The Duke's wife frowned, pressed her temples, and clearly felt a severe headache.
This situation really made the Duke's wife feel extremely troubled.
When a servant made a mistake at work, according to common sense, the problem could be solved by simply scolding him and sending him away, which would have protected the interests of the Duke's Mansion.
However, this time they fell into a passive situation because the truth was unclear.
Originally, a lot of trouble could be avoided by secretly sending the person to a mass grave in the middle of the night when no one was around, but things are now becoming tricky.
Sheng Shuyan realized that insisting on her own opinion would be fruitless, so she had no choice but to stand up, bow to the Duke's wife, and then leave.
In the end, the people sent out did not find Ganju's body in the terrible mass grave, and had no choice but to pay 15 taels of silver to Ganju's family as compensation. The tragedy finally came to an end.
Wen Zhu was filled with emotion. No wonder sometimes high-ranking officials simply didn't care about the lives of ordinary people.
The contrast between the fact that the money spent just to change a person's fate is only equivalent to that spent on a meal in a high-end restaurant is ironic and sad.
Think about it, Tangerine is still lucky, at least she has relatives who are willing to find out the truth about her disappearance.
But if a lonely and helpless little girl like herself in her previous life encountered misfortune, it is very likely that no one would notice her like a little bird flying away in the air, let alone seek revenge for her.
In order to avoid accidents like the one that happened to Citrus, Wen Zhu directed his strong old mothers to meticulously check the safety facilities inside and outside the entire courtyard.
Not only were all the small holes leading to the outside sealed, but the height of the wall was also appropriately raised, and the fallen tile fragments on the wall were fully repaired.
In addition, it is stipulated that trees and plants that are too tall or too dense and can easily hide people should not be planted in the courtyard to prevent them from becoming a barrier for others to sneak in and attack.
At night, Wen Zhu specifically issued instructions to the guard troops to increase the number of night patrol personnel to strengthen vigilance.
After seeing the series of safety measures taken by Wen Zhu, the Duke's wife expressed great appreciation.
A few days later, while dealing with a dispute among the servants in the house, Wen Zhu received news that Mrs. Zhao was about to visit.
As soon as he heard the news, Wen Zhu hurried to Qifangyuan to welcome the distinguished guest, and respectfully performed a standard greeting to Mrs. Zhao.
"I heard that you also compensated the Citrus family with some money?!"
Mrs. Zhao asked directly as she entered the room, her tone revealing strong displeasure.
"Considering the young age of Ganju and the weight of his body not being found, we feel very guilty, so we gave them fifteen taels of silver as consolation, hoping to ease the grief of their family."
Wen Zhu lowered his head and answered slowly, his voice a little low.
"Hmph, your wife is being too kind! I think they should compensate us instead!"
Mrs. Zhao responded angrily, and she was obviously extremely dissatisfied with Mrs. Wen Zhu's decision.
"Their family's situation is really bad. If this matter really gets out of hand, I'm afraid it will cause considerable damage to our family's reputation. It would be better to give them a little money and make a big deal out of a small matter. That way it will be better for everyone."
Wen Zhu explained in a low voice, her tone gentle but helpless.
"It's true what they say about your mistress being too soft-hearted. If you encounter someone like this who comes looking for trouble, you should tie him up and give him a good beating. Then, have the government officials come and intimidate him. After they learn how powerful we are, they'll leave in disgrace."
Mrs. Zhao shook her head and seemed to be accustomed to such tough measures.
Wen Zhu just nodded silently without making any further excuses.
It seems that the Zhao family is indeed accustomed to using this method to deal with various troubles?
Otherwise, how could Zhao Manxiang treat the lives of her servants so indifferently?
The most ironic thing is that Zhao Manxiang is now worried about retribution and is afraid that the souls of those who died because of her will come for revenge; on the other hand, she keeps doing things that are against the will of heaven and earth.
It's like digging one's own grave, which is hard to understand.
"The doctor I called in said that your young mistress is depressed and has been feeling depressed for a long time. She is irritable and often feels chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Why don't you pay more attention to her?"
Mrs. Zhao widened her eyes and questioned Wen Zhu, her words full of dissatisfaction with his attitude.
"Our young mistress not only has to manage all matters, big and small, throughout the mansion, but also resolve internal disputes and deal with various external conflicts. This burden is truly too heavy, and it takes a lot of energy and effort to deal with it all every day. If the management is too lax, the people under her will become unruly and restless; however, if it is too strict, they will secretly bear resentment and complain. Only someone as wise and capable as the young mistress can bear such heavy pressure and responsibility. Even a temporary helper like me feels that my mind is almost at a loss."
After saying this, Wen Zhu sighed deeply, and a trace of imperceptible fatigue and emotion flashed in his eyes.
In fact, she was intentionally changing the subject, implying that Zhao Manxiang's mood swings were caused by fatigue from taking care of the household.
Unexpectedly, this sentence actually touched Zhao Manxiang's heart and made her feel a sense of empathy.
"You're right. Take the tangerine incident, for example. If I don't discipline them, will they be allowed to flirt with strange men outside? But if I do discipline them, others will think I'm deliberately making things difficult for them, and I'll be criticized and abused."
As she spoke, Zhao Manxiang couldn't help but pick up her handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears from her eyes, her voice choked with sobs.
Seeing her daughter so sad, Mrs. Zhao felt very uncomfortable. She turned to Wen Zhu and said, "Since you are so sensible, reasonable, and considerate, you should naturally assist my daughter in the future and become her right-hand man."
"I understand what you mean. Although I am not very smart and flexible, and I still need to learn and consult many things, as long as it can help the young lady relieve her worries, I will never refuse."
Wen Zhu responded sincerely, her expression full of seriousness and determination.
"Very good. In the future, you should guide and enlighten her more. Take her for a walk or do something interesting to distract her."
Mrs. Zhao warned, her tone full of concern and expectation.
"I understand. So, how about finding two people to tell her stories tomorrow?"
Wen Zhu made a suggestion.
"Well, remember to find someone with excellent storytelling skills!"
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