Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

In Madam Wang's courtyard, Madam Wang heard the commotion outside and fell silent.

She wasn't oblivious to the fact that Jia Lian and his wife were trying to win people over, but she couldn't stop them. Their reasoning was sound: rewarding merit after a major event was indeed a Jia family tradition.

Therefore, not only could she not stop them, she could only watch helplessly as they took money from the government treasury to win people's hearts.

Oh, it can no longer be called the official treasury here. From the moment Wang Xifeng sent the money left over from Jia She's funeral to be deposited into the treasury, the Rongguo Mansion only had one official treasury.

Moreover, she felt that she had suddenly lost control of the official treasury. This was because Jia Lian and his wife were in charge of managing the household.

Previously, they were managing her household affairs, so she had to report to her or Jia Zheng on everything. But from today onwards, she probably won't need to report to them on everything anymore.

Unless he and Jia Zheng personally intervene and fight Jia Lian and his wife for control of the household...

But this is obviously impossible.

Therefore, Lady Wang felt somewhat distressed. She finally understood why Jia Lian had forced them to agree not to separate the family property; his intentions were truly malicious!

In Rongqing Hall, Grandmother Jia looked at the restless maids and servants around her and sighed, "Go and collect your rewards! Since they all said everyone gets a share, you who follow me shouldn't miss out on this opportunity!"

The maids and servants immediately bowed and thanked Grandmother Jia, and then went out in batches to receive their rewards.

Compared to the bustling activity at Rongguo Mansion, Ningguo Mansion appeared desolate and bleak.

The servants of Ningguo Mansion looked at each other, their eyes reddening with jealousy and resentment.

They had all put in their efforts the previous month, following the eldest master and eldest mistress, busy with various tasks. Many of them thought they had done no less than the people of the Rongguo Mansion. How come the second master and second mistress of the Lian family have forgotten about them now?

Inside Ningxuan Hall, the main hall of Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zhen, after hearing You Shi's words, said speechlessly, "In that case, let's give out rewards too, otherwise, I'm afraid the servants below will curse us."

After saying this, Jia Zhen couldn't help but complain that Jia Lian was unkind.

They helped Jia She with his affairs, both before and after, and now that it's all over, he's betrayed them. He didn't even warn them beforehand. If he doesn't offer some compensation, he might find it difficult to command his servants next time.

Just then, someone from the Rongguo Mansion came and said, "Our Second Master and Second Mistress said that the First Master, First Mistress, and Young Master Rong and Young Mistress Rong have been working hard for the past month taking care of our Master's affairs. They have worked very hard."

"I have nothing to repay you with, so I have prepared a small gift. Please accept it, sir and madam."

"Haha, your second master and second mistress are too polite. We're all family, this is too formal..."

Jia Zhen glanced at the boxes of ginseng that the maids had brought over, then went out to look at the fine wine that was being carried inside. He stroked his sparse beard and nodded in satisfaction.

……

Besides the Ning and Rong mansions, there were also family members who had diligently helped out over the past month, such as Jia Yun and Jia Qiang. Jia Lian also had a generous amount of money prepared and sent to their respective homes by servants.

In this way, it can be considered that all aspects have been taken into account.

When the basket of silver in front of him was empty, Jia Lian turned his head to the other side and asked, "Have you finished distributing yours over there?"

Wang Xifeng glanced at the roster and replied with a smile, "Except for the old lady and a few people in the madam's room who probably couldn't leave and didn't come to collect theirs, the rest have basically been distributed."

In fact, in the Jia family, male and female servants were usually managed separately, and even their monthly wages were distributed separately.

However, today, Jia Lian, for convenience and to create a more sensational and grand scene, deliberately arranged for both inside and outside to do so.

In the spacious corridor in front of the outer steward's office, he and Wang Xifeng each occupied one side, setting up several tables and making a grand display. Wang Xifeng distributed rewards to the maids, wives, and old women, while he distributed rewards to the servants and young men.

"In that case, there's no need to distribute the rest; we can have someone send them over later."

