Aunt Sun was a little uneasy.
However, Gu Jiu's next words dispelled her concerns.
"Where is the list that Auntie prepared? Could you please show it to me?"
"cocoa……"
Aunt Sun took out a folded piece of paper from her bosom and spread it out. There were densely packed names written on it.
"Please take a look, Madam."
Gu Jiu took the list with a smile.
The handwriting on the paper was beautiful, like that of a little girl.
She looked at Aunt Sun and asked, "Did you write this?"
Aunt Sun subconsciously wanted to shake her head, but when she came to her senses, she quickly nodded, "This servant wrote it."
Gu Jiu smiled and lied without thinking. How come she heard that Aunt Sun was illiterate, but her daughter Chunjuan could read and write?
However, Gu Jiu did not expose Aunt Sun.
She first looked at the names on the list.
Oh my, this is incredible. The names in front are all the maids that Liu Zhao serves. The names of Shiqin, Shiqi and others are all on it.
Chunjuan wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate dissidents.
Gu Jiu put away the list and said to Aunt Sun with a smile, "Auntie, you are indeed loyal. Don't worry, I will carefully consider your list."
When Aunt Sun heard this, she was overjoyed.
She enthusiastically suggested to Gu Jiu, "If Madam is not in a position to do it, you can leave this matter to me. I promise to drive those little bitches out of the mansion to prevent them from corrupting the atmosphere in the courtyard."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Don't bother me with this matter. The eunuchs around me are worried about having nothing to do, so let them exercise this time."
"Madam, you are very thoughtful. Then, shall I take my leave?"
"Xiao Cui, please send my aunt off for me."
"Okay! Auntie, please come this way."
Xiao Cui supported Aunt Sun and sent her out.
Qingmei laughed, "Madam, Aunt Sun is quite selfish."
Nanny Fang said, "In my opinion, this list was not made by Aunt Sun, but by that damned girl Chunjuan."
"Madam Fang has a keen eye." Gu Jiu smiled, lit the list with a candle, and threw it into the brazier, burning it to ashes.
Qingmei was surprised. "Even if you don't use this list, Madam can use it as a reference."
Gu Jiu shook her head. "There's no need to refer to this list. I believe you have a plan for who to lay off. Have you packed everything?"
"It's packed."
"Then let's go."
He got on a carriage at the second gate, left the palace, and headed directly to the Zongzheng Temple in the west.
When they arrived at the Zongzheng Temple, the person who came out to greet them was not the familiar official from the previous two times, but an unfamiliar young clerk.
"This humble official greets Madam Zhao."
Gu Jiu was surprised. She looked at the young clerk in front of her and asked, "Do you know this lady?"
The young clerk laughed and said, "I even drank at your wife's wedding."
Huh?
Gu Jiu couldn't help but look at the other person carefully.
He was in his twenties, young, beardless, and well-proportioned. Judging by the shoes he was wearing, he must be from a well-off family.
But there was no such person in her memory.
The clerk didn't keep the secret and said directly, "My surname is Chen, Chen Chongwei."
Gu Jiu suddenly realized, "It turned out to be Cousin Chen. Why is Cousin Chen working here?"
The Chen family was the family of the late Mrs. Gu and the maternal grandparents of Mr. Gu. The two families still had contact, but only during Mr. Gu's generation.
By the time Gu Jiu's generation came around, there was less contact. Perhaps the eldest brother, Gu Ban, was familiar with the Chen family after all.
But except for Lord Gu, no one from the second house had ever had any serious dealings with the Chen family.
She remembered that when she got married, Lord Gu did invite the Chen family to the wedding banquet.
Chen Chongwei said, "I have been serving in the Ministry of the Imperial Household for two years. Half a month ago, I was ordered by the Ministry of the Imperial Household to come to the Zongzheng Temple. Madam Zhao is here to see Master Zhao. Please come this way."
"Cousin Chen, please tell me how you are these days, young master?"
Chen Chongwei led the way and said, "Except for not being able to leave the hospital, everything else is fine."
