After passing through 105 holes, start managing the house
After dinner, she called over her own several dowry servants and smiled to ask: "Having been in the mansion for a few days, are you getting used to it?"
Linglong said, "It's okay, usually Auntie Zhou and Granny Hua teach us strictly, so it still works now. But the elderly in the mansion are really stubborn, always love to lecture us." There was a hint of resentment in her tone.
Linglong also followed with: "The sisters in the king's house have very tight mouths, and I haven't heard any useful news for several days. Moreover, they don't like to socialize." This made her feel quite disheartened. She thought that when she was at Fang Fu, although not everyone loved her, she was still quite popular. But after coming here, the servants in Longxianju rarely spoke to her. The little eunuchs and guards beside the king were quite casual, but the girls in this house were all very reserved.
Yuqin also expressed her own views, "The Wangfu is so big and has many twists and turns, I almost got lost several times. Fortunately, those guards are quite easy-going. It's just those old people, their airs are still very high."
The maid Lan Yin was also like that, but Zhou Mama had a different view. "The servants in the Wang mansion are still very strict with rules, it's just those female attendants who have a bit of an attitude. If the princess wants to control them in the future, she'll need to put in some effort." The female attendants in charge of tasks in the backyard were generally all confidantes of the mistress, and they all had some dignity, more or less. New brides who were softer would even be taken advantage of.
As she thought about how Mrs. He and Mrs. Lin had been treated when they first entered the household, and considering that the Wang household was even more strict, she mentally prepared herself. After asking a few more questions to clarify some details, she finally said: "You are all my dowry, and I will have to rely on you in the future. Let's divide up the tasks among us, shall we? Mother Zhou and Mother He only need to take care of my dowry and manage the maids below them. Mother Liu and Mother Chen must keep a close eye on the courtyard, and if there is any wind or rumors outside, they must immediately report back to me. Do you understand?" Mother Zhou had been by her side since she was young, Mother He was assigned to her by Mrs. He, Mother Chen belonged to the old lady, and Mother Liu was sent by Mrs. Li. Mother Liu was also a close confidant of Mrs. Li's, with the same surname as her husband, and was referred to as Big Mother Liu and Little Mother Liu.
"As for attending to me, the six of you will take turns keeping watch at night, with a shift change every four hours. You'll arrange the schedule among yourselves. As for outside the door, Xihe and Yuxia will be in one group, Xiqing and Yudong will be in another, also taking turns on duty. Make sure to keep a close eye on the other maids, no one is allowed to enter the main house without permission. And you two, Pinlan and Pinhe, are young and clever, so make sure to keep an eye on the doorhouse as well. Also, keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity around those aunties' maids, if anything out of the ordinary happens, report it to me immediately, understood?"
After assigning tasks, he thought about it again and felt that it was enough for the time being, so he went to bed after taking a bath.
During the day, I basically slept a lot, but now that I'm in bed, I suddenly can't sleep. My mind is racing back and forth, unable to fall asleep. Just as I was thinking about getting up to do some needlework, there were sudden knocks at the door and voices calling out, "Your Highness!"
As if possessed by a sudden spirit, she immediately burrowed into the bed and pretended to sleep. However, her ears perked up even more, and Yu Fu lifted the black agate lid, instantly filling the room with bright light, a night pearl the size of a fist emitting a brilliant glow like water flowing, illuminating the entire room. By her ear, she heard Li Xiao ordering Yu Fu to prepare hot water for him to bathe, followed by what seemed like his footsteps approaching the bedside. Ruo Qing's heart tightened, and she quickly closed her eyes.
Li Xiu lifted the thick bed curtains, and by the light of the lamp, he saw Yu Fu's hair, which was rolled up like a shrimp, emitting a faint blue glow. He had been enchanted by this waterfall-like black hair earlier, and just as he was about to reach out to touch it, he heard Yu Fu's voice, "Your Highness, the hot water is ready."
Li Xue withdrew his hand and went to take a bath. Suddenly, he felt tense, it seemed that tonight was indeed unavoidable.
