Second Madam Ouyang Fu said, "My daughter-in-law heard that maritime trade has been difficult this year. First there was a typhoon, then there was the pirate attack. Every ship has suffered varying degrees of damage. The farms and shops have basically made the same profit this year as last year, or even slightly more. However, due to the heavy losses in maritime trade, this year's income is 20% less than last year."
Pei looked through the account book again and came to the income from maritime trade. Compared with the income from previous years that she remembered, it was indeed significantly reduced.
"Why was this not reported to this princess in time?"
Ouyang Fu turned her head and looked at Xiao Qin'er.
Xiao Qin'er opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "My daughter-in-law was worried about disturbing mother, so she didn't let the accountant report it."
"absurd!"
Pei threw down the account book and stared at Xiao Qin'er with a bad look.
"Such a big thing, yet you dared to conceal it? What do you want to do? Can you explain it by saying you were worried about disturbing me? Who is the boss of the entire palace? Don't you know? You haven't even grown your wings yet, but you dare to take over my duties and run the family for me. Who gave you the courage?"
When Pei got angry, she didn't care whether Xiao Qin'er was Liu Yi's wife or not, and started scolding her.
Xiao Qin'er's face flushed red, and she was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
It's so embarrassing.
Concubine Shen and Concubine Luo exchanged glances and saw smiles in each other's eyes.
According to Gu Jiu, that was not a smile, it was clearly gloating.
Concubine Shen spoke up and said, "Princess, calm down. Madam Yi meant well but did something awful. She only thought about being filial to the princess, but forgot to prioritize. Please forgive her this time. As a young person, it's inevitable that you may be careless. With more experience, you will know what to do next time you encounter similar situations."
Pei glared at Xiao Qin'er, very dissatisfied, "Did you hear that? Concubine Shen is speaking well of you, and you don't even know how to say thank you."
Xiao Qin'er was embarrassed and annoyed. She stood up and bowed to Concubine Shen, "Thank you, Concubine Shen, for speaking well for me."
Concubine Shen covered her mouth and smiled lightly, "Madam Yi, please sit down quickly. Don't blame the Princess, she is doing this for your own good. It's such a big thing, and the Princess is in charge, but she only found out at the end. It really shouldn't be. Don't make the same mistake again next time."
Xiao Qin'er felt extremely aggrieved and was almost in tears.
She nodded and said, "I know. I won't dare to do it again next time. Please forgive me this time, Mother."
Princess Pei snorted coldly, "Since this is your first offense, I will not pursue the matter. If you dare to conceal anything next time, you will no longer be the assistant steward. Take care of the affairs of your courtyard first."
Xiao Qin'er's face turned pale, and she replied with trembling lips: "My daughter-in-law obeys your command."
This was the first time Xiao Qin'er had suffered such a great injustice since she married into the palace, and tears immediately fell.
Ouyang Fu lowered her head and smiled, secretly exchanging a glance with Concubine Shen.
Xiao Qin'er thought that if she took over her job, she would be able to have smooth sailing and have the final say in the palace. This was pure dreaming.
Gu Jiu lowered his head slightly, paying attention to the reactions of his two sisters-in-law.
When she saw the smile in Ouyang Fu's eyes, she also smiled.
As expected, there was no simple person in the palace. Everyone had an abacus in their mind, calculating their own interests.
Did Xiao Qin'er intend to conceal this matter from the very beginning?
Or did someone give her the guidance and inspiration to make this absurd and bold decision?
Gu Jiu had no way of knowing.
But he also knew that among all the matters concerning the New Year, it was not Xiao Qin'er's turn to be in the spotlight this time.
As expected, Pei was still angry at this moment, and she instructed Ouyang Fu, "Second daughter-in-law, you need to work harder on all matters related to the New Year. Follow the same routine as last year and make good preparations."
Ouyang Fu bowed and accepted the order, looking very satisfied.
After a pause, Pei looked at Gu Jiu again.
She has two biological sons, Liu Zhao and Liu Yi, and two daughters-in-law, Xiao Qin'er and Gu Jiu.
Xiao Qin'er made a mistake this time, and Pei planned to ignore her for a while.
