Bondage

Song Wan was in a daze when Heng Wu walked in with a Xuan kiln porcelain plate.

Behind her was the little maid who set up the meals, and they cleared up a table of food in a short time. Song Wan asked Heng Zhi to take care of the cat, while she sat beside Jiang Xingjian.

On the table are six palm-sized emerald lotus leaf dishes, two white jade soup cups, and sixteen small pink and white Ru kiln dishes.

The six main dishes are four hot and two cold, namely fried lamb tripe, roast chicken with bamboo shoots, stewed ham with fish maw, and stewed chicken with wild mushrooms. The cold dish kitchen has cold sour vegetables and fresh bamboo shoots in red oil.

Song Wan had a light taste, so he made shrimp and fresh bamboo shoot soup for her alone, and the other was Jiang Xingjian's scallop and pigeon soup.

Four Ru kiln small plates are divided into four servings, including four servings of dim sum, four servings of dried fruit, four servings of candied fruit, and four servings of Tongqing side dishes.

Jiang Xingjian took a small crab dumpling and put it in his mouth.

The taste of the crab is fresh, sweet and elegant. Although it is only a small portion, it can still show the skill of the chef.

The two of them did not speak while eating, and their demeanor was light and silent, Song Wan only took two mouthfuls, Jiang Xingjian knew that she had used it up, but she was not allowed to put down the chopsticks first due to etiquette.

The dignity and courtesy of the people around him is engraved in his bones, Jiang Xingjian looked at the table of delicacies, and Lin Jiayue's embarrassment on the day of the family banquet in the Hou's mansion emerged in his mind.

Regardless of male or female origin, they have abided by etiquette and etiquette since childhood, and they are always different from ordinary people in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation.Eating in limited quantities, eating less food, and eating more food with high quality are the rules they have followed since birth, let alone a noble girl like Song Wan, who is a first-class maid in the Lan courtyard, and knows these... …

Jiang Xingjian suddenly lost his appetite, he put down his chopsticks and took the clean towel from the maid beside him.

After wiping their hands, Green Bamboo and Vanilla came in with a rinse bowl.

After the two of them rinsed their mouths, Jiang Xingjian went to the Song Wanshu case, and casually flipped through the accounts in the mansion. There were about thirty or forty volumes in all sub-categories. The more he looked at it, the more he frowned.

Song Wandao: "Since Lord Hou and her husband left, the Hou's mansion has been in disrepair. Now six years have passed and there have been many affairs in the mansion. The expenditure has not decreased compared to before, but the income has been reduced by more than half."

"and……"

Song Wan paused, and took out a red leather account book from under the desk and handed it to Jiang Xingjian.

"Since Concubine Jiang entered the palace, the up and down management of the palace has also been a huge amount. Now the Houfu's shelf is still there, but it is not easy to support inside."

The eldest daughter of the Jiang family, Jiang Man, entered the palace as a concubine seven years ago. When Jiang Xingjian left the capital, she was pregnant with a dragon son. In the past few years, the money spent on concubine Jiang's inner palace and the funeral of Lord Hou was already enough. Empty most of the Hou's mansion.

It's just that the Hou Mansion has accumulated some accumulation. Although it can't be compared with the heyday, it is still passable according to other official families.

But it can only be said.

There are more than a thousand masters and servants in the Hou Mansion, just the usual eating and drinking is amazing, not to mention there are two people in the palace who are not to be neglected.

During the New Year's Eve, when people need to pay for filial piety, the money is like flowing water. If this appearance lasts for another three to five years, I am afraid that even the honor that is barely supported now will not be able to maintain it.

Song Wan guessed that the Hou Mansion would be difficult, but did not expect it to be so difficult.

Jiang Xingjian said: "How can Zhuangzi's income in the mansion decrease so much in recent years?"

"The most promising Zhuangzi, Tong Tiandi, has been in charge of the eunuch Duan Eunuch in charge of the supervisor of ceremonies a few years ago."

Song Wan said it a bit awkwardly.

Speaking of the relationship between the Chengyang Marquis Mansion and the Song Mansion, the past few years have been a bit delicate. Her aunt is now Concubine Yun, who is favored by the emperor.However, Jiang Xingjian's sister-in-law was pregnant with the fifth prince one year after she entered the palace. After the news of the murder of Lord Hou and Jiang Xingjian at the border came back to Beijing, the Holy Majesty promoted Jiang Man from Jieyu to Jiang Man in order to make up for the Chengyang Hou Mansion. concubine.

