The head steward was anxious, fearing that the Marquis might have believed the slander and misunderstood the Princess.
He was about to step forward to explain when the Marquis, without even glancing at the shopkeeper, kicked him several feet away and strode into the house.
Jiayin said with a smile, "Godfather, you're back. Have you had lunch yet?"
"No, I came back especially to have lunch with you." The Marquis smiled and ruffled the chubby girl's hair, then discussed with her, "It's been a long time since we've had cyclamen. How about we go there for lunch?"
“Great! Since Uncle isn’t here, Godfather and I will go and support Second Brother.” Jiayin was very clever and immediately guessed the Marquis’s intention. “Godfather is a war god. Bad people are afraid of him and won’t dare to bully Second Brother.”
The Marquis pinched her little nose and laughed, "You little devil, nothing can be hidden from you. Are you tired of checking the accounts?"
"The Emperor has bestowed upon you several bolts of new fabric. In a moment, you can choose whichever style you like and have the embroiderers make it into a dress. Take the rest back and distribute them among your family."
“Okay,” Jiayin replied cheerfully, “Grandma was preparing a congratulatory gift, but the storeroom was out of materials. It’s good to leave some extra for Grandma.”
The father and son chatted happily, oblivious to everyone else, which completely put the head butler at ease.
But it also made all the shopkeepers feel uneasy.
They had heard that the Marquis treated the Princess, his adopted daughter, differently, even more than his own daughter.
But after seeing it with their own eyes today, they realized that she was even closer to them than their own daughter!
The restaurant owner, clutching his stomach, lay half-reclined in the courtyard, feeling utterly chilled.
He originally wanted to confuse the issue by pointing out that the princess's surname was Li, not Ye, and sow discord in order to try to "overturn his case".
But now it's clear that he's made his plans in vain.
However, he didn't want to be defeated by a little girl, so he struggled to climb back up the steps.
He shouted loudly, "My lord, this old servant is Bai Sanxing. I have been managing the restaurant for the Marquis's mansion for more than ten years. I may not have made any great contributions, but I have certainly worked hard. My lord, please listen to what this old servant has to say."
"My lord, I am innocent! I cannot bear to see your family fortune robbed. I will die with my eyes open in disgrace!"
The Marquis frowned, turned to look at him, and sneered, "You have managed the restaurant for the Marquis's mansion for more than ten years, but the Marquis's mansion has also paid you wages and shared profits for more than ten years. Where is your credit and hard work? Isn't this your duty?"
Manager Bai was stunned for a moment after being blocked, then started to cry and complain, "My lord, this old servant is just old and blind and misread the numbers, so the total accounts don't match up, and the princess has wrongly accused this old servant of embezzling silver!"
"And in autumn and winter, eggs and vegetables are much more expensive. The princess said that I had tampered with the purchases. I am innocent!"
"My lord, if the princess wants to remove this old servant and replace him with someone from the Li family, just say so. Don't let this old servant bear such a bad reputation. I will die unwilling to accept it!"
Jiayin hadn't wanted to speak at first, but now she had no choice but to, "How can you lie through your teeth? Not only did you make ten mistakes in one ledger, but you also spent three times more on eggs in June than usual, and you say it's autumn and winter? Does your family consider June autumn and winter?!"
The Marquis patted the chubby girl's back, like soothing a ruffled kitten, and then asked Manager Bai, "You said that the princess deliberately framed you and wanted to arrange for the Li family to seize your position?"
"Yes, Lord Marquis." Manager Bai had no way out and had to bite the bullet.
The head steward was about to explain again, but the Marquis nodded and said to Manager Bai, "Your words have reminded me that the shops are not under the Princess's name, so it is indeed not proper for her to manage them in the future."
After saying that, he instructed the head steward, "Go to the government office tomorrow and transfer all the shops to the princess's name."
Everyone gasped in shock upon hearing this!
Manager Bai's mouth was agape, and he was practically staring at the sky...
The Marquis's mansion owns more than thirty shops, both inside and outside the capital!
They just gave it all to the princess like that?!
Are the Marquis's mansion going to cease its normal life from now on?!
The shopkeepers, especially those whose ledgers also had problems, were utterly devastated.
They were hoping Manager Bai would step in and they could reap the benefits, but now it seems they're completely finished...
The four looked at each other and knelt down in unison.
One of them, who was leading the group, said, "My lord, we were bewitched and tampered with the accounts, embezzling money. We are willing to return all the money, only begging you to spare our lives."
The Marquis glanced at them and said, "You may be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape punishment. After making restitution, each of you will receive twenty strokes of the cane. You are permitted to redeem yourselves and take your entire families out of Xindu!"
These shopkeepers were all servants of the Marquis's household. Some had signed life contracts, some had signed twenty-year long-term contracts, and some even had entire families who were servants of the Marquis's household.
With a powerful backer, they were able to enjoy the shade. As stewards and managers of the Marquis's mansion, they were never bullied outside.
Just thinking about it—removing the protection of the Marquis's mansion and returning to the life of an ordinary citizen—is like losing your winter coat and having to walk in the cold winter snow...
But the mistake has already been made, and it's too late to regret it now.
The four men kowtowed on the ground and obediently retreated to receive their punishment.
Manager Bai was horrified when he heard the screams coming from the courtyard!
He wanted to speak, but the Marquis had already instructed the head steward, "Summon this man's entire family, find out if there's anything else going on, and then deal with them by selling the whole family."
"Yes, Your Excellency!" the head steward replied, waving his hand to summon two guards who then dragged Manager Bai away.
Manager Bai struggled desperately, trying to speak, but was struck on the scabbard and knocked unconscious...
The other shopkeepers who had no problems stood aside with their heads down, like quails, not daring to breathe.
The head steward tentatively asked, "My lord, who would be the most suitable person to manage these five shops?"
The Marquis looked at Jiayin and said, "Princess, you decide."
Jiayin tilted her head, kicked her little legs, thought for a moment, and said, "These five shops will be taken over by the original managers' assistants, with a one-month limit. If they are able to manage the shops well, they will be officially promoted. The managers of the other shops who are loyal and diligent will be rewarded with an extra month's wages."
"Alright, that's settled then." The Marquis nodded, signaling everyone to leave.
The shopkeepers quickly bowed respectfully to express their gratitude, and then left one after another.
Seeing that there were no outsiders in the room, the head steward could no longer contain himself and gave a thumbs-up, praising Jia Yin, "Princess, you were absolutely brilliant just now, you handled it so well!"
Jiayin glanced furtively at the door, then patted her chest and said with a grin, "That really scared me to death. I'm glad I didn't make a mistake."
"No, no, the princess handled it very well! These managers are like donkeys, they won't move when led, and they'll back down when whipped. We need to keep them in check more often in the future, otherwise they'll easily make mistakes."
The head steward found a good excuse and quickly seized the opportunity, pleading with a pained expression, "Princess, could you please visit the Marquis's residence more often, even just twice a month?! The Marquis is often away from home. Although I am the steward, I am still a servant. If the Princess comes often, the people in the residence will not be in disarray..."
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