Chapter 73: Have you ever thought about me?

Aunt Tan was waiting for her in the study, which was naturally the study in Songxin Courtyard.

It was already 7 PM. At this hour, Qu Rong would usually have had the lights in her study turned off and the fire in the charcoal brazier extinguished, and she would have tidied up to go back to Songlan Hall to rest.

Today, the study was brightly lit, and the two wooden doors were ajar.

Qu Rong stood at the door, raised her hand to untie the tie at her collar, took off the fox fur-trimmed cloak she was wearing, and handed it to Teng Huang, who then held it.

She pushed open the door and went in. Dansha and Tenghuang were waiting on either side of the study door.

In the study, Aunt Tan sat beside the desk, where Teng Huang usually sat.

Her two head maids had been learning accounting, checking accounts, reading ledgers, and managing the business since they were young, and there was always a place for them on her desk.

Cinnabar is on the left, and gamboge is on the right.

There was no one else in the study, and Aunt Tan still only sat in the rattan chair, rather than in the main seat behind the desk.

Qu Rong walked over and saw her figure pass over the desk. Aunt Tan frowned without making a sound.

Despite Aunt Tan's disapproving gaze, Qu Rong remained seated in the armchair behind the desk. "This is my study."

She is qualified to sit here.

The original mistress of the Qu family, Zheng Qianxi, was a typical northern woman. She was capable, strong-willed, and decisive. She acted in a whirlwind and seemed to have a fiery temper, but she was also very receptive to opinions that differed from her own.

Aunt Tan, whom she rescued from the south, has the gentle temperament of a southern woman. She acts gently and speaks in a soft Wu dialect, but when she becomes stubborn, no one can persuade her.

Just like Aunt Tan felt at that moment, "This is the Qu residence, Rong'er, this is not a place for you to sit."

Her gaze was gentle yet disappointed. "No wonder the old lady was in such a hurry to see me today. She said you were disobedient and talked back to your elders. I didn't believe it at first, but seeing you acting so recklessly now, I realize that I have neglected to discipline you."

Aunt Tan gestured with her eyes to the chair opposite her, "We are both servants of the Qu family. I will sit here, and that is where you should sit."

Qu Rong frowned, repeating the same words, "You consider yourself a servant of the Qu family, but I am not. I have the blood of the Qu family flowing in my veins, so why can't I sit here? Aunt Zheng said that I, like Qu Ming, am also a master of the Qu family."

Aunt Tan selectively ignored certain words, only saying, "You naturally have the blood of the Qu family in your veins, but the young master is above you. You must assist him and recognize your own status and position. Compared to the young master, you are not qualified to sit in the main seat."

Even after the original master died, Aunt Tan still habitually called Qu Ming "Young Master".

Aunt Tan's meaning was clear: even if Qu Ming wasn't in the house right now, all the main seats in the house, even if they were empty, belonged to him, then to the old lady, and lastly to Qu Rong.

Qu Rong smiled and said half-jokingly, "Oh, so you're allowing me to sit here now that Qu Ming is dead?"

Aunt Tan's gentle expression remained unchanged, but her eyes instantly lost their warmth. She simply stared at her quietly, as if she were looking at an abacus that had suddenly started talking, as if she were an anomaly.

Qu Rong remained silent for a while before Aunt Tan finally spoke, gently scolding, "Nonsense."

Qu Rong stopped smiling, lowered her eyes, reached out and picked up the ledger on the table. As she opened it, she softly asked the question she already knew the answer to, "Just because Qu Ming is Aunt Zheng's son, he is the young master and I am the servant, even if we have the same father?"

Aunt Tan did not deny this, but said gently, "This is what we owe her."

Qu Rong said, "It's you who owes her, not me."

The person who owes Zheng Qianxi a life is Tan Xiang, not Qu Rong.

Tan Xiang was willing to be Zheng Qianxi's dog, and no one cared, but Qu Rong was unwilling to be Qu Ming's slave.

Aunt Tan, "Rong'er."

Qu Rong took a deep breath, her face cold and her eyes lowered. She only flipped through the account book in her hand, and changed the subject in a cold tone, "Did you come here for something?"

I've lost all interest in casual conversation.

Aunt Tan said, "I have read the young master's letter and also told the old lady. The old lady and the young master mean that you will continue to manage the business in the mansion for the time being. However, given the current situation, the old lady hopes to divest some businesses and keep a low profile to avoid attracting the attention of the imperial court."

