Chapter 34 [VIP]
The hall became even quieter.
Everyone in the manor has heard that the eldest daughter is vying with the madam for control of the household. No one expected that the eldest daughter would so openly confront the madam in front of so many people.
Lady Ji, dressed in plain clothes, sat upright at the head of the table.
She was beautiful, and even with just a light application of makeup, her captivating charm was undeniable.
Gu Zhizhuo met her gaze.
When Ji entered the household, Gu Zhizhuo was only six years old. She had been in charge of the Duke's mansion for so long, and had gathered many loyal stewardesses under her command, controlling the inner courtyard.
During the years of mourning, her elder brother was stationed in the northern frontier with her uncle, while she was pampered and spoiled in the mansion, completely ignorant of the outside world, like a blind man with his eyes open.
In her previous life, she was struck by a series of terrible news, and she couldn't even react in time, causing her to lose the initiative step by step.
“Mother,” she said with a smile, “is it because the accounts haven’t been settled yet?”
She smiled adorably, revealing two dimples on her cheeks, her demeanor making no attempt to conceal her aggressive attitude.
“Zhuo’er,” Madam Ji beckoned to her, affectionately calling her to her side, and said gently, “It’s not that your mother doesn’t want you to manage the household, it’s just that you’ve never learned these things since you were little. You can’t even recognize all the people in the mansion, how can you get started? How about this, when I’m handling things each day, you come and listen, and it won’t be too late to take over after a while.”
Her tone remained gentle, like that of a mother genuinely concerned for her daughter. Seeing that Gu Zhizhuo remained silent, she continued, "The flower house is nice. I'll let you manage it for now, okay?"
Flowers and trees were one of the most insignificant things in the mansion; there was no profit in it, and managing them was mostly trivial matters.
Ji took her hand, patted the back of her hand gently, and said with a smile, "We have grown several Yao Huang and Zui Yang Fei succulents in our flower room this year. They are all of excellent quality. In a few days, you can take them to the palace and stand out at the Empress's flower festival!" Gu Zhizhuo was foolish and loved to show off. She liked to show off the most. Using the flower festival as bait should be able to persuade her.
"Yes, Mother."
Gu Zhizhuo knelt down in response, displaying an air of maternal love and filial piety.
The stewards breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought there would be a fierce power struggle in the mansion when the young lady came with such a big fuss to ask for the right to manage the household, but the lady had managed to appease her with just a few words.
The young lady is still too inexperienced.
With a look of satisfaction, Madam Ji said, "Granny Wan, bring me the account books for the flower and tree room."
After she finished speaking, Gu Zhizhuo reached out and took the account book that Ji was looking at.
"This is not..."
Ji was about to speak, but then held back.
Gu Zhizhu flipped through the ledgers extremely quickly, page after page, almost never pausing for more than three breaths on any one page.
This is hardly an account book review! Besides, Gu Zhizhuo has probably never even seen what an account book looks like before, right? Ji Shi's lips curved slightly as she picked up her teacup and slowly skimmed the tea foam with the lid.
Gu Zhizhuo finished flipping through the account books, slammed them shut, and sighed softly, "It seems Mother isn't very good at managing a household."
What's the meaning?
"In January, the government purchased a total of 12,000 catties of firewood and charcoal, which cost a total of 280 taels of silver."
"Last November, the government purchased 30,000 catties of firewood and charcoal, and 320 taels of silver."
“Young lady,” said Bai Chang’s wife, who was in charge of purchasing. “This winter is extremely cold, and we didn’t have enough charcoal, so we bought some more. The price of charcoal has also gone up. Sigh, these daily expenses are different every year, and prices are constantly changing. You wouldn’t know unless you’re in charge of the household.”
Gu Zhizhuo asked, "In previous years, was 30,000 catties of firewood enough to last through the winter?"
“Yes,” said Bai Chang’s wife. “So, as usual, I bought 30,000 catties of charcoal. But this winter, there have been continuous heavy snowfalls, and the charcoal I prepared was used up by mid-December. All the charcoal in the capital was sold out, so I had to buy it elsewhere, which was more expensive. It was my negligence that I failed to do the job properly and spent several hundred taels of silver more than necessary.”
