Chapter 2 The Second Day of the Wedding
Hearing Ye Xunyang's breathing become long and steady beside him, and confirming that he was fast asleep, Lou Jin slowly opened his eyes.
He turned his head and, using the faint moonlight filtering in from the window, examined Ye Xunyang's profile.
The young man had distinct features and striking eyes; even in his sleep, he exuded an untamed vitality.
However, what made Lou Jin uneasy was not Ye Xunyang's appearance, but the sensation in his body.
Since he was poisoned three years ago, the excruciating pain has been a constant companion, relentless day and night. The imperial physicians were helpless, and even the Grand Preceptor's elixirs could only barely suppress the pain, making him feel better during the day.
However, the pain often intensifies in the dead of night, making it difficult for him to sleep.
But tonight, ever since he got close to Ye Xunyang, the excruciating pain that had plagued him for years slowly receded like a tide. Although it did not completely disappear, it lessened to a level that was almost negligible.
His body felt a long-lost sense of comfort.
Could it be... that it really has something to do with this Ye Xunyang?
Lou Jin's eyes were deep and dark.
He originally planned to deceive the people in the palace and leave after Ye Xunyang fell asleep.
Now... this is truly a huge surprise.
Being able to sleep soundly without being awakened by excruciating pain was something he had longed for for a long time, given his suffering.
After a moment's hesitation, Lou Jin lay back down and closed his eyes.
A long-lost feeling of drowsiness swept over him, and he actually fell into a deep sleep, without any dreams all night.
The next morning, as dawn broke.
Lou Jin was the first to wake up; his long-standing habit had kept him alert even in his sleep.
He tried to move, but felt a heavy weight on his body.
Looking down, he saw a strong, long leg draped unceremoniously around his waist; it belonged to Ye Xunyang, who was sleeping sprawled out beside him.
Lou Jin: "..."
He looked at Ye Xunyang's unrestrained sleeping posture, which almost occupied most of the bed, and his very prominent leg, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
This young master Ye has an exceptionally bad sleeping posture.
Lou Jin gently moved the leg away, got up from the bed, and moved nimbly without disturbing the person on the bed.
He stood by the bed, taking one last look at Ye Xunyang, whose cheeks were slightly flushed from sleep, his expression complex.
Was Ye Xunyang's relief unintentional, or was he arranged by someone with ulterior motives?
Lou Jin left the new house quietly, just as he had come, without disturbing anyone.
When Ye Xunyang woke up, there was no one beside him, and the bedding was cold, as if last night was just a dream.
Only the faint, lingering scent of medicine in the air reminded him that his nominal husband had indeed existed.
He rubbed his eyes, somewhat annoyed that he had slept so soundly.
After getting up and washing up, a maid respectfully brought breakfast, which was exquisite and delicious, but Lou Jin was nowhere to be seen.
Even after he finished breakfast and wandered around the courtyard several times, he still didn't see His Highness King Jin.
Ye Xunyang thought to himself that he needed to find an opportunity to discuss things clearly with Lou Jin. What was going on with not being able to see him all the time?
He was just about to ask someone where the prince had gone when the steward found him first, holding a large bunch of keys and several thick ledgers.
"Your Highness."
The butler bowed deeply, his attitude seemingly even more respectful than yesterday, which startled Ye Xunyang.
"His Highness has decreed that from this day forward, all internal affairs and expenses of the manor shall be managed by the Princess. These are the keys to the treasury and the account books; please take a look."
Ye Xunyang was stunned: "Leave it to me? The management of the household?"
He pointed to his own nose, incredulous.
He's fine with wielding swords and spears, but managing the internal affairs of the royal palace? What was King Jin thinking?
"That's what the prince instructed."
"The prince said that now that the princess has entered the mansion, she is the mistress of the mansion and it is only right that you take charge of the household affairs."
Ye Xunyang thought to himself: This prince is sickly and carefree, but he's not afraid that I'll squander his fortune.
If I don't agree, what if he tells the Emperor and gets him punished? Oh well, I should just agree. At worst, I can just pay compensation, and that will save outsiders from gossip.
"Alright."
Ye Xunyang readily accepted the heavy keys and ledgers.
"Since Your Highness trusts me, I will take charge for the time being. If there is anything I don't understand, I will have to ask the steward."
The steward quickly replied, "This old servant will do his utmost to assist the Princess."
Ye Xunyang casually put the ledger on the table, picked up the keychain and weighed it in his hand, the metal making a crisp sound as it clashed.
"Steward, how much income does the manor receive each month? Where are the main expenses? What is the general situation of the warehouse? Please give me a general overview."
The steward was somewhat shocked, not expecting that Ye Xunyang would actually know these things. He thought it was just a showy display of martial arts skills, but he still reported it seriously, after all, those who could enter the Jinwang Mansion were not useless.
"Your Highness, the main sources of income for the Prince's residence each month are the produce from the three imperial estates in the suburbs of the capital, the rent from the four shops in the city, and the Prince's salary as a prince. On the expenditure side, the largest expense is the monthly allowance for the nearly one hundred people in the residence, followed by the Prince's daily medicine and tonics, and then the maintenance and repair of the residence..."
Ye Xunyang listened attentively. Although he couldn't understand the formal accounts, he had grown up in the General's Mansion since childhood and was not completely ignorant about housekeeping and management. He used to be a carefree young master, but now he had to take charge himself, which made him feel a little guilty.
He seized on the key point and asked, "Is Your Highness's medical expense so enormous? Is it all supplied by the Imperial Hospital, or does the Prince's residence purchase it on its own?"
"Your Highness, the Imperial Pharmacy supplies a portion, but some rare medicinal herbs need to be sourced by the household itself."
Ye Xunyang nodded, having a plan in mind.
He opened the latest ledger and looked at the densely packed tiny characters and complicated income and expenditure entries, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Following his own habits, he drew several large squares, marking each item of income, expenditure, and inventory.
“Come on, you read out the numbers, and I’ll fill them in.” Ye Xunyang rolled up his sleeves, his posture not like he was doing accounts, but more like he was deploying troops in front of a sand table.
Meanwhile, inside the Prince's study.
Lou Jin was listening to the report from the secret guards.
"After taking over the account books, the princess did not look through them carefully. Instead, she asked the steward about the general situation and what he had written on the blank paper. She has now ordered the steward to organize the medication receipts and plans to take inventory of the storeroom this afternoon."
Lou Jin sat behind his desk, his knuckles lightly tapping the tabletop, a hint of surprise and amusement flashing in his eyes.
This is definitely not something a brute who only knows martial arts could do.
"Did he show any impatience or annoyance?" Lou Jin asked.
"Your Highness, no. The Princess Consort seems... quite interested, and is very focused on handling it."
"Interested?" Lou Jin raised an eyebrow slightly.
How could someone be interested in something like this?
This Ye Xunyang is indeed interesting.
Originally, he had multiple considerations in handing over the management of the household affairs to Ye Xunyang.
First, it was a test to see if Ye Xunyang would reveal his true colors or take this opportunity to plant people and make some extra money.
Secondly, we should go with the flow. Since keeping Ye Xunyang by his side is somewhat beneficial to him, we might as well find him something to do so that he can stay in the mansion with peace of mind.
San also harbored a subtle sense of indulgence, wanting to see how many surprises he could bring him.
In retrospect, Ye Xunyang's reaction to this first step was beyond his expectations.
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