Tianliangyuan

Chapter 307 The General Accountant

The woman Xie Yun had just pointed out to her was Pang, the granddaughter-in-law of the clan chief, who was notoriously unruly and willful.

Pang's family background was not bad; her grandfather and father were both officials. Although their official positions were not high, they were still better than her father-in-law's.

Moreover, Pang was the only daughter in her family, with only brothers, so she was pampered in her maternal home from a young age and was the kind of person who would give her anything she wanted.

Later, after marrying into the Xie family, she did not have a good relationship with her sisters-in-law, mainly because she thought too highly of herself.

In fact, her background was indeed the best among her sisters-in-law. After all, coming from an official family was a huge advantage compared to those gentry and merchants.

Xu Zhaozhao only glanced at her once and then paid no more attention to her. Instead, she noticed a woman with delicate features and a very generous and proper demeanor.

Xie Yun then introduced, "That is Zhou, the eldest sister-in-law of the Pang family. She is the eldest grandson's wife of the clan chief. If nothing unexpected happens, her husband will be the clan chief of the Xie family's direct line in the future."

Xu Zhaozhao nodded. In ancient times, ancestral halls and clans were highly valued, so the clan head had considerable power and prestige.

Even the royal family is the same.

Even though Emperor Yong'an was the emperor, he still had to listen to the opinions of the Imperial Clan Court on some matters concerning his relatives. He could not act arbitrarily, otherwise it would cause dissatisfaction among the entire imperial family.

Xu Zhaozhao asked Xie Yun to talk more about Zhou Shi, because she found the person pleasing to the eye.

Zhou's eyes were upright and clear, without much shrewdness or calculation. As the matriarch of the clan, she was quite qualified in this regard.

"Zhou's father was a scholar, and her grandfather was an official, but not a high one. Her grandfather has long since retired from the court, but I heard that one of her brothers is quite good. He was recommended to enter officialdom and is now the assistant county magistrate of Yunyang County. Zhou's husband, Xie Lin, is also a scholar and is now a teacher at the clan school."

Yunyang County?

A hint of amusement crept into Xu Zhaozhao's eyes.

That's the ancestral home of the Jia family.

Now that Sun Qian has returned with the divorce papers, the entire Jia family in Yunyang County has been arrested. It is said that several of the Jia family's masters have been sentenced to beheading, and the rest, even if they don't die, will probably never be able to return to Yunyang in their lifetime.

County Magistrate Zhou?

Xu Zhaozhao felt that if she had the chance, she should meet this person.

But no rush, take your time.

Pang was indeed adept at social interaction. Watching her flit through the crowd like a beautiful butterfly, sometimes making the elders on the old lady's side laugh heartily, and sometimes teasing the girls of her peers, it was clear that she was a charming and shrewd person.

The only flaw of this type of person might be that they are too assertive or too shrewd.

Xu Zhaozhao didn't intend to do anything; she simply wanted to meet these relatives and get to know them so that she wouldn't be a laughingstock if they didn't recognize each other in the future.

Xu Zhaozhao had also greeted both Pang and Zhou. Although Pang was somewhat domineering, she still knew her place and dared not be arrogant in front of Xu Zhaozhao.

Pang's maternal family was the source of her confidence in doing things.

Therefore, Xu Zhaozhao instructed Dingxiang to investigate the Pang family. If they could be used, there was no need to waste them; if they could not be used, then some troublemakers should be eliminated as soon as possible.

After the banquet, Xu Zhaozhao was also quite tired.

Just the simple task of greeting people and recognizing their true nature is enough to give her a headache.

"Your Majesty, the stewards outside have arrived. Where would you like to meet them?"

"It's in the pavilion up ahead, isn't it? Aren't there bamboo curtains hanging up there?"

"Your Majesty, bamboo curtains have been hung in the pavilion, but it is still a bit chilly. Shall we go to the front hall?"

"Alright, then let's go to the front hall to see them."

The managers who came this time are basically all present.

Zhu Zi, Xu Degui, Zhang Niangzi, Wei Niangzi, Yan Shu, Gao Da Kui, and others were all here.

Xu Zhaozhao listened to them report on the situation in their respective jurisdictions, and then asked them to talk about their plans for the coming year.

Zhu Zi is only called Zhu Zi by Xu Zhaozhao. Outside, he is the famous Manager Xu. Who would dare to look down on him?

Even Xu Zhuzi's sister is now living a good life because of him, which shows how capable Zhuzi is now.

"Uncle Yan, you'll have to put in a lot of effort in Lantian County. Also, since this is my fiefdom, those able-bodied men should be trained when they're not working, and they shouldn't just bury themselves in farming."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Uncle Gao, Changsheng and Shouxin have both made progress. I'm thinking of keeping them in Lantian County for the time being next year. What do you think?"

"I will obey my master's orders."

"That's good. Xu Degui, you should keep an eye on the Hundred Fruit Garden. With the weather getting colder, make sure to prepare all kinds of supplies in advance. Also, make sure to arrange more people to patrol and don't slack off."

"Yes, master."

Xu Zhaozhao called them over with the intention of having them do their jobs properly. Although she was married, those businesses still belonged to her and would not be subject to the control or encroachment of the Xie family. This was also to reassure the people under her command.

Sure enough, the managers visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that nothing had changed.

I'm afraid that once my mistress gets married, her in-laws will interfere again.

Such things are commonplace, whether among wealthy families or ordinary people.

For example, when Xu Lin married into the Sun family, didn't she encounter such a situation?

Later, it was Xu Han who put pressure on him, and Sun Qingyang himself was also sensible enough to back down, so he took the initiative to withdraw.

There is still some prejudice against women in the world.

"I got married this year, which is a happy occasion, so at the end of the year, all the managers will be given an extra ten strings of cash, two bolts of cloth, and a packet of osmanthus black tea."

"Thank you, Master."

Xu Zhaozhao said calmly, "Uncle Gao, please remember this: everyone who works for me this year, regardless of age or gender, will receive a reward of one string of cash. As for the minor managers under you, each of you will receive an additional two strings of cash and a bolt of cloth."

"Thank you for the reward, Master!"

After giving a few more instructions, Xu Zhaozhao dismissed them, as there were accountants from various departments waiting for her to meet them.

Xu Chuan is now the head of these accountants; in Xu Zhaozhao's words, he's the chief financial officer.

Xu Zhaozhao had long intended to manage the stewards, managers, and accountants in different places separately.

One of the main purposes of doing this is to prevent some people from engaging in fraud and embezzling funds.

She has already started preparations for this this year, so starting next year, she plans to officially make Xu Chuan the chief accountant.

Xu Zhaozhao chose Xu Chuan for two reasons: first, because she was a relative, and second, because Xu Chuan was educated and knew what would happen if a servant betrayed his master in a high-ranking family.

Therefore, in Xu Zhaozhao's view, Xu Chuan is the most suitable candidate.

The chief accountant has the authority to audit the accounts of all the businesses.