The Story of Ming Lan (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦)

The Story of Ming Lan

Episode 45

Big Madam, please enjoy.

Didn't expect there would be such an expert.

Her skill in brewing tea is even stronger than mine.

The foam of the tea is white like snow. It doesn't break up after quite a while.

She's my unmarried older daughter.

She used to serve nobles in a duke's manor.

She has picked up some foolish skills. Big Madam, please don't laugh.

How old is she? Is she engaged to anyone?

Not yet. She's still young and need to wait for a while.

Your daughter is bright, clever, delicate and pretty. The rest of them are probably not lacking too.

Why don't you call them out and let me take a look?

I only have two daughters.

The second daughter is eight years old.

She's very naughty.

She's like a mud skipper every day, running all over the place. She's not worthy to be seen by noble people.

Big Madam, everything has been completed.

The official matter is here.

Cuiwei, go according to the names in the register and distribute one string of money.

Those families with elders that are more than 60 years old,

Distribute three hundred money to each and everyone.

Yes.

Big Madam, this is...

Everyone has worked hard.

This farmstead is now taken on the name of Gu.

This is my first time here. I'm rewarding everyone with some money

to make everyone happy.

What is your name?

Wang Sheng.

Three strings of coins.

Here, this is for you.

- Is this really for me? - Yes.

Come, hold this properly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

How many in your family?

Come, next person.

Come, one at a time.

Thank you.

There are 62 qing (413,54 hectares) of farmlands here in Heishan Farmstead.

There are 33 registered agricultural families here.

When Older Brother Tu brought people to check the article,

he discovered that there are 960 mu ( 64 hectares) of extra farmlands and the number of farming household doesn't match too.

There must be more again.

Big Madam, you guessed accurately.

When we distributed the money, there was around 4 or 5 who took them but their names were not in the registry.

They said that they were from Heishan Farm.

I did the task according to your instructions

and didn't give them a hard time. They left after the distribution of the money.

When you were in the field, did anyone talk to you privately?

Yes.

Someone came to report to Older Brother Tu.

Saying that Manager Ba and the other managers

have set up their private fields outside and registered them under their relatives' name.

Those additional land and tenants were probably hidden and not reported.

The annual revenue went into their own pockets too.

If we didn't prepare this money in advance,

we wouldn't have been able to catch that many big fishes in the background.

Big Madam, Old Ba Fu led some other managers here to see you. They said that they are here to seek punishment.

Tell them to come in.

Please enter.

I admit my mistake.

Big Madam, please show mercy.

You are born from slaves who were punished.

When the Duke of State Manor was confiscated,

You should have already been sold off.

You all were granted to us alongside the farmstead.

Now that the duke's manor has been confiscated,

you people instead are hiding a lot of private wealth.

You even tried to gang up to trick me. You are indeed a talented slave.

We were momentarily blinded.

I know that I'm wrong now.

Big Madam, please show mercy.

I'll immediately tell them to sell off their private farms.

- Tomorrow, I will publicly allow... - Shut up. Is Big Madam greedy over your money?

Be done with it.

You peopled have worked hard for so many years in watching over the farmlands of this farmstead.

It's not really something to have a bit of savings.

But not reporting the number of farmlands here in the farmstead and privately hiring farming families is against the family rules.

If I just let it go, then if other people will imitate,

won't the House of Gu be in a mess?

You can leave now.

Once I've inspected Guyan Farmstead, I'll discuss this with the General before giving out the punishment.

Before I came, I have already checked everything.

Guyan Farmstead is different from Heishan Farmstead.

Guyan Farmstead is a confiscated family asset several years ago.

It's under royal rule for more than a decade.

This asset has been managed by an imperially designated eunuch.

With the imperial family being in-charge, even if things do happen in here, very few people will intervene.

I fear that the water there in Guyan Farmstead is deeper.

Big Madam, I fear we won't be able to use the same trick from Heishan Farm

We've been in Heishan Farmstead for several days. I'm sure that the news of what we've done there has already leaked.

This method will not work anymore. We need to change to another tactic.

There seems to be some people missing within us. Did they lose their way?

It's not even a wild and mountainous area. How could they have gotten lost?

I told several smart staff

to dress up as traders to obtain information from the farmers.

