It was dark at night when Minglan arrived at the Ancient Stone Estate the day before yesterday so she didn’t see the situation in this Estate clearly. However, in the morning when all the servants came to give obeisance to her, she felt something wrong immediately. As Wu Guang, the chief steward, made a gesture, all the stewards behind him all knelt down and kowtowed to Minglan. No one dared to chime in when the room was quiet and when they replied to Minglan’s questions, their words were very organized and clearly stated.
There were only two explanations for this situation. Perhaps all these people in the Ancient Stone Estate had prepared for this like Yao Yiyi had done when there were some significant leaders arriving at her workplace or she faced a sanitary inspection. Or...
When Minglan proposed to measure the land, Wu Guang also agreed with a calm look. He even had two registers, one for the land and the other for the tenants. The landlords also started to get busy in order to help him.
Minglan lowered her head.
Nothing could be kept secret forever in this world. Any manservant or tenant could speak out what she had done in the Black Mountain Estate. So she couldn’t repeat her action here this time. She could launch a surprise attack in the Black Mountain Estate, but not the Ancient Stone Estate. What was more, she didn’t intend to keep all those things she had done in the Black Mountain Estate from others either.
Unlike the Black Mountain Estate, the Ancient Stone Estate had been confiscated long time ago and already categorized as the imperial property for ten years. Now there was an imperial eunuch taking charge of this Estate now. Since this Estate belonged to the imperial family, no one dared to look into this place no matter what happened here.
Nonetheless, Minglan would like to know how many secrets there were in this Estate. She also wanted to see how long those people were able to present a false appearance of peace and prosperity. The Cui Brothers went to measure the land like before and Gongsun Meng was ordered to visit the tenants. In the meantime, MInglan chatted with the Chief Steward.
“... Steward Wu, I never realize you are a relative of Eunuch Wu who’s in charge of Estate Department in the Palace. Pardon my rudeness before.” Minglan said that with a warm smile.
“I don’t deserve this, Madam. I’m just a remote relative to Eunuch Wu. But that title did get me a job.” Wu Guang bowed to Minglan and said reverently, “After His Majesty rewarded this Estate to General Gu, Eunuch Wu has asked me to work in the Estate Department. However, I have worked in this Estate for so many years and already become close to the people here. If you and General Gu could accept me, I am willing to stay here and work for you two.”
“It’s so nice of you to propose that. Sir Wu, but you are a relative of Eunuch Wu. I’m afraid that others might accuse us of violating the rules if I keep you here. I don’t want that to happen.” Minglan said that with a hesitant look.
Wu Guang tried to avoid eye contact and said tactfully, “I’m flattered, Madam, you don’t need to address me so politely. However... My uncle is on good terms with lots of the eunuchs in the royal palace. They all said that General Gu is a heroic person who never sticks to trifles. Everyone is willing to make friends with him. So I don’t think people would gossip about your family issues.”
That was a very sophisticated speech. Minglan smiled and held the tea cup up, saying, “Your words make sense. I am just a woman, I need to talk about this with Master.”
After three days, the Cui Brothers and Gongsun Meng came to report. The spies which had been sent by the Tu Brothers also brought back some news. As Minglan heard them reporting, she couldn’t help but wrinkle her eyebrows. Then she ordered someone to call Wu Guang over.
After the small talk, Minglan said gently, “I have thought about this. Our family has our own rules just like this country has its laws. Gu Family never hired any outsider to manage our estates. Besides, you can ask any family in the capital if they have the guts to hire a steward who has worked in an imperial estate. After all, that’s against the principle.
The look on Wu Guang’s triangular and pale face suddenly turned sullen.
“... Sir Wu, if I keep you here, not only will other people mock me for having no sense of propriety, but the elders in the Gu Family will criticize me.” Minglan bantered with him smilingly while observing his face through the screen. She bet he wouldn’t be willing to sell himself to the Gu Family.
Hearing that, Wu Guang’s face turned gloomy, but he restored his calmness right away and sighed, “Madam, you do have a point. However, the tenants still owe the Estate lots of rents and money. If those debts aren’t paid off, I don’t know how to explain to my superiors.”
Minglan was a bit stunned, because she never realized this man would be so bold. Suddenly, she heard a sound behind the partition board on the side of the hall. Then she glanced in that direction while saying, “How much do they owe the Estate?”
