After the breakfast on the first and fifteenth, the Duchess seemed to have finally let out a breath of relief.
For all these years, she had managed the Duke’s Manor. Outwardly, everything looked respectable, but inside, not everything could be handled with ease. The major matters were borne by the men outside, while the trivial ones piled up in the inner quarters. It so happened that this period coincided with the change of seasons—Storehouse, kitchen, flower house, Sewing Room—each came back and forth asking for silver, materials, and allocations. She herself was originally a decisive person and hated most when subordinates wore her down with trivial, fragmented accounts, yet these were things she could not ignore.
That day, when Wen Yunyi went to pay her respects, she had just stepped inside when she saw two thick ledgers spread open on a small round table. Beside them stood an older female servant in charge of the Storehouse, head lowered as she reported.
The Duchess’s brows were furrowed, and her impatience was already evident.
“I will only ask you one thing,” she said, snapping the ledger shut in her hand, her tone sinking with it. “Last month, the kitchen took four bolts of fine cotton and two boxes of silver-thread charcoal, saying it was for each courtyard to simmer soups and heat water at night against the spring chill. Now the accounts show only what went out, not what remains. Tell me—where exactly did these things go?”
Sweat had already formed on the older female servant’s forehead, and even her voice trembled. “Replying to Madam, the kitchen said… said each courtyard used some in bits and pieces, and the accounts haven’t been sorted out in time…”
“Not sorted out in time?” The Duchess let out a cold laugh. “You can sort it out when delivering to each courtyard, but once it comes to reporting, it’s suddenly unclear? What a fine set of rules.”
Hearing this, Wen Yunyi paused slightly, then still stepped forward and performed her greeting. “Daughter-in-law greets Mother.”
Seeing her arrive, the Duchess’s expression softened slightly. “Sit. You came at the right time—saves me from being the only one here losing my temper.”
Wen Yunyi sat as told, her gaze sweeping over the open ledgers, but she did not speak immediately.
Xu Mingshu was also in the room. Today she wore a light willow-green jacket and rested her chin in her hand, looking as if her head hurt from listening. When she saw Wen Yunyi enter, she secretly let out a breath, as though someone had finally come to share the burden.
Jiang Yunzhi was not present.
Wen Yunyi was not surprised. Though the Duchess was lenient and allowed her to sit in at the family breakfasts on the first and fifteenth, when it came to serious inner-court matters like accounts and Storehouse management, she still could not take part.
Seeing that the older female servant still dared not answer, the Duchess pushed the ledger forward, her tone turning sharper. “You people have really grown capable. Always talking about ‘following the rules,’ but when I ask you to produce those rules, everything turns into muddled accounts.”
The older female servant’s face turned pale under the scolding, yet she dared not argue, only repeatedly acknowledging fault.
Only then did Wen Yunyi speak softly, “Mother, may I take a look at these accounts?”
The Duchess glanced at her and did not refuse, pushing the ledgers toward her. “If you can make sense of them, then look.”
Her tone carried the casual indulgence of an elder, clearly not expecting Wen Yunyi to immediately find anything in this mess.
Xu Mingshu, however, subconsciously straightened, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Since the incident with the banquet list before the tea gathering, she had felt a strange awkwardness toward this sister-in-law. She wanted to admit that Wen Yunyi had changed, yet could not quite bring herself to openly acknowledge it. Now, seeing her flip through the accounts, that conflicted urge to watch quietly surfaced again.
Wen Yunyi flipped through both ledgers—first the Storehouse entries, then the kitchen requisitions. Her gaze was steady, her page-turning unhurried. Originally, she did not truly know these things. But after coming here, since she had decided to firmly secure her position in the main courtyard, she could not simply confine herself to her own small domain. Moreover, the original body had been raised in the Prime Minister’s residence; through constant exposure, she was not entirely unfamiliar with household finances, allocations, and rules.
A legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister had never been taught only the arts.
Poetry, etiquette, household management—everything had to be learned.
Wen Yunyi’s fingertip lightly tapped a page, and she suddenly looked up at the older female servant. “During the colder spring nights, which places required the most late-night soups from the kitchen?”
