Being a second wife is difficult: I'm busy raising children in the Earl's mansion.

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Wan casually gathered the scattered evidence collection list on the table.

She had expected this all along.

Since Granny Gui went with them to investigate, the old lady must have known about Wang Fu's shady dealings for many years.

Tonight, all the evidence has been unearthed, and layer upon layer of incriminating evidence has been laid out on the table. The old lady will surely summon her for questioning immediately.

The previous silence was merely a matter of waiting for the right moment. Only when all the evidence was in order and no one else had any right to object could the decision be made by the elders. Only then could the matter be handled fairly and without any objections.

Jiang Wan took the sealed complete set of account books and the notes on the division of spoils, and calmly went to Songhe Hall.

At this moment, inside the warm pavilion of Songhe Hall, Granny Gui, Granny Liu, and Granny Zhou had already arrived at their seats.

The old lady sat upright in a pear-blossom armchair covered with soft brocade cushions, the candlelight casting shadows on the silver strands of her hair, her expression solemn and composed.

Several yellowed old ledgers were spread out on the table, all of which were vouchers that Granny Liu had secretly kept for many years. She flipped through them page by page, her fingertips brushing over the dense records, and the look of gloom between her brows grew heavier and heavier.

Years of leniency have led to accumulated problems, and so much public property has been embezzled from the government premises.

Jiang Wan entered the pavilion, bowed, and presented all the remaining undisclosed evidence with neat and measured movements, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Old lady, all the evidence of the three years of procurement deficits and the servants' collusion and division of spoils is here. Every document can be verified and every word is true."

The old lady looked up at her, her eyes filled with approval.

In the past, there were often shortages in the manor, but she only thought it was due to wear and tear over the years and the negligence of the servants. She was too busy with trivial matters to investigate them one by one.

Because Wang Fu was an old servant in the household who had served him for many years, they had always turned a blind eye and indulged him until now.

Unexpectedly, this tolerance fostered audacious parasites.

"I knew that there were always minor deficits in the household, but I never investigated them thoroughly." The old lady's voice was calm, with the dignity of an elder. "I thought it was just a result of small expenses accumulated over time, but it turns out that it was all due to embezzlement."

She pointed to the total amount summarized at the end of the ledger, her tone turning colder.

"Over three years, the total deficit amounted to 827 taels."

"Eight hundred taels of silver, if placed in an ordinary family, would be enough to live comfortably for decades; even if placed in the mansion of an official, it would be a huge sum of money that should not be taken lightly."

The three matrons present all bowed their heads in silence.

This amount far exceeded what people usually estimated.

Years of petty deductions, falsifying losses, and embezzling farm produce accumulated over time, eventually leading to a major mistake.

"The evidence is conclusive and irrefutable, and there is no need for leniency."

The old lady's eyes sharpened, and she made her decision on the spot, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"Wang Fu should be handed over to the authorities immediately and convicted according to the law."

"All the private land, shops, and property he had acquired through years of embezzlement were confiscated and used to cover the deficit in his household, leaving nothing behind."

Decisive and efficient, without any hesitation or delay.

Everyone in the room felt a chill run down their spines. The old lady was determined to eradicate the deep-seated problems and had no intention of showing any mercy.

Outside Songhe Hall, on duty was Yan Zhong, the old lady's trusted and capable steward. He was a calm and impartial man who always obeyed the master's orders and never showed favoritism.

The old lady immediately ordered in a stern voice, "Yan Zhong, you personally lead men to escort it to the government office tonight. There must be no mistakes."

"Tonight, all the evidence must be handed over to the officers, and nothing must be concealed."

Yan Zhong bowed and accepted the order, then turned and quickly left.

The Earl's mansion arrested someone late at night; the commotion was small, but it was enough to alarm the outer courtyard.

Before Wang Fu could recover from the panic of being betrayed and abandoned by everyone, the servants who rushed in grabbed his arms on the spot.

He was suddenly terrified, struggling and twisting desperately, his face drained of all color.

"How dare you! I am the steward of the outer courtyard of the Earl's mansion, and I have served you for many years. How dare you, mere servants, lay a hand on me?!"

He roared and argued, trying to intimidate everyone by relying on his seniority, struggling with his hands and feet, refusing to surrender.

But at this moment, no one would listen to a single word of his sophistry.

Having been turned down everywhere he went for help, with no one standing up for him or offering any protection, he had long since become a discarded member of the Earl's household.

