After Transmigrating As The Scumbag Alpha In An Ancient Pregnant-And-Run Novel - Chapter 14

With a single word of “kill” from Shen Liunian, more than half the people in the courtyard dropped to their knees.

A bold steward stepped forward and asked, “Does the Princess Consort have evidence for those words? Though we are servants of the prince’s manor, if the Princess Consort has no evidence, I fear we will not be convinced. Moreover, among us are inner officials and maids from the Imperial Household Department. Are we people who can be beaten and killed at will?”

“Your Highness!” A plump older servant knelt toward Yun Chenghuai. “Your Highness, we servants have served in the prince’s manor since its establishment. The Princess Consort shouts about beating and killing, treating us servants so harshly. If word of this spreads, would outsiders not say that Your Highness is violent and unpredictable?”

“Impudent.” Xiaobei was the first to speak. “His Highness has always treated the servants of the prince’s manor generously. That is why all of you have been spoiled until you no longer know the immensity of heaven and earth, and now you even dare question His Highness.”

“Xiaobei.”

Yun Chenghuai raised a hand to stop her. First, she looked toward Shen Liunian. Seeing that the other woman did not intend to speak, she supposed Shen Liunian wanted to see her attitude.

“From the Imperial Household Department? Cannot be killed at will?” She repeated the steward’s words, then gave a cold laugh. “If this prince kills all of you, what can anyone do? Or should this prince invite the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department here to tell you who is master and who is servant?”

She did not have much concept of masters and servants herself, but the original owner had always been arrogant and domineering, so she had managed to imitate that by about ten percent.

After a moment of thought, Yun Chenghuai’s tone carried a trace of mockery. “The Princess Consort is the mistress of the prince’s manor. Now that she has just taken over the manor, checking the account books is part of her duty. As for whether there are mistakes in your accounts, that can only be known after they are checked.”

“The Princess Consort merely gave you a chance so that, after things were uncovered and you were severely punished, you would not say she was heartless. But she offered you a chance in advance, and you did not appreciate it. In that case, the accounts will simply be checked directly.”

She stretched out a hand, her finger pointing at the two people who had just spoken.

“Start with those two.”

“Also, just now, they contradicted the Princess Consort and even tried to splash dirty water onto this prince. What crime should that be?”

Xiaobei immediately answered, “A capital offense.”

Both openly and subtly, Yun Chenghuai was defending Shen Liunian, while also killing the chicken to warn the monkeys. Those who had not knelt also gradually dropped to their knees.

“Your Highness, spare my life!” The bold steward, a tall and thin woman, hurriedly knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

The plump older servant also prostrated herself on the ground, the flesh on her body trembling in terror.

Yun Chenghuai was only supporting Shen Liunian. She did not truly intend to have them killed. “The death penalty may be spared, but living punishment cannot be avoided…”

Should it be slapping their mouths or beating them with boards? She was a little unsure.

“Anyuan, you handle it.”

She did not notice the startled expression that appeared on Xiaobei’s face beside her. Anyuan had people drag the thin steward and the plump older servant away.

Their pleas for mercy had only sounded twice before the guards gagged them, and their voices abruptly stopped.

At this moment, Yun Chenghuai still had not thought about what their outcome would be. She said coldly to the stewards and older servants below, “The Princess Consort is the master of the prince’s manor. Her words are this prince’s words. All of you had better remember this. If I find out anyone has disrespected the Princess Consort, the Princess Consort may be kindhearted, but this prince is not easy to provoke.”

Inwardly, she thought: I’m easy to provoke. The female lead is not. This is my first time saying something like this. It’s strangely thrilling. Good thing I didn’t stutter.

Then she raised a smile. “Madam, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

There was a strange look in Shen Liunian’s eyes. Could Yun the dog truly pretend to this extent?

“Begin the drawing of lots.”

They would draw lots to decide whose accounts would be checked first. Once that person’s accounts had been checked, if there really was a problem and they had not confessed in advance, then the punishment would be doubled.

Shen Liunian was truly skilled at attacking people’s minds. Those with guilty consciences would surely panic to death when they saw their number about to come up.

It was not as if no one would resist to the end, but the result would tell them that stubborn resistance was useless.

The Shen family had many capable accountants. Checking one person’s accounts was very fast. With so many account books, under the efforts of several Shen family accountants, checking one person’s books only took half an incense stick’s time.

Winter was bitterly cold, and snow actually began to fall. Everyone stood in the open courtyard, snowflakes settling on their shoulders and heads as they shivered from the cold.

Shen Liunian drank hot tea, her legs covered by thick animal fur, warm and comfortable as she admired the falling snow. She and the anxious people in the courtyard seemed to be in two entirely different worlds.

Yun Chenghuai obediently peeled a few roasted chestnuts and placed them closer to Shen Liunian. With the heat of the stove nearby, the chestnuts would not grow cold.

“Madam, have some chestnuts.”

Shen Liunian withdrew her gaze from the falling snow. Trapped in this imperial city, even watching the snow had unexpectedly gained a little interest.

