For instance, a prince's residence would have a chief historian and the like, appointed by the court to manage their food estate. But someone like Manbao, of course, doesn't have that; she has to discuss matters with the magistrate of Liyang County by herself.
As for Bai Shan and Bai Erlang, the food estate they received simply requires someone to relay the message to the local county magistrate to handle everything according to the court's laws. Their job is just to audit the accounts and collect taxes when the time comes.
Of course, if they want to manage it personally, they can, but they still have to go through the local magistrate. For instance, if the Prince of Yizhou wants to impose additional taxes on his fief, he must first notify the local officials of the state or county.