Gu Jiu asked again, "Has anyone been to Zongzheng Temple recently?"
Chen Chongwei said casually, "People from the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Princes' residences have all been here. In addition, people from the palace have also been sent here."
oh?
Is the emperor planning to release him?
"We're here. Madam, please come in. I won't be going in."
Gu Jiu nodded, "Thank you, cousin Chen."
"Madam Zhao, you are polite."
Deng Cunli stayed and talked with Chen Chongwei.
Gu Jiu led his servants into the courtyard.
The old locust tree was bare when I last came here, but this time, new buds have sprouted.
Gu Jiu suddenly laughed.
"Madam? Madam is here!"
The servant Ximo exclaimed, his face full of excitement.
The door of the main house opened from the inside and the eunuch Lin Shuping walked out.
"See you, ma'am."
"How are you, sir?"
"The young master is waiting for the lady inside."
Gu Jiu took a step forward and walked into the main house.
Liu Zhao was sitting on the ground, writing furiously at his desk.
Without even raising his head, he asked directly, "Today is not the first day of the new year, but you are here. Is there something wrong in the mansion?"
Gu Jiu sat on the ground, opposite Liu Zhao.
She glanced at the contents of Liu Zhaoshu's letter, which seemed to be a policy paper.
She said, "It's a rare occasion for me to come here, and you don't even look at me."
Liu Zhao smiled, and the tenderness in his eyes seemed to overflow.
He stopped writing and finally looked up at Gu Jiu, "Are you jealous?"
Gu Jiu rolled her eyes at him and said, "I'm not a petty woman who gets jealous all day long."
And he said he was not petty.
Humph!
In Liu Zhao's mind, Gu Jiu is the most cunning woman.
He held Gu Jiu's hand, he really missed her.
"You're coming here at this time, could it be that the mansion is out of money?"
Gu Ji pursed his lips and smiled, "You are truly a foresighted person. The palace is indeed out of money. Father and Mother have decided to cut expenses and lay off staff. Each courtyard will be laid off by 10%. I came to ask you, who can be laid off and who can't be moved?"
Liu Zhao suddenly felt aroused and wanted to pull Gu Jiu into his arms.
However, as soon as his eyes changed, Gu Jiu knew what he was going to do.
"You can't mess around. When can you get out?"
Liu Zhao's burning emotions were extinguished. He lowered his head and smiled. Gu Jiu still liked to spoil the mood.
After laughing, he said, "We'll have to wait a little longer, but it should be soon."
"You haven't told me yet, who are you going to lay off?"
There were as many as sixty or seventy male and female servants around Liu Zhao, and together with the servants around Gu Jiu, there were nearly a hundred people in the East Courtyard alone.
According to the requirement of laying off 10% of the staff, at least eight or nine people have to be laid off.
How this list is drawn up depends on Liu Zhao's intention.
Liu Zhao smiled and asked, "It's a rare opportunity for you to come here, are you so impatient to leave?"
He grabbed Gu Jiu's hand and suddenly increased his strength.
Gu Jiu frowned, feeling a little pained, "You hurt me."
Liu Zhao raised his hand and gently stroked Gu Jiu's cheek. "You little rascal, you really have a heart of stone. I'll teach you a lesson after I get out."
He restrained his strength and held Gu Jiu's hand gently, but not enough to allow Gu Jiu to break free.
The weather was good and the sun shone through, shining on the two of them.
The light was so strong that Gu Jiu felt that he could no longer see the person opposite him.
I just felt someone gently touch my lips, a familiar scent.
Just a little breathless.
By the time she was finally able to breathe, the sunlight had been hidden by thick clouds.
"Maybe it will rain."
Gu Jiu suddenly spoke.
"I can't bear to see you get wet in the rain."
Gu Ji’s cheeks flushed. You stinky man, can’t you be a little gentler?
Liu Zhao laughed and said, "I'll give you a list, and you can lay off people according to the list."
Gu Jiu nodded, "Don't worry, I will definitely get it done."
After a pause, she asked again, "The Shangsi Festival is in a few days. Can you come out?"
