The smile vanished from Steward Liang’s face as he took the account book and examined it carefully. Several other stewards gathered around to look as well.
“This ink…” Steward Liang still wanted to find an excuse to explain.
Yu Sheng raised her eyes to look at the stewards and fired off questions one after another: “Has the price of silk purchased by the cloth shop remained the same for three consecutive years?”
“The pawnshop buys low and sells high, yet it has incurred such heavy losses?”
“The kitchen spends over a hundred taels on eggs alone every month?”
By the time she reached the last question, she was so angry she laughed.
Given how her uncles and aunts had been lining their own pockets like this, it was truly a testament to Father Yu’s abilities that the Yujia’s businesses hadn’t collapsed yet.
Hearing these questions, the stewards broke out in a nervous sweat.
If Second Master Yu and the others had come themselves, they might have been able to argue their way out of it in front of the young mistress, relying on their status as elders.
But as hired hands, they inevitably felt inferior.
The key point was… the young mistress had clearly come prepared.
In the main hall, over a dozen servants and maids stood in two rows on either side. The scene was almost like a courtroom interrogation of criminals.
Feihong and Dicui stood on either side of the young mistress, flipping through account books so fast that the pages rustled loudly, their hands moving with such speed they seemed to blur.
Their imposing manner suggested that, at their mistress’s command, they could unleash a barrage of “one hundred and eight questions.”
Seeing this, the stewards broke out in even more sweat.
When the masters of the Yujia fought for power and control, it was always the underlings who suffered.
For a moment, no one dared to utter a word.
Yu Sheng spoke unhurriedly, “Think carefully for yourselves. Will you tell the truth, or will you rack your brains to find excuses to cover up these full-of-holes, shoddy accounts?”
As she spoke, she casually flicked an abacus bead. The crisp sound of the bead colliding echoed clearly in the silent main hall.
That small noise seemed to be the final straw that broke the stewards’ resolve.
They couldn’t even remain silent for too long. If they missed the opportunity to speak, it would be difficult to say anything later.
Steward Liang spoke with difficulty, “This… this was all Second Master and Fourth Master’s idea. We had no choice.”
When trouble arose, Second Master and Fourth Master hid quickly. The other stewards also felt there was no need to hold out. Seeing that Steward Liang had already spoken, they too honestly confessed one after another.
Today, under Old Madame’s urging, Second Master Yu and the others had taken many paintings, calligraphy, jewelry, estates, and shops to exchange for silver, which they then used to patch up the accounts.
Although the books still couldn’t be balanced, compared to before, they now looked much better.
After hearing what they said, Yu Sheng’s expression gradually turned blank.
Dicui said indignantly, “Truly, day and night you guard against thieves, but it’s hardest to guard against those within the family!”
Feihong, with a cold face, asked the stewards, “Do you still remember who pays your monthly wages?”
“We know, we know.”
“It was the master before, and it will be the young mistress from now on!”
“From now on, we will definitely follow the young mistress’s lead!”
The stewards seized the opportunity to pledge their loyalty.
Yu Sheng didn’t quite trust these fence-sitters. However, since they were very clear about where the account books had been falsified, she temporarily set aside her reservations and used them to thoroughly investigate the accounts.
The investigation of the account books continued until deep into the night.
Steward Liang, being older, couldn’t endure it and kept rubbing his eyes.
Yu Sheng had already achieved her goal and decided to stop there. “We’ll end here for today. You may go back now.”
Hearing this, the stewards felt as if they had received a pardon. They immediately bowed and took their leave.
After they left, Feihong and Dicui also urged Yu Sheng to return to Zizai Ge and rest. “Young Mistress has been busy all day. It’s time to retire.”
“Very well, first secure these account books and lock them away.” Seeing that night had grown deep, Yu Sheng instructed everyone to put away their things.
As she led the maidservants back to Zizai Ge, a sudden unease gripped her. She dismissed the rest, taking only Feihong and Dicui on a detour to Songfeng Yuan, intending to check on Father Yu once more.
But halfway there, a glint of cold light flashed along the wall, catching the corner of her eye.
In the dark of night, danger lurked everywhere.
She heard a sharp whistle pierce the night, rising in urgency as it echoed through the courtyard—
Something had happened at Songfeng Yuan!
Yu Sheng realized it instantly.
