The garden of the villa was full of flowers, but after the servants were invited over, none of them were in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery. These servants were far from the emperor and had no time to see their masters, so they naturally relaxed their manners.
"Fourth Brother, your clothes are exquisite, no less so than those of your masters. No wonder that person thought the twins didn't seem like masters!" Qingyan said lightly.
Upon hearing this, the servants were truly frightened. They had always been pampered and spoiled. When outsiders learned that they were working in the prince's villa, many people flattered them. The merchants from the south had given them many benefits, hoping to gain the favor of the prince's residence.
Even if they couldn't see the princes, as long as they could get connected with the royal family, they would all be more than happy to do so.
"Master, the investigation is complete!" Bayan walked in from outside, holding a black notebook in his hand, which contained all the things that the servants had done over the years.
He respectfully handed over the notebook. When Yin opened it, the cold smile on his face grew even more serious. It seemed that Father Emperor must know about what happened at this villa, otherwise, they wouldn't have rushed over so urgently.
"Little darling, take a look. You should be the one handling things in the backyard!" Yin said directly, glancing at Qingyan.
Qingyan flipped through the memorial and was horrified by the records on it. In such a remote place, far from the emperor's reach, people were indeed running wild.
"Hehe, all the rules I, as the wife, have set are gone. Instead of using the Yuelai Inn's supplies, we're using the local officials' money?" Qingyan turned to look at Yin. "Indeed, there's a saying that's true: a local official is more powerful than a distant one."
As soon as he finished speaking, the steward in charge of purchasing lowered his head and shrank his figure. There was an unwritten rule in the Fourth Master's mansion that all purchases for each villa had to be made from the Yuelai Inn.
Qingyan controlled the outflow of silver from each villa, but sure enough, there were still corrupt officials involved.
"This servant...I know I was wrong!" The purchasing manager quickly crawled out to admit his mistake. If he were to be targeted by his two masters, his days would certainly not be easy.
"Heh, what wrong have you done? We've wronged you." Qingyan sneered. "It seems the manager of Yuelai Inn is also problematic!"
Qingyan rubbed his temples. He hadn't been resting well lately and had been constantly on the road. He hadn't expected the situation in the south to be so serious.
"This servant wouldn't dare, this servant wouldn't dare!" The purchasing manager knew that many people were implicated this time, so he quickly pleaded, determined not to let anyone be implicated.
Neither Yin nor Qingyan spoke, their cold gazes fixed on the kneeling servants below the pavilion; these were the truly terrifying people.
"I wouldn't dare! How dare you be so treacherous, paying lip service while secretly defying me!" Yin's face was very ugly. "Eru, go and call the manager of the Yuelai Inn here as well!"
Yin rarely interfered in Qingyan's business, and if any issues arose, he would absolutely not tolerate it.
Qingyan, holding the teacup, simply stood there in a daze, not uttering a single word.
"Little darling, did you see that? This is a real talent!" Yin pointed to the document so she could see it clearly. With just a few words, he had managed to arrange things properly for the manager of Yuelai Inn.
"Fourth Prince, I had no idea that you had such a talented person in your villa. I am truly sorry!" Qingyan's words made the servants dare not move eastward, and the purchasing manager dared not plead for mercy anymore. They looked resigned to their fate, which made Qingyan very curious.
Yin slammed the memorial on the table and looked at the servants with their heads bowed.
“In every villa, there is a portrait of the master. The first thing every servant must do upon entering a villa is to recognize the master!” Yin said, glancing at the servants below.
The older generation of servants in the villa all followed the rules, but the servants below were different. These people gained their footing by relying on the support of those above them.
Now, an accident has occurred, and all these people will be implicated.
"Master, it was this servant who failed to follow the rules!" The steward quickly bowed his head.
Now, the servants in the villa have already formed factions, so he must try his best to preserve the power of the younger generation in the family.
Yin didn't speak, looking at the investigation data that Bayan had brought over. Among these factions, the chief steward and the purchasing chief steward were assigned according to their families, and the forces on both sides were just balanced, which was why there was no trouble at the villa.
"Should I thank you?!" Yin looked at the general outside and pressed down.
Faced with such a grave sin, the stewards all wanted to take responsibility. The twins stayed by their parents' side, watching as the people kowtowed and begged for forgiveness. Although the younger people followed along, they showed no intention of apologizing, as if they were somewhat superior. Some even had a hint of happiness in their eyes.
“Mother, why were only the stewards punished? Those who made mistakes below should also be punished. Besides, how can one person accomplish anything?” Yiken’e said directly.
As soon as the words were spoken, the servants felt a chill run down their spines. Faced with their young master, they couldn't utter a single word.
Yin was very satisfied with what Yiken said. It was a sarcastic remark, and it seemed he should think about it carefully.
"Mother, am I wrong?" Yiken'e wondered why Qingyan didn't answer.
“That’s right, Yiken, if it were you, how would you handle it?” Qingyan didn’t care what the servants below thought; he wanted to raise his own son well.
"Pfft, sending someone to investigate is a waste of time. Didn't we catch the ones who got there first?" Yiken'e looked at the maid. "An Yi, you handle it. Pry it open in the shortest time possible!"
Yiken'e had received permission from Emperor Kangxi to use his own shadow for interrogation, something he had never done before. Today marked the first time he had used it.
Yin looked at the dark figure that appeared under the pavilion and was speechless. His father was indeed biased. Yiken'e's secret identity was that of a shadow who had followed his father for many years, but he hadn't even been willing to give it to the Crown Prince.
"You brat, is that how you use it?" Yin felt that Yi Ken'e was being too overt.
"Of course, as long as it's within their own residences, letting them bask in the sun is fine!" Yiken nodded. In any case, these people had already gone through the proper channels, so even if they went too far, Kangxi would only say that they were young and ignorant.
"Fourth Brother, let him handle it!" When Qingyan was young, he often used the influence of the Ulanara clan. Fei Yanggu saw that she never softened her heart, so he didn't restrain her.
Yiken watched An Yi's actions quietly, while Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen stared wide-eyed at the seats behind him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
