Chapter 157: Account Check

Taking a sick leave was obviously a helpless plan that had been prepared for a long time, and Li Qichang was a good person. After Cao Yong took charge of Li Qichang's position, he came to this conclusion. Because before Li Qichang became "ill", he had already completed all the accounts at hand. At this time, only a few major affairs in the department were the only one who had transferred grain from Peng Zhu. After this matter was completed, there was nothing to be made for Cao Yong to finalize, so Cao Yong took over easily and was leisurely for half a month.

Until the official documents sent by the Fourth Prince came.

A few days ago, the emperor went to Tongzhou to inspect the river embankment. The prince, the fourth prince, the fifth prince, the eighth prince, the fourteenth prince, the fifteenth prince, and the sixteenth prince followed him. At present, the fourth prince was accompanying Shaotun to read the river, but he sent an urgent official document to ask the Ministry of Revenue to re-examine the losses of the sea tax and pirates last year.

The maritime ban, which was officially terminated in the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi, was established in Macau in eastern Guangdong, Zhangzhou in Fujian, Ningbo Prefecture in Zhejiang, and Yuntaishan in Jiangnan, respectively, to manage foreign trade.

On the Ministry of Revenue, the Guangdong Department, Fujian Department, Zhejiang Department and Jiangnan Department all involve maritime taxation. Because Fujian pirates went north to rob in many coastal areas, losses were reported in various places. Therefore, the Fujian Department, Zhejiang Department, Jiangnan Department and Shandong Department all had pirate losses. This re-investigation made half of the people in the Ministry of Revenue busy.

Both were involved in the Fujian Department, among which the pirates' losses were Cao Yong personally participated in the review. Therefore, when organizing the man to record the accounts, he avoided the pirates' losses again, and instead took Fu Xiangong and others to the account of the tax.

There were no outsiders on the left and right. Fu Xiangong looked at the accounts and couldn't help but feel sorry for Li Qichang: "Can there be a total of 50,000 taels of silver? Can this account be wrong? Lord Li is really wronged! That person is really bullying people too much!"

After a sentence was expressed, although everyone present was considered his close friend, everyone was shocked. Although he did not name Shi Wengui, who did not know who he was referring to? Li Qichang was well-known to everyone.

Cha De and others couldn't help but say, "Sir, be careful! Don't cause trouble!" Cao Yong also tactfully mentioned Fu Xiangong's attention to his words.

Fu Xiangong waved his head and lowered his voice a little, but he was still full of resentment: "If you can find a reason, can the sea tax make a fuss? Lord Cao, what do you think he is not bullying?"

Cao Yong patted his shoulder, but there was nothing to answer. This was obvious.

During the Kangxi period, customs taxation was very low, and the customs tariff quota of Fujian was only 30,000 taels. This year, Fujian was a major disaster and a great disaster. The trade volume was reduced a lot, and the tariff was greatly reduced, at most more than 20,000. The Fujian Department also inspected Tianjin's maritime taxation. In recent years, the tariff collected from the return and delivery of grain crops from Tianjin and Northeastern Pass was a big deal, with a fixed quota of only 25,000 taels, and there were not many other sporadic ones.

Together, Li Qichang's maritime tax account is only 50,000 taels of silver. Compared with other accounts that cost hundreds of thousands or millions of taels, this is the simplest and most likely to make mistakes. Shi Wengui can find this mistake, and it is probably even annoying that Li Qichang was "ill".

But he knew that Shi Wengui was picking on the wrong side of the egg? He clearly did it on purpose. The previous dispute with Li Qichang was probably just yelling at the door of the courtyard. The minor officials only reported some of the slaughtering cups, but this time they even had the verbal contention, and the minor officials also said that more than one or two people heard it!

I know it's one thing, but it's another. It's not a good thing to talk about my boss privately.

Cao Yong had a good impression of Fu Xiangong and did not want to see what trouble he caused due to his verbal trouble, so he changed the topic: "Since Prince Yong was able to send an urgent official document to come back and call for a check of the accounts, it must be because of some reason. Let's take a closer look and do not make any mistakes."

Several nodded and said yes, but stopped talking and buried their heads in their work.

