“Ah, it’s Steward Zhang. Please, come in quickly.”
As Steward Zhang walked slowly toward her, Lingyun immediately withdrew behind the screen.
For an unmarried young lady, life within the inner quarters was naturally governed by strict rules. Male servants were only permitted to speak with her from the other side of a screen. Even a trusted household servant was kept at a distance in this way, a clear mark of the mistress’s status and propriety.
“I pay my respects to the young lady. I have heard that you have now taken charge of household affairs, and I offer you my sincere congratulations,” Steward Zhang said. He had served the Cao family for twenty-five years and had always been the one in control of the account books.
He had managed the ledgers for Madam Liu when she ran the household. But times had changed; a few months ago, when Aunt Peng took over the management, he had simply shifted his loyalty and continued keeping the books for her instead.
“I sent Bao Yan to summon you because I wish to review the household accounts myself. Now that the responsibility falls to me, it would not do to be unfamiliar with the state of our finances,” Lingyun said.
She took the ledgers and glanced through them briefly. It took only a moment to see that the records were not only unclear and disorganized, but also filled with errors and omissions nearly nine out of ten entries were wrong or missing.
Clearly, this steward had taken her gentle appearance for weakness, assuming she would be easy to bully. He had handed her these falsified books, hoping to deceive her and slip past unnoticed.
Slap! Lingyun struck the table sharply. “Steward Zhang, do you take me for a fool? The household is deeply in debt and running empty does this look like the account of a family of a Second-Rank Official? Even the books of a humble merchant or peddler would not look this destitute and impoverished!”
Seeing her anger, the steward immediately fell to his knees, putting on a show of complete innocence.
“Young Lady, I only manage the records as I am instructed. I know nothing of the matters behind the numbers. The accounts were exactly like this when Madam Liu was in charge, and I simply continued as before when Aunt Peng took over. She did her best to recover the losses and set things right, but alas, the foundation was already empty and the resources long gone!”
Hearing how he twisted his words, Lingyun couldn’t help but laugh a cold, mocking sound that cut into Steward Zhang like a knife.
Yet even while kneeling, the cunning in his eyes remained undimmed. It was obvious he was fully determined to oppose and defy her.
“Steward Zhang, are you implying that my mother was greedy and drained the family’s wealth? You really are amusing. If you wish to invent excuses, you should at least make them believable. My maternal grandfather left my mother a vast fortune do you really think she would stoop to stealing such trivial sums as these?”
Lingyun stood up and looked toward the figure kneeling behind the screen. She knew without asking that Steward Zhang must have been bribed; otherwise, he would never dare to slander her mother so shamelessly.
“You accuse my mother of stealing funds, Steward Zhang. But I would like to ask you could it be that you are the one who has been lining your own pockets and falsifying the records? How else could things be in such a state?”
Her voice grew louder and sharper as she spoke, and she threw the account books out onto the floor before him.
“Bring me the real ledgers immediately. Otherwise, you can take your head and present it to the Young Duke yourself!”
Invoking the authority of Zhou Hongbai this powerful, towering figure gave her immense confidence. She knew without a doubt that this insolent servant lived in fear of his name and power.
Sure enough, at the mention of Zhou Hongbai, Steward Zhang instantly bowed and scraped, his earlier arrogance and domineering manner vanishing completely.
“Young Lady, you have surely misunderstood this old servant! I have served faithfully all these years. I would gladly give my life for the Cao family!”
“But the truth remains: there is truly no money left in the accounts. Now that you are the mistress of the household, it is your duty to contribute funds to fill the deficit, not to stand here questioning me about where the money has gone!”
A cup was hurled across the room, splashing water against the screen. The impact made the screen sway dangerously. Steward Zhang took several steps back, no longer kneeling but standing upright, right in front of Lingyun.
“It seems, Steward Zhang, that you have forgotten the difference between master and servant. Since you are so confused about your place, I see no need for you to manage accounts any longer. You may go to the kitchen and work as a cook instead. That way, you will have less time to spread rumors and stir up trouble. It is truly absurd that you have never even properly met me, yet you speak ill of me and make up so many false claims!”
Steward Zhang’s face turned a mottled shade of green and white. His short, thick fingers clenched tightly together, and sweat poured down his body.
He had never expected this young lady whom everyone had described as foolish and soft-hearted to be so formidable and difficult to deal with. Clearly, Aunt Peng had vastly underestimated her.
“Steward Zhang, since you claim that when Aunt Peng managed the household, the accounts were kept perfectly clear and she even used her own dowry money to fill the gaps then let us summon her here. We shall question her face to face, right now. That way, no one can say I have wronged you, would you agree?”
Lingyun casually picked up a fruit from the table and took a bite. Its overly sweet taste filled her mouth instantly.
At the suggestion of bringing Aunt Peng before them, Steward Zhang’s confidence returned immediately, and he nodded eagerly in agreement.
“Bao Yan, go and invite Aunt Peng to come here.”
There is an old saying: Cultivate the self, manage the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.
Lingyun did not truly aspire to the level of bringing peace to the world. She only hoped that, in this second life, she would not repeat the mistakes of the past, lose her life again, or cause her family and friends pain and worry.
Before long, Aunt Peng arrived. She was dressed in plain white, her hair loosely arranged, with strands brushed down across her temples. She presented a picture of utter frailty and weakness.
“I heard the Young Lady wished to see me. I have come despite suffering from a cold and fever. I was in too much haste to bring a gift, and I hope you will not take offense,” Aunt Peng said as she stepped forward. Her face was deathly pale, without a trace of color, and she looked exhausted and frail.
It was as if being summoned to answer questions about the household accounts was a heavy burden and a great injustice to her.
“Is your health still so poor, Auntie? It is hardly the season for colds and chills, yet you have fallen ill. We should send for a physician quickly to examine you do not let your condition worsen from overexertion,” Lingyun said.
She stepped forward and gave a subtle signal. Rouge immediately brought a chair forward, making sure this delicate, frail concubine had a place to rest.
“It is nothing serious, merely caused by dampness in the body, that is all. Your father is very concerned for me and fears I may tire myself. He has already sent for several doctors to see me, so there is no need to trouble yourself, Young Lady,” Aunt Peng replied.
Secretly, she thought to herself: This little girl is certainly a bit sharper than that doormat Liu Ruoyan but only just a little bit.
“Please have some tea, Auntie. I asked you to come today to discuss the household finances. The deficit is severe and the accounts are deeply in the red are you aware of this?”
As soon as Lingyun spoke, Peng Xue took over the conversation smoothly, without a hint of fear or hesitation.
“Young Lady, when I took over the management, I discovered immediately how serious the shortfall was. Large sums of money were missing, with no record of where they went. Although I was born a concubine, I could not neglect my duty to maintain this household. So I took the silver and treasures from my own dowry and used them to cover the debts. But my resources are limited; even with my own money, I could not balance everything fairly. Now it falls upon you, the eldest daughter, to bear this burden. It is truly a tragedy,” she sighed deeply.
She leaned heavily against the chair, looking delicate, fragile, and utterly pitiful. With just a few well-chosen words, she had painted herself as a devoted woman who had sacrificed everything for the family. How could her mother, with her kind and soft heart, ever hope to compete with her? No wonder even the Old Madame had grown increasingly fond of her she was truly formidable!
“Auntie, you say you used your own dowry to fill the gaps. Then let me ask you this if that is the case, where did all of Father’s official salary and income go all these years?”