Jia Lian said to Wang Xifeng.

Seeing this, the onlookers thought it was all over and were about to leave when they suddenly heard Jia Lian call out, "Steward Shan."

"This servant is here..."

An old servant, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, was lean but somewhat pot-bellied, and walked forward with a smile.

"It seems Butler Shan received quite a few rewards today?"

"Hehehe, it's all thanks to Second Master and Second Mistress. This servant has indeed received quite a few rewards today..."

The stewards in the Rongguo Mansion had all been there since the time of Grandmother Jia and held a very high position in the entire Jia family.

Take Lai Da for example. Even Jia Qiang, the legitimate great-grandson of the Ningguo Mansion, would respectfully address him as "Grandpa Lai" to his face. This gives a glimpse into the status of these stewards.

Although the Shan family cannot be compared with the Lai family, they were one of the four great stewards of the Rongguo Mansion, ranking only below Lai Da and Lin Zhixiao. They were also one of the most trusted stewards of Jia Lian.

"Oh, how does this compare to what Butler Shan has embezzled and taken kickbacks from over the past month?"

Jia Lian looked at Shan Daliang and asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this question, those who had been nonchalant were all taken aback, and some even doubted whether they had misheard.

But Shan Daliang hadn't misheard. He said sheepishly, "Second Master, you're joking. This servant has always been diligent and conscientious in serving Grandpa and Grandma, fearing that I would die a thousand deaths if I couldn't repay their kindness. How could I dare to embezzle, much less take kickbacks? Second Master has truly wronged this servant to death..."

Jia Lian chuckled, picked up a small booklet beside him, and said, "Here I have recorded eleven things, big and small, that have passed through Steward Shan's hands or that I have personally been in charge of over the past month, including purchasing lamp oil and candles, paper offerings for the imperial examination, hiring nuns and Taoist nuns, finding stone materials to carve inscriptions, and so on."

Judging from the number of things he's handled, Butler Shan is indeed a diligent person.

If, as you say, you haven't embezzled a single penny or taken any kickbacks, then you are the greatest contributor this time. I'm afraid my reward just now wouldn't be enough to acknowledge your achievements.

Dan Daliang felt his vest starting to sweat.

The situation before him made him feel uneasy, but he could only bite the bullet and say, "What this servant did was merely his duty, nothing much, and the Second Master has already rewarded this servant with more than enough..."

"What a fine job!"

Jia Lian suddenly snorted coldly, and Shan Daliang trembled, but managed to stay still.

"The Zhang family of Hechunfang purchased a total of 500 catties of lamp oil, paid 30 taels of silver, and returned 5.5 taels."

Hehehe, each pound of lamp oil cost more than sixty copper coins. I wonder what kind of lamp oil is so valuable that even your second master is tempted to sell it...

As soon as Jia Lian said this, a burst of laughter came from the courtyard illuminated by the lanterns.

For ordinary servants, who rarely get to enjoy any benefits, they longed to see these high-ranking, wealthy stewards and managers suffer and be punished!

If it weren't for the fear of being retaliated against later, many people would have been eager to spill the beans to Jia Lian. However, they were unsure whether Jia Lian simply wanted to give Steward Shan a warning or something else, so they dared not act rashly for the time being.

Dan Daliang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and explained, "The lamp oil that I had someone buy is the latest secret recipe from the Zhang family of Hechunfang. It is made from the finest pine nuts and has a pleasant pine nut fragrance when it burns, which is why it is so expensive."

"If Second Master doesn't believe me, he can send someone to ask the Zhang family. If this servant dares to lie, Second Master can beat this servant to death without complaint!"

Shan Daliang felt that, given Jia Lian's status, it was impossible for him to ask outsiders for a mere twenty or thirty taels of silver. Wouldn't that be making people laugh at the fact that a dignified Duke's mansion was incompetent in managing its household?

Besides, he had already discussed it with the eldest son of the Zhang family, and even if someone asked, the other party probably wouldn't betray him.

Hmph, if Second Master thinks he can convict him this way, he's underestimating them.