Chapter 34 Chapter 34 is the only authentic version...
The hall became even quieter.
Everyone in the mansion now heard that the eldest daughter was competing with the mistress for the position of housekeeper, but no one expected that the eldest daughter would openly and openly force the other in front of so many people.
Ji was wearing a plain dress and sitting at the head of the table.
She has a beautiful face, and even with just a light touch of makeup, her charming charm cannot be concealed.
Gu Zhizhuo met her gaze.
When Ji came into the family, Gu Zhizhuo was only six years old. She had been in charge of the Duke's Mansion for such a long time, and had gathered many loyal maids under her command to control the inner courtyard.
During the years of mourning, her brother was stationed in the northern border with her uncle, and she was spoiled and pampered in the mansion. She knew nothing about what was happening outside and was like a blind man.
In her previous life, she was bombarded with bad news one after another, and she couldn't even react in time, so she lost every opportunity.
"Mother," she said with a smile, "it's just that the accounts haven't been settled yet."
She smiled cutely, revealing two dimples on her cheeks, and her posture did not hide her aggressive attitude.
"Jie Zhuo," Ji waved at her, calling her to her side affectionately. "It's not that Mother doesn't want you to manage the household, but you've never learned this since you were a child. You can't even recognize all the people in the mansion, so how can you start? How about this? Come and listen to me while I manage the household affairs every day. It won't be too late to take over after a while."
Her tone remained gentle, like a mother who was truly concerned for her daughter. Seeing that Gu Zhizhuo didn't say anything, she continued, "The flower and tree house is nice. I'll let you take care of it for now, okay?"
Flowers and trees are one of the most insignificant things in the mansion. There is no money to be made from them, and all they matter are trivial matters.
Ji took her hand, patted the back of her hand gently, and said with a smile: "We have grown several Yaohuang and Drunken Yang Fei plants in our greenhouse this year. They are all of excellent quality. In a few days, if you bring them to the palace, you can take the top spot at the Queen Mother's flower show!" Gu Zhizhuo is stupid and likes to show off. He likes to show off the most. Using the flower show as bait should be able to convince her.
"Yes, mother."
Gu Zhizhuo knelt down and responded, looking like a loving mother and a filial son.
The housekeepers breathed a sigh of relief. The eldest girl came with such a big fuss to ask for the power of housekeeper. They thought there would be open and secret struggles in the mansion, but in the end, the lady coaxed her into submission with just a few words.
The older girl is still too young.
Ji's face was filled with relief. She said, "Madam Wan, please bring us the account books for the flower and tree room."
After she finished speaking, Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand and took the account book that Ji was looking at.
“This isn’t…”
Ji was about to speak, but held himself back.
The account book was flipped very quickly in Gu Zhizhuo's hands, page by page, and he hardly paused for more than three breaths on each page.
This is not checking the accounts! And Gu Zhizhuo has never even seen what an account book looks like before, right? Ji's mouth curled slightly. She picked up the teacup and slowly skimmed the tea foam with the tea lid.
Gu Zhizhuo finished flipping through the account book. She snapped it shut and sighed softly, "It seems Mother isn't very good at managing the household."
What's the meaning?
"In January, the government purchased a total of 12,000 kilograms of firewood and charcoal, totaling 280 taels of silver."
"Last November, the government purchased 30,000 jin of firewood and charcoal and 320 taels of silver."
"Miss," said the girl in charge of the shopping, Bai Chang. "It's very cold this winter, and the charcoal we had on hand isn't enough. We bought some extra, and the price has gone up. Daily expenses are different every year, and prices are constantly changing. You wouldn't know that if you weren't the head of the household."
Gu Zhizhuo asked, "In previous years, could 30,000 kilograms of firewood and charcoal have lasted through the winter?"
"Yes," said the Bai Chang family, "so I bought 30,000 catties of charcoal as per the regulations. However, this winter, there were heavy snows, and the charcoal we had prepared was all used up by mid-December. All the charcoal in the capital was sold out, so we had to buy it elsewhere, and the price was higher. It was my negligence that prevented me from completing the task properly, and I spent several hundred taels of silver in vain."
