Harem Daily Life

Chapter 226: Collecting Fans

Because of the sudden incident involving Steward Wang, the lunch at the imperial manor was relatively simple.

At first, Manager Li was worried that the dishes were mediocre and would not suit the tastes of the two masters. Unexpectedly, Concubine Tao and the Second Prince both liked them very much. They each ate a big steamed bun and were not picky at all.

"This steamed bun is delicious, soft and fluffy." Xiao Jinan couldn't eat any more after finishing one.

"Can I take two back? I think these steamed buns are really delicious." Xiao Jinan asked.

Tao Yanyan smiled and said: "This steamed bun not only contains white flour, but also a little bit of other flour, right?" It can be seen at a glance that coarse grains are added, so it is chewier than the pure white flour steamed buns eaten in the palace.

The old woman who was in charge of cooking for them said: "To answer your question, sir, we did add some buckwheat flour. White flour is too expensive and there is not much left, so we added buckwheat flour." The old woman felt a little embarrassed. It was obvious that these two young masters were used to a life of luxury, and she felt bad for making them eat whole grain steamed buns.

"The way you make steamed buns is very good. In addition to buckwheat flour, you can add other things. Eating more whole grains is good for your health." Tao Yanyan not only did not dislike it, but also praised him.

Steward Li was very touched. He felt that Concubine Tao was so considerate. Although she was the master, she did not dislike the food in the mountains at all, nor did she blame him for his neglect. Who would not want to follow such a master?

Tao Yanyan didn't know that she had gained a fan invisibly, and the stickiness of the fan was quite strong.

Everyone finished eating quickly and started taking notes. In order to save time, those who could write took notes. They were divided into several teams and wrote down all the reports and revelations from more than 190 tenant households.

Tao Yanyan randomly read a few of them and found that there were four cases of human death, not to mention those who were injured or disabled, accounting for almost half of the total.

Steward Wang was forced to kneel on the ground by two guards, and his face turned pale as paper as he listened to the tenants exposing him in front of him. His thugs were also arrested, tied together and made to kneel on the ground. The angry tenants would come over and kick him from time to time to vent their hatred.

By the time I finished writing them all down, it was already a thick stack.

"Manager Li, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, find a few people to thoroughly check all the account books of this imperial farm over the years. I don't believe that such a large farm only has this much output. If this manager Wang insists on stealing, it is harming the interests of the royal family. He must return what he has embezzled. If there are other people behind him, they must also be investigated and punished. There will be no leniency!"

Manager Li also felt a little ashamed. After all, it was because of his poor management that this parasite took advantage of the opportunity.

"Yes, I will investigate thoroughly." Manager Li looked at the sky and said, "Sir, it's getting late. Should we go back early?"

Tao Yanyan nodded, but he was still worried about one thing: "We urgently need a temporary manager. After we leave, we need him to do what needs to be done. Especially in the spring, we need to turn the land, find seedlings, and breed seeds, which are all big things."

At this time, an old man among the tenants said: "If you trust me, I will recommend someone to be the steward. He was originally a scholar, but he broke his hand before and his family is relatively poor, so he became a tenant like us. He can write and count, and he usually teaches our children to recognize words. He didn't come today because he was beaten by Steward Wang a few days ago and couldn't get out of bed, so he is lying at home."

Tao Yanyan thought that since he was just a temporary manager, he might as well go and take a look. If it was ok, he would use it first.

So, a group of people went to the house of Yu Jinsheng that the old man mentioned.

As soon as he heard that someone from the palace had arrived, Yu Jinsheng stood up to greet them.

Tao Yanyan saw that he had some scholarly air. If his right hand had not been cut off, he might not have passed the imperial examination and could have worked as an accountant in the city.

Tao Yanyan tested him with a few math questions, and seeing that he understood, he asked him about his opinion on the imperial farm. Yu Jinsheng said, "To be honest, sir, I have always felt that the imperial farm is in the hands of Steward Wang, and it is his private treasury. The emperor is far away, and Your Majesty cannot manage the imperial farm, which gives the villain an opportunity to take advantage of it. In fact, the amount that the imperial farm can contribute to the royal family every year is much more than what is recorded in the account book. Because of Steward Wang's greed and laziness, many hills are not used properly and are left abandoned."

Tao Yanyan said: "If I let you take over the management position temporarily, do you have the confidence to do a good job and double the profits?"

When Yu Jinsheng heard this, his eyes lit up, but soon dimmed again: "That Manager Wang seems to have some background. Will he... come back?"

The world is really difficult, and Yu Jinsheng does not want to offend the powerful people behind Manager Wang and endanger his own life.

Tao Yanyan's eyes darkened: "If what the tenants reported is true, he will most likely not come back. But if you still have any concerns and are unwilling to take on this hot potato, I won't force you. At most, I can wait until I have selected the right person and send him over."

Tao Yanyan thought, if it really doesn't work, just arrange for Dong Fang to come over for a while and train a manager here.

She glanced at Dong Fang. She was twenty years old, which was the time when she should strive for a career. It would be better to shine in this imperial farm than to serve in the palace.

Dong Fang's heart tightened: Could it be that Concubine Tao wanted me to stay and be the manager? How could that be possible! I want to serve Concubine Tao for the rest of my life!

Dong Fang was shivering when he heard Yu Jinsheng say, "Sir, since Steward Wang has no chance to come back, I, Yu Jinsheng, am willing to give it a try. A real man still has this responsibility. I am willing to lead the tenants here to cultivate the imperial farm. As for doubling the profit, I dare not guarantee it, but I can do it without greed, harming others, hiding my gains, or slacking off. The profit will definitely be better than last year. How much better, we will have to do it to know. If you believe in me, I will do my best to serve the royal family."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "Okay, then I will trust you this time. The tenants recommended you, and I am willing to trust the people's vision. As for what to do, Manager Li will tell you. We will check the accounts tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and you should also help us. Manager Wang, this parasite and scum, must be nailed to death with substantial evidence."

After arranging everything, Tao Yanyan led his people back. Manager Wang and his thugs were taken away with heavy hands tied behind their backs. The tenants automatically stood in two rows and respectfully watched the nobles' team return to the city.

"Thank you, sir, for taking charge of us! Thank you, sir, for punishing the bad guys!" Someone shouted first, and the tenants repeated these two sentences one after another. The sound was deafening and echoed for a long time.

Steward Li had been immersed in the imperial palace for half his life, and thought he had seen too many storms and his heart had become as cold and hard as iron. However, facing this scene, his heart suddenly felt hot.

Everyone who followed was touched. This was the first time they felt proud of speaking for the people and receiving honor.

Xiao Jinan looked at Tao Yanyan with bright eyes: "Mother, I feel like I have done something big by coming here today."