Chapter 694 - Chapter 694: Effectiveness
Chapter 694: Effectiveness
Editor: Atlas Studios
Instead of agreeing immediately, Mu Yangling only asked Zhu Liang to leave first before going to look for Qi Haoran. “I was the one who ordered Little Bear’s supper menu. Why did you tie up everyone in the kitchen?”
Mu Yangling didn’t believe that Qi Haoran’s subordinates wouldn’t explain the whole story when he dealt with the kitchen workers. There must be a reason why Qi Haoran still dealt with the matter in such a manner after knowing the whole story.
Like a master waiting to be served, Qi Haoran sat on the chair and said, “You can plead with me.”
“…” Mu Yangling said, “So you specially did this to ask me to plead on their behalf? Why?”
There were only the three of them in the residence. With her authority there and no one neglecting her, there was no need for Qi Haoran to help her save face.
Qi Haoran snorted. “Anyway, just plead with me.”
Nah, he wouldn’t tell Mu Yangling that this was an idea that came to him after he threw a tantrum. That he simply wanted to be so willful and give Mu Yangling face.
Mu Yangling stared at him carefully. Seeing that he was being serious, she immediately felt a little helpless. Nodding, she said, “Alright, I’ll plead with you.”
Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, “On account of your sincerity, I’ll let them off.” Qi Haoran’s eyes were slightly cold as he said, “However, although there’s no need to sell them, we can’t let this matter go just like that. The chefs in the kitchen will have their monthly allowance deducted for three months. They’ve all been taught the rules by the senior palace maids. Even if it didn’t occur to the masters, they should have been more considerate. Don’t tell me they dare to perfunctorily offer me a bowl of noodles when I say I want to eat supper?”
“What’s wrong with a bowl of noodles? Aside from being simmered with fresh chicken soup, it’s served with vegetables and eggs. What’s wrong with it?” Mu Yangling said unhappily, “If we really do as you say and serve three dishes and a soup, will Little Bear be able to finish it? Not only is it a waste, but it’s also not as nutritious as that bowl of noodles.”
“When you suggested making noodles for Little Bear, did the people in the kitchen suggest other menus? I don’t believe that there isn’t a better menu in the kitchen. They just think that you’re easy to bully. Hmph, wasteful? As a dignified Prince, why would I be afraid of wasting a few dishes? Considering there are only three masters in the residence, how much can we eat? I see that Zhu Liang is also confused. How dare the people under him fool you like this?”
In short, Mu Yangling’s requirement for the servants was only that they should do their jobs well and carry out her orders.
On the other hand, Qi Haoran’s requirements were even higher. To him, his servants had to be considerate of their master. If their master thought of something, they had to carry out his orders immediately. And even if something hadn’t occurred to their master, they had to remind him.
Fei Bai and Yanmo were examples.
Fei Bai and Yanmo could handle the matter between him and Fan Zijin very well. Even in areas where Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin failed to thoroughly consider, they could always take care of it effectively.
However, Qi Haoran had clearly forgotten that like a talented general, such a servant was difficult to come by. It was impossible for all the servants in the Prince’s estate to be like Fei Bai and Yanmo.
As soon as Qi Haoran’s punishment was announced, none of the servants in the residence dared to complain. Instead, his prestige rose to another level, and everyone was even more respectful of Mu Yangling.
To begin with, there was only one mistress in the Prince’s estate, and everyone knew how much the Prince doted on the Princess Consort. In addition, Mu Yangling had her own means and prestige, so everyone had always been in awe of her.
Easy to get along with, Mu Yangling never hit or scolded the servants. Hence, the atmosphere in the residence had always been light-hearted. Qi Haoran’s sudden action made the atmosphere in the residence instantly turn solemn. The servants were even more careful when they walked. After returning to the capital, the other families who occasionally visited the Qi Residence saw this situation, and they respected Mu Yangling even more. They’d originally thought that she was from the countryside, but they did not expect her to be so capable. Of course, this was a matter for the future.
Now, when Mu Yangling was enjoying the benefits directly—she only needed to say a word and her subordinates would quickly get things done.
For example, she simply mentioned that there were children and pregnant women on the road, and didn’t know what medicinal herbs to bring as a precaution.
Immediately, someone went to Imperial Physician Wang and asked him about the common illnesses and herbs needed to travel during this season. In less than two hours, a list containing everything from ordinary herbs to precious herbs was placed in front of Mu Yangling. Moreover, it also stated for what illnesses and conditions would those herbs come in handy.
As soon as Mu Yangling handed the list to the servants, they opened up the storeroom and selected the herbs needed. If any of those herbs couldn’t be found in the residence, they would quickly go out to buy them. The prices were fair, and the quality of the herbs was high.
What usually took three days to settle was now accomplished in a day.
Another example was when she mentioned that it was best for Little Madam Xia to eat fresh ingredients on the road and not use dry rations like before.
In the blink of an eye, the servants packed up a cart of ingredients and cooking utensils. Zhu Liang even spent the entire night planning their itinerary. He tried his best to find them an inn and relay station every time they stopped for a rest. Otherwise, it would be stopping for a rest in some village. This way, the servants could also take the chance to procure fresh ingredients. In addition, the quality of the accommodations were upgraded by several levels.
At night, when Mu Yangling saw Qi Haoran running back with his son on his back and sweating profusely, she hugged his head and planted a big kiss on his face. Instantly blushing, Qi Haoran carefully glanced at his son and saw that Little Bear was looking at them innocently with his round eyes. He immediately sat upright and glared at Mu Yangling.
Little Bear looked at his mother, then at his father. Then, he climbed onto his father’s knee, hugged his face, and kissed him too.
Qi Haoran looked helpless. “It’s all your fault for leading the child astray.”
Mu Yangling laughed out loud.
“Why are you so happy?” After being married for so many years, Ah Ling rarely took the initiative.
Mu Yangling told him about the changes in the residence and said, “I didn’t expect the efficiency of the residence to increase so much after you lost your temper. Now that everything has been taken care of, we still have a few days of free time. Why don’t we go out and play after we pack up?”
“That’s all because you were too easy on them in the past. There’s no need to go out and play. Pack your things and set off. Let’s leave early so that we can have more time to relax on the road and you can take care of Little Madam Xia.”
Mu Yangling thought for a moment and said, “This way, we can set off in three days.”
It wasn’t easy for the couple to reunite, but they had to separate again. Although they would be able to see each other again in a month or so, Mu Yangling was still a little unhappy. Qi Haoran’s mood also wasn’t as good as before, but at night, he pressed Mu Yangling down and said, “Let’s hurry up. I might be able to get you pregnant before we part for now.”
Just like that, all of Mu Yangling’s sadness disappeared.
While the couple had been working hard to make babies for the past three days, Qi Haoran still had to put in effort to make his presence known in front of Little Bear so that the kid would not be unfamiliar with him again in the future.
Under the couple’s active efforts, Mu Yangling instructed the servants to pack up the things needed by the two families. Soon, it was time to set off, and it was six days earlier than they had expected.
Because Qi Haoran and Fan Zijin still had to set up the border and make some arrangements, the duo had to set off more than ten days later. However, the few of them had estimated the time their journey would take. Even if they set off late, they could catch up to Mu Yangling before the convoy arrived in the capital.