Liu Zhao raised his hand and scratched Gu Jiu's nose. "You and I are already married. Do you still want to take a spring bath by the Wei River?"
Gu Jiu shook his head. "It's the Shangsi Festival, and the scenery outside is beautiful. I've been stuck in the palace for a few months and want to go out and enjoy the spring. If you're not here, I'm afraid it won't be very convenient."
Liu Zhao said, "I can't accompany you on this year's Shangsi Festival, but I promise that I will take a spring bath with you next year."
Pooh!
I don't want to take a spring bath with you.
Liu Zhao picked up a pen and wrote down the list and handed it to Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu took the list and looked at it. Hey, Chunjuan and Aunt Sun’s names were on it.
She looked at him and said, "Auntie Sun is your wet nurse. If we dismiss her, will it cause controversy?"
Liu Zhao said, "She must be dismissed."
Gu Jiu was suspicious.
Liu Zhao pinched Gu Jiu's cheek, it was so tender.
Gu Jiu glared at him and asked if he could be more gentle.
Liu Zhao suppressed his laughter and said seriously, "Auntie Sun is nominally my son's wet nurse, but in reality she obeys my mother. Take this opportunity to dismiss her."
"Since she obeys Mother's orders, why didn't you send her away a few years ago?"
"Because I wasn't married at the time, I had to keep a nanny by my side. Rather than replacing her with a nanny whose background I didn't know, I decided to keep her."
Gu Jiu understood.
Gu Jiu also saw the names of the doorman and two attendants on the list.
These people seem to be honest and hardworking on weekdays.
Generally speaking, these people should not be laid off.
However, Liu Zhao did the opposite and dismissed these people.
She was very curious and wanted to ask, but Liu Zhao said, "Knowing more isn't necessarily good. Lay them off and leave the rest to Qian Fu. He'll know how to handle it."
Weird and mysterious, what's going on?
Gu Jiu put away the list and said, "I will lay off the staff according to the list."
Liu Zhao suddenly said, "The Ministry of Revenue is clearing its arrears this year. I suspect the Emperor won't leave the palace for the Shangsi Festival, and the palace won't be making large preparations. If you want to go out for a spring outing, why not invite the sisters from the Gu family?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "You don't have to worry about me being too bored in the mansion. Mother asked me to take care of the kitchen and cut the kitchen expenses. The Shangsi Festival is a busy time, so I may not have time to leave the mansion at all."
"Does the kitchen need to reduce staff?"
"Exactly."
Liu Zhao smiled and asked, "Are there any clues?"
Gu Jiu leaned forward, his curvy body was very impactful.
Liu Zhao stared intently.
Gu Jiu raised his hands to cover his eyes, "Don't look around."
Liu Zhao laughed and bit Gu Jiu's hand, "I didn't look around."
Gu Jiu quickly withdrew his hand, what a stinky man.
She straightened her body, coughed twice, and asked seriously, "What do you think?"
Liu Zhao chuckled twice before saying, "It's not a brilliant idea. You can ask Qian Fu about anything that happens in the kitchen. He knows the most about it and can give you some advice."
oh?
She really ignored Qian Fu.
"I understand. I'll have a good talk with Qian Fu when I get back."
After a pause, Gu Jiu asked curiously, "I met the Third Young Master and the Third Madam today. They both looked very weak. Could it be that they both have heart problems?"
"Heart disease?"
Liu Zhao frowned and shook his head, "I've never heard of any heart disease. Although my third brother's body is not strong, he grew up without any illness or disaster."
"But today I saw the Third Young Master, just like the Third Madam, he was as frail as a wisp of wind, gasping for breath even when he spoke."
Liu Zhao couldn't understand, "Do you know what the imperial physician said?"
Gu Jiu shook his head, "I haven't had time to ask yet."
Liu Zhao looked at Gu Jiu and said, "I can confirm that Third Brother has no chronic illness. Although he is not strong enough to practice martial arts, he is healthy enough."
Gu Jiu frowned slightly, "Maybe I saw it wrong."
