After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 794 - 784 Zheng Mingzhu

The Purchasing Steward wants to rely on the Jiang Family to buy things and also to get goods from them. He knows that the Jiang Family is making a loss by doing business for the General’s Mansion, and has some grievances, so he dares not strain relations.

It is rare for Jiang’s younger brother to have someone he’s interested in, so naturally, he is willing to help. What’s difficult for him is that Zheng Mingzhu was once the Great General’s concubine and had been favored.

Jiang’s younger brother put a money pouch into his hand and whispered, "The Great General has thirty or forty concubines, one for each day of the month, let alone one who has been punished as a maid. The maids we procured for the mansion have numbered in the hundreds, haven’t they? I’ve heard that there are nearly a thousand maids in the mansion now."

The Purchasing Steward replied, "Not nearly a thousand, but over a thousand."

Over a thousand people are all serving Gou Xi, so the Purchasing Steward and the housekeeper are exhausted every day, the General’s Mansion keeps spending money.

Jiang’s younger brother said, "Over a thousand people, who would mind losing one?"

The Purchasing Steward hesitated, shaking his head, "It’s impossible. The Great General is very strict. Although this is a residence, it follows military rules, and the maids must report regularly. There are strict rules for waking and sleeping, any violation may result in a whipping or military punishment."

Indeed, Gou Xi manages his household as strictly as he does his army. The girls brought in by the Purchasing Steward have never experienced such strictness, so many have been beaten and killed. Those who remain are terrified and obedient.

Even the steps of those maids are measured, not too few, not too many, just the right length.

Gou Xi believes that those who have served him, even if buried dead, cannot redeem themselves outside. Otherwise, they can be given to subordinate officials and generals.

Their parents have sold them; returning would be a fall from grace. Gou Xi’s people cannot degrade themselves so low.

Thus, there are no maids who can redeem themselves from the General’s Mansion, especially not the concubines from the General Mansion.

Jiang’s younger brother took out another money pouch and pushed it into the Purchasing Steward’s hand, lowering his voice, "She can’t be redeemed, but if she’s dead she’ll be carried out. Zheng Mingzhu was once a young lady herself, faced great changes, worked hard for nearly a year, and it’s normal she fell ill."

He showed a pitiful expression, "Please, brother, help me. Since I’ve seen her, my heart and mind are filled only with her. If I don’t get her, I fear I might die."

The Purchasing Steward shivered at his sentimentality, touched the two money pouches in his hand, and after a moment of internal struggle, gritted his teeth, "Alright, but this needs to be done discreetly. The day after tomorrow is the grand ceremony, the General’s Mansion will be strict. I’ll return now, early morning take her out, and you have someone wait at the pauper’s grave."

Jiang’s younger brother’s eyes lit up, asking, "Is one night’s time enough?"

"Tonight is best, tomorrow at noon the General’s Mansion will be under lockdown, even if she’s dead and unlucky, her body would be kept in the mansion until after the ceremony to be thrown out."

There are people who want to kill Zhao Hanzhang, let alone Gou Xi, many want him dead.

Certainly, those coveting his power won’t dare, but besides them, many Xiongnu, Jiehu, even Xianbei desire to kill Gou Xi to breach Yun City;

Then there are those who feel the emperor’s grievance and want to right the world. They want to kill Gou Xi and Zhao Hanzhang, thinking such powerful ministers distort the heavens causing chaos.

Zhao Hanzhang encountered assassination attempts, besides a cold arrow from Gou Chun on the battlefield, others came from this group.

In some degree, they’re not wrong, but the emperor lacks strength to control affairs, so Zhao Hanzhang disagrees with them, she gets assassinated, her disagreement with their views grows.

Gou Xi met many assassination attempts, this is one reason for his reclusing in the General’s Mansion indulging in pleasures.

The Purchasing Steward returned to the mansion with two money bags, finding the place still lively and bright.

Today, many officials and generals arrived in the Capital City, the Great General hosted them in the garden.

Many officials came to the capital, not to visit the emperor, but came to see Gou Xi first, hence they stayed.

In the garden was a vibrant scene, servants moved orderly, replacing dishes with cooler ones from the kitchen, bringing wine from the cellar...

The Purchasing Steward excused himself to the kitchen to check today’s food consumption to prepare for the next two days, passing smoothly to the kitchen, after a while he went to the rear courtyard.

Here was less busy than the kitchen, still bustling, all cups and plates from the mansion, whether master’s or servant’s, were brought here to wash.

Zheng Mingzhu was washing dishes here.

She washed the servants’ dishes and bowls.

The servants, guards, etc. totaled over fifteen hundred, eating in shifts, rotating frequently, so dishes continuously needed washing, and washing servants rotated shifts.

She squatted, washing the dishes once over, pulled them to the ditch to pour water out, rose to the well to fetch water, under the well’s light, the Purchasing Steward saw her face expressionless.

The Purchasing Steward sneered inwardly, feeling she was lucky, in such a state, someone still wanted her.

He stepped forward, immediately greeted by another steward. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The Purchasing Steward said, "The next few days will see many guests in the mansion, dishes must be sufficient, check losses the past two days, style and quantity must be precise, I’ll replenish tomorrow."

The steward immediately responded, checked ledgers.

Broken dishes must be recorded, some precious ones cost a life for breaking, no one dared falsify.

As he left, the Purchasing Steward strolled to Zheng Mingzhu, crouched beside her to look at the dishes she washed, quietly whispered when close to her, "Find a way to faint, I’ll send you out tonight, someone will redeem you, the chance is only once."

Finished, the Purchasing Steward rose, wandering around.

Zheng Mingzhu’s face turned pale, gripping the bowl, its tiny chip pricked her skin, her rough fingers seeping blood, slowly spreading in the water.

Is this real, or scheming?

In three breaths Zheng Mingzhu decided, she put down the bowl, staggered up, took the bucket beside her heading to the well.

At the well was a senior maid who often bullied her.

Seeing Zheng Mingzhu coming with a bucket, she was displeased, drawing water but not pouring, instead slammed her hard, "Not following rules, you just fetched water, advanced again, think you’re the lady now, this well is yours?"

Zheng Mingzhu stared blankly at her, after being slammed, the bucket fell, she leaned back and crashed to the ground.