looking like he wanted to kick them out. 。The old woman wasn't annoyed either. She persuaded him to sit down, then spoke calmly, "Big brother, I believe when you came here, you did indeed spend one...The chief steward panicked, afraid that the Lord would believe the slander and misunderstand the County Lady.

He was just about to step forward to explain, but the Marquis didn't even look at the shopkeeper. With one kick, he sent him flying several feet away and then strode into the house.

"Good heavens! Father, you're back. Have you had lunch"

"No, I came back specially to have a meal with you." The marquis smiled and rubbed the little girl's hair, suggesting to her: "It's been a long time since we had Xiankelai. How about going there for lunch"

"Okay, with Grandfather away, my godfather and I will go support Second Brother." Jia Yin was quick-witted and immediately guessed the Marquis's intentions. "My godfather is a war god; villains would be terrified upon seeing him and wouldn't dare to bully Second Brother."

The Lord pinched her little nose and smiled, "Little fox, you really can't hide anything from me. Didn't checking the account books tire you out"

The Emperor bestowed several new fabrics. Take your time and choose the styles you like, and have the embroiderer make them into dresses. The rest can be taken back home to share with your family members.

"Sure," Jia Yin replied crisply, "Grandma wanted to prepare gifts earlier, but the storeroom was out of materials. This is a good opportunity to stock up for her."

The two of them were oblivious to everyone else, chatting merrily and putting the head steward's mind at ease.

...but also frightened a number of shopkeepers.

They had heard before that the Marquis treated his adopted daughter, the county princess, differently than his own biological daughters. He loved her even more.

But today, seeing it with their own eyes, they realized that she was even closer to them than their own daughter!

The tavern owner clutched his belly, lying halfway in the courtyard, feeling utterly chilled.

He originally still wanted to confuse right and wrong, starting with the fact that the county princess was surnamed Li, not Ye, to sow discord and try to get himself "a retrial."

But now it's apparent that he made a futile attempt.

However, he didn't want to be defeated by a little girl like that. So, struggling, he climbed back up the stairs.

He shouted loudly, "Master Hou, I am Bai Sanxing. I've been taking care of the inns for the Marquis's mansion for over a decade. Though I haven't made much merit, I have certainly put in my share of effort. Master Hou, please listen to me for a moment."

"My Lord, the servant is wronged! The servant couldn't bear to see you robbed of your wealth, and would die with regret!"

The Lord frowned and glanced at him, coldly smiling: "You've managed the wine shop for the Hou Mansion for over ten years, but the Hou Mansion has also paid you for ten years, shared profits for ten years. Where does your credit come from Isn't this your duty"

The steward was stunned for a moment, then burst into tears again, "Master Hou, it's just that this old servant has blurry eyes and miscounted the numbers, causing the total accounts to not match. The County Princess is unjustly accusing this old servant of embezzling silver!

"

"And in the autumn and winter, eggs and vegetables were already very expensive. Then the princess said that I had made a mistake in purchasing, how wronged I am! "

"My Lord, if the County Miss wishes to dismiss me and replace me with members of her Li family, just say so plainly. Please don't leave me bearing this kind of reputation. I would rather die than live with such a stain on my name!"

Jiayin didn't originally want to speak, but she had to open her mouth now. "You, how can you talk nonsense with your eyes open You miscalculated ten digits in the ledger and didn't say anything, and you actually spent three times the usual price for eggs in June, saying it was autumn and winter! Your family counts June as autumn and winter"

The Lord patted the young maid's back, soothing her like a ruffled cat. Finally, he turned to Bai, "You said that the County Lady intentionally framed you and wanted Li Family to take your position"

"Yes, Lord Hou." Bai Zhuang's face paled. He had no way out and could only bite the bullet and speak.

The Steward was about to explain, but the Lord Hou nodded instead, saying to Bai Merchant, “You remind me of something. Since the shop isn't under the County Princess's name, it will indeed be improper for her to manage it in the future.”

Having said that, he instructed the chief steward, "Tomorrow, go to the county office and transfer all the shops under the county princess's name."

Everyone gasped upon hearing this!

White shopkeeper's mouth was wide open, his throat straining to reach the sky...

The Hou family's shops, both inside and outside Kyoto, add up to over thirty!

Just like that, everything is given to the county princess!

Will the Hou Mansion no longer be able to last

Especially those shopkeepers who have problems with several of the same ledgers, their hearts are simply filled with despair.

I thought they might be able to get a good deal by following Bai Guanjiu, but it seems like their plan has completely failed...

Four people looked at each other, then knelt down together.

One of them said, "My lord, we were bewitched and tampered with the account books, embezzling silver. We are willing to repay all the silver, only begging for your mercy and sparing our lives."

The Lord glanced at them and said, "Death can be spared, but life is hard to escape. After paying compensation, each person will receive twenty lashes. You are allowed to redeem yourselves, take your entire family, and get out of Xin Du!"

These shopkeepers are all servants of the Marquis's mansion. Some signed death contracts, some signed twenty-year long service contracts, and even some entire families are servants of the Marquis's mansion.

Leaning against a big tree is good for enjoying the shade. As stewards and cashiers of the Hou Mansion, they had never been bullied outside.

They only have to think, after taking off the protective talisman of Houfu and returning to the life of an ordinary citizen, it's like losing a cotton coat and having to walk in the wind and snow of winter...

But the deed is done, and now it's too late to regret.

Four people bowed their heads and obediently went down to receive the notice.

White shopkeeper listened to the screams in the yard, his whole being turned bad!

He still wanted to speak, but the Marquis had already ordered the head steward, “Summon this man’s entire family and question them thoroughly about any other matters. Then deal with them accordingly – sell the whole family.”

"Yes, Master!" The head steward replied, waving his hand to call two guards forward. They pulled the white shopkeeper away.

The white shopkeeper struggled desperately, still wanting to speak, but he was struck on the scabbard and fainted...

The rest of the shopkeepers who weren't in trouble were standing there with their heads bowed, like quails, not daring to breathe a word.

The steward tentatively inquired, "My Lord, who would be most suitable to manage these five shops"

The Lord looked at Jia Yin and said, "The county princess decides."

Jia Yin tilted her head, bouncing her legs, and after a moment said, "As for these five shops, let the original shopkeepers' deputies take over. Within a month, if they can successfully manage the shops, they will be officially promoted. For the rest of the shopkeepers who are loyal and hardworking, give them an extra month's pay."

"Alright, then." The Marquis nodded, motioning for everyone to withdraw.

The shopkeepers quickly bowed and thanked them, then one by one they withdrew.

The steward, seeing that there were no outsiders in the room, could no longer contain himself. He gave a thumbs-up and exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Princess, you were truly amazing just now! You handled it perfectly!"

Jia Yin quietly glanced outside the door, then patted her chest and said with a smile: "I was really scared just now, it's good that I didn't make a mistake."

"No, no, the county princess's handling of this is very appropriate! These shopkeepers are like stubborn donkeys, unwilling to budge even when beaten. We need to reprimand them more often, otherwise they will easily make mistakes."

The steward found a good excuse and hurriedly climbed the ladder, his face contorted in pleading as he said, “In the future, could Miss perhaps visit the Marquis’s mansion more often Even twice a month would be great! The Marquis is frequently away from home. Although I am the steward, I am still just a servant. If the Miss visits more often, it will help keep the household in order…”hin half a month, he recovered! It seems that the practice of "chongxi" (marrying for healing) actually works.And this time, the marriage proposal I have for the county princess is from the eldest son...