Song Chaoyu had not expected there to be so many people in the Chang Prince’s mansion.
She rubbed her forehead, knowing that no matter how many people there were, they still had to be managed.
She had Mu Changxi attend to other matters while she entered the Chang Prince’s mansion alone. Then, she instructed Xiao Ruizhi, "Go and summon all the stewards to me, so I can get to know them one by one."
This was the first time Song Chaoyu was looking at the Chang Prince’s mansion so seriously.
The front hall alone was incredibly luxurious.
Although the mansion was not newly built, but rather the former residence of Prince Rong, who had been favored by the late emperor, the entire Chang Prince’s mansion had been renovated once.
The vermilion pillars had been freshly painted, carved with three-clawed dragons, as if to showcase Mu Changxi's noble status.
The black jade floor was polished to a sheen, reflecting a person's shadow, truly appearing noble and elegant.
Most of the furniture was made of huanghuali wood and precious agarwood. However, it was merely a display of wealth, appearing somewhat vulgar.
Other surfaces where items could be placed were filled with various trinkets and ornaments, large and small. The more valuable they were, the more prominently they were displayed, as if they wanted the whole world to know how many good things the Chang Prince’s mansion possessed.
Even the gauze curtains used in the hall were predominantly crimson and deep purple, outlined with golden threads. Song Chaoyu could only think of two words: vulgar.
Song Chaoyu felt that this probably wasn't Mu Changxi's intention.
She had known Mu Changxi since childhood; he was by no means such a vulgar person.
She asked Xiao Ruizhi, "Does the Prince usually not spend much time in the mansion? Who decorated this mansion?"
Xiao Ruizhi quickly explained, "Since returning to the capital, the Prince has mostly been in the palace during the day. Upon returning to the mansion at night, he usually goes directly to his sleeping quarters. He rarely comes to the main hall. This servant truly hasn't asked who decorated it. But, it must have been the steward in charge of the treasury, right?"
Song Chaoyu nodded. Even without meeting the steward, she had already made up her mind: "Give him a sum of money and let him leave the mansion."
Xiao Ruizhi was taken aback, "Your Highness, will you not meet this person first?"
Song Chaoyu shook her head, "There's no need. With such ostentatious behavior, I fear he has piled all the good things from the treasury here. Whether it was intentional or not, this person cannot remain in the mansion."
Seeing Xiao Ruizhi still confused, Song Chaoyu explained, "If this person acted without intention, it means he lacks the ability to handle current affairs. Otherwise, he wouldn't have decorated it so haphazardly. Look at the main hall; is there anything appealing about it? I fear that anyone entering the mansion would think that Prince Chang relies on the Emperor's favor to so unscrupulously display such valuable items."
She continued, "If this person was instigated by someone, then he is even more unacceptable. Yesterday, during the wedding, many people came to the Chang Prince’s mansion. I fear how many will laugh today, thinking our Chang Prince’s mansion has never seen good things!"
Xiao Ruizhi suddenly understood and quickly nodded, "This servant will have someone attend to it immediately!"
—
Indeed, not long after he took people away to give instructions, of the twelve stewards who were supposed to meet Song Chaoyu, only eleven remained.
Most of these stewards were not people close to Mu Changxi, and they had initially looked down upon Song Chaoyu, an illegitimate daughter.
However, before even meeting Song Chaoyu, they had already seen one steward dismissed. Now, most of them dared not slight Song Chaoyu.
Upon seeing Song Chaoyu, they all respectfully performed a grand bow, "Your servant greets Your Highness, may Your Highness be well!"
Song Chaoyu nodded, "You may all rise."
She surveyed these stewards and noticed that they varied in age, appearance, and attire.
After having them introduce themselves, Song Chaoyu gained a general understanding of where these eleven stewards came from.
Most of them had been assigned from the palace, and on the surface, there were no issues.
Only two were from the Empress's side, and they should be trustworthy.
These eleven people managed different areas and had been getting along without incident recently.
However…
Song Chaoyu's gaze was calm, and she did not intend to keep so many people by her side. "Although the Chang Prince’s mansion is large, there are not that many people. We do not need so many people to remain in the Chang Prince’s mansion now. Therefore, I only plan to keep five stewards, responsible for the treasury, finances, food, procurement, and servants, which should be sufficient."
In the mansions of ordinary officials, being a steward was a lucrative position, so naturally, no one wanted to be removed from it.
The faces of these stewards all showed displeasure, but they dared not say anything.
Deciding who to keep was a "difficult problem" presented to Song Chaoyu.
Currently, Song Chaoyu thought that the two stewards sent by the Empress should naturally be kept.
However, before she could speak, the steward standing in the center suddenly stepped forward, "Your Highness, this servant has something to say."
Song Chaoyu had noticed him earlier, as he was dressed the most opulently.
He appeared to be around forty years old, a man with a bulging belly, wearing a robe of brocade embroidered with eight treasures. He looked less like a servant of the mansion and more like a master.
His manner of speaking to Song Chaoyu was not at all respectful; instead, it was arrogant and proud. "Your Highness, it wouldn't be this troublesome. Why don't we just continue as before? Such a large prince's mansion has many matters to manage! Your Highness only needs to select one chief steward to oversee the entire mansion, and everyone else will listen to the steward and know what to do!"
He patted his chest, clearly intending to recommend himself, "This servant is untalented, but willing to be the steward to oversee the entire mansion. Whatever Your Highness commands in the future, you can tell this servant directly, and this servant will surely handle it!"
Upon his words, some agreed, some shook their heads, and some showed disdain.
Song Chaoyu's eyes remained cold, and she merely glanced at the man, "This steward..."
He naturally introduced himself, "This servant's name is Zhang Da, and he was bestowed upon the Chang Prince’s mansion by the Empress Dowager! This servant is also distantly related to the current Empress. Therefore, please rest assured, Your Highness, this servant will do his utmost to manage the mansion well and will not cause Your Highness any trouble."
A distant relative of the Empress?
Song Chaoyu frowned slightly, then let out a cold laugh, "So that's how it is. But I don't think you are doing a very good job as a servant. Before the master has even spoken, you have stepped out and said a mouthful. Does this mean you are the true master in this Chang Prince’s mansion?"
No one expected that Song Chaoyu would confront Zhang Da on her very first day in the mansion!