After speaking, Housekeeper Han glanced at Housekeeper Cao, who squinted his eyes slightly, enjoying sipping a small teapot as if he hadn’t heard anything.
Housekeeper Han also glanced at Sun Accountant.
Sun Accountant was clearly taken aback, and his previous dismissive expression faded as he asked, "What’s this? Does Madam want to see the external court’s account books too?"
Hong Ye nodded, "Yes."
Sun Accountant looked at Gu Shiliu and asked, "Is this also what the Marquis wants?"
Gu Shiliu smiled and said, "Naturally, the Marquis mentioned long ago to let Madam help with looking over the external court’s account books. The Marquis has been fighting outside all this time and hasn’t managed the external courtyard for days since returning. Now that Madam is overseeing both the inner and external courtyards, isn’t it just perfect?"
Sun Accountant leaned back dispiritedly against the chair back, looking rather displeased.
Hong Ye asked, "Sun Accountant, is there something amiss?"
Sun Accountant: "..."
The girl beside Madam is really troublesome. If the Marquis wants Madam to see the account books, what could he possibly say is inappropriate?
Before Sun Accountant could speak, Hong Mian, standing by, playfully waved the handkerchief in her hand and said, "Sister Hong Ye, Sun Accountant looks so displeased. Could there be something wrong with the account books?"
Housekeeper Cao immediately set down his small teapot, laughing, "Hong Mian, why speak like that? There haven’t been any checks on the account books for years, so it’s natural for Sun Accountant to be shocked."
Hong Mian restrained her laughter and said, "Housekeeper Cao is right. I was overthinking. I thought Sun Accountant didn’t speak because he didn’t want Madam to look at the account books."
Gu Shiliu asked, "Why do you say so?"
Hong Mian said, "It’s because Sun Accountant always mentions Sixth Madam agreeing, so I thought maybe Sun Accountant would say that without Sixth Madam’s consent, Madam couldn’t see the account books."
Housekeeper Cao: "..."
This Hong Mian is not only bold but also holds grudges.
Sun Accountant was shocked and angry, scolding, "You little maid, with your sharp tongue! I was merely acting impartially, and you hold it against me. When Sixth Madam was in charge of the inner house, what was wrong with me saying so? I’ve managed the accounts for years; even if there’s no merit, there’s hard work. How can you casually slander me?"
Hong Mian apologized insincerely, "I already said I was overthinking, didn’t I? Since Sun Accountant didn’t mean that, how about quickly handing over the account books? Once we finish checking them, we can return for lunch."
Sun Accountant angrily said, "There are too many account books; I fear they can’t be brought out just like that."
Housekeeper Cao looked at Sun Accountant’s face, sighed quietly inside, and said, "How about bringing just a few first?"
Hong Ye picked up the suggestion, "Housekeeper Cao is right, just bring the account books from the past three to four years first."
"Three to four years?"
Housekeeper Cao asked in surprise, "Isn’t that too many?"
Hong Ye gestured to the two stacks of account books on Sun Accountant’s table, "Once these are fully checked, surely the external court’s account books can be as well."
Sun Accountant’s face again showed a dismissive expression, making Hong Mian’s throat a bit itchy.
Housekeeper Han, who hadn’t spoken, said, "Then give them the three to four years; write a note, sign, and seal it. Once Madam finishes, we can exchange it for new ones."
Sun Accountant called a few small accountants over to first move the account books from the past three years, handing them to Hong Ye, and then checked whether Hong Ye’s submitted account books had any alterations or damages.
As for Gu Shiliu, Housekeeper Cao, and Housekeeper Han, they were all present to witness this.
After the difficult handover, Hong Ye and Sun Accountant recorded everything in the presence of everyone. Two nannies packaged the account books in boxes and were about to leave when Sun Accountant stopped them again.
"Pardon my bluntness, the account books for the external court differ in many ways from those of the inner court. If anything is unclear, please, Miss Hong Ye, refrain from rushing to conclusions and consult me for verification."
Both Housekeeper Cao and Housekeeper Han remained silent.
Hong Ye smiled and said, "Of course, Madam instructed us to note down any unclear points or discrepancies accurately, ensuring everything corresponds properly."
Housekeeper Cao smiled and said, "Madam’s instructions are indeed wise. It’s getting late, Miss Hong Ye, hurry back, so you can join Madam for her meal."
Only then did Hong Ye leave.
After passing through the second gate, Hong Mian said, "Wasn’t Sun Accountant’s suggestion that he feared we might wrongly accuse him if we don’t understand?"
Hong Ye replied, "That’s roughly what he meant. Understanding the inner court’s books doesn’t guarantee understanding the external court’s books. Misinterpretation could indeed lead to wrongly accusing him."
Hong Mian hurriedly asked, "Then, does Sister Hong Ye know how to read the external court’s account books?"
Hong Ye said, "I’m not sure myself. I’ll have to see them first to know if I can understand them. There wasn’t time today to look at the details when picking the account books."