Lou Qiao led a group of strong looking aunties and managed to suppress and catch the female traitors within the group.
The tense situation was quickly brought under control, the traitors were all tied up and gagged before being forced to kneel in front of Huan Bei Ming’s portrait...
“Mother, how do you want to deal with them?”
Madam Huan was initially hesitant about Huan Qing Yan’s suggestion to clean the Huan Estate of disloyal servants, she was afraid that it would hurt the pride of the servants. However, the result in front of her was shocking, over twenty traitors! Some of them were even hiding weapons, she could not believe that there were so many scheming individuals existing right under their noses and living with them. These people could have easily threatened the lives of her two children and herself anytime they wanted...
The Huan Family had basked in countless glory but no one could take up its reins after her husband. So many traitorous bugs festered during the short period her husband had fallen sick.
Madam Huan dare not think any further, she was tired but she had to end this properly for the sake of her daughter’s future control.
“Secure them properly and lock them in the firewood shed. Send men to their lodgings and confiscate everything that belonged to them. We will send them to the authorities tomorrow!” They would not be sold, selling them would be letting them off too lightly.
“Yes, mother.”
Huan Qing Yan turned and addressed the remaining servants, “I am happy the Huan Estate had such loyal servants like you, this lady was gratified and thankful to you...”
Everyone got flustered, “Please don’t say that Young Mistress, it is our duty as servants to be honest and do our assigned tasks dutifully.”
“I have already mentioned, you will be rewarded for assisting in the capture of the traitors, feel free to go down to the accounts room to get your hundred silvers. In addition, there’s only my mother and her two children now, if you wish to seek a new path or return to your home village to retire, you can tell me now. The Huan Estate will release you without any conditions and will also give you two hundred silvers as compensation...”
Originally, some of the servants had been thinking of leaving or were making plans for their future, they felt that after the head of the house was gone, the remaining three members of the Huan Family could not step up and would eventually cause the household to fall into shambles. However, when they saw the impressive methods of Huan Qing Yan, these thoughts began to disappear.
Servants would only follow a strong master because this would mean a better life for them.
Looking at their Young Mistress now, she was no longer the same as before; she no longer threw childish tantrums nor was she the clueless noble lady who did not know anything.
If the Young Mistress could hold the Huan Estate together, then as its servants, they would also flourish and prosper with it. Who could guarantee that they would do well if they join a new master? Although two hundred silvers was a large sum, if the Young Mistress could be so gracious to the people who were leaving, how could the people who chose to stay be treated badly?
Of more than eighty people remaining, a little over ten stood out, most of them were actually very old and would like to use the opportunity to properly retire...
Huan Qing Yan did not make things difficult for them, she immediately took out their slave contracts and issued them their silvers. She also allowed them to temporarily stay in the Huan Estate for another three days so that they could settle any personal matters.
Huan Qing Yan looked at the remaining seventy or so servants and was very satisfied at this figure. She initially thought that many of them, such as her personal maids: Lou Zhu and Lou Xiang, would choose to leave but they all chose to stay instead!
Her goal for cleansing the Huan Estate of its traitors was not to kick out all the servants but to identify the reliable ones among them.
“Everyone who chose to stay, this lady welcomes you. From now on, regardless of your position, your monthly salary would increase by two silvers! For now, Duan Sheng, Wang Quan and Lu Hai, the three of you would become the deputy head housekeepers...”