Chapter 58 A Not-So-Smooth Understanding (Part 2): "Grandma, hurry back and see! Our commandery hasn't received any rewards from the palace for many years. I'll go too..."
"Grandma, hurry back and take a look. Our Zuo Ling has not received any rewards from the palace for many years. I want to go and share in the joy."
Upon learning what had happened, Lady Daijia clapped her hands and laughed, forbidding the maid from going next door to fetch any more pickles to take with her. She said such a small matter could be handled anytime. The most important thing today was to go back with Madam Shen to see what exactly Yuqing Palace had bestowed upon them.
"Who's home right now? Who sent you to fetch them? Which eunuch from Yuqing Palace came to deliver the rewards? Are they still home?"
"The Second Master went to the palace to work yesterday, so he's the only one at home right now."
The second master is Tu Nan from the West Courtyard. Tu Nan, who is thirteen years old this year, is not a talkative person. Although he has shown his displeasure to Shen Wanqing because of the conflict between the East and West Courtyards, he is still well-mannered and considerate when he sees his sister-in-law. He has never been impolite.
Shen Wanqing still remembered the day Yulang went to the West Courtyard and came back to tell her what Tu Nan had said to him. No matter how bad Shumulu was, she could never find fault with her two sons. Tu Nan was able to understand his mother's heart and see through what kind of person his father really was. Shen Wanqing felt that this child was truly rare.
"The eunuch who came to deliver the reward is surnamed Gao. He is still at home. The old lady sent me to find you. She said that as the head of the household, you can't not show up."
"Understood, I'll head back now." Gao Laixi was someone Shen Wanqing had heard Yu Lang mention before; he was a shrewd and cunning eunuch who guarded the gates of Yuqing Palace. The fact that he was the one who came today meant that Yu Lang was indeed living a good life in Yuqing Palace.
"Fang Liang, hurry up and get rid of everything these next few days. Sell what you can cheaply and give away what you can't. The shop has been on this street for so many years and we've been so grateful for the support of the neighbors. Don't be reluctant to part with anything."
"Don't worry, Grandma. I'm just worried that others won't like these things. There's nothing I'm reluctant to part with."
"Let's go, let's go. Don't keep Grandpa Gao waiting. The things in your shop are a bit old, but as long as the old man isn't afraid of losing money, someone will definitely want them. Putting everything else aside, keep those earthenware jars for me. I'll take them back to store pickles for my regular customers. Buying pickles comes with a free jar. Who cares if the jar is good or not? I can take it back and use it for whatever I want."
Dai Jia had always thought Shen Wanqing was clever, so clever that she seemed to be able to handle everything. How could she be so foolish now? Forget about what to do with the things in this dilapidated shop, even if someone set the shop on fire, that wouldn't be as important as the matter at hand.
Shen Wanqing was genuinely not in a hurry. The fact that Gao Laixi had accepted this assignment meant that he had come out of the palace today specifically to build a relationship with her. Whether Gao Laixi wanted to improve his relationship with Yu Lang on his own initiative, or whether he had received instructions from the Crown Prince to bestow favors upon the Hesheli family on the Crown Prince's behalf, he certainly wouldn't leave without seeing her.
She calmly and methodically arranged everything, even telling Fang Liang and Huo Ji where they would stay after returning home, before following Dai Jia into the carriage to head back. She was truly putting on an act, making sure everyone around her could see how composed and unperturbed she, the eldest mistress, was.
"To tell you the truth, my dear madam, the Crown Prince's gifts have all been delivered to our home, but why don't you seem happy at all?"
"Of course I'm happy! Who says I'm not happy? If I'm not happy after receiving a reward, what else could make me happy? If you don't believe me, touch my hands. Aren't they sweaty? It's because I'm so happy and excited."
"Don't try to fool me. You're just sweating because you wore too many layers this morning when it was cold outside. Do you really think I'm stupid? You think you can fool me like this?"
"How could I dare to fool my sister-in-law? If it weren't for her company these past few days, I wouldn't even recognize a person. I'm just putting on a show in front of them so they'll think I'm confident and thoughtful, and that I won't falter no matter what happens, so they can boss me around in the future."
Dai Jia knew who Shen Wanqing was referring to: two nannies who were supposedly brought from Tong Jia's side, and the shopkeeper who had just escaped from this half-dead general store.
"You're quite an interesting person. Everyone else is eager to put their own people in every position. But you've been out for three days and haven't changed a single manager, and you still want to use them all. I just don't understand what kind of approach you're taking."
