Marrying a treacherous official

"Madam, if I may be so bold as to say something disrespectful."

Unable to contain her restless nature, Chunxuan stammered, "Aren't you being too greedy?"

Under her worried gaze, Yunji raised her hand to touch the red mark on her neck.

She was indeed worried about the money.

Without money, how can the Gu family gain a foothold in the magnificent capital? Without money, how will she make a living after the divorce?

"When the old man was hungover in the inner room, I really shouldn't have sneaked in and touched that thousand-tael silver note."

Yunji deeply reflected on her mistakes. If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have lost her most treasured gold hairpin and jeweled box, squandering her entire fortune. Now, she had to be extremely careful when falsifying accounts.

"I won't let him spot a single flaw in this accounting fraud."

Chunxuan stood blankly in front of the warm kang, unable to understand why the lady, after reflecting on her actions, should have avoided the master and stopped provoking him. Why did she go even further and steal the master's treasury money?

Hua Chao knew that his wife's mind was made up, and further persuasion would be useless, so he got down to business and said:

"Madam, the three hundred acres of land urgently need a manager. I have seen the roster, and all the diligent managers have signed their indentures in the hands of the Lady. If you need people, you can only use the Lady's people."

"Isn't there any other way?"

"If the lady is in a hurry to hire people, she can also hire a manager from outside the estate."

"The head of the estate is not a tenant farmer. We must keep their wealth firmly in our hands to prevent them from doing such disloyal things when they become powerful."

Yunji patiently instructed her, "Are there any old servants in the manor who are disloyal to the Lady of the Marquis and wholeheartedly devoted to the Master?"

After deep thought, Hua Chao shook her head. "This servant really can't think of anyone."

Yunji reminded her, "The old servant left behind by the late Madam."

Hua Chao took the roster, quickly flipped through the pages, and found Granny Kong's name in the actual number of households in Beizhuang. She immediately understood and said:

"I will send someone to invite Granny Kong to the mansion to serve tomorrow."

"We definitely need to invite them."

Yunji corrected her, saying, "However, I will have to go and invite her myself."

She had met Granny Kong in her past life. In front of Cui Zemin's desolate tomb, the old woman came with a cane and staggered over. After seeing the wooden tablet inscribed with "Tomb of Cui Zemin", she collapsed to her knees and wailed bitterly.

At that moment, heaven and earth grieved together.

Even a madman like Cui Zemin, who has done all sorts of bizarre and monstrous things, was once genuinely pitied by some people.

Beizhuang was the most remote and barren of the many fields in the Cui family estate.

The Lady Hou sent the old servant here, ostensibly to give them a place to stay, but in reality, she left them to fend for themselves.

The carriage drove through Caomen Street, exited Shengjing through Beitai Gate, and headed north to the outskirts of the city, arriving safely at Beizhuang around noon.

Yunji stepped off the carriage on a stool and saw Granny Kong leading an old servant behind her standing in the courtyard, respectfully welcoming her in.

Chunxuan stepped forward and asked loudly, "Who is in charge here?"

Granny Kong stepped forward and replied, "This old servant is the head of the North Manor. What are your orders, Madam?"

The question bypassed Chunxuan and went directly to Yunji. It was clear that she had extraordinary insight to guess the other party's identity on their first meeting.

"This year's harvest is not plentiful, and the New Year is approaching. I came to see if the old stewards have any shortages in their daily lives, so that I can ask the storeroom in the courtyard to replenish some grain for Beizhuang."

Yunji helped Granny Kong up with both hands and smiled gently:

"The courtyard is clean and tidy, and the farm tools and firewood are stacked in an orderly manner. It is clear at a glance that Granny Kong is a strict and disciplined person. She is indeed the head nanny whom the late Madam valued the most."

Granny Kong lowered her head with a look of shame. "Madam, you flatter me. This old servant has no ability whatsoever. I can only barely feed the people in the village."

She led Yunji into the village, and they traveled through fields and ponds, up hills and down valleys, recounting the harvest and accounts of the North Village as if they were her own treasures.

The group returned to the farmhouse along the mountain path. Smoke curled from the kitchen, and the aroma of food filled the air. The servants had already prepared lunch.

Granny Kong instructed the servants outside to fetch water and help Yunji wash up. Then she called the cook to set out the bowls and chopsticks and personally served Yunji her meal.

Chunxuan and Huachao, who were serving each other, both felt the old nanny's authority and stood up straighter than they usually did in the mansion.

After glancing at how many times Yunji had touched her chopsticks, Granny Kong roughly guessed her dietary preferences and thoughtfully served her a pair of chopsticks.

"These are free-range chickens raised in the mountains. Even the late Madam praised Ah Yu's cooking skills. Madam, would you like to try them?"

"This skill is probably beyond the reach of even the cooks in the mansion."

Yunji tasted a piece of golden chicken; the meat was plump, tender, and juicy, and she couldn't help but lament:

"The fields in Beizhuang are barren, yet the Lady Hou demands that the nanny hand over more grain than other estates. The old servant is living a hard life. The nanny should speak to the master about it."

"The master doesn't like us old servants."

Granny Kong sighed with regret:

"That year, the master returned from the northern border after a narrow escape from death. After learning of the passing of the late madam, he blamed all the blame on the old servants. The old servants dared not approach the master again, lest they needlessly anger him."

"That's all in the past."

Yunji put down her chopsticks. "How can you know what the master is thinking if you don't go to pay your respects to him?"

These words made Granny Kong blush with embarrassment.

Yunji slowly revealed the purpose of her visit.

"Granny should know that the young master and the lady of the house are at odds. The three hundred acres of fertile land that the new emperor bestowed upon the young master have been left unattended to this day. I asked the lady of the house for a manager, but to no avail, so I thought I'd ask you here if there are any servants in the courtyard who are fit to be the head of the estate?"

"Madam, please enjoy your meal. This old servant will go and make the arrangements immediately."

After finishing her sentence, Granny Kong bowed and withdrew.

Yunji ate her lunch in peace. After the leftovers were cleared away, Granny Kong led eight servants into the room and respectfully said:

"Madam, these eight servants are all skilled farmers and mulberry growers in the North Manor. They manage no less than fifty acres of fertile land and are also servants born into the household. If you trust them, Madam, you can send them to the farm for a trial."

"Just follow Granny Kong's instructions."

Yunji was not interested in the eight estate managers, but rather in Granny Kong's experienced and tactful way of doing things. She knew how to conduct herself properly, knew when to advance and retreat, and handled matters in a way that made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.

She smiled gently and said, "I also wanted to ask you, Granny, if you would be willing to come back to the manor with me?"

Granny Kong tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand, and replied in a trembling voice, "Forgive this old servant for being so bold, but is this the Madam's intention, or the Master's?"

Yunji knew exactly what she cared about. "This is my idea, and presumably it's also the master's idea."

After enduring more than ten years of hardship, Granny Kong finally heard these words.

She could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face, filling the deep lines of her aged face.