The Ministry of Revenue.
Cao Yang had been busy all day and was finally about to leave when the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works approached him again. "Lord Cao, did the reward silver I mentioned to you the other day for the Bureau of Inspection get approved? Their director has practically camped outside my door! Please, take pity and allocate some funds."
The Ministry of Revenue managed the nation's finances, and every single transaction had to pass through Cao Yang's hands.
Being hounded for money was nothing new to him. Cao Yang replied calmly, "Left Vice Minister, you're too impatient. The treasury has been tight lately. Please ask the Bureau of Inspection director to be more understanding. As for the reward silver, they’ll have to wait a little longer. The court won’t shortchange them."
Seeing his unyielding attitude, the Left Vice Minister knew further pleading was futile. After a few polite words, he left in disappointment.
Ji Yao, the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, chuckled. "My lord, your evasive tactics grow more polished by the day. Will you still join us for a drink at Lucky Tavern later?"
Normally, Cao Yang would agree, but this time, he shook his head. "No, you all go ahead. Put it on my tab—consider it my thanks for your diligence."
Ji Yao was surprised, but a knowing colleague nearby laughed. "Minister Ji, you’re new here, so you wouldn’t know. Our Lord Cao is newly wed and eager to return to his lovely bride~"
Ji Yao suddenly understood. Without further ceremony, Cao Yang took his leave and departed immediately.
After he left, Ji Yao whispered, "Wasn’t Lord Cao well past forty and unmarried? What changed his mind?"
"Let’s just say even the most stubborn tree can bloom. And do you know why the Left Vice Minister couldn’t get the reward silver just now?"
Ji Yao blinked. "Isn’t it because the Bureau of Inspection is already a lucrative department, and the reward isn’t urgent?"
"That’s only part of it! The director of the Bureau of Inspection is the Marquis of Chengen—the former husband of Lord Cao’s new wife. Lord Cao is deliberately making things difficult for him! Rumor has it the marquis has been humiliated so much in the Ministry of Works that he’s stopped showing up altogether. The ministers and vice ministers there are now scheming to remove him!"
Ji Yao barely registered the rest, his eyes widening. "What? Our lord married a woman who was married before?"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, Minister Ji. Don’t let Lord Cao hear you—the last two who said that were demoted to gatekeepers!"
Dazed, Ji Yao could only wonder silently: What kind of beauty could captivate a man like Cao Yang, who had always been devoted solely to state affairs?
The Cao Family residence.
Upon returning home, Cao Yang heard arguing in the rear courtyard.
"My lady, it’s not that we servants haven’t been diligent, but the household expenses have been so high that we’ve barely saved anything over the years! The old madam and the master are aware and have never blamed us..."
The implication was clear: If they didn’t complain, why should she?
Cao Yang frowned.
The speaker was Sun Mao, the Cao Family’s chief steward—a man brought over from his mother’s side of the family. He managed all household affairs, and Chu Jing confronting him directly would likely end badly for her...
Just as he was about to step in, her calm, measured voice replied, "So, Steward Sun, you’re saying all the family’s silver has been spent on the masters, and not a single servant has taken a cut—is that correct?"
Cao Yang paused.
In the courtyard, Sun Mao stiffened.
How could there be no embezzlement? The master was absorbed in official duties, and the old madam paid little attention to household matters. With full control over the family’s finances, only a fool wouldn’t skim some off the top.
But he had covered his tracks meticulously, falsifying records for every misappropriated sum. Confidently, he retorted, "None at all!"
Chu Jing gave a soft "Oh," then gestured. A maid handed her an account book from seemingly nowhere.
"Then let’s all take a look. On the eighth of last month, fifty pigs and sixty goats were purchased. On the first of this month, the same order was placed again. The Cao Family has barely fifty mouths to feed. Even if we ate one pig and one goat every day, half would still remain. Steward Sun, care to explain where they went?"
Sun Mao paled. How did the new mistress know the accounts so well?
His mind raced. "My lady, the master is generous to the servants and often rewards them. Since your marriage is such a joyous occasion, I thought it fitting to distribute the livestock as gifts."
Cao Yang smirked coldly—the excuse was obviously fabricated.
But Chu Jing remained unruffled. "I see. Then it’s odd that last month’s purchase cost 120 taels, and this month’s was the same. At the end of last month, a swine fever outbreak sent pork prices soaring threefold. Yet your supplier’s prices remained unchanged—how remarkably honest of them..."
Sun Mao broke into a cold sweat, his face ashen.
He finally realized the new mistress had come prepared, with an expert grasp of household affairs. Denial was pointless. He dropped to his knees. "My lady, this servant was blinded by greed! I deserve death, I deserve death!"
As Sun Mao slapped his own face repeatedly, Chu Jing waited until his cheeks were swollen before speaking again. "There’s no need for this, Steward Sun. You’ve served the Cao Family for years, and you’re from the old madam’s family. If nothing else, your efforts count for something... Here’s what we’ll do: Return the misappropriated silver to the family coffers. If the amount is roughly correct, we’ll reassign you to a lighter role in your retirement. Does that suit you?"
Knowing this was the best outcome possible, Sun Mao kowtowed tearfully. "Thank you, my lady! Thank you!"
Once the matter was settled, Cao Yang coughed lightly outside the gate.
Chu Jing hurried over. "You’re back, my lord?"
He nodded, and she turned to a maid. "Bring the millet porridge that’s been warming on the stove..."
He reflexively declined. "No need for trouble. I’ll just eat whatever’s available."
"That won’t do." Chu Jing helped him out of his outer robe, smiling. "You’ve had little appetite these past few days and complained of indigestion. Soft, easily digestible food is best. Don’t worry—the kitchen has already prepared it, along with some light side dishes. Let’s go inside."
Cao Yang was momentarily stunned, warmth blooming in his chest. "Then I’ll trouble you, my lady."
For years, he had treated food and clothing as mere necessities—edible was enough, wearable was enough. Never before had someone so thoughtfully arranged everything, waiting for his return.
After a bowl of hot porridge settled comfortably in his stomach, he sighed in contentment and brought up the earlier incident. "About Sun Mao..."
"You heard?" Chu Jing smiled. "Do you think my punishment was too lenient?"
Cao Yang shook his head. "I was just thinking—if someone in the Ministry of Revenue dared such a thing, they’d get eighty lashes and have to repay the embezzled sum to keep their life."
Chu Jing’s heart softened. He didn’t critique her actions but instead shared how he would handle it.
A high-ranking minister of the first rank, yet so patient and considerate—he was truly a gentle soul.
Pressing her lips together, she asked, "Since you oversee the Ministry of Revenue, do officials ever engage in usury?"