If the imperial court wants to redress the injustice, it needs to send troops, and sending troops naturally requires provisions.

But the emperor was not only incompetent, but also extravagant in his daily life. The national treasury was already empty, so where would the money come from to buy grain? At this time, the only option was to increase taxes, first on merchants and then on ordinary people, pressing down on them layer by layer to squeeze out gold and silver to supply the court.

Although the Qu family settled in Chenhe County, their business had already spread to Anping Prefecture, and together with the Zheng family, they were among the most prominent merchants in the prefecture.

When the imperial court's sword comes down, they will definitely be the first to be killed, this group of fat sheep.

Aunt Tan didn't have much opinion on business matters, but since the old lady had made such a request, she explained it to Qu Rong.

The old lady also wanted to protect the Qu family, lest the imperial court frame them and empty their coffers, leaving them with nothing but gold and silver, and their lives in danger.

Besides this, the old lady also said that Qu Rong acted arrogantly and disrespectfully towards her elders, as if she wanted to climb over the Qu family and become the master of the Qu family.

The old lady had no choice but to find Tan Xiang to use as a soft knife to cut Qu Rong's flesh.

Tan Xiang naturally understood the old lady's intentions, but as long as it was for the good of the Qu family and for Qu Ming, she didn't mind being a tool in the old lady's hand.

In the past two years, Qu Rong has indeed become increasingly unruly and has lost sight of her own identity.

No matter how useful or convenient an abacus is, it's just an abacus used by masters to do accounting; it can never be a master.

Aunt Tan said, “The old lady is getting old. Whether you are a junior or a younger generation, you should not disobey her. From today onwards, you must go to her courtyard every morning and evening to pay your respects and show your filial piety.”

Qu Rong almost laughed out loud. Whether it was filial piety or submission, Aunt Tan knew better than she did.

Qu Rong said, "I have my own arrangements for business matters. The old lady is getting old and her business acumen is outdated. There's no need to listen to her."

Seeing Aunt Tan looking over, Qu Rong pursed her lips in annoyance and frowned as she asked:

"The Qu family's business is renowned, and they have paid taxes to the court for many years. Do you think the court will care whether you are a fat pig or a lamb at this time? When they are starving, they will naturally choose to swallow you all. No matter how low-key the Qu family is, it will be useless. Before they are emptied out, no one can escape."

With the imperial court on the verge of collapse, he would only desperately drain all the resources around him in an attempt to preserve himself. Under such circumstances, why would he care about the size of the merchants' businesses or whether the merchants could survive after being drained of their resources?

The old lady was thinking too simply. If the imperial court were a rotten orange, the old lady would cut off the rotten part and keep it. But this orange was already mostly rotten, and even if she cut it off, it would rot completely sooner or later.

It's better to throw it away now and eat a fresh, new orange instead.

Qu Rong and Qu Ming both shared this idea. This matter was explained in a letter Qu Ming sent before the new year. He had already made his choice between the old and new dynasties, which is why he became the county magistrate for the new dynasty.

When Qu Rong replied to him, she asked him to act as a matchmaker, connecting the merchants with the new court. If this plan succeeded, the merchants, who were previously lowly and constrained, might be able to seize great opportunities after the new court was established.

At least the children of merchants could attend academies and have the opportunity to take the imperial examinations, unlike now where three generations of a family have no chance of studying and becoming officials.

Qu Ming clearly felt that this plan was feasible and was willing to take the risk with himself and the Qu family, which is why he brought up the business again in this letter.

His original intention was to let Qu Rong make plans early, so that she wouldn't be caught off guard by the court's schemes and lose her life. Fearing that his grandmother would object, Qu Ming also specifically instructed in the book that Qu Rong should be in charge of all business matters.

Clearly, the old lady misunderstood "being schemed against by the imperial court" as "being targeted by the imperial court."

The old lady was conservative in her thinking, but at the same time she wanted to control Qu Rong. That's why she used Aunt Tan's mouth to scold Qu Rong, telling Qu Rong to listen to her, keep a low profile, sell some unimportant businesses, close some shops, and create the illusion that the Qu family was failing. That way, the court would let the Qu family off the hook.

But even after Qu Rong argued endlessly, Aunt Tan remained unmoved. "The young master's letter didn't say that. Since he didn't specify, the old lady should make the decisions regarding business matters."

