The bronze crane incense burner in the main hall of the Marquis's Mansion emitted agarwood, but it could not mask the whispered murmurs rippling through the crowd. Jiang Wan stood on the steps, gazing out at the more than one hundred servants and collateral relatives of the Marquis's Mansion assembled below. Morning light filtered through the sixteen carved wooden doors, weaving shard-gold patterns across her moon-white ru-skirt. Second Mistress stood in a corner leaning on her walking stick, her gaze fixed with venomous hostility on the jade bracelet at Jiang Wan's waist—a betrothal gift sent from the Lu Mansion.
"I have called you all here today," Jiang Wan began, her voice as clear as morning dew, "to clear up the recent rumors concerning me." She raised a hand to signal Xiaotao to step forward holding an account book, its yellow silk cover bearing the striking characters "Marquis's Mansion Household Affairs." "Some have said I rely on the Lu family to back me and suppress the collateral branches, yet I have begun auditing the accounts of the Marquis's Mansion for the past three months at the hour of mao every single day."
A low gasp of astonishment rose from the crowd. Third Young Master Jiang Mingxuan took half a step forward, the West City Gruel Kitchen records protruding from his sleeve matching Jiang Wan's ledger item by item. Cook Sister Wang suddenly spoke up, "My lady personally inspected the ingredients last month, discovered someone was embezzling the servants'…
Chapter 209