Chapter 45: Establishing Authority

Note: if you want us to continue translate this story and to get access to +20 advance Chapters I hope to support us on Patreon.com/flokixy without your support we can't continue ???? The commotion in the front hall quickly drew the housekeeper's attention. "Miss, what's going on here?" Su Li was seated in a chair, reading a book while having tea and snacks. After sipping her tea, she finally spoke, "Xu Bo, you stand aside for now." The housekeeper had heard about the situation in the main courtyard. The young lady had ordered the flowers to be cleared earlier, and now she was calling for a gardener, which meant something was wrong. Soon, Si Qin came in, announcing, "Miss, the gardener is here." "Wang Tong pays his respects to the young lady. I wonder what the young lady wants with me?" Su Li sat upright, looking at Wang Tong with a cold expression. "How long have you been working at the Shangshu Mansion?" Wang Tong replied confidently, "Replying to the young lady, I have worked as a gardener here for almost seven or eight years." Su Li raised an eyebrow. "So you’re an old servant. Who else is in your family?" "I have an elderly mother," Wang Tong answered. Su Li asked a few ordinary questions, and Wang Tong, initially nervous, gradually began to relax. Suddenly, Su Li’s gaze turned sharp, and she coldly asked, "Did you place those Lingxue flowers in the main courtyard?" Wang Tong appeared confused. "Yes, I did. The madam loves bright flowers, so I arranged them according to her preferences." Su Li said, "Do you know that Lingxue flowers are harmful to women who have just conceived?" Wang Tong’s face went pale, and he cried out in innocence, "Young lady, I didn’t know! This morning when I went to the flower market, I found that only Lingxue flowers were in full bloom, and no other flowers were available, so..." Su Li studied his expression carefully, wondering if he was too good at pretending or if he was really innocent. His demeanor didn’t appear to be fake. "You say the flower market only had this flower today? That’s odd." Wang Tong hurriedly responded, "I thought it was strange too. The shopkeeper said the other flowers would arrive later, so I didn’t think much of it and bought a lot of Lingxue flowers since they were in such good condition." Su Li asked him a few more questions, but no matter how she probed, she couldn't find any useful information. Su Li motioned for a few servants to step forward. "Lock him up for now. We'll deal with him once we get to the bottom of things." "Yes, young lady." Wang Tong cried out, "Young lady, I swear I’m innocent! Young lady..." As Wang Tong was dragged away, the housekeeper stepped forward. "Young lady, someone tampered with the madam’s courtyard? This is my negligence, and I’ll investigate it immediately. I’ll make sure to give the madam an explanation!" Su Li glanced at the housekeeper. He had served the Shangshu Mansion for decades and was deeply loyal to her father. In her previous life, Xu Bo had died before her father, and he was so loyal that he would never betray him. Xi Yuan knew well how to deal with such subordinates. "Xu Bo, gather all the servants in the front hall. I have something to say." Xi Yuan was skilled at gaining people’s loyalty, and many of the servants in the mansion were her eyes and ears. This was a perfect opportunity to clean house. "Yes, young lady." Xu Bo immediately went off to call the servants. Soon, the servants arrived in the front hall, one by one. When they saw the young lady, none of them paid her much attention, chatting and laughing carelessly, their attitude indifferent. Si Qin stood behind Su Li with a serious expression, ready to step forward, but Su Li stopped her with a glance. Su Li lifted her head and looked at the crowd of servants. Some familiar faces, some unfamiliar. There were a few she clearly remembered—after her mother’s death in her previous life, these people had been transferred to Xia Yiniang's side. Su Li’s eyes turned cold. "Silence." Her voice was so soft that it was drowned out by the chatter. A few people heard her but pretended not to, their eyes full of contempt and mockery. Su Li threw the teacup on the ground and coldly said, "I said, silence." The courtyard immediately fell silent. But soon, someone voiced their displeasure, "Young lady, what do you want to say? If you have something to say, just say it. We have plenty of work to do!" "Exactly, we’re not so free." Su Li looked at the women who spoke—they were the ones who had been thriving in her previous life. Su Li smiled and said, "I apologize for holding you up with my words." Hearing her apology so quickly, many of the servants sneered. They thought that the young lady was still the timid person they remembered and that any change was just in their imagination. "You know yourself well, don’t you? Just get to the point." The woman’s arrogant tone was quickly interrupted by Xu Bo’s angry voice. "You insolent servant! How dare you speak to the young lady like that? Do you think you can stay in the Shangshu Mansion after this?!" Xu Bo had arrived too late and allowed the young lady to be humiliated. To speak to her like this in front of so many people... who knew how she had been insulted behind the scenes! The servant’s arrogance disappeared instantly, and she quickly apologized with a smile, "Please forgive me, Steward Xu. I was just anxious about the work I had in hand and feared the madam and master would blame me. That’s why I spoke without thinking." Xu Bo snorted and walked up to Su Li, cupping his hands. "Young lady, please give your orders. If anyone dares to speak out of turn again, I’ll deal with them without needing your command!" The last sentence was aimed at the whole crowd. The servants who had been looking smug immediately wiped the smirk off their faces and lowered their heads. Su Li smiled. "Thank you, Xu Bo." Su Li stood and walked forward, with Si Qin following closely behind. "You’re all curious why I called you here today, aren’t you?" "Something big has happened in the mansion today, and I think it’s time to clean up the ranks. Otherwise, some people will really think they can cover up their misdeeds and hold too much power!" "Some of you, because of a little favor or some empty promises, have forgotten who the real master of this mansion is. Who pays your salaries, and who holds your contracts?" These words made the servants who had been guilty lower their heads in guilt. Some looked confused. The usually quiet young lady was now so imposing that it was hard to breathe. The housekeeper looked at Su Li, his eyes filled with admiration. No wonder she was the daughter of the master and madam. She certainly carried herself with great authority. Su Li continued, "I won’t hold you accountable for the things you’ve done in the past, but those I’ve pointed out will pack their bags and leave the Shangshu Mansion." The servants who had been looking down raised their heads in protest. "Young lady, although you’re the master, we are your servants, and we have done no wrong. You can’t do this!" "Yes, young lady, if you do this, people will say you’re ungrateful and harsh!" "We’ve served the Shangshu Mansion for decades, and now that we’re old, the mansion just wants to throw us out. If we complain to the authorities, we’ll be in the right!" ... Facing their strong opposition, Su Li remained calm and collected. "Why are you all in such a hurry? Haven’t I yet called out the names of the people I’m dismissing? Are you all nervous because you know your actions are enough to get you kicked out?" The servants immediately fell silent. Their agitation had indeed given them away. Su Li smiled and extended her hand. When she pointed in a certain direction, they immediately lowered their heads. "You, you, you, and you, go stand to the left." The people she pointed at immediately fell to their knees, pleading. "Young lady, I didn’t betray you! Young lady, please see reason!" "Young lady, you must be mistaken. I’ve always been diligent and respectful in my duties." Su Li smiled. "Do as I say." Xu Bo had the servants pull those she pointed out to the side. Su Li pointed out a few more people. The servants in the courtyard were now split into two groups. Those who hadn’t been pointed out smiled with relief, thinking the young lady was still trying to protect Xia Yiniang’s people and wasn’t fully asserting her authority. Su Li looked at both groups, double-checked, and then said, "Alright, the rest of you, pack your things and leave." The smiles on the faces of those not called out immediately froze.