"It's not your fault," Madam Ji said gently, "The weather is unpredictable, and the sudden change from warm to cold is beyond anyone's control. You've been in charge of purchasing for five years and have never made a mistake. I've seen that for you."
Bai Chang's wife wiped away her tears, deeply moved: "Thank you for your understanding, Madam."
Gu Zhizhuo interrupted their intimate conversation and said without changing his expression, "Last winter, the Duke of Anguo's mansion used a total of 31,000 catties of charcoal, the Prince of Ning's mansion used 35,000 catties of charcoal, and the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion used 28,000 catties of charcoal..."
“Our household has the fewest people, and the third branch didn’t even stay here last winter. Ha, yet we use more charcoal than any other household.”
Bai Chang's face stiffened, her eyes darting around. She swallowed hard. "Miss, we bought a bit too much this month. We haven't used up all the charcoal yet. We still need to use it regularly, you know. Charcoal doesn't spoil easily."
"Where did you put it?"
"We've taken over the estate."
"I happen to be free at the moment, why don't you take me to have a look?"
Ji interrupted her and asked, "Zhuo'er, how do you know how much charcoal the Duke of Anguo's mansion used?"
Gu Zhizhuo smiled politely and said, "If Mother doesn't believe me, let's go to the Duke of Anguo's mansion together and ask."
Lady Ji didn't say anything; she would be crazy to go to the Duke of Anguo's mansion and ask them how much charcoal they used in a year.
"Bai Chang's family, let's go! Summer is coming soon. If this 10,000-plus catties of charcoal isn't stored properly, it might spark when it gets hot, which would be bad."
Gu Zhizhuo looked at her with a smile.
Those phoenix eyes were so sharp they seemed to see right through her. Bai Changjia stammered and avoided her gaze.
"So, the charcoal is gone?" Gu Zhizhuo's voice suddenly turned sharp. "Or, there wasn't any purchase at all in January, and you embezzled the money!"
Bai Changjia shuddered and knelt down with a thud, blurting out, "Miss... I was momentarily overcome by greed, I know I was wrong."
Gu Zhizhuo sat down to the left of Ji Shi, leaning one hand on the armrest of the armchair, looking languid and relaxed.
"Just from these charcoal supplies alone, we embezzled two hundred and eighty taels of silver in one winter." She shook her head and sighed, "Can the accounts of five years of procurement still be kept in order?"
Bai Chang's wife lowered her head. She couldn't help but glance at Madam Ji and saw that the lady had a face full of anger. She wished she could slap herself.
How could I be so surprised by this young lady, recognizing her so quickly!
Ji put down her teacup, and a few drops of tea splashed onto the back of her fair hand.
Her tone held a hint of displeasure as she said, "Zhuo-jie, what do you think we should do?"
"Thirty lashes, to be sold."
Bai Chang's wife suddenly raised her head, first with a surge of annoyance, then with a series of cold laughs. "Only a few hundred taels of silver, and you want to sell yourself? This young lady is far too arrogant."
Madam Ji shook her head, unable to bear it, and said, "Zhuo'er, Bai Chang's family is certainly at fault, but as masters, we should treat people with kindness and not always resort to violence. Thirty strokes of the cane are not easy to bear." Her voice turned colder, "Besides, Bai Chang's whole family is in the manor. If you sell her, are you going to separate her and her husband, mother and child?"
"In this way, we have committed a truly unjust sin!"
"You are too violent and unpredictable; you should reflect on your actions."
As expected, the lady wanted to protect the Bai Chang family. The stewards were not surprised at all.
Bai Chang's wife looked smug. She was the lady's confidante. Even if the eldest daughter wanted to use her to establish her authority, she would have to see if the lady would agree!
“Mother is right.” Gu Zhizhuo bowed slightly, then changed the subject, “Exactly, the Taizu Emperor once executed thirty corrupt officials at the same time, the most they had embezzled was only two hundred taels of silver. Mother, do you think the Taizu Emperor was recklessly plotting murder and needs to reflect on his actions? You can say this in the mansion, but if it gets out, it will be a grave offense of disrespect!”