"It's not your fault," Ji said soothingly. "There are unexpected storms, and sudden changes in warmth and cold are beyond human prediction. You've been in charge of purchasing for five years, and there hasn't been a single mistake. I've seen it all."
Bai Changjia wiped away her tears and was deeply moved: "Thank you, Madam, for your consideration."
Gu Zhizhuo interrupted their master-servant friendship and said calmly, "Last winter, the Duke of Anguo's Mansion used 31,000 catties of charcoal, the Prince of Ning's Mansion used 35,000 catties of charcoal, and the Marquis of Dingyuan's Mansion used 28,000 catties of charcoal..."
"Our family has the smallest population, and the third branch didn't even live here last winter. Yet, we use more charcoal than any other family."
Bai Changjia's face froze, her eyes wandering. She swallowed hard, "Miss, we bought too much charcoal this month, and we haven't used up all of it. We still need it on weekdays, and charcoal never spoils."
"Where did you collect it?"
"It's time to close the farm."
"I happen to be free, so take me to have a look."
Ji interrupted her and asked, "Sister Zhuo, how do you know how much charcoal the Duke of Anguo's Mansion used?"
Gu Zhizhuo smiled politely and said, "If mother doesn't believe me, let's go to the Duke of Anguo's mansion and ask."
Ji didn't say anything. She must be crazy to go to the Anguo Mansion to ask how much charcoal they used in a year.
"Bai Chang family, let's go! Summer is coming soon. If these 10,000-plus kilograms of charcoal aren't stored properly and the weather gets hot, sparks or something will start, which will be terrible."
Gu Zhizhuo looked at her with a smile.
Those phoenix eyes were so sharp that they seemed to be able to see through her heart. Bai Changjia hesitated and avoided her gaze.
"So, the charcoal is gone?" Gu Zhizhuo's voice suddenly became harsh. "Or, you didn't buy any charcoal at all in January, and you embezzled the money!"
Bai Changjia shuddered, fell to her knees, and blurted out, "Miss... I was greedy for a moment, and I know I was wrong."
Gu Zhizhuo sat down below Ji Shi, who leaned one hand on the armrest of the armchair, looking lazy and relaxed.
"Just this charcoal alone cost me two hundred and eighty taels of silver in just one winter." She shook her head and sighed, "After five years of purchasing, how can I even calculate the total?"
Bai Changjia lowered her head. She couldn't help but glance at Ji Shi. Seeing the lady's angry look, she wanted to slap her in the face.
How could he be so surprised by the grown-up girl and recognize her so quickly?
Ji put down the tea bowl, and a few drops of tea splashed onto the back of her white hand.
There was a hint of displeasure in her tone as she said, "Sister Zhuo, what do you think we should do?"
"Thirty lashes, sold."
Bai Changjia suddenly raised his head, first with a look of annoyance, then with a series of sneers. "Just a few hundred taels of silver, and you want to sell yourself? This young lady is really too arrogant."
Ji shook her head and said reluctantly, "Sister Zhuo, the Bai Chang family certainly made mistakes, but as their mistress, we should be kind and lenient to others, and not always shout for violence and killing. These thirty strokes of the cane are not pleasant to bear." Her voice became colder. "What's more, the Bai Chang family is all here in the mansion. If you sell her off, are you going to separate them, husband and wife, mother and son?"
"This is truly a sin in vain!"
"You are too angry and moody. You should reflect on yourself."
As expected, the Madam wanted to protect the Bai Chang family. The internal stewards were not surprised at all.
Bai Changjia looked very proud. She was the lady's confidante. If the eldest lady wanted to use her to establish her authority, it would depend on whether the lady agreed or not!
"That's right, mother." Gu Zhizhuo bowed slightly, then changed the subject, "That's right. Emperor Taizu once executed thirty corrupt officials simultaneously. The most they embezzled was only two hundred taels of silver. Mother, do you think Taizu was recklessly murderous and needs to reflect on himself? You might say this within the palace, but if it gets out, it would be a grave disrespect!"
