No, I was just a concubine, how did I become the queen?

"Even if there's no business, it won't be a loss, right?!" Fu Jin laughed in anger, "Let's not talk about anything else, just how much does the mansion spend on buying alcohol in a year?"

The mansion's annual gift of wine and drinks alone would cost nearly 20,000 taels of silver, and Jixianglou would pocket half of it.

Lost 10,000 taels of silver in the second half of the year?!

Do you think she is a fool?

The steward Gui really started to cry, and cried, "Fujin, you didn't buy any wine or drinks from me as a New Year gift this year."

"I worked so hard to get this batch of wine and drinks, and now I'm stuck with it. I ended up losing 20% on it before I could sell it!"

If it weren't for this, even if we didn't make any money in the second half of the year, we wouldn't have suffered losses.

Fu Jin suddenly looked up at Zhenzhu: "Zhenzhu, what's going on?"

Zhenzhu rolled her eyes in her heart, thinking, you push the hard work onto others, and still expect them to make money for you?

However, her expression remained unchanged: "Fujin, you assigned the task of preparing the New Year's gift to Linfengju. I think it was Concubine Fujin who made the decision to change the wine."

"Nonsense!" Fu Jin angrily slammed the table and cursed: "Although I gave her the job, shouldn't everything be done according to the old rules?!"

"In previous years, our family sent us the best wine and drinks. This year, we sent someone else. Isn't she afraid of being embarrassed?!"

It’s not a big deal that she didn’t make any money, but it’s a big deal that she brought shame to the family!

Zhenzhu really didn't want to talk. Even she, a servant, knew that the only one who was embarrassed by this kind of thing was her, the wife. What did it have to do with the concubine?

However, Fu Jin was not someone who would allow others to contradict her, so she decided not to say anything more.

As expected, the wife drove all the stewards out and even ordered her: "Since this wife has recovered, the concubines must still come to pay their respects according to the rules on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month."

"February 15th is in two days. Please inform each courtyard so they don't miss the chance to pay their respects."

Zhenzhu shook her handkerchief and went to the west wing.

Wu had just wiped Hongyan's face and changed his clothes, and was playing with him with a rattle.

Seeing her coming, he quickly stood up and pulled her to sit on the couch: "You are here, come and see Hongyu, he is smiling today~"

As he said this, he used a rattle to tease him, and Hongyan, very considerate, curled the corners of his mouth again.

Pearl's originally bad mood was brightened by his smile: "Oh, our Third Prince is so well behaved!"

Seeing that she was happy, Wu picked up Hongyan and put him in her arms, letting her hug him.

Pearl was obviously used to holding him, so she held him comfortably and coaxed him gently.

She looked at him carefully again and then sighed: "You look thinner. You must have worked hard during this illness, Wu Gege."

Hongyu had caught a cold and had a cough a few days ago. Wu took care of him like a hawk, and he finally recovered.

But children are difficult to raise. Even though they recovered from their illness, the meat they had worked so hard to grow was gone.

"It's not hard. As long as the Third Prince is fine, that's all that matters." Mrs. Wu said this from the bottom of her heart without any falsehood.

Zhenzhu and she looked at each other and both knew what the other was thinking. They simply regarded the Third Prince as their support for the rest of their lives, which was why they could work together.

Fu Jin was obviously unreliable, but she didn't care about the Third Prince, as long as the two of them raised him well.

When he grows up, he will naturally know who to be close to. When he becomes the prince of the mansion or even inherits the title in the future, good days will come for both of them.

As for Fu Jin, she may not be able to wait until the day when she can reap other people's fruits for free.

The two of them encouraged each other for a while before Zhenzhu explained the purpose of their visit today: "There's been trouble over there again, so we want you to resume paying respects on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month."

"Oh? That's what I should do. She is the concubine after all," Wu didn't care. She was just a little princess anyway.

Zhenzhu sighed, "It's not that simple. Today... I think she wants to embarrass the concubine."

She told what happened today, and Wu guessed Fu Jin's intention.

"How stupid! It's none of our business anyway. Let's just wait and see." Mrs. Wu curled the corners of her lips.

The more foolish the concubine is, the better it is for her. If she can get the concubine's child, she will be even happier.

But Zhenzhu was a little annoyed: "She only trusts me now. She wants me to be the first to take on everything. I may not punish her when the time comes, but I can't escape."

The lesson of Aunt Gui is still there, how can she have a good ending?

"In that case, you should find a way to make a small mistake and avoid it first," Wu advised the ally.

Pearl thought for a while and decided to use the self-torture strategy.

Her cooperation with Wu was based on the fact that she was Fu Jin's confidant. If she were a marginal person, Wu would definitely ignore her.

But she couldn't be the most confidant of Lady Fu Jin, otherwise she would suffer the same fate as Aunt Gui.

That night, everyone in the main courtyard knew that when Zhenzhu was sending Fu Jin to the garden to relax, she fell into the water to protect Fu Jin from disaster.

February was the time of late spring cold, and she had a high fever when she returned to the main courtyard, so she had to rest.

Fu Jin said with rare concern: "Don't worry and rest. I have sent someone home. When mother comes to visit tomorrow, I will send two maids over."

She would not use the servants in the Fourth Master's Mansion, but she also did not trust the servants in the Imperial Household Department.

After much thought, it would be better to ask for help from Hongyan's mother's family. The excuse is also ready, so find two experienced maids to take care of Hongyan.

Pearl's eyes twinkled, and she thanked her in a hoarse voice, "Thank you, Madam, for your consideration."

The maids from Nara Mansion were sent there quickly, and they were all family-born children.

Nanny Wu is an old lady who lives beside Fucha, and she looks very shrewd.

Rong Mama was an unknown person in the backyard. Her long face was full of wrinkles and looked ordinary. I guess she was just there to make up the numbers.

Of course, the one that the Lady Fu Jin valued most was Nanny Wu. She had learned etiquette from Nanny Wu when she was little.

"Madam Wu, my mother actually asked you to help me," the concubine helped the person up with tears of gratitude on her face.

Nanny Wu was very well-mannered. After inquiring about the situation in the main courtyard, she immediately took charge of all affairs, becoming the head nanny in charge of the main courtyard.

After hearing Fu Jin's talk about the New Year's gift, she was even more disappointed and said, "Fu Jin, you are so confused!"

"How could such an assignment, which is actually power, be handed over to the Niuhulu clan?"

She complained disdainfully in her heart: Even though he's grown up, he's still the same as when he was little, without any brains at all, just a stupid temper!

"It's already like this, what can we do?" Fu Jin now regretted it.

Nanny Wu said, "Fujin, you are right. This is not following the old rules. You casually replaced the wine and drinks for the New Year gift, passing off inferior goods as good ones. This is the biggest mistake that Niuhulu has made."

"As long as we seize this mistake and give her a good beating, she will have to return the job obediently."

"Don't even think about getting involved with these in this life!"