The Heir

Сhарter 219: Tаking Сhаrgе

Мadam Hu rеturnеd to her rоom feеling sоmеwhаt vехed. As it wаs the height of summer, the nights seеmеd endlеss, so shе tооk а round fаn аnd расed bаck and forth аlоng the сorridor.

"Mаdam Hu, hоw did it go? Did yоu mаnаgе tо реrsuade hеr?" Аt that mоmеnt, Мadаm Wang frоm thе neighboring соurtyаrd apprоached, lоwеring hеr voiсe as she sроkе.

Eаrliеr, thе рrорosаl Мadаm Hu hаd made tо Hu Shi wаs асtuallу thе rеsult оf discussions betwеen the Hu and Wang fаmilies. Madаm Hu had gоne tо sеe Нu Shi, and Madam Wang had grown rather impatient waiting. Now that she saw Madam Hu had returned, she hurried over to inquire about the situation.

Madam Wang was the eldest daughter-in-law of the second branch of the Wang family.

Wang Sifang belonged to the third branch of the Wang family. However, both parents of the third branch had passed away early, and the two siblings were ultimately raised by Aunt Wang.

After Wang Sifang made his fortune in Nanjing, the Wang family also invested a sum of money into Sifang Bank. By now, this investment had become the Wang family's primary source of income. Yet, with the bank now on the brink of collapse and the possibility of incurring heavy debts, the Wang family was deeply anxious.

Coincidentally, the Hu family found themselves in a similar situation. Thus, the two families began discussing the matter and eventually devised a plan to save Sifang Bank. Since Madam Hu was closer to Hu Shi, she was tasked with approaching her.

However, judging by Madam Hu's expression, it seemed things hadn't gone smoothly.

"I was in the middle of speaking when your Aunt Wang and Wan'er returned. Judging by your Aunt Wang's expression... I'm afraid this plan is hopeless," Madam Hu said irritably, shaking her head.

"Don't even mention it. Our Aunt Wang is far too troublesome," Madam Wang replied, equally annoyed. When the trouble at Sifang Bank arose, Aunt Wang had been solely focused on protecting Wang Sifang's branch, completely disregarding the interests of the first and second branches. Relying on her seniority, she even meddled in the Wang family's affairs, forgetting that she was, after all, a married daughter. She truly had no sense of propriety.

Seeing Madam Hu's vexed expression, Madam Wang asked, "So, are we just going to let it go?"

"If not, do you have any better ideas?" Madam Hu glanced at her.

"I do have an idea. But I'll just say it, and you can listen. If you don't like it, just pretend I never said it. Don't get angry," Madam Wang said.

"What idea? Tell me," Madam Hu urged.

"I think Qingjie is quite suitable. She has a decent appearance too. Since Hu Shi is unwilling to let Wan'er step forward, why don't you have Qingjie do it? If Qingjie can form a good match with Luo Jiu, then Sifang Bank would belong to your Hu family," Madam Wang suggested.

Hu Qingjie was Madam Hu's stepdaughter. Her birth mother had passed away early, and she had been raised by Madam Hu, who had always treated her fairly well. This time, she had accompanied Madam Hu mainly to keep Wan'er company.

"That's easy for you to say. Why don't you have someone from your Wang family step forward?" Madam Hu retorted irritably. Although Qingjie wasn't her biological daughter, she was still a daughter of the Hu family. Engaging in such matters would be rather shameless.

Madam Hu understood Madam Wang's intentions perfectly. As long as someone stepped in to prevent the bank from collapsing, both the Hu and Wang families would avoid significant losses. Their shares in the bank would remain intact, and their annual income would not diminish.

