Chapter 1893: 1880: Taking Action

Chapter 1893: Chapter 1880: Taking Action

Wang Yongzhu looked at the cautious demeanor of the two concubines and suddenly recalled that not long ago, when she and Song Chongjin, along with Old Granny Zhang, had just entered the Duke Weiguo Residence, these concubines’ attitudes were rather arrogant and dismissive.

Back then, it’s likely they regarded her husband and her, along with Old Granny Zhang, as countryside folks coming for autumn visits. They probably never imagined that one day, they’d have to watch Wang Yongzhu’s expressions to live, did they?

Suddenly, Wang Yongzhu felt it pointless. Initially, she intended to establish authority over the two concubines by reprimanding them a few times, but seeing them like this, she couldn’t be bothered to say more.

She directly instructed, “You should both hand over the household accounts, keys, and tokens later.”

The two concubines exchanged a glance, their faces turned pale, and they nodded submissively.

This was naturally the rightful thing to do; the Wife of the Heir-Apparent had returned, so it was only proper for her to take control of the courtyard. Even though they were reluctant in their hearts, they knew being in charge of the household brought deference from all around and could also yield considerable benefits.

Both concubines had selfish motives: one aimed to save more dowry for her son, while the other wanted to leave more private savings for her daughters.

During the time Song Chongxiu managed the household, Maternal Aunt Meng had benefited a lot. After Song Chongxiu got married, Maternal Aunt Dong joined in managing the household, and both had a mutual understanding, resulting in their purses being quite well-off now.

Suddenly having to hand over this power was unsettling for them.

However, the arm cannot wrestle with the thigh; no matter how unwilling they were, they didn’t dare to delay.

With pale faces, they returned to their own courtyards and instructed their people to organize everything. At the same time, they ordered someone to inquire about what exactly happened upon the return of the heir and his wife.

Not long after, they learned the whole story. Both were so frightened their legs went weak, remembering Wang Yongzhu’s fierce nature back in the day. They couldn’t help but be grateful for being spared some face today.

Immediately, they had no other thoughts; holding onto the accounts and tokens felt like holding onto a hot potato. They hurried to deliver everything respectfully, not even taking time for lunch.

Wang Yongzhu had already given orders by then, having Song Wu send in another batch of maids and old women, personally selecting a few pleasant ones to keep beside her for service.

The previous courtyard full of maids was sent back, not only that, but they were also reprimanded, warning that if anyone in the residence had ulterior motives again, they’d be expelled directly instead of being sent back.

Then she conducted a thorough inspection of the accounts and boldly reformed several outdated household rules.

Previously, she was too lazy to manage because she didn’t need to live in the Duke’s Mansion. Now, seeing the Emperor’s indication, it seemed that she and Song Chongjin shouldn’t think about leaving the Capital City for years to come.

Living in the Duke’s Mansion, naturally, it should be as comfortable as possible.

The Duke’s Mansion servants were all seasoned, long-standing staff. Even during the time when Lady Gao managed the household, they sometimes traded on their years of service.

Not to mention when the concubines and girls were in charge, although it appeared that the Duke Weiguo Residence operated without much discrepancy outside, internally, there were plenty of problems.

Now with Wang Yongzhu’s intervention, these Old Servants couldn’t handle it, first inciting in front of Song Wu, and then boldly bringing complaints to Song Hong.

What kind of person was Song Hong? In recent years, only because there hadn’t been any major incidents, he was too lazy to intervene.

He wasn’t foolish; he understood the priorities very well. Although his relationship with his son, Song Chongjin, couldn’t be too close, there was no need to push him away, was there?

Therefore, these complaining Old Servants were immediately each given twenty harsh strokes and dragged out. The entire mansion was warned that now, it was the Master Heir-Apparent and the Wife of the Heir-Apparent who managed the household. Anyone who dared to slight them would face the same fate as those people.

