Lord Gu suddenly released a murderous aura, which made everyone's scalp tingle and they all trembled and said, "We will remember this."
"That's good!"
Lord Gu suddenly stood up.
“You shall all obey the Lady’s orders. If any of you overstep your bounds, you shall be like this tree.”
With a flick of his arm, an old tree on the outer side of the courtyard snapped and crashed to the ground.
This scene silenced everyone, and no one dared to speak.
Lord Gu put his hands behind his back, glanced at everyone, and then said to Qin Yuan, "You stay here, Sixteen is still waiting for me."
Qin Yuan got up and saw him out of the courtyard.
Lord Gu asked, "What do you think of this 'hitting a cow from across the mountain' tactic?"
Qin Yuan smiled slightly, pursing her lips.
"My husband is extremely majestic."
Lord Gu then left triumphantly.
When Qin Yuan turned back, the courtyard was still so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
It is clear that Lord Gu's move was indeed effective.
Having intimidated them, it's time for her to soften the blow.
Qin Yuan sat down, paused for a moment, and said, "The Marquis does this to prevent everyone from becoming lax in their work, getting distracted by daily trivialities, and disrupting the rules."
Butler Han said, "Don't worry, Madam, we understand."
Steward Qian hurriedly said, "Yes, the Marquis was just giving a warning, and everyone is reminding each other. Some mistakes can be forgiven by the master, but some mistakes cannot be tolerated by the master."
Steward Cao said, "The Marquis is fair in rewarding and punishing, remembering those who work diligently and make great contributions, and never tolerating bad apples. This is a good thing! With a wise master, our Marquis's mansion will only get better and better."
When he arrived at the Wan Accountant's office, he coughed a few times before saying, "Without rules, there can be no order."
Qin Yuan nodded.
"Since everyone understands the Marquis's good intentions, I will not say any more. These days, everyone has been working very hard. This month, we will pay you two months' salary. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and the festival rewards will follow the old custom."
Everyone's face lit up with joy.
Qin Yuan said, "If there's nothing else, everyone may leave now. The three stewards and Accountant Wan, please stay; we can discuss this further."
The crowd dispersed quietly and quickly.
Butler Han asked, "Madam, what brings you here?"
Qin Yuan said, "It's nothing major. It's just that the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and the Empress Dowager's birthday is approaching. We should also present lanterns according to the requirements of the Jingzhao Prefecture. In addition, the preparations in the prefecture need to be organized."
Steward Qian said, "The inner courtyard is simple; we can just follow the old practice. However, the outer courtyard is a bit more troublesome. This year, the Marquis just distributed resettlement funds and rations to the elders. Should we give them additional rewards for the Mid-Autumn Festival? How much should we give? Once this precedent is set, it will be necessary every year, and it will amount to a considerable sum."
Butler Cao gasped.
Good heavens, this newly appointed steward of the inner courtyard has already taken over all their duties, making them say whatever they want.
He hurriedly replied, "That makes sense. If we start this practice, we'll have to give it to them every year. We're not short of money now, but we don't know how our children and grandchildren will spend it. If people are given a fixed amount of money year after year, they'll definitely resent it if we stop giving it to them later."
Butler Han also said, "We must be careful."
Qin Yuan was very satisfied.
The three stewards were very fair in their arguments and had a long-term perspective.
Very good.
She looked at Wan Zhangfang and said, "Speaking of this matter, it all depends on how well you manage it."
After thinking for a moment, Wan Zhangfang said, "Actually, the main issue here is consistency. Now that the money and grain have just been distributed, everyone is naturally grateful to the master. As usual, some festive gifts will be distributed for the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, in previous years, only those who worked in the mansion received these gifts, while those who have retired and are enjoying their retirement did not. If the master is considerate and wants to distribute these gifts to the elderly, then this will become a fixed practice. In the short term, this amount of money can be covered, but in the long run, it is not a small sum. I think it would be better to acquire some ancestral land from the clan, distribute it to them for cultivation, and have them pay a small portion each year, leaving the rest as a subsidy."
These words analyzed the whole story, its advantages and disadvantages, and proposed a solution. Everyone showed their admiration.
Qin Yuan said, "That's the only way. To avoid disputes, the clan's sacrificial fields are managed by each branch in turn for the purpose of sacrifices. If these fields are included in the sacrificial fields, it will be difficult for the Marquis's mansion to make any decisions in the future."
Once you hand over the item, you won't have a say anymore.
The Marquis's family now carries significant weight in the clan, but nothing lasts forever. If the Marquis's status declines, the use of these lands may no longer be a matter of much influence.
It's not impossible that someone might take back these ancestral fields and drive away the elders' descendants, citing clan rules as the reason.
Accountant Wan showed admiration and said, "Madam has considered things from a long-term perspective."
Qin Yuan added, "There's a downside to keeping these properties in the Marquis's mansion. If something happens to them in the future, they'll be gone. If they stay in the clan, they'll have a place to settle down and make a living. Their descendants can pass on their knowledge and skills through farming, and there will always be a time when they can make a comeback."
Steward Han said admiringly, "Madam is absolutely right. Now that the northern frontier is at peace, there will probably be no more wars in the future. Although the Marquis's title is hereditary, its actual power will probably decrease over time."
It is said that every new emperor brings a new court.
The current emperor still remembers the merits of the Marquis of Dingbei, but future emperors may not think so.
With no more battles to fight, it means the emperor will appoint someone close to him to take charge of the military.
Who knows when the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion will be nothing but an empty title.
Qin Yuan nodded: "That's why we need to plan for the long term. Only when we have made clear plans for our descendants can our legacy last."
There were some things Qin Yuan couldn't say.
There is also a balance between master and servant. If the master falls on hard times, the servant may not be able to share the joys and sorrows with the master. She had seen many cases of servants bullying their masters in her previous life.
The people of Zhejiang Prefecture were wealthy and fond of doing business, with making money being their primary goal. As a result, many former servants, after becoming successful, would turn around and collude with outsiders to oppress their former masters.
In the North, where status is highly valued, such incidents are still relatively rare.
But who can say for sure what will happen in the future?
Now that he had suddenly received a large sum of money from the Yelü clan, Qin Yuan thought it would be better to use it to build up the Hou Mansion, so that he could retain the people's hearts and provide shelter for his descendants.
Accountant Wan sighed and said, "Madam is planning so far ahead, this matter cannot be simply settled with a plan. We will consider it carefully before reporting to you, Master."
The three butlers all nodded emphatically.
This is something that needs to be done, but how to do it best requires careful consideration.
Qin Yuan said, "It's alright. It's not something that can be done in a short time anyway. Even if we buy land now, it will take several years to complete the purchase. I brought this up because I thought that with so many of you, you would have a lot of ideas and could discuss it carefully."
Wan Zhangfang said, "This matter needs to be planned slowly."
Qin Yuan nodded.
"There is another important matter that needs to be done now. If it is done well, everyone can have a happy Mid-Autumn Festival."
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