Pei executed Nanny Qin and her gambling-addicted son.
All the men were sent to the mines and became slaves.
All the women were sent to farms to do the hardest and most tiring work.
The other four maids were lucky because they did not embezzle anything.
However, because they knew too much about Pei's affairs and the royal palace, they could not be sold, so they were all sent to the farm to do hard labor.
Even their families were implicated.
Miju, the maid who had said she would report the crime, was not spared and suffered the same fate as everyone else.
Immediately afterwards, Prince Ning ordered an inventory of the palace’s property.
Just as Gu Jiu guessed, in times of trouble, it is better to have less trouble than more.
There is no need for a major purge.
This has caused panic among the people, and if the palace asks about it, it will be difficult to answer.
…
On this day, the palace steward personally led people to the East Courtyard and checked all the furnishings in the East Courtyard according to the account books.
Gu Jiu asked Qian Fu to cooperate.
It took half a day to complete a thorough investigation of the East Courtyard.
The palace's housekeeper, Lord Shi, went to the upper room to meet Gu Jiu.
"Your subordinate greets Madam."
"You are too polite, Lord Housekeeper. Has the East Courtyard investigated thoroughly?"
The housekeeper nodded. "We've checked and compared the account books. Three items are missing from the Wenshuyuan. They are a jade lion, a painting from the previous dynasty, and a Xuanwei hand warmer from the previous dynasty."
Gu Jiu frowned slightly, "Master Jialing, could you please let me see the account book?"
"Madam, please take a look."
Gu Jiu took the account book and looked through it.
The account book clearly records when these three items arrived at the Wenshuyuan and who handled them during the process. Everything is clear at a glance.
The person in charge was the eunuch Lin Shuping.
Lin Shuping is still serving Liu Zhao in the Zongzheng Temple.
Gu Jiu closed the account book and returned it to the housekeeper.
She called Qian Fu over and asked, "Three items are missing from the Wenshuyuan. Do you know?"
Qian Fu hesitated for a moment, "Madam, ask those maids, maybe you can get the answer."
Gu Jiu frowned, "Could it be that someone in the Wenshuyuan is stealing from the government?"
"This old servant doesn't know. Madam, please ask the person involved."
Gu Jiu stared at Qian Fu. What on earth was this old slave keeping in suspense?
She ordered the servants to call all the servants including Shiqin.
Then she said to the Lord Housekeeper, "This matter will be thoroughly investigated by me."
The housekeeper nodded, "Then I will leave this matter to Madam. I hope Madam can give me a reply as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, Master Jialing. Once I have learned the whole story, I will send someone to inform you as soon as possible."
"In that case, I will take my leave."
The housekeeper took his men and left the East Courtyard.
Shiqin and several other maids were called to the upper room.
Gu Jiu sat upright on the chair, looking majestic without even getting angry.
Her eyes swept over everyone's face. "Tell me, what happened to the three missing items?"
The maids remained silent.
Gu Jiu sneered, "If you don't speak, then this lady will have no choice but to hand you over to the Lord of the Household for disposal. I'll give you a cup of tea to figure out your own choices."
"Madam, you misunderstood."
As soon as Gu Jiu finished speaking, Shi Qin finally spoke.
Gu Jiu's face turned cold. "You dare to say that I misunderstood you without even explaining anything. I want to ask you, what did I misunderstand? Explain clearly!"
The volume suddenly rose, and everyone's heart was shaken, and they seemed a little panicked.
Shiqin said hurriedly, "The calligraphy and painting from the previous dynasty was splashed with water and cannot be salvaged. The master ordered several servants to deal with it."
"When did this happen?" Gu Jiu asked calmly.
"That's what happened last summer."
“Why is it not registered in the account books?”
Several maids lowered their heads guiltily.
Shiqi said, "We were afraid of being punished, so we didn't dare report it. We thought the young master already knew about it, so it should be fine. Who could have imagined that the prince would suddenly order an inventory of the mansion's property? We've been wanting to confess this to the madam for the past few days, but we just couldn't open our mouths. We kept putting it off until today."