Wu Guang who had already prepared for this replied right away, “The rents which they owed to the Estate during these years add up to twenty thousand ounces of silver. Sometimes when they get sick and don’t have the money to see the doctor, they would borrow some silvers from the Estate. This sum of money is around fifteen thousand ounces of silver.”
Minglan was shocked by him, asking, “Such a huge amount of money!”
“Alas...” Wu Guang sighed in a loud voice on purpose, “The most important thing is the money they have borrowed. I don’t have that much money, so most of the time they would borrow the money from the nobles. Actually, the mansion was rewarded to General Gu last year, so their rents should also be paid to the imperial family.”
Minglan clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. After she had calmed down, she said in a reluctant tone, “Now this is difficult. Steward Wu, please think of a way for me...”
Hearing that, Wu Guang let out a sigh of relief secretly, thinking, ‘She’s just a young and timid woman after all.” According to his observation over the last few days, he found that Gu Tingye didn’t always intervene in the general affairs. He also found that Gu Tingye adored this young madam so much that he agreed to most of her decisions. Thinking of that, he said fawningly, “Madam, please don’t worry. As long as I am here, I’ll handle all the affairs for you!”
Minglan asked him to leave with a smile. Then she spread her hands which had been scratched by her own fingernails.
The next few days, she didn’t say a word about her conversation with Wu Guang and still ordered someone to inspect the Estate. When Tu Hu and Gongsun Meng got super angry after they knew more about what happened here and wanted to make troubles for Wu Guang and those landlords, Minglan still held them back.
After two days, in the afternoon, Gu Tingye suddenly came back. After he had taken off his heavy armor and bathed himself, he sat on the heatable brick bed in an informal suit while holding the tea cup, “... The armory is organized. The military drill seems great. Although those soldiers are still not as disciplined as those commanded by Old General Bo, they are still presentable now. I let them have a rest for half a day. Tomorrow, His Majesty would come to review the troops.”
Minglan brought the fruit which had been washed by the well water. Hearing his words, she chuckled and said, “All of this is for presentation. What if His Majesty really assumes that everything goes well in the army? Wouldn’t it be a problem when he wants to use military forces?”
It was dark at night when Minglan arrived at the Ancient Stone Estate the day before yesterday so she didn’t see the situation in this Estate clearly. However, in the morning when all the servants came to give obeisance to her, she felt something wrong immediately. As Wu Guang, the chief steward, made a gesture, all the stewards behind him all knelt down and kowtowed to Minglan. No one dared to chime in when the room was quiet and when they replied to Minglan’s questions, their words were very organized and clearly stated.
There were only two explanations for this situation. Perhaps all these people in the Ancient Stone Estate had prepared for this like Yao Yiyi had done when there were some significant leaders arriving at her workplace or she faced a sanitary inspection. Or...
When Minglan proposed to measure the land, Wu Guang also agreed with a calm look. He even had two registers, one for the land and the other for the tenants. The landlords also started to get busy in order to help him.
Minglan lowered her head.
Nothing could be kept secret forever in this world. Any manservant or tenant could speak out what she had done in the Black Mountain Estate. So she couldn’t repeat her action here this time. She could launch a surprise attack in the Black Mountain Estate, but not the Ancient Stone Estate. What was more, she didn’t intend to keep all those things she had done in the Black Mountain Estate from others either.
Unlike the Black Mountain Estate, the Ancient Stone Estate had been confiscated long time ago and already categorized as the imperial property for ten years. Now there was an imperial eunuch taking charge of this Estate now. Since this Estate belonged to the imperial family, no one dared to look into this place no matter what happened here.
Nonetheless, Minglan would like to know how many secrets there were in this Estate. She also wanted to see how long those people were able to present a false appearance of peace and prosperity. The Cui Brothers went to measure the land like before and Gongsun Meng was ordered to visit the tenants. In the meantime, MInglan chatted with the Chief Steward.
“... Steward Wu, I never realize you are a relative of Eunuch Wu who’s in charge of Estate Department in the Palace. Pardon my rudeness before.” Minglan said that with a warm smile.
“I don’t deserve this, Madam. I’m just a remote relative to Eunuch Wu. But that title did get me a job.” Wu Guang bowed to Minglan and said reverently, “After His Majesty rewarded this Estate to General Gu, Eunuch Wu has asked me to work in the Estate Department. However, I have worked in this Estate for so many years and already become close to the people here. If you and General Gu could accept me, I am willing to stay here and work for you two.”
