Ouyang Fu said, “Erxi heard that maritime trade has not gone smoothly this year. First there were typhoons, then pirates ran rampant. Every ship suffered losses to varying degrees. The harvests from the estates and profits from the shops were basically the same as last year, perhaps even slightly better.
“However, because the losses from overseas trade were so severe, this year’s overall income ended up being twenty percent lower than last year’s.”
Pei shi reopened the account books and turned to the section recording maritime trade revenues. Comparing the figures with what she remembered from previous years, the decline was indeed obvious.
“Why was this matter not reported to benwangfei sooner?”
Ouyang Fu turned her head and looked toward Xiao Qin’er.
Xiao Qin’er opened her mouth, hesitated, and then answered, “Erxi feared disturbing mufei, so I did not have the accountants report it.”
“Ridiculous!”
Pei shi threw down the account book and fixed Xiao Qin’er with an unfriendly stare.
“Such a major matter, and you dared conceal it. What exactly were you trying to do? Do you think a simple excuse about not wanting to disturb benwangfei is sufficient? Who exactly is in charge of this wang fu, don’t you know?
“Your wings aren’t even fully grown, yet you already dare overstep your authority and act as though you’re managing the household on benwangfei’s behalf. Who gave you such courage?”
Once Pei shi’s temper flared, she did not care that Xiao Qin’er was Liu Yi’s wife. She unleashed a merciless scolding.
Xiao Qin’er’s face turned bright red. She was so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
It was utterly humiliating.
Shen cefei and Luo cefei exchanged glances. Both clearly found the situation amusing.
If Gu Jiu were to describe it, it was less amusement and more blatant schadenfreude.
Shen cefei spoke up. “Please calm your anger, wangfei. Yi furen merely meant well but ended up causing trouble. She only wished to show filial devotion to wangfei niangniang and forgot that some matters must be prioritized appropriately. Please forgive her this once. Young people inevitably make mistakes. After a few more experiences, she’ll know how to handle such matters properly in the future.”
Pei shi glared at Xiao Qin’er. “Did you hear that? Even Shen cefei is speaking on your behalf, yet you don’t even know enough to thank her.”
Ashamed and angry, Xiao Qin’er rose and bowed to Shen cefei. “Thank you, Shen cefei, for speaking kindly for me.”
Covering her mouth, Shen cefei smiled. “Please sit, Yi furen. Don’t resent wangfei niangniang. She’s doing this for your own good. Such an important matter should never have reached the wangfei last. Next time, don’t make the same mistake.”
Xiao Qin’er felt utterly wronged. Tears were already gathering in her eyes.
She nodded. “I understand. I won’t dare do it again. Please forgive me this time, mufei.”
Pei shi snorted coldly. “Since this is your first offense, benwangfei won’t pursue the matter further. But if you dare conceal something again, you needn’t help manage the household anymore. Focus on managing your own courtyard first.”
Xiao Qin’er’s face turned pale. Her lips trembled. “Erxi obeys.”
Since marrying into the wang fu, this was the greatest humiliation she had ever suffered. Tears immediately fell from her eyes.
Ouyang Fu lowered her head and smiled, secretly exchanging another glance with Shen cefei.
Xiao Qin’er had thought that taking over Ouyang Fu’s responsibilities would allow her smooth sailing and unquestioned authority within the manor. She had been dreaming.
Gu Jiu lowered her eyes slightly, carefully observing her dimei’s reactions.
When she caught the smile in Ouyang Fu’s eyes, she smiled as well.
As expected, there wasn’t a single simple person in the wang fu.
Everyone carried an abacus in their heart, calculating their own interests.
Had Xiao Qin’er planned from the beginning to conceal the matter?
Or had someone quietly advised her and inspired this reckless decision?
Gu Jiu had no way of knowing.
But she did know one thing: This year’s New Year preparations would certainly not be Xiao Qin’er’s moment to shine.
And indeed, Pei shi was still angry.
She immediately instructed Ouyang Fu:
“Lao’er’s wife, you’ll have to work harder this year. Follow last year’s precedents and make the necessary preparations for the New Year.”
Ouyang Fu bowed and accepted the order, looking thoroughly satisfied.
After a brief pause, Pei shi turned toward Gu Jiu.
