But Ah Ying can come and go freely, especially when she's disguised; she's incredibly free.
Ah Ying was the person she trusted most. She was agile, meticulous, and resourceful, making her the perfect person to go out and gather information.
Since the Princess's residence was built, Rong Ning has not actually lived there for more than a few days.
The furnishings inside the mansion are mostly simple and unpretentious, without excessive luxury decorations.
The servants in the mansion were also carefully selected by the elder sister. There were not many of them, but they were all loyal and reliable.
Rong Ning was naturally fond of quiet, so she stipulated that most of her servants should wait outside the courtyard and not enter the inner courtyard unless there was a special reason.
She was very strict about the rules in the mansion, which was also to ensure her own safety and privacy.
She had lived in the North for too long, and the estate left to her by her elder sister was enormous, so the first major thing Rong Ning did after returning to Nanyang City was to start reconciling the accounts.
Before she left, her older sister advised her that while she should trust her subordinates, she shouldn't rely on them completely. She needed to conduct periodic audits to prevent them from developing undue greed.
Rong Ning used to dislike dealing with these tedious financial matters. She always felt that these things were troublesome and exhausting, and since her older sister was supporting her, it didn't matter much if she didn't do these things.
But now, the situation is completely different. Her older sister is gone, and all the burdens have fallen on her shoulders. She must face these matters herself and can no longer rely on anyone else.
Rong Ning sighed heavily. She knew this wasn't the time to complain. She had to pull herself together, continue handling the tasks at hand, and ensure she could smoothly take over all the businesses and keep them thriving.
She sat at her desk, spread out the ledgers, and began to carefully check every income and expense. Although the numbers gave her a headache, she knew it was a responsibility she had to bear. She couldn't let her older sister down, and she couldn't let these businesses fall apart in her hands.
She's still waiting to repay her older sister double in the future.
I don't know how long I sat there, but finally there was some movement outside.
"Your Highness..."
Ah Ying rushed back from outside, tearing off the suffocating disguise makeup on her face the whole way.
Although the disguise was ingenious, every time she used it, she felt as if a thick layer of mud had been stuck to her face, which was extremely uncomfortable.
"Take it easy, don't rush," Rong Ning said to me calmly as she sat at the table, as if she always had plenty of time.
Aying nodded, obediently slowed her pace, found a chair to sit down, and gulped down a mouthful of water, which made her feel a little better.
She plopped down and started pulling at her collar, trying to let some air circulate. Muttering a complaint, "Why is Nanyang City so hot this year? I went for a walk outside, and I feel like I'm being roasted alive."
"It's probably just because you just came back from the North and aren't used to the climate here yet," Rong Ning replied casually, maintaining her composure.
"Maybe so," Aying wiped the sweat from her forehead, thinking that the weather in Nanyang City was indeed very different from that in the north.
"What do you mean?" Rong Ning raised her head, staring sharply at her, her tone carrying an undeniable air of authority. "Ever since the prefect was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail, those people have started to get restless, haven't they?"
“Your Highness… there are just too many people who can’t sit still,” she answered cautiously, a hint of worry in her eyes. “It’s just that some people are particularly impatient, while others are much more discreet.”
"Those who are particularly impatient are simply those who have close ties with the prefect, and they are afraid that their crimes will be exposed one by one, thus plunging them into an abyss of no return."
Rong Ning frowned slightly, as if she was thinking about something. "As for those who are even more deeply hidden, they are probably the behind-the-scenes people who appear to be honest and upright on the surface, but in reality, they are manipulating everything behind the scenes."
Rong Ning pondered for a moment, then continued, "However, no matter how well they hide, they will eventually slip up. We just need to wait patiently, while intensifying our investigation and leaving no stone unturned. One day we will bring them all down in one fell swoop."
“Your Highness is wise,” she replied respectfully, her tone filled with admiration. “However, how should we deal with those impatient people? They might take some extreme actions out of panic, which would undoubtedly be a huge challenge for us.”
“Indeed,” Rong Ning nodded in agreement, “We need to develop a meticulous plan to deal with these potential threats. On the one hand, we need to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures; on the other hand, we also need to cleverly take advantage of their impatience to induce them to reveal more weaknesses, so that we can find their vulnerabilities more quickly.”
“Your Highness is absolutely right,” she echoed. “We can also spread some false information to confuse the public and prevent those behind the scenes from accurately judging our movements, thereby exposing more clues in their self-righteous actions.”
“Very good,” Rong Ning gave her an approving look. “Go and arrange these things immediately, and at the same time keep a close eye on those people’s movements. Remember, we must remain calm and not be influenced by their impatience. All actions must prioritize maintaining overall stability.”
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Also, keep a close watch, but don't alert them. On the way back to Nanyang City, with my elder brother and I in charge, and two thousand imperial guards protecting him, they won't dare to do anything. But it's different in Nanyang City. Their relationships are very complex, and this matter is extremely serious. The prefect could be in danger at any time."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
