Upon hearing this, Qin Yining couldn’t help but look toward Duke Dingguo’s wife. She didn’t know what kind of place Zhaoyun Company was, but for her maternal grandmother to give Zhaoyun Company to her, she had actually exchanged fertile fields and shops with her eldest male cousin. No wonder when her maternal grandmother mentioned it earlier, the female cousins’ expressions were all somewhat different.

Sun Shi was also somewhat surprised.

She really couldn’t understand how a girl who had just returned home and wasn’t even familiar with her maiden family could be so well-liked, making her mother so generous.

“Mother, we appreciate your good intentions, but this Zhaoyun Company really isn’t suitable for a girl who understands nothing to manage. As I said just now, Zhaoyun Company has so many high officials and nobles – if she really offends someone, it’s no joke. Moreover, she just returned and hasn’t even learned to recognize all the characters yet. How is she qualified to manage any business? The Prime Minister’s mansion doesn’t lack food or clothing for her. After she returned home, we didn’t see her paternal grandmother giving her silver or shops. Why should our family be so generous?”

The first half of her words still sounded reasonable, but the second half made Duke Dingguo’s wife frown, and everyone present felt slightly awkward.

Duke Dingguo didn’t want to participate in these matters. Hearing this, he called several male cousins to go out, leaving the warm pavilion to the women.

Seeing her father actually leave like this, Sun Shi realized she might have said something Duke Dingguo didn’t like to hear. Since childhood, Duke Dingguo had this habit – whenever his children made mistakes, Duke Dingguo would avoid them, leaving space for Duke Dingguo’s wife to handle things.

After the men left, Duke Dingguo’s wife indeed spoke sternly: “What you just said was inappropriate. How is it that after marrying out for these years, you’ve learned these competitive tricks? As a mother, don’t you understand the principle of teaching by example? Aren’t you afraid your daughters will learn from you these sharp-edged, competitive, comparing attitudes and not know how to be harmonious with sisters – such mercenary airs!”

Sun Shi felt indignant hearing this but didn’t dare speak back, keeping her head down in silence.

Qin Huining’s face alternated between red and white hearing this. Wasn’t Duke Dingguo’s wife pointing at the mulberry while scolding the locust tree!

Seeing Duke Dingguo’s wife getting angry, First Maternal Aunt and Second Maternal Aunt quickly tried to mediate: “Mother, don’t get angry. Han Jie’er just has a childish nature and speaks without thinking.”

“Childish nature, speaks without thinking? She’s already over forty! Still so lacking in progress!” Duke Dingguo’s wife rubbed her forehead and scolded: “Have you forgotten everything I told you that day!”

Seeing her mother truly angry, Sun Shi felt wronged but didn’t dare contradict, lowering her head to admit her mistake.

Duke Dingguo’s wife took two deep breaths before saying: “You can’t see clearly, but you’re fortunate to have Yi Jie’er by your side who understands matters. From now on, be more careful. Don’t believe everything anyone tells you. When there are major matters in your Qin mansion, you can discuss more with Yi Jie’er. I also believe Yi Jie’er will manage Zhaoyun Company with complete competence. Just because you lack ability doesn’t mean your daughter does too. Don’t forget whose daughter Yi Jie’er is!”

Sun Shi was scolded like a quail, not daring to breathe loudly. Although she felt indignant in her heart, she also felt somewhat inexplicably proud. Perhaps Qin Yining inherited her father’s intelligence?

Seeing her maternal grandmother teaching her mother, Qin Yining had no place to interrupt and could only worry anxiously. Seeing the topic finally come to a pause, she quickly joined First and Second Maternal Aunts in mediating.

Duke Dingguo’s wife’s anger wasn’t really directed at others anyway. To avoid everyone’s embarrassment, when given a way out, she took it.

“Yi Jie’er, you just returned, so I imagine you don’t understand much about Zhaoyun Company yet. I’ll have Nanny Bao explain to you what kind of business Zhaoyun Company does. Also, have Nanny Bao arrange for someone to send you the shop’s account books and documents home later.”

“Yes.” Qin Yining obediently agreed.

Nanny Bao smiled and curtsied: “Miss, please come with this servant.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Nanny Bao.” Qin Yining avoided her curtsy and returned a half-bow.

The two left the warm pavilion courteously and walked outside.

Duke Dingguo’s wife and the two maternal aunts watched their figures with satisfied smiles.

Seeing Sun Shi speaking quietly with Qin Huining about something, Duke Dingguo’s wife felt another headache coming and couldn’t help starting her daughter-teaching enterprise again: “I see Yi Jie’er is someone who understands propriety extremely well. This granddaughter suits my taste the most. From now on you…”

Setting aside Sun Shi being lectured by Duke Dingguo’s wife with those same old admonishments.

Let’s just say Qin Yining followed Nanny Bao to a place in the courtyard where no one was around to talk.

“Miss, you probably don’t know the origins of Zhaoyun Company yet?”

“Exactly. Please trouble Nanny to explain – what kind of business does this enterprise operate?”

Nanny Bao smiled: “Zhaoyun Company is somewhat similar to the Music Bureau of the previous dynasty, yet also different. Miss should know that when some ministers are convicted of crimes, it implicates their families, right?”

“I know.” Qin Yining nodded.

