More Qu Qing Ju and He Heng interactions! Also a look at He Yuan and Qin Bai Lu.
This chapter has been brought to you by me, ororomunroe90 and leecherleechleech.
Chapter Sixty Seven
Qu Qing Ju flipped through the account book in her hand for a long moment before smiling with narrowed eyes at Xiao Gan Zi standing below her: "You've done well these last few days." She motioned for Mu Jin to give a pouch to Xiao Gan Zi.
"They say that when the water is clear, there are no fish. I know that there is some untruthfulness in here," Qu Qing Ju closed the account book. She raised a teacup to slowly take a sip. Seeing the smile on Xiao Gan Zi's face freeze, she laughed out loud, "You can control the ambitions of the stewards, that's your ability. Don't be nervous, I know how it is."
Xiao Gan Zi's back felt cold. On the surface, he gave a fawning smile as he complimented: "Wang fei is a brilliant tactician. Us small ones are just a joke. It's just that the wang fu is complicated, and at times, it's really … …" He didn't know how to say it. He had received benefits in private. Looking at wang fei's mien, she probably knew all about it.
Qu Qing Ju nodded: "You've done very well, I'm not concerned."
His heart instantly dropped back into its place. Xiao Gan Zi assured her with a grateful expression: "Wang fei, please don't worry. This one will definitely handle the affairs well."
"En," Qu Qing Ju bestowed him some refreshments and fruits before allowing him to leave. As for the accounts, she didn't look at them anymore and handed them off to Mu Jin.
"Wang fei, these people embezzled money. Why not punish them?" Yin Liu asked in puzzlement.
"Why push someone to the cliff, it's not good if it's too extreme," Qu Qing Ju smiled as she explained, "All things in the world have a limit. Is anyone willing to work without accruing some benefits?"
"If they don't work, then they could be punished," Yin Liu's tone had weakened but she was still dissatisfied with the embezzlement of the servants.
"Leave room in all matters. Your personality should change," Qu Qing Ju suggested, "Such a minor matter, it isn't worthy of the attention."
Hearing this, Yin Liu obediently bowed: "Nubi will remember."
What Qu Qing Ju liked about Yin Liu was this quality of hers. Her personality may be impulsive, but she was very obedient and there were no suspicions about her loyalty. Seeing her face so grave, Qu Qing Ju smiled, "It's fine. Accompany me for a walk in the garden."
Xiao Gan Zi cupped the fruits in his hands as he walked into the garden with a smiling face. The servants he ran into were all respectful. Seeing that he was holding something in his hand, they put all their efforts into complimenting how good the fruits looked.
"Of course it's good. Wang fei is kind. She saw that I was tired from running around and bestowed some for me to have a taste," Xiao Gan Zi carefully placed the fruits in his pocket, his mouth speaking good things about wang fei, and the bystanders who heard him were furiously nodding their heads.
Further away, He Heng had been walking with Qian Chang Xin, Ming He and a few servants behind him. He watched the scene for a long time before observing: "This Xiao Gan Zi is clever, no wonder wang fei prefers him handling the affairs."
Qian Chang Xin's eyebrow slightly moved as he mentioned: "A few days ago, wang fei said that Xiao Gan Zi was worthy of having served by wang ye's side. Both his head and legs are very functional."
"Those words complimented you too," He Heng smiled, "It's hard for wang fei to manage all the matters of the fu. Keep an eye out for anyone who are not respectful of wang fei. Take care of them immediately."
Qian Chang Xin, as a personal taijian, had watched wang ye give more and more of his heart to wang fei. He himself had become more and more respectful of wang fei, afraid of offending wang fei and causing wang ye to be discontent. Hearing wang ye's words, he gave a confirmation.
"Nubi greets wang ye." A low and soft voice came from behind him. Qian Chang Xin turned around to look. It was a low-ranking yahuan with dark yellow skin and wearing coarse clothes. He instantly frowned. Who was this low-ranking yahuan who didn't know protocol and came inside to try to meet with wang ye? The other yahuan, when they saw their superiors, the servants carefully avoided them, who would specially come over?
"Stand up. Where are you a yahuan at? How did you get in here?" This area was still inside the second door. If the rough yahuan didn't have duties, they couldn't come in.
"Qian gonggong, nubi is from the laundry rooms. The mama who is responsible for delivering the clothes is sick so nubi replaced her to deliver the clothes to Luo yiniang's residence."
Qian Chang Xin felt that the voice seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it. He took a furtive look at wang ye. Seeing his expressionless face, he knew that wang ye was irritated. Before his mouth could open to drive away this delinquent, he saw wang fei walking in front of a few yahuan as she made her way towards them.
"Greetings to wang ye!"
"Greetings to wang fei!"
The servants on both sides both bowed. Qu Qing Ju smiled as she walked in front of He Heng. Her gaze unconsciously sweeping across the low-ranked yahuan standing five steps away, "I didn't think wang ye would be here."
"Just came back from the outside," He Heng smiled as he pulled her hand, pretending that the rough yahuan didn't exist, "Today's weather is good. Let's us have a walk in the garden."
"Yes," Qu Qing Ju's eyes roamed around. Acting as if she'd just realized there was a rough yahuan standing nearby, she asked: "Where do you serve at? Raise your head and let me take a look at you."
