Marrying a royal playboy and becoming a glamorous matriarch

Madam Cui was even more pleased. "Your wife is truly a shrewd businesswoman. I'll take the princess to her general store another day and see for myself."

"Please go ahead, Madam. My wife is certainly looking forward to it."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two parted ways.

When Lady Cui returned to the main hall, she saw the Princess sitting at the table, sipping her tea with a calm expression.

She quickly stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Mother, rest assured, the matter of Qingyue Residence has been properly handled. From now on, we will certainly not let Qingyue suffer."

The eldest princess nodded slightly, gave a soft "hmm," and said thoughtfully, "She is a guest, we cannot neglect her."

Lady Cui hurriedly replied, "Yes."

However, she also felt a bit bitter, fearing that after the New Year, this guest would become a concubine without any real consequences.

The eldest princess then asked, "Have you taken the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician on time?"

Madam Cui understood immediately and quickly replied, "Mother, don't worry, your daughter-in-law eats it every day!"

The eldest princess smiled slightly and said, "Yes, very good. I've been looking forward to your good news as well, do you understand what I mean?"

Of course, Madam Cui understood, but she wondered if her womb could be any more cooperative.

The eldest princess's words were meaningful, and she ended with an ambiguous statement.

"If you have good news, I can help you keep it a secret."

After saying that, she got up and left to rest.

Lady Cui looked up with surprise and delight, clutching the handkerchief in her hand tightly, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

There was both anticipation and a touch of unease.

……

Chunxi returned to Prince Dun's residence and gave his report.

Wei Qingrou confiscated the purse that Madam Cui had given to Chunxi, and smiled faintly, "Keep it for yourself."

This is the rule here: if an outsider gives Wei Qingrou something, she may not accept it, but she must still report it.

"Thank you, Madam," Chun said with a smile.

As for the favor that Lady Cui mentioned, she will have the opportunity to repay it.

When I meet Lady Cui another day, I'll ask her about having children.

Let's see if their having children was a coincidence or if they had some kind of secret.

Chunxi then mentioned that Lady Cui was going to the general store with the princess.

Wei Qingrou's eyes darted around, and she instructed, "In that case, have the general store prepare those few treasured items. If my aunt takes a liking to them, I will reward you handsomely."

Chunxi smiled broadly: "This servant thanks Madam for the reward in advance."

Wei Qingrou smiled gently and flipped through the account book.

The New Year's gifts prepared for relatives and friends have been sent out one by one, which can be considered as a major matter to be settled in the mansion.

However, the New Year's gifts within the mansion could not be neglected.

Just a few days ago, the merchant caravan from Prince Dun's Mansion returned, bringing back a considerable amount of goods.

The princess kept some items for the North Courtyard, and handed the rest over to Wei Qingrou for distribution.

Wei Qingrou had some free time today, so she took stock of the items and found that there were quite a lot of things.

The caravan from the Prince's Mansion went to the northern frontier and brought back jade, spices, and raw materials that were rare and exquisite in the capital.

Looking at the dazzling array of goods before her, Wei Qingrou smiled slightly.

One of the advantages of being a matriarch is this.

With power in her hands, everything must pass through her hands.

She first picked out a few things she liked, and then planned to give the rest as rewards to the people below her.

You don't need many items; just one or two will be enough to make them grateful.

After all, there was a monthly allowance, and there were also regular rewards given during festivals.

Therefore, the additional gifts bestowed upon him were a sign of the master's benevolence and extra favor.

She instructed, "Chunxi, each of you four pick a piece of wool fabric. Oh, and two more for the matrons."

The busy Chunxi was overjoyed and said repeatedly, "Thank you so much for your generous gift, Miss."

Chunxi, knowing the rules, selected lambskin and cowhide for the four head maids and two head matrons.

For them, this was already an extremely valuable item.

With the weather freezing cold, these leather materials are at their peak in price. A piece of such high-quality raw material could easily fetch three to five taels of silver, enough for an ordinary family to live on for several months.

Chunxi hugged the smooth, glossy fabric, her eyes crinkling with laughter, and exclaimed, "This is truly a windfall! Thank you for your generous gift, Miss!"

Looking at her little money-grubber's grateful expression, Wei Qingrou couldn't help but feel satisfied.

These maids and nannies were her capable assistants, and it was only right that she rewarded them with gifts during festivals.

After selecting the servants' portions, Chunxi reminded them, "What about the concubines' portions?"

Wei Qingrou thought for a moment and said, "I don't have all of these jade stones, so I'll pick some suitable ones and make them into hairpins to give away as gifts."

In this way, it wouldn't be considered treating them poorly, since they were given new clothes for the New Year.

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the records in the ledger.

Moreover, the jade and the raw material were processed separately to prevent the concubines and maids from bumping into each other and getting into arguments.

The affairs of the mansion are complicated, and trouble can easily arise if one is not careful, especially at this time of year when people's hearts are most easily agitated.

Wei Qingrou was well aware of this, so she had to consider every detail carefully.

“The mistress is kind-hearted, and the concubines are blessed.”

Chunxi was very sensible. She picked out some jade of average quality, estimated that it would be enough to make six hairpins, and said, "This is more than enough."

Wei Qingrou looked at it and nodded.

Then, some of the best ones were kept to be given to both sets of parents.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, in addition to New Year's gifts, it is natural to prepare a new set of clothes and accessories for both sets of parents to show filial piety.

Finally, Wei Qingrou said to Chunxi, "Take stock of everything else and put it into storage."

Chunxi nodded in agreement.

Inventorying and storing goods is no easy task, so Chunxi called on Xiaxi for help again.

Now the four of them have a clear division of labor. Chunxi is quick-witted and in charge of welcoming and seeing off guests.

Xia Xi kept neat and meticulous accounts, so she took charge of the warehouse.

Qiu Xi took charge of the tea room, and Dong Xi took charge of the small kitchen.

The two nannies used their respective strengths: Granny Gui was in charge of the small kitchen and tea room, which served medicine and soup, while Granny Qin was responsible for the household's rules and etiquette.

On ordinary days, everyone performs their own duties, but when it comes to holidays or when the household is busy with banquets, they don't distinguish between so many duties and lend a hand to each other.

Wei Qingrou was busy with accounting matters and didn't put her things away until sunset.

Qin Ping'an has been coming home late these past few days, not out of fooling around, but because he's been really busy with business.

Now, with the year-end approaching, the businesses in the several new shops she and Qin Ping'an have opened are becoming increasingly busy.

Tofu shops, Qianyu Tower, and Luoxian Tower all belong to the service industry. While other businesses are closing down and preparing to rest, these places are doing even better business than usual, never idle for a moment.

It wasn't until night was completely dark that Qin Ping'an rushed back from outside, looking travel-worn.

"You're back."

Wei Qingrou smiled and quickly went to greet him, taking off his cloak and gently brushing the snowflakes off his shoulders before having a meal with him.