Ji's eyes were deep.
Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "My daughter only said that. Now that you are the manager, I will listen to you."
She glanced lightly at the Bai Chang family below, as well as the various housekeepers with varying expressions. After a pause, she continued, "Whatever Mother says, we'll do."
Ji: “…”
The people from the Bai Chang family are her confidants.
The Ji family was a large and prestigious family in the previous dynasty.
However, two generations of monarchs, Taizu and the previous emperor, suppressed the Ji family from entering officialdom, and now only the four words "scholarly family" remain. Her dowry was not much back then, and her concubine was even less. The concubine of the Bai Chang family was not her concubine, but she promoted him from the illegitimate son of the Gu family.
If she couldn't even protect the Bai Chang family, who in the mansion would listen to her anymore? I'm afraid they would all turn to Gu Zhizhuo. In this way, she would completely lose the battle with Gu Zhizhuo.
She must protect the Bai Chang family. Only in this way can the people in the mansion avoid becoming demoralized.
Ji pinched her sleeves and made a decision: "Sister Zhuo, the Bai Chang family has been in the mansion for so many years. Even if they have no merits, they have worked hard. So I will fine them half a year's salary."
Bai Changjia felt relieved and kowtowed quickly: "Your servant accepts the punishment!"
She secretly gave Gu Zhizhuo a provocative look. The eldest girl wanted to use herself to control the lady, but who was the lady? A stepmother was also a mother. Filial piety alone was the only way for the eldest girl to be obedient.
It’s just a monthly fee for half a year, it’s nothing.
Ji smiled again and said, "As for purchasing, there are many tricks involved. Since you are interested, I will leave it to you from now on. The Baichang family can also help you."
Bai Changjia said knowingly, "This servant will definitely teach the young lady well."
Ji nodded in satisfaction: "That's very good. Bai Chang family, just consider this as atonement."
"Yes, ma'am."
The two of them sang the same tune, which made Qiongfang very angry. Letting a servant girl teach the eldest girl in the mansion was simply treading on the eldest girl's face.
If the eldest lady agrees, who among these self-righteous maids will take her seriously in the future?
Qiongfang couldn't help but look at the internal managers, and saw that they all lowered their heads and were very respectful, but in fact they were all looking at this place out of the corner of their eyes.
"Madam is truly considerate and thoughtful," a housekeeper said flatteringly, "young lady should learn from her."
"There are many ways to go about purchasing. It hasn't been easy for the Bai Chang family over the years."
"Yes, young lady, you don't know that things in this mansion are not black and white."
Qiongfang almost wanted to swear, but Qingmei gently tugged at her sleeve to tell her to be quiet.
"Madam Wan."
Ji signaled Nanny Wan to hand over the purchase cards and account books to Gu Zhizhuo.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't answer.
Ji stared at her solemnly without saying a word.
In terms of filial piety, I am her mother.
He just pretended not to understand her implication. What could she do? Accuse him of disrespect? No, she wouldn't. Such a charge would implicate the entire government.
Ji was calm and composed. This time she must suppress Gu Zhizhuo's arrogance!
She wanted everyone to see who could be the boss in this Duke Zhenguo's Mansion!
"I'll listen to mother. But..." Gu Zhizhuo glanced at Nanny Bai who was kneeling below, and said in a tone that seemed to be half true and half false, "If she takes the beating today and follows the matchmaker obediently, the Bai Chang family can still save their lives. Otherwise..."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and spoke slowly, but every word was enough to terrify people: "I calculated that within five days, you will beat her to death."
"Zhuo Jie'er!" Ji frowned and scolded, "You are a good girl in the boudoir, but you keep talking nonsense all day long. How can you be so unbecoming!"
"Mother, you don't believe me? Let me tell you your fortune." Gu Zhizhuo took out the compass from his sleeve pocket, fiddled with it casually, and suddenly said "Oh!" She looked up at Ji's face, then looked down at the compass, pretended to calculate a few times, and slowly shook her head.