After thinking about it, he called Gu Jiu's name and said, "Eldest daughter-in-law, you and the second daughter-in-law should prepare for the New Year together."
"My daughter-in-law obeys."
Gu Jiu was surprised. She never thought that Pei would actually call her name.
She also thought that Pei hated her and would definitely abandon her forever and never let her manage the household.
She also planned to take a break for half a year or a year, and then find a suitable opportunity next year to roll up her sleeves and get back to work to regain her own glory.
She hadn't expected that after only a few days of joining the company, Pei had already called her name. Although she was only an assistant manager, it was still the first step.
However, all her previous opportunities would have to be overturned.
Having a year or two of leisure time seems impossible now.
Pei then said to Xiao Qin'er, "Fourth daughter-in-law, do your job well and don't worry about other things for now."
Xiao Qin'er nodded aggrievedly, "My daughter-in-law listens to my mother."
She had originally wanted to show off during the New Year holiday and let everyone see her housekeeping skills. However, she didn't expect that one mistake would lead to her losing everything.
She had snatched the task of preparing for the New Year from Ouyang Fu, but unexpectedly, the task returned to Ouyang Fu in the end.
What’s even more infuriating is that the princess actually mentioned Gu Jiu’s name and asked him to assist in preparing for the New Year.
If this gets out, she will be so embarrassed.
When Xiao Qin'er thought about being pointed at and talked about by the servants, she felt ashamed to live like a human being. She was so upset that she wished she would never go out to see anyone again.
Concubine Shen smiled and said, "Your Highness Princess, your handling of this matter is extremely appropriate. I am ashamed of myself for not being as good as you."
Princess Pei smiled indifferently and said to Concubine Shen, "I know your ability, but we are all old now, so it's time to let the young people practice."
"The princess is right. We should let the young people practice more."
Concubine Shen had a smiling face and flattered Princess Pei everywhere, making Princess Pei very happy.
After the work was done, everyone got up and said goodbye, going about their own business.
"Second brother's wife."
Gu Jiu called Ouyang Fu.
Ouyang Fu turned around and greeted her with a smile, "What do you want, sister-in-law?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "The princess asked me to assist in handling all matters related to the New Year. I came to ask my second brother and his wife for advice."
Ouyang Fu covered her lips and smiled sweetly, "Sister-in-law is really good at joking. I am also slowly learning. If you don't understand, just ask the Princess or the two concubines."
The second son Liu Ping was born to Concubine Shen, so Ouyang Fu and Concubine Shen were the real mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Of course, Gu Jiu doesn't need to discuss this relationship for the time being.
She took Ouyang Fu's hand and said, "Shall we go to the meeting hall together?"
"I listen to my sister-in-law."
"If there's anything I don't understand, please teach me, my second brother and sister-in-law."
"I don't deserve it. Let's explore and learn together."
"I didn't expect that the palace is also engaged in maritime trade." Gu Jiu asked the question that concerned him most.
"Maritime trade is very profitable, and many families in the capital have invested in it. Oh, and the Pingnan Marquis Gu family has also invested in it."
Does the Marquis' Mansion also engage in maritime trade?
It was the first time that Gu Jiu heard of it.
She asked curiously, "Our palace engages in maritime trade. Are the ships ours or the ships'?"
Ouyang Fu glanced at Gu Jiu and asked, "Sister-in-law is so interested in maritime trade. Could it be that she wants to use her dowry to invest in it?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "I would like to, but my dowry is limited, so I dare not invest it in the sea. I'm just curious."
"Sister-in-law is right. The risks at sea are huge, so we won't participate."
Gu Jiu asked again, "My sister-in-law hasn't told me about sea vessels yet. I've always heard that sea vessels are huge, and that they cost tens of thousands of taels to build. And then there's the additional cost of maintenance every year."
Ouyang Fu nodded, "Of course. You can't buy a decent seagoing vessel without thirty or forty thousand taels."
For example, the largest sea-going ship would cost at least hundreds of thousands of taels.
Some wealthy families in the capital bought their own ships for business, while others pooled together to buy a single ship. Others partnered with shipping companies and rented their ships for sea voyages.