The weather was cold, but the house was warm with a brazier and charcoal fire, making it feel like spring. However, Li Xu had washed up quickly and came out, covering the palm-sized night pearl on the table with its lid, and opening an ebony box on the bedside table, revealing a goose egg-sized pearl emitting a dim yellow glow. The room was filled with a warm, fuzzy light, which made the large red decorations even more romantic. But Li Xu didn't have time to appreciate it, as a large hand had already reached out from under the covers, its slightly cold touch making her shiver. She knew she couldn't escape tonight, so she pretended to wake up, rubbing her eyes sleepily and turning over to face him. "You're back?"
Li Xun swiftly got onto the bed, dove under the covers, and stretched out his arm. As soon as he did, he pulled her into his embrace, and his warm lips and tongue began to kiss her all over. She dodged and weaved, but this man really didn't care about being gentle, and the stubble on his chin scratched against her skin painfully. However, he continued to kiss her chest and neck without stopping. She was kissed until she felt dizzy, and she pushed him away, saying "Oh dear, I want to sleep now."
"Wait, sleep after we're done." The man's lips and tongue crawled up her neck again.
"But, but..."
Her buttocks were heavily patted, and her lips were also bitten. She felt pain and met Li Xiao's dissatisfied eyes, "Don't think I don't know, you've already cleaned up."
Although she knew she couldn't escape tonight, her emotions still made her want to struggle until the end. "Your Highness, I'm weak..."
Li Xue let out a burst of laughter, "This king's body is weak, last time was severely punished by the emperor, until now it has not fully recovered. Doesn't the queen feel any sympathy?"
How I wish to say, who told you to steal the bride?
Knowing that the formal ceremony of Zhou Gong would be held tonight, reminding him to put a white cloth on it, Li Xiao didn't care about these things anymore, panting heavily and saying: "Don't worry, I'll be your witness, who dares to question your chastity?"
"What if, what if..." As if with a sigh, "What to do without the fallen red?" A maiden doesn't necessarily have to have the fallen red, but in ancient times, they firmly believed that one must have the fallen red, otherwise it would be unchaste.
Li Xundun paused for a moment, his face flushed with a faint red glow, and his eyes shone with an suffocating green light. "I don't care." He wasn't a rigid person, having spent several years in the border town with his father, King Wang, where he had seen many innocent women who were ostracized for not having a red mark on their forehead and eventually drowned or hanged themselves, and he knew that a woman without a red mark didn't necessarily mean she was unchaste.
As soon as she put down her heart, she revealed her snow-white teeth and said, "I knew that the king's heart was the most broad-minded." Then she took the initiative to print a kiss on his lips.
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly hugged her tightly, his voice suppressed: "Little thing, this is what you asked for." Then countless dog kisses fell...
……
On the second day, at the usual time of three o'clock in the morning, Xiangxiang and Lanyin came to attend to her. They saw Ruoqing lying on the bed, struggling as if dying. The clothes she had worn to sleep the night before were now scattered all over the floor, while Ruoqing herself was naked under the covers, clutching at the bedding in agony. Thinking of the sounds they had heard the night before, Xiangxiang's face turned red with suppressed emotions. With great effort, she pulled Ruoqing out of bed, and indeed, Ruoqing's body was covered in bruises - her previously fair skin now had purple and blue marks all over, especially on her waist, buttocks, neck, chest, and other areas. Her legs were also a deep red. Xiangxiang's eyes widened in shock, her heart aching as if it would bleed.
How could she have known what was going on in the mind of the maid, who first scolded Li Xiao's ancestors for eighteen generations, and then scolded those who made rules that wives must greet their elders morning and evening. In her previous life, a colleague and roommate had mentioned to her the physiological structure of men. Men in their twenties were at an age where they were full of energy and had no resistance to desire, and it was not uncommon for them to do it several times in one night. At first, she didn't believe it, but now she really did. The man in front of her had indeed been abstinent for a long time, and he was still young, not yet thirty years old, which was also the age when men were full of energy. The first time was quick, the second time was vigorous, and the third time was unbearable. Although... she had enjoyed some of it, but the third time was more painful than enjoyable, damn it, it hurt so much, especially there, it hurt terribly.
Although, it's really not like the descriptions in books, with aching waists and backs, unable to get out of bed, and legs going soft when getting up from the toilet... but damn it, she didn't sleep well, and her whole body hurts...