Ji's eyes were deep and unfathomable.
Gu Zhizhuo said slowly, "I was just saying that. Now that Mother is in charge of the household, I should listen to Mother."
Her gaze swept lightly over Bai Chang's family members and the group of stewardesses with varying expressions below. After a pause, she continued, "Whatever Mother says to do, then do it."
Ji Shi: "..."
Bai Changjia was her confidant.
The Ji family was a prominent clan in the previous dynasty, a family of officials and nobles.
However, the two emperors, Taizu and the late emperor, suppressed the Ji family from entering officialdom, and now all that is left is the phrase "scholarly family". Back then, her dowry was not much, and her maids were even less. Bai Chang's family members were not her maids, but rather people she promoted from among the servants of the Gu family.
If she can't even protect the Bai family, who in the manor will listen to her anymore? They'll all probably side with Gu Zhizhuo. In that case, she'll have completely lost this confrontation with Gu Zhizhuo.
She had to protect the Bai family; only in this way could the people in the manor not fall into disarray.
Ji gripped her sleeve and made a decision: "Zhuo'er, Bai Chang's wife has been in the mansion for so many years. Even if she hasn't made any great contributions, she has certainly worked hard. She will be punished with half a year's monthly allowance."
Bai Chang's wife felt relieved and quickly kowtowed, "This servant accepts the punishment!"
She secretly gave Gu Zhizhuo a defiant look. The eldest daughter wanted to use herself to control the madam, but who was the madam? A stepmother is still a mother. With just the issue of filial piety, the eldest daughter could only obediently listen to her.
It's just a monthly allowance every six months, it's nothing.
Madam Ji smiled and said, "As for this procurement, there are many intricacies involved. Since you are interested, I will entrust it to you in the future. Bai Chang's family can also help you."
Bai Changjia, knowing the situation well, said, "This servant will definitely teach the young lady well."
Ji nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. Bai Chang's wife, you can consider this as atonement for your sins."
"Yes, madam."
The two women's back-and-forth banter infuriated Qiongfang. To send a maid to instruct the young lady of the manor was tantamount to trampling on her dignity.
If the eldest young lady agrees, then none of these influential head maids will respect her anymore!
Qiongfang couldn't help but look at the stewards, and saw that they all had their heads down, appearing very obedient, but in reality, they were all glancing at them out of the corner of their eyes.
"Madam is truly thoughtful and considerate," a head maid flattered. "The eldest young lady should learn from her."
“There are many intricacies to purchasing; the Bai family has had a tough time all these years.”
"Yes, young lady, you don't know, things in this mansion aren't always black and white."
Qiongfang almost swore, but Qingmei gently tugged at her sleeve, telling her to be quiet.
"Granny Wan."
Ji Shi instructed Granny Wan to hand over the purchase receipts and ledgers to Gu Zhizhuo.
Gu Zhizhuo did not answer.
Ji stared at her intently, without saying a word.
In terms of filial piety, I am her mother.
He simply pretended not to understand her implied meaning. What could she do? Accuse him of disrespect? No, she wouldn't. Such a charge would implicate the entire household.
Ji was calm and composed; this time, she was determined to suppress Gu Zhizhuo's arrogance!
She wanted everyone to see who was in charge in this Duke Zhenguo's mansion!
“I’ll listen to my mother. But…” Gu Zhizhuo glanced at the kneeling Granny Bai and said, seemingly serious but actually feigning, “If she takes this beating today and obediently follows the matchmaker, Bai Chang’s wife might still be able to save her life. Otherwise…”
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and spoke slowly, but every word was enough to make people tremble with fear: "I have a calculation, and you will definitely beat her to death within five days."
"Zhuo'er!" Madam Ji frowned and scolded, "You are a proper young lady, yet you talk nonsense all day long. What kind of behavior is this!"