"You might be reading this right. It's my third sister-in-law's health that's been getting worse day by day since she came in."
"Are you worried that the Third Madam's illness will be contagious and spread to the Third Young Master?" Gu Jiu was surprised.
Liu Zhao shook his head. "If Third Brother's wife's illness is contagious, then why are all the maids and servants around her fine? Why didn't the imperial physician ever mention it?"
Huh?
That's where something went wrong.
Liu Zhao said solemnly: "Xiao Jiu, although my third brother and I are not brothers from the same mother, we have had a good relationship since childhood. Can you help me find out what is wrong with my third brother's illness?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "I promise you. I'll find a chance to visit my third brother's wife someday and take the opportunity to check her out."
"Thank you!"
"You are welcome."
Gu Jiu accepted Liu Zhao's thanks graciously.
Seeing that it was about to rain, Liu Zhao did not keep Gu Jiu any longer.
The two said goodbye, and Gu Jiu left the courtyard with the maid.
Chen Chongwei came forward and asked, "Is Madam Zhao leaving?"
Gu Jiu nodded slightly, "Thank you, cousin Chen. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of my son in the future."
Chen Chongwei laughed, "Don't worry, Madam Zhao. I will do my best to provide convenience for Young Master Zhao within my duties."
"Thank you so much."
Deng Cunli presented a purse containing large-denomination silver bills.
Chen Chongwei said he would not accept anything.
Gu Jiu advised: "Cousin Chen, please accept it. If you don't, I won't dare to trouble you next time."
"What should I do?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Just think of it as me treating Cousin Chen to tea."
"Very well. I shall be disrespectful in that case."
…
Three days later, everyone gathered in Chunhe Hall.
Princess Pei sat in the main seat, her eyes sweeping across everyone's face.
"Have you decided on the list of people to be laid off?"
No one spoke.
Pei directly called out Gu Jiu's name, "Wife Dalang, have you decided to lay off anyone in the East Courtyard?"
Gu Jiu nodded slightly, "Reporting to Mother, the list is ready."
Pei nodded, that’s pretty good.
She stared at Concubine Shen again, "Concubine Shen, what about you? At least four people need to be laid off in your courtyard. Is the list ready?"
Concubine Shen pursed her lips and said, “If you dare not obey the princess’ orders, the list is here.”
The maid took the list and handed it to Pei.
Pei glanced at the names on the list and frowned slightly.
What a Concubine Shen! She is taking the opportunity to eliminate dissidents.
The people on the list were all servants that Pei had placed to serve Concubine Shen.
Pei smiled coldly and put away the list. "That's great. Let's lay off the staff according to the list."
Concubine Shen lowered her head and smiled, exchanging a glance with Concubine Luo.
This time, the Pei family suffered a loss.
Is this considered as stealing a chicken but losing the rice, or shooting oneself in the foot?
Xiao Qin'er's list is really long.
She directly dismissed the charming maids around Master Yi to prevent them from staying and being an eyesore.
Pei was a little angry when she saw the list drawn up by Xiao Qin'er.
This Xiao Qin'er is really intolerant. Just a few maids can make her angry.
The fourth one is also a waste. Xiao Qin'er says whoever she wants to lay off will be laid off. Doesn't he have any opinion at all?
The lists made Pei furious.
It also shows that everyone has his or her own little calculations.
She asked Ouyang Fu.
Ouyang Fu quickly handed over the list, "Please review it, Mother."
Ouyang Fu was very resourceful. She did not simply and rudely fire all the enchanting maids like Xiao Qin'er did.
Instead, she fired the annoying, nosy old woman who relied on her seniority to give orders all day long.
Among them was a maid who was arranged by Pei to be evaluated by the young master.
Pei glanced at Ouyang Fu calmly. They were all as cunning as ghosts.
Gu Jiu also handed in his own list.
Her list is very intriguing.
None of those charming and seductive maids were laid off.
Pei couldn't help but look at Gu Jiu a few more times.
"Dalang's wife, was this list your idea?"
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
I've been feeling drained in the last few days.
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