I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

In the capital of Daqing, the Duke's Mansion was crowded with people. Today, the gentry from Jiangnan came from afar to check accounts with Duke Chen Jue and his wife Chen Jia and discuss the division of dividends. In the Duke's Mansion, lights and decorations were hung everywhere, and servants were shuttling back and forth, a busy and orderly scene.

Chen Jue was wearing a navy blue brocade robe, a bright yellow silk ribbon around his waist and a jade crown on his head. He stood at the entrance of the main hall with an imposing manner. Chen Jia was wearing a light pink silk skirt with a tulle of the same color on the outside. Her hair was adorned with a few round pearls. She stood beside him gently but gracefully.

Soon, the carriages of the Jiangnan gentry arrived at the gate of the Duke's Mansion. The leader was an old man with a goatee and a gray gown. He was the representative of the Jiangnan gentry, Mr. Lin. When Mr. Lin got off the carriage and saw Chen Jue and his wife, his face was immediately full of smiles. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Duke, Madam Duke, it's been a long time since we last met. I hope you are well."

Chen Jue returned the greeting with a smile, saying, "Mr. Lin, you are too polite. You must be tired from the journey. Please come in."

Chen Jia also bowed slightly and said softly, "Mr. Lin and all the gentlemen have come from afar, and it is really hard. Tea and snacks have been prepared in the mansion. I hope you will not despise them."

Everyone exchanged greetings and entered the main hall, where they sat down as host and guest. The maids immediately served fragrant tea and exquisite snacks. Master Lin picked up the teacup, took a sip, and praised, "Good tea, worthy of being the Duke's Mansion, the taste of this tea is extraordinary."

Chen Jue smiled and said, "As long as Mr. Lin likes it. I invited you all here today mainly to reconcile accounts and discuss the division of dividends. Over the past year, everyone has worked together and the business has been quite smooth. It's time to reward everyone according to their merits."

Mr. Lin put down his teacup, nodded and said, "What the Duke said is very true. Over the past year, thanks to the Duke and his wife, our business has been booming, and we have made a lot of money in the Jiangnan area. But the account matters still need to be carefully checked."

Chen Jue turned to look at the butler who was waiting on the side, and motioned him to call the accountants in. After a while, a group of accountants in uniform came in one after another, holding thick account books in their hands. They stood neatly in the hall and saluted Chen Jue and his wife and the Jiangnan gentry.

Chen Jue said, "Gentlemen, I will trouble you today to check this year's accounts carefully and make sure they are accurate to the last detail."

The accountants responded in unison: "Yes, Duke."

Afterwards, the accountants got busy, spreading out their account books and began to carefully calculate the income and expenditure. Chen Jue and Chen Jia chatted with Mr. Lin and other Jiangnan gentry.

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Master Lin, I heard that a new kind of silk has been produced in Jiangnan recently. It is light in texture and bright in color. Is it true?"

Master Lin's eyes lit up, and he became interested. He said, "Madam Guo is really well-informed. It is true. The silk is produced by a newly emerged weaving workshop in Jiangnan. Its craftsmanship is exquisite. Even the concubines in the palace have heard of it and have sent people to place orders."

Chen Jue said with great interest, "Oh? There is such a fine product. If I have the chance, I would like to see it. Master Lin, could you introduce it to us?"

Master Lin said quickly, "What are you talking about, Duke? It is my honor to serve you and your wife. I will make arrangements once this matter is over."

At this time, an accountant came over with a frown in his brows, holding an account book, and said, "Duke, during the accounting process, I found that an expenditure on the purchase of spices was a bit unclear and seemed to be inconsistent with the previous records."

Chen Jue frowned slightly and looked at Master Lin. Master Lin also looked puzzled and said, "Duke, this... I don't know about this matter. Perhaps the people below are not doing their job well. I hope you can see clearly."

Chen Jia said softly, "Don't worry, just check it carefully. Maybe it was an oversight when recording."

Chen Jue nodded and said to the accountant, "Check it again carefully to see if it is a miscalculation or recording error. If you still can't figure it out, call the person in charge to ask."

The accountant took the order and continued to calculate carefully. In order to ease the tense atmosphere in the hall, Chen Jue said with a smile: "Mr. Lin, it is normal for us to have some small incidents in our business affairs occasionally. Just like doing business, there is no such thing as smooth sailing."

Master Lin also smiled and agreed, "The Duke is absolutely right. As long as we are honest with each other and solve problems together, there will be no obstacles that we cannot overcome."

At this time, another accountant stood up and said, "Duke, the other accounts have been checked and there are no mistakes. It's just that the expenditure on the purchase of spices is indeed a bit complicated, and it will take some time to find out."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Don't worry, take your time to investigate. It's still early today, so we must get to the bottom of this."

Chen Jia saw that the atmosphere was a bit serious, so she smiled and said, "Gentlemen, this account reconciliation will not be completed in a short time, so don't work too hard. Come, try our new snacks. I specially asked the chef to make them."

As she spoke, Chen Jia signaled the maids to bring the snacks to the accountants. The accountants thanked her one after another and took up the snacks to taste.

An accountant took a bite and his eyes lit up. He said, "Madam, this dessert is really delicious. It melts in your mouth and is sweet but not greasy. I have never eaten such delicious dessert before."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "As long as you like it. I learned how to make this dessert from a master chef in Jiangnan. I made it today for you to try."

