Chapter 1856 - 1794: Wufu Takes Power
Chapter 1856: Chapter 1794: Wufu Takes Power
The imperial edict appointing Wufu has been issued, and Wufu has formally undertaken the responsibilities of the Princess Consort of Jin. The day after receiving the edict, she stood before all the royal guards, aides, and servants at the Prince Jin’s Mansion, assuming control of the household and officially taking charge, backed by Ah Jiu’s support.
Prince Jin’s Mansion is vast, with numerous people. Wufu and Ah Jiu sat in the great hall, with Purple Jade holding the registry, receiving wave after wave of people who came to kneel, pay respects, and introduce themselves. This process alone took nearly half a day.
Ah Jiu left a statement saying, "Honor the Princess Consort as you would honor me," and then departed the hall, leaving Wufu to continue her business while he attended to his matters in the study. The woman manages the inner, and the man manages the outer aspects.
Wufu summoned all the stewards of various departments within the mansion and implemented a modern corporate management system. Rewards and penalties were clear; those who performed well would be rewarded, those who didn’t would be dismissed. Competent people would take over, so anyone thinking of shirking their duties should reconsider, as replacements were always available.
In the mansion, the most important rule was that betrayal meant death, and severe cases would bring death to the whole family!
After this display of authority, she offered a sweet reward. Having just returned to the mansion, she was greeting the residence for the first time. Thus, she used her dowry to give everyone a month’s salary, doubling it for the stewards.
A stick followed by a sweet reward — this approach was executed skillfully, and the people of the mansion responded well. Everyone vied to show loyalty; being a servant here was no different than elsewhere. For now, Prince Jin’s Mansion only had two masters, making it quite peaceful!
After all, in this mansion, she was the only female master. If they didn’t curry favor with her, then with whom? Did they want their whole family to be dismissed and end up with those covert families?
"Princess Consort, how should our mansion prepare a gift for the marriage of the Third Miss from the Marquis Qi’s Mansion to the Second Imperial Son?" Nanny Ding asked.
Wufu had just taken a sip of tea and responded, "Who?"
"The emperor has arranged the marriage of Third Miss Qi, Qi Yuyan, from Marquis Qi’s Mansion to the Second Imperial Son as the Main Consort," Purple Jade explained while bending over. "Today’s imperial edict."
Wufu was a bit surprised. Qi Yuyan, from rival to kin, what was the emperor up to?
Wait, if she’s marrying the Second Imperial Son, wouldn’t she become her niece-in-law in the future, having to call her ’Imperial Aunt’?
Wufu started to smile and said, "When the Eldest Imperial Son was engaged, how did we prepare? Just follow that preparation. They are all future niece-in-laws, naturally, they should be treated equally."
"Yes."
"Also, in November, the gift for the Emperor’s Longevity Festival..."
While Wufu was discussing matters with the stewards on her side, in the study, Ah Jiu had a somber expression.
"Can’t find him?"
Yuan Ye shook his head, saying, "If the Dragon Guard wants to hide someone..."
"The Dragon Guard isn’t omnipotent!" Ah Jiu interrupted him. "If Zhao Quan is hiding someone, we’ll start with him."
Yuan Ye frowned, "Prince, if we keep an eye on Commander Zhao, I’m afraid the emperor might... Also, whether Jia Yi is alive or dead is unknown."
Ah Jiu’s face turned even colder, and his hands clenched on the table.
He understood Yuan Ye’s point: Zhao Quan was the emperor’s most trusted commander, otherwise, he wouldn’t be in charge of the Dragon Guard. If they kept a watch on Zhao Quan and let him notice, it would essentially declare to Emperor Yan that he was looking for Jia Yi, essentially a declaration of war.
For now, both sides were merely pretending not to know, avoiding a direct confrontation.
Seeing Ah Jiu’s displeased expression, Yuan Ye said, "Prince, if Jia Yi could come back, he would have returned already. If not, finding him might be pointless. Perhaps we need to take another approach!"