Glory

"It's only natural that wealth stirs men's hearts," Ye Yaming remarked without the slightest surprise.

The Ye family's servants had been purchased back when the family first established their fortune.

The Ye family treated their servants quite well—at least ensuring they were well-fed and clothed. Living comfortably in an era that valued large families, aside from those who died young due to poor medical conditions, most couples had at least two or three children.

Over the years, what started as ten servants had grown to at least forty, if not sixty.

Although the number of servants had increased, the Ye family's business had also expanded significantly, creating a constant need for manpower. Thus, they managed to accommodate everyone without having to sell anyone off.

Living in comfort and ease, never having suffered society's harsh blows; coupled with the lack of consistent indoctrination about loyalty and gratitude, and the Ye family's leniency toward erring servants—was it any wonder that these people would divulge the family's secrets for a little external benefit?

With everyone thinking, "If I don't speak up, someone else will; if I don't take this money, someone else will," wouldn't they all rush to sell the secret tea-making recipe?

She had remained silent and continued using the tea factory workers precisely to see how many would make mistakes, allowing her to filter through the Ye family's servants.

"Let's keep this quiet for now and wait. I want to see how many more are tempted," Ye Yaming said. "We'll single out this group and punish them severely! Without a thorough cleanup, our family business will never be secure. Otherwise, no matter how many secret tea-making recipes I produce, they won't be enough for these servants to sell."

"Right, that's the way to go." Ye Chongming, who had been furious earlier, had now calmed down and found his thoughts aligned with Ye Yaming's.

The grandfather and granddaughter spent considerable time discussing how to set the trap.

Finally, Ye Chongming said, "I'll speak with your grandmother later. The household should also tighten its security."

"Be sure to tell Grandmother to maintain outward relaxation while staying vigilant internally, to avoid alerting the enemy. Besides necessary trusted servants, don't let too many people know about this," Ye Yaming advised.

Ye Chongming nodded. "Exactly as it should be."

Actually, even before promoting Fang Xing to Housekeeper, Ye Yaming had instructed him to bribe the mansion's servants, turning many into her informants.

There was no other way—the Ye family had enemies like the Meng and Yang families, plus countless others jealous of their success. These parties were constantly looking for weaknesses to exploit, whether in business or by scheming against her, Ye Yaqing, or even Ye Yayin's marriages.

The Ye mansion was her and her family's sanctuary, and she couldn't entrust their safety entirely to Old Madam Ye and Tao Shi.

These two women, having lived privileged lives, couldn't comprehend the cutthroat nature of business competition or the hidden dangers that needed guarding against.

Whether others criticized her for overreaching or having controlling tendencies, she had to take firm control of the Ye household, ensuring she could promptly and clearly know everything that happened within.

After concluding her discussion with Ye Chongming, she returned to her own courtyard.

The Qi Family's Housekeeper had mentioned they would send people over in the next couple of days.

Once they arrived, Ye Yaming planned to train them, starting with some brainwashing. While instilling genuine loyalty in a short time was impossible, she could at least make them understand the consequences of misconduct.

After finishing the Jasmine Tea production, she intended to send this group to Huizhou under the management of Sun An, another Housekeeper she had cultivated after Fang Xing. From there, she would select capable individuals to bring back for focused training.There was no other way. Although the Ye family had a large number of household serfs and servants, their relationships were intricately intertwined and deeply entangled.

Setting aside their abilities and loyalty, if any of them gained power, wouldn’t all their relatives rise along with them? And if those relatives committed offenses, wouldn’t they shield them or plead for leniency? As the one in charge, would she have to consider her subordinates’ feelings and face when handling such matters?

In her modern company, even office romances were forbidden. If two people in the same office fell in love, one of them would be transferred immediately, precisely to avoid such complications.

Now that she was in ancient times, how could she allow herself to fall into such a predicament?

When she had previously trained Fang Xing and Sun An, it was for several reasons. First, she had no one else to rely on, and she couldn’t openly declare her distrust of household serfs or her aversion to nepotism, as that would offend all the servants in the mansion. Second, Fang Xing and Sun An had simple family backgrounds and were capable in their own right. Third, both Huizhou and Minzhou needed people to expand the market. If these two couldn’t handle their relatives appropriately, she could simply send them to work in other regions, minimizing the impact.