No matter how much he shouted, cursed, cried, and begged for mercy, the servants held him tightly and dragged him out.

The streets were cold and windy in the dead of night. Wang Fu, disheveled and in a sorry state, struggled and wailed all the way. His former prestige and dignity as the head of the outer courtyard had vanished completely.

The news that the Yongchang Earl's mansion had sent someone away late at night quickly reached the mansion's office.

Upon hearing that it was a case from the Earl's residence, the yamen runners on duty that night dared not slacken their efforts and immediately informed their superiors.

The prefectural clerk had already returned home to rest, but upon hearing that the Yongchang Earl's mansion had transferred the criminals overnight along with a complete set of evidence, he knew that this matter concerned the noble family and was by no means a trivial matter. He immediately returned to the court that very night.

The lights came on, and the courtroom became solemn.

Yan Zhong presented a thick stack of account books, confessions, and notes detailing the distribution of spoils, clearly explaining the reasons for the case.

"The criminal Wang Fu, who served as the purchasing manager of the outer courtyard of the Yongchang Earl's Mansion, has been found guilty of falsely reporting losses, embezzling public property, and forming cliques for profit over the past three years. He has embezzled a total of 827 taels of silver. The evidence is complete, and he is hereby transferred to the government for investigation."

The registrar examined the evidence one by one, his expression growing increasingly grave with each examination.

Embezzling eight hundred taels of silver is far more serious than ordinary cases of dereliction of duty.

The laws of this dynasty clearly state that if a servant covets more than one hundred taels of his master's property, it is a serious crime. Five hundred taels is enough to warrant exile, and more than eight hundred taels will result in exile to a thousand miles away for minor offenses, or execution by hanging in the autumn for serious offenses.

This is no ordinary mistake; it is clearly a serious crime of disregarding the law and acting recklessly.

The registrar was horrified and immediately ordered Wang Fu to be imprisoned and placed under strict guard until the court held a formal trial and sentencing the next day.

The evidence presented by the Earl's family is detailed and the case is clear. The evidence is irrefutable and there is absolutely no possibility of overturning the verdict.

Inside the Songhe Hall of the Earl's Mansion, while everyone waited for news from the government office, they chatted about the subsequent regulations for the mansion.

Wang Fu was escorted and convicted, leaving the procurement position in the outer court vacant. It will be necessary to re-select a reliable manager, reorganize the outer court's rules, and prevent any future corruption or chaos.

After a few casual words, Granny Gui suddenly remembered something and spoke softly to report back.

"Old lady, the blizzards and frosts of the past few days have washed away the courtyards and houses everywhere. When the servants inspected the houses, they found that the Gu family's old courtyard had been vacant for several years and no one had taken care of it."

"The walls are now damp, many floor tiles are loose and sink slightly when stepped on, and moisture is accumulating under the roof. If it is left unattended any longer, it will damage the foundation of the roof beams."

Upon hearing this, the old lady nodded slightly and immediately made her decision.

"In that case, we will choose an auspicious day after winter to start the renovation and tidying up of the old Gu family compound. The vacant courtyard should not be abandoned. If it is well repaired, it will be easy to make other arrangements in the future."

As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of doubt flashed in Jiang Wan's eyes, and she asked a question at the right moment.

"Grandma, your daughter-in-law remembers hearing about an old story."

"Back then, when Mrs. Gu was seriously ill and bedridden, the Gu family was afraid that someone would secretly harm her, so they specially sent people to the mansion to thoroughly investigate the courtyard."

"At that time, the servants of the Gu family pried open all the floor tiles in the courtyard to inspect them. After the inspection was completed, they spent a lot of money to hire craftsmen to repave them, and all the tiles used were high-quality marble tiles with a dense texture."

"How could such meticulous renovations, completed in just three short years, have resulted in such a loose surface and damp grout lines?"

"The floor tiles in the other courtyards of the mansion have never bulged and shifted on such a large scale after being exposed to the wind and sun for more than ten or even decades. It is really strange."

Granny Zhou echoed her sentiment, though she herself was equally puzzled.

"What the First Madam says is absolutely right. The repairs back then were extremely meticulous, using the finest materials and solid craftsmanship. Logically, it should be durable enough to last a hundred years, so it should not have become so loose and deformed in just three years."

The atmosphere inside the room was slightly somber.

This matter is strange in every way.