However, in recent years, the imperial court has also begun to pay attention to maritime trade, and those with connections would go out to sea on imperial ships. However, the imperial navy is not strong enough, and if they encounter pirates, they are no match for the ship's guards.
Gu Jiu was thoughtful after hearing this.
Ouyang Fu pulled Gu Jiu, "Sister-in-law, let's not talk about this. The Little New Year is just a few days away, and we have a lot of things to prepare today."
Gu Jiu nodded.
Her heart was filled with passion and she longed to be at sea.
She was not only envious of the huge profits from maritime trade, but also wanted to find a way out for herself.
Who knows whether Prince Ning’s Mansion will fall into decline one day.
Even if the Ning Wang Mansion will not fall into decline, who knows whether Liu Zhao will fall into decline?
Since ancient times, it has been very rare for the eldest son to succeed to the throne of the emperor.
Even fewer have left their names in history.
Emperors who truly achieved great things all emerged from fighting in mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
As Liu Zhao was the eldest son, Gu Jiu was not optimistic based on the tragedy of the eldest son in the royal family.
So she had to find a way out and a way to survive in advance.
Going overseas is the best choice.
It’s just that the cost of building a sea vessel is too high, which makes Gu Jiu very depressed.
The money problem can be solved slowly in the future.
The most critical problem is that she doesn't have the right person.
Sure enough, whether in this life or the previous life, the most valuable thing is still talent.
She needs many loyal and reliable people to work for her.
Gu Jiu temporarily suppressed this idea and followed Ouyang Fu to the meeting hall, where he officially came into contact with the palace's internal affairs for the first time.
The internal affairs of the prince's mansion are numerous and complicated, and there are several times more things to do than those in the Gu Mansion.
The number of servants in the Wang Mansion alone was several hundred more than that in the Gu Mansion.
Including farms, shops, officials in the palace, and guards, there are nearly a thousand more people.
The officials of the palace will handle the affairs outside.
Internal affairs are actually handled by a team led by the prince's steward.
However, Princess Pei was not so reassured and would still personally inquire about many things.
In the meeting hall, Lord Shi, the head of the royal palace, was doing the accounts with seven or eight accountants.
When Gu Jiu and Ouyang Fu arrived, the accountants did not stop working.
The palace steward stood up and bowed to the two of them.
Gu said, "No need to be polite. What are you busy with?"
The palace steward said, "All accounts need to be calculated one by one. The income under the names of the prince and princess must also be calculated as soon as possible. There is also the prince's title and salary, which requires a separate general ledger."
Gu Jiu understood.
The palace steward took out several thick volumes and said, "This is the list of servants in the palace. Please have a look, Madam."
Gu Jiu nodded and took the booklet.
Then, the palace steward took out several more account books and said, "This is the budget for rewarding servants during the New Year. The other books are the itemized expenditure budgets for the New Year. Please review them, Madam."
As soon as Gu Jiu arrived, the steward of the palace, just like the Tao family, explained everything to Gu Jiu.
Ouyang Fu's eyes twitched several times, and her mood was very complicated.
Back when she first started helping out as housekeeper, the palace steward was different. He simply handed her an account book and asked her to review it.
There is no such thing as a servants' roster or an itemized budget for the New Year.
None of these.
Compared to the two, Gu Jiu's treatment was too good. Even Xiao Qin'er couldn't compare to it.
The palace steward treated Xiao Qin'er in a fair and impartial manner.
Is it because Gu Jiu is the eldest daughter-in-law and the first lady that the palace steward acts like this?
Yes!
After all, the palace steward is the prince's man.
Although he usually obeys the princess's orders, the person he is truly loyal to is still the prince.
The attitude of the palace steward towards Gu Jiu indirectly reflects the prince's attitude.
Ouyang Fu couldn't help but look at Gu Jiu a few more times.
Gu Jiu came to the inner room and chose an empty desk to sit at.
From now on, she will assist the housekeeper here and get to know everything about the palace.
She first flipped through the list very quickly.
The two maids, Qingmei and Qingzhu, picked up the abacus and started to calculate the accounts without any instructions.