Perhaps it was because Shen Wanqing's attitude was too indifferent that Dai Jia's excitement gradually faded as she sat down in the carriage.
What intrigued her more were Shen Wanqing's actions these past few days. The estate was far from the capital, and the stewards and tenants had closer, more familiar relationships; it was understandable that Dai Jia wouldn't replace the estate managers. But why wasn't she replacing Fang Liang either? Did she have no one capable under her command?
“Sister-in-law, I’m the housekeeper now, not the landowner. It would be unreasonable to replace everyone with my people.”
If you really have your own people everywhere, you'll end up with even more trouble. Just figuring out how to make your subordinates respect you without feeling that you're favoring one person over another will require a lot of unnecessary effort.
No one can ever truly possess power alone. For an outsider to come and uproot an entire family is far more damaging than simply ousting the second wife.
It doesn't matter how much he argues with the Second Madam now, or how much he angers Madam Tongjia. He hasn't touched the interests of the servants; they're just watching and observing, after all, whoever is the master isn't really the master, and it doesn't really matter to them.
But if you rashly change the manager, it's like Qing Shuang's mother is a small manager under Song Zhuangtou. Yesterday, when Song Zhuangtou left, he even gave Qing Shuang a bundle. The two of them stood at a distance, chatting and laughing, looking almost like relatives.
If I were to suddenly replace Songzhuangtou, Qingshuang's mother would definitely be affected, and then Qingshuang might also harbor resentment towards me, her grandmother.
She's worked in the East Courtyard for so many years, and so many maids and servants she's befriended—wouldn't their attitude affect her? These are things she'd have to worry about now that she's in a different position. To bring so much trouble upon herself just to establish her authority? That's truly asking for trouble.
Even in the group I used to work for, the regional heads would change every few years, but I never saw any new head of the group replace all the people under him. At most, they would just replace the most critical positions with their own trusted confidants.
It wasn't that Shen Wanqing looked down on the Shumulu family, but rather that they were managing things in a very disorganized way. None of the stewards she had met were her people, so she figured she might as well use them for now. She could keep the useful ones and transfer the rest later, and then they would all be her people.
"Whether they are one of our own or not depends on what I can give them. Once my own business takes off, they will all be eager to be my people."
Dai Jia thought Shen Wanqing's words made sense, but she still found Shen Wanqing to be a very strange person. Others would try to keep their schemes to themselves and not tell anyone, but Shen Wanqing told her everything as soon as she asked. How could she be so generous?
“Sister-in-law, this ability to figure people out isn’t a great skill. I know it because I like to think about these kinds of things. You don’t know it because you’ve never thought about it in this way.”
"Besides, I have my home and you have yours. If I tell you, you'll just go back to your own home and do this. It doesn't bother me. If I don't tell you the truth, won't you find out? Then you'll say I'm petty behind my back."
Shen Wanqing deliberately put on an arrogant and pretentious act, as if she was complaining about why Dai Jia kept asking such stupid questions. But in Dai Jia's eyes, this act was cute and charming. She had never seen such a lively and insightful woman, and she was very happy to see her.
The general store was in the outer city, and the carriage rushed back as quickly as possible, but it still took some time to get home.
After getting off the carriage, I found two more carriages parked in front of my house. I asked the gatekeeper and learned that it was two of Tongjia's sisters-in-law who had come. They must have received a reward from the Crown Prince and rushed over immediately.
“I know those two families. They must be with the old lady right now. I’ll go check on them first. You go and do your work.”
"Okay, I'll leave everything to my sister-in-law."
There's no need to be polite when it's not appropriate. Dai Jia went to the main courtyard to reassure Tong Jia, while Shen Wanqing directly led Fang Yi towards the east courtyard.
"Would you like to come with me to meet the eunuch from the palace?"
"Sister-in-law, I should go back first. My mother must be worried about me after being away for a few days."
Fangyi said she was afraid that Niohuru would think about her, but in reality she was afraid that her mother would find out that her sister-in-law had returned, and that people who were not originally going to come would suddenly want to come over.
This time, Fangyi observed her sister-in-law's words and actions, and felt that this family needed her sister-in-law to manage it. She also knew that her sister-in-law was not a soft-hearted person. If her mother dared to cause trouble in front of the people at Yuqing Palace today, her sister-in-law would probably find a way to deal with her later.
"Then you go back first and tell your mother that I will come to pay my respects this afternoon."
"Okay, I understand. Sister-in-law, go ahead with your business. I'll take care of Mother's."
