Wen Wan raised the colorful tea lid, rolled the tea, took a small sip, and felt a little hot. After putting it down, she smiled lightly, "The third master is now serving in the Ministry of War. He is doing a great job." The third master was able to recover thanks to Bai Shinian. Blessing. Of course, to be more precise, it was the luck of the two of them getting married. After finding someone, they were adjusting to it. With this incident, they took advantage of the situation and gave this favor. This is definitely a good signal flare for the Bai family.
Mrs. Xi was surprised and happy, "Oh, so the princess is very familiar with Mrs. Yu?" But after saying that, she felt that she had said something stupid. Aren¡¯t Mrs. Yu¡¯s apple and Wen Wan good friends? Xi was happy now. If this is the case, then his master's future will be bright.
The eldest lady covered her mouth and said with a smile, "Third younger brother and sister, why have you forgotten? Miss Yiyi of Mrs. Yu's family is the princess's close friend. She and the princess were one of the eight most talented women in the capital." I think back then, the Xi family relied on the power of the princess. In the future, the husband will have a bright future and a rich dowry, so he does not need to hold on to Qinghe, so he will give Qinghe plenty of shoes to wear. The two sisters-in-law were fighting each other every day, and with the following people joining in the fun, the Hou Mansion was also very lively back then! In addition, Bai Shihua's backyard was in a mess, so Qinghe's life back then was glorious on the outside, but also had its own hardships on the inside. Of course, eight out of ten noble ladies in Chu capital suffer this way. Later, when I went to the General's Mansion, the outer courtyard was controlled by the Feng family, and Butler Feng in the inner courtyard only trusted Qing He. Only then did Xi's arrogance subside. Now that Bai Shinian is married to Wen Wan, Qing He finally has the upper hand.
Xi didn¡¯t pay much attention to Qinghe¡¯s ridicule. The most important thing at the moment was her husband¡¯s future. By hooking up with Mrs. Yu, you are establishing a relationship with the Yu family. The so-called county magistrate does not care about current affairs. No matter how high Bai Shinian's position is, he is still thousands of miles away from Master Yu. But he is a top boss. If he could establish this relationship through gentleness, he would not have to worry about his husband's future.
Wen Wan said lightly: "It all happened when I was young. I don't remember it anymore." Wen Wan's words indirectly showed that she and Mrs. Yu had no contact for a long time. Otherwise, the word "cannot remember" would not be used. Using this word also means cutting off contact.
But Xi didn¡¯t expect Wen Wan to say such a thing. She is awe-inspiring. Wen Wan must have meant something when she said this deliberately. Yu Yiyi is a gentle lady and has cut off all contact with the Yu family. Does it also mean that we have broken off our relationship with Yu Yiyi? What is the reason for breaking up the relationship? Wen Wan's words were a warning to her.
The eldest lady Qinghe took the initiative to talk about the affairs in the mansion, "Princess, there are thirty-six maids, forty-six servants, twenty-four sweepers, and twenty-eight people in the kitchen in the general's mansion. Sixth brother brought back fifty-four people."
Wenwan frowned. There is no problem with more than fifty guards, even two hundred guards are needed. Now in Wen Wan's eyes, the more bodyguards, the better and more powerful they are for safety. But there are more than a hundred people like maids and servants. None of the masters were in the mansion. Why raise so many people? All of them are just making a living, thinking it's easy to make money.
Wen Wan thought, there must be a lot of tricks here. People must be laid off, Wenwan never cares for idlers. But if you want to lay off people, you have to talk to Bai Shinian. As for how to do it. Follow Bai Shinian's advice first before making any plans.
Wen Wan put aside these questions for the time being and asked about specific matters, "How will these be spent specifically? Also, what is the income from the general's mansion? I know the general's salary, the imperial mansion that was rewarded before, this "Zhaizi. Apart from these, are there any other benefits?" For what Bai Shinian took from the emperor. Wen Wan knows very well. The rest is not clear.
Xi's heart skipped a beat. There was cold sweat on my forehead.
