The Emperor Wu was furious. "If your servants commit offenses, you can deal with them privately. Why make such a big fuss? Are you afraid everyone won't know your wife is ill-mannered?"
The Empress was right.
How sensible could a woman raised in the common folk be? He should have arranged for a suitable concubine to help Xiao Qi manage things long ago.
Situ Yan retorted, "My wife is learned and virtuous. How is she ill-mannered? Does one have to tolerate those servants riding over her head to be considered well-mannered? Who is the master and who is the servant then?"
Emperor Wu: "You dare to talk back? You grew up in a marquis's mansion. Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run. Among all the noble families in the capital, which main wife would offend the Imperial Household Department for a few servants?"
"The servants of the Imperial Household Department have signed contracts. How can they not be offended? Besides, it was my decision to send them back. If you want to blame someone, blame me."
Emperor Wu was so angry his hands itched, and he grabbed the memorial and threw it at him.
The item was light, and he felt nothing without being hit in the face. Situ Yan dodged none of the blows. He figured the compensation for his losses was probably unrecoverable. He cupped his hands and said, "If Father Emperor has vented enough, I shall take my leave."
Emperor Wu was weary. "Get out, get out. I'll personally pick someone for you tomorrow."
Situ Yan said, "No need. If I pick someone, it'll just cause trouble again."
"Hmph, if your wife can't manage her servants, I'll find a concubine to help her. Choose: servants or a concubine?"
Situ Yan: ...
Seeing his son's look of disbelief, Emperor Wu's mood improved. The little rascal, did he really think he couldn't handle him? He casually picked up a memorial and began to read it seriously.
"Father Emperor, don't..."
"Stop talking nonsense with me. I won't listen to your excuses."
Situ Yan: "...No, let's discuss it again."
"No time. Can't you see I'm busy?" Emperor Wu ignored him, instead opening a memorial and reading it intently.
"Father Emperor, you've got your memorial upside down." Situ Yan was extremely annoyed. Couldn't he even pretend more convincingly?
Emperor Wu: ...
This son was beyond saving. Back then, Concubine Rong was so gentle and considerate. This brat had inherited nothing good from Concubine Rong except his face.
Situ Yan helplessly chose the servants and left the palace with a blank expression.
Lu Nian Fu was having Qing Ya lead people to confiscate the private property of those servants. She didn't intend to take much, just get back what they had swallowed. However, the search revealed astonishing wealth. When they found Steward Xin, Qing Ya's eyes turned red.
Because of the young lady's favor, her monthly stipend and rewards were always much more generous than Qing Miao's and Mian'er's. She had always thought she was a little rich woman, but compared to these people from the palace...
Tsk, tsk, tsk, she was truly too poor.
"Young lady, is working in the palace this profitable?"
"It depends on the person. Those who are good at scheming and lucky naturally earn more. Steward Xin, I don't know who she recognized as her godfather. With someone backing her, she could naturally hoard money faster. Look at the others; aren't there also those whose pockets are cleaner than their faces?"
Qing Miao felt more balanced. "Oh, the young master is back."
Lu Nian Fu turned and saw Situ Yan striding towards her. Although he had a blank expression, Lu Nian Fu could tell he was unhappy. She quickly went to meet him. "What's wrong? Did Father Emperor punish you?"
"No punishment, just that I couldn't get rid of them. Father Emperor said he'd send a new batch tomorrow."
One rank higher could crush a man to death, let alone the Emperor.
Situ Yan felt his father's victory was dishonorable, actually using the threat of taking a concubine to coerce him.
Lu Nian Fu wasn't disappointed. "I thought as much. The royal family has its rules. It's normal for Father Emperor to not allow us to act recklessly. After today's incident, no matter how influential the people sent to the manor are in the future, they certainly won't dare to cause trouble."
Situ Yan nodded. "If they cause trouble again, this prince will directly sell them to work in the mines."
Speaking of mines, Lu Nian Fu said, "Do you remember the two mines that Young Master Cheng mentioned? The first installment of dividends has arrived. Tsk, indeed, mining is the most profitable."
"So quickly?"
"Probably to show you their resolve."
Situ Yan looked at the amount, and the frustration of being forced to keep more servants dissipated. Then he heard Lu Nian Fu say, "He also asked us to help look after Jiao Jiao and wants your help finding a reliable husband for her."
Situ Yan: "Tsk, this money is not easy to earn. This prince has to moonlight as a matchmaker. What kind of person does he want for her?"
"That depends on Jiao Jiao herself!" Come to think of it, he had been so busy lately that he hadn't seen Jiao Jiao in a long time. He wondered how that girl was doing now.