Upon hearing Lanqin's words, Lingzhu immediately straightened his posture, seemingly unwilling, but for some reason, he did not immediately refute Lanqin's words. All of his actions did not fall into Lanqin's notice.

"Father, Lanqin believes that if you don't want the Niohuru clan to decline under your rule, a family division is imperative! It's like a towering tree; there are always branches and vines. If you want the tree to continue growing strong, you must cut off those useless branches. If you're unwilling to cut them off, they will take away the tree's nutrients, inevitably preventing it from growing tall, and may even cause its death. Father, that's exactly what's happening in our Ling family now. Do you want to watch as everyone is drained dry by some unambitious, mediocre offspring who just feed on you every day?" Lanqin said coldly.

Lingzhu's face had never looked so pale. He still couldn't quite accept being told such things by his own daughter.

But he had to admit that Lanqin was right; the older he got, the less capable he felt. Take, for example, the murder case Qiu Gui had gotten himself into. Fortunately, the maid's family only wanted money; they would settle it once they paid. But if they hadn't taken the money and had taken it to court, Qiu Gui's case would have required even more money for bribes. So he decisively paid the money.

Lanqin picked up her teacup and slowly sipped her tea. She had to be patient and let Lingzhu gradually understand the reasoning behind it.

The father and daughter sat in silence in the study for a long while before Lingzhu finally spoke up: "Actually, dividing the family isn't so easy. Now your eldest brother can take care of himself, and Qiu Fu has gone to Xiangyang, so I don't need to worry about him. Qiu Fu is with Xin Yi, and now it's just Qiu Gui. Adayin has no maternal clan, so do you expect her and her daughter to go out alone? Keda is still young, so we can't just ignore her."

Lanqin had been waiting for Lingzhu to say those words. Her father had finally softened; he was confiding in her! "As long as you complain, I have a way to help you!"

"Father, how about this? Our current residence isn't small. Yang has given birth to three sons, and now Qiu Fu is an official away from home. I'm afraid he won't need your help anymore; at most, when he comes back and sets up his residence, you can help him out. Qiu Fu also has his own job, so you can divide up a courtyard for him and his wife to live in. Qiu Gui will naturally be the same. Ma Shi, Ada Yin, Liu Shi, and Ke Da can live with you for now. Once they're married, they'll get their own courtyards like their brothers and live separately. As for the land and shops that you own, that's your private property. You can discuss with Mother who you want to give them to. As for Mother's dowry, it will naturally be left to my elder brother and sister-in-law. You'll have no objection to that. What do you think?" Lan Qin said. "If Qiu Gui and Ada Yin are willing to work hard, it's not bad. They can have their own houses and courtyards and live their own lives behind closed doors. If they're unwilling to work hard and become poor, don't blame Father and Mother."

After listening to Lanqin's words, Lingzhu pondered for a moment and said, "How are the servants? What about their monthly wages and their own expenses?"

Lanqin said, "Redistribute them. See which staff each courtyard needs, and then each household can pay its own monthly wages. Father, take this opportunity to reduce the number of servants, so your burden will be lighter."

Lingzhu was preoccupied with the consequences of Lanqin's suggestions, and Lanqin wanted to give him time to process them, so she said, "Father, why don't you think about it carefully? In any case, these matters concern the Ling family, and your daughter is already married. Let's leave it at that for today."

After saying that, Lanqin stood up and said, "I'm going to see my mother. I have to rush back later, so Father, there's no need to see me off."

After Lanqin left the house, Lingzhu sat there dejectedly, as if he had collapsed, and didn't want to move at all.

Lanqin went directly to Anjia's place, but Lingzhu said he wasn't feeling well and didn't come out for dinner. After having dinner with Anjia and the Shi family, Lanqin returned to her residence.

A few days later, Shi came to the South Courtyard again and told Lanqin that Lingzhu had revealed to Anjia that he was willing to divide the family property. From Shi's account, it seemed that the division was basically done according to the methods Lanqin had suggested. Lingzhu's estates and shops were divided in two; he kept half, and the other half was further divided into five parts, one for each son. Qiufu's share was managed by his mother, Yang. The others' shares were left to their own management. Ayinda and Keda's shares remained under Lingzhu's management until they were given to them after they married.

Moreover, Lingzhu's considerations were even more specific. Each courtyard was completely separated, and all the connecting roads were bricked up, leaving only one gate linking them. Each household could bring its own maids and servants, pay their own monthly wages, and they would no longer be related to Lingzhu.

When Shi Shi said these words, her eyes were filled with a smile. The division of the family property would only bring benefits to her and Lanqin's elder brother. After the division, Shi Shi would naturally live with Lingzhu and Anjia Shi because she had to serve her parents-in-law. Anjia Shi's private savings would naturally be left to her son, and she would no longer need to take care of her illegitimate sons.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal of dividing the family property, Lanqin said to Shi, "Sister-in-law, now that Mother and Father are getting older, they both need your care. My brother is at the age where he can do things, and the Prince will need him in the future. So, the household needs you to manage it all. Lanqin thanks you for your trouble."

When Shi heard Lanqin say this, she was inexplicably startled. Lanqin's words just now sounded like she was thanking her for her trouble, but there was also a warning in them.

Shi was a clever woman and naturally understood the implication. She quickly replied, "Serving one's parents-in-law is a daughter-in-law's duty. There's no need for a concubine to do so."

When Lanqin saw that Shi understood what she meant, she quickly instructed Sihua to fetch some fabric and give it to Shi, all of which had just been bestowed as a reward.

As expected, the entire household was shocked when Lingzhu announced the division of the family property. However, despite the shock, Madam Yang immediately went to Lingzhu to complain, but to no avail. Lingzhu remained resolute and took the opportunity to tell Madam Yang about Lanqin's arrangements for Qiugui.

Aside from matters concerning the Ling family, Lanqin has been busy almost every day these days. She goes out to look at gatehouses, decides on one, has someone do some simple decorations, adds tables and chairs, and then hires people to help her manage the shop. Of course, she can't rely on her older brothers; she has to find people who can truly help her.