The eldest lady explained everything clearly, "The General's Mansion is based on the settings of the Hou's Mansion. The first-class maids are worth one tael, the second-class maids are worth 800 yen, and the third-class maids and sweepers are worth 500 yen. All expenses are paid. It's from the public account. As for the property, in addition to what the princess said, there is also the dowry left by my mother-in-law when she passed away. "The emperor took over all the property of the Hou Mansion. , all the dowry of Bai Shinian's mother was returned to Bai Shinian according to the dowry list.
There is a reason for this. When the house was ransacked, nothing was left. When Bai Shinian heard the news, he got into trouble. I hope that some of my late mother's belongings can be returned to him as a souvenir. The emperor didn't really care about the tens of thousands of taels of silver. But for Bai Shinian, that may have special meaning. so. Just follow the dowry list and return it all to him.
?????????????????????????????????? At that moment, Yu Ou asked strangely, "Who set the rules about the monthly payment, the general or the butler?" According to theory, this should have been established long ago.
Qinghe shook his head: "The old lady made the decision in the general's mansion. These were all set according to the specifications of the same grade at that time. If the princess feels it is inappropriate, she can??Correction. "
"No, it's very good. Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law," she said with a gentle smile.
Qinghe felt much relieved when she heard the voice of sister-in-law. Calling Mrs. Xi the third wife and calling herself the sister-in-law, the difference between relatives can be seen immediately.
The third lady¡¯s face was a little stiff. What Qinghe knew, she didn't know. However, the reason why she can fight with Qinghe is because she has someone to rely on. She will be separated in the future, and Qinghe can't do anything to her. But it's different now. Moreover, if she really dares to express her dissatisfaction to Wen Wan, she has had enough life and does not want to implicate her husband and son.
Wen Wan smiled calmly: "Sister-in-law, who are those first-class maids and second-class maids serving?" There is no master, so where can we divide the first-class maids and second-class maids? It sounds funny when I hear it.
Qinghe said that these were all set in the General's Mansion. The so-called first-class maids and second-class maids are all served by the master of each house. Not only that, some of the people who came to take advantage of the house came clamoring for monthly payment. This made Butler Feng very angry. If this was the case, he would spend hundreds of taels of money every month. Don't mention anything else, that's it, I always say this is bad and that's bad. Butler Feng later used that incident to kick them out.
If Wen Wan continues to talk, the atmosphere will definitely become tense again. Smiling and changing the topic, "Okay, let's not talk about this. Try the scented tea I made myself. It tastes very good. If you think it's good, you can take some back. Drinking it regularly is good for your health." After Wen Wan finished speaking, she served it herself Got tea to drink. Well, it tastes really good.
The eldest lady answered with a smile, "Then I'm not polite, pack some for me and take it back to taste something new." Unexpectedly, Wen Wan was so busy and yet still had such a leisurely atmosphere. It's really rare. Also try the scented tea made by Wen Wan herself.
The third lady¡¯s face was extremely stiff and she said no, she was not used to drinking.
Seeing Wen Wan like this. I don¡¯t want to say anything more. Because it's not necessary. The tea was put down again. The two of them said goodbye knowingly and left.
Qing He hopes that Wen Wan will take care of the fact that she has some blood. Although Wen Wan has left the clan, she is closer than others after becoming a sister-in-law. If Wen Wan could take care of them a little, her three sons would also have a good future. But just now, she couldn't see the gentle attitude. I don't know what to do. I thought about going back and talking to my husband.
After Qinghe separated from the eldest lady, he was preparing to return to the yard where he lived temporarily. A maid came over and whispered something in the eldest lady's ear. The eldest lady turned back again.
Mrs. Xi got the news soon, and her face looked depressed. The disparity in status was so great that she couldn't even bear to resent him. Who is Wenwan willing to promote? What opinion could she have. I can only envy you.
The eldest lady said respectfully, "Princess."
Wen Wan smiled, her expression gentler than before, "Sit down, there is no need to be so polite. Put aside the fact that we are sisters-in-law. In terms of blood, we are still cousins. I remember that time. You also gave me a set of conch-faced jewelry. My sister-in-law must have put a lot of thought into choosing such beautiful jewelry!¡±
Wenwan¡¯s words made the eldest lady feel relieved. It seemed that she did the right thing. Wen Wan is using the events of that year to bring the two of them closer together. It's a gesture of goodwill. If Wen Wan has this intention, she will be satisfied. She was not so naive as to think that Wen Wan would treat her like a cousin. At first, the two of them could be regarded as equals, but now, they still have to respect each other.
