Being a second wife is difficult: I'm busy raising children in the Earl's mansion.

When news of Wang Fu's erratic and malicious accusations in prison spread, the atmosphere that had just eased in the warm pavilion of Songhe Hall instantly sombered again.

The candlelight flickered quietly, casting a play of light and shadow throughout the room.

The old lady paused slightly with her fingertips holding the teacup, a cold sneer flashing in her eyes, but she showed no sign of panic.

Others might worry that the unruly servants would make wild accusations and implicate the stewards of the manor, but she had been in charge of the Yongchang Marquis's manor for decades and knew best the rules of conduct between the imperial court and local powerful families.

The Yongchang Earl's Mansion is a legitimate noble family with hereditary titles. They have been rooted in Huzhou for many years and have a solid foundation, which is far superior to ordinary official families.

Local officials have always been expected to give the Earl's residence some face.

Moreover, the laws of this dynasty have always abhorred the act of "slaves suing their masters".

Servants are born out of dependence on their masters and are bound by the constraints of servants. Even if the master makes a mistake, it is not the servant's place to report it to their superiors, let alone wantonly implicate or implicate others.

When such cases are brought to the government, regardless of their veracity, the first thing they do is to consider the servants' disobedience and misconduct as a serious crime.

The old lady was insightful and had already seen through the key point.

A cold smile played on her lips, her tone calm and confident, without a trace of anxiety: "What's the panic? It's just the ravings of a prisoner in his death throes."

"Knowing that the evidence against Wang Fu was irrefutable and that he could not escape the case of embezzling eight hundred taels of silver, and that exile was a certainty, with no way out, he tried to make wild accusations, disrupt the situation in the mansion, and try to drag others down with him in order to gain a chance to catch his breath."

These words hit the nail on the head, exposing Wang Fu's despicable intentions.

The servant from the outer courtyard, kneeling to report, still looked anxious and replied in a low voice: "But Wang Fu is still insane in prison. He keeps saying that several managers in the mansion's purchasing and warehouse have been communicating with him for years and sharing money. If the government holds a trial, he will confess to them all and refuse to take the blame alone."

Granny Gui stood to the side, her brows furrowing slightly upon hearing this, her face showing worry: "The old lady, the first lady, and the stewards of the outer courtyard each have their own duties, and they are all more or less involved in the purchasing accounts."

"If this unruly servant goes on a rampage, innocent people will also be implicated. At that time, the people in the manor will be in chaos, and unnecessary trouble will inevitably arise."

Granny Zhou chimed in at the opportune moment: "What I'm worried about is that even if the authorities know that it's against the rules for a servant to accuse their master, they won't completely ignore it."

"If it is a routine summons for questioning, it will inevitably tarnish the reputation of the Earl's Mansion and attract criticism."

Women in the inner quarters worry about their reputation and stability, but the old lady sees further ahead, is insightful and decisive, and has already thought of a comprehensive solution.

She slowly put down her teacup, her expression calm and dignified, and said each word with composure: "It's alright, the magistrate will certainly handle this matter properly."

"Later I will have Yan Zhong deliver a message to the county government, saying that the long-standing problems in the prefecture have been thoroughly investigated and clarified, and that the prefecture will not tolerate any crimes that should be punished or any stolen goods that should be recovered, and all of them have been dealt with."

"The regulations within the manor have been thoroughly cleaned up. I do not wish to repeatedly disturb the government and cause unnecessary trouble because of a single criminal slave."

The polite words delivered by the noble family were never requests, but rather suggestions.

The magistrate of Huzhou, having long served in officialdom, was well-versed in the ways of the world and would never offend the deeply entrenched Yongchang Earl's Mansion for the sake of a servant who had committed a serious crime.

The old lady continued slowly and clearly: "Firstly, the Earl's family is a noble and powerful family in this area, and its dignity and prestige cannot be easily insulted."

"Secondly, it is a serious taboo for a slave to sue his master, and the government has always disliked such complicated cases."

"Thirdly, the evidence in this case is complete and the guilt is clear. Wang Fu's embezzlement is true, and the so-called accusations are completely unsubstantiated and are nothing but the ravings of a prisoner."

"The magistrate only needs to go with the flow, reprimand Wang Fu for his rebellious and disobedient servants who falsely accused their master, increase his punishment, and then sentence the other stewards who were implicated to no further action if there is no evidence to support their claims. This will close the case."

"It both ensured the fairness of the law and saved face for the Earl's family, achieving the best of both worlds."

His words thoroughly explained the pros and cons.

Everyone in the room felt relieved, their hearts finally at ease.

Jiang Wan stood quietly to one side, listening silently, her eyes filled with admiration.