This yahuan raised her head. Her features weren't bad, but the messy hair and the rough skin reduced the pretty nature. Qu Qing Ju raised an eyebrow, "Why do you look so familiar to the eye?"
By then, Qian Chang Xin recognized who she was. Wasn't this that Ban Xia who had originally been a first-rank yahuan of wang fei before she became wang ye's tong fang? He'd heard that Ban Xia had been demoted from tong fang to the laundry rooms by wang fei. Looking at her now, she really didn't resemble the sweet beauty she'd once been.
"Wang fei, nubi sees that she looks like the Ban Xia who had once served wang ye and you," Mu Jin bowed, talking in a moderately loud voice, "Did you forget? She recently made a large offence and wang fei was kind and didn't throw her out. Just sentenced her to the laundry room."
Qu Qing Ju's face showed an expression of realization. She looked at Ban Xia from top to bottom. If Ban Xia, at the beginning, had been a blooming tender flower, she now was wilted.
Ban Xia lowered her head in embarrassment, unconsciously taking a step back. She hadn't thought that she would meet wang fei in her grand clothes. Even the yahuan by wang fei's side were more beautiful than her at this time. The clear contrast made her want to hide herself away and not let anyone see her.
He Heng glanced casually at Ban Xia, no emotion in his eyes: "Since you are a worker in the laundry room, then stay there to perform your duties. Do not run around the fu."
The rims of Ban Xia's eyes reddened. A beat later, she gave a trembling bow: "Nubi will remember."
"Leave," Since he had became closer and closer to Qu Qing Ju, he didn't have much interest in the women in the houyuan. He looked at the average-looking woman in front of him. He couldn't even remember what Ban Xia had looked like originally.
Seeing that wang ye and wang fei were going to stroll in the garden, Ming He personally ushered Ban Xia away. After they exited ermin, he gave a cold smile, "I advise Ban Xia guniang to behave in the future." He pointed at the Door of Drooping Flowers, "This door isn't the entrance for people like you."
Ban Xia's body buckled but she gritted her teeth and didn't speak.
"Don't blame your Ming yeyefor speaking clearly to you. If you play these shameless tricks again, then you wouldn't be walking out on your own next time." Ming He disdainfully examined her, "Why don't you have a good look in the mirror? With wang fei present, how can wang ye even be attracted to you? You don't find it embarrassing but Ming yeye does." He shook his sleeves as he sedately walked back inside ermin.
Ban Xia stared fixedly at his figure, her eyes lifeless.
If one had to say who was the most pleased over these past few days in Jing, there wouldn't be any other choice other than Rui Wang. The Jiang Nan case which had been making a storm was now silently suppressed, and he was washed clean of the suspicion of attempting to assassinate his brother. Even the greatest eyesore, lao da, was imprisoned.
Rui Wang felt that he hadn't been this happy in years, so the sight of his wang fei's expressionless face didn't affect his mood.
"Speak, what is it?" He Yuan sat at the front, glancing at Qin Bai Lu's dark expression.
Qin Bai Lu saw his flippancy and bit the corner of her lips before she confessed: "Tomorrow is qie's father's day of birth. Does wang ye have the time … …"
"Since it is your father's birthday, then open the fu's stores to take along some gifts," He Yuan stood, "Ben wang is busy tomorrow, so I won't accompany you. Have an early rest tonight, ben wang is going to Xi Ce Yuan."
Qin Bai Lu looked at He Yuan's back, her eyes slowly becoming cold. Again it was Xi Ce Yuan, Qu Yue Su that whore!
"Wang fei," The yahuan supporting her looked at her worriedly.
"It's fine. Send down the order, ben wang fei is going to check the stores," she gave a cold smile. He didn't want to go so she wouldn't beg him.
In Duan Wang Fu, Qu Qing Ju and He Heng wandered around the garden and sat together to read after they eating the evening meal. One person was reading the highly reputable "Book of Dao", the other was reading a novel.
After reading for a while, He Heng saw Qu Qing Ju's face held a hint of anger. He put down the book in his hand and went to her to inquire: "What is written in this book that makes you so angry?"
Qu Qing Ju slammed the book shut, her voice carrying a layer of rage as she snapped: "The men in these stories are too fickle. The two had been in companionship for more than ten years, but it couldn't compare to the tenderness of a youthful guniang. In the end, he wanted to divorce his wife and blamed her for not being loving. When he was studying at the beginning and had no money, he didn't say that when he was being completely supported by his wife; when he left at the start to go to a post in another place, he didn't say that when he left his son and daughter and his elders at home for his wife to support; but when he reached a high position of power, he felt that the wife was lacking in every aspect. But this man had to be the protagonist of the story. The views of this author are disgusting."
He Heng took away the book in her hand, smiling as he comforted: "Just a story, don't be angry about this kind of thing. A person's days has to be lived by the person. What the end result would be is in the control of the person." He looked with disdain at the name of the author on the book page, "Shangguang gong zi? Most of the people who would use such a name, they are poor scholars. They don't have the bride price to find a wife, and lack the ability to place in the examinations. They have to depend on writing such amusements to earn some money for food and to satisfy their fantasies. We shouldn't argue with this kind of useless men, okay?"
Qu Qing Ju snorted.
Okay your entire family!