The old lady's eyes flickered slightly, her mind filled with thoughts, but she only gave it a faint mention on the surface, her words vague, not wanting to delve into the secret in public.

"Perhaps the renovation was rushed back then and the foundation was not properly compacted, or perhaps the craftsmen cut corners, creating hidden dangers."

She gave the instructions in a calm tone, treating the matter as a mere routine repair-related question.

"Let the renovation begin in winter, and have a reliable craftsman carefully inspect the foundation and the interlayer of the floor tiles to investigate the cause. There's no need to make a fuss; just check it discreetly."

These words, though seemingly casual, were actually a veiled instruction, allowing everyone to take the opportunity to investigate the hidden problems within the old courtyard.

Jiang Wan understood immediately and said no more.

She knew that there were hidden reasons behind Gu's death.

Only she, the old lady, and Granny Gui vaguely knew the details of this matter, and it was not appropriate to discuss it in public, so they could only investigate it secretly.

As night deepened, it approached midnight.

Suddenly, soft footsteps came from outside the courtyard. A maid announced that Aunt Zhou had brought Lu Wan to pay her respects.

Before long, Aunt Zhou led Lu Wan, who was dressed in a simple dress, into the warm room.

The little girl held a pair of finely stitched cotton hand warmers in her hands. Her eyes were gentle, her demeanor obedient, and she showed no fear when entering the house at midnight, displaying a poised and graceful manner.

Lu Wan stepped forward, curtsied, and presented the warm sleeves.

"Grandmother, Mother, it's cold at night, so I embroidered some hand warmers to keep you warm."

The little girl's sweet and sensible demeanor softened the solemn and somber atmosphere of the trial that had just taken place inside the room.

The old lady's tense expression eased slightly, and a warm feeling appeared in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Wan with approval.

"Wan'er is becoming more and more well-behaved and sensible, and knows how to behave properly, all thanks to your excellent teaching."

"You manage household affairs fairly and properly, and you raise your children even more thoroughly, which is extremely rare."

After speaking, she looked at Aunt Zhou beside her and gave her a slight approval.

"You take excellent care of the children, are very well-behaved and respectful."

Aunt Zhou quickly lowered her head and replied humbly, then explained why she had come in the middle of the night.

"In the dead of night, Wan'er tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She wanted to go to the east courtyard to talk to the First Madam, but when she got there she found that the First Madam was not there, so she ran to my courtyard instead."

"I thought that the First Madam was probably not in the house at this time, and was probably discussing matters with the Old Madam in Songhe Hall, so I told Wan'er."

"As soon as she heard that, she insisted on coming to Songhetang. She ran back to her own courtyard and found a pair of warm sleeves, saying that she and her personal maid Qiuling had embroidered them together. They were originally planning to give them to the old lady tomorrow, but she brought them over tonight."

"On our way here, we came across a commotion in the outer courtyard and happened to see Wang Fu being escorted to the authorities overnight. I didn't understand what was going on for a moment."

Granny Gui briefly explained the matter of Wang Fu's conviction for corruption and his transfer to the government office.

After hearing this, Aunt Zhou showed no surprise on her face, only nodded slightly, and spoke calmly.

"I had long suspected that this man was too greedy and acted arrogantly, and that he would get into trouble sooner or later. He even sent someone to deliver generous gifts to my door, asking me to plead for him to be pardoned by the old lady."

Upon hearing this, the old lady's eyes instantly turned cold, and a cold laugh escaped her lips.

"Even on the verge of death, he still scrambled to plead for mercy. Such a greedy, opportunistic, and unrepentant villain deserves his fate.

Good and evil will ultimately be rewarded, without the slightest falsehood.

The atmosphere inside the warm pavilion gradually relaxed. The elders chatted casually, and the children stood obediently, which slightly eased the solemnity of the midnight trial.

Just when everyone thought the matter was settled and the storm had passed, a servant guarding the outer courtyard suddenly rushed in, looking flustered and walking hurriedly.

The servant knelt down and reported back, his voice filled with barely concealed panic.

"Madam, First Madam! News has come from the government office that Wang Fu has become deranged since being imprisoned, refusing to confess and spouting nonsense in jail!"

"He claimed that he was not alone in embezzling; several stewards in the household were also involved. If the authorities interrogated him severely, he would implicate them all and convict them along with the stewards!"

A single sentence instantly reignited the turmoil that had just subsided.