Gu Jiu laughed sarcastically, "What's the deal with the hand warmer and the jade lion?"
It was Shiqi who spoke again, "Sister Shiqin's hands are always freezing in the winter and can't be warmed up no matter what she does. The young master showed mercy and gave the hand warmer to Sister Shiqin."
Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "What about the jade lion?"
"A corner of the jade lion was broken, so it was put away and placed in a box. When the housekeeper checked the belongings, I didn't dare take it out. So..."
The maids all lowered their heads, looking as if they were waiting to be punished.
Gu Jiu waved towards Qingmei and called her to his side. "Go to the Wenshuyuan and bring the jade lion here. This lady wants to personally review it."
"As you command." Qingmei hurried away.
Gu Jiu asked Qian Fu again, "Is what they said true?"
Qian Fu bowed and said, "Madam, it is basically true."
Gu Jiu looked at them with a half-smile, "Is there something untrue about that?"
Shiqin's maids didn't dare to speak, and were obviously feeling guilty.
Qian Fu looked hesitant.
Gu Jiu picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, his expression indifferent. "Tell me, what happened to the broken jade lion and the calligraphy and painting that couldn't be saved after being splashed with water? And that hand warmer, was it really a reward from the young master?"
What the maids said was not entirely true.
As soon as Gu Jiu heard this, he knew there was something fishy going on.
Qian Fu was concerned about the identities of the maids. After all, they were all the senior maids serving Liu Zhao, so he had to give them some respect, so he kept silent.
Gu Jiu didn't force him.
Qian Fuben was not in charge of internal affairs. His main responsibility was to take care of external affairs for Liu Zhao.
He didn't want to get involved in these inner-house affairs, and Gu Jiu understood and didn't make things difficult for him.
At this time, Qingmei brought out the jade lion and said, "Madam, please take a look."
A corner of the jade lion was broken and cracked in the middle.
The priceless jade lion became a defective product.
Gu Jiu snorted coldly, "That was a pretty hard fall. Are you guys fighting, or is someone hitting someone with a jade lion?"
If the jade lion had fallen from a museum shelf, it wouldn't be so serious.
Especially the missing corner. A museum shelf as tall as a person cannot cover such a large area.
No one said anything.
Gu Jiu sneered and shouted angrily, "Are you all mute? Speak! Chunhetang just dealt with the four big maids. You want to follow in their footsteps? This lady will grant you your wish. Or do you think this lady dare not do anything to you? Hmm!"
The word "hmm" carried a strong threatening tone.
The four maids knelt on the ground together.
Shiqin lowered her head and said, "I know I am wrong. Please punish me, Madam."
Gu Jiu said in a cold tone, "The jade lion, the calligraphy and painting, and the hand warmer, these three items, explain them one by one. Otherwise, don't blame me for punishing you."
Shiqin exchanged glances with the other three people.
Shiqi suddenly said, "It's all my fault. Madam, please punish me."
Gu Jiu laughed sarcastically, "You think I'm a three-year-old child. If you say it's your fault, I have to listen to you. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll slap you in the face."
Shiqi trembled all over, obviously scared.
She gritted her teeth and was about to speak.
Unexpectedly, the maidservant burst into tears. "Madam, this is all my fault. I got angry with my sisters and lost my temper. I threw the jade lion to the ground and broke it. Afterwards, my sisters tried to cover up for me by putting the jade lion in a box and pretending it never happened. This is all my fault and has nothing to do with my sisters."
Gu Jiu asked, "What about the calligraphy and paintings and the hand warmer?"
The secretary cried and said, "The calligraphy and painting were also accidentally spilled with tea. I panicked and didn't save them in time, so the calligraphy and painting were destroyed. I couldn't stand the cold in winter, so I used the hand warmer to keep warm and forgot to put it back."