As Cao Yong faced the accounts, he thought about it and suddenly asked the investigation of the losses of the pirates and the sea tax to look completely irrelevant. I don’t know what it means to ask them to investigate together. If the pirates have affected overseas trade, that is certain, but the sea tax itself is not very fixed. It can even be said that in the current total tax revenue, it is probably not even a percent. Why do you have to make such a big fuss?

While Cao Yong was thinking, he suddenly heard the pen letter and Chade's side, and was surprised. Because the room was quiet, although his voice was not high, everyone could hear it clearly, so he looked at him together.

Seeing that everyone was asking, Chade felt a little uncomfortable, and opened his mouth but didn't say anything, so he shook his head again. Another post was the most urgent, and couldn't help but say, "It's okay, what are you, what are you? Tell me if you have something to do!"

Chade told him to say something awkwardly: "It looks a little wrong... I will check it again..."

Everyone was stunned and asked him: "What's wrong? The accounts are wrong?"

Chade hesitated for a moment, and then made a page of the account, took it to Cao Yong and Fu Xiangong, and everyone gathered to see it. Chade took a pen and circled several merchant ships and said, "This is because of the pirates, the cargo on the ship was damaged and taxes were not collected. However... the merchant ship I checked a few days ago, I didn't see these..."

Everyone fell into silence. Before, everyone mentioned Li Qichang's grudges. Now that I saw this, I didn't know what to say for a moment. Everyone was wondering, could Shi Wengui not deliberately seeking trouble? Li Qichang really has a problem?

Soon, this idea was denied by Fu Xiangong. He first said: "It's not me that I can trust Lord Li's character, and I believe that some of you know it too. Besides, these ships are only 1,800 taels of silver. If you want to erase your personal gain, you should also erase more!"

Cao Yong nodded. This was indeed strange. Although he had only been in contact with financial accounts for a short time, he also knew that if he wanted to make fake accounts, he had to settle all the relevant accounts. Not to mention whether Li Qichang would make fake accounts for a matter of a few thousand taels of silver. As the chief of the department, these accounts must be lived in his hands in the end. It would be easier for him to close both accounts, but how could he leave such loopholes for people to notice?

When Mr. Zhuang went back and said it, but he couldn't find the reason for a while. Cao Yong decided to wait and see. I guess it was not that Shi Wengui deliberately made a fraud in order to run a doctor. That would be really stupid. Could it be that he would be a good decorum?

*

Although Cao Yong had only lived in Prince Chun's Mansion for three days, Chu Yu had to live in Prince Chun's Mansion until the end of February. Even if he was thinking about her, Cao Yong couldn't go there every day. When he returned to the mansion every day, he felt very cold.

That day, after dinner, it was still dawn, and Cao Yong was bored, so he went to Rongyuan to find a chess seat to play.

Although it was mid-February and the weather was much warmer, Zhuang Xi was afraid of the cold and was still too lazy to go out. Seeing Cao Yong coming over, Zhuang Xi smiled: "It can be seen that this is a newlywed. After the two of them separated for a few days, they felt that life was difficult?"

Cao Yong was not stubborn and nodded with a smile: "Sir, right? I didn't feel that I was empty and uncomfortable when I returned to the room!"

Zhuang Xi touched his beard and joked: "Young Master knows the joy of the boudoir. It seems that the Lord will hold his grandson in the year!"

Just as Xiqiu brought tea, Cao Yong took a look inadvertently and found that he seemed to have forgotten something. Xiqiu noticed something and quickly lowered his head and stepped down. Zhuang Xi coughed from the side, interrupting Cao Yong's contemplation.

Cao Yong looked at Xiqiu's back and turned his head to Mr. Zhuang and said, "I remember two days ago, I heard Zijing mention Lianqiu's illness on Mr. Wang's side, and said that he had invited a doctor outside to come and see it. Because he had done a lot of chores these days, I forgot to ask, but I don't know if he has recovered? Now it's the time when it's still cold, don't delay the illness. Mr. Wang is also in good health. What should I do if he gets infected if he gets infected!"

Mr. Zhuang's face was rarely uncomfortable. He looked at Cao Yong, looking at him, looking like he wanted to speak but stopped.

This is so wrong! Cao Yong looked at him like this and couldn't help but feel confused. It was just that the maid was sick, so what could not be mentioned? Is there any hidden information that needs to be covered?

