Chapter 114: Chapter 116: Discovering Feng Bailing’s Virtues Chapter 114: Chapter 116: Discovering Feng Bailing’s Virtues “Alas, Master Feng Xiao, when it comes to medical skills, you are unmatched. But accounting, especially the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue…”
Lu Yin paused, hesitant to continue.
It wasn’t him boasting. Among the three men present, in terms of calculating finances, they could rank within the top ten in Chu City.
Yet the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue were too chaotic; the records of nearly a decade were a complete mess, and it was impossible to sort them out in just a few days.
Feng Bailing picked up an account book and flipped through a few pages.
She took pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and wrote down several lines.
She wrote down the Arabic numerals 1234567890, corresponding to the traditional Chinese numbers 一二三 (One Two Three) and so on.
“All expenditures shall be recorded as credits, while all income shall be debits. Over the past decade, all accounts are only divided into these two categories. Then, use these numbers for statistical classification. You guys sort them out accordingly, and I’ll take care of the tally at the end.”
What Feng Bailing said sounded simple, but everyone present was exceptionally clever. Once she explained, their eyes lit up, especially Dugu Wu, who saw that Feng Bailing’s method was simple and clear, doubling the results with half the effort.
“There’s no time like the present. Let’s get started.”
Dugu Wu hesitated no more and handed a portion of the account books to Feng Bailing.
Outside the Ministry of Revenue, Nalan Yan’er had been sitting in the horse carriage for a good while, just waiting for Feng Bailing to suffer the same snub and get thrown out.
Dugu Wu harbored disgust towards Feng Bailing because of something involving Princess Mingxia; that woman, unaware of her own limits, still insisted on getting involved.
The matter involving Princess Mingxia was something Nalan Yan’er was well aware of.
The one inciting Feng Bailing against Mingxia from behind the scenes was none other than Feng Xiangxue.
And the mastermind plotting with her was Nalan Yan’er herself.
She originally had no grudge against Feng Bailing, but seeing as she couldn’t be with Dugu Wu, she didn’t want to see Feng Bailing, a simpleton, succeed in her wishes, joining the Royal Family, and becoming her sister-in-law.
But after waiting for quite a while, instead of being driven out, she saw government officers rushing out to invite them in with great respect. An hour passed and neither mother nor daughter were turned away.
At that moment, Nalan Yan’er’s heart wrenched fiercely.
Her fair face turned deathly pale with anger, and with a fierce pull, she drew the carriage curtain and commanded, “To the Grandmaster Mansion.”
At the Grandmaster Mansion, officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the disciples of the Old Grand Preceptor were very busy coming and going.
A large number of account books were piled up like small hills on one side. The Old Grand Preceptor showed signs of weariness, but he felt very satisfied with the progress of the audit. Things were going smoothly, and in another seven or eight days, the accounts should be clear.
Compared to Dugu Wu, his place must be in total disarray by now, right?
Seeing Dugu Wu humbled would please Grandmaster Nalan immensely.
Upon seeing Nalan Yan’er entering, the Old Grand Preceptor’s expression darkened, and he approached her, lowering his voice to ask,
“Did you go to Dugu Wu again?”
A heavy feeling descended upon Nalan Yan’er’s heart; nothing she did escaped her grandfather’s notice.
She feigned nonchalance.
“Grandfather, I went to gather information for you. I followed your instructions and revealed to him the incident of Princess Minxia’s drowning. As expected, he got upset and drove out the last few officials from the Ministry of Revenue. Now, only he, Lu Yin, and an accountant are left there, nothing substantial will come of it.”
Only then did the Old Grand Preceptor show a satisfied smile.
“Yan’er, you are my most proud granddaughter and my future successor. The Nalan Family has expended much effort to make you the Crown Princess Consort, do not let me down. Whether the Nalan Family can continue to thrive in Great Chu now depends on you.”
“With Dugu Wu having lost his military power, if he now also loses his position at the Ministry of Revenue, he will surely be unable to recover. By then, no one will threaten the Nalan Family’s status in the Emperor’s heart.”
The Old Grand Preceptor stroked his beard, his face full of pride, while Nalan Yan’er’s expression was complicated.
Night fell, and Feng Bailing, holding the sleeping Feng Xiaoli, went to rest in the adjacent room. Su Wang and Lu Yin, having toiled for several days and nights, were now unable to hold on. Seeing that the accounts were nearly in order, Dugu Wu told the two men to rest.
Inside the hall, silence reigned, with only the occasional crackle of sparks from the oil lamp.
Dugu Wu’s brows, furrowed for several days, finally relaxed, but then tensed up again immediately.
Although the accounts had been sorted out, he had discovered an even bigger problem.
A fragrance wafted over, and Dugu Wu lifted his gaze. Feng Bailing walked in, holding a pot of tea in her hands—the fragrance emanated from the pot.
“Have some milk tea to refresh yourself.”
Feng Bailing placed the tea she was holding down with a beaming smile.
Having pulled several all-nighters without coffee, milk tea was the only option.
Dugu glanced at the milky yellow tea in the cup in front of him, took a small sip, and savored the rich creaminess, combined with the freshness of the tea leaves and a subtle hint of honey, smooth on the palate.
Just one cup made him feel instantly warmer.
This woman always managed to surprise him when he least expected it.
“Did your master teach you all these as well? How many more secrets are you keeping from me, Feng Bailing?”
Dugu Wu asked with a heavy voice.
Suddenly, he grabbed Feng Bailing’s hand and pulled her in front of him.
His movement was so abrupt that Feng Bailing lost her balance and fell onto his lap.
Both were momentarily stunned.
In the next moment, Feng Bailing let out a sigh.
Feng Bailing cupped Dugu’s face with both hands, forehead resting against his.
From this angle, the overpowering Emperor’s aura was inescapable, and Feng Bailing’s heart blossomed with joy.
Dugu Wu’s body stiffened all over, and a tingling sensation spread throughout his body.
His eyes were captivated by the light in the eyes of the woman before him.
Through the veil, Feng Bailing’s face took on an indistinct and hazy beauty.
“Dugu Wu, no matter who taught me my skills, one thing will never change. That is, I will never harm you or Xiaojin.”
Feng Bailing’s words came from the heart; she and Dugu Wu could only be husband and wife for a year. In this year, he protected her, she treated his leg.
It was this man before her who, against public opinion, took in her body left to rot in the streets in her past life.
Feng Bailing would also never forget that it was Xiaojin who repeatedly brought her food and clothing when she was cold and starving.
The warmth from the woman’s palms kept traveling, reaching into Dugu Wu’s heart, slowly melting the ice within.
“Soon we are to be married, and trust and respect are the cornerstones of marriage. I hope that in the coming year, we both can trust and respect each other. That we will always stand by each other’s side and help one another through difficult times.”
After Feng Bailing finished speaking, she blinked her eyes and then casually said,
“Shouldn’t we discuss the wedding date now?”
Dugu Wu awkwardly turned his face away; he had almost been bewitched by this woman.
However, considering that she had helped him significantly… Dugu Wu’s lips curled up, feeling as warm and sweet as if he had drunk milk tea.
This feeling was something he had never experienced before.
“Tomorrow morning, Princess Consort Shun will go to the Princess’ Mansion to propose marriage.”