Qu Rong clenched the account book in her hand. "Do you really think the imperial court will let the Qu family off the hook if we do as the old lady says?"

Aunt Tan didn't think so.

Compared to Qu Rong's idea, the old lady's thoughts were rather naive.

The court is about to undergo a major upheaval; it's not just a simple matter of a passing breeze.

In her opinion, Qu Rong's idea was naturally bolder and more adventurous, but it also offered opportunities for substantial gains.

In business, it's always the case that the timid starve while the bold thrive.

The Qu family's success today is due to the boldness and daring of Old Master Qu and Zheng Qianxi.

Can……

Aunt Tan still says the same thing: "With the young master not here, you should do whatever the old lady says."

She was so stubborn about this that it was utterly disheartening.

Qu Rong asked, "But in the Qu family, I am also a master. Why can't you listen to me?"

Aunt Tan said, "You may have the blood of the Qu family, but she is the master of the Qu family. Only she is the master."

Bullshit!

Qu Rong stood up and slammed the account book onto the table. "Back then, Qu Su was determined to divorce his wife and remarry. Zheng Qianxi only befriended you in order to secure her position as the mistress of the house and to gain control of the Qu family. If she cared about you, why would she send you to Qu Su's bed? Why would she let you give birth to a daughter to secure Qu Su's position as the mistress of the house?"

"mother."

Qu Rong shouted, her voice hoarse, "She doesn't like you, so why are you chasing after her and liking her?"

He loved her so much that he lost all dignity and personality, treating himself like Zheng Qianxi's dog.

A loyal dog that is obedient, guards the house, and protects its owner.

Even if Zheng Qianxi dies, she will still protect Qu Ming and put Qu Ming first in everything.

Qu Rong spoke so bluntly and harshly, as if she wanted to expose Zheng Qianxi's schemes to her.

But Tan Xiang just sat quietly, looking up at her silently, and said, "I know."

Qu Rong froze, staring at her in disbelief, her body swaying slightly as she barely managed to stay upright by supporting herself on the table, "You..."

Tan Xiang asked her gently, "And then?"

Then what.

Qu Rong slowly sat back down. "If you're willing to do this, what about me?"

Qu Rong asked, "Have you ever thought about me?"

When she was raised by Zheng Qianxi, regardless of whether Zheng Qianxi was sincere or not, she always said the same thing to her:

“You are also a master of the Qu family. You need to be ambitious in order to expand the business and avoid being confined to the inner quarters by your status as a merchant.”

Qu Rong was ambitious and daring, but she never expected Zheng Qianxi to die so suddenly. After her death, the old lady was afraid that she and her mother would take over the Qu family, so she forced her "fake adopted daughter" younger sister to marry into the Qu family, thus trapping her in the inner courtyard and trying to clip her wings.

It was only because Qu Ming escaped that they were able to save their lives.

Now that the winds are blowing strong, the Qu family could easily ride the wave and grow even bigger! But at this moment, her ambition was suppressed by her own mother.

Because Qu Ming didn't say anything, and Zheng Qianxi's son didn't agree to this, it can't be done.

Qu Rong looked at Tan Xiang's expression. Tan Xiang's expression was calm and composed, and she even showed a hint of doubt when questioned like this.

It seems so; how could she dare to think about her own affairs?

They are all dogs of the Qu family; how can a dog have its own thoughts and plans?

Qu Rong slowly lowered her eyes, no longer arguing or trying to persuade Aunt Tan. She opened the account book, took out the letter Qu Ming had sent last time, placed it on the account book, and pushed it towards Aunt Tan.

“The old lady can’t understand my letters to Qu Ming, but you can,” Qu Rong’s voice was a little hoarse, probably because she had spoken too loudly just now, making her heart ache. “You recognize his handwriting and habits, and know that I can’t fake it.”

Qu Rong said, "What I just said was all Qu Ming's idea."

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The mistress's perspective is her own and does not represent Zheng Qianxi's true thoughts.

(I saw the comments, and I'd like to explain to those who read this later: Tan and Zheng's relationship is not that of lesbians; it's just what others think.)

(Zheng saved Tan's life, not because he made her go to be with a man; it was just that the two of them wanted to control the Qu family. Tan was blind to Zheng because he saved her during her most painful and desperate time.)

(She truly doesn't love the mistress; it's like an autistic person who can't feel emotions—she doesn't love herself either.)

(Why……)

(But this comment makes me think I could try writing a book about a wife-chasing-after-herself story.)