Marrying a treacherous official

Yunji dared to send the repaired porcelain screen and vase into the outer study, so he wasn't afraid of Cui Zeming coming to his door.

She was thankful that the verbal argument that day had given her enough room to maneuver.

The poor repair of the porcelain was not only due to the craftsman's lack of skill, but also a sign of her lingering jealousy. This porcelain mark served as a constant reminder to him not to lose sight of the proper order of social status and forget the fundamental duty of husband and wife.

No matter how she tries to explain, she is right.

Chunxuan kept a close eye on the movements in the outer courtyard, and rushed in to report at the slightest sign of trouble:

"lady--"

"Let's catch our breath first."

Yunji waited for her to catch her breath and said slowly, "Master smashed that jade screen and celadon mallet bottle to pieces again, didn't he? It's alright, just call those two craftsmen to take them over and mend them."

Chunxuan, her heart heavy with emotion, said, "This servant saw Chi Ying carrying account books, following closely behind Master!"

The master and servant exchanged a guilty glance, then looked away, each lost in their own thoughts.

Chunxuan thought to herself that the master must have discovered that the madam had tampered with the accounts when he was checking them, and he brought Chiying over to settle accounts with the madam. With the new and old accounts being settled together, how could the madam possibly escape?

Yunji calmed down from her initial panic.

The fake accounts she created, using all her knowledge of the inner quarters, shouldn't have been seen through by him at a glance. Besides, she hadn't taken a single penny of her own money; she had only created a fake accounting structure, so he shouldn't have been able to see anything.

Thinking of this, she instead faced the situation calmly.

"Don't panic, don't lose your composure. Let's see what the master has to say when he comes in."

"Yes, madam."

Chunxuan nodded timidly, her mind still in turmoil.

The west wing was originally an empty room in the inner courtyard. After moving two cartloads of books back from her mother's home, Yunji converted this sunny room into an accounting room.

Without waiting for the maid to announce his arrival, Cui Zemin pushed open the partition door and strode in.

Yunji stood up and greeted him.

"My lord, have you had dinner since you returned from court?"

"No, when will you be having your meal, Madam? Just bring me a pair of chopsticks."

Cui Zemin looked around her accounting room, picked up the most valuable celadon-glazed brown-painted lion-shaped paperweight in the whole room, and weighed and played with it in his hands.

Yunji instructed Chunxuan to prepare the meal. She noticed him carefully weighing the paperweight, worried that he might accidentally drop and break it.

She gracefully moved to the jade-carved screen depicting lakes and mountains, and taking advantage of the moment when the screen was not paying attention, she snatched the paperweight and gently placed it back on the desk behind her.

"This is a paperweight borrowed from the storeroom. It's a celadon carved piece and not worth much. When the mansion gets a new celadon jade paperweight with a mother and child dragon design, I'll send it to the master's outer study."

Cui Zemin could tell exactly what she was guarding against.

"The lady has absolute power. She can take any valuables from the backyard storeroom without me having to ask. But if I want to get something from the storeroom, I have to get the right token and the key. It's so complicated."

"Didn't my husband check the account books?"

Yunji looked at him with a smile and said, "The stationery and porcelain borrowed from the storeroom are all listed clearly in the registers. My husband is welcome to take a look."

Cui Zemin chose a rattan-covered chair, sat down, and picked up the book to carefully flip through it.

With an additional estate and nearly a hundred servants at hand, Yunji was busy with many matters at the end of the year and had no time to attend to Cui Zeming. He sat down at his desk and began to settle old accounts.

Hua Chao rushed back to the mansion from Beizhuang, covered in dust. Pushing open the door, she was startled to see Cui Zeming, that imposing figure, sitting in the room. She almost cried out in surprise.

"This servant greets Master and Madam."

"Is the grain stored in Beizhuang enough to distribute?"

"I've done a rough calculation. If Beizhuang follows the rules set by the old lady and pays 40% of its grain production each year, the remaining grain will be enough for the servants in the manor to live on."

After taking charge of the household, Hua Chao realized how difficult it was to manage the family. "This year there was a severe drought, and the harvest was poor. During the autumn harvest, the steward collected 60% of the grain according to the usual practice. Now, after a rough calculation, we are still short 180 shi of grain."

Yunji is currently short of money and can no longer afford to buy grain.

"Since the old lady has spoken, go find the steward and rightfully ask for the extra 20% of grain produced."

"I heard that the old lady has gone to the Buddhist hall to meditate again."

Hua Chao said with some concern, "I am but a lowly servant and my words carry little weight. I am afraid that the steward will use the excuse of the old lady's seclusion to disregard those words."

Yunji taught her how to speak, "If the steward won't give it to you, just tell him to go and tell the master. After all, you're doing this for the master."

Hua Chaojian saw that the lady had said this in front of the master, and he glanced at the master uneasily, only to see him coolly lift his eyelids and look at the lady.

She carefully gave the lady a look and stepped back, saying, "This servant will take care of it right away."

Yun Ji gracefully turned her body and sat with her back to Cui Zemin, so that no matter how he looked at her, she couldn't see him.

A moment later, Granny Kong came to the door and handed over the roster she was holding.

"Sir, Madam is well."

Yunji flipped through the register of servants, especially those circled by Granny Kong, and asked them in detail:

"How many servant girls in Beizhuang are suitable to be maids?"

"A total of fourteen."

"Besides Granny, Huachao, and Chunxuan, how many maids and servants are left in the courtyard?"

"Two first-class head maids, four second-class head maids, five junior maids, two cleaning maids, and three general helpers, for a total of sixteen people."

"Find an opportunity before the New Year to replace all the maids in the inner courtyard, and replace all the maids in the outer courtyard that can be replaced as well. From now on, only our own people will be left in the courtyard."

Yunji wants to replace the spy that You Shi planted in Qinghui Courtyard. The only uncertainty is whether she can replace Chi Ying.

Although Granny Kong was an old servant of the mansion, she had never seen such a large-scale reshuffling of personnel.

"This is a matter of great importance. This old servant begs the Madam to reconsider."

"There's no turning back now. It's either no change at all, or a complete and utter change. Which do you choose, Granny?"

If Yunji wants to achieve something in the Marquis's mansion, she cannot be restricted. The first thing to deal with is the spies planted in the courtyard.

With a solemn expression, Granny Kong said, "This old servant is willing to replace the servants for Madam."

"I just made up an excuse to send these maids and servants away, and gave them two options: either go to Minghe Hall to find the head nanny and get a new job, or go to Beizhuang to farm and raise mulberry trees."

Seeing her so preoccupied, Yunji comforted her, saying:

"Since the master didn't say 'no' once, why should you be so timid, nanny? Go ahead and do it boldly. The master will always be there to back you up."

Seeing Cui Zemin sitting behind her, supporting the lady without uttering a word, Granny Kong suddenly felt more confident and said, "This old servant obeys."

Cui Zemin sat in the accounting room for less than half an hour, and she used him twice by taking advantage of his power.

While he was away, heaven knows how many outrageous things she did in his name.

"Madam's schemes are all aimed at me. She's so shrewd, yet there's no profit in the accounts. Is this how a wife should manage a household?"