They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 448 Entering the Marquis's Residence

The carriage entered the capital and arrived at the residence of Marquis Wuxuan, where Steward Zhang and the servants of the mansion waited to greet them.

Not long after Liang Minglang was granted his title, and with his busy official duties, he was clueless and inept at managing the mansions and residences of these wealthy and powerful families. Apart from the servants he had chosen from among the government slaves as a reward from the emperor, he politely refused all other gifts he received from others.

Therefore, in the vast Wuxuan Marquis's mansion, apart from the full complement of guards who patrolled and defended the area—all of whom were soldiers who had served him before, many of whom were wounded or retired—there were not many servants who actually served him.

He had been eagerly awaiting his wife's arrival.

Once they arrive, they'll be able to manage the entire Marquis's residence perfectly.

It wasn't that no one had explicitly or implicitly suggested that his wife's background might limit her vision and abilities, making her unable to manage such a large manor. They suggested that they arrange for her to marry a concubine or a secondary wife, who could then help manage the manor's affairs. Liang Minglang politely declined all of these offers.

Only he knows how good his wife is; what do other people know?
His wife could never be unable to control even a mere noble household.

Fortunately, his wife held the title of "Merciful Lady" bestowed by the Emperor, which made it much easier for him to politely decline offers from various parties. Otherwise, politely declining offers from all sides would have been a real headache, as one couldn't afford to make enemies or offend anyone.

Liang Minglang smiled at Xu Zhichun and said, "We only have this many servants. You can add more as you see fit after they've settled in. From now on, all the affairs of the Marquis's residence will be in your hands."

Xu Zhichun nodded and said with a smile, "There are only a few of us, so let's just use it like this for now. We should find a place for Mingxuan to study as soon as possible."

We can't let good seedlings go to waste.

Learning is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall behind.

Liang Minglang nodded and smiled, "I've found out. I'll take him to the Imperial Academy to visit the teachers in a couple of days."

Exhausted from the journey, Liang Minglang told everyone not to forget to prepare dinner, and then dismissed them all, telling them to go to the main courtyard to kowtow and acknowledge their master the next morning.

First, they sent Liang Mingxuan to the courtyard prepared for him. Yu Ji would live with him from now on. There was only Uncle Hong in charge of the courtyard, and other people were responsible for cleaning. The attendants and pageboys who accompanied Liang Mingxuan had not yet been chosen.

Xu Zhichun lived in the main courtyard, which was managed by a woman named Qi, along with six maids.

With the addition of Granny Qin Qing, Mu Xiang, and Chun Fen, Xu Zhichun suddenly felt there were too many people.

Lu Yin was arranged to stay in a guest room temporarily. Xu Zhichun asked Granny Feng, who was in charge of the inner courtyard, to arrange a clever and well-mannered maid to serve Miss Lu. Miss Lu was her sworn sister and would be staying at the Marquis's residence.

There were so many miscellaneous things to do, and I was finally home—even though this home was still very unfamiliar, it was still home. Once I got home, I relaxed, feeling very tired.

After a quick lunch, Xu Zhichun slept until evening.

While she was sleeping, Liang Minglang stayed with her for a while before hurriedly leaving, as he had official business to attend to.

Dinner was very plentiful. The four of us ate together, and since we were all acquaintances, there was no need to be reserved.

Xu Zhichun was completely clueless about the situation in the capital, but Liang Minglang had said that Granny Feng was reliable, so she could just call Granny Feng over later and ask her slowly.

Xu Zhichun was not in a hurry.

The man was the one who was anxious. The two had been apart for a while, and their love was burning brightly. They were probably going to be inseparable for a while.

The next day, after Liang Minglang returned from the morning court, he summoned everyone in the household to greet his wife, the second master, and Miss Lu.

"From now on, Madam can make all the decisions in our household. Steward Zhang and Granny Feng, if there is anything you cannot decide, please consult Madam. Madam should promptly report any matters, big or small, that she should know about." "Madam is new to the capital and does not understand the situation here. You two should tell Madam everything you know."

Steward Zhang and Granny Feng quickly agreed.

Liang Minglang: "We mean what we say, and you'll all get your share. The same goes for everyone else. If you do your job well, you'll be rewarded. But if you dare to hide anything, or deliberately try anything underhanded or scheming, you'll be sold off once it's discovered. There won't be a second chance. Do you all understand?"

The servants felt a chill run down their spines and responded in unison, showing even more awe for Lady Xu Zhichun, the wife of the Marquis.

Xu Zhichun took in their reactions; they weren't obvious, but the differences were clear.

This capital city is even more feudal than their Liangjia Village. Even the servants dare to look down on the mistress who is not "favored" by the master of the house.

Fortunately, Xu Zhichun doesn't need to worry about anyone's opinion.

Liang Minglang turned to look at her and smiled: "Madam, from now on everything in the house will depend on you. I will give you the key to the private vault of my study in the outer courtyard in a little while. The other keys are with Steward Zhang and Granny Feng. You should keep the ones that need to be kept. Steward Zhang has instructed that Madam may also enter my study if she wishes."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Steward Zhang respectfully agreed, silently elevating the Marquis's status to the same level as the Marquis's in his heart.

He and Granny Feng exchanged a quick glance, instantly realizing that they both had the same idea.

Xu Zhichun nodded in agreement, told everyone to stand up, and instructed Granny Qin Qing and Mu Xiang to distribute the rewards.

"You may all leave now. Just focus on doing your jobs well. I won't easily move people around. There's plenty of time. We'll talk about it later."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, happily expressed their gratitude, and respectfully withdrew.

What I fear most is that the arrival of a new master will create chaos and unrest among the people.

Liang Minglang still had to go to the Nine City Military Command, so he hurriedly gave a few words of comfort and left.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to tell them, "If anything happens, have someone come find me."

"Ah."

Xu Zhichun couldn't help but laugh. How could she be so fragile?
Liang Minglang smiled, quickly squeezed her hand, and then turned and strode away, satisfied.

Xu Zhichun kept Steward Zhang and Granny Feng behind to talk. He asked them about the current situation of the Marquis's mansion, which families it had close ties with, and whether there were any that it didn't get along with.

He then instructed Liang Mingxuan on his matter, "Send over a few people for me to assess, so I can select pageboys and attendants for the Second Master."

Steward Zhang already knew that the Marquis's younger brother, despite his young age, was already a scholar, so he naturally dared not neglect him.

Although there are countless powerful and wealthy people and scholars in the capital, a mere Xiucai (a low-ranking scholar) is not worth mentioning; mentioning him would only make one a laughingstock.

However, it is true that there are very few scholars of such a young age in the entire capital!
Looking at the Second Master's overall demeanor and his inner wisdom, one can tell he has a bright future ahead of him!
Butler Zhang isn't stupid or blind, so how could he dare to do anything reckless?
He immediately smiled and said, "The people in our household are all quite good. This old servant will go and pick a few right away."

Xu Zhichun expressed his satisfaction, "Go ahead."

After Steward Zhang left, Xu Zhichun said to Granny Feng, "I don't need so many people in this courtyard. Just leave Madam Qi, Dongxiang, Chunnan, and the two maids Xiaoyuan and Xiaozheng. Take the rest away and arrange them elsewhere."