By the time the sky had darkened, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao had returned to the wang fu.
The moment they stepped down from the carriage, a young eunuch hurried over to Lin Shuping and whispered something in his ear.
Lin Shuping’s expression changed slightly. He then quietly relayed the message to Liu Zhao.
Without showing any reaction, Liu Zhao merely nodded. Then he turned to Gu Jiu. “You go back to your quarters first. I need to go out.”
Concerned, Gu Jiu asked, “You’ve been drinking. Can your body handle it?”
Liu Zhao replied expressionlessly, “It’s nothing. I may return very late tonight. Don’t wait up for me. I’ll rest in the study.”
Gu Jiu said, “I’ll leave the door open for you, no matter how late it is.”
In front of others, Gu Jiu always gave Liu Zhao enough face.
As expected, he was pleased. The hard shell around his heart suddenly softened.
Without caring whether anyone was watching, he grabbed her hand and refused to let her pull away.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Wait for me tonight. I’ll try to come back early.”
Gu Jiu suddenly felt as though she had dug a pit for herself.
Forcing herself to continue, she said, “Then make sure you return early.”
Liu Zhao nodded heavily before releasing her hand. Then he left the manor with his attendants.
Gu Jiu steadied herself and headed toward the eastern courtyard with her maids and servants.
As soon as she entered the main courtyard, Xiao Cui, who had remained behind at the manor, delivered a shocking piece of news.
“Wu meiren died suddenly? Is that true?”
Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly. “It’s absolutely true, furen. Nubi even went to look. Wu meiren is truly gone.”
A chill ran through Gu Jiu’s heart.
She would stake her own head on it: Wu meiren‘s health had not been poor enough for sudden death.
She was young and appeared physically healthy. She had merely suffered a miscarriage, and Hu taiyi had already examined and treated her.
No matter how one looked at it, there was no reason for Wu meiren to suddenly die.
Unless it had been arranged by human hands.
Someone wanted Wu meiren dead. Therefore, she had to die.
Within the wang fu, there were only two people capable of accomplishing such a thing: The wangfei or Ning wang himself.
“Has her body already been prepared for burial?” Gu Jiu asked.
Xiao Cui nodded. “She’s already been placed in a coffin. Since it was a sudden death, they’ll send her to the mortuary before nightfall.”
Gu Jiu rubbed her forehead. The cruelty of life within the wang fu was plain to see.
Last night, Wu meiren had still been smiling and radiant. Today, she had been declared dead.
What exactly had she done that warranted death?
Was the wangfei‘s suspicion correct? Had Wu meiren truly been unfaithful?
But judging from Ning wang‘s expression the previous night, he hadn’t seemed to suspect her chastity.
Then where exactly was the problem?
Gu Jiu asked, “Did wangfei niangniang say anything?”
Xiao Cui thought for a moment.
“Nubi didn’t see wangfei niangniang personally, only Qin mama. Qin mama conveyed orders that Wu meiren should be buried as soon as possible and that her residence should be thoroughly cleaned. She also imposed a gag order forbidding anyone in the fu from discussing Wu meiren.”
So that was how it was.
Gu Jiu continued, “Has wangye returned? Did he say anything?”
“Wangye returned shortly after noon. After hearing that Wu meiren had died suddenly, he merely ordered that her funeral arrangements be handled properly.”
Gu Jiu’s heart grew colder. The ruthlessness of the imperial family was on full display.
Fang mama quietly remarked, “I wonder whether it was wangye or wangfei who gave the order that led to Wu meiren‘s death.”
Gu Jiu said, “It was naturally wangye.”
Fang mama looked puzzled. “Why is furen so certain?”
Gu Jiu gave a mocking smile. “Wangye returned after noon. Upon hearing of Wu meiren‘s sudden death, he wasn’t surprised in the slightest and only instructed people to arrange the funeral. Clearly, he already knew what her fate would be.
“Wangye left for the palace before dawn. How could he have learned of Wu meiren‘s sudden death so quickly? Secondly, if wangfei had ordered Wu meiren‘s execution on her own initiative, would wangye really have asked nothing? The answer is obvious. It was wangye who ordered her death.”