Fortunately, both Fang Xing and Sun An had performed well and hadn’t disappointed her.

"Bai Rui, have you finished the essay I asked you to write yesterday? Bring it to me," Ye Yaming asked.

"And Lve E, what about the assignment I gave you? Bring it as well."

Bai Rui paused while tidying up and exchanged a glance with Lve E. Each went to retrieve her completed assignment and handed it to Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming first examined the characters Bai Rui had practiced, then read her essay and checked her arithmetic problems. She beckoned Bai Rui closer and said, "This character, this one, and this one—all are written incorrectly. Aside from the mistakes, your essay is quite good: the logic is clear, the structure is well-organized, and the writing is fluent. You’ve improved significantly compared to before."

Bai Rui, who had been full of anxiety, immediately beamed with joy, her voice brimming with excitement. "Thank you, Miss."

"Good, keep up the effort," Ye Yaming encouraged her before tossing Bai Rui’s arithmetic problems back to her. "I’ve circled all the incorrect answers. Ask Lve E to explain them to you later. If there’s anything neither of you understands, come to me."

Bai Rui’s cheerful expression instantly turned into a grimace.

Lve E, witnessing this, didn’t dare show any hint of schadenfreude, knowing her turn was next.

"Lve E, come here. Your arithmetic homework shows improvement this time—you only got three questions wrong. Let me explain them to you."

After finishing Lve E’s math lesson, Ye Yaming rubbed her temples and took out Lve E’s essay. "I don’t expect your writing to be exceptionally flowery, but it should at least be comprehensible. Ask Bai Rui to tutor you in this area. As for your handwriting, practice five extra pages tomorrow."

Lve E’s face also fell.

"Alright, now call Ziyuan and Qingzhi in."

She wasn’t just training external housekeepers; she was also cultivating internal housekeepers. She wanted assistants who were entirely her own—secretaries, accountants, and the like. Bai Rui and Lve E, who had been exceptionally loyal and clever in her previous life, were excellent candidates for training.

As for Ziyuan and Qingzhi, Ye Yaming had observed them coldly over this period. Although each had her own personality flaws, they were fundamentally without major faults and could also be cultivated.

Thus, Ye Yaming had been teaching them to read and write during this time.Bai Rui and Lve E, having previously served as maids to the original owner—a literary young woman—knew a few characters. But that was all they knew; one couldn't expect them to write, let alone do anything else.

Ye Yaming had to busy herself with various tasks during the day and still teach these maids at night, which was quite taxing.

"Brother Shen!"

"Hmm!"

As Shen Changqing walked along the road, he would occasionally encounter acquaintances. They would greet each other or simply nod.

But no matter who it was,

everyone's face bore no extra expression, as if they were indifferent to everything.

Regarding this,

Shen Changqing had grown accustomed.

Because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an institution responsible for maintaining the stability of Great Qin. Its primary duty was to slay demons, monsters, and supernatural beings, though it also handled some side tasks.

It could be said

that every person in the Demon Suppression Division had much blood on their hands.

When one has witnessed life and death too often, they become indifferent to many things.

When Shen Changqing first arrived in this world, he found it somewhat hard to adapt, but over time, he grew used to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast.

Those who could remain in the Demon Suppression Division were either powerful experts or individuals with the potential to become experts.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category.

Within the Demon Suppression Division, there were two main roles: one was the Garrison Envoy, and the other was the Demon Subduing Envoy.

Anyone who entered the Demon Suppression Division started from the lowest rank of Demon Subduing Envoy,

then gradually advanced, with the hope of eventually becoming a Garrison Envoy.

Shen Changqing's previous incarnation had been a probationary Demon Subduing Envoy in the Demon Suppression Division, the lowest tier among the Demon Subduing Envoys.

Possessing the memories of his former self,

he was very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.

It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a pavilion.

Unlike other solemn and imposing areas of the Demon Suppression Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, exuding an unusual tranquility amidst the pervasive bloodshed of the division.

At that moment, the pavilion's door was wide open, with people occasionally entering and exiting.

Shen Changqing hesitated only briefly before stepping inside.

Upon entering the pavilion,

the atmosphere abruptly changed.

A scent of ink, mixed with a faint trace of blood, assailed his senses, causing him to instinctively frown, though his expression soon relaxed.

The bloody odor that clung to everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was almost impossible to wash away completely.