With great difficulty, she got out of bed and struggled to get down on the ground. Her eyes, filled with a fierce glare, stared at the culprit who was being taken away to the bathroom. She couldn't help but grit her teeth again and again. This heaven-sent disaster had been more than enough excitement for last night, but it had seriously tormented her. She hadn't slept well all night, and places that shouldn't hurt were aching vaguely.
The first and second times were barely tolerable, but the third time was truly agonizing. She couldn't feel any pleasure at all, only a sense of having a wooden-toothed saw tearing her apart. Unfortunately, she had nowhere to escape, no strength to resist him, and begging for mercy didn't move him in the least. The more she struggled, the more excited he became. In the end, she could only endure it with all her might, not daring to cry out loud, fearing that the maid on night watch outside would see them. Good heavens, it was truly a torture beyond endurance.
Later, after finishing her business, she went to relieve herself and her private parts were also stimulated to ache secretly. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, the little universe finally erupted, got on the bed and beat the culprit, but in the end let him press down and wildly kiss her passionately.
After washing up, the fatigue on her body had dissipated a lot, but there was still a dull ache somewhere. Shen Xiang pitied her and carefully applied powder to the dark circles under her eyes. After busying herself for a while, she finally managed to tidy herself up and looked presentable. Only then did she take awkward eight-character steps to go pay respects to her parents-in-law.
……
As an experienced person, Queen Jeongtae would not have failed to notice what her daughter-in-law had done the night before. She silently observed the thick makeup that couldn't conceal her fatigue, and one could imagine how intense the battle was last night. However, she said nothing, contentedly enjoyed the service from Yujeong, and then let her withdraw.
After being liberated, she rushed to the direction of Pianlong Xianju like a madman. After eating breakfast, she must sleep enough, and no one can stop her.
Li Xiu knew that she was indeed tired last night, so when the aunts came to pay their respects, she had already waved her hand and let them retreat, making it convenient for Ru Qing to make up for her sleep. Unfortunately, after Ru Qing finished eating and just lay down on the bed, someone came to report that Princess Qing'an had arrived.
As if the sleepy and confused brain suddenly woke up, she thought that this Princess Qing'an was actually her younger sister who married into the Ningguo Gongfu. Although her younger sister was also from the Jingwang Fu, after marrying out, returning to her mother's home would make her a pampered guest, and as an elder sister, she had to treat her well and serve her carefully.
But, however, thinking of this princess's arrogant attitude, looking down on people with her nose in the air, especially daring to be rude to her in front of the empress dowager, he didn't want to get involved with this cold beauty.
Finally, she thought for a moment and declined, citing physical discomfort as an excuse.
He was also afraid that this young guest would take advantage of the situation and cause trouble, so he let Yingtou go and call Li Xiao to come and attend to this young lady.
Until noon, when she had finally mustered up the energy to get out of bed, while letting Lan Yin help her change clothes, she suddenly discovered that Chen Xiang was not by her side, and asked: "Where's Chen Xiang?"
Lan Yin fell silent for a moment before speaking: "The princess is not feeling well, and Xiang Xiang has gone to supervise the kitchen in making bird's nest congee for her."
Yu Qian said, "These are all trivial matters for the young maids to handle. Why should she, as a senior maid, personally take care of them? Later on, you tell her that her duties include attending to me and supervising the junior maids. Other matters can be handed over to the lower-ranking servants."
After waiting for a while, I still couldn't hear Lan Yin's voice. As if sensing my emotions, I raised my head to find Lan Yin with an angry face, seemingly having suffered some injustice. My brow furrowed as I asked: "What exactly happened?"
Lan Yin bit her lip and suddenly knelt down, "Princess Wang, Sheng Xiang sister, she didn't go to the kitchen, but was injured in the house."
Yu Qing was shocked and suddenly stood up, sternly saying: "What's going on? Tell me clearly once and for all." Who had the audacity to hit her dowry maid.
Lan Yin wiped away the tears on her face and said angrily, "It was that Princess Qing'an, the king's sister. Earlier, Chen Xiang told her that the queen was unwell and resting, and couldn't receive the princess for the time being. But this person kept talking nonsense, saying something about how as a younger sister she should go visit her elder sister who was ill. She tried to force her way in, but Chen Xiang wouldn't let her. This person got angry and said many unpleasant things, even trying to barge in herself to see the queen. Of course Chen Xiang wouldn't let her in, so this person ordered her servants to slap Chen Xiang's mouth, saying that a lowly servant like her dared to block her way."