Among her sons, she had only two biological children: Liu Zhao and Liu Yi.
Among her daughters-in-law, there were only Xiao Qin’er and Gu Jiu.
Since Xiao Qin’er had made a mistake, Pei shi intended to leave her out in the cold for a while.
After thinking it over, she called out: “Laoda’s wife, assist lao’er’s wife with the New Year preparations.”
“Erxi obeys.”
Gu Jiu was genuinely surprised. She had never expected Pei shi to choose her.
She had assumed that because Pei shi disliked her, she would forever exclude her from household management.
Gu Jiu had even planned to spend half a year, or perhaps a full year, living leisurely before rolling up her sleeves and reclaiming her place when the right opportunity arrived.
Instead, only a few days after entering the household, Pei shi had already assigned her responsibilities. Though she would merely be assisting, it was still a significant first step.
Of course, it also meant all her previous plans were now useless.
The dream of a carefree year had clearly become impossible.
Pei shi then addressed Xiao Qin’er.
“Laosi’s wife, focus on completing the tasks already in your hands. You needn’t concern yourself with other matters for now.”
Feeling deeply aggrieved, Xiao Qin’er nodded. “Erxi obeys mufei.”
She had originally hoped to distinguish herself during the New Year season and demonstrate her abilities to the entire household. Instead, one careless mistake had ruined everything.
The New Year preparations had originally been a responsibility she seized from Ouyang Fu. Now the position had returned to Ouyang Fu’s hands.
Even worse, wangfei had appointed Gu Jiu to assist.
Once word spread, she would become a laughingstock.
The thought of servants gossiping and pointing fingers made her feel too ashamed to face anyone.
Shen cefei smiled.
“Wangfei niangniang’s handling of this matter is most appropriate. Qieshen is far inferior.”
Pei shi smiled faintly.
“I know your abilities well enough. But we are getting old. It’s time for the younger generation to gain experience.”
“Wangfei is absolutely correct. The young people should indeed be given opportunities to practice.”
Shen cefei maintained a pleasant smile, flattering Pei shi at every turn and putting her in an excellent mood.
After the day’s matters had been dealt with, everyone rose to take their leave and return to their duties.
“Er dimei.”
Gu Jiu called after Ouyang Fu.
Ouyang Fu turned around with a warm smile. “What can I do for you, dasao?”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Wangfei niangniang has instructed me to assist with the New Year preparations. I’ve come to seek guidance from er dimei.”
Ouyang Fu covered her mouth and laughed lightly. “Dasao jokes. I’m still learning myself. Whenever I don’t understand something, I ask wangfei niangniang or the two cefei niangniang.”
Liu Ping, the second young master, was Shen cefei‘s son. Therefore Ouyang Fu and Shen cefei were, in a sense, the true mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
For now, however, Gu Jiu had no need to dwell on that relationship.
She linked arms with Ouyang Fu. “Shall we go to the council hall together?”
“I’ll follow dasao‘s lead.”
“If there’s anything I don’t understand, I hope you’ll teach me.”
“I wouldn’t dare. We’ll learn together.”
Gu Jiu then brought up the matter she was most interested in.
“I never imagined the wang fu engaged in maritime trade.”
Ouyang Fu nodded. “The profits are substantial. Many prominent families in the capital have investments in overseas trade. In fact, Pingnan hou fu also holds shares in maritime ventures.”
The hou fu too?
This was the first time Gu Jiu had heard of it.
Curious, she asked, “When our wang fu engages in maritime trade, are the ships our own or do they belong to shipping companies?”
Ouyang Fu glanced at her. “Dasao seems very interested in maritime trade. Could it be you’re considering investing some of your dowry funds?”
Gu Jiu laughed. “I’d like to, but my dowry isn’t large enough for that sort of risk. I’m simply curious.”
“That’s true. The risks at sea are considerable. We women shouldn’t get involved.”
Gu Jiu continued, “Dimei still haven’t answered my question about the ships. I’ve heard people say ocean-going vessels are enormous. Building just one can cost tens of thousands of taels, with maintenance requiring further expenses every year.”
Ouyang Fu nodded. “Naturally. A respectable sea-going vessel costs at least thirty or forty thousand taels. The largest ships can easily cost over a hundred thousand taels.