That afternoon, she had arranged with the guards that in case of emergencies during patrols, they would signal with whistles, allowing others to rush to their aid upon hearing them.
As Yu Sheng hurried toward Songfeng Yuan, others in Yu Yuan also heard the whistles. Guards and household servants immediately converged on the area.
In the dead of night, several groups dashed through Yu Yuan with swift footsteps.
“Feihong, Dicui, guard Chuihua Men!” Yu Sheng moved swiftly, speaking as she went. “No matter what happens, do not let any intruders disturb my mother and sisters!”
“Yes!” Feihong and Dicui responded and hurried off.
Yu Sheng rushed to Songfeng Yuan. As soon as she entered the courtyard gate, the scent of blood and an aura of killing intent assailed her.
Cui Gui and Guo Hu, along with the guards they led, were being forced back step by step by over a dozen black-clad, masked assailants.
“Fifth Young Master!” Cui Gui shouted to Yu Xiuzhu, gritting his teeth and holding on desperately. “With this injury… bleeding so much, surely the eldest young lady will give me an extra two months’ wages when she sees this, right?”
“What kind of time is this to be thinking about money?” Guo Hu couldn’t help but spit at him. “You need to be alive to spend it!”
Cui Gui retorted, “You’ve had your share of benefits, so you wouldn’t understand my hardship! Today, the eldest young lady didn’t even see my face. If I die here like this, I, Old Cui, would suffer a huge loss!”
A few steps away in the shadows, Yu Xiuzhu tried to ambush the nearest black-clad figure with a wooden staff, but the assailant sensed him and turned to slash at him with a blade.
The staff was instantly cleaved in two by the sword, its edge sweeping toward Yu Xiuzhu’s head. His eyes widened, thinking: My life is probably going to end here today!
Yu Sheng strode forward, pulling Yu Xiuzhu aside with one hand while drawing the soft sword from her waist with the other, severing the black-clad figure’s wrist tendons.
Blood sprayed, the broadsword fell from the assailant’s hand, and the man screamed in agony as he stumbled backward.
Yu Sheng’s long sword was stained with blood, its gleam reflecting on her face, sharpening her expression.
“Elder Sister!” Yu Xiuzhu snapped back to reality, seeing Yu Sheng appear as if a deity had descended from the heavens.
She steadied him. “Be careful.”
“Elder… Elder Sister…” Yu Xiuzhu, who had slacked off in martial arts training as a child out of laziness, felt too ashamed to lift his head, having nearly lost his life in a crisis and needing his elder sister to rescue him.
Yu Sheng warned him sternly, “Do not act so recklessly next time.”
“Yes!” Yu Xiuzhu nodded emphatically, silently resolving: From now on, I must train diligently and never slack off again.
Yu Sheng glanced sideways and saw the black-clad figures ruthlessly attacking the guards. She immediately turned and charged in front of the guards, her sword deflecting several blades as she engaged the group of assailants in fierce combat.
Amid the clash of swords and blades, sparks flew, illuminating her determined eyes and brows.
“Young Lady!”
“Young Lady is here!”
Guo Hu and his comrades, seeing this, cheered with excitement, shouting loudly.
Amidst the fierce fighting, Yu Sheng managed to shout, “Hold on, the others will be here soon!”
“Yes!” Hearing this, the guards immediately regained some of their fighting spirit and charged forward, engaging the black-clad men in a desperate struggle.
While overjoyed, Cui Gui also felt a twinge of regret. He had finally caught a glimpse of the young mistress, only for her first words to be about money. It seemed he would never have a chance to outshine Guo Hu again. With this thought, he fought even more fiercely alongside his comrades.
“Forget the small fry, kill this one first!” The leader of the black-clad men clearly hadn’t expected tonight’s visit to Yu Yuan to be so troublesome. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “Leave the guards! Surround her!”
At his command, the black-clad men immediately abandoned the guards and swiftly converged on Yu Sheng.
“Young Mistress Yu Sheng, is it? I was planning to seek you out, but you’ve come to me instead!” The leader stepped forward, raising his blade as he growled, “Kill her!”
Before his words faded, the black-clad men closed in from all directions, trapping Yu Sheng in their midst. In the darkness, cold steel glinted as over a dozen blades were raised high and swung down at her—