Ch 61: Checking The Accounts

The coachman answered dutifully, “Reporting to Her Highness, it has been delivered to the Crown Prince. I also included the news of Her Highness the Crown Princess winning the runner-up prize in today’s arrow throwing competition in the letter.”

“Good shop assistant, I’ll give you extra chicken legs when you get back!” Princess Luo Jia clapped her hands in approval.

Hearing this, the coachman’s face instantly brightened. “Thank you, Princess.”

The Crown Prince’s Mansion study.

Shen Yunheng’s dark eyes slowly scanned every word on the letter.

He glanced at the lengthy rambling in the beginning and skipped over it, his gaze fixed on the few words on the last sheet of paper.

The letter was placed on the table, his fingertips lightly tapping on the paper.

“Has the Crown Princess returned?”

Ling Xiao replied, “The Crown Princess returned to the mansion half a cup of tea ago. She is currently in the kitchen preparing food for His Highness.”

Shen Yunheng’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, slowly falling on Ling Xiao.

“Ling Xiao, your useless words seem to be a bit excessive recently.”

Ling Xiao lowered his head, “I dare not.”

Shen Yunheng lightly snorted and looked away.

“Fetch the booklet from the third shelf, second to last one, for me.”

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao swiftly retrieved the booklet.

At the same time, Ling Qi entered carrying a painting.

“Your Highness, this painting was sent from the palace.”

Upon hearing the word “painting,” Shen Yunheng’s brows furrowed, his thoughts instantly drawn back to the scene in the palace today.

He had promised the National Master that he would have the National Master paint for him, but he didn’t expect to spend half a day in the palace, wasting half a day of his time.

The scroll was placed before him by Ling Qi.

He wanted to see what the National Master’s work, a painting that took half a day, looked like.

He slowly unfurled the scroll, taking in its contents.

He instantly closed the scroll, his gaze heavy.

Ling Xiao just placed a book on his writing desk, and catching a glimpse of the painting’s contents, his heart was greatly shaken.

When did His Highness and the Crown Princess paint a painting?

No, His Highness and the Crown Princess rarely meet in the mansion, let alone paint together.

So the woman in the painting is not the Crown Princess.

When did His Highness have an affair with someone else! His Highness is actually such a fickle person.

He has always been by His Highness’s side, how could he not have noticed His Highness’s philandering?

He is truly derelict in his duty.

Shen Yunheng closed the scroll and noticed someone standing beside him. His dark eyes swept across, accurately locking onto Ling Xiao.

Seeing Ling Xiao’s expression, he knew he had seen the contents.

Shen Yunheng’s voice was low, “Have you had enough of a look?”

Ling Xiao instantly snapped back to attention, stepping back several paces, “I didn’t see anything.”

It’s over, His Highness won’t kill to silence me, will he?

Shen Yunheng’s voice was cold, “Go and receive your punishment.”

“Ah…yes…”

Ling Xiao left dejectedly.

When Ling Qi was told to serve by Shen Yunheng’s side, he knew that Ling Xiao had angered His Highness again and was going to be punished.

He guessed that it was very likely related to the Crown Princess.

Therefore, when Meng Tingyue came with a food box, she saw Ling Qi instead.

When Meng Tingyue, as usual, handed the food box to Ling Qi to take inside, Ling Qi said, “His Highness is in the study handling official duties. Her Highness the Crown Princess can go in personally.”

Meng Tingyue was slightly surprised, nodded lightly, and slowly entered the room with the food box.

Shen Yunheng knew that Meng Tingyue had come, so he closed the booklet in his hand and put it aside.

Meng Tingyue took out the red date and silver ear soup from the food box.

“Husband, try it. I was worried that you wouldn’t like sweet things, so I put in less honey.”

Shen Yunheng didn’t speak, he picked up the bowl and drank the red date and silver ear soup in one gulp.

Meng Tingyue seemed to have only come to deliver a bowl of soup. After he finished the bowl, she put it away and was about to leave with the food box.

Seeing her leave so quickly, he remembered the contents of the letter he had just seen and called out to her, “Wait.”

“Husband?” Meng Tingyue turned around, a faint surprise in her eyes.

“I heard you won the runner-up prize in arrow throwing today, congratulations.”

Hearing this, Meng Tingyue was slightly stunned, then slowly curved her lips, a soft smile in her eyes, “Thank you, Husband.”

After waiting for a moment, seeing that Shen Yunheng had nothing to instruct, Meng Tingyue quietly left.

Shen Yunheng found the letter sent by Princess Luo Jia and threw it to Ling Qi, “Take it and throw it away.”

Ling Qi didn’t dare to ask any more questions and quickly took the letter to dispose of it.

After Meng Tingyue returned to her room, it was getting dark. After dinner, she took out the ledger that Steward Zheng had given her and began to look through it.

“There’s no need to look at the ledger from three or five years ago, is there?” Qingdian looked at the stack of ledgers on the desk, almost as tall as her, her eyes filled with distress.

If she really looked through all of these, the Crown Princess’s recently improved health would worsen again.

“It’s alright.” Meng Tingyue replied without raising her head.

Steward Zheng deliberately brought all the ledgers from the past five years to her, gambling that she wouldn’t seriously look through them.

And she was gambling that Steward Zheng couldn’t make all these accounts clean.

If she looked carefully, she would be able to find the problems.

Qinglan and Qingdian knew nothing about business, so they couldn’t help Meng Tingyue.

Qin Mama was also old, and Meng Tingyue was worried about her health, so she only had her help look through a few, and dismissed her to rest when the time was almost up.

After Qin Mama’s repeated requests, she agreed to look at it for a little while longer before resting.

She really only looked at it for a little while longer.

But this little while was half an hour.

After a night, she only looked through a few, and there were many more left on the table.

Looking at the stack of ledgers, Meng Tingyue felt an unprecedented headache.

For the first time, she felt the downside of having many shops and fields in the mansion.

She had fewer fields in her dowry, mostly shops. The people in the shops were all people she trusted, so occasional spot checks were sufficient. It was the first time she had been so tired.

Rubbing her sore neck, Qinglan thoughtfully massaged her shoulders and neck.

She hadn’t slept all night, and the morning sun was rising with the birds singing.

She got up early to wash and dress, and after breakfast, she went out.

She took a carriage to Jinwei Restaurant.

“Uncle,” Meng Tingyue looked around, seeing only Xiao Huaifeng, “Where is Aunt?”

“She went to Linchao City and won’t be back for two days.” Xiao Huaifeng gestured, “Sit.”

Meng Tingyue sat down.

Xiao Huaifeng took a sip of fragrant tea, his movements relaxed and leisurely, then slowly spoke, “Why did you come to Jinwei Restaurant in such a hurry the other day? Did you encounter some difficult problem in your shops?”

Meng Tingyue gently bit her lip and shook her head slightly, her movements hesitant.

Xiao Huaifeng keenly caught the subtle change in her expression, a trace of inquiry flashing in his eyes, “If it’s not about the shops, what important matter could make you so urgent?”

Meng Tingyue pondered for a moment, then solemnly raised her eyes, her gaze firm, “Uncle, have you ever heard of Renxin Hall?”