We are too eye-catching.

They surely will guard against us very tightly.

Why not just put up a pole there?

Let those farmstead managers get tangled up with it.

But in reality, we've already sent people to secretly investigate the situation beforehand.

At the very least, we surely will get some background.

Who are you?

Big Madam, greetings!

I dare not accept such bows. Please get up.

I heard that Manager Wu is a relative of a palace eunuch.

My apologies for being disrespectful.

I dare not accept such respect. I'm just a very far relative.

Relying on that, just trying to earn something for a living.

Wait for us to complete the checking of the accounts for the land,

before we have our usual chats.

These people manage the fields,

orchards, mountain forest, and the farming households.

Big Madam, you can ask them if you have any questions

As long as it's about the farmstead, they know everything.

The fish scale records (land records), the accounting books, and contracts have all been prepared.

You can review them anytime.

If there are any lapses, you can immediately ask people to edit them.

Seems like he has already prepared the fake account and is not afraid to be checked.

When you are the one in-charge of the books in the future, you must guard against that.

There's no hurry. I checked the accounts for several days.

My eyes and back are hurting.

The scenery is nice here.

Why don't we take a stroll and relax?

Let's just talk while walking.

It's fine too.

It's such a big land, mountain and forest. As a manager throughout the whole year,

it must be very tough.

I dare not say that it is hard, but I did placed half-life worth of blood and sweat into this farmstead.

His Majesty then rewarded this farmstead to your family.

My uncle initially wanted to find me another job.

But I've been here for so many years,

I've grown some affection towards it.

I only want to stay and serve here.

I fear that it might delay your future and people might laugh.

That old uncle of mine has very good relationship with the other high ranking eunuch of the palace.

They all say that General Gu has always been open-minded and generous.

Everyone loves to befriend him.

And General Gu is currently favored by His Majesty.

I think no one dares to say anything.

Who would dare to order around the manager of a previous imperial farmstead?

If I make you stay, don't know how outsiders will be laughing at our Gu Family for being unruly.

Even the elders of the House of Gu might be coming to scold us now.

You also can't be sold as a servant to enter our house.

It's still improper and unreasonable.

Wouldn't it become a laughing matter in the kingdom?

What are you doing?

What are you doing in the village?

Speak up now.

You're not talking without tasting a few pain, is that it?

Speak now!

Speak!

Big Madam.

Are you going to talk or not?

- Go back. - Okay.

The farmers said that there were people asking about the fields, mountain forest, and the populace here.

They thought they were bandits

and were captured. It was a misunderstanding.

Blame me for this. Before I came, I made a bet with the General.

We bet on how many trees there are in the mountain forest.

That's why I sent two accounts people to come here to secretly check.

The General has such a humor.

Those who are aware, they know that Big Madam loves to joke.

Those who don't, would think that we are secretly being investigated.

Manager Wu, what are you saying?

You have been in this village for many years

and are experienced in your work.

Everything must have been done methodically. Is there a need to be secretly investigated?

Your words is making me feel embarrassed.

There are 50 to 60 farming households here in Guyan Farmstead.

Until now, they still owe the farm rental fees and loans.

The previous account was not clean. I don't know how to explain.

I would like to seek pointers from Big Madam.

What was the total owed?

For the rentals that's been dragged for so many years...

I'm guessing around 20,000 taels.

Also, people eat grains, so it can't be helped for them to cause trouble.

When the farmers can't support their family's expenses, they would borrow money.

Calculating them, it would approximately reach 13,000 to 15,000 taels.

That much?

Forget about the others.

There are also some nobles from up there

who came here to borrow the accounts.

Adding them all up, it would more or less be around 13,000 to 14,000 taels.

This farmstead was just granted as a reward at the start of this year.

Those accounts are from within the Imperial family

and are irrelevant to Big Madam.

Big Madam, don't worry.

This is a difficult task.

Manager Wu, you must help me come up with ideas.

Big Madam, don't worry.

These messy miscellaneous things will eventually be properly handled.

As long...as long as I'm here every day.

How is this a reward?!

The Emperor clearly just disposed of himself a terrible mess!

And he even included some termites with it.

What a hoodlum! A scoundrel!

Who caused Big Madam to be furious?