Gu Jiu snorted, "So, the destruction of the jade lion and the calligraphy and painting is all your responsibility?"
"That's right! I dare not deceive you, Madam." The secretary couldn't stop crying.
Gu Jiu observed the expressions of several maids and finally looked at Qian Fu.
"Eunuch Qian, is what the secretary said true?"
Qian Fu hesitated for a moment and said, "It's true."
Gu Jiu asked Shiqin and the others, "Do you have anything else to say? It's not too late."
Several maids shook their heads.
Gu Jiu said in a deep voice: "The secretary damaged public property and concealed the incident afterwards. He shall be punished with five strokes of the cane and expelled from the palace.
Shiqin, Shiqi, and Shihua knew about the incident but refused to report it, and even tried to conceal the truth for Shishu. They were fined half a year's salary and demoted to a second-class maid, still working in the clerk's office."
The four maids looked pale and kowtowed, "Thank you, Madam, for the punishment."
…
The four maids returned to the Wenshuyuan, each of them looking miserable.
No one spoke.
Shishu packed his luggage in silence.
Shi Hua suddenly said, "If I had known this would happen, I would have been fired, and I wouldn't have had this disaster."
Shishu sobbed twice, "It's me who has implicated you."
Shi Hua said sarcastically, "Now we're doing the work of first-class maids, receiving the salary of second-class maids, and we're also being fined six months' worth of monthly wages. I wonder how furious my family will be when they find out about this. Not only will we be embarrassed, but we'll also lose a lot of money."
Shishu cried even harder.
Shi Hua snorted, "You always cry."
Shiqin sighed, "Shihua, please be quiet. We have been sisters for many years, and Shishu has already done this, so why would you do this?"
Shi Hua was unconvinced, "It was because you indulged her every time that you made such a big mistake. We were on duty together, and I was so careful that time."
She can't stand the slightest bit of grievance, and her temper is bigger than the sky. If she disagrees with someone, she will pick up the jade lion and hit them. She is really heroic.
You gave her a jade lion worth thousands of gold to vent your anger. Do you really think you are a princess? And you even covered up the incident for her.
"After all, Shishu bears half the responsibility for today's disaster. Shiqin and Shiqi, you two must bear the other half."
Shiqin frowned.
Shiqi said with a stern face, "Yes, we shouldn't have indulged Shishu. But you didn't object at the time. Besides, who could have foreseen the disaster we've seen today? Besides, at this point, is there any point in saying this?"
Shi Hua angrily said, "Can't I vent my anger? I'm not like you guys, my family is not short of money. My family depends on my monthly allowance to make a living."
Shishu suddenly flew into a rage, "I'll return the money to you, okay? Okay?"
She was crying and screaming, which was really scary.
Shi Hua stiffened his neck and said, "Then give it back to me."
The maid tugged at the earrings and the headdress, "I'll give them all back to you. All of them."
Shiqin quickly stopped her, "Stop talking nonsense, stop talking nonsense. You will have many places to spend money in the future, don't do this."
Shiqi roared, "Alright, stop talking."
The room became quiet.
Shiqi said to Shihua, "If you need money, I can lend it to you. As for the matter of Shishu, now that things have come to this, let it go. We are sisters, are you really going to turn against each other?"
Shi Hua calmed down and said, "Forget it, forget it. I won't argue with her. This time I'll just take it as a lesson."
Shiqin finally persuaded Shishu to stop.
The concierge came over and urged the secretary to leave quickly.
From today on, she is no longer a servant in the palace.
…
The palace steward was ordered to check the palace's property, and he actually found quite a few problems.
Two items were damaged in the East Courtyard, but the hand warmer was returned intact, which was the least loss.
In other courtyards, the whereabouts of seven or eight, or as many as ten or twenty, pieces of property are unknown.
Some of them were pawned for money.
Some were damaged but not reported in time.
Some were given away as gifts and were forgotten to be registered.
There are many reasons.
If you calculate carefully, you will find that the palace has suffered serious losses of property over the years.