She casually picked up one peeled chestnut, then suddenly realized that Yun Chenghuai seemed to have peeled it. Since she had already picked it up, if she threw it back, would Yun the dog explode?

She was taking control of the prince’s manor, and what she needed most was Yun the dog’s attitude. If she publicly brushed aside Yun the dog’s dignity, the people of the manor would probably not submit so easily.

If she provoked Yun the dog until she could no longer keep pretending, then all of Shen Liunian’s efforts would be wasted.

Shen Liunian felt that since Yun Chenghuai wanted to pretend, she should seize this opportunity to properly develop her own forces in Shangdu.

Fate was often something held in one’s own hands. She might not be able to summon clouds with one turn of her hand and rain with the other in Shangdu City, but at the very least, she would not allow herself to be slaughtered at someone else’s mercy.

The people who had openly accompanied her as part of her dowry were still too few to control the entire prince’s manor. If she wanted to hold the entire prince’s manor in her own hands, then when it was time to pretend, she still had to pretend.

Without changing her expression, Shen Liunian placed the chestnut in her mouth. When Yun Chenghuai saw this, her eyes brightened, and she peeled chestnuts even more enthusiastically.

Before long, the first steward’s accounts were finished. Xu Er stepped forward and reported, “Princess Consort, Steward Qian’s accounts are done.”

Xu Er was the most capable steward at Shen Liunian’s side, and she was also the leader among the stewards who had accompanied her as part of her dowry.

Yun Chenghuai remembered there was also a Xu Da. In the future, Xu Da would become a capable general at Shen Liunian’s side, while Xu Er could be considered half of her money pouch.

Even though Shen Liunian was not very old at this time and could not be said to have deep experience, her eye for people had already begun to show.

Many years later, most of the people following Shen Liunian would be those won over by her charm.

“Steward Qian?” Shen Liunian’s gaze landed on a plump Qianyuan. In the dead of winter, the other woman’s forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat. Presumably, she had a guilty conscience.

Hearing her name, Steward Qian hurried forward. “Your Highness, Princess Consort.”

Steward Qian acted frightened, but she was still holding on, wondering if there might be a sliver of hope.

Shen Liunian waved a hand, signaling for Xu Er to speak.

“Reporting to the Princess Consort, Steward Qian manages the manor’s reception and gift exchanges. Many items in the accounts are missing and cannot be reconciled. Among them, the most valuable are the Dragon and Phoenix Pendant bestowed by His Majesty, the gold-inlaid mutton-fat white jade crown bestowed by the late Empress, items sent by the Imperial Household Department, and items sent by various parties. A list has already been made. Please examine it, Princess Consort.”

“No need.” Shen Liunian gave a cold laugh. “Never mind things bestowed by His Majesty and Mother Empress. Even the items sent by the Imperial Household Department are all officially made. Letting even one officially made item leave the manor is already a capital crime. If it involves items bestowed by His Majesty and Mother Empress…”

Her voice cooled. “The nine familial clans are to be exterminated.”

The moment Shen Liunian’s words fell, Steward Qian immediately knelt and begged for mercy. “I’m wronged! Your Highness, this servant has been loyal and devoted. How would I dare embezzle anything?”

“Is that so?” Yun Chenghuai had originally looked like she was obediently following whatever her wife said. Hearing Steward Qian’s words, she said calmly, “Anyuan.”

Very quickly, several guards came forward, carrying more than ten boxes inside.

Anyuan opened one of the boxes and said, “Your Highness, all of these were found in Steward Qian’s home.”

Before her afternoon rest, Shen Liunian had told Anyuan to take people to the homes of those stewards and older servants. Putting other things aside, imperial-bestowed and officially made items all had their own unique marks.

When Anyuan took people there, she did not need to find too many things. She only needed to find items bearing official manufacture marks.

When the time came, the account books and items would be compared, and the stewards and older servants who had embezzled from the manor would have no room to argue before ironclad evidence.

With the evidence as solid as a mountain, Steward Qian collapsed limply to the ground. The rest of the people were filled with fear, and their hearts began to waver.

Yun Chenghuai obediently looked toward Shen Liunian. “Madam, how should this be handled?”

She looked as if she would listen to everything Shen Liunian said, causing the people who saw it to have all kinds of thoughts.

Especially those stewards and older servants. Seeing the prince trust and value the Princess Consort so much, that last bit of hope in their hearts also vanished.

Shen Liunian’s gaze rested on Yun Chenghuai’s face. Seeing that Yun Chenghuai looked entirely obedient, with sincerity in her eyes practically overflowing, as if she were firmly determined to defend her, Shen Liunian’s eyes flickered slightly.

She actually believed a little that Yun Chenghuai had truly changed.

But how could a person change so greatly unless they were plotting something?

Of course, Shen Liunian also had her own plans. If Yun the dog’s scheme blocked her path, then she would kill Buddha if Buddha stood in her way, and kill gods if gods stood in her way.

Yun Chenghuai suddenly felt a little cold and could not help moving closer to the stove to warm herself.