“Mother, you don’t believe me? Let me tell your fortune.” Gu Zhizhuo took out a compass from her sleeve and casually fiddled with it. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Oh dear!” She looked up at Madam Ji’s face, then looked down at the compass, pretended to do some calculations, and then slowly shook her head.
Ji scoffed, but she still felt uneasy under her gaze.
"Mother, you are so sinful. Something terrible is about to happen!"
"presumptuous!"
Ji slammed his hand on the tea table, causing the teacup to shake and the amber-colored tea to splash out.
She could no longer maintain her flawless smile and said angrily, "Gu Zhizhuo, you've completely lost your manners!"
Gu Zhizhuo gracefully smoothed his sleeves and calmly said, "My divination is never wrong. By the way, Mother, do you have a twin sister?"
Ji's pupils contracted sharply, unable to control the slightest changes in her expression.
"The divination indicates that your retribution is coming soon; perhaps it will be that your children will have to pay for your mother's debts."
"Enough!" Madam Ji roared angrily. "Guards, take the eldest daughter back to Lingxiao Courtyard and let her reflect on her actions." This meant confining her to her quarters.
"You are not allowed to leave the house again without my permission!"
"You are unfilial and speak arrogantly..."
"Madam! Madam."
A young maid rushed in, interrupting her. The maid's face was full of panic: "Fourth...Fourth Young Master...he was hit by a carriage."
What!
Ji suddenly stood up, and she subconsciously looked at Gu Zhizhuo, her lips half-open and half-closed.
The stewards in the hall were all stunned.
Seeing this, Granny Wan asked on her behalf, "What's wrong with the Fourth Young Master?"
The maid was so anxious she was almost crying, and she said incoherently, "The fourth young master tried to sneak out through the back door, but the old woman didn't dare to stop him. As a result, he was hit by a vegetable delivery cart as soon as he went out, and his head was bleeding a lot."
Gu Zhizhuo sighed softly, "The son pays for the mother's debts."
Ji Shi got goosebumps. Without thinking, she lifted her skirt and rushed outside. Behind her was Gu Zhizhuo's smiling voice: "Mother, take care. I'm going to stay home."
Ji paused for a moment, but didn't turn around.
Gu Zhizhu watched her walk away, then stood up and said, "Everyone, you may all leave now."
From beginning to end, Gu Zhizhuo did not take the purchase ledger handed to her. Only when passing by Bai Chang's house did she turn her head and glance at her, looking down at her.
The stewards were filled with astonishment and uncertainty, and for a moment, they were incredibly silent.
As they left Duanfu Hall, Qingmei skipped along, asking, "Miss, how do you know how much charcoal the Duke of Anguo's mansion used?"
Gu Zhizhuo's clear eyes shone brightly in the sunlight.
"Oh, I was just kidding."
ah? !
"They won't ask anyway."
Gu Zhizhuo only remembered that during the coldest winter of that year, the young master's mansion did not need 30,000 catties of charcoal.
She still remembered that in her previous life, Bai Chang's family had probably tasted the benefits, and in early August, when the price of charcoal was at its lowest, she purchased a large amount of charcoal.
Like most mansions of high-ranking families, the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion had an alley behind it, where the servants of the Zhenguo Duke's family lived. Bai Chang's family had piled up tens of thousands of kilograms of charcoal in a small courtyard in this alley. Then one day, a fire suddenly broke out. The charcoal burned so fiercely that it instantly burned down half of the entire back alley, killing hundreds of people, all of whom were burned alive.
Qingmei blinked and couldn't help but ask again, "What about the Fourth Young Master?" Just now, the eldest young lady seemed to have deliberately led him to slip out of the inner courtyard.
"His forehead is dark; he's going to have a lot of bad luck in the next few days."
Since it wouldn't cost him his life anyway, Gu Zhizhuo didn't stop him from getting into trouble, but he deserved a lesson.
"Will Madam really kill Bai Chang's family member in five days?"
Gu Zhizhuo nodded firmly and said only one sentence: "Yes."
She raised her chin proudly and said, "My fortune telling is never wrong!"