Qing Mei guessed, “Could wangfei niangniang have been right? Was Wu meiren really unfaithful?”
Gu Jiu shook her head. “There’s no way to know. Perhaps that’s the reason. Perhaps it’s another reason entirely.”
Personally, she believed it was something else.
Something must have happened behind the scenes, causing wangye to abruptly change his mind and decide that Wu meiren could not be allowed to live.
But since Gu Jiu knew nothing of the matter, she could only speculate.
Fang mama stepped outside briefly and soon returned.
“Furen, all the servants of the eastern courtyard have gathered. Would furen like to see them now?”
This was something that should have been done yesterday.
However, yesterday’s wedding-homecoming visit had been too exhausting, so it had been postponed until today.
Gu Jiu nodded. “Have them enter in batches.”
First came four personal attendants: Xibi, Ximo, Xiyan, and Shijian.
All four had served Liu Zhao since childhood and were considered trusted aides.
According to Fang mama, all four knew martial arts. They were not only attendants but also bodyguards.
After them came four eunuchs and twelve guards.
The eastern courtyard normally had twenty-four guards, but twelve had accompanied Liu Zhao on business and were not present.
Gu Jiu met each of them individually and rewarded them according to rank.
Afterward came the pozi and maids.
Among the pozi was one known as Sun daniang. It was said she had nursed Liu Zhao for a period when he was young, making her half a wet nurse. As a result, she carried considerable weight among the household servants.
She managed the sewing room. Even if a maid wanted to take leftover scraps of cloth to make a pouch, she needed Sun daniang‘s approval.
Sun daniang wore a broad smile. “Furen, if you need any sewing done, simply instruct nubi. Nubi guarantee everything will be handled properly.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Thank you, Sun daniang. How many children do you have, and where are they employed?”
Sun daniang immediately replied, “My husband manages one of the wang fu’s estates. My son works under the steward, running errands and handling miscellaneous tasks. My daughter serves by gongzi‘s side. Her name is Chunjuan.”
Oh?
The entire family was essentially hereditary servants of the wang fu. All of them depended on the manor for their livelihood.
What caught Gu Jiu’s attention most was that Sun daniang‘s daughter served beside Liu Zhao.
She quietly filed that information away.
Smiling, she said, “In the future, if something arises, do not trouble gongzi. Come directly to benfuren for instructions.”
“Nubi obeys furen.”
Gu Jiu rewarded her with a first-class gift and dismissed her.
Then she exchanged a glance with Fang mama. Fang mama immediately understood.
She would keep an eye on Sun daniang.
If the woman behaved honestly, there would be no issue.
If not, they would need to find an opportunity to remind her of her place.
Finally, Gu Jiu met the senior maids who served Liu Zhao personally.
There were eight in total.
The first-rank maids were Shiqin, Shiqi, Shishu, and Shihua.
Among the remaining four was Sun daniang‘s daughter, Chunjuan.
All eight were graceful and attractive, with elegant features and tall figures.
Any one of them, placed outside the manor, would appear more refined than the daughters of ordinary official families.
“You have all served gongzi for many years. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Nubi dares not accept such praise. Serving gongzi is our duty.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Knowing your duties is good. Continue serving gongzi as before. Do not form cliques, stir up trouble, or create disputes.”
The maids exchanged puzzled glances.
Before coming, they had all assumed the new mistress would dislike them.
They had even prepared themselves. If Gu Jiu removed them from their positions beside Liu Zhao, they intended to argue their case and, if necessary, take the matter before wangfei.
Yet unexpectedly, Gu Jiu was allowing them to remain.
The eight women were overjoyed.
Shiqin, the leader among them, immediately said,
“Furen may rest assured. Nubi will serve gongzi with all our hearts and spare furen any concern.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled. “When it comes to serving others, benfuren naturally trusts all of you. Over the past two days, I’ve observed how attentive and meticulous you’ve been while serving gongzi. Several of my own maids fall short in comparison.
“Qing Mei, Qing Zhu, when you have time, learn from Shiqin and the others. Do not become arrogant or complacent. Remain humble and eager to learn. Shiqin, are you willing to teach them?”
