Gu Li, not considering himself a man of great talent, was greatly shocked to be suddenly appointed the chief examiner. He treated Gu Rong to a meal, and the brothers discussed the matter in the study for a long time. The Emperor favoring the Gu family was equivalent to favoring Prince Rui, and no matter what, he had to handle this task well.
As for using the opportunity to make money, he hadn't even thought about it.
The consequences of the previous imperial examination fraud case, and the fate of Scholar Luan, were still a stark warning.
But just because they wouldn't take bribes didn't mean others wouldn't frame them. Although they were a bit complacent, the brothers had been in officialdom for over twenty years and saw things quite clearly. To ensure foolproof success, Gu Li ultimately sought out Situ Yan, asking him to help out and ensure no one could exploit any loopholes.
Situ Yan, seeing this as a matter of shared glory, readily agreed.
Thus, Meng Changdong had another task on his plate.
Amidst the busyness, the imperial examination was successfully held, and over four thousand papers were sealed and stored in the Hanlin Academy. After the names were removed and student information was anonymized, Gu Li began leading the other examiners in grading the papers. This was a closed-door process, lasting over ten days.
By the time the results were posted, the Lunar New Year was fast approaching.
This year, the weather was favorable, with good winds and timely rains. Although there was a war on the border, without natural disasters, the common people could still manage. The streets, bustling with people buying New Year goods and shopping, were far livelier than the previous year. Wang Shocheng had successively opened several Xiangdai Pavilion branches in Lincheng and expanded his wine production. This year's profits had more than quadrupled compared to the previous year. Lu Nianfu, looking at the account books, was quite pleased and generously increased everyone's year-end bonuses.
The household servants were so happy that they seemed to float when they walked, working even more diligently. Even their greetings to Situ Yan were more cheerful than usual: "Your servant pays respects to Your Highness."
Situ Yan glanced at them, nodded, and continued walking.
Xiao Wuzi, carrying a large chest, stopped: "Everyone is so joyous, with smiles reaching their ears. What happened, did you find loose change somewhere?"
"We found it from Madam. She just gave out the year-end bonuses. Manager Wu, Sister Mian'er must be counting money right now."
"Look at you all, eager for money."
"Heh heh, you're not eager because you have none to be eager for. Everyone knows Sister Mian'er manages all your money."
"You brat, are you looking for a beating?"
The brats were quick-witted and hurried to appease him: "Manager Wu, this box looks quite heavy. Let us help you carry it. Where should we put it?"
"This is a heavily guarded study, can you enter?"
"Then please go ahead, sir."
The young servants dispersed, and Xiao Wuzi quickly caught up to Situ Yan: "Your Highness, I saw Shopkeeper Wang enter the manor yesterday, and today bonuses were given out. It must mean the profits are good."
Situ Yan felt proud: "The Princess Consort has always been resourceful in making money. You can move the items to the study first. This King will go and see the Princess Consort."
"Yes."
Lu Nianfu was not in her room. Upon inquiry, she was found to be in the storeroom.
It was good that she was in the storeroom. Situ Yan touched his purse at his waist, turned, and went to the storeroom. As soon as he entered, he was almost blinded by the sight.
Crates of gold and silver were lined up, along with many jewels and precious items, filling the room with radiance. Just as the young servant had said, Mian'er was indeed counting money, and Qingya was counting with her.
Qingmiao, holding an account book, was recording nearby.
Situ Yan was quite surprised. It was the first time he knew his storeroom contained so many things. If he had replaced the wives and maids in the room with Song Ming or Meng Changdong, he would probably have thought he had stumbled into a bandit's storeroom.
"Wife, Madam, what are you doing?"
"Year-end accounting, and picking out the New Year gifts. Why are you back so early today, Your Highness?"
"Father Emperor assigned me homework today and asked me to bring it back to the manor to do. Hearing you were in the storeroom, I came over."
"Then please sit for a while, I'll be done soon."
Situ Yan was still somewhat dazed, his eyes fixed on the money. He couldn't help but swallow: "Madam, this isn't all earned by you this year, is it?"
Lu Nianfu smiled: "What nonsense are you thinking? Do you think I rob people? Look at those few large chests. Under the ingots, there are marks from the Imperial Household Department. That is the reward silver Father Emperor gave you. The profits from the shops, Shocheng generally converts them into bank notes and keeps them at the money house."
Situ Yan's back suddenly straightened. Having a good father indeed made a difference. He no longer had to rely on his wife.
After they chatted for a while, Qingmiao and the other two finished their work. Lu Nianfu pulled Situ Yan out and watched the three maids lock the storeroom door. Situ Yan was somewhat uneasy: "So much money, can just a lock protect it?"
"This is a Luban lock, requiring at least two keys to open. Moreover, the storeroom is specially made, impervious to knives and weapons, water, and fire."
"How come I didn't know?"
"You were still in Hui Ge when this storeroom was built."
Joking aside, with so much money, how could she not store it safely?