“It’s so nice of you to propose that. Sir Wu, but you are a relative of Eunuch Wu. I’m afraid that others might accuse us of violating the rules if I keep you here. I don’t want that to happen.” Minglan said that with a hesitant look.
Wu Guang tried to avoid eye contact and said tactfully, “I’m flattered, Madam, you don’t need to address me so politely. However... My uncle is on good terms with lots of the eunuchs in the royal palace. They all said that General Gu is a heroic person who never sticks to trifles. Everyone is willing to make friends with him. So I don’t think people would gossip about your family issues.”
That was a very sophisticated speech. Minglan smiled and held the tea cup up, saying, “Your words make sense. I am just a woman, I need to talk about this with Master.”
After three days, the Cui Brothers and Gongsun Meng came to report. The spies which had been sent by the Tu Brothers also brought back some news. As Minglan heard them reporting, she couldn’t help but wrinkle her eyebrows. Then she ordered someone to call Wu Guang over.
After the small talk, Minglan said gently, “I have thought about this. Our family has our own rules just like this country has its laws. Gu Family never hired any outsider to manage our estates. Besides, you can ask any family in the capital if they have the guts to hire a steward who has worked in an imperial estate. After all, that’s against the principle.
The look on Wu Guang’s triangular and pale face suddenly turned sullen.
“... Sir Wu, if I keep you here, not only will other people mock me for having no sense of propriety, but the elders in the Gu Family will criticize me.” Minglan bantered with him smilingly while observing his face through the screen. She bet he wouldn’t be willing to sell himself to the Gu Family.
Hearing that, Wu Guang’s face turned gloomy, but he restored his calmness right away and sighed, “Madam, you do have a point. However, the tenants still owe the Estate lots of rents and money. If those debts aren’t paid off, I don’t know how to explain to my superiors.”
Minglan was a bit stunned, because she never realized this man would be so bold. Suddenly, she heard a sound behind the partition board on the side of the hall. Then she glanced in that direction while saying, “How much do they owe the Estate?”
Wu Guang who had already prepared for this replied right away, “The rents which they owed to the Estate during these years add up to twenty thousand ounces of silver. Sometimes when they get sick and don’t have the money to see the doctor, they would borrow some silvers from the Estate. This sum of money is around fifteen thousand ounces of silver.”
Minglan was shocked by him, asking, “Such a huge amount of money!”
“Alas...” Wu Guang sighed in a loud voice on purpose, “The most important thing is the money they have borrowed. I don’t have that much money, so most of the time they would borrow the money from the nobles. Actually, the mansion was rewarded to General Gu last year, so their rents should also be paid to the imperial family.”
Minglan clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. After she had calmed down, she said in a reluctant tone, “Now this is difficult. Steward Wu, please think of a way for me...”
Hearing that, Wu Guang let out a sigh of relief secretly, thinking, ‘She’s just a young and timid woman after all.” According to his observation over the last few days, he found that Gu Tingye didn’t always intervene in the general affairs. He also found that Gu Tingye adored this young madam so much that he agreed to most of her decisions. Thinking of that, he said fawningly, “Madam, please don’t worry. As long as I am here, I’ll handle all the affairs for you!”
Minglan asked him to leave with a smile. Then she spread her hands which had been scratched by her own fingernails.
The next few days, she didn’t say a word about her conversation with Wu Guang and still ordered someone to inspect the Estate. When Tu Hu and Gongsun Meng got super angry after they knew more about what happened here and wanted to make troubles for Wu Guang and those landlords, Minglan still held them back.
After two days, in the afternoon, Gu Tingye suddenly came back. After he had taken off his heavy armor and bathed himself, he sat on the heatable brick bed in an informal suit while holding the tea cup, “... The armory is organized. The military drill seems great. Although those soldiers are still not as disciplined as those commanded by Old General Bo, they are still presentable now. I let them have a rest for half a day. Tomorrow, His Majesty would come to review the troops.”
Minglan brought the fruit which had been washed by the well water. Hearing his words, she chuckled and said, “All of this is for presentation. What if His Majesty really assumes that everything goes well in the army? Wouldn’t it be a problem when he wants to use military forces?”
