Qi Yunxiao said expressionlessly, "In that case, let's not rush to eat. Bring over all the account books from the past three years, and call all the people over as well. I'll check them all before we talk."
As a businessman who has traveled all over the country, Qi Yunxiao did a good job in terms of data analysis.
Qin Zhuangtou paused for a moment, then asked, "Aren't we going to eat first?"
"Hmm. Anyway, there's nothing to eat, so let's not eat for now."
Upon entering the front hall, Qi Yunxiao sat down immediately and reached for the account book.
Qin Zhuangtou hesitated for three seconds, then turned around to get the account book.
When the ledger was handed over, it was a completely empty new ledger. The first page listed the land and houses on the estate, and the second page listed the population and basic information. There was nothing else.
Knowing that Qi Yunxiao was about to ask, Qin Zhuangtou took the initiative to answer: "The previous owner, the Lady of Qingping Marquis, said that all the wealth produced in the past belonged to the Qingping Marquis's mansion."
"Now that the young master has bought the estate, he probably wouldn't want these old and dilapidated things, so Lady Qingping had them all taken away..."
Qi Yunxiao looked at the spotless ledger and almost laughed out of anger!
Shen Qingyu couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to take the ledger: "Are your bedding and blankets still there?"
Qin Zhuangtou: "...This is still here."
"Did they take away all your clothes, shoes, and socks for all four seasons?"
"Yes...yes too." Qin Zhuangtou awkwardly touched the back of his neck.
What kind of talk is that?
Lady Qingping wouldn't go so far as to take away even the bedding from the servants' quarters; those things aren't worth much...
"What did they take away?" Shen Qingyu asked.
Qin Zhuangtou, who had been slick at the beginning, wiped away some inexplicable sweat and said, "It's just... just some ornaments, furniture, dishes and such..."
The third princess, realizing what was happening, asked incredulously, "So that means if we stay for dinner today, we won't even get a bowl?"
"That's not quite it, it's just... all we have are rough earthenware bowls..."
To summon a princess to the estate to eat from a coarse earthenware bowl...
Qin Zhuangtou felt his head was about to fall off.
Qin Zhuangtou had met the Third Princess.
I thought only Shen Qingyu and Qi Yunxiao were coming to take over the estate. If they make things unpleasant on their first visit, they might not come here again.
Wouldn't this benefit Lady Qingping?!
But who knew that the Third Princess would come along!
The third princess laughed: "I see that the soil in the fields outside is quite fertile, so the crops must be growing well. Why don't we scrape the soil in the fields three feet high?"
Qin Zhuangtou lowered his head in embarrassment.
The Third Princess witnessed this today, and it might get back to the palace later!
The Qingping Marquis's family has really lost face... quite a bit.
Shen Qingyu laughed: "I think everyone in the manor, except for you, Qin the Manor Chief, is bound by a death contract?"
Qin Zhuangtou misunderstood and nodded, saying, "That's true. These servants are all bound by contract, so we can trust them. They also won't gossip."
Shen Qingyu glanced at the group of people whose eyes were darting around: "The estate doesn't usually need so many people, and I certainly don't need so many people to serve me, nor do I have much social interaction..."
"Let's sell half of them."
These words were as simple as saying that you'd sell a few cabbages, but the dozen or so servants panicked!
Shen Qingyu continued, "As for which half to sell... tell me what your skills are? And what you used to do?"
The servants and maids stepped forward one after another, trembling as they recounted their former jobs.
Sure enough, the older-looking ones were busy in the kitchen, sweeping and cleaning, while the ones with wandering eyes were serving tea and water.
Of course, if a distinguished guest takes a liking to it, warming the bed and making the quilts is also an option...
If the honored guest feels that the service is good and the host thinks it's a good deal, it's acceptable to give it to the honored guest.
Shen Qingyu didn't want to ask too much about the sordid affairs of this ancient aristocratic family, and found it disgusting, so she directly picked out the maids who were making the beds and folding the quilts.
"I'll trouble you, Chief Qin, to do me a favor and sell these people off!"
Qin Zhuangtou was dumbfounded: these girls were all clever and sensible, and he had even taken advantage of them when no one else came to the manor.
If they were to sell these through my own hands, wouldn't they cause an uproar?!
Before Qin Zhuang could speak, the prettiest maid among them started making a scene. She swayed her hips, rushed out, knelt down, and tried to grab Qi Yunxiao's robes, all while crying out in a pitiful voice.
"Please spare me, Your Highness! Please have mercy! I only want to serve you and your wife! I don't want to be sold!"
Hey!
What a big little white flower!
Shen Qingyu stared wide-eyed in surprise, looking at Xiaobaihua and then at Qi Yunxiao.
Qi Yunxiao shouted impatiently, "Chen San?!"
Chen San, the deputy captain of the Left Guard of the Dragon Guard who had been wearing a mask, stepped forward, knocked the girl unconscious with a single chop to the neck, dragged her aside, and then asked in a cold voice, "Who else?"
The maids all shrank back in unison: "!!!"
Who would dare to cause trouble now?
If they make a fuss, knock them unconscious, drag them away, and sell them. If they don't make a fuss, just take them away and sell them...
Since they can't escape being sold anyway, who wants to suffer that extra blow?
One of the maids finally couldn't hold back any longer and knelt down, pleading, "Please, Madam, have mercy! Just don't sell us to a brothel, we'll do anything you want! I can do rough work and endure hardship!"
Shen Qingyu suddenly realized: Oh right, there are still brothels like that in this era, with their red-sleeved beauties everywhere, how many men have squandered their money there?!
No woman with even a modicum of dignity would want to engage in the business of having her lips tasted by thousands.
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