quanxin apart and eat him alive.
However, he had followed Yuwen Chu for many years and had seen many things, so these little tricks didn’t faze him.
He had already Fu Mingzhu left and right, and no matter how clever he was, he couldn’t outdo Li Quanxin. Moreover, after yesterday’s incident, when Fu Mingzhu suddenly asked him for Ying Wang’s private account, it was clear that she had received some wind and wanted to force him into rebellion. Compared to offending His Highness and offending the Wangfei, which consequence was more severe? Since she didn’t give him a way out, he would remain loyal and cling to His Highness’s thigh. The Fu family would have their bad days eventually, and Fu Mingzhu wasn’t favored by the Imperial Consort or Princess Funing. Ying Wang was surrounded by many young and beautiful women. In the long run, who would end up on top was still uncertain.
Thinking of this, Zhu Changsheng kneeled and confessed with great embarrassment, “Please forgive me, Your Highness. I’ve been suffering from gout these past few days, and it’s been difficult for me to sit or lie down comfortably.”
Mingzhu propped up her chin with a nonchalant smile and said softly, “Steward Zhu, there’s no need to worry. You are a capable person in front of His Highness, and he has instructed me not to neglect you, acknowledging your hard work and high achievements, which I deeply agree with. Even if you’re sick, I allowed you to sit, so why apologize?”
Although these words sounded like compliments, upon closer inspection, they were actually insinuating that he was relying on his hard work and high achievements and disregarding her status as the Wangfei. Zhu Changsheng glanced at Mingzhu and saw her smiling amiably. She didn’t seem like someone who would make such indirect remarks, so he dismissed it as a coincidence and respectfully replied, “Your Highness is truly benevolent. There’s no other Wangfei in the capital who is as considerate to her subordinates as you.”
Nonsense! She had just driven away a group of hardworking elders as soon as she arrived, and it was said that after Yin Momo had spoken, she publicly cut her tongue off in front of a group of elders who had come from the palace early this morning. With these vivid examples, everyone was probably whispering about her arrogance and cruelty. Who would say she was benevolent? That’s just nonsense! Mingzhu snorted through her nostrils and looked at Li Quanxin who was still standing aside. “Li Quanxin, how about the task I assigned you just now?”
Zhu Changsheng had thought Mingzhu would directly ask him, so he could use the prepared words to shut her up. However, he didn’t expect her to not ask him at all and only ask Li Quanxin about everything. In that case, it meant that she wanted Li Quanxin to help her bite him! Zhu Changsheng’s eyes darkened as he stared at Li Quanxin, warning him that if he didn’t want to be a sycophantic dog who pleased the Wangfei behind the Wangye’s back, he should take care of himself.
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