Nanny Fang was serving by the side, introducing the people on the list to Gu Jiu.
Ouyang Fu walked in from outside, followed by Xiao Qin'er.
Gu Jiu glanced at Xiao Qin'er, whose eyes were red, but she still insisted on going to the meeting hall to take charge of things.
"My fourth brother's wife is here."
Xiao Qin'er nodded and sat down on the left side.
Ouyang Fu sat at the desk on the right.
Everyone is in charge of his own business.
During the New Year celebrations in the palace, one must first go to the palace to attend the palace banquet, and then the palace will also have to prepare a banquet to entertain relatives and friends.
Ouyang Fu had experience in preparing for a banquet.
But there must be something new this year. We can’t let the guests think that it’s the same thing every time they come to the palace and they get tired of seeing it.
For example, at last year’s banquet, the tableware was a set of rich peony patterns.
We can’t use the rich peony this year, we have to use a cluster of flowers instead.
For example, the screen in the reception hall was a picture of ladies last year, but this year it has to be replaced with a picture of flowers and birds.
All details must be taken into consideration and everything that needs to be replaced must be replaced.
These things are extremely trivial, but there can't be any mistakes.
Before, Xiao Qin'er was the one who was in charge of these matters, and Ouyang Fu assisted her.
It was Xiao Qin'er's first time handling such a task, and her efficiency was very low.
Ouyang Fu did not remind her, but just watched from the side.
As expected, Xiao Qin'er took the initiative to take on the task, and something went wrong.
Now this task is back in Ouyang Fu's hands.
Ouyang Fu glanced at Gu Jiu secretly.
Gu Jiu was still looking through the list of servants and didn't seem to intend to interfere with her work.
She looked at Xiao Qin'er again.
Xiao Qin'er was originally in charge of purchasing for the sewing room, which was one of the most lucrative jobs. At this moment, she was looking through the account books of the sewing room.
After all, the princess loved the couple, Prince Yi and Xiao Qin'er, the most. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given Xiao Qin'er the most lucrative job.
As for Ouyang Fu, she was asked to assist the housekeeper, so she was just an assistant. She would be busy wherever she was needed.
Ouyang Fu sneered inwardly and continued to work.
Gu Jiu was multitasking, flipping through the list, listening to Nanny Fang's introduction, and paying attention to the reactions of his two sisters-in-law.
Xiao Qin'er was humiliated by the princess today, so she was very obedient and didn't say a word.
When a maid came to ask for instructions, she spoke softly and looked very gentle.
As for Ouyang Fu, Gu Jiu smiled, with a lot on his mind.
Of course, no one in the palace has simple thoughts.
Everyone has a very smart mind.
Otherwise, how can I gain a foothold in the palace?
The imperial palace is a place where people are eaten, and the prince's palace is almost the same.
Qingmei finished calculating the budget for the New Year's rewards for the servants. She whispered to Gu Jiu, "Madam, there is no problem with this account book. However, I would like to ask Madam to personally review the specific amount of rewards."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and took the account book to read it.
The amount of rewards is staggering.
The most is several hundred taels, and the least is only a few hundred coins.
She quickly flipped through the account book and compared it with the roster, and then Gu Jiu understood the intention of the palace steward.
Those who give more tips are the ones she needs to pay attention to.
She accepted the favor from the Prince's Household Manager.
Gu Jiu did not hide it and directly picked up the pen to copy a list of people of key concern from the roster.
Time always flies by quickly when we are busy.
It felt like I had only been busy for a while, but it was already noon.
Gu Jiu walked to the outer room and returned all the rosters and account books to the palace steward.
"Thank you, Master Jialing."
The palace steward was somewhat puzzled, "Has Madam finished reading it?"
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "I've already read it. I have no objection to the budget during the New Year period."
She had just arrived and had not yet fully understood the situation, so naturally she could not raise any objections.
The palace's housekeeper was surprised, "So fast?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I'm always quick at settling accounts. If there's anything else that Master Jialing needs my help with, please let me know."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
I have a slight cold and my thoughts are stuck.
I reorganized my thoughts, thought carefully about how to develop in the palace, and made a new outline, so today's second update is late.
Please forgive me.
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