As names were called out one after another, people's faces lit up with surprise.
But in the end, not a single kitchen worker's name was mentioned.
There weren't any old women either...
Ye Shan closed the roster and said, "All of you managers, come with me later. I'll arrange your places. From now on, manage your subordinates well. If anyone is lazy, just report them and they'll be fired."
"Those who aren't in charge, reflect on how much work you've done and how much laziness you've shirked. If you're not satisfied, you can leave now!"
Having said all that, even those who were dissatisfied suppressed their feelings.
But Granny Gao and the others couldn't stand it and stepped forward to ask, "Your Highness, don't we have a manager in our kitchen?"
"How much work is going on in your kitchen these days? Do you still need someone to manage it?" Su Wenyuan asked with a smile.
That smile was incredibly sarcastic. With so many people in the kitchen, all they give Sheng Jingyu every day is a few plates of vegetable scraps. How much more money do they expect for a month?
Granny Gao said indignantly, "I've been in charge of the kitchen for so many years, so my pay should go up this month."
Su Wenyuan said calmly, "You're not the only one who's worked in the manor for many years. Whether you get a raise or not depends entirely on me. Like I said before, if you're not satisfied, you can leave!"
The words I said to others before, I can now say to her as well.
Granny Gao realized that Su Wenyuan was trying to force them to leave, so there was no way she would leave.
She put her hands on her hips and said, "We were sent by Consort Yu, why should we leave?"
“Yes, you were sent by Consort Yu, and the monthly salary was also set by Consort Yu. Why should I get a raise?” Su Wenyuan said in a matter-of-fact manner.
Many people were suppressing their laughter, as they had long harbored resentment towards those women.
She always talks about Consort Yu; if she's so capable, she should come up here and give her a raise.
The Princess Consort is already in charge of the household, yet they still keep calling her "Consort Yu," they really can't see the situation clearly.
Not far away, Meng Qi put down the chicken leg in his hand and looked nervously at Sheng Jingyu.
Isn't it impolite of them to keep mentioning Consort Yu? Won't the Prince be unhappy?
Meng Qi is now very afraid that Sheng Jingyu will kill Su Wenyuan. This princess is quite nice.
Sheng Jingyu noticed his gaze and asked softly, "Is the Princess Consort formidable?"
"Amazing!" Meng Qi's eyes held a hint of admiration.
The chaos in the manor had been going on for quite some time, and it was quite remarkable that the Princess Consort was able to sort things out so quickly and establish future rules.
Moreover, she ensured fairness, and those who were diligent in the household all received a raise in their monthly wages.
This left the people in the kitchen with no way to complain.
Sheng Jingyu then asked, "Is she very smart?"
Meng Qi nodded and said, "Yes!"
"Why don't you learn something? All you do is eat! You've been eating the same few chicken legs for days!" Sheng Jingyu looked at him with exasperation.
He was sent to Su Wenyuan's side, but he didn't learn anything good; all he learned was how to eat.
Meng Qi put down the chicken leg with a wronged expression.
On the other side, Granny Gao couldn't utter a word of rebuttal. For the first time, she realized that having Consort Yu as a backer was not a good thing.
She understood Su Wenyuan's intention; wasn't she just trying to kick her out?
Don't even think about it!
"Alright, if the Princess Consort isn't willing to give us a raise, then we still have to serve her wholeheartedly, right? We can't let down Consort Yu; we're not the kind of heartless people!"
Granny Gao picked up the money bag, turned around and walked out of Zhuyue Pavilion.
Several old women followed her resolutely, while the rest hesitated for a moment.
But in the end, she still went with Granny Gao.
The monthly allowance is nothing compared to the real benefits you can get from keeping money in the kitchen.
Regardless, the princess still couldn't work in the kitchen, so their choice to follow Granny Gao was definitely the right one.
Su Wenyuan smiled but didn't say anything.
Ye Shan and Yue Xiu arranged the remaining servants, assigning each person a specific area and the steward a specific area, all of which Su Wenyuan had already planned out.
She didn't stay idle either; she got up and went to the ancestral hall, where she lit three incense sticks.
"I have no intention of disrespecting Your Majesty, but these people are not what they used to be. They can't be driven away without some means. I apologize for the offense..."
She talked on and on for a long time, completely unaware of Sheng Jingyu behind her.
Sheng Jingyu didn't disturb her and listened quietly.
After Su Wenyuan finished offering incense and stood up, she turned her head and exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
"Your Highness, when did you arrive? Say something! You scared me to death!" Su Wenyuan looked around and, not seeing anyone serving him, quickly stepped forward to support him.
Sheng Jingyu said, "No need to help me. I gave the order back then that all the extra things in the ancestral hall should be taken out."
Su Wenyuan had already discovered that the places Sheng Jingyu frequented were basically empty.
This way, he can walk forward with peace of mind and without worrying about bumping into things.
Su Wenyuan couldn't help but sigh. Sheng Jingyu used to be a spirited prince, but now he had to use rage to cover up his inferiority complex.
Sheng Jingyu frowned upon hearing the sigh.
That look of pity and regret appeared once again!
"Why is the Princess sighing?" Sheng Jingyu asked, puzzled, feeling that Su Wenyuan had some misunderstanding about him.
Su Wenyuan hurriedly explained, "I'm tired."
She dared not tell the truth; what if she hurt his pride?
Sheng Jingyu never imagined that such a tyrannical prince like himself would be seen as a pitiful figure in Su Wenyuan's eyes.
Over in the kitchen, they started arguing after the money was distributed.
The monthly allowance was all in Granny Gao's hands. She had a long face and only gave each person five coins.
Originally, all the servants in the mansion received eight coins, and the kitchen staff were no exception. However, Granny Gao would take a cut, and once she received the kitchen staff's operating funds, she would give them a little extra as she pleased.
Those who fawn over Granny Gao can sometimes receive three to five taels of silver.
Even those who aren't good at saying nice things can still get three or five coins, and in the end, it doesn't add up to less than the monthly allowance from the government.
Only a very few, those who are incapable of flattery and lack tact, can receive five coins.
This is how it is every month, but this month, these people quit.
Those in the other courtyards who were promoted to stewards could receive two taels of silver, while those who weren't promoted could still receive eight qian. They chose to follow Granny Gao, but could only receive five qian, and the rest depended on humbly begging.
They were afraid that if Granny Gao became unhappy, they wouldn't receive their original monthly allowance.
Once people understand these things, most of them start to feel unbalanced.
They could tolerate it before, since the food in the kitchen was good, but now the people outside are eating even better than them. The only advantage is gone, so who would want to stay with Granny Gao?
And who knows, even if they don't go into the kitchen, they might still be able to become managers and earn two taels a month.
"Mrs. Gao, how about we give you more this month?"
"That's right, everyone else can get two taels, and we only have five qian, what can we do with that?"
“We’ve always followed you. The princess was so generous, and we didn’t even offer anything, yet you gave us what we deserved. We’ll still follow you.”
Granny Gao glared at them and scolded, "Are you all going to rebel? How much have I ever given you? Look at you all, so short-sighted! You're making a laughingstock of yourselves!"
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