Gu Qinlan turned around, bowed slightly, and replied calmly, "Mother, I did make some changes to the management of the kitchen, but it was not intentional to disrupt the order of the Prince's Mansion. Please let me explain."
Princess Duan's eyes flashed with displeasure as she said, "Explain yourself. I want to hear how you defend yourself."
Gu Qinlan nodded slightly and said, "The kitchen is an important part of the Prince's household affairs. I believe that servants should each perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities. The chaos in the kitchen today was because the servants did not follow the rules, resulting in wasted ingredients and a decline in the quality of the dishes. My punishment for them is to make them realize their mistakes so that they will not happen again."
Princess Duan's expression softened slightly, but she still said seriously, "However, you are being far too harsh on your servants. They are human beings too, and they have feelings. Aren't you afraid of breaking their hearts by treating them this way?"
Gu Qinlan said solemnly, “Mother, the Duan Prince’s Mansion provides a stable life for its servants, ensuring they have food, clothing, and a place to stay. They should be grateful, not take advantage of us. If they don’t do their best, wouldn’t they be betraying the kindness of the Duan Prince’s Mansion? As for feelings, I believe that servants should prioritize their duties, and personal feelings should not affect the order of the mansion.”
Princess Consort Duan remained silent for a moment, a hint of approval flashing in her eyes as she looked at Gu Qinlan. She slowly said, "You're right, the Duan Prince's residence does indeed provide a good living environment for its servants. However, people are all made of flesh and blood, and sometimes they need some tolerance."
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly and said, "Mother's teachings are correct, and I have learned from them. However, I believe that tolerance is not the same as indulgence. If the servants in the kitchen do not follow the rules, then the order of the entire Prince's Mansion will be affected. I will try my best to be both lenient and strict, so that they can feel the warmth of the Prince's Mansion while also understanding their responsibilities."
Princess Consort Duan nodded and said, "Alright, since that's the case, I won't interfere any further. But you must remember that servants are people too, and sometimes they need care. Don't let them feel that the Duan Prince's residence is just a cold and indifferent place."
Gu Qinlan respectfully replied, "Mother, rest assured, I will remember."
At this moment, the cooks in the kitchen all knelt down, looking at Princess Duan with gratitude. Princess Duan smiled slightly and said to them, "Get up, all of you. You've worked hard. As long as you do your best, the Duan Prince's Mansion will not treat you unfairly."
The cooks all stood up, their eyes glistening with tears of gratitude.
Gu Qinlan curtsied to Princess Duan and said in a serious tone, "Mother, it is only natural for servants to be grateful for the kindness of their masters. But today's events have made me realize that sometimes masters also need to be grateful for the efforts of their servants."
Princess Duan smiled slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes, and said, "Qinlan, you flatter me. It is the servants' duty to do their best. However, what you said about Feng Yun has surprised me somewhat."
Gu Qinlan nodded slightly and said, "That's right. Young Master Fengyun is dressed in the clothes of an ordinary person. He really doesn't look like the eldest grandson of the Duan Prince's Mansion. I had someone investigate and found that he consumes a lot of bird's nest, ginseng and other tonics every day, and the accounts are all recorded in his name."
Princess Duan's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and said, "What's wrong with that? Feng Yun has been frail and sickly since childhood, so it's only right that he eats more tonics."
Gu Qinlan frowned and said, "Mother, if I may be frank, although ginseng and bird's nest are precious, they are not suitable for a child of Fengyun's age. Moreover, from what I've observed, Fengyun seems to be somewhat malnourished."
A hint of doubt flashed in Princess Duan's eyes as she said, "Qinlan, what do you mean by that? Is it possible that the food in my Duan Prince's residence is not even enough to feed a child?"
Gu Qinlan smiled gently and said, "Mother misunderstands. I am not questioning the diet of the Prince Duan's mansion, but I think there is a problem with the diet of Young Master Fengyun. The supplements he eats every day are all highly nourishing, which may have the opposite effect on a growing child."
Gu Qinlan turned to Fuyu behind her and ordered, "Fuyu, go and bring the young master here. I want to see him myself."
Fuyu bowed slightly and replied softly, "Yes, Princess Consort." Then she turned and left.
A moment later, Fuyu carried the thin Zheng Fengyun in.
Young Master Feng Yun was dressed in a light gray cloth robe. His brows revealed intelligence, but his thin body made people feel sorry for him.
Princess Duan sat in the head seat, her gaze falling on the child's thin body, and she couldn't help but frown.
Gu Qinlan gently stroked Zheng Fengyun's head and said in a calm tone, "Fengyun, look at you, you are shorter than other children your age. Do you know that your parents are tall? Logically speaking, you should be much taller than them."
Zheng Fengyun raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion. The wet nurse and maids knelt on the ground, each one trembling with fear.
Gu Qinlan sneered and turned to Princess Duan, saying, "Mother, look at this child, he's become so thin. Where have all the ginseng and bird's nest in the manor gone?"
Princess Duan smiled slightly and said, "These are all matters of the household. Qinlan, you can look into them when you have time. However, this matter should not be publicized, as it concerns the child's reputation."
Gu Qinlan nodded, then turned to the kneeling wet nurse and maids, her tone icy: "Do you know your crime?"
The wet nurse said tremblingly, "Your Highness, please spare us! We did not embezzle any ginseng or bird's nest. Please investigate thoroughly."
The maids also begged for mercy: "Princess Consort, we are innocent!"
Gu Qinlan sneered, "You're wronging me? Then what's wrong with this child's body?"
The wet nurse lowered her head, not daring to look at Gu Qinlan again. At this moment, a maid couldn't help but cry out, "Your Highness, it's all our negligence that we didn't take good care of the young master. But the ginseng and bird's nest were definitely not embezzled. We beg Your Highness to investigate thoroughly."
Gu Qinlan's gaze swept over the crowd with piercing intensity, and she said firmly, "Since that's the case, then I will personally investigate this matter. If anyone is found to have embezzled, they will be severely punished without exception, and all will be beaten to death!"
The wet nurse turned pale with fright and immediately knelt down, begging for mercy: "Your Highness, spare me! I was wrong! I will never dare to do it again!"
Gu Qinlan looked at her coldly, her tone firm: "You secretly consumed more supplements while neglecting Young Master Fengyun. What a heinous crime that is!"
Princess Duan frowned, walked up to the wet nurse, and asked, "You said that the tonics you ate were not given to Feng Yun, so where did they go?"
The wet nurse answered tremblingly, "Your Highness, this servant...this servant has eaten all the tonics."
Princess Duan's face darkened, and she turned to Zheng Longyu: "You are the kitchen purchasing manager, do you know your crime?"
Zheng Longyu hurriedly knelt down, his voice trembling as he said, "Your Highness, please spare me! This servant only dared to do this for the benefit of the Duan Prince's Mansion."
Gu Qinlan sneered: "Interest? You took advantage of Princess Duan's trust to embezzle nearly a thousand taels of silver, is that what you call interest?"
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