"I called you back just to ask how much the wedding cost." Wen Wan was only interested in this. Others are small heads. She wasn't interested in dealing with it either. and. Butler Feng was in charge before, and these people didn't live in the general's mansion. You can't catch it even if you want to.
The eldest lady said one by one, "The wedding cost about 70,000 taels of silver, of which 10,000 taels were a reward from the emperor; 50,000 taels were accumulated by the sixth brother over the years. At that time, there was not enough money, so I went to the bank to borrow 30,000 taels of silver."
Wen Wan smiled and nodded after hearing this, knowing something in her heart. So I stopped talking about this topic and what would be the result. After checking it, she would know it in her mind. However, according to Wen Wan's guess, Bai Shinian had to take dignity into consideration. I will definitely not ask for this money. Let Bai Shinian spend money to learn a lesson.
Wen Wanxiao asked about other things, "Mingguang followed Shang Wei to work in Guangyuan. It is not an easy job in Guangyuan Bank. How about it. Are you still used to working there?" Guangyuan Bank has good welfare benefits, but after entering The conditions are harsh. No matter whose relationship it is. Even the people sent by the emperor who failed the examination were not allowed to enter. This is a hard and fast rule for gentleness. And getting inside is not an easy task.
The eldest lady smiled and said, "It's good. We originally asked Mingzhi to go, but Mingzhi didn't pass those tests. On the contrary, Mingguang, who accompanied him, passed." This is why the eldest lady saw that none of the Qinghe family could. Profitable. Originally, I wanted Qinghe to go to Yiyuan. Mingjie and Mingguang disagreed. I don't want my mother to make others smile. ?Yes, I asked Shang Wei. The result is that bright light comes in.
Wenwan smiled, which only proved that Mingjie was not very interested in numbers. This is not the material. "Mingguang went to Guangyuan Trading Company. Is Mingzhi at home now? You are young and you may waste your whole life by burying your head at home." Wen Wan could see that Bai Shinian was not willing to take Mingzhi there. Ming Jie didn't know martial arts, so he followed Bai Shinian and couldn't take care of him even if he wanted to.
Qinghe sighed. If someone is physically strong and has some martial arts skills and follows Bai Shinian to pursue his future, she will definitely not stop him. But the people of the Bai family except Bai Shinian are highly skilled in martial arts. No one else has this talent (it¡¯s not that they don¡¯t have talent, it¡¯s that no one is willing to let their children suffer like this). She knows best that Mingjie cannot be carried on her shoulders or lifted by her hands. What Bai Shihua meant was to ask Bai Shinian to help arrange an easy position in the military camp, similar to clerical work. Bai Shinian also agreed. However, it also made it clear that in the army, military merit is the foundation. If Mingji can't get military merit, he won't be able to go very far.
"But Bai Shihua's attitude is very determined. It is better to not be able to go far than to be in vain." Ming Jie also wants to go, but he is also worried that if he loses this opportunity, he will be homeless for the rest of his life. Therefore, although he was afraid in his heart. But he still wanted to go.
Qinghe has been struggling with this matter for a while. Not only do we have to worry about our son not being able to withstand the sandstorms there, but we also have to worry about all kinds of dangers. In addition, if the Pang family knew about it, they would probably break up the marriage. Therefore, when Qinghe heard Wenwan ask about Mingjie, she felt a little hopeful in her heart. It would be great if Wen Wan could open up and help.