The older female servant was taken aback but quickly replied, “Mostly Madam’s courtyard, the heir’s courtyard, and… and also the main courtyard and Listening Rain Pavilion.”
“And the flower house?” Wen Yunyi asked.
The servant froze again. “The flower house? They… they also took some, saying it was to protect newly moved orchids at night from the cold.”
Wen Yunyi nodded, flipped a few more pages, and then smiled faintly. “No wonder.”
The Duchess’s brows shifted. “You found something?”
Wen Yunyi turned the ledger toward her and pointed. “Mother, look here. The kitchen recorded taking two boxes of silver-thread charcoal, and the Storehouse logged it as a whole number. But when it came to distribution, the kitchen split one and a half boxes among the courtyards for soups, and moved the remaining half box under the flower house’s night protection expenses. Yet in the flower house’s own smaller ledger, a full box of charcoal is recorded again.”
She paused, her tone still calm. “That means the flower house entry was recorded twice.”
Silence fell over the room.
The older female servant’s expression changed first. “Th-this—”
The Duchess snatched the ledger and followed her indication. At once, she understood. Having managed the household for years, she was not incapable of reading accounts; she had simply been irritated earlier by the servant’s evasions and had not examined the details closely. Now that Wen Yunyi pointed it out, the tangled numbers immediately fell into place.
“No wonder it never matched.” The Duchess let out a cold laugh. “So someone took advantage of the flower house’s rarely checked accounts and slipped in an extra entry.”
The older female servant’s legs gave out, nearly collapsing. “Madam, please see clearly! I—I truly did not intend—”
“You did not intend?” The Duchess slammed the ledger onto the table. “You oversee the Storehouse and regularly reconcile with the flower house. If something like this slips past your eyes, you still dare claim it wasn’t intentional?”
The servant’s face turned ashen, unable to even form a defense.
Xu Mingshu’s eyes widened in astonishment. She had thought it was just another muddled account, yet after a few pages, Wen Yunyi had identified the problem. Unable to hold back, she blurted, “Sister-in-law, how did you see that?”
The word “sister-in-law” slipped out, and she herself froze for a moment.
Wen Yunyi did not seem to notice anything unusual. “No matter how messy the accounts, there must be a destination. Silver-thread charcoal is not a trivial item—if it was used, it should match everywhere. Now that one item appears twice across two ledgers, it can only mean someone tried to inflate the amount.”
As she spoke, she looked at the older female servant, her tone still gentle. “If you honestly explain now who had a hand in this, Mother may still consider your years of service and deal with you lightly. If you still wish to muddle through…”
She did not finish, merely closing the ledger softly.
But the meaning was clear enough to chill the heart.
Already guilty, the servant broke under that gaze. Sweat rolled down her forehead as she finally dropped to her knees and confessed everything—the flower house steward’s extra requisition under the pretext of protecting plants, and her own negligence in failing to verify it.
The Duchess’s face darkened. She waved her hand, ordering the servant dragged away, and sent for the flower house steward as well.
Only after they left did the room grow quieter.
The Duchess sat there, silent for a while, then suddenly smiled and scolded lightly, “You’ve finally started to look the part.”
The words were casual, yet far more pleasant than earlier reprimands.
Xu Mingshu’s eyes lit up as she leaned closer. “Sister-in-law, did you always know how to read accounts? I thought these things were the dullest.”
Wen Yunyi lifted her teacup, gently brushing aside the floating leaves. “Dull as they are, they’re still part of living. You may find them troublesome now, but sooner or later, you’ll have to learn.”
Xu Mingshu immediately wrinkled her nose, clearly thinking, I’ll deal with that later, which made even the Duchess laugh.
With the tension eased, the Duchess leaned back and looked at Wen Yunyi differently now, as if finally considering her for real household affairs. “Since you can see through this, from now on, send a copy of the monthly Storehouse accounts to the main courtyard. Your health has recovered—it’s time you start putting your hands into these matters. I can’t be expected to oversee everything at my age.”
The weight of those words was different.
It was not praise, but the clear granting of responsibility.
Bai Lan, standing nearby, felt her heart tighten.
