“Nonsense! How is it that the accounts are suddenly empty and in deficit the moment they fall into your hands? When your Auntie managed this household for so long, we never saw such shortages! Absolute nonsense!”
Furious, Cao Jianfeng stood up and strode forward, raising his hand to strike Lingyun.
“Master! What are you doing? Lingyun is still so young how can you strike her?”
Liu Ruoyan immediately stepped in front of Lingyun, shielding her.
“This is all because you, as her mother, failed to teach her properly! She has been in charge for only a few days and has already made such a mess of things. Truly…”
He clutched his head as if in pain, and was helped back to his seat by Aunt Peng.
But no sooner had she sat down than a heavy thud was heard. Everyone looked over to see that Aunt Peng had fallen to her knees on the floor.
Lingyun stood to the side, smiling coldly. She knew the show was about to begin.
“Master, I beg you do not blame the Mistress or the Third Miss. It is all my fault! When I managed the household, I already saw that the accounts were deeply in debt. I used the silver and treasures from my own dowry to cover the gaps, but who could have known that even that would not be enough to fill the deficit? This is how we have ended up in such disgrace today. I beg you to punish me!”
Hearing her plea, Cao Jianfeng hurried to help her up, his heart aching with sympathy.
“You are frail and weak do not kneel on the cold ground. Your dowry was never large to begin with, and now you have spent it all to cover our debts. How will you and your daughter manage and survive in the future?”
At this, Aunt Peng became so emotional she nearly broke down in tears. Remembering that many servants were present, she quickly brought out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
“Master, since I became yours, I have always put the family’s affairs first. I am fortunate to be loved and cherished by you and the Mistress. When you entrusted the household management to me, though I have little talent, I only wished to lighten your burdens.”
Her words made Cao Jianfeng feel even more protective and sorry for her. He helped her to a seat and softened completely, no longer speaking a single harsh word.
“Auntie, it is good that you devoted yourself so wholeheartedly to this family. But how much could your dowry have been worth? Only a few hundred taels of silver, at most. Yet our household spends more than that in a single year. You managed affairs for a long time surely you know this simple truth?”
“Even if you really did use your dowry to fill the gaps, it would have taken at least a thousand taels to make any difference. You say a few hundred taels sustained us for all that time and kept up the family’s reputation? That is truly impressive almost too impressive to believe.”
The moment Lingyun spoke, everyone present was stunned. No one had expected the quiet, gentle girl who had always seemed harmless to understand such things or speak with such sharpness.
Liu Ruoyan stood watching her daughter, filled with amazement and confusion. She could not understand when Lingyun had built such strong defenses and armed herself with such wisdom.
It was both a blessing and a sorrow.
“You usually remain silent and say very little, yet now that you are in charge, you speak with such eloquence and confidence. It seems you have learned and grown a great deal!” the Old Madame said from the side, her tone thick with sarcasm and disdain.
“All I know is what you have taught me over the years, Grandmother. Otherwise, I would never have improved so much. But every word I speak is true, and I have proof for everything I say,” Lingyun replied. She stood up and looked at all the people before her.
The constant turmoil in this house gave her a headache. But she reminded herself that in her past life, she hadn’t even been blessed with the chance to worry about such things. In this life, she would cherish every moment and fight for what was right.
Aunt Peng stared at Lingyun, shocked by her sharp tongue and quick wit. They were all wondering how this girl could have changed and advanced so much in such a short time.
Peng Xue’s hands were clenched tightly into fists inside her sleeves. Lingyun did not even need to look to know that her knuckles were white with pressure. Where was the delicate, frail woman she pretended to be? It was all just an act.
“How could this be happening? Summon all the stewards and accountants at once! We will audit the books together and find out exactly what has been going on with our finances all these years!”
At the mention of money, Cao Jianfeng became even more enraged. When it came to matters affecting the family’s fortune and future, he was determined to get to the bottom of things.
But the moment he ordered them to bring the records for inspection, Aunt Peng burst into tears and fainted right into Cao Jianfeng’s arms.
“Mother! Oh, my poor mother! How cruel fate is to you! You gave your whole heart to this family, and this is how you are treated in return! I told you not to worry so much, but you insisted on spending your own money to cover the household debts!”
Cao Linglan wailed so loudly she seemed on the verge of suffocating. If the servants had not been holding her up, she too would have collapsed beside her mother.
“Linglan, your mother has fainted. How can you stand there crying and making such a fuss? Shouldn’t you be calling for a physician immediately?”
Seeing everyone crowd around Aunt Peng and stare at her, Lingyun almost laughed. It was like watching a performing monkey in a circus.
But then again, Aunt Peng was used to being the center of attention. She probably found it quite enjoyable.
“Quickly, fetch the doctor! My mother is terribly frail if anything happens to her, what will we do?” Cao Linglan shouted, rushing toward the door.
But before the doctor could arrive, the head bookkeeper had already entered.
“I pay my respects to the Master and Mistress.”
“Forget the formalities! Bring all the ledgers and check every entry carefully. If I find even the smallest error or discrepancy, I will have you all brought before the court and prosecuted!”
Cao Jianfeng sat in the seat of authority, his face dark and troubled. He had never realized before how much corruption and disgrace had been hidden within his own household.
“All the accountants and stewards are here now. Let us look through everything together. We will start from the very first day records were kept, and find out exactly where things went wrong and who is responsible.”
Lingyun stood up and helped her mother to sit comfortably. She was not truly concerned about the outcome. Aunt Peng could not be removed so easily, and the household was now under her control. Once the truth was revealed, Peng Xue would have no choice but to behave herself for a while.
“Master, the accounts were still normal until a year ago. But after that, everything changed completely. The amounts recorded for daily provisions, cosmetics, and oils increased several times over. The money spent on social visits and official engagements for the Master and Mistress also multiplied. Yet these past few years have been filled with war and hardship how could the cost of everything have risen so sharply compared to ordinary times?”
The stewards looked at the situation before them and knew there was no way to cover it up any longer. The wisest choice now was to protect themselves by telling the truth.
“Indeed, our household expenses were never excessive. When the Mistress managed the affairs, we often even had a surplus. But then…”
The bookkeeper glanced nervously at Aunt Peng, speaking with great caution. Everyone in the manor knew she was the Master’s favorite concubine. To involve her too deeply would only bring trouble upon themselves.
“But then what?” Cao Jianfeng pressed, sounding unwilling to accept what he suspected.
He turned his cold, piercing gaze toward Peng Xue. Liu Ruoyan, frightened by the look in his eyes, quickly moved closer to Lingyun and stood by her side.
Lingyun noticed her mother’s fear and took her hand, guiding her to sit down beside her.
In any case, today was turning out to be quite a show.
But knowing Cao Jianfeng’s character, Lingyun was certain he would never punish Aunt Peng severely. Instead, he would find every possible excuse to defend and absolve her.
Just then, the doctor arrived. Before he had even stepped through the door with his medical box, they heard Cao Jianfeng’s urgent voice call out:
“Doctor, come in quickly! My concubine is very ill your help is urgently needed!”