"……elder sister……"
A small figure rushed out of Lingxiao Courtyard, giggling, and grabbed Gu Zhizhuo's legs.
Gu Zhizhu bent down and picked her up, his expression softening instantly: "Aman, did you come to play with your older sister?"
"bird."
Ah Man uttered each word one by one.
Her speech was still quite awkward, and most of the time she couldn't even string together a sentence, but compared to before when she couldn't even make a sound, both Gu Liaoliao and the Grand Madam were very satisfied.
Gu Liaoliao treated her as if she were learning to speak from scratch, and patiently taught her slowly.
Fangniang said from the side, "Siss Miss wanted to see birds, so Eldest Aunt had me bring them."
Aman now takes Gu Liaoliao's surname and follows the Gu family's generational naming convention. Gu Zhizhuo has decided that everyone in the mansion should call her Fourth Miss.
"Alright, let's go see the birds."
The bird is currently being kept by Gu Zhizhuo. Its wings haven't fully recovered yet, so it's like a free-range chicken. Whenever it sees Aman, it flutters towards her, barely landing on her shoulder. It proudly shakes its wings and pecks at its claws.
"bird!"
Ah Man laughed heartily, her chubby cheeks revealing tiny dimples.
Xuezhong brought sunflower seeds and pine nuts, filled two plates, and Aman sat obediently to peel them for the bird.
This bird, fattened up by the snow, had quite a temper. Its two black, beady eyes were fixed on the sunflower seeds in the plate. If you were a little slow in peeling them, it would peck at Aman's little hand and urge you on, "Chirp!"
Ah Man grinned and said, "Birds! Birds to eat!"
One is willing to hit, and the other is willing to be hit.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't care and let her stay there to play, with Fangniang and Xuezhong keeping her company, while she went to tidy up the small study.
A new medicine cabinet has been moved into the small study. She had it specially made and it was only made and moved in yesterday afternoon.
It stands alongside the existing bookshelf, and Gu Zhizhu specifically requested that the same wood be used, so it doesn't look out of place, although the small study feels a bit cramped. There's nothing that can be done about it.
Gu Zhizhuo asked Qingmei to bring all the medicinal herbs he had stockpiled, and he personally sorted and arranged them one by one. A faint medicinal fragrance filled the study, and just smelling it made one feel comfortable all over.
"Girl, where should I put this book?"
Gu Zhizhuo glanced at it and realized that he had found it in a study when he left earlier.
She flipped through a few pages; it covered events from the end of the previous dynasty to the ascension of Emperor Taizu. Unlike the official records, it read more like unofficial history. For example, it stated that when Emperor Taizu was young, he fled to a Taoist temple to avoid being conscripted. That day, the vanished imperial star suddenly shone brightly, and Emperor Taizu's personality changed drastically, as if possessed by a god… Gu Zhizhuo found it interesting and bought it.
She said, "Let's put it in the third compartment." This compartment contained some books she planned to read recently.
After tidying it up, Gu Zhizhuo was satisfied.
She looked around the small study and pointed to the display shelf, saying, "Move away those vases and such."
Move away?
“This spot is perfect for a small alchemy furnace! And next to it, I plan to get a box specifically for storing cinnabar and yellow paper.” She pointed to a vase on the display shelf, “and this is a good place to put a gourd.”
"Let's put away the plum blossom painting on the wall. This location is good; I'm going to hang a Bagua mirror here."
"And here, I don't need the zither anymore... Let me think of what to put it in."
Qingmei stared blankly, realizing that her daughter's study was becoming less and less like a girl's room.
Gu Zhizhuo touched his lips with his finger, his eyes vacant: "There are quite a few things to buy."
I wonder if I could ask my junior brother to get her things like alchemy furnaces and Bagua mirrors.
Let's take our time cleaning up!
Gu Zhizhuo wasn't in a hurry. She asked Qiongfang to bring Aman over, and then rummaged through the third shelf of the medicine cabinet, finding two small boxes.
