Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 522 - 525: Attitude (Part 2)

Xiqiu did not anticipate that so many things would happen in just one day. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What is the Emperor’s attitude?"

Fourth Master Xiao smiled faintly and said, "The Emperor has no special instructions, but the bid is left on the desk." He paused and continued, "Shi Shengjie has gone to Tongzhou overnight!"

Shi Shengjie is the successor to Han Cheng as the Deputy Commander of the Inner Imperial Guard.

"Could it be?" Xiqiu was greatly surprised by the Emperor’s reaction but then felt it was reasonable. If the Teng Family truly withdrew from the spotlight by handing over the canal transport and the affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, retiring to Tongzhou to secure the tea and rice business, the Emperor might spare the Teng. But now...

Xiqiu sighed and said, "Will the Fifth Young Master be implicated?" Fourth Master Xiao shook his head and replied, "Not yet!"

This was indeed fortunate.

Early the next morning, Nanny Li from the side of the Second Madam arrived, carrying three or four stacks of approximately six or seven account books and tokens. Nanny Li was very tall, with a shorter than usual distance between her brows, making her eyes appear particularly narrow and shrewd.

Smiling, she saluted Xiqiu and pointed to two account books, saying, "Fourth Madam, these two books are the annual expenditure accounts of the mansion after the New Year." She pointed to another three books, "These are from the second half of last year, and the remaining ones are also from the second half of the year. The Second Madam feared you were new to this and without detailed explanations, so she wanted me to bring more account books for you to review several years. But I thought these books wouldn’t be doable in one go, so I brought some now and will bring earlier years another time."

To understand the state of the mansion, reviewing account books is the best avenue. The income and expenditure of the inner courtyard, the monthly expenses of each house, the kitchen, and sewing room purchases, food, clothing, all can be seen in the account books. Since Xiqiu was managing on behalf of the Second Madam, she felt little psychological pressure. For major matters, she consulted the Grand Dowager, and for minor matters, she acted according to past customs.

Like an abacus, she knew how to move the beads, and her mind was clear.

"Thank you, Nanny. I’ll keep these account books here for now and review them when I have time." Xiqiu nodded with a smile, asking Chunliu to store the account books.

Seeing Xiqiu’s composure without the usual excitement of gaining power, Nanny Li was secretly shocked and thoughtfully passed over the black lacquered box containing the mansion’s token: "These are the tokens of the housekeepers in the mansion, with thirty-two departments inside and out, and here are thirty-two tokens. Madam, please have a look!"

The tokens were different from those in their houses, painted red with the names of each section written in black ink, like the business room or the storeroom... Chunliu carefully counted the tokens in the black lacquered box and then nodded to Xiqiu. Xiqiu smiled, "Keep them safe."

Chunliu acknowledged and took the box into the next room.

Seeing Chunliu leaving, Nanny Li smiled and spoke to Xiqiu, "When would Madam like to meet the heads of each department? Second Miss’s upcoming betrothal ceremony is approaching, and the Second Madam intended to draft the guest list, but since her pregnancy was discovered, there has been no time to delegate tasks, and sending invitation cards might be rushed!"

The betrothal on the twenty-eighth was long set; how could the guest list still be unwritten?

Xiqiu glanced at Nanny Li with a smile, "You are right, Nanny. However, for a betrothal, inviting some long-standing family friends suffices without causing delays. I’ll draft it later and will need to trouble you to make a trip to the outer courtyard to have the business office send the invitations out."

Nanny Li paused, astonished. The Fourth Madam had been married only for a few months, and due to the mourning period, even the Spring Festival on the third day of the third month hadn’t been celebrated as usual. Surely, the Fourth Madam wouldn’t be familiar with the mansion’s close acquaintances, and drafting such a list, though easy-seeming, involves complexities and decisions on whom to invite.

Perhaps she’s only boasting, intending to consult the Grand Dowager?

With a sarcastic inner laugh, Nanny Li respectfully responded, "Certainly! I am here for your orders, Fourth Madam. No trouble at all, Madam is too polite."

Xiqiu chuckled, "As for the department heads, there’s not enough time today at this hour. Perhaps tomorrow, at the usual time Second Sister-in-law manages affairs, at 5:45 a.m., here in my room. What do you think, Nanny?"

"As you wish, Fourth Madam." And with a pause, she added, "Then I shall inform the departments."

Xiqiu nodded, allowing Chunliu to escort Nanny Li out.

"Madam," Bihuai remarked, looking at the pile of account books, "with so many accounts to review and a guest list to draft, we’re unfamiliar with the mansion’s affairs and family connections. Can it be done in a day?"

Xiqiu knew time was tight but pushed herself to handle it without leaving room for criticism. She smiled, "Lists can be fixed, but people are adaptable. Go to the outer courtyard and ask Housekeeper Hu for a list of the mansion’s associates. Then we’ll decide whom to invite. Mistakes can be rectified; the Grand Dowager will review them anyway."

Bihuai found the logic sound and nodded in agreement, "I shall go to the outer courtyard." Xiqiu held her back with a smile, "No rush. Housekeeper Hu must be busy now, and I have other tasks for you."

Bihuai stopped to listen to Xiqiu, who pointed at the account books on the table, saying, "We have six books in total. Let’s each take two to finish by today, noting key figures like each house’s monthly expenses, crucial kitchen purchases, and the total monthly expenditure of the inner courtyard. Summarize this for easy reference later. For other details, a cursory glance is fine; if forgotten, you can always revisit the records."

"Yes!" Bihuai took two of last year’s first-half books and sat at one side to review them.

Xiqiu examined the account books for the first half of the year, increasingly shocked. During her time managing her maternal home, the entire Tong Mansion, with all its minor expenses and quarterly clothing for masters and servants, didn’t exceed three thousand taels per year, including customary gift expenses for engagements. The maximum was three thousand taels.

However, the Marquis Mansion’s kitchen alone spent 1,520 taels in just the first four months of the year, excluding other expenses.

She marveled at how much revenue the mansion needed each year to sustain such significant expenses...

Bihuai was equally shocked, exclaiming, "Madam, according to the account books, the outer courtyard brought in fifty thousand taels to the inner courtyard at the beginning and end of last year. By year’s end, the remaining balance was only five thousand taels..."

Hearing this, Xiqiu wasn’t surprised. Last year’s expenses would include her marital capstone with Fourth Master Xiao and Xiao Yanzheng’s bridal dowry, likely accounting for half of it. Such yearly outlay, given these events, wasn’t unexpected.