The palace steward handed over the results of the investigation to Prince Ning.
Prince Ning flipped through the account book, his face as cold as an ice cube.
"How could the Third Brother have pawned so many items in his yard? He and his wife take medicine all day and never leave the courtyard. They don't spend much money, so why would they pawn so many things?"
The housekeeper bowed and said, "Your Highness, according to the maidservant accompanying the Third Madam, these items were taken to the pawnshop by her family."
Prince Ning angrily retorted, "Nonsense! The Cai family has been involved in the military for generations, earning a lot of money. How can they still be short of such expenses? Who are you trying to fool?"
The housekeeper reminded him, "Your Highness, have you forgotten? The Third Madam has a brother who has bad habits."
Prince Ning frowned. "It's ridiculous that I'm actually raising a son for the Cai family. What do the Cai family do for a living? Tell them that from now on, the Third Madam's brothers are not allowed to visit us. If they dare to pawn the palace's property again, I'll break their legs."
"As you command."
Prince Ning continued to look through the account books. When he saw the situation of Bixi Pavilion, he suddenly grimaced and felt a toothache.
It turns out that the one who suffered the most serious property losses was none other than His Royal Highness Prince Ning.
Prince Ning frowned, "What's going on with Bixi Pavilion? How could so much property be lost right under my nose?"
The housekeeper reminded him again, "Your Highness, have you forgotten? The princess often comes to Bixi Pavilion to chat with you. Every time she leaves, she takes a few things with her."
Prince Ning felt his face swollen from being slapped.
The biggest prodigal in the palace is none other than his own sister, Princess Huyang.
Prince Ning asked, "What has Huyang been busy with recently?"
"The princess goes out every few days. I occasionally hear people say that the princess has made friends with several young talents outside."
The words "young talent" made King Ning's expression change repeatedly.
Huyang is his biological sister, and he knows her temper better than anyone else.
"What a rotten young talent. Where did this pretty boy come from? He actually managed to deceive the princess. Investigate, thoroughly investigate this matter."
"this?"
The housekeeper looked embarrassed.
"Your Highness, should you inform the princess about this first? If the princess finds out that you're secretly investigating her, and a commotion breaks out, you'll be in for a headache again."
Prince Ning's face twisted. "I asked you to investigate, why are you talking so much nonsense? Chang En, you take people to thoroughly investigate the princess's foreign friendships. Who are these pretty boys? Find out one by one. I will make them pay for it."
Chang En smiled bitterly, "Your Highness, I know a thing or two about the pretty boy you mentioned."
"You little dog slave, you've already known something, yet you dare to conceal it."
Prince Ning kicked Chang En to the ground.
Chang En knelt on the ground and pleaded guilty, "It's not that I concealed it on purpose, but I didn't dare."
As a eunuch, how could he dare to file a complaint without any reason?
If the princess makes a fuss, he can't afford to offend her.
Prince Ning snorted coldly and pointed at Chang En, "I will spare you for now. Tell me the truth about the pretty boys who were with the princess."
"Your Highness, as far as I know, the person the princess has been in frequent contact with recently is Han Wulang from the Daihou Mansion..."
Chang En called out the names of seven or eight people in one breath.
Half of them are children of aristocratic families.
The other half were opportunists who, relying on their good looks, good health, and ability to serve others, managed to get close to Princess Huyang.
The person who knows the most about the mess here is none other than the confidant of Princess Huyang.
After hearing this, Prince Ning was furious.
It's only been a short time since Prince Consort Chen died, and yet he's acting so recklessly. Aren't you afraid of being impeached by the censor?
And how come those children from aristocratic families ended up mixing with Huyang?
"Go and fetch Princess Huyang for me. Also, send someone to arrest all those pretty boys."
"Han Wulang of Daihou Mansion..."
"Don't worry, arrest them all. Anyone who dares to resist will be beaten! Beat them to death."
Prince Ning was really angry.
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