The younger sister-in-law was clever; she knew what to do without being explicitly told. Shen Wanqing stood under the corridor watching Fangyi walk away before leading her people into the study.
In the study, Tu Nan and the front yard steward were entertaining Gao Laixi. The two of them, one standing and one sitting, placed Gao Laixi at the head of the table. When Shen Wanqing entered, both of them breathed a long sigh of relief.
Tu Nan got up and went to greet him. When he came from the west courtyard, Shumulu had given him a lot of instructions.
He told him to be calm and not to panic, and to properly entertain the people from the palace. He also said that if possible, it would be best to befriend the eunuch from Yuqing Palace. He added that he shouldn't panic, as he was the master of the Hesheli family and shouldn't be too overly attentive, lest a eunuch make a fool of himself.
Wanting this and wanting that, Tu Nan originally thought it was just a small matter of helping out and entertaining his elder brother and father when they weren't home, but it inexplicably became a major issue that couldn't be taken lightly.
The thirteen-year-old was anxious and indecisive, and he became even more flustered after seeing Gao Laixi. The more this happened, the more Tu Nan felt that he was not presentable, and naturally became even more nervous.
He saw Shen Wanqing as if she were his savior. After all, how could someone be an ordinary person who could subdue his mother and father as soon as they entered the household? He had never seen his father so furious and jumping up and down.
"Sister-in-law, this eunuch from the palace has come to deliver a reward."
Tu Nan actually had a lot more to say, but felt that it wouldn't be appropriate to say anything at this time, so he just squeezed out this one sentence and then fell silent.
"This servant wishes to congratulate Madam Yu. The Crown Prince recently acquired some fine leathers and rare items. Yesterday, Lord Yu made a public appearance, and everyone in Yuqing Palace was overjoyed. Today, the Crown Prince specially sent this servant to deliver some things."
"Eunuch Gao, you must be joking. I know my master. He certainly makes a name for himself wherever he goes when it comes to buying knives and spending money, but he can also make Yuqing Palace happy in other ways. What you're saying makes my heart pound. Has he gotten into any trouble?"
Upon hearing Gao Laixi's words, Shen Wanqing understood what he meant. Yu Lang had indeed made a contribution, but this contribution was for Yuqing Palace or for the Crown Prince. In a serious context, it wouldn't amount to much.
So Gao Laixi said that the Crown Prince had acquired some good things, which is why he, the head eunuch who guarded the gate of Yuqing Palace, was sent to deliver them. But it was just a simple delivery; there was no official decree or edict, and everyone understood the implication.
"No trouble, no trouble, Grandma, don't worry."
Yu Lang is not only good at his job, but also at interpersonal relationships. On his first day at Yuqing Palace, several eunuchs in charge of the palace said that this young master of the Hesheli family was different from the ones in Suo Zhongtang's mansion. As for whether this difference was good or bad, it was hard to say.
Yu Lang is good at dealing with people, and along with that, his wife Shen Wanqing has also become known as a generous person. After all, everyone says that Yu Lang's purse is prepared by his wife, and the god of wealth standing behind Yu Lang is his wife. This couple is shrewd.
Both men were shrewd, thinking that their families couldn't be too bad. Gao Laixi arrived in high spirits, but to his surprise, upon entering, he not only didn't see a capable wife, but was also forced by Tu Nan, the second master, to sit in the main seat of the study in the front yard.
It's true that I came from Yuqing Palace, and people say that even a seventh-rank official is subject to the prime minister's authority. But even if that's true, a eunuch like myself shouldn't be sitting in the head seat. Besides, it's the Hesheli family. Yulang is the crown prince's cousin by seniority. He's a servant to the crown prince, but to others, he's a master.
Gao Laixi felt like he had nails under his seat as soon as he sat down, making him extremely uneasy. He wanted to get up, but seeing Tu Nan and the butler's overly attentive manner, he dared not provoke them further. He could only grit his teeth and wait for Shen Wanqing to return. After exchanging pleasantries with Shen Wanqing, they sat down again, and both of them felt comfortable.
For this reason, Gao Laixi made a very important note in his mind: only Lord Yu and his wife are reliable in the Hesheli family. Whether this family can rise or fall in the future depends entirely on whether Lord Yu can seize yesterday's opportunity and gain more favor from the Crown Prince in the future.
It turned out that yesterday, after the Crown Prince had reviewed the homework of the younger princes in the Imperial Study, he ran into the eldest prince, Yinzhi, who was already waiting impatiently in the courtyard, and Yinzhi and Yinzhen, who were standing under the eaves, their emotions unreadable.