With a sorrowful and ominous air, pacing back and forth in the room with bloodshot eyes "Where is Qing'an?"
Lan Yin wiped away her tears, "Later, the king who was rushed over scolded me for a while and had me escorted out of the mansion. The king was also very angry, he didn't touch Qing An princess, but he kicked that servant girl who dared to hit someone out with one kick, I reckon she must have broken her ribs." Lan Yin felt relieved on one hand, but also feared Li Xiao's temper, earlier Li Xiao's outburst was indeed frightening, saying: "When beating a dog, you should consider its master, daring to beat my servant is the same as slapping my face." As he spoke, he lifted his foot and kicked her, that servant girl was kicked so hard she flew three to five steps back, and fainted on the spot.
Ru Qing felt greatly relieved, although she hadn't been able to hit Princess Qing An, it was still a huge blow to her dignity. However, Ru Qing angrily said: "Something like this happened, why didn't you come tell me?" She didn't dare hit Princess Qing An, but she also had to scold her severely before she could calm down.
Lan Yin said in a low voice, "It's the prince who didn't let me tell you. He said the princess is tired and told you to sleep more." Seeing Ru Jing still looked furious, she hastily explained, "The prince has already sent someone with golden ointment for Xiangxiang to apply, I believe after a couple of days the swelling will subside."
As if she had been grinding her teeth for a while, she asked again: "Where is Wang Ye?" Wouldn't he have called the original consort over again?
"It seems like she has left the mansion."
As if lost in thought, she sat down and remained still for a long time. Suddenly, she stood up and walked straight towards the fragrant room.
Because she was the eldest maid, Chen Xiang and Zhou Mama also lived in the side house of Longxianju. Longxianju occupied a vast area, with more than ten side houses, each with its own separate room for the head maidservant. Under Lan Yin's guidance, they soon arrived at Chen Xiang's room.
Chen Xiang was lying on the bed when Ru Qing walked in, and he quickly covered his face. However, Ru Qing grabbed his hand first and examined it carefully, only to see that Chen Xiang's white cheeks had a purplish hue, with intersecting green palm prints that were heart-wrenching to look at. Ru Qing's anger surged, "Don't worry, I will definitely help you get revenge for this."
Xiang Xiang said with tears: "The king has already punished that servant girl who dared to raise her hand. The queen can rest assured and calm down."
Ru Qing sneered, "But the mastermind has not been punished yet." Ru Qing admitted that she was a die-hard protector of her own people and things. She cherished everything around her, let alone her maid. Whoever hurt them would be declaring war on her. She had to avenge Xiang Xiang's injustice, otherwise, the people in the Wang Fu would think they could bully her.
At this time, someone came to report, "Your Highness, Song's mother has already sent someone to bring the household registration book, please take a look."
In the morning when she went to pay her respects to her mother-in-law, the Empress handed her a task that was neither big nor small.
The queen's errand to Jingtao was to let the account house go to the money shop to withdraw some loose change and come back. The lower officials in the palace had to be rewarded, and the tenant farmers who managed the household also had to be rewarded. There were clear rules for how much to reward openly and how much secretly. Furthermore, many households sent gifts such as chicken, duck, fish, meat, rice, and other New Year's goods, which were received by the manager of the front courtyard and then arranged by Ruoqing.
The princess of Jing Tai Wang gave her all the registration books of slaves in the palace and the silver money books for each department, letting her think carefully.
The Empress Dowager Jing Tai did not hide her private matters and let her start learning from managing the maids, which made her feel grateful.
When a new official takes office, even if she doesn't make three fires, she still has to explore and figure things out for herself.
The Empress Dowager was quite pleased with Ruoxi, this daughter-in-law of hers. After handing over the registration book for the palace slaves to her, she smiled warmly and said: "This New Year's festival is indeed a troublesome affair. I had originally thought that we would wait until after the New Year to welcome you into our family, but Xiang'er, that child, was impatient and insisted on having the wedding before the New Year. In order to prepare for your marriage to Xiang'er, the entire palace has been working tirelessly. Now that the wedding is finally over, the accumulated tasks are as high as a mountain, and it's been chaotic lately. However, now that you've joined our family, you've solved my pressing problem. I heard earlier that you had helped your sister-in-law with household chores in your own home, so you're familiar with managing the household. But the palace is not an ordinary household, after all. With over a thousand people in the palace, it's hard for a newcomer like you to get a grasp of things. So take your time, and do things one by one. For now, let's focus on getting to know the various officials in the palace before making any further plans."