To be honest, Madam Wang's idea was exactly the same as the one Madam Hu had proposed to Hu Shi earlier.To be honest, although Madam Jiang was somewhat annoyed, she couldn't deny she was also tempted. Qingjie was, after all, a concubine-born daughter, and there were several legitimate daughters in the family. It was impossible for Qingjie to marry exceptionally well, but if they could truly find a way to have her marry Luo Jiu, that would indeed be excellent. More importantly, perhaps their Hu family could even rely on Luo Jiu's support to take control of Sifang Bank—that would be a different story altogether.

"It's not that I don't have a suitable candidate. If I really did, I would have acted already," said Madam Wang, seeing Madam Jiang's displeased expression, she waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, alright, I was just saying. If you're unhappy, just pretend I never said it. It's late, I'm going to sleep."

With that, Madam Wang turned and left.

Madam Jiang also returned to her room, but her mood grew even more conflicted. Just then, Hu Weizhong returned from outside, reeking of alcohol.

"What time is it, and you're still drinking?" Madam Jiang said irritably.

"I'm drinking because I'm troubled," Hu Weizhong replied. He was Hu Shi's elder brother and Madam Jiang's husband.

"By the way, what's the situation at the bank now?" Madam Jiang asked.

"What else could it be? The authorities are pressuring us to honor the merchants' drafts and deposits. The day after tomorrow is the final deadline. If we still can't make the payments, the authorities will take charge, liquidate the assets, and then have the Merchant Guild inject funds to cover the drafts and deposits," Hu Weizhong explained.

"What about our shares?" Madam Jiang asked.

"What's left for us? Once the assets are liquidated, our meager shares will naturally be wiped out. The bank has lost so much money—we should be grateful if we don't end up owing anything," Hu Weizhong said gloomily, then waved his hand impatiently. "Enough, enough. Don't worry about these matters. While you're here, help my sister and brother-in-law take care of the family. Just make sure those scoundrels don't take advantage of the situation."

After saying this, Hu Weizhong washed up and went to bed.

But Madam Jiang, lying beside him, tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The situation was urgent, and the matter of Qingjie clawed at her heart like a cat's paw.

…………

Early morning.

Zhen Niang finished washing up, had breakfast, and deliberately changed into a duck-egg green summer dress, over which she wore a dark blue sleeveless jacket. Though dressed plainly, she carried a unique charm.

After breakfast, as she stepped out, she saw Luo Wenqian standing not far away, holding a horse and waving to her.

"Brother Luo," Zhen Niang greeted with a light smile as she approached.

"The Wang family's current situation is somewhat complicated. Do you have a plan?" Luo Wenqian asked, leading the horse as he walked side by side with Li Zhenniang. The rustling of their sleeves carried a gentle breeze, warming the heart.

"Last night, I asked Aunt Wang in detail about the Wang family's situation. Actually, it's not that complicated. The main issue is unclear responsibilities and authority. I just need to clarify what the servants should manage, assign who is responsible for which tasks, ensure clear rewards and punishments, and then let everyone fulfill their duties. That should settle it," Zhen Niang replied.

"That makes sense," Luo Wenqian nodded, feeling reassured.

Indeed, this girl managed a large Ink Workshop with hundreds of people. Although the affairs of the inner household were complex, they ultimately boiled down to authority, responsibility, and rewards and punishments. Once these were handled properly, there would be no major issues.

As for interpersonal relations, this girl was actually quite astute. Otherwise, Aunt Wang wouldn't have asked her to step in.Luo Wenqian thought to himself, quietly using his wide sleeves to conceal their joined hands as he held Zhen Niang's.

Zhen Niang chuckled softly, turning her face to gaze at the boundless blue sky and white clouds. The sky of the Great Ming was blue, the clouds pure white, and the air unpolluted.

Before long, the two arrived at the Wang residence.

Upon entering, Luo Wenqian naturally went to the front hall to continue discussing matters of Sifang Bank with the Hu and Wang families, as well as members of the Merchant Guild.

Meanwhile, Zhen Niang went directly through the inner gate into the rear quarters, first meeting with Hu Shi and Aunt Wang.