"Just how much homework and reading material is keeping the Crown Prince occupied for so long? With so many teachers in the Imperial Study, can't they even teach a few princes properly?"
If they really can't teach them, then let the Hanlin Academy find a few more teachers who can. It's amazing that a prince like him can be so patient with these little brats.
Yinzhi knew that his words would offend people, so he didn't say the second half of his sentence. He just clicked his tongue impatiently and urged the little brats to hurry up and go to the training ground. After all, his father had given him the task of watching them practice riding and archery, and if anyone didn't practice well, he would have to teach them himself.
Yinzhi didn't realize that his behavior was a classic case of the crow perched on the pig's back, only seeing the black in others and not his own. He even had the nerve to laugh at Yinreng for breastfeeding, but when the group arrived at the training ground, he still went around scolding them one by one.
When it comes to horsemanship and archery, among all the princes, Yinzhi is second to none. Although Yinreng often muttered in private that his eldest son was just a warrior, he had to admit that he was indeed no match for this warrior on horseback.
Yinzhi leaped onto the horse without even needing to use the stirrups. Once on horseback, the eldest prince, who originally looked somewhat reckless, became exceptionally heroic and dashing.
Yinzhi rode his horse around the racetrack twice, then drew arrows from his quiver, aimed at the target, and fired three arrows in quick succession, each hitting the bullseye. Even though Yulang inwardly thought that this eldest prince was too fond of showing off, he had to admit that this move was incredibly impressive.
"Don't be afraid of falling off your horse. So what if you fall off? You won't die. Once you have an arrow, don't think about anything else. Be single-minded and believe that you are the strongest. Once you're on the battlefield, don't look back and don't be afraid of falling off your horse. You can't lose your fighting spirit. Losing your spirit is the most dangerous thing."
Yinzhi dismounted and walked up to his third and fourth brothers. He had always looked down on his two younger brothers' riding and archery skills since childhood. Just now, when he entered the study, he could tell at a glance that they were just faking it when it came to riding and archery.
He couldn't be bothered with his younger brothers; they were just teenagers and wouldn't understand anyway. But if his third and fourth brothers continued like this, it wouldn't do. If his father came to see them next time and saw them unable to draw a bow or ride a horse, he would be the one punished.
In fact, Yinzhi and Yinzhen's horsemanship and archery skills were not as bad as Yinzhi said, but if you had to compare them with the eldest prince, they would naturally be no match.
Yin Zhi had always been afraid of his elder brother Yin Zhi. Since he couldn't really come to the training ground every day to teach archery and horsemanship, he naturally did whatever Yin Zhi said today. Yin Zhi quickly picked a horse, found the farthest target, and pulled his attendant away.
The young Fourth Prince, who was not yet fully grown, knew his place. He knew he should either ride a horse or practice archery on foot. If he tried to force himself to ride and shoot like the First Prince, he would be lucky if he didn't fall to his death today. So he didn't dodge. Instead, he met Yinzhi's somewhat critical gaze, picked out a bow that he usually used and was comfortable with, and went to the area where they practiced archery on foot.
With both the Crown Prince and the First Prince present, the martial arts instructors at the training grounds couldn't help but be eager to please. After all, serving as martial arts instructors for the princes wasn't as refined and noble as serving as tutors in the Imperial Study. Since they rarely saw the real masters today, they all intentionally or unintentionally tried to get closer to the two of them.
This was fine; the princes who were born and raised in the palace were already used to such flattery or neglect.
But what he shouldn't have done, what he shouldn't have done, was what Yinreng said to Yinyou when he came out of the Imperial Study: "If you train your physique well, you won't feel so bad." When he arrived at the training ground and heard what the First Prince said, his heart was in turmoil.
Upon hearing this, the twelve or thirteen-year-old boy couldn't help but feel a pang of self-doubt. Yin You knew that his personality wasn't likable; even his personal servants, such as Haha Zhuzi and his eunuch, had said they couldn't fathom his thoughts.
He didn't want it to be like this, and he would often wonder why he was such an unlikable person when he couldn't sleep at night. Why couldn't he be as honest and kind as Fifth Brother, or as carefree as Ninth or Tenth Brother?
Or it would be better if he could put on a friendly and approachable act like Lao Ba, but I just can't stand his fake smile. He's all smiles even though his eyes are cold, and it just looks so awkward on me.
