Upon hearing this, Cuiming glanced at Hongye.
Under the lamplight, Qin Yuan's expression was indistinct, her joy and anger unreadable. She said calmly, "No need. He's not back so late, he must be tied up with something important. I'm also tired from all the commotion today, I need to take a bath and rest. When the Marquis returns, let him go to the side room."
Hongye glanced at Qin Yuan's expression and muttered, "But didn't the Marquis tell Miss to wait for him to come back and talk?"
Qin Yuan closed the account book she had been reading for half a minute and said, "It's not a big deal. I can make the decision myself. I just think it would be good for the Marquis to know."
Hongye had nothing to say, and then looked at Cuiming. Cuiming gestured with her eyes and said, "Then we will serve Miss to rest. Hongye, go and tell the maids to bring hot water."
With a small kitchen, there is always hot water on the stove, making bathing and washing much more convenient.
“Alright,” Hongye could only leave.
Cuiming said to Qin Yuan, "I'll talk to Hongye when I have time; she's also worried about Miss."
Qin Yuan said, "I know, but she's impatient, so there are some things I can't let her know."
Cui Ming understood Qin Yuan's meaning and nodded, saying, "That's what I think too."
Qin Yuan then asked, "Have you figured out how to win over Madam Lu?"
Cuiming asked, "Does Miss really want me to perform this favor?"
“Of course. I’ve said my intention is to manage the household affairs. You’ve been here for a few days now, so you can see that the Marquis’s mansion is different from the Qin mansion. It’s a large and powerful family with many people, and the connections are very strong. Our ancestors all went to the battlefield with their masters and made contributions. If I’m to manage the household affairs, I will definitely need my right-hand men. You and Hongye are my right-hand men. If I don’t let you do favors, how will you get things done?”
Cuiming immediately replied, "Miss, please rest assured, Cuiming will definitely not let you down."
Qin Yuan nodded, got up, and sat down in front of the mirror. Cui Ming picked up a comb and began to comb her hair, saying, "As Rong Momo said, Mama Lu is indeed not very good at managing money. She can't keep track of the sewing room's accounts. On the one hand, it's because she's embezzling money from it, and on the other hand, it's because she's not managing it properly. I wonder if Miss intends to just scare her and that's it, or..."
Qin Yuan picked up a ruyi scepter and played with it, then smiled and said, "Her son serves under the Marquis, so I should give her some dignity. But if I just give it to her like this, won't others think that she can get away with anything just by asking the Marquis for help, or that she's using this as a get-out-of-jail-free card?"
There are many more respectable women in this household than just Mama Lu.
Everyone was watching her every move, trying to figure out what kind of person she was.
Cui Ming sighed, "It's really not easy to be both lenient and clear-headed."
Qin Yuan said, "I originally wanted to discuss Madam Lu's matter with the Marquis tonight, but the Marquis has not returned yet and has to go to the camp tomorrow morning. So why not just put it aside for now and give her a warning."
Cuiming understood and wondered how her mistress could be so naive. She smiled and said, "Absolutely, absolutely. I'll let Mama Lu know and have her ask the Marquis for help."
Qin Yuan nodded.
Given Lord Gu's temperament, he wouldn't interfere in the affairs of Wutong Garden, nor would he interfere in the affairs of the stewardesses under her.
How much of a favor is sold is up to her.
Presumably, after this experience, Lu's mother has learned her lesson and will no longer dare to recklessly step forward.
Cuiming then asked, "Should I temporarily take over as the head of the household, or should we find another head of household to take charge?"
Cui Ming was always cautious and meticulous. Although Qin Yuan had already publicly stated that she should find a mother to replace Lu's mother, she still needed to confirm it again.
Qin Yuan said, "Let's do it the way we said before. From now on, these steward mothers will all need to find an assistant to help them. If they don't do their jobs well, there will be an assistant willing to do it."
With an assistant watching over them, these head housewives naturally dared not slack off any longer.
Let's use Lu's mother as an excuse.
Cui Ming laughed and said, "Excellent! In this way, I'm afraid they won't dare to skim any profits."
Qin Yuan said seriously, "They should still be allowed to make some money, but they can't be allowed to do too much. The Marquis of Dingbei's mansion will not mistreat its servants unless it is desperate. Cuiming, remember, water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers."
Cui Ming gently combed Qin Yuan's cascading black hair, careful not to pull her scalp. Upon hearing this, she asked, "This servant noticed that the rewards in the Marquis's mansion are very generous. With so many people in the mansion receiving such rewards, how much silver must be enough to cover their expenses? They even try to squeeze money out of everyone at every level, always clamoring for a respectable lifestyle..."
In the Qin household, Madam Cui would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.
Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Isn't it because the Marquis is still at war? Mother said that as long as there is war, there will be money. The ancestors of the servants in the manor have all gone through thick and thin with their masters. Taking care of them like this makes everyone feel that there is hope for them to follow their masters. If the masters don't have any benefits left, they naturally won't be able to support them. We'll see what happens then. We'll see what happens when the time comes."
Lord Gu is the ever-victorious general of Daxing, revered as a god of war. Naturally, he can take care of these people. Everyone's lives are tied together, so they can earn wealth and glory together.
As for what happens in the future, that's for future generations to worry about, and it's none of her business.
There is no family in this world that lasts forever.
Why worry unnecessarily?
Puzzled, Cui Ming asked, "Why can't I be rewarded more generously?"
Qin Yuan sighed and said, "The reward is certainly generous, but to ask someone to risk their life and tie the lives and futures of their entire family to you, can money really buy that?"
Only the concepts of gratitude and righteousness can achieve this.
Silver is just a transaction.
Upon hearing this, Cui Ming shuddered and stopped asking questions.
At this moment, Hongye watched as several maids carried in hot water, added flower petals and prepared spices, and said, "Miss, you may take a bath now."
Qin Yuan soaked comfortably for a while, then turned off the lights and went to rest.
Hongye stood under the eaves, listening to the crickets chirping louder and louder in the night, and said, "The deeper the night goes, the louder the insects chirp. I must say, it really does have a certain charm."
Cuiming nudged her and whispered, "Why do you keep urging Miss to consummate the marriage?"
Hongye said, "Aren't you in a hurry?"
Cuiming said, "I told you you're just busy with nothing. Do you think they can stay like this forever? Miss has her own plans. Don't always interfere just because you grew up together. Besides, this isn't something Miss should be rushing around for. The Marquis is a man. Does he expect Miss to be the one chasing after him? These past few days, Miss has suffered quite a bit because of that Zhao Niangzi and her son."
The young lady's words kept replaying in Cuiming's mind. The young lady was different from before, and this Marquis's mansion was different from the Qin mansion. She had to keep a close eye on Hongye.
The red leaves fell silent.
Just as Cuiming was about to ask her, she saw a tall figure strolling over in the distance under the lamplight. It was Lord Gu who had returned.
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