She knew that once these words were spoken, it meant Madam truly intended for the young madam to gradually take charge of the inner household. The position of the main courtyard mistress was never secured by marriage alone—handling accounts, controlling allocations, and making subordinates recognize her authority were what truly mattered.
Wen Yunyi understood the significance.
She did not refuse, simply setting down her teacup and responding steadily, “Yes.”
Her reply was calm, yet decisive.
The Duchess looked at her. If she could remain this steady, then the main courtyard of the Duke’s Manor truly ought to be supported by her.
Meanwhile, Xu Jinzhi was passing through the covered corridor.
The door was half open. He had only come to inform his mother about guests arriving in the outer courtyard that afternoon, but as he approached, he heard Wen Yunyi’s calm, unhurried voice.
He paused slightly.
Through the half-open door, he saw her seated below the Duchess, two ledgers spread before her. She was not dressed brightly today, yet she sat straight-backed, her tone composed. When she pointed out the duplicated charcoal entry, her expression had been so calm it was as if she had always known how to manage such things.
The sight stirred a faint sense of unfamiliarity within him.
Yet beneath that unfamiliarity, something faintly familiar surfaced.
He suddenly recalled their early days of marriage.
Back then, Wen Yunyi had not yet become the easily provoked woman who revolved around Jiang Yunzhi. She had been well-read, broad-minded. On quiet nights, they had sat together beneath lamplight, speaking of poetry and scenery—spring crabapple blossoms, autumn moonlight—and how different poets could render the same landscape into entirely different meanings.
Because of that past, when she later changed so drastically, he had felt more exhausted, more confused.
The thought passed quickly.
Jiang Yunzhi was indeed likable—gentle, soft, easy to be around. But in terms of knowledge and conversation, she lacked something. She could listen, smile, and respond earnestly, yet that deeper connection was faint.
It was not about who was better—only that they were different.
Xu Jinzhi pressed the thought down, stepped forward, and knocked lightly.
Everyone in the room turned toward the door.
Seeing him, the Duchess said, “Why stand outside? If you have something to say, come in.”
He entered, greeted her, and explained about the guests in the outer courtyard. As he finished, his gaze casually swept past Wen Yunyi. She had already closed the ledger, her expression calm, as though what had just happened meant little to her.
He said nothing more, only remarking to the Duchess, “Since Mother has given her the accounts, you need not bear all of this alone.”
The room fell briefly silent.
The Duchess snorted. “You’re quick to go with the flow. If you truly cared for me, you’d let me hold a grandchild sooner.”
Xu Mingshu burst out laughing.
Xu Jinzhi frowned slightly. “Mother.”
Wen Yunyi sat quietly, her expression unchanged, though a faint bitterness stirred within.
The matter of heirs would likely weigh on her again and again. But this time, she did not feel only discomfort. More clearly than ever, she understood what truly mattered in this position.
After Xu Jinzhi left, the Duchess seemed to recall something and said to Wen Yunyi, “You read a lot in your family. I thought poetry and such were just young ladies’ interests. I didn’t expect you to handle accounts well too. Seems I underestimated you.”
Her words were direct.
Wen Yunyi lowered her gaze slightly. “In my family, though Father did not allow me to interfere with outside matters, he often had me look over inner household accounts. It was only later…” She paused. “Later, I let my own focus go astray.”
The room fell quiet.
The Duchess did not reply immediately, but the softness in her eyes could not be hidden. After a moment, she said, “Realizing it now is not too late.”
Wen Yunyi looked at her and softly responded, “Mm.”
By the time she left the Duchess’s courtyard, it was nearly noon. The sunlight had grown stronger, casting a soft sheen over the newly replaced orchids under the corridor.
Qing Tao followed behind, her steps lighter than before. “Madam truly handed the Storehouse accounts to you just now.”
Bai Lan also smiled. “From now on, no one can say the young madam only sits in the main courtyard enjoying ease.”
Wen Yunyi walked unhurriedly, lifting her eyes to the bright sky ahead.
She knew exactly what this step meant.
She had finally touched the core workings of the household.
And that was worth far more than fleeting favor.
At that thought, a faint but steady smile finally appeared at her lips.