Chapter 69 Even taking on a side job isn't allowed! Terrible…
The night was deep.
Qi Chengming recalled the harrowing escape of the first half of the night, and could still vaguely feel the sweaty heat on his back, which had now turned into a damp chill. However, Qi Chengming disliked changing clothes in this simple carriage and simply ignored it—
During his months in Liuzhou, his private carriage was like a small home, so there was no need to worry about it.
Ignoring his discomfort, Qi Chengming asked a veiled question out of curiosity: "Cousin, what are your plans for the future?"
The Yang family of four, who had promised Qi Chengming to recuperate in Liuzhou, could not move for a short period of time.
But then what?
An urgent letter to the Marquis of Weiyong's residence must definitely be written... The old Marquis of Weiyong is not allowed to leave the capital without permission. Cousin Wang Shuo is too young to leave the capital to take on responsibilities. They will surely be eagerly anticipating seeing Prefect Yang once they find out.
But now, if Yang Shou's family were to go to the capital, it would certainly not be Yang Shou himself who would have difficulty adapting.
"..." The young man remained silent for a long time.
The scars on his face twitched, making him look extremely ferocious, but Qi Chengming could see pain and helplessness beneath that familiar ferocity.
"Let's wait a little longer." Yang Shouyi hadn't made up his mind yet, and only left a soft sigh in the night wind. "I will write to my grandfather and return to the capital later to pay respects to my parents and brothers. I may have to change my surname back, but Zhong'er will have to take the surname Yang."
This was what he promised the Yang family.
Yang Shou—or rather, Wang Shou in his current state—raised his eyes, met his cousin's gaze with unwavering determination, and prepared to face the obstacles to come.
His words, if spoken out, would be absolutely shocking.
Others would consider his experience as a son-in-law a disgrace, not to mention it, but they would want to erase it completely. Given the prestigious reputation of the Marquis of Weiyong's family, if word got out that their fine son had become a farmer's son-in-law, who knows how much ridicule and fury they would face.
Wang Shou didn't care about any of that.
From the moment he regained his memories, he was grateful that he hadn't abandoned his martial arts skills after all these years. Tian Niang had always been very supportive of him, regardless of his haphazard and wasteful training. Wang Shou had previously been unwilling to marry because his mind was always focused on the war. Now that he had a wife and children, he wouldn't abandon this responsibility.
Grandfather has no idea what he will think of his decision.
Before he could go back to see his grandfather, he would probably have to get past his cousin first—his cousin already had his own fiefdom and had become a true prince. His words carried considerable weight.
Qi Chengming blinked, puzzled. "...Pretty good?"
What did his cousin mean by staring at him so intently?
—After he said that, his expression became even more complicated and surprised.
Qi Chengming breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been in the present for more than half a year and finally learned his cousin's name through various means. It turned out that his real name was indeed Wang Shou.
This time, the matter of my cousin Hezhou, which I discovered by chance, has finally come to an end.
...
Two days later, Qi Chengming settled his cousin's family properly in the Prince's Mansion—his long-vacant backyard finally had real 'wives' living there.
The palace maids and other female relatives who originally lived here have all moved to the back room and the large dormitory. Liu, the wet nurse, also lived in the back room. During this time, she focused on recuperating and seemed to have noticed that Qi Chengming's emotions were complicated whenever he saw her, so she kept a low profile.
The number of palace maids brought from the palace was already small. They were originally responsible for the Second Prince's household chores, such as sweeping, gardening, bathing, and needlework, with the majority working in the kitchen. In Liuzhou, they were only enough to supply the main courtyard; spreading them throughout the entire Prince's residence would leave a shortage of servants. The group of people that Chief Steward Song initially brought to procure supplies quickly established themselves within the next few months, and the palace maids and eunuchs were happy to have their help without them stealing the limelight.
Now that Wang Shou's family is living in the backyard of the Wang Mansion, there's a reason why people have been assigned to serve them.
Because the family had female relatives who were not of official rank, the eunuchs were unusable, and the palace maids all had good opportunities. Therefore, those who were bought later became ambitious and secretly restless, trying to pull strings and build connections everywhere, all hoping to get this good job.
