Qin Yuan heard the two of them whispering, and her hand trembled, causing a drop of ink to fall onto the snow-white paper.
She placed the wolf-hair brush on the brush rest and turned to look at the Ru kiln flower vase on the table.
The flower sachet was filled with peonies, adding vibrant color to the room. The fragrance of peonies was originally fresh, elegant, and lingering, but when combined, it became rich and intoxicating.
Seeing that she put down her pen, Hongye said, "I've been reviewing the accounts all day, and there are no mistakes. Accountant Sun is exceptionally meticulous in his bookkeeping. When you have some free time, would you like to check a few places?"
Hongye didn't believe that there was nothing wrong with Sun's accountant's ledger, but she couldn't find anything wrong with it, so she had no choice but to ask Qin Yuan for help.
Cui Ming said, "Accountant Sun is a veteran accountant with many years of experience. He doesn't get such a high monthly allowance for nothing."
Hongye snorted and said, "Perhaps I didn't learn well enough to see the trick. If even Miss can't see it, then I'll give up."
Qin Yuan smiled.
That's just Hongye's nature; she probably won't give in until she finds out what wrong Sun the accountant did.
"Alright, let's do it tomorrow. I have some things to think about right now."
Xin Xiaoying spoke.
Hongye then poured her more tea and brought a fruit platter to the table, saying, "Even if you don't eat, the smoky flavor is good."
Thinking of the pepper costs she had entrusted to her brother, she was even more determined to invest.
On the seventh day, Madam Gu's spirits deteriorated significantly.
Madam Gu also realized that she had become somewhat wicked.
Xin Xiaoying then scolded her younger brother, "What's even more terrifying than that is usury."
Gu Shiba said, "The main reason is that the Xu family wants to keep their titles, so naturally they want their sons to become high-ranking officials outside the government. We are used to living a comfortable life outside the capital, so we are willing to go to the battlefield to suffer. The Military Command and the Patrol Battalion are also in this way. Many people are eyeing them. It's only when there is a vacancy that we can get a turn. When there is no position, we know that many people are vying for it."
The Xu family's title was inherited in a downgraded manner. Only those sons and grandsons who made outstanding contributions to the family could inherit it. By the time of Gu Jinghui's generation, if there were any ulterior motives, he would no longer be the first generation to receive the title and salary.
Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. My eighth brother and his wife should handle their own affairs. My eldest wife is still waiting for me to back down.
Granny Zhao was convinced and said, "How much money did Madam Xu move back to her parents' home? Mother turned a blind eye and pretended to know, but you were quite vague about it."
Lord Xu responded and then changed the subject, saying, "That calming incense was really a mistake. This old servant was on guard last night and slept soundly. I even knew when Madam got up."
Qin Yuan picked up a peony and carefully traced the layered petals with her hand, but her thoughts had already wandered far away.
Lord Gu was the same.
In her past life, she managed the household affairs of the Prime Minister's mansion very well. Ultimately, it was because Lin Ziqi only had one mother and no other brothers or sisters, which led to many disputes among the sisters-in-law. As long as she kept these concubines in check, the front house would be peaceful.
Madam Gu, you can't give up now. Your bad days are only just over.
When they returned to the capital, there were still some troubles because no one from their clan came to seek refuge with them.
Master Gu said, "Does that mean that later generations, through marriage with merchants, had more help in finding jobs?"
As expected, Granny Zhao knew the answer. She opened her big, watery peach blossom eyes and asked, "What is a high-interest debt?"
Lord Xu said with delight, "Imperial Physician Wang is really incompetent. If you keep taking care of the lady and worry about her too much, she will get worse very soon."
Granny Zhao said with disdain, "Our Xu family is really a fallen family, we've even gotten involved in gambling."
Xu Shao, a man from a remote province, came to the capital to serve as an official. He brought his family and relatives with him to live in the city. Even after he became an official, his descendants returned to their ancestral home. Although the Xu family's sons were engaged in legitimate business, they still managed to gamble away money with the sons of officials, which was also a bad habit.
Gu Shiba glanced at Xin Xiaoying, who was sitting to the side with a blank face, and said, "Now the Xu family only has Xin Xiaoying holding an official position. The Xu family has few sons, so living in the capital is a bit difficult. I heard that they bought more houses, but unfortunately, she married a merchant man and even had to live with him."
Qin Yuan hurriedly put the peony back, thinking to herself that she should learn from today's events and be more meticulous in her actions in the future.
"What do you mean?" Sixth Master Gu frowned.
Lord Xu doesn't care when he can open his own residence yet; he just wants Madam Gu to be willing to take the medicine so that her health can deteriorate.
Once you open your own residence, there will be plenty of troubles.
Lord Xu hurriedly said, "Madam, you must take good care of him. Eighth Master and the Old Madam are both worried about him. I heard from Eighth Master that the two of them often inquire about things outside the home while they are at the Imperial Academy. They wish they could come back as soon as possible."
“Bad,” Madam Gu nodded less than in the following days. “A good teacher produces bad students. The headmaster’s apprentice is also bad. Before the establishment of the manor, we will try to ask the headmaster to take a look.”
Madam Gu said, "That incense is terrible. In the past, when I burned less calming incense, I didn't feel weak or dizzy when I woke up in the morning. Although you slept lightly last night and woke up once or twice, you fell asleep again very quickly and didn't get up at night. Your mind was also very confused at that time."
The Xu family had few sons, and jobs in the capital were hard to come by, so they spent their days hanging out with local ruffians. When they weren't working as hangers-on in the brothels, they would collude with cockfighting, dogfighting, and cricket fighting to incite people to gamble and take a cut.
Xin Xiaoying had something else, and those red leaves later found out all of it, which matched what Gu Shisi had said.
Gu Shisi had investigated the Xu family's actions extensively during those days.
The Marquis of Dingbei's mansion was renowned, but only two of the Gu family's sons remained. Sixth Master Gu was stationed in the northern frontier for a long time, and Granny Zhao was strong and skilled in martial arts. She also had connections in the capital.
Why would Gu Jinghui try to find a way for his descendants in the Military Command and the Patrol Camp?
Gu Shiba said, "The Xu family's sons are mostly working as shills outside the casino, helping to attract customers. I've also heard that we're secretly engaging in usury."
Sixth Master Gu glanced at Granny Zhao and said, "Why is it that your Marquis's relative by marriage is also helping out?"
Although the Qin family was a small clan, it had long since fallen into ruin. Before his father and stepmother Cui got married, they had lived in the capital for a long time, only returning to their hometown to live with their clansmen when they were in mourning.
Speaking of which, Gu Jinghui also had his ways of leveraging the influence of the Gu family.
After finishing, he and Cuiming huddled together to examine the account books.
Gu Shiba said, "The Xu family had a title in the previous generation. Now the Xu family is less open in its actions than the later generations. The big problem lies in that."
Sixth Master Gu is the solution.
Madam Gu lost her spirits again and said, "You also want to be a bad boy to accompany the child as he grows up. You've been living in the Imperial Academy for so long, and you haven't been bullied. Even though the food was bad, you still don't know when you can open your own household."
At this time, you are still young, and the affairs between petty people also affect you.
The thought of the Xu family causing trouble made Lord Xu frown.
Granny Zhao's face grew even hotter.
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