Because of his leg ailment, Yinyou had great difficulty riding horses. His left leg was too weak to grip the stirrups, and his attendant was afraid of dropping the already sickly seventh prince, so he dared not let go of him during lessons. As a result, Yinyou's horsemanship never improved, and he often needed his attendant or Haha Zhuzi to lead the horse for him to walk steadily.
Today, the tutor who was originally in charge of instructing the Seventh Prince went to the Crown Prince's side. Haha Zhuzi wasn't there either. He wouldn't get off his horse, gritting his teeth and determined to prove himself. All he could think about was what the First Prince had just said: So what if he fell off? He wouldn't die!
The training ground was crowded, and no one paid attention to Yin You. However, perhaps it wasn't Yin Reng's turn to undergo tribulation yet, he didn't know why, but he turned his head to look and saw Yin You holding the reins tightly, while the horse under his feet was clearly on the verge of going berserk.
"Boss!"
Yinreng shouted at Yinzhi, startling the eldest prince, who was instructing Yinzhen on archery on the other side. His hand trembled, and the arrow he shot missed the target.
Yinzhi subconsciously looked towards Yinreng first, and after showing off in front of a few younger ones, he turned around and missed the target. The second prince did this on purpose!
He hesitated to utter the curses, then followed Yinreng's gaze to see Yinyou clinging stubbornly to the horse's back, refusing to dismount, and the horse with its ears pressed tightly against its neck, tail swaying back and forth, its hind legs kicking backward. He was so frightened he almost lost his mind.
"Seventh Brother! You're asking for trouble!"
"Don't shout, you'll scare them."
It was too late; Yinyou had already realized something was wrong, but it was too late to dismount. He could only sit stiffly on the horse, not daring to even shout for help.
When Yinreng noticed that Yinyou's horse was startled, Yulang noticed it as well. While Yinreng turned to call for the eldest prince, Yulang had already taken off his sword and handed it to Yinreng's servant, Haha Zhuzi, who was standing nearby.
Seeing that the horse was becoming increasingly agitated, he didn't even have time to discuss it with Yinreng. He only gave him a look, and Yinreng, though he didn't quite understand, nodded first. Then, Yulang took a detour and charged up from the side of the startled horse like an arrow.
The horses in the palace were well-bred and less wild than the ones he raised himself. When he leaped onto the horse, Yu Lang felt much more at ease. Even if he fell off the horse, he could act as a cushion for the Seventh Prince, and nothing serious would happen.
"My foot is stuck."
"Don't worry, Seventh Prince, we'll go down now."
Yu Lang took the reins from Yin You with one hand, and slowly soothed the horse by placing his feet on its belly. At the same time, he took out the dagger that the Crown Prince had given him and bent down to cut the strip of cloth tied to Yin You's left leg.
This young master is truly reckless when he gets going, much bolder than Yin'e and Yin'tang. The cloth strap that he usually only loosely tied to his left foot and stirrup for leverage was tied very tightly today, as if he was afraid he wouldn't be able to sit still on the horse.
Fortunately, the knife given by the Crown Prince was sharp and cut the strip of cloth in one go. Yu Lang could no longer control the horse and directly protected Yin You as he fell off the horse. After landing, he rolled several times to get away. Only when he saw out of the corner of his eye that several military officers surrounded the very agitated horse did he breathe a sigh of relief and release the Seventh Prince who had been protected by him.
People's legs go weak after being overly frightened, and Yinzhi was quite frightened. He stumbled a couple of times while rushing over, his face pale. He pulled Yinyou over and checked him over from head to toe to make sure he was not hurt anywhere before he sat down on the ground with a thud.
"Seventh Brother, you little rascal, who are you trying to scare to death?"
Yinyou was terrified; he tried to say something but his teeth chattered and he couldn't utter a word. Yinzhi got up and looked at Yinreng, who was more composed than him, and Yulang, who had retrieved his sword and was now standing behind Yinreng as a guard.
He had just ordered his guards to tame the horses, but Yu Lang was faster. Whether it was Yu Lang's preemptive action or his exceptional skill, it displeased the now-complacent Yin Zhi.
The moment he entered the training ground, he leaped onto his horse and began archery, all for Yinreng's benefit. If the Crown Prince were to follow suit and put on a show, it would be beneath him, making him look like the eldest prince. If he ignored him, the limelight would be his.
Now, thanks to the actions of the guards around Yinreng, he has become the one who has lost out. No matter how imposing he is, a guard who is still a stranger to the Crown Prince can be just as imposing and even saved the Seventh Prince before you, his elder brother. It goes without saying who is more imposing and powerful.
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