Chapter 36: The Eldest Princess, Di Yuwei
Upon entering the Eastern Palace, he followed He Ningxin to the study, where the eldest princess, Di Yuwei, was seated at her desk reading.
He Ningxin stopped Zhang Qian outside, refusing to let her in. Zhang Qian was helpless; this was the princess’s domain, and she couldn’t make a fuss.
At this moment, Di Yuwei was not dressed in court attire but wore casual clothes adorned with ink-wash paintings, giving her the air of a hermit sage.
“Your humble servant, Long Cheng’en, greets Your Highness.”
Long Chen gave a slight bow.
Di Yuwei set her book aside, scrutinizing Long Chen before speaking. “Fourth Sister actually let you come?”
Her words were soft, but the implication was worth pondering. Everyone knew that Di Luoxi was fiercely possessive and regarded Long Chen as her private treasure. Di Yuwei had once tried to win Long Chen over, but had failed.
“I serve the court, Your Highness. The Fourth Princess, understanding the greater good, instructed me to assist you closely.”
“She probably told you not to betray her, didn’t she?”
Di Yuwei knew all too well what kind of person her sister was.
Long Chen was momentarily speechless, at a loss for a reply. Truly, they were sisters—so alike in their manner of speech.
“All right, time is short. Prepare to go to the Ministry of Revenue at once. Ningxin, is everyone ready?”
Di Yuwei had also gathered her own team, all experts in auditing and bookkeeping.
“They’re all waiting at the door,” He Ningxin replied.
Di Yuwei rose and walked towards her bedchamber, her maids following behind. At the door, He Ningxin instructed the palace maids to prepare the carriage.
Long Chen stood in the study, about to leave, when Di Yuwei called out to him.
“You, come in.”
He hesitated for a moment, then followed her into the bedchamber.
Di Yuwei walked behind the screen, where many garments hung on a rack. Two maids took down court robes for her. “Dress me. I trust Fourth Sister won’t mind?”
She extended her arms. The ink-wash robe slipped to the floor, revealing a tall, fair figure—slender, yet perfectly so, without a hint of frailty.
Di Yuwei glanced back at Long Chen, signaling him to assist her.
Long Chen inwardly cursed. After seeing Di Luoxi and the Empress, now it was Di Yuwei—was he destined to see all five members of their family in this state?
He approached and saw silk undergarments in the ink-wash style on the wardrobe—delicate, elegant pieces.
“Which would Your Highness like to wear today?”
This was his first time dressing Di Yuwei, and he wasn’t sure of her preferences.
“I’ve heard you have a fine eye for fashion. I’ll leave it to you.”
Di Yuwei had noticed that, after his time in the Western Palace, Long Chen’s style in clothing and hair had become quite distinctive. She was curious to see his taste.
Long Chen selected a simple silk undergarment, came to the front to help her into it, then moved behind to tie the ribbons. Indeed, he had gone to the front on purpose, to take in the view.
The longer he stayed in the harem, the bolder he became.
Once the undergarment was on, he chose matching ink-wash trousers and helped her dress. Finally, he selected court robes that complemented the ink-wash style.
When he was done, he said, “Perhaps Your Highness could try a new hairstyle—it would suit the ensemble.”
Seated at the dressing table, Di Yuwei let Long Chen quickly style her hair in a new fashion. Examining herself in the bronze mirror, she was quite satisfied. “No wonder Fourth Sister treasures you so.”
Leaving the bedchamber, Di Yuwei led the way, with Long Chen following. At the door, He Ningxin was waiting with more than a dozen men and women—skilled bookkeepers chosen from various offices.
“Greetings, Your Highness,” they greeted in unison.
Di Yuwei paid them no mind, stepping directly into the carriage and heading straight to the Ministry of Revenue.
Upon arrival, only Assistant Minister Chen Hanying and his officials were at the entrance to receive them.
“Your humble servant, Chen Hanying, Assistant Minister of Revenue, greets Your Highness.”
The officials bowed together.
“Where is Minister Jing?” He Ningxin demanded, displeased.
Though Jing Heng’s family wielded great power, Di Yuwei was the eldest princess, on imperial orders to audit the ministry’s accounts. As minister, Jing Heng should be present at the gate to receive her with his subordinates.
Di Yuwei gestured for her to let it go. Jing Heng was arrogant by nature; confronting him would only make things worse.
She stepped down from the carriage and led her team into the main hall. The records from the past ten years were stacked high, covering nearly half the room.
At the sight of so many ledgers, Di Yuwei’s heart sank. How were they to audit so much?
“Your Highness, these were brought over at the minister’s order. All the ministry’s accounts are here,” said Chen Hanying, bowing with a veneer of respect.
Chen Hanying was a member of the Jing family, protected by Jing Tianlie, so his deference was in form alone.
“I understand,” Di Yuwei replied coldly, then waved for Chen Hanying and his officials to leave.
As soon as they were gone, He Ningxin spoke. “Begin the audit. Report any irregularities to me.”
The team immediately set to work, poring over the ledgers.
Long Chen picked up a ledger as well. The bookkeeping method used was primitive and chaotic.
From morning till night, Di Yuwei and her group worked through the records, eating their meals in the ministry. Di Yuwei herself knew something of accounting, but these ledgers made her head ache.
“Your Highness, these records are a mess,” He Ningxin said, rubbing her temples.
Di Yuwei tossed a ledger aside in frustration. “With records this disordered, how can we possibly audit them?”
The team looked equally overwhelmed—the accounts were simply too numerous and too chaotic.
“Your Highness, it would take at least half a year to straighten all this out,” an old bookkeeper said.
Half a year—by then, any urgency would be meaningless.
But Long Chen was engrossed, occasionally jotting things down as he worked.
Di Yuwei stood and walked behind him, noticing he was writing strange symbols in a ledger: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
“What kind of script is this? Barbarian characters? Pirate code?” He Ningxin was baffled by the Arabic numerals.
Long Chen ignored her, continuing to reorganize the old records into new ones, separating each part.
After finishing several ledgers, he stood and addressed Di Yuwei. “Your Highness, I have a new bookkeeping method. If everyone here learns it, we can organize all the ministry’s accounts.”
He meant well, but his suggestion was met with ridicule.
“I’ve kept accounts for over forty years. Are you saying I don’t know how?” one scoffed.
“I’m too old to learn new tricks. If you think I can’t do it, Your Highness should find someone else,” another said.
“My eyesight’s failing. If you think we’re unqualified, then dismiss us,” chimed a third.
In short, they felt confident in their abilities and resented Long Chen’s interference.
Di Yuwei saw their reluctance. “Isn’t bookkeeping just one method? What new way could there be?”
Long Chen understood their skepticism. “My method is called double-entry bookkeeping. Let me demonstrate. If you find it useful, learn it; if not, forget it.”
With that, he picked up a ledger and began to demonstrate the double-entry system.