“Some wealthy capital families purchase ships outright and conduct trade themselves. Others join together to buy a ship collectively. Still others cooperate with shipping companies and rent vessels for overseas voyages.
“In recent years, however, the court has also begun paying attention to maritime trade. Families with connections sometimes travel aboard government vessels. That said, the imperial navy isn’t particularly effective. When facing pirates, they’re often less reliable than the guards employed by private shipping companies.”
Gu Jiu fell silent, deep in thought.
Ouyang Fu tugged gently at her sleeve. “Dasao, let’s not talk about this anymore. The Little New Year Festival is only a few days away, and we have a great many matters to prepare today.”
Gu Jiu nodded.
Indeed, there was much work waiting for them.
Her blood was racing with excitement. The sea held an irresistible attraction for her.
It wasn’t merely the enormous profits of maritime trade that tempted her, she wanted to secure a way out for herself.
Who knew whether the Ning wang fu would one day decline?
Even if the manor remained prosperous, who could say whether Liu Zhao himself would fall?
Throughout history, eldest di sons ascending to the imperial throne had been exceedingly rare.
Even fewer left their names in history.
The emperors who truly accomplished great things were generally those who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
As the eldest di son of the imperial family, Liu Zhao’s prospects did not inspire much optimism in Gu Jiu. Using the tragic fate of imperial heirs as her measure, she was decidedly pessimistic.
So she needed to find herself a retreat in advance, a path to survival.
Going overseas was the best option.
The only problem was the astronomical cost of ocean-going ships, which left Gu Jiu thoroughly depressed.
Money could be solved gradually in the future.
The most critical issue was that she lacked suitable people.
As expected, whether in this life or her previous one, talented people remained the most precious resource.
She needed many loyal and reliable people to act on her behalf.
For now, Gu Jiu suppressed the idea and followed Ouyang Fu to the council hall, officially beginning her first involvement in the manor’s internal affairs.
The wang fu‘s affairs were numerous and complicated.
Compared with the Gu residence, there were several times more matters to handle.
The servants alone outnumbered those of the Gu family by several hundred.
Adding the estates, shops, manor officials, and guards brought the total close to a thousand more people.
External affairs were handled by the wang fu‘s officials.
Even the household administration was managed by the Shaofu Chamberlain and his staff.
However, Pei shi was not entirely comfortable leaving matters in others’ hands, so she personally involved herself in many decisions.
Inside the council hall, Steward Shi was leading seven or eight accountants in reviewing the accounts.
When Gu Jiu and Ouyang Fu arrived, the accountants did not stop working.
Only the head steward rose to greet them.
Gu Jiu asked, “No need for formalities. What are you all working on?”
The steward replied, “Accounts from various departments must be reviewed one by one. The income belonging to wangye and wangfei must also be calculated as quickly as possible. In addition, a separate master ledger must be prepared for wangye’s stipend and noble income.”
Gu Jiu nodded in understanding.
The steward then produced several thick volumes. “These are the wang fu’s servant registers. Please review them, da furen.”
Gu Jiu accepted the books with a nod.
Immediately afterward, the steward produced several more ledgers. “These contain the budget arrangements for New Year rewards to the servants. The remaining ledgers detail projected expenditures for various New Year activities. Please review them as well, da furen.”
The moment Gu Jiu arrived, the steward practically laid everything out before her, explaining all the manor’s affairs in detail.
Ouyang Fu’s eyelids twitched several times. Her feelings were complicated.
Back when she first began assisting with household management, the steward had never treated her this way. He had simply handed her a ledger and told her to review it.
There had been no servant registers. No detailed New Year budgets.
Nothing at all.
Compared side by side, Gu Jiu’s treatment was far better. Even Xiao Qin’er had never received such consideration.
The head steward had always treated Xiao Qin’er in a strictly professional manner.
Was it simply because Gu Jiu was the wang fu’s eldest daughter-in-law and the da furen?
Yes.
After all, the steward ultimately was ultimately one of wangye’s men.
Though he usually obeyed wangfei’s orders, his true loyalty lay with Ning wang.
The steward’s attitude toward Gu Jiu indirectly reflected wangye’s attitude.
Ouyang Fu could not help glancing at Gu Jiu several more times.
Gu Jiu entered the inner room and selected an empty desk.
