My younger sister insisted on marrying me and made me the Marquis' wife.

Chapter 446: The Art of Controlling Subordinates
It turned out to be the case.

Lord Gu squinted at Lord Gu Liu and said bitterly, "No wonder the Xu family spread the news that I was ill after that day."

Qin Yuan forced himself to suppress his laughter.

Master Gu Liu couldn't help but laugh awkwardly: "That's because what he said was so infuriating. I was so angry that I just wanted to beat him up, but then I didn't say anything because I was afraid of making Third Brother angry. Who knew they would be so mean!"

Lord Gu ignored him and tilted his head to ask Qin Yuan, "Are you saying that we shouldn't urge Jingzhao Yinfu to cause trouble for them?"

Qin Yuan nodded, "That's right. The fact that the Xu family didn't come to cause trouble on the day of the funeral meant that the relationship was not completely severed in the eyes of others, and it was a thorn in Xu Tang's eyes. Lord Xu wanted to have the best of both worlds, but Xu Tang took his sister and bet on it, so the rift between the two sides will naturally grow. In the future, we can control Xu Xu and prevent them from joining forces to cause trouble for the Marquis' Mansion."

Gu Liuye opened his eyes wide and asked, "Should I continue to sue the Xu family in the future?"

"Of course we have to sue. Things like dowry must be sorted out clearly, otherwise how can we explain to the children in the future? We can't just disappear like this without any explanation. In the future, Xu's family will come up and tell the children this and that, and black will become white, and right will become wrong."

Mr. Songshan wished he could shake his new disciple's head hard.

In other words, I was lucky to be born in the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.

Otherwise, you might be eaten alive and not know what happened!
Mr. Gu Liu looked at Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan nodded, "Of course we still have to sue, and it's also to prevent future risks. As for the money, we don't care about it. The Xu family and Prince Jin are entangled, and Prince Jin has ill intentions towards the Marquis' Mansion. We don't know what will happen in the future when the succession is fought, so we must nip all the hidden dangers in the bud."

Gu Liuye suddenly realized, "So that means we should wait until after the funeral to sue, right?"

"Yes!" Lord Gu made the final decision. "After the funeral, you can pursue this matter. Your eldest brother-in-law is wavering. If we don't go after him, he will definitely stay put and observe the situation. He will not pursue the Marquis's Mansion to accuse Xu Zhen. After the funeral, you can pursue the Jingzhao Yin Mansion to sort out the dowry, pepper payment and other matters, and leave a witness record in the government. In addition, the matter of Xu's death due to anger at the Xu family must be discussed, so that the children will not be misunderstood by others in the future. Just remember these, you can't do anything else. Concentrate on writing poems and painting, set a good example for the children, and you will help the Marquis's Mansion and me."

After saying such a long speech, Lord Gu felt a little tired. He picked up the teacup, took a big sip, and then put it down heavily.

Fearing that Master Gu Liu would be embarrassed, Qin Yuan hurriedly added, "If picture books in the future sell as well as the collection of poems about visiting Yuyuantan, it will be incredible. It will be a great achievement for my sixth brother. With Mr. Songshan's good words, my small dowry shop may really be turned into a big bookstore in Shen Changle's hands."

Master Gu Liu said happily, "I understand. I will do as you say. I have already said that I can help Third Brother."

Mr. Songshan nodded in agreement: "Brothers united in purpose can break any obstacle."

The second half of the sentence added a toad and was swallowed by him.

Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "In addition, most of the housekeepers in the mansion followed Madam Zhao and bought shares in the pepper business. Now that the mansion is busy, they can only suppress their dissatisfaction. There are many things going on inside and outside the mansion now, and they must handle them well so that they will not be distracted. I think if the mansion takes all the money and covers them, they will inevitably feel uncomfortable when the price of pepper goes up in the future. If they don't care, they will inevitably feel resentful towards their masters. Someone has set a bait, and they may be lured away. And this is related to Sixth Brother's family affairs, so I have to ask everyone about it."

When Master Gu Liu heard this, his head was in a mess. "This...this...I heard from my third brother and the third...Young Master Nantang."

Gu Jinghui glared: "Look at you, you need others to help you make decisions for everything."

Gu Liuye defended himself: "I don't understand the affairs of the household, but I don't make rash decisions and don't cause trouble. Isn't that good? We are all brothers and live in the same house. My third brother and his wife are capable, so what's wrong with me listening to them?"

"..."

Gu Jinghui was choked and was speechless.

Qin Yuan was too lazy to get involved in the brothers' affairs and asked, "What does Mr. Songshan think?"

Mr. Songshan shook his head and said, "No matter how things change in this mansion, they can't escape the four words "the art of controlling subordinates". The title of the Marquis' Mansion is inherited and has enjoyed wealth and honor for several generations. These family sons have also been used for several generations. The roots are complicated and there is no difference between it and the court. I have only been in the mansion for a short time, so I can't say anything, but there is one thing I want to mention."

"You say."

"Some time ago, the Marquis' Mansion sympathized with the old soldiers and gave them a lot of money and food. Everyone praised the Marquis' Mansion and said they would serve the Marquis' Mansion even if it meant dying - this is a favor. But to control people, it is better to use both kindness and power. Using both kindness and power is not to make people afraid, but to let them know the Marquis' Mansion's reward and punishment standards, and know what to do and what not to do. Even if you don't issue orders, everyone has a target in their hearts, and naturally knows what to do and what not to do, and there will be no resentment. As the saying goes, kindness cannot command the army, and justice cannot command wealth. You are a woman, so you are a little soft."

Qin Yuan thought about it again and again, then sighed, "What you said has opened my eyes. The situation in the Marquis' Mansion is indeed similar to the affairs of the court. I was indeed a little soft-hearted and didn't want to hurt my bones and upset everyone."

Lord Gu smiled and said, "You haven't been in the mansion for long, and there is no reliable person in the mansion. If you relax, I'm afraid they will have other ideas in the future and bully the master. If you tighten it, it will be inconvenient to win people's hearts. It's easy for me to help you with this matter."

Master Gu Liu asked hurriedly: "How can this help?"

Mr. Songshan smiled, said nothing, and just looked at the couple with a smile.

Lord Gu was confident: "Before, because of the Xu family's usury, didn't we tie up the accountant Sun and the housekeeper Zhang? After the funeral, we will only use them as an excuse. Isn't this a punishment? Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys so that they won't have the heart to betray. The reward is already there as Mr. Songshan said. As long as you work hard for the master, the master will sympathize and take care of you. The rest is up to you."

Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Originally, this matter was intended to be covered up."

Master Gu Liu waved his hands hurriedly: "No need, no need. Were you not worried about disturbing Xu's recovery before? Why are you still worried about this now?"

Lord Gu actually agreed with his brother's opinion.

"By then, in the court of Jingzhao Yinfu, this matter will probably be known to the whole city. We have to eliminate the hidden dangers, so it is better to get rid of this matter cleanly while we can."