Nanny Bao said: “When some ministers are convicted and sentenced to beheading, exile, etc., the women in their households, whether eighty-year-old mothers or three-year-old girls, are all made into official performers. Miss, note that this ‘performer’ is not the ‘prostitute’ with the woman radical.”

“Yes.”

“Previously, the court operated its own Music Bureau, and these official performers were all sent to the Music Bureau. It could be said each served according to their ability. The elderly who couldn’t do presentable work were assigned tasks like kitchen work, firewood room, cleaning, waiting tables, etc. Young girls were temporarily raised, and those of appropriate age were sent to the front of the Music Bureau to serve guests.”

“Don’t think this dynasty promotes moral education – those high officials and nobles who visited the Music Bureau specifically liked to select the family members of former colleagues for the express purpose of humiliation. Most people didn’t pay in ready silver either, making credit the norm, so the Music Bureau was always operating at a loss.”

“There are such people!” Qin Yining listened in shock.

Nanny Bao smiled: “In this vast world, what kind of people don’t exist? This Music Bureau was originally the Great Emperor’s business. How could the Great Emperor allow his business to always lose money? So in anger he closed the Music Bureau. The lost silver couldn’t be recovered from anyone, so it all went down the drain. Those criminal women had nowhere to be placed, yet they couldn’t not be supported. Later someone below gave an idea, and thus we have our current Zhaoyun Company.”

“The Great Emperor reopened the Music Bureau, but it no longer did external business – it simply supported those criminal women from great families who were implicated. Zhaoyun Company is responsible for operating the surface business, but all personnel used in Zhaoyun Company’s enterprises, except for a few managers, must be rented from the Music Bureau.”

Hearing this, Qin Yining immediately understood and nodded: “This idea is truly brilliant. This way, the Great Emperor’s Music Bureau supports these criminal women and rents them out without losing money. Zhaoyun Company needs to hire people for business operations anyway, so employing these criminal women not only provides labor but also counts as a major business feature.”

“The Madam was indeed right – Miss is intelligent and understands immediately. To be honest, this idea was given to the Great Emperor by the old Duke Dingguo. The Great Emperor was so pleased that he bestowed Zhaoyun Company to the old Duke for management. It’s been passed down to now and handed to First Master. However, you know First Master’s temperament.”

Speaking of this, Nanny Bao sighed: “Originally, Zhaoyun Company operated two restaurants, two inns, and two brothels. But First Master is stubborn and can’t stand those filthy affairs, so as soon as he took over, he closed the two brothels.”

“So now, Zhaoyun Company passed to Miss operates three restaurants and two inns. First Master renovated one of the former brothels and opened it as a restaurant. Business is thriving. However, because of the wars these years, First Master had no heart for business, so there’s still one brothel property sitting vacant.”

At this point, Qin Yining completely understood Zhaoyun Company’s origins.

No wonder Sun Shi opposed it so strongly earlier.

Now Zhaoyun Company operated three restaurants, two inns, and one unused property – this was a huge sum of silver!

Not to mention that property, just the currently profitable restaurants and inns – how much silver did they earn each year? All of this suddenly became her private money?

Moreover, Zhaoyun Company’s renting of criminal women from the imperial Music Bureau was a major feature, so all the people in the restaurants and inns were criminal women. These criminal women might have formerly been some great family’s old matriarch, some devastatingly beautiful wealthy daughter, or perhaps even the tea server at the inn was formerly someone who managed household affairs in some inner residence!

Although these people were implicated by their families’ crimes, in Qin Yining’s view, these serving staff had rather significant backgrounds…

“Miss, do you still have anything you don’t understand?” Seeing Qin Yining frowning in thought, Nanny Bao couldn’t help asking.

Qin Yining smiled and shook her head: “Maternal Grandmother truly gave me a generous gift. Although I feel unworthy to receive it, I certainly won’t disappoint Maternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother’s good intentions. I will definitely manage it well and make good use of the connections within.”

Hearing this, Nanny Bao’s heart shook, a sharp gleam flashed in her eyes, and she nodded repeatedly, saying “good” three times.

“Miss is so intelligent, truly not disappointing Madam’s expectations. This old servant can rest assured.”

The two returned and chatted casually for a while more. Seeing it was getting late, Sun Shi took Qin Yining and Qin Huining to take their leave.

Nanny Bao reported the earlier conversation word for word to Duke Dingguo’s wife.

Upon hearing this, Duke Dingguo’s wife asked: “She really said that?”

“Yes. The young miss has a quick and clever mind – she understood immediately. This old servant only explained Zhaoyun Company’s origins and hadn’t gone into details, but she already understood the crucial points. She’s truly worthy of being ‘Wise Pan An’s’ daughter!” Nanny Bao praised lavishly.

Hearing this, Duke Dingguo’s wife also smiled.

“Old Madam, First Master has come.” A maid outside lifted the warm curtain, and Sun Yu quickly walked in, paying respects to Duke Dingguo’s wife.

“Grandmother.”

“Ming Ge’er, come sit quickly and warm up.”

Sun Yu moved a folding stool to sit beside Duke Dingguo’s wife and asked directly: “Grandmother, I just heard that Zhaoyun Company had some trouble these past days. Did you already know about it?”

Duke Dingguo’s wife smiled and nodded: “Yes, I knew.”

“Female Cousin just arrived and doesn’t understand the complications involved. Is it really good for you to give Zhaoyun Company to her directly without handling the situation first?”