The eight maids lowered their heads and exchanged glances. None of them could understand what Gu Jiu was really planning.
Why would she have them teach her personal maids?
But since Gu Jiu had spoken, they could hardly refuse.
Shiqin replied, “Furen thinks highly of us. Naturally, nubi is willing.”
Qing Mei secretly scoffed. Furen gives you three points of courtesy and you think you’ve opened a dye shop.
Fang mama shot her a warning look, telling her not to ruin furen’s plans.
Qing Mei quickly lowered her head, revealing none of her thoughts.
Gu Jiu smiled. “You are all excellent. Come, these are rewards for each of you. Please accept them and don’t dislike them.”
The maids hurriedly replied, “Furen overpraises us. Since these are furen’s rewards, how could we possibly dislike them?”
Gu Jiu smiled and said, “Gongzi will be returning rather late tonight. Make your own arrangements for now. If I need anything, I’ll call for you.”
“Nubi obeys furen.”
The eight senior maids filed out of the main room one after another.
Gu Jiu let out a long breath. Meeting so many people in one sitting was no easy task.
Leaning back against the couch, she asked, “Fang mama, what do you think of those maids?”
Fang mama bowed slightly. “Every one of them thinks highly of herself. They have the bodies of servants but the hearts of young ladies. Relying on the prestige of serving beside gongzi, they are rather unwilling to remain beneath others.”
Gu Jiu laughed mockingly. “If they were serving by my side, I wouldn’t mind giving them opportunities to climb higher. But since they serve gongzi, that’s a different matter altogether.”
In this world, there were many maids who thought the same way Jiang Yan once had.
The difference was that few were as honest about it.
Most said one thing while thinking another. Their mouths spoke of obedience while their hearts calculated endlessly.
Gu Jiu did not particularly dislike those senior maids. But if they dared touch her interests or compete with her for her husband, she would not be polite.
Sooner or later, she and Liu Zhao would have children. She absolutely would not allow anyone to dilute her children’s interests or threaten their position.
In short, if those maids remained dutiful and knew their place, she could tolerate them.
If they became overly ambitious, she would not hesitate to personally remove them.
Back then she had been able to get rid of Tao Hong. Now she could just as easily get rid of Liu Zhao’s maids.
Qing Mei looked indignant. “Nubi thinks every one of them has the face of a seductress. Not a single one looks willing to stay in her place. Furen must be on guard.”
Gu Jiu burst into laughter. “Indeed, they don’t seem particularly content with their station. You, Qing Zhu, and Xiao Cui should spend more time with them and become friendly. Once they grow familiar with you, they’ll naturally lower their guard.”
Qing Mei beamed. “Nubi understands. I’ll make sure to get along well with Shiqin and the others.”
That night, Gu Jiu left the door open for Liu Zhao.
However, she fell asleep before he returned.
When she woke at dawn and reached out to touch the bed, the sheets beside her were already cold.
Yet the creases on the bedding clearly showed someone had slept there.
Rubbing her forehead, Gu Jiu wondered whether Liu Zhao had returned or not.
She rang the bell. Several maids entered to attend her.
“Did gongzi come back last night?” she asked.
Qing Mei nodded. “Yes. It was already midnight when he returned, and he left again before dawn.”
Gu Jiu gave a quiet acknowledgment.
Then she asked, “Did gongzi say anything?”
“Gongzi instructed us not to disturb furen‘s rest. He also told us to remind furen to eat properly and eat more, so that you can put on some weight.”
Gu Jiu’s mouth twitched.
Was Liu Zhao trying to raise her like a pig?
Would he slaughter her once she was fat enough?
“Anything else?”
Qing Mei nodded. “Gongzi said he’ll be very busy these next few days, leaving early and returning late. He told furen not to wait up for him.”
Gu Jiu understood.
Either something had happened at court, or some unexpected matter had arisen in private.
After breakfast, Gu Jiu went to Chunhe Hall to pay her respects to wangfei.
By the time she arrived, the second madam, Ouyang Fu, was already there.