Upon seeing Hu Shi, Zhen Niang deeply felt the blow this incident had dealt to the Wang family. Not to mention Wang Sifang's severe illness, even Hu Shi now appeared sallow and haggard, a stark contrast to her former self. Even Wang Wan'er by her side seemed to have matured considerably, losing some of her former gentleness but gaining more resilience.

"Sister Zhen Niang, you've worked hard," Wang Wan'er said, her eyes slightly reddening at the sight of Li Zhenniang. After the Yi Hou Sheng incident, when Wang Sifang had stepped in to help, he had instructed Wang Wan'er to visit Li Zhenniang at the Li family's Ink Manor in her spare time. Some matters Wang Sifang himself could not set aside his pride for, so he could only rely on his daughter's status to mend relations with Luo Wenqian through the Li family.

For Wang Wan'er, Li Zhenniang was something of a legend—a woman skilled in ink-making and business, and so remarkably accomplished. Naturally, she was quite curious, and during that period, she had indeed visited Zhen Niang several times. The two had developed some rapport and could converse comfortably.

"You're too kind, Sister Wan'er," Zhen Niang replied with a slight nod. She then offered Wan'er a few words of comfort before accompanying Aunt Wang to meet with the household stewards and servants.

The stewards and servants had no objections to Li Zhenniang taking charge of the household. After all, she was a prominent figure in Nanjing, and having overseen Li Mo for several years, she had weathered many storms. Now, seated before everyone, she exuded an imposing presence, and none of the stewards or servants dared to play any tricks in front of her.

However, while they dared not play tricks, they still found Li Zhenniang's method of assigning clear responsibilities and dividing tasks by area somewhat uncomfortable.

Usually, although everyone had their own duties, there was no such strict division of responsibilities or such clearly defined accountability. Now, with the household in disarray, any mistakes could typically be brushed off with a bit of shifting blame among a few people. But under Li Zhenniang's arrangement, if something went wrong in one's assigned area, the responsibility fell squarely on that person, with no room for evasion. The problem was that the rear quarters were already chaotic, with women and maids from both the Wang and Hu families living there, each acting like creditors. How could the servants possibly manage these people? Miss Li was putting them in a difficult position."I know everyone might find this difficult, but soldiers are trained for a thousand days to be used in a single moment. How the master's family has treated you all on ordinary days, you know well in your hearts. Now that the master's family has encountered a hurdle, even though you may not be able to help much, surely you can at least relieve them of their worries? Besides, if this matter is handled strictly according to the rules, it really shouldn’t be too troublesome. You only need to explain the rules clearly to everyone. If anyone disagrees or insists on having their own way, have them come to me or speak with me. I’ll step in to handle it—that should be fine, right?" Zhen Niang said, looking at the stewards and servants below.

Hearing Zhen Niang’s words, the stewards and servants breathed a sigh of relief. Since Miss Li was willing to back them up, the matter would be much easier to handle.

"...In any case, everyone, do your best. I believe that once the master’s family overcomes this difficulty, they will not treat you unfairly. And to put it bluntly, if the master’s family truly cannot hold on, then come to me. I think with my modest reputation, helping everyone find a way out shouldn’t be a problem," Zhen Niang added finally.

Upon hearing these last words, the stewards and servants below grew excited. During this period, not only had the master’s family been anxious, but how could these stewards and servants have been at ease? Most of them shared the family’s fortunes—prospering together and suffering together. Given the current situation, even if the master’s family could overcome this hurdle, life in the household would certainly not be as comfortable as before, and naturally, they wouldn’t need as many people. Dismissals and sales would be unavoidable—a situation similar to layoffs in later times.

Some were already worrying about their future prospects. Now, with Zhen Niang’s promise, no matter what, they had an extra path. Li Zhenniang held considerable sway in Nanjing—as long as they did their utmost, there was no reason for her to go back on her word.

Thus, the stewards and servants settled their minds and devoted themselves wholeheartedly to their tasks.