The old lady's ability to remain the mistress of the inner quarters of the Earl's mansion for over a decade was not solely due to her seniority. Her composure and ability to see through things at a glance were far beyond what ordinary people could achieve.

She was equally clear-headed; the old lady's arrangement had already blocked all possibilities for Wang Fu to turn the tables by using his connections.

She just thought things through a step further than the old lady.

The government can suppress cases and reject false accusations, but Wang Fu's crazy words have already reached the outer courtyard of the Earl's mansion.

The servants in the outer courtyard were a mixed bag, and they handled all kinds of financial transactions in purchasing, storage, and estates year-round. Most of them had some shady dealings going on.

Whether it's deducting small amounts of money, falsely reporting minor losses, or taking materials without permission, it may not be a serious crime, but it is still a real violation of regulations.

Now that the Wang Fu case has caused a great uproar, and he has threatened to implicate others, the people in the outer court are bound to be in a state of panic.

Those who are timid and cowardly will surely pack their valuables overnight and try to escape. Those who are hoping for a lucky break will secretly hide the stolen money and destroy the evidence. Those who are cunning may even band together to collude and cover up their crimes in advance.

The case could be suppressed by the government, but the morale within the government was unstable. If it was not stabilized in time, it would only breed more hidden dangers.

Having considered this, Jiang Wan stepped forward and calmly said, "Grandma's considerations are thorough, and this is the most appropriate way to handle things. However, I believe that the government's affairs are an external threat, while the morale of the household is an internal worry. External threats can be quelled, but internal worries must not be ignored."

The old lady looked up at her, her eyes showing tacit approval, signaling her to continue.

"Wang Fu has been the purchasing manager in the outer courtyard for many years, and his subordinates include countless low-level laborers and errand runners."

"In the past, he held a high position, and everyone flattered and fawned over him, secretly reaping many benefits. Now that he has fallen from power, he has threatened to have everyone implicate him, and everyone in the outer courtyard must be feeling insecure right now."

Jiang Wan spoke clearly and logically, her words hitting the nail on the head: "If we allow people to panic, the servants will either flee or hide, and the outer courtyard's purchasing and warehouse operations will inevitably be paralyzed."

"Instead of letting everyone speculate and take risks, it would be better to establish clear rules within the government to give everyone a path to reform."

Her proposal was sound and comprehensive. It neither criticized the minor mistakes of ordinary people nor tolerated rampant corruption. By combining kindness and severity, it was the best way to win people's hearts and eliminate chaos.

The old lady immediately nodded and readily agreed: "You are absolutely right. You have always been in charge of managing and regulating all matters in the outer courtyard. This matter will be handled entirely by you, and there is no need for you to report back to me."

Having been given authority by her elders, Jiang Wan no longer hesitated, immediately bowed to accept the order, and turned to leave Songhe Hall.

As night faded and dawn broke, the darkness began to fall.

Overnight, the news that Wang Fu had been sent to the authorities for conviction and that he had implicated many people in prison spread like wildfire throughout the entire outer courtyard.

As soon as the morning light fell into the servants' quarters in the outer courtyard, a restless atmosphere permeated the area.

The outer courtyard, which used to be orderly and well-organized with everyone performing their duties every morning, is completely different today.

Inside and outside the purchasing room, storeroom, and servants' quarters, one could see servants whispering and looking flustered everywhere.

Some people huddled inside their rooms, quickly packing their personal clothing and spare change, their eyes darting around, constantly watching for any movement at the courtyard gate, waiting for an opening to escape immediately.

A group of people gathered together, whispering amongst themselves, filled with fear and unease.

"Is Manager Wang really going to implicate everyone? We've been running errands for them, and we've all gotten a little bit of benefit from it. We're afraid we'll get dragged into this!"

"Who would have thought he'd be so audacious, embezzling over eight hundred taels of silver, and now, even after being convicted, he's trying to drag others down with him!"

"If the authorities really come to investigate, how can we, insignificant people, possibly explain ourselves? At best, we'll be kicked out of the manor; at worst, we'll face legal trouble!"

A sense of panic spread rapidly, engulfing almost the entire outer courtyard.

People at the bottom of society are mostly narrow-minded and only care about immediate gains and losses.

They didn't understand the checks and balances between the noble family and the government, and they couldn't see the key to the case. All they knew was that Wang Fu had implicated them in public, and they were filled with endless fear.

Many people have already made up their minds that rather than sitting idly by and waiting to be implicated and held accountable, they would rather run away in advance to protect themselves.

Just as morale in the outer courtyard was about to completely collapse, Jiang Wan, along with Qing He and a group of stewards, personally visited the main hall of the outer courtyard.