When Madam Xu came to find Jin Chao, she was assisted by Madam Tong in sorting through the property deeds and land contracts from her mother’s dowry.

She wasn’t married yet, so naturally, these shouldn’t have been under her management, but Gu Dezhao wouldn’t oppose anything his daughter did now, and Song Miaohua was confined to Lingyan Pavilion and couldn’t manage anything. Jin Chao thus naturally took over the management of her mother’s dowry.

In her previous life, her mother’s dowry had been taken over by Concubine Song, who within a few years had pocketed all the profits for herself.

Looking at the items Madam Tong had brought, Jin Chao couldn’t help feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Her mother’s possessions would eventually be divided between herself and Jin Rong. When her mother had married, the Ji family had given her a substantial dowry, and over the years, Grandmother had frequently provided additional support, making her mother’s private funds quite considerable.

There were more than a dozen estates in various locations. Besides land deeds, there was a street in Baodi, several rice shops in Sanhe, silk shops, ready-made clothing stores in Daxing and Wanping, spice shops, restaurants, teahouses, and several residences. In addition to these, there was a paper mill and two wineries…

Based on these properties alone, the annual income amounted to tens of thousands of taels of silver! Apart from being generous with rewards, her mother had never appeared to have such an extensive dowry! Moreover, her mother had probably managed them casually, as the income from the shops hadn’t changed in many years.

Jin Chao held a stack of contracts and deeds for the estates and shops, falling into silent contemplation.

She had truly been foolish, having handed over all these assets to Concubine Song in her previous life! If her mother’s dowry had been at her disposal back then, she wouldn’t have fallen into such dire straits later, needing others’ assistance just to survive.

In her previous life, Jin Chao lacked experience in managing these assets. By the time she had taken over her mother’s dowry, it had already been hollowed out inside and out by Concubine Song. Seeing that Luo Yongxing managed the silk shop well, she appointed Luo Yongping as the chief manager, which at least saved these businesses.

However, each profession has its specialization. While Luo Yongping was good at managing silk shops, he wasn’t as skilled with other businesses.

Take the rice shops for example: knowing when to sell aged and new rice for profit, how to price and purchase rice from Jiangxi, Huguang, and Zhejiang, and how to transport and store grain—these all required experienced managers to do well.

Jin Chao sighed. She would need to find time to go to Tongzhou and consult with her grandmother about these matters.

Just at this moment, Madam Xu brought in a ledger to the western side room.

“…You asked for an inventory of the items in Madam’s storeroom and a ledger to be prepared. This servant did so a few days ago and has brought it for you to review.”

Jin Chao took the ledger from Madam Xu and opened it to look. Her mother’s storeroom contained many items. While there weren’t many gold and silver hairpins, there were plenty of silks, porcelains, famous paintings, and furniture made of zitan or chicken-wing wood. All were valuable items…

In her previous life, she had never seen the contents of her mother’s storeroom. Jin Chao suddenly realized!

At that time, when Ji died, she had been busy grieving and shedding tears, not paying attention to anything else. Who had taken away these storeroom items? Adding everything up, they would be worth tens of thousands of taels of silver!

Jin Chao asked Madam Xu, “If I hadn’t inventoried these items, would Father have come to collect them?”

Madam Xu shook her head and said, “The Master never manages Madam’s belongings. He would probably have sent a steward from the accounting office to inventory them and put them in the front courtyard’s storeroom. By custom, all of these would be part of your dowry when you marry.”

When she had married into the Chen family years ago, she had brought 120 loads of dowry, including dressing tables, intricately crafted beds, and vermilion lacquered cabinets, but certainly nothing like these items!

That Manager Sun from the accounting office was Song Concubine’s man…

Madam Xu hesitated for a moment, then said to Jin Chao, “Speaking of the accounting office… this servant has something else to tell First Miss.”

Jin Chao nodded, indicating for Madam Xu to continue.

Madam Xu said, “The Lady often sent things to the mansion. Sometimes they wouldn’t go into Madam’s private storeroom but directly to the accounting office’s storeroom. This servant thought these items should also be collected, so I went to ask at the accounting office. Manager Sun there said that the household items had long been mixed with Madam’s items, and he couldn’t tell which was which… This servant suggested comparing them with the ledger, but Manager Sun claimed the ledger couldn’t be found…”

“…But this servant spent much time at the accounting office and saw Second Miss come to take medicinal herbs sent by the Ji family. Manager Sun’s ledger was right there in the cabinet beside him; he just didn’t want to deal with this servant. Later, this servant inquired and found that those herbs were sent to Concubine Song, supposedly because her health was weak and needed nourishment.”

Hearing this, Jin Chao became somewhat angry and closed the ledger in her hand.

Her mother had died so recently, yet these stewards already dared to disregard Madam Xu! When Madam Xu went to inventory her mother’s belongings under her authority, they dared to brush her off!

By what right did Gu Lan take her mother’s nourishing herbs for her use? Song Concubine had caused her mother’s death, yet still wanted to use what her mother had left behind—wasn’t she afraid of karma? Perhaps this Manager Sun thought that with Song Concubine pregnant, he needn’t respect them anymore!

But thinking about it, it made sense. The entire household only knew that Song Concubine was pregnant and that managing household affairs had been temporarily given to the First Miss. Who knew that Song Concubine had fallen out of favor? These former lackeys of hers were still single-mindedly trying to please her!

Jin Chao smiled, “I’d like to go to the accounting office and see how they try to brush me off.”

A pack of servants relying on their masters to bully others—she had several scores to settle with them.

She asked Madam Xu, “Where were the people from Song Concubine’s courtyard reassigned?”

Madam Xu replied, “This servant arranged it all personally. Qiao Wei was assigned to Tongruo Tower for cleaning and laundry, Yu Xiang was sent to serve in Concubine Luo’s quarters, and most of the third-class maids and old women were assigned to the attendants’ office.”