Wenwan is different from Bai Shinian. Bai Shinian can only speak in the military. Wen Wan has a wide range of connections in the capital. As long as you are willing, things in Mingjie will be easy to handle. Therefore, there is no beating around the bush now. He told Bai Shihua's plan directly. At that moment, she smiled bitterly and said, "As a mother, I don't want my son to have a promising future. However, the child Mingjie was also raised in a pampered way. After the house was confiscated, we suffered some hardships. But we have the blessing of our sixth brother. We have no worries about food and clothing. Yes. If he goes to the border, the Manchu people are extremely cruel. I heard that Mingjie has no foundation. Moreover, if Mingjie really goes to the Pang family. I don¡¯t even know how to explain it.¡±
Wen Wan asked strangely: "Mingzhi is quite old, and the girls from the Pang family have already had hair extensions. Why haven't we gotten married yet? Could it be that the Pang family deliberately delayed it and wanted to ruin the marriage." Wen Wan only said this. explain. If the relationship is broken, it should be broken when something goes wrong. There is no need to wait until the girl is old enough to get married. This is a sincere attempt to trick his own girl.
Qinghe quickly shook his head: "No, it's the Pang girl who wants to keep her filial piety. She only fulfilled her filial piety at the beginning of this year." Mrs. Pang did have the intention to break up the relationship. In fact, it was not that Mrs. Pang did not want to break up the marriage. It¡¯s just that Da Da people don¡¯t want to. Later, Mrs. Pang passed away and kept her filial piety. After the wedding, Qinghe came to discuss the marriage. It turns out that Mrs. Pang¡¯s eyes are not eyes and her nose is not a nose.
Qinghe was so ashamed at the time. After Mingjie found out. Offer to cancel the engagement. Because of this stimulation, although Ming Ji was scared, he still didn't want to be looked down upon. Qinghe thought that since he didn't want to, he couldn't make enemies. So I want to cancel the engagement. Mrs. Pang was naturally happy, thinking that it would be a good idea to marry the woman to her nephew. Miss Pang Pang was unwilling and threatened to die in front of Mrs. Pang if she broke off the engagement. Mrs. Pang was furious. So I kept putting it off. Until today.
Wen Wan¡¯s eyes flashed. She is not unreasonable. Filial piety is fulfilled at the beginning of the year. If it is normal, the marriage should be in April or May. But it¡¯s already November now. Think about the Pang family, and then think about the current situation of Dafang. Wen Wan doesn't have a bad impression of the Pang family. No matter what the Pang family demands, they have not broken up the relationship for so many years, so they are already very kind. You must know that at that time, the emperor was vigorous and resolute, and countless people broke up and were divorced. Mingjie is pretty good like this. But Miss Pang Pang is also strong and intelligent. If not. If she really broke off the engagement, she wouldn't be able to marry into a good family. If she hadn't married Ming Jie, at least Ming Jie wouldn't treat her badly because of this. certainly. There is no denying that this girl is really good. Others Wenwan is not sure. But loving the rich without being too dissatisfied is enough of a gentle compliment. It's easy to say, but there are only a few people who can actually do it.
If there is no other way, who would be willing to send his helpless son to the border to pursue a future. Wen Wan also had a plan in mind before she asked. After hearing so much, he smiled and said: "Don't go to the border. Without any foundation in martial arts, it is difficult to be promoted without military merit. He cannot stand in such a difficult environment. It happens that the Sixth Ministry will recruit a group of officials in the spring next year. . Let Mingzhi prepare. If he can get a good rank in the exam, he will be able to get a good job. With his fame, he will have the confidence to get married and won't let the Pang family lose face." The Sixth Ministry recruits a group of officials of ninth and eighth grades. For Wenwan, it's just a matter of one sentence. Wen Wan puts it conservatively, but there are actually two seventh-rank positions in it. Although they are just some handymen, you must know thatSome of the Jinshi in the second rank had to hold official positions in the seventh rank. These two positions are what many people are trying to get. Wen Wan didn't explain it in detail because she didn't know what Ming Zhi's talent was. If he can enter the top three, no, even the top ten, Wen Wan will come forward. But if it depends on Tianbian's ranking, Wen Wan will not show up. Whether you can seize the opportunity or not depends on Mingjie's own ability. If it was Adou who was incompetent and couldn't help him, then she wouldn't waste her time. Just get by. When the time comes, just ask someone to arrange a similar position. If she has real talent and knowledge, she can help.