From this day onward, she would be assisting with household management here and familiarizing herself with every aspect of the wang fu.
She immediately began reviewing the registers. Her reading speed was astonishingly fast.
Without needing instructions, Qing Mei and Qing Zhu picked up abacuses and began checking accounts.
Fang mama stood nearby, introducing the people listed in the registers.
Ouyang Fu entered from the outer room, followed by Xiao Qin’er.
Gu Jiu glanced over. Xiao Qin’er’s eyes were red, but she had still come to the council hall to handle business.
“Si dimei has arrived.”
Xiao Qin’er merely hummed in response and sat at the desk on the left.
Ouyang Fu sat at the desk on the right.
Each managed her own responsibilities.
During the New Year period, the wang fu would first attend imperial banquets at the palace. Afterward, the manor itself would host feasts for relatives and friends.
Ouyang Fu already had experience preparing such events.
This year, however, there needed to be fresh touches. Guests could not feel that every visit to the manor looked exactly the same.
For example, last year’s banquet had used a matching set of Prosperous Peony tableware, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.
This year, they couldn’t use the peony but the theme of abundance of flowers instead.
Likewise, the reception hall’s folding screens had displayed paintings of court ladies last year. This year they would need to be replaced with bird-and-flower paintings.
Every detail had to be considered. Anything that should be changed had to be changed.
The work was exceedingly tedious, yet absolutely no mistakes could be tolerated.
Previously, Xiao Qin’er had been handling these tasks, with Ouyang Fu assisting.
Since it was Xiao Qin’er’s first time dealing with such responsibilities, her efficiency had been poor.
Ouyang Fu had never reminded her. She had simply watched from the sidelines.
Sure enough, Xiao Qin’er had eagerly taken charge and ended up making a mistake.
Now the responsibility had returned to Ouyang Fu.
She secretly glanced at Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu was still studying the servant registers and seemed to have no intention of interfering in her work.
Then she looked toward Xiao Qin’er.
Xiao Qin’er was in charge of purchasing supplies for the sewing room, a position with the most opportunities for profit. At that moment she was reviewing the sewing room’s account books.
In the end, wangfei still favored Liu Yi and Xiao Qin’er the most. Otherwise she would never have assigned the most lucrative responsibility to Xiao Qin’er.
As for Ouyang Fu, assisting with household management was exactly that, assisting. She simply worked wherever she was needed.
Ouyang Fu sneered inwardly and lowered her head to continue working.
Gu Jiu divided her attention in two. While reviewing the registers and listening to Fang mama‘s explanations, she also observed her two dimei.
After losing face before wangfei earlier that day, Xiao Qin’er had become remarkably quiet. She barely spoke.
Even when a pozi came to seek instructions, she answered softly and gently, appearing extremely mild-tempered.
As for Ouyang Fu… Gu Jiu smiled. That one had plenty of schemes running through her mind.
Of course, no one in the wang fu was simple-minded.
Every person possessed a sharp and calculating heart.
Otherwise, how could they survive here?
People said the imperial palace was a place that devoured lives. A wang fu was not much different.
Qing Mei finished reviewing the budget for New Year rewards and quietly reported: “Furen, this account book contains no errors. Only the specific reward amounts require your personal review.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and accepted the ledger.
The reward figures were staggering.
The highest recipients would receive several hundred taels. The lowest would receive only a few hundred copper coins.
She quickly flipped through the ledger and compared it against the servant register. Immediately she understood the head steward’s intentions.
The people receiving the largest rewards were precisely the people she needed to pay attention to.
She accepted this favor from the head steward.
Nor did she bother concealing it. Picking up a brush, she directly copied down a list of individuals requiring special attention.
When one was busy, time always passed quickly.
It felt as though she had only just begun working when noon arrived.
Gu Jiu walked back into the outer hall and returned all the registers and ledgers to Steward Shi.
“Thank you, steward.”
The steward looked somewhat astonished. “Da furen has already finished reviewing them?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “I’ve finished. As for the New Year budget, I have no objections.”
Having only just arrived at the manor and not yet fully understood the situation, it would have been inappropriate for her to object.
The steward was surprised. “So quickly?”
Gu Jiu smiled. “I’ve always been fast with accounts. If there is anything else that needs my assistance, please feel free to let me know.”
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