Jin Chao nodded with a smile, “Please go find Yu Xiang for me. I have something to instruct her to do.”

The rhubarb in her mother’s medicine was added by Luo Liu. But thinking about it now, would Luo Liu have had such courage without approval from someone above? Manager Sun was Song Concubine’s man. In her previous life, had he also given her mother’s storeroom contents to Song Concubine?

If she didn’t punish this Manager Sun, how could she make the people in this household respect her? She needed to make an example of him.

Madam Xu acknowledged and left to find Yu Xiang from Jing’an Residence, Concubine Luo’s quarters.

Yu Xiang wore a blue cloth upper garment typical of third-class maids, with a plain white embroidered skirt. She looked very haggard, with only a simple wooden hairpin adorning her hair.

Yu Xiang knelt and greeted Jin Chao formally. Jin Chao looked at her for a long while before asking, “Yu Xiang, how do you find Jing’an Residence?”

Yu Xiang bit her lip, her eyes reddening.

How could she possibly be treated well at Jing’an Residence? It was Madam Xu who had deliberately arranged for her to be sent there! In Jing’an Residence, there was Concubine Luo who eagerly wanted to please Gu Jin Chao, two maids who were loyally devoted to Jin Chao, and an old woman from the stables who had received favors from Jin Chao!

All these people knew of the grudge between Song Concubine and Jin Chao, and they also knew she was one of Song Concubine’s confidantes—how could they possibly treat her well?

On her first day at Jing’an Residence, she was assigned to sleep in the smallest, dampest servants’ quarters. All her jewelry was taken by the two old women from the stables, who said it was her tribute to them. Although it was the stable woman’s job to clean the courtyard, all tasks were pushed onto her. If she didn’t complete them well, Qing Yi and Qiu Kui, who attended Concubine Luo, would scold her, saying it was her fault.

Such bullying was just the beginning. When Concubine Luo said she wanted to drink oat milk porridge and had raw oats bought, she was made to peel each oat grain by grain! Both her hands were bleeding before she had peeled even half a bag. When she finally cooked the porridge and served it to the Concubine, the woman suddenly decided she didn’t want it and casually gave it to a servant woman standing by. She had to watch as the woman drank the oat milk porridge while she hadn’t had even a sip of water after working the entire day.

After such torment, she couldn’t hold out for long.

Yu Xiang remained silent, but Jin Chao naturally understood everything. It would have been strange if she could stay comfortably in Jing’an Residence!

Jin Chao said to her, “You were originally a second-class maid serving Song Concubine and shouldn’t have been doing the work of a third-class maid. At this point, you should understand that this is simply the result of following the wrong master. There’s still time to change… I will ask you to do something, and if you’re willing, I’ll reassign you to the attendants’ office, restore your position as a second-class maid, and give you fifty taels of silver. Are you willing?”

Yu Xiang was both exhausted and bewildered. Previously, as Song Concubine’s confidante, who would have dared to bully her? Now even seven or eight-year-old little maids in Concubine Luo’s courtyard could order her around at will, knowing no one would speak up for her. She had always been a maid loyal to her mistress… but now Song Concubine couldn’t protect her anymore, and she needed to survive.

People always change. She wanted to live better, to leave that hellish place called Jing’an Residence!

She felt somewhat guilty about betraying Song Concubine… but the feeling passed instantly.

It wasn’t a big deal, after all. Song Concubine had treated Qiao Wei much better than her. Whenever Song Concubine had something dangerous to do, she always sent her to do it, never Qiao Wei.

Yu Xiang asked softly, “As long as First Miss can help this servant leave Jing’an Residence, this servant will certainly obey First Miss! May I ask what First Miss wants me to do…”

Jin Chao smiled, “Madam Xu, I’ll go to the accounting office first. You go find Xue Shiliu and tell him to bring the houseguards over immediately.”

Madam Xu glanced at Yu Xiang, understanding what the First Miss intended to do, and left with a smile.

Jin Chao asked her calmly, “Before Madam died, you met with Luo Liu in Guai Liu Grove, plotting to tamper with Madam’s medicine, weren’t you? The rhubarb added to the medicine—where did it come from? Was it given by Song Concubine, or did Luo Liu obtain it? Or perhaps someone helped Concubine Luo… You must explain everything clearly.”

Yu Xiang was somewhat shocked—First Miss knew about the rhubarb! But since she had decided to help First Miss now, she naturally wouldn’t conceal anything.

Yu Xiang thought for a moment, then said to Jin Chao, “First Miss has guessed correctly. At that time, this servant was acting on Song Concubine’s orders to discuss the rhubarb matter with Luo Liu. However, the rhubarb wasn’t provided by Song Concubine, and Luo Liu normally doesn’t leave the mansion, so he certainly couldn’t have procured rhubarb. This servant suspects it is someone else… but this servant doesn’t know who this person is. Luo Liu is extremely timid and wouldn’t dare harm Madam… After all, both this servant and Luo Liu are just servants; we couldn’t have done this!”

Jin Chao’s heart stirred—it was indeed as she thought! The rhubarb matter wasn’t as simple as just Song Concubine and Luo Liu’s collusion.

That Manager Sun from the accounting office must have been the one truly colluding with Song Concubine. In her previous life, the two of them had not only conspired to harm her mother but also, after her mother’s death, embezzled all the items from her mother’s private storeroom, leaving nothing behind. It was the same in this life—not only harming her mother but also trying to swallow up what her mother had left in the outer courtyard!

Thinking of this, Jin Chao felt exceptionally angry, but her expression remained very calm as she said indifferently to Yu Xiang, “In that case, come with me to the accounting office… Someone needs to be held accountable.”