In the early years, the national power was weak, and the Holy One appointed the second prince with the worst background as the prince, and sent him to a neighboring country as a hostage before he was five years old. After 12 years of proton career, when he returned to the court, there was only a half-dead body left. It has been eight years since the East Palace, if it wasn't for depriving him of the crown prince at this time, he would be cast aside by the world, and the Holy One would have relegated him to the rank of a commoner long ago.

The eldest prince is the empress's heir. If there is no proton, he must be the crown prince. Originally, as long as he survives the prince's illness, he can sit firmly as the great treasure. However, the eldest prince is too miserable to be a heavy responsibility.

The third prince was born of her aunt, just after her ninth birthday, the fourth prince died early, the Song family...

Song Wan lowered his eyes, and paused slightly as he flipped through the account book.

Since ancient times, money has moved people's hearts, not to mention supreme power. She did not believe that the Song family had no idea about that position, and from her elder brother's name, she could tell that her father was quite ambitious.

Song Wan glanced at Jiang Xingjian, and the two avoided each other's sight together.

After a while, Jiang Xingjian said: "I know you are used to peace and quiet, and you can't bear to take care of these trivial matters, but the affairs of the government always bother you."

"As for the communication outside... Now that I have returned home safely, there is no reason to continue to bother you with foreign affairs."

Song Wan said: "Thank you husband for your understanding."

After finding several red leather account books one by one, Song Wan sorted them out and handed them over to Jiang Xingjian.

The so-called foreign affairs are only related to Concubine Jiang and Fifth Prince Shen Qianshu, and she is happy to do it.

The two were speechless for a moment, but Heng Wu walked in with anger in his eyes: "Master, Aunt Lin from Xiuyan Pavilion has something to ask for you, and she has sent her maid to remind you three or five times. I guess there is something urgent."

Jiang Xingjian frowned when he heard the words, and he was a little embarrassed to come down from the stage. The people in the room acted like nothing, so he had a dull face after all.

"Go back to Aunt Lin and tell me that I have something important to discuss with my wife."

Heng Wufu bowed and walked out with his sleeves flicked.

"Since I mentioned Aunt Lin, I have something to say to my husband."

Song Wandao: "The concubine's house in the mansion has one or two cases of silver every month. Two maids are in charge of personal clothes, hairpins and other maids, and four maids sweep and wash women. Huai Su can enjoy this case, and Miss Lin will be downgraded according to the rank. Husband Do you have any objections?"

"..."

If Lin Jiayue hadn't crossed the border to look for him in the main room again and again, he might have said a few words, but now Jiang Xingjian would be ashamed if he asked Jiang Xingjian to speak.

"The madam follows the routine of the mansion, so naturally there is no objection as a husband."

Song Wandao: "Although Lan Courtyard is still empty, it has been closed for six years and has to be repaired before people can live in it. Huai Su's status is different from before, and he can no longer stay in the servant's room with the maids, so during this period of time I arranged for Huai Su to live in the Xiuyan Pavilion, what does your husband think?"

"So inappropriate."

"Then I will hand over Longxiangzhai to Huai Su."

"It's even more inappropriate."

Jiang Xingjian frowned.

Song Wan married into the Hou's mansion and lived as a widow for six years with her spiritual position, and everyone in Beijing knew about it.It is extremely disgraceful for him to bring Jiayue back to Beijing, it is no different from embarrassing the Song Mansion Mingming.

Now if she is asked to give up the former widow's place to other concubines, even if it is for the sake of the Song family's face, the Holy Majesty will be held accountable after returning from summer vacation.

And he himself can't bear the reputation of being a doting concubine and destroying his wife, a lizard and lecherous.

"At your disposal."

After Jiang Xingjian finished speaking, he got up and left.

Song Wan is so intelligent, she will never let go of her figure to care about Jiayue, as long as she puts the face of Hou Mansion and Song Mansion, as well as his reputation in front of the stage, he will give up Lin Jiayue and leave.

Just saying that there is a couple for a lifetime, she backhanded the position of a lowly concubine on Jia Yue's head, and then sent Huai Su to Xiuyan Pavilion, so that Song Wan could easily separate the two of them without using any means.

She has been intelligent since she was a child, and she is also skilled in beating snakes seven inches, so she is like a fish in water when dealing with inner house affairs.

Jiang Xingjian smiled helplessly, but quickly suppressed the smile.