"Amazing!" Xu Yixing gave her a thumbs-up, unable to find a single word to express his admiration. "So, your businesses have also slowly expanded to this scale over the past eight years, right?"
"Indeed."
Xu Yixing was excited at first. After all, she knew the difference between having money and having no money. But after the excitement wore off, she suddenly shuddered for no apparent reason.
Seeing this, Lu Anyuan was a little worried: "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? Xiaoshe, go and call Mr. Yao over!"
"No need!" Xu Yixing stopped Xiaoshe. This wasn't an illness, it was clearly fear. After sending everyone away, she looked at Lu Anyuan worriedly, not knowing how to start.
"Doesn't the scope of your business cover all industries and fields in the entire Qinnan? Does the emperor know?"
"Of course I don't know."
"If the emperor ever discovered that you had such a deep control over Qinnan, would he think you had ulterior motives?"
"Maybe. But there's nothing to worry about. My fifth brother is very thorough. There haven't been any problems with the accounts over the years. No matter how hard they try, none of these assets can be traced back to me."
"What if the Fifth Prince uses this as a threat one day?"
Lu Anyuan smiled, puzzled by Xu Yixing's worry. "No, you have to understand that if I asked him to help me, there must be a reason why he had to help me. Just put your mind at ease, nothing will happen."
"Okay... Then you should put these things away and hide them well so no one finds them."
"Hahaha, since I took it out, I naturally give it to you for safekeeping. Now that you are the prince's consort, I'll trouble you to take care of all the matters at home and outside!"
Lu Anyuan spoke respectfully, and Xu Yixing understood that this meant that he was handing the power of stewardship directly to him.
This really made her a little nervous. She had never been in charge of these mundane affairs independently. Even in the Sun Mansion, with three levels of parents-in-law above her and countless second, third, and fourth wives in between, she had never truly been in power.
"Well, then I'll try." Xu Yixing looked at the calf-high cabinet, and his first reaction was to sort it out by category. It was really laborious!
"But you don't have to be too anxious. These things can be done every day anyway. Don't push yourself too hard." Lu Anyuan's eyes were filled with a hint of guilt and heartache. He was a bit reckless last night, and he didn't know how Yixing felt now.
"I understand. Since you trust me, I will arrange these things myself."
"Okay, now do you want me to take you to meet the people in our house?"
"Well..." Actually, Xu Yixing didn't want to see him now. The personnel composition in the prince's mansion was very complicated, at least much more complicated than his own mansion.
For example, there are ordinary maids and servants, as well as palace soldiers responsible for guarding the prince's mansion, shadow guards and secret guards like A Da and A Er, and the private soldiers that Lu Anyuan once mentioned, plus those rewarded by the emperor, brothers, or elders. It's really a headache.
Fortunately, there are no concubines, which reduces Xu Yixing's workload.
"It doesn't matter whether we meet sooner or later... Ask Siqin to come in, bring out the roster, and bring the copper coins I've prepared."
"Copper coins?" Lu Anyuan was stunned, then gently took Xu Yixing's hand: "How can I spend your money on rewards? It's better to let the accountant pay for it and count it as a business trip."
"Why? Don't you allow me to win people's hearts?" Xu Yixing squinted her eyes with an arrogant look on her face. She had wanted to use this trick in the Sun Mansion, but unfortunately she gave up because it was too high-profile. Of course she had to use it now.
"No, no, Madam, you can win me over however you want."
"This box of yours belongs to me now?" Xu Yixing knocked on the wooden box under his feet. "I see there are a lot of jewelry in it. Is there anything taboo?" Xu Yixing felt so distressed when he saw that many of the things inside had marks due to improper storage.
"There's nothing to worry about. Those that need to be stored properly are in the warehouse. You can go and have a look when you have time. These are all collected by me or given by others. There is no reward."
"Okay, then build me a big cabinet to store these jewels."
When they arrived outside the courtyard, the weather was exceptionally good today. Lu Anyuan had someone bring out a large stool, and the two of them sat at the door of the main hall and began today's roll call activity.
"The first group is the palace soldiers. They take turns to come and see me, and will be on duty later." Lu Anyuan explained to Xu Yixing.
Xu Yixing nodded, signaling Siqin that she could start calling the roll.
"Fu Da, He Xiao, Liu Mengcun, Shi Yan..."
They called one by one, and each group of eight people came to pay their respects to the new concubine.
Xu Yixing did nothing but sit quietly beside Lu Anyuan, his back straight, holding a fan in both hands, and fanning himself from time to time. He looked more majestic and dignified.
Every time she met a group of people, she would nod slightly and then signal Ada at the bottom of the stairs to give each person a hundred coins. This amount of money was of course nothing in front of those well-known people, but as a reward from the new concubine, everyone was still very grateful.
It was not until the sun moved westward that Xu Yixing felt that he could no longer distinguish the differences between different people, and the line outside the yard gradually came to an end.
"This group is the people around the Seventh Prince, and they serve in the main hall." Si Hua gave a final explanation. Si Qin's throat was already hoarse from exhaustion, so he retreated to do the writing work.
"Xiaoshe, Xiaoshi, Xiaole, Xiaoshan, Ada, Aer, and the servants Sihua and Siqin."
Huh? This name sounds like it could represent something like "loving charity and doing good things," so why does it have a small building in it?
"Well, you've worked hard. After you collect your money, go and have a rest. Xiaole and Xiaoshan will take over."
Xu Yixing shifted her stiff body and stood up with difficulty. Lu Anyuan had always been by her side, shielding her from the sun from time to time, without saying a single extra word.
The two of them entered the main hall together. Lu Anyuan grinned and stepped forward to rub Xu Yixing's waist. However, this action brought them very close. Xiaole and Xiaoshan, who had followed in, were at a loss as to what to do because it was their first time encountering such a scene.
"You have 324 people in your family. It's hard to imagine that these 300+ people only serve you. You must be living such a comfortable life."
"Hey, now you're serving us two. How about we indulge in extravagance and debauchery together from now on?"
"Hahahahahaha!" Xu Yixing covered his stomach, thinking that Lu Anyuan was quite good at telling jokes.
"By the way, I want to ask, aren't these four maids in your room supposed to be 'kind and generous'? Why can't they get together?"
"Oh, Xiaohao passed away a few years ago, so Xiaoshe took over and didn't change the name."
"I think the name of your house is quite interesting."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