The box of rose-red sachets is for Aman. She just noticed that the scent of Aman's sachet has faded considerably, so she'll change it for Aman later. Her illness was caused by fright, so she needs to recover slowly. She's been using incense a lot these past few years.
There's also a purple one...
"Qingmei, could you run this for me?" She handed the purple box to Qingmei. "Go to the main courtyard and add the incense powder inside to the madam's incense burner. Just a fingernail-sized amount will do."
While she was preparing incense for Ah Man, she casually picked up some trinkets and collected quite a few on her hands.
There were some things she never understood, especially in her previous life: were Ji Shi and Gu Yan lucky enough to become recipients of royal favor, or did Ji Shi betray the Gu family?
It was like a thorn, stuck deep in her heart.
To understand this, we must first find a clue in the Ji family.
It was only much later that she learned that Ji Shi had a twin sister who died before Ji Shi got married. The Ji family never revealed a single detail about this. It was later, during a Ghost Festival, that she accidentally saw Ji Shi and Granny Wan secretly go to Taiqing Temple. Ji Shi said that she was being pestered by her dead twin sister and wanted to ask for some talismans.
Qingmei took it and happily went out the door.
As secret guards trained by the Eastern Depot, this little matter is really nothing.
She climbed over the wall, pried open the window, and quickly accomplished what Gu Zhizhuo had instructed. Listening to the footsteps outside, Qingmei left silently.
Before long, surrounded by a group of maids and nannies, Madam Ji pushed open the door and entered the room. Her face no longer had its usual elegant and gentle appearance; instead, it appeared somewhat gloomy.
She sat down on the chaise longue, wearily rubbing her forehead.
The head maid lit the incense burner in the corner of the room, walked behind her, and carefully massaged her temples.
Granny Wan gently comforted him, "Madam, don't worry. The doctor said that the Fourth Young Master only bumped his head and is fine. Why don't you talk to the Grand Madam and bring the Fourth Young Master back to be cared for for a few days?"
Ji remained silent.
The fragrance of incense wafted around her nose.
After Yan'er was flogged, she had already begged the Grand Madam to let Yan'er recover from her injuries before moving, but the Grand Madam did not agree.
Not only did he not respond, he also scolded her.
Over the years, she had been dutiful and obedient, thinking she had figured out the old lady's temper perfectly. Who would have thought that this old woman would show no mercy this time? Little did she know that the Lady of Jing'an had taken Aman away to drown her; it was only natural for her grandmother to come and pick up her granddaughter. How could she take her anger out on Yan'er? Yan'er was not even six years old; what did he know!
The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became, unable to suppress her anger: "Gu Baibai has already spoken, the Grand Madam will not agree."
"They are the real family. As for me, the daughter-in-law, I'll always be an outsider!"
"His legs are broken, he's barely alive, and he still won't stay still!"
“Madam, don’t you think the eldest daughter seems to have changed a lot?” Granny Wan said hesitantly. “She used to listen to you, but now she’s frighteningly domineering.”
They also said some nonsensical things.
Ji listened to this in her heart, but said nothing, only feeling waves of drowsiness wash over her.
Granny Wan noticed this and said no more.
She gestured to the head maid who was massaging Ji's temples to be gentler, and soon Ji fell into a deep sleep. The maids quietly withdrew, leaving only Granny Wan standing to the side.
Granny Wan covered Ji Shi with a thin blanket and suddenly noticed that Ji Shi's fingers were twitching incessantly, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Ji Shi did not sleep well.
Her body felt very heavy. When she suddenly opened her eyes, she found herself standing in front of a small two-courtyard house. She was very familiar with this house; it was her maternal home.
Meow!
A sharp meow came from nowhere, a chilling howl that nearly made her jump.
She walked uncontrollably to the courtyard gate and slowly placed her slender hand on it.
Before she could push it, the door opened naturally, and a beautiful young woman stood behind it. At that moment, she seemed to see herself; it was a face exactly like hers.
She smiled at her: "You're back..."
A small drop of blood suddenly trickled down the girl's forehead. A patch of her head was flattened, and blood kept flowing down her face. In an instant, her beautiful face was a bloody mess.
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