“Er dimei arrived quite early.”
Ouyang Fu rose. “Greetings, dasao. Dasao has arrived early as well.”
Gu Jiu smiled lightly. “I’m new to the manor and don’t yet know wangfei niangniang’s preferences. Would er dimei be willing to enlighten me?”
Ouyang Fu nodded and lowered her voice. “Wangfei niangniang naturally she likes people who agree with her in everything. Those who oppose her are deeply disliked. Also, wangfei niangniang enjoys luxury and dislikes simplicity.”
Those two points alone were enough for Gu Jiu to roughly understand wangfei’s principles.
At that moment, the fourth madam, Xiao Qin’er, also arrived.
The third madam remained ill and had not appeared for several days for fear of spreading sickness.
The fifth and sixth gongzi were still unmarried.
There were also three unmarried daughters in the manor. They had entered the palace the previous day to attend upon Shu fei and would remain there until the New Year.
The three daughters-in-law had come not only to pay their respects but also to report on household affairs.
At present, Ouyang Fu and Xiao Qin’er were assisting in managing the household. Minor matters could be handled by them directly. Major decisions required the approval of Pei shi.
Once the three daughters-in-law had gathered, the two cefei, the various meiren, and the other concubines also arrived to pay their respects.
When everyone was present, a eunuch announced wangfei’s arrival.
Supported by a maid, Pei shi emerged.
Everyone stood and bowed. “Greetings to wangfei niangniang.”
“Sit, all of you. We are family; there is no need for excessive formalities.”
Pei shi seated herself in the place of honor.
Gu Jiu sat below her on the left, beside Xiao Qin’er and Ouyang Fu.
Across from them sat Shen cefei, Luo cefei, and the others.
Pei shi first glanced toward Gu Jiu, who was paying her respects for the first time since entering the family.
“Laoda’s wife, how was yesterday’s homecoming visit? Are your relatives well?”
Gu Jiu bowed slightly. “Replying to mufei, everything is well at the Gu residence. The hou fu’s eldest furen also asked erxi to convey her greetings to mufei.”
Pei shi gave a soft sound of acknowledgment. “I know Wei shi. We were once close companions in our youth. How is she these days?”
“Quite well.”
Today, Pei shi’s tone was gentle and pleasant. She made no effort to find fault with Gu Jiu.
Privately, Gu Jiu wondered whether wangfei’s unusually foul temper over the past few days had simply been due to her monthly cycle.
Pei shi did not dwell on Gu Jiu. Instead, she turned to Xiao Qin’er, who was helping manage the household.
Sitting upright, Xiao Qin’er reported, “Mufei, the revenues from the estates, shops, and several southern trade routes have all been delivered to the manor. These are the account books.”
Clearly she had come prepared. Knowing Pei shi would ask about finances, she had even brought the ledgers.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow. The public ledgers had been brought out without the accountants present. Was Xiao Qin’er not worried that someone might tamper with them and embezzle funds?
Perhaps Gu Jiu was overthinking. The accounting office likely maintained multiple copies.
Pei shi accepted the books and turned the pages one by one.
When she reached the final summary, her brow furrowed.
“Has the income decreased compared to last year?”
Xiao Qin’er bowed. “Replying to mufei, it has decreased by twenty percent.”
“How could it have dropped so much? There were no natural disasters this year. How can this be?”
Pei shi was clearly dissatisfied.
Both she and Ning wang loved luxury and spent lavishly.
The manor also supported a great many people. Reduced income meant next year’s expenditures would have to be cut by twenty percent as well.
Although the reductions would not affect her personally, she was still displeased.
Less revenue also meant less money she could quietly divert into her private treasury. How could she possibly be happy?
Xiao Qin’er replied softly, “Erxi is not entirely certain either. Perhaps we should summon the accountants and ask them directly.”
Pei shi let out a cold snort, visibly dissatisfied with her answer.
Bringing the account books without understanding why revenues had fallen only showed inadequate preparation.
At that moment, Ouyang Fu spoke up.
“Replying to mufei, erxi happens to know part of the reason.”
“Speak.”
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