The meaning of the words of Queen Jing Tai is very simple, catch the thief first catch the king, such a big palace, if you manage one by one, wouldn't it be exhausting? So start with the management of each department, and once they are well managed, the people below will naturally obey.
After listening to her mother-in-law for a while, she couldn't help but deeply admire her. The empress was indeed a superb manager of a large enterprise.
After returning, she took a closer look at the registration book of the slaves in the mansion and took a deep breath. It was indeed a big family with over 1,200 slaves. There were more than 100 people in charge of major and minor matters, 26 major managers, and countless minor managers. As the princess, it was impossible for her to come into contact with these minor managers, so she might as well get close to these major managers first.
As if he had suddenly taken over as the general manager of the parent company from a small company's managerial position, it was indeed a bit overwhelming. Afraid of being looked down upon by his subordinates, he studied their family backgrounds, positions, personality traits, relationships with the queen, and the intricate relationships between their children in the palace, and the more he analyzed, the clearer his mind became.
The Jingwang Mansion was established only in the generation of Old Master Wang, so there were no family servants who had been through several generations. Except for the children of the Songjiang family, who held relatively fat positions in the mansion, the roots of the other daughters-in-law were still relatively shallow, and at least they would not be able to handle a situation that would affect the entire body with one move.
After sorting out the web of relationships among people, as if there was a number in her heart, she ordered several accompanying maids to memorize the names of these officials, their duties, and the duties of their children in the government...
Just after the honeymoon, Li Xu was summoned to the palace again by the emperor. When he returned, it was already late at night and saw his young wife still frowning under the lamp, looking at something. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised and asked: "Wife, you're also studying like a poor student, reading late into the night?"
She cast a sideways glance at him, scolding: "The prince loves to tease people, but the new bride has just entered the door and still needs to take care of household chores." She put aside the books on the shore table, stretched her waist lazily, and said weakly: "In the past, when I was in charge of the house at my mother's home, there were only about a hundred or so people. Now it's more than ten times that number, how can I manage?"
Li Xiu thought that she had just entered the door and was already in charge of these things, and she felt a bit unbearable. But she was the princess, and the miscellaneous affairs of the palace would eventually be handed over to her. Thinking that she was so young, yet shouldering such a heavy burden, she couldn't help but feel a little soft-hearted. She walked forward and took the wolf hair brush from her hand, "The boat will naturally go straight when it reaches the bridgehead. Anyway, you are the new daughter-in-law, and no one will blame you if you don't understand or can't handle it. You can learn slowly, and if you don't understand, you can ask the queen mother for advice. After all, the queen mother also went through this when she was your age."
She nodded in agreement, and her mother-in-law was not too bad to her, nor did she learn from other mothers-in-law who grasped power and didn't let go, but instead let her learn to manage things and take care of household chores. From this point of view, this mother-in-law is quite open-minded.
However, Wangfu is a large multinational listed company, and she is an inexperienced newcomer who has never seen the world and only knows how to talk on paper. Suddenly taking over, it's indeed a big burden, and even if you want to take a bite, you can only do it slowly.
After getting into bed, Li Xiu couldn't help but fondle his little wife again, but as he touched her, something didn't feel right. His little wife had actually fallen asleep and started snoring. No matter how he pushed or teased her, she slept soundly, oblivious to everything. Under the bright light of the night pearl on the bedside table, the dark shadows under her eyes were reflected, causing him heartache and guilt.
Staring at the sleeping face for a while, Li Xiu had already made up his mind. He reached out to flip over the cover, and the octagonal copper-inlaid ebony lid covered the night pearl's glow, making the room dimmer. He hugged the delicate body in his arms, and they both drifted off to sleep like a dream.
……
……
Li Xiu complained, "Empress Dowager is too anxious, you just entered the palace and she gave you such a heavy task." It ruined his chance to steal some romance.