Their legs were broken, dragged out into the freezing winter, leaving trails of blood in the snow, which were not allowed to be cleaned for three days to serve as a warning for the mansion’s servants.

For a time, everyone in the mansion was in trepidation, not daring to have any other thoughts. In just over a month, the Duke Weiguo Residence was completely renewed.

The Old Servants, who usually relied on their seniority, slacked off, and embezzled in all sorts of ways, were either demoted to the countryside or directly sold off.

Over the years, countless offspring of servants had proliferated in the mansion, and now, there were only a few masters needing service; what use was there for these people?

However, Wang Yongzhu was also measured. Song Hong’s personal soldiers and those who once followed him onto the battlefield were well settled, whether they were older or injured.

Not only were their monthly salaries increased, but their benefits were also improved.

This reassured Song Hong and those around him.

Meanwhile, when Song Chongjin returned from duty, the Emperor only assigned him an idle position, giving him considerable free time each day.

Conveniently, the reward Wang Yongzhu requested, a land deed for a mountain forest in the Suburbs of the Capital, was given to Song Chongjin for them to choose from at their will.

Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu took time to visit that mountain forest and ended up selecting a piece of land.

They had someone survey it, and indeed discovered several hot springs.

Naturally, they fenced it off, planning to build a villa near the hot springs; these days, Song Chongjin was busy with these matters.

In the Emperor’s eyes, this was satisfactory indeed.

Due to Song Chongjin still holding the Northwestern Circuit Censor position, finding someone else to take over wouldn’t reassure the Emperor or command respect.

So, they simply let Song Chongjin retain the title. Among the overseers besides a few chosen by the Emperor, Lee Changnan was promoted, now holding an official rank of sixth grade.

If he conscientiously performed his duties, his future prospects were indeed promising.

The Lee Family had received a merely honorary rank and a sixth-grade official title since the founding of the country by donating most of their family fortune.

Over the many years, only Lee Changnan, apart from the family’s head at the time, had reached such a high position from the founding till now.

Upon learning of this news, the Lee Family could not help but feel regret.

The Lee Family had someone convey the message through various channels, intending to persuade Lee Changnan to return to the family, promising numerous benefits.

Yet now, Lee Changnan didn’t need these, on the contrary, the Lee Family now had to curry favor with him.

Having endured for so many years, Lee Changnan finally breathed freely and proudly.

However, the rift with the Lee Family was already deep, and naturally, it wouldn’t be so easy to eliminate all grievances.

The Lee Family People, even if they had opinions, dared not express them, reluctantly enduring, hoping with time and the grindstone of persistence, Lee Changnan might eventually come around.

To speak of nothing else, Wang Yongzhu organized the Duke Weiguo Residence affairs before picking up Old Granny Zhang to bring her home.

When Old Granny Zhang arrived in the Capital City, she initially thought of returning to the courtyard they bought upon entering the capital, but the Gu Family got wind of it, how could they agree?

Gu Changque personally came to fetch her; Old Granny Zhang couldn’t refuse. Besides, she did miss her family, so she seamlessly moved into the Gu Family.

The Gu Family had now divided into three separate households, with Gu Zimei married off.

However, Gu Changqing’s eldest son, Gu Ziluan, had recently returned from an external assignment, bringing his wife and children back to the Capital City.

Gu Ziluan’s wife, Lady Hua, had given birth to a son and daughter. The small daughter was now only four or five years old, in the prime of her cuteness.

Old Lady Gu and the Eldest Lady were now entirely devoted to this little girl, only occasionally worrying about Gu Zikai still being unmarried. Their days were otherwise quite smooth.

Hearing about Old Granny Zhang’s return, they were extremely joyful.

Lady Hua was the eldest grandson’s wife, selected carefully and married in after much deliberation, naturally possessing a unique grace.

Meeting Old Granny Zhang, this aunt, she was both respectful and warm, ensuring everything was in perfect order, making Old Granny Zhang genuinely fond of this elder niece-in-law.