Ji sneered, but was still uneasy by her look.
"Mother, you have committed a grave sin. This is going to be terrible!"
"presumptuous!"
Ji slapped the tea table, causing the tea bowl to shake and amber tea to splash out.
She could no longer maintain the flawless smile on her face and angrily said, "Gu Zhizhuo, you are completely out of control!"
Gu Zhizhuo elegantly stroked his sleeves and said calmly, "I can't be wrong about this divination. By the way, mother, do you have a twin sister?"
Ji's pupils shrank sharply, and he couldn't control the slight changes on his face at all.
"The hexagram indicates that your retribution will soon come. Perhaps it will happen, and the son will pay for the mother's debt."
"Enough!" Ji screamed angrily, "Come, take the young lady back to Lingxiao Courtyard and let her reflect on herself." What she meant was house arrest.
"You are not allowed to go out again without my permission!"
"You don't know filial piety, and you speak nonsense..."
"Madam! Madam."
A little maid rushed in and interrupted her, her face full of panic: "Fourth, Fourth Young Master, he, he was hit by a carriage."
What!
Ji stood up suddenly, and she subconsciously looked at Gu Zhizhuo, her lips half open and half closed.
The housekeepers in the hall were all stunned.
Seeing this, Nanny Wan asked on her behalf, "What happened to the Fourth Young Master?"
The little maidservant was so anxious that she almost cried. She spoke incoherently, "The fourth young master wanted to sneak out through the back door, but the maid didn't dare to stop him. As a result, he was hit by a cart delivering vegetables as soon as he left the house. His head was bleeding profusely."
Gu Zhizhuo sighed softly, "A son pays his mother's debt."
Ji Shi was covered in goosebumps. Without a second thought, she rushed out, her skirt lifted. Behind her was Gu Zhizhuo's smiling voice: "Goodbye, mother. I'm going to be grounded."
Ji paused for a moment without looking back.
Gu Zhizhuo watched her walk away, then stood up and said, "Everyone, please go away."
From beginning to end, Gu Zhizhuo did not take the purchase account book handed to him. He only turned his head to look down at her when passing by Bai Chang's house.
The internal managers were shocked and confused, and for a moment, there was an unbelievable silence.
After leaving Duanfu Hall, Qingmei followed happily, "Miss, how do you know how much charcoal the Duke of Anguo's Mansion used?"
Gu Zhizhuo's clear eyes shone brightly in the sunlight.
"Oh, I was just kidding."
ah? !
"They won't ask anyway."
Gu Zhizhuo only remembered that even in the coldest winter of that year, the young master's mansion did not use more than 30,000 kilograms of charcoal.
She still remembered that in her previous life, the Bai Chang family had tasted the sweetness, and she bought a large amount of charcoal at the beginning of August when the price was the lowest.
Like most aristocratic mansions, the Zhenguogong Mansion had an alleyway behind it. The alley was inhabited by the family's children. The Bai Chang family had piled charcoal in a small courtyard in this alleyway, weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Then, one day, a sudden flood occurred, and the charcoal burned so vigorously that it burned half of the entire back alley, killing hundreds of people, all burned alive.
Qingmei blinked and couldn't help asking again, "What about the fourth young master?" Just now, the eldest girl seemed to be deliberately guiding him to slip out of the inner courtyard.
"His forehead is black, and he will be very unlucky in the next few days."
Anyway, his life is not in danger. Gu Zhizhuo didn't stop him from going to suffer misfortune, so he should learn a lesson.
"Will Madam really kill the Bai Chang family in five days?"
Gu Zhizhuo nodded firmly and said only one sentence: "Yes."
She raised her chin and said proudly, "I am a divine fortune teller, and my predictions are always correct!"
"……elder sister……"
A small figure rushed out from Lingxiao Courtyard, giggling, and hugged Gu Zhizhuo's legs.