Qing He was overjoyed, "Really?" In Wen Wan's eyes, he was of low rank, but there were so many children of noble families in the capital, and being able to get in was a promising prospect. At least he is a salary earner. Therefore, although the official position is relatively low, it is still very popular because there are many monks and few people. Everyone was fighting fiercely for a spot. It¡¯s really impossible to have no means or money. However, now that there is gentle care, there will be no problem.
Qinghe was overjoyed, "Thank you, Princess." If she could work as an official in the government, Mrs. Pang's attitude would also be good. She can also hold her grandson. Moreover, some people who entered the official career gradually reached the fourth rank, and some even reached the third rank. She knew what her son was capable of. With gentle help, there is still hope that my son will get the fourth grade, not only the third grade. If so, you will have Luo for the rest of your life. Qinghe was really worried.
Wen Wan smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you don't have to be like this. No matter what, the eldest brother and the general are brothers from the same mother. The general may not pay attention to other people, but you, he will not leave it alone. If you have any difficulties, just ask. If we If I can help, I will never refuse. Your family is well off, and the general feels comfortable." Wen Wan could see that Bai Shinian was very pleased with Bai Shihua's progress. But deep down, I still want to help my three nephews. It's just that his connections dictate that he can only develop in the military. It's a pity that none of the three nephews are this good. Maybe Bai Shinian didn't mean it when he said this to her.
But now that Bai Shinian has spoken, Wen Wan doesn't mind helping Qinghe's family. Wen Wan never mind doing more of things that are easy to do. If there is really a talented person in Mingjie, he will stay in the capital for three years. When the time comes, let them out to outsiders. Practice and practice more, enough to hold up the door of the big house. Of course, if you don¡¯t have the talent to learn, then just stay in the capital slowly. As long as she is here, nothing will happen.
After hearing these words, Qinghe felt like he had taken a reassurance in his heart. With gentle care, Mingjie's future will definitely be good. Mingguang is not bad at Guangyuan Bank either. As for the young Minghuai, he urged him to take the imperial examination route.
Xia Xin and Xia Zhu came over after receiving Wen Wan's words. Wen Wan asked them to check the accounts from the marriage to the present. She didn't have time to pay attention to those bad debts from the past. If it weren't for the fact that she still owed money for this wedding, she wouldn't have paid any attention to it. They can't all embezzle and she can pay back the money. There is so much greed, and he still wants to take advantage of the mansion. It's a pleasant thought, but it still depends on whether she agrees or not.
Xia Xin and Xia Zhu have rich experience in this matter. In an hour and a half, they roughly checked the accounts for two and a half months. I say roughly because Wen Wan only needs to know the general details, and it is impossible to talk to them about the actual things one by one.
Wen Wan looked at the results of the two checks and laughed.
Xia Yao heard the two report the final settlement. This settlement is only an estimate. Xia Yao said with a cold face: "Princess, these people are too courageous. They are really evil-hearted people." This is taking advantage of the situation. It's so abominable.
Although Wen Wan had this suspicion before, she did not expect that the problem would be so serious. Not to mention Xia Yao, she was shocked. These people's hands are too long.
Wen Wan is a little confused: "Why do you think they dare to do such a thing so blatantly? Do you think Bai Shinian is a idiot? Or do you think I am a blind man?"
Xia Yao pointed out the central point: "The general will never pay attention to the accounting matters. As for the princess, firstly, you are rich and don't care about that little money, and secondly, you are a newlywed. And you are married. I will go back to the Princess¡¯s mansion after only a few days. These people are very calculating!¡±
Wen Wan squinted her eyes: "You haven't said enough. Even if we are traced, it is impossible for Bai Shinian to come back. Bai Shinian cannot afford to lose face." The reason why these people were driven out of the general's mansion was because they occupied a good place. opportunity. If not, you will still be criticized. It's the same today.
Xia Yao's face was gloomy: "Princess Princess, what should I do?"
Wen Wan knocked on the table: "If I step forward, it seems that he is incompetent. The affairs in the general's mansion should be left to Bai Shinian himself." Besides, this is also the Bai family's business. If she handled it, Bai Shinian would be in trouble in terms of face. (To be continued)