Seeing Cao Yong looking at him like this, Mr. Zhuang touched his beard and laughed awkwardly: "I originally wanted to find a day to mention it to you. Since I have been talking so hard today, I will tell you!" After saying this, he paused and said: "I didn't have the intention of re-stringing the strings and taking concubines, but Lianqiu and Xiqiu are gentle and have served them all over the past two years. It's really..."

Lianqiu and Xiqiu's sisters? Cao Yong couldn't help but be stunned. In the past two years, Mr. Zhuang has also advised Mr. Zhuang to marry a house to avoid being lonely when he is old. He was pushed by Mr. Zhuang, but there are two sisters here. What's the reason!

Mr. Zhuang was already a little embarrassed, but when he saw Cao Yong not responding, he couldn't help but lose his old face turned red.

When Cao Yong saw this, he didn't know whether he would say "congratulations" first or something, but he thought of Lianqiu's illness that couldn't say, was he sick?

Although I respect Zhuang Xi like my relatives, Lian Qiu and Xi Qiu are only seventeen or eighteen years old. It would be fine if they were willing to do so, otherwise it would be really touching.

"Sir, they are two sisters..." Cao Yong was a little embarrassed and didn't know how to ask. Although Lianqiu and Xiqiu were servants and had been serving here after buying it, Cao Yong didn't mean to look down on them in his heart, nor would he force them to do anything for An Zhuangxi's heart.

Zhuang Xi and Cao Yong had been together for more than a year. Knowing his temper, he would not do anything about Fangcha's thorny head at the time. He pointed it at Wei Bai and said with a smile: "I just like their sisters, and I think that they are a companion, so I naturally want them to be willing. Could it be that I am that eager boy?" As he spoke, he felt a little proud and no longer called himself "old". He was quite energetic and looked several years younger.

This was not obvious and the water leaked, and he took two at a time. Cao Yong couldn't stand his proud look and looked at him and said, "Sir, I am not impatient, so what's wrong with Li Qiu's wife? Could it be that I misunderstood, and she is not happy?"

Zhuang Xi was drinking tea, and almost choked when he heard this, but he was not embarrassed. Instead, he shook his head and smiled with greater smugness: "It's just one time, who would have thought it would have a result? I really didn't expect it!"

Cao Yong thought that he had been a widower for many years and was still lonely, and he was mostly dissatisfied with his "old and uncultivated" situation. He said seriously: "It is a good thing that sir is willing to re-stand, and it is also a double happiness. When Chu Yu comes back, we will handle the work well in the mansion, and the house here will be well arranged." He thought that he would send someone to the yamen tomorrow to eliminate the slaves of the sisters Lianqiu and Xiqiu, and then ask Zijing to help prepare two neat dowry, so don't let them down.

Zhuang Xi shook his head quickly and told Cao Yong not to be too vocal. He usually acted as an elder in front of everyone in the mansion. Now he wants to accept his maid, but he still gets pregnant before marriage. He feels embarrassed to think about it, so he hesitated until now and has no nerve to speak.

Cao Yong is fine, but he can understand the relationship here. The princess has just married, so he still has to worry about it. Therefore, Zhuang Xi only said that she would choose a day and ask Zijing to send two nannies to show off their sisters, and then set up two tables of wine to ask a few managers in the mansion to ask for a few people in charge.

Seeing that it was dark outside, Cao Yong did not leave much and smiled and said goodbye.

The next day, Cao Yong told Zijing about the Rongyuan incident and helped Mr. Zhuang organize the marriage. Zijing heard it and thought for a while, saying, "Uncle, I listened to Mr. Zhuang's words, it was like taking a concubine, but it didn't seem like I was going to re-string!"

Cao Yong asked with a little question: "Does he be concerned about the identities of the two people? He will naturally get rid of slaves here!"

Zi Jing glanced at Cao Yong and smiled bitterly: "The uncle treats people well and does not despise the servants. How many people in the world are like the uncle? "Maids are ladies." This is something that people pay attention to for two or three lifetimes, and even their descendants will be shamed!"

Cao Yong shook his head: "Sir, always open-minded, not someone who cares about these secular rules."

Zi Jing pondered and said, "Even if Mr. Zhuang doesn't care, he's still worried about anything else! Although his daughter is already married, it's not easy for her parents to do things randomly!"
Chapter completed!