Gu Zhizhuo leaned over and picked her up, his expression softening instantly: "A'man, are you here to play with big sister?"
"bird."
Ah Man spouted out words one by one.
She still spoke awkwardly and most of the time couldn't even form a complete sentence, but compared to before when she couldn't even make a sound, both Gu Liaoliao and the lady were very satisfied.
Gu Liaoliao just thought she was learning to speak from scratch, so she patiently taught her slowly.
Fang Niang said on the side: "The fourth lady wanted to see the birds, so the eldest aunt asked the maid to bring them."
Ah Man now took Gu Liao Liao's surname and followed the generational order of the girls in the Gu family. Gu Zhizhuo decided that everyone in the mansion should call her the Fourth Girl.
"Okay, let's go bird watching."
The bird is now kept by Gu Zhizhuo. Its wings have not yet grown fully, so it can only move like a free-range chicken. As soon as it saw Ah Man, it fluttered towards her and almost landed on her shoulder. It shook its wings proudly and pecked its claws.
"bird!"
Ah Man laughed with joy, and dimples appeared on his chubby cheeks.
He hurriedly brought sunflower seeds and pine nuts in the snow and put them on two plates. Ah Man sat down obediently and peeled them for the bird.
The bird had grown plump in the snow and had a bad temper. Its two black eyes, as big as green beans, stared straight at the sunflower seeds on the plate. If Ah Man peeled them a little slowly, it would peck at Ah Man's little hand and urge him to chirp: "Chirp!"
Ah Man grinned and said, "Bird! Eat the bird!"
One is willing to fight, the other is willing to be beaten.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't care and let her play here, letting Fangniang and Xuezhong accompany her while she went to tidy up the small study.
A new medicine cabinet was moved into the small study. She had someone specially make it, and it was finished and moved in yesterday afternoon.
It was placed side by side with the existing bookcase. Gu Zhizhuo had specifically requested that the same wood be used, so it didn't look out of place, but it made the small study a bit crowded. There was nothing he could do about it.
Gu Zhizhuo asked Qingmei to bring all the medicinal herbs he had stockpiled, and he personally sorted them out one by one. The study was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance, and just smelling it made him feel comfortable all over.
"Girl, where is this book?"
Gu Zhizhuo took a quick look and found that he had found it in a study when he went out just now.
She flipped through a few pages. It covered events from the end of the previous dynasty to the decades leading up to Taizu's ascension to the throne. Unlike official records, it read more like unofficial history. For example, it explained that when Taizu was young, he fled to a Taoist temple to avoid conscription. That day, the missing imperial star suddenly shone brightly, and Taizu's temperament changed dramatically, as if possessed by a deity... Gu Zhizhuo found it intriguing and bought it.
She said, "Let's put it in the third box." This box contained some books she planned to read recently.
After finishing the sorting, Gu Zhizhuo was satisfied.
She stood in the small study, looked around, pointed at the antique shelf and said, "Move those vases and other things away."
Move away?
"This spot is perfect for a small alchemy furnace! And next to it, I'm planning to make a box specifically for storing cinnabar and yellow paper." She pointed at the vase on the antique shelf, "Here's a good place to put a gourd."
"Put away the plum blossom painting on the wall. This location is good. I want to hang a Bagua mirror."
"And here, I don't want the piano anymore... I need to think of something to put."
Qingmei's eyes widened as she listened. Her daughter's study seemed less and less like a girl's home.
Gu Zhizhuo tapped his lips with his finger, his eyes blank: "There are many things to buy."
Things like the alchemy furnace and the Bagua mirror, I wonder if I can ask my cheap senior brother to help her get them.
Take your time to clean up!
Gu Zhizhuo was not in a hurry. She asked Qiongfang to bring Ah Man over, and then rummaged through the third layer of the medicine cabinet and found two small boxes.
The rose-red box was for Ah Man. She had just noticed that the scent of Ah Man's sachet had faded, so she had just changed it for Ah Man. Her illness was caused by shock, so she needed to take care of it slowly. She had been using incense for the past few years.