Master Lin also smiled and said, "Madam Guo is very clever and skillful. This snack is so delicious. It shows that Madam is also quite knowledgeable about food."

Chen Jia blushed slightly and said modestly, "Mr. Lin, you are too kind. I just like to study food in my spare time."

At this time, the accountant who had gone to check the spice purchase account earlier rushed in and said excitedly: "Duke, I checked it out! That expenditure was not recorded incorrectly, but because the spices purchased at that time were of high quality and the price was a little higher than expected, so there was a discrepancy with the previous record."

Chen Jue nodded slightly after hearing this and said, "That's good. Now that we have found out everything, let's continue to calculate the other details to make sure they are correct."

Master Lin also breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Fortunately, we have found out the truth, otherwise it would be really worrying. Duke, it seems that we are worrying too much."

Chen Jue smiled and said, "Master Lin, it's always better to be cautious about the accounts. Now that we have found out, we can continue to discuss the division of dividends."

Mr. Lin nodded and said, "The Duke is right. But when it comes to dividing the dividends, I hope the Duke can consider the hard work of our Jiangnan gentry."

Chen Jue said, "Don't worry, Master Lin. I, Chen Jue, have always been clear about rewards and punishments. I have seen everyone's efforts, so the dividend distribution will naturally be fair and just. I suggest that we make appropriate adjustments based on the proportion we agreed on before, combined with everyone's contributions over the past year. What do you think?"

The gentry in Jiangnan all nodded in agreement. Master Lin said, "The Duke is wise. This allocation is reasonable."

Chen Jia also smiled and said: "We are all partners, so we should seek mutual benefit and win-win results. As long as we work together, our business will surely grow bigger and bigger in the future."

Afterwards, the accountants began to calculate the specific amount of dividend distribution according to Chen Jue's proposal. While waiting, Chen Jue and Chen Jia talked with the gentry in Jiangnan about the local customs and interesting stories in Jiangnan.

Chen Jue said, "Master Lin, I have heard that the gardens in Jiangnan are beautiful, exquisite and unique. I have always wanted to go and see them, but due to my busy government affairs, I have never been able to go."

Master Lin said quickly: "If the Duke is interested, I welcome the Duke and his wife to Jiangnan at any time. When the time comes, I will definitely play the role of a good host and take the Duke and his wife to visit the famous places and historical sites in Jiangnan."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "That's great. I've always wanted to see the gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. I heard that the pavilions and towers in the gardens, as well as the winding paths leading to secluded places, are like a fairyland."

Mr. Lin smiled and said, "The Duke and his wife are right. The gardens in Jiangnan are indeed ingenious, and each one has a unique charm. In addition, there are many delicious foods in Jiangnan. When the time comes, the Duke and his wife must try our Jiangnan specialties."

Chen Jue smiled and said, "Mr. Lin is so kind, if we refuse again, it will seem tactless. Next time we have the chance, we will definitely go to Jiangnan to bother Mr. Lin."

As they were talking, the accountants had already calculated the amount of the dividends to be divided and presented the result to Chen Jue. Chen Jue checked it carefully and felt that there was no problem, so he informed the Jiangnan gentry of the result.

The gentry in Jiangnan were satisfied with the result of the dividend division. Mr. Lin stood up and toasted Chen Jue and Chen Jia, saying, "Duke, Madam Duke, thank you for your care and support over the past year. Today's dividend division is fair and reasonable, and we are convinced. I hope we can continue to cooperate in the future and create brilliance together."

Chen Jue and Chen Jia also stood up and raised their glasses. Chen Jue said, "Mr. Lin, you are too polite. Over the past year, everyone has put in a lot of effort for our business, and this is what you all deserve. I hope we can continue to work together in the future to take our business to a higher level."

Everyone drank it all in one gulp, and cheerful laughter rang out in the hall. Afterwards, Chen Jue and Chen Jia chatted with the Jiangnan gentry for a long time, until it was getting dark, and the Jiangnan gentry got up to say goodbye.

Chen Jue and Chen Jia sent them to the gate of the mansion. Master Lin thanked Chen Jue and Chen Jia again and said, "Duke, Madam, thank you for your hospitality today. We will meet again in the future."

Chen Jue smiled and said, "Take care, Mr. Lin. I look forward to meeting you all again next time."

Watching the carriages and horses of the Jiangnan gentry go away, Chen Jue and Chen Jia smiled at each other, and Chen Jia said, "Husband, today's reconciliation and profit division have finally been successfully completed."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Yes, fortunately everything went well. These Jiangnan gentry are also reliable partners. I hope our cooperation will be more pleasant in the future."

Chen Jia took Chen Jue's arm and said, "With my husband here, I believe our business will get better and better."

The two of them returned to the mansion together. The Duke's Mansion looked particularly quiet and peaceful in the night, and Chen Jue and Chen Jia's hearts were full of expectations and longings for the future. They looked forward to the next cooperation with the gentry of Jiangnan, and also looked forward to new glory in business.

As time went by, Chen Jue and Chen Jia's cooperation with the Jiangnan gentry became increasingly close, their business flourished, and they occupied an important position in the business landscape of the Daqing Kingdom.