"Steward, look at this..." Steward Liu, who was in charge of the outer courtyard, took out a flat pouch from his bosom. It was bulging and filled with loose silver coins. He gave a fawning yet hesitant smile.
"These are all people who have come to plead for you these past two days?" Song Gu glanced at them, understanding without even raising an eyebrow.
Song Gu is the head steward of the entire Prince's mansion, and he also works with Bi Shu and Xiao Dezi to manage the internal and external treasuries and finances. The more he manages, the busier he becomes, so as soon as Song Gu took over the mansion, he rushed to purchase servants and train new people. He has already trained two external stewards. The other one just came by, and Old Liu has indeed arrived as well.
Old Liu also has a young daughter.
He was now refusing the money he hadn't managed to refuse, and in front of his superior, he made no attempt to hide his ingratiating intentions: "Steward, this is all for you. Do you think my daughter Gui'er still has a chance...?"
“She’s too young, and too similar to Young Master Yang. That’s not appropriate.” Just as he had refused the steward earlier, Song Gu calmly and directly rejected Old Liu, but he didn’t refuse the money. He accepted it with a clasp of his hands. “Let her stay for a few more years—once she has a mistress, she will have her own place to go.”
"Okay, okay..." Old Liu replied hastily, unable to hide his disappointment, but he straightened his back and tried his best to appear composed as he left.
The rules of the Prince's Mansion are truly different from those of other families.
Old Liu used to be from an honest commoner family, but he had heard how careful and timid the servants in wealthy households were in serving their masters. The prince was a good-natured man; as long as they didn't do anything wrong, he wouldn't beat or scold them. But there was one thing he disliked: he didn't like to see servants groveling. He preferred servants to be poised and elegant, so as not to embarrass the prince's household.
Old Liu had fought tooth and nail to get this position as an external steward. He was the one with the most humble yet confident demeanor, and he also had a decent face, which is why he was chosen by Steward Song.
Now, as Lao Liu steps over the threshold, he straightens his back and sighs.
Their prince… was in the prime of his youth, yet the room was empty. Many had their own agendas, but Chief Steward Song had quietly dismissed them, and only then did things quiet down. But acting secretly wouldn't work; when would the prince finally propose marriage?
Since there is no mistress in the prince's mansion, there are no young masters.
His son had long been designated to succeed him as the next steward, gaining experience alongside him. However, his youngest daughter, Gui'er, was only four or five years old, and now her chance to serve in her cousin's courtyard (as a playmate) was gone—she had missed her best opportunity…
What good job will Gui'er be able to find in the future?
Steward Liu was so worried about the young master that he almost wanted to offer incense to the woman who was supposedly the prince's wet nurse. No one in the manor dared or could tell the prince about this, so they could only hope that the wet nurse—who was, after all, half a mother—would remember to remind him of the matter.
"...Cough cough." The wet nurse, who was being thought of, was wrapped in a thick fur coat and huddled in the backyard, concentrating on making boots.
After winter sets in, the weather in Liuzhou isn't particularly cold, but people whose bodies are already exhausted and weak from overwork can't stand the cold.
"Mama Liu! People outside are talking about you... or rather, about how the Prince is getting old." The maid who took care of her was also someone hired from outside, about thirteen or fourteen years old, lively yet sensible. When she spoke of this, her face didn't show any sentimentality or shyness, but rather a carefree, gossipy expression.
Over time, Liu's nanny had grown somewhat fond of her: "Close the door, let's not concern ourselves with what's going on outside. It's not my place to say what those people are thinking."
“Mama Liu…” The maid hesitated, seemingly puzzled, but never actually asked the question aloud. It seemed she had been holding this question in for a long time.
The wet nurse lowered her head and continued to do her needlework in silence, a flicker of pain in her eyes.
That day, her meeting with His Highness was far from pleasant. Later, when Nanny Liu overheard Xiao Chengzi recounting in detail what had happened after she left… Nanny Liu dared not think further. Did His Highness, who had struggled to grow up and mature, harbor some resentment towards her?
Blame her for leaving? Blame her for not protecting the young second prince? Blame her for only returning when she was no longer needed?