And a box of purple...
"Qingmei, please run a trip for me." She handed the purple box to Qingmei. "Go to the main courtyard and add the incense powder inside to the lady's incense burner. Just add enough for a fingernail."
When she was making incense for Ah Man, she also picked up some small gadgets and accumulated a lot of them.
There were some things she had never understood, especially in her previous life: were Ji and Gu Yan lucky enough to be the recipients of royal favor, or was it Ji who betrayed the Gu family?
It was like a thorn stuck in the deepest part of her heart.
If you want to figure it out, you have to find a loophole in Ji's body first.
It was much later that she found out that Ji had a twin sister who died before she got married. The Ji family never revealed a single word about this matter. It was during a certain Ghost Festival that she accidentally saw Ji with Nanny Wan, and the two of them secretly went to Taiqing Temple. She said that she was haunted by her dead twin sister and wanted to ask for some talismans.
Qingmei took it and walked out happily.
As a secret guard trained by the East Factory, this little fact is really nothing.
She climbed over the wall and pried open the window, and soon completed what Gu Zhizhuo had instructed her to do. Hearing the footsteps outside, Qingmei left quietly.
Not long after, Ji, surrounded by a group of maids and nannies, pushed the door open and entered the house. Her face no longer had the usual beauty and gentleness, but looked a little gloomy.
She sat down on the beauty couch and rubbed her forehead tiredly.
The head maid lit the incense burner in the corner of the room, walked behind her, and carefully rubbed her temples.
Nanny Wan comforted her gently, "Madam, don't worry. The doctor said the Fourth Young Master just had a head injury and is fine. Why don't you talk to Madam Dowager and ask her to bring the Fourth Young Master back to take care of him for a few days?"
Ji said nothing.
The scent of incense lingered at the tip of her nose.
After Yan'er was beaten, she begged the lady-in-waiting to let Yan'er recover before moving, but the lady-in-waiting did not agree.
Not only did he not respond, he also scolded her.
For so many years, she had been gentle and filial, thinking she knew the old lady's temper perfectly. But who would have thought that this time, the old woman would show no mercy at all. How could she have known that the Lady of Jing'an had taken Ah Man away with the intention of drowning her? It was only natural for a grandmother to come and get her granddaughter. How could she take out her anger on Yan'er for such a thing? Yan'er was not even six years old. What did he know?
The more she thought about it, the more she hated him. She couldn't suppress the resentment in her heart: "Gu Baibai has already spoken, and the lady won't respond."
"They are the family. I, their daughter-in-law, am always an outsider!"
"My legs are broken, I'm only half dead, and I'm still not at peace!"
"Madam, do you think the eldest girl has changed a lot?" Nanny Wan said hesitantly, "She used to listen to you, but now she's so strong and powerful."
Also said some incomprehensible words.
Ji listened to it in his heart, but said nothing. He only felt waves of distress coming over him.
Nanny Wan noticed it and said no more.
She signaled the maid who was massaging Ji's forehead to move more gently, and soon Ji fell into a deep sleep. The maids quietly withdrew, leaving only Nanny Wan standing by.
Nanny Wan covered Ji with a thin blanket and suddenly found that Ji's fingers were twitching constantly, and he tossed and turned.
Ji Shi did not sleep well.
Her body felt very heavy. When she opened her eyes suddenly, she found herself standing in front of a small courtyard with two entrances. She was very familiar with this courtyard, as it was her mother's home.
Meow!
A sharp cat meow came from nowhere, and the heart-numbing howl almost startled her to jump up.
She walked uncontrollably to the gate of the courtyard and slowly placed her slender hand on the door.
Before she could push it, the door opened naturally, and a beautiful girl stood behind the door. At this moment, she seemed to see herself, a face exactly like hers.
She smiled at her: "You're back..."
Suddenly, small drops of blood flowed from the girl's forehead. Her head was flattened and blood kept flowing down. In an instant, her pretty face was covered in blood.
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