Just like emotions, I feel that the task on my shoulders is really too heavy, but there's no way around it. If you don't do your job properly, then you can't enjoy the privileges of being a princess. Since I've already become a princess and enjoyed the glory of being one, I have to pay the price with hard work and dedication. It's only fair.
Went to Jing Tai Wangfei's place to pay respects, today Jing Tai Wangfei also got up early, just like usual, sitting in front of the mirror dressing up. Seeing Ruoxin, she smiled and said: "You came at the right time, wait a bit and follow me to Chao Yue Hall, all the big and small managers of the mansion have gathered there."
Ru Jing stood by, waiting for her to wash her face and rinse her mouth. Then she personally took the fox fur cloak handed over by Ya Tou and wrapped it around her shoulders. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law came to the front hall, Chao Yue Hall, surrounded by the servants.
The Chao Yue Hall is majestic, it's the main hall of the inner courtyard of the Wang Fu. It's not usually opened during normal times, only when there are major events or when receiving important guests. This time, the Jing Tai Wang Fei ordered the opening of the Chao Yue Hall and summoned all the servants in charge to gather together, which is also a sign of great importance given to Ru Qing, the new Wang Fei.
The main gate of the Chao Yue Hall has four vermilion-painted large doors, with east and west corner gates on both sides. Inside, it is all paved with large bluestone slabs, covered with thick carpets. At this time, the hall had already lit the wall furnace, and two rows of coral lamp stands each burned twelve candles as thick as an infant's arm, making the hall as bright as daylight.
As it happened, I had been to this place a few years ago, but at that time the queen was celebrating her birthday and the hall was crowded with people, so I didn't get a good look. Today, however, my status is different, so I took a closer look.
At this time, the eight windows were opened simultaneously. On both sides of the walls hung famous paintings by masters. In the middle of the wall hung a plaque bestowed by the current emperor. Below it was a folding screen that reached the floor. A bright purple sandalwood table sat on top of it. Next to the table stood two armchairs made of sandalwood, each with a cushion embroidered with golden thread and made of Xiang silk.
The Empress Dowager and Ruqing sat down separately. The maid had already brought up melons, fruits, tea, and water, and the servant had also carried a copper brazier to place in front of them. Ruqing, who had previously been frozen stiff by the cold wind outside, immediately felt much warmer and secretly sighed, indeed they were being well taken care of.
However, sitting in this chair, I suddenly felt a bit uneasy. A small manager-level person from a small branch company suddenly jumped into the board of directors of the parent company and became the second-in-command. The hall was filled with a group of maidservants who were all close confidantes of hers and the empress dowager's. Outside in the courtyard, there were also many female attendants standing at attention. As I counted them from top to bottom, there were over a hundred women standing on the stairs. On the left side, there was a row of men who were also attendants from the outer courtyard, about 30 or 40 people. Both male and female attendants stood upright like a military formation, neat and solemn. It's clear that the servants in the palace are indeed well-trained.
At this time, Song Jiang's family had come forward and bowed: "Empress Dowager, Princess, the various officials in charge of the mansion have all arrived."
The princess of Jing Tai Wang slightly raised her chin and ordered: "First, call those below to come and pay their respects to the princess."
After Song Jiang's family went out and said a few words loudly, in a short while, several stewardesses came in, knelt down in front of them, called out to greet them, introduced their own business first, then kowtowed, shouting "Pay respects to the princess, pay respects to the queen" and so on.
As she watched these people kowtowing to her, she felt somewhat unaccustomed to it, but she made an effort to adapt, smiling and putting on the airs of a princess. She listened as Empress Jing praised or scolded them in a measured tone. The servant girls below seemed to be very intimidated by the empress, speaking with utmost respect and humility, their faces filled with fear. When the empress praised them, they didn't dare take credit for themselves, but when they were reprimanded, they knelt down in terror to beg for forgiveness. Ruoxi watched with a mix of emotions, thinking that usually, just because one had control over someone's life and death, it didn't mean they could command their loyalty and respect. Without some skillful handling, it was impossible to achieve.
These slaves indeed have a deep-seated fear of Princess Jeongtong, and it can be seen that she has a good way of managing her subordinates.
Thinking of this, the doubts that had been at the bottom of her heart floated up again. The queen's management of her subordinates was indeed a set, but why did the Miaoyin incident still occur on her big wedding day?
Digression
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