These are all speculations. Liu, the wet nurse, now has no worries about food or drink, is treated with utmost courtesy, and receives respect when speaking to His Highness—a unique privilege within the inner court. However, she has lost some of the intimacy and dependence His Highness once showed her, as if some layer of reservation has been placed upon her.
The wet nurse found out.
The shy and reserved child she had raised had already been swallowed up by the palace. He died on the day His Majesty exiled him to Liuzhou without any explanation.
Now that the Second Prince's temperament has changed drastically, and he has long since become accustomed to facing life's challenges on his own, he is independent and doesn't need her closeness anymore, nor will he rely on anyone. What right does an old woman like her have to say anything more?
Before the mistress moved into the palace, all she had to do was sew his undergarments, worry about his food, clothing, and health, remind him of things the eunuchs usually overlooked, and keep an eye on the thoughts of the maids and servants that the head steward and Chief Steward Song didn't notice. Doing these things as a wet nurse was enough.
She traveled all the way to Liuzhou just to share the burden of this child, didn't she?
But... even though I don't care verbally, I can't help but think about it.
As she did her needlework, Liu's wet nurse absentmindedly recalled the information about several wealthy families in Liuzhou who frequented the Prince's Mansion... their daughters.
Alas, none of them are worthy of Your Highness, which is probably why Your Highness has put it aside until now.
The wet nurse had no choice but to stop thinking about it.
...
Just half a day later, Song Gu announced the manpower allocated to the Yang family of four.
The two servants were for Wang Shou—both were strong, healthy teenagers, sons of the household members, as well as descendants of those from neighboring households on the side streets. Qi Chengming disliked the outdated rule that the sons of artisans could only become artisans, so he allowed them to find other jobs, but they still had to diligently teach their apprentices.
The six maids were assigned to serve Granny Yang, Tianniang Yang, and Yang Zhong. All three—one old, one sick, and one young—required constant care, and one maid was simply not enough. These six were not from the manor itself; they were all selected from the group still being trained on the estate. Having been bought into the manor from hardship, they possessed the strongest expectations and desire to serve their future masters.
Only a few second- and third-class cleaning and sweeping positions were left for the servants in the Prince's mansion who had fought tooth and nail to divide among themselves.
In the study of the main courtyard.
With a "whoosh," Steward Song poured out all the silver. Just like Steward Liu had asked his boss for a share of the spoils, he also came to Qi Chengming to ask for a share: "Your Highness—this is the silver they gave me as tribute."
Qi Chengming specifically raised his eyes to take a look.
Song Gu's expression remained calm, but his eyes were fixed on her, his expression filled with a hidden anticipation.
'Too naive.' Qi Chengming sighed inwardly.
Perhaps this is why emperors relied on eunuchs; they would serve you wholeheartedly for various reasons. Chief Eunuch Song is a prime example of this type of eunuch:
They just thought Qi Chengming was a good person—so they were loyal and admired him, and followed him wholeheartedly. As a dignified chief eunuch, he didn't even care about money, and at this moment he was still thinking about what Qi Chengming had said before, "The road construction is almost out of money."
What can you do with this little bit of money?
Qi Chengming ultimately said nothing, divided the pile of loose silver into three parts and seven parts, took the "seven" portion for himself, and then pushed the "three" portion into Song Gu's hand without allowing any refusal: "This is what you deserve, spend it well, and don't always think about putting it into your account."
I've already said, don't pay your own way to work—even earning extra money on the side is not an option!!
Song Gu was a key target for surveillance in this regard.
Qi Chengming was extremely vigilant.
"..." Song Gu.
Song Gu obediently accepted it, gazing with what seemed like loving kindness at the new emperor who was arguing with him about dividing the spoils. This feeling was even more gratifying than if he had spent a fortune in one go.
'How lively!' he thought with great satisfaction.
That's why he still came over to make his presence known, even though he knew the amount of money was insignificant.
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Author's Note: A Little Theater—
Steward Song (exhausted) (disrespectful) (secretly thinking): I'm tired from working, as long as I can have a breath of fresh air // the lively new emperor.
...He did it again on the spot!
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