Aoyama

Chapter 361 Seizing Power
Wendan Hall.

Literature represents knowledge and good reputation.

Gallbladder means courage and bravery.

The dark chestnut-colored pillars are like dragons, and the lapis lazuli bricks on the ground are so shiny that you can see your reflection in them.

At the top was a rosewood armchair, where the head of the family sat alone. On the left and right sides were carved chairs placed symmetrically, with Chen Lizhi on the left and Chen Lizun on the right.

Behind Chen Lizun on the left side stands a sky-high bookshelf, on which are placed the family genealogy, honors and awards from past dynasties, and court reports; behind Chen Lizhi on the right side hangs an unopened long sword, a jade axe, and a bronze tripod.

The hall was quiet, but Chen Yue's mind was filled with Chen Ji's voice: "Manager Chen Yue, I wonder if the money is still there?"

He never thought that today when he raised the butcher knife in Wendan Hall, the butcher knife fell on him instead.

Chen Lizun's eyes fell on Chen Yue: "Chen Yue, Chen Ji is asking you a question."

Chen Yue came back to his senses and quickly replied, "Master, that money is from the public account. How dare I use it?"

Chen Ji said slowly: "Master, since the clan is meeting today, why not just settle the salt company's accounts? If there are any bad debts in the past, you can ask the elders to be witnesses."

Elder Chen nodded slightly: "Yes."

Chen Wende walked out: "I'll take someone to get it."

Chen Lizun stopped him and said, "My nephew Wen De caught a cold a few years ago. You should find someone with faster legs and feet to go. I will send Chen Huang to go."

Elder Chen nodded again: "Yes, go quickly and come back quickly, don't miss the meeting."

Chen Lizun walked to the door and nodded to a middle-aged man who was waiting outside the Wendan Hall. The middle-aged man strode away with great strength.

Everyone in Wendan Hall stopped talking, and each one of them got better and better at keeping quiet. Even Chen Ji closed his eyes and stood still. Only Chen Yue couldn't stop clenching his sleeves with both hands, and his nails turned white from scratching.

After waiting for an incense stick of time, Wendan Hall was quiet for a while.

After an incense stick of time, Chen Lizhi slowly opened his eyes. Because he was too thin, his cheeks were sunken, making his eyes look like fish eyes protruding from his face.

He straightened the sleeves of his official robe: "Chen Ji."

Chen Ji also opened his eyes: "What do you want, uncle?"

Chen Lizhi smiled and said, "I heard that you made a big splash when you attended the literary gathering at the Qi family a while ago. With such talent, why don't you go to the academy to study the classics? After you finish your studies, come back and take the imperial examination. That would be the right path."

Chen Ji said calmly: "My nephew's ambition to expand the territory is also to repay the emperor's kindness."

Chen Lizhi changed the subject and said, "By the way, have you ever seen Miss Qi at a literary gathering?"

Chen Ji hummed and said, "I have met the second lady Qi Zhaoyun, the third lady Qi Zhaoning, and the concubine Qi Zhenzhu."

Chen Lizhi chuckled and leaned back in his chair: "Who do you like better? I think Miss Qi Er is pretty good, well-educated and well-mannered, but I heard that Miss Qi San likes you more."

Chen Ji shook his head: "My nephew is not interested in sex right now, and I don't have anyone I like more."

Chen Lizhi shook his head. "How can you be indifferent to the affairs of men and women? It is said that you should get married first and then establish a career. A man can only feel at peace after he gets married. Those boys in the countryside get married at the age of thirteen. Even in the wealthy families in my capital, they will not be later than twenty years old at the latest. When we founded the dynasty, the court also set a rule that if a man is forty or a woman is thirty and not married, the government will force them to marry. You are already eighteen..."

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Second Uncle, have those people in the countryside who got married early established their careers?"

Chen Lizhi was choked and paused for a few breaths, then sneered and said, "I forgot that you are the apprentice of Doctor Yao. You always like to choke people."

Chen Lizun's lips curled up slightly.

Chen Ji was a little curious: "Second uncle is familiar with my master?"

Chen Lizhi sighed, "Of course I know him. Because your uncle has no children, the family has invited him several times, but he said he would never come, even if you gave him a thousand taels of silver."

Chen Lizun's face darkened again, and he looked at Chen Lizhi coldly: "Why are you saying this? You should take care of your own body."

Chen Lizhi spread his hands and said nonchalantly, "What's there to be shy about among family members?"

Chen Ji frowned slightly.

The master must have consulted the divination beforehand. Given his cautious personality, he would not come even if you gave him a thousand taels of silver. It’s not that he didn’t want to come, but that he couldn’t come.

Strange, what is it among these that Master is taboo about?
While he was thinking, several men came to the front of Wendan Hall carrying two large boxes. Behind them, two men were carrying a stretcher with a person lying on it, covered with a white cloth.

The moment he saw the dead man, Chen Ji saw Chen Yue's hand that was clutching his sleeve slowly loosen, and he exhaled a long, even breath, no longer panicking.

Looking at Chen Lizhi again, he always looked calm and composed, and was in the mood for chatting.

At this time, Chen Lizhi cursed outside the hall, "I asked you to go get the salt storehouse silver, why did you bring back a dead body so early in the morning? Isn't this unlucky?"

Chen Ji looked calmly, but saw Chen Huang standing outside the hall, clasping his fists and explaining, "In reply to the second master, when I rushed to the salt shop on Mule and Horse Market Street, the shopkeeper Ye Yumin had hanged himself on the beam in the main hall of the salt shop. He also left a letter, admitting that he had embezzled 230,000 taels of silver from the public account over the years, and that he was ashamed of the master's trust, and he died to apologize."

Chen Lizun stood up suddenly, walked to the door and asked in a serious tone: "Is this the handwriting of Shopkeeper Ye Er?"

Chen Huang nodded silently.

Chen Lizhi cursed: "He embezzled 230,000 taels of silver from my Chen family and wanted to get away with it? How could it be so easy! Come here, take all the male members of his family to the government and exile them to Lingnan, and then sell all the young women in his family to the Eight Great Hutongs!"

Chen Ji remained silent.

Chen Yue kept the account books of Chenjia Salt Company very clean, and no evidence could be found.

But in the account book, there was only the official salt account, not a pound of private salt. It must be that a few shopkeepers secretly mixed the private salt into Chen's Salt Shop without telling the master, and sold it, and the shopkeepers divided the money among themselves.

Now that the second shopkeeper Ye, who was in charge of the private salt business, was dead, the deficit in the public account was all pinned on him, and there was no evidence to prove it. Moreover, even the batch of private salt dealers were killed to silence them. The second branch of the family had completely eliminated the troubles in the salt business.

No wonder Chen Lizhi was so calm and composed.

Just hear a pop.

Chen Yue knelt on the lapis lazuli bricks and banged his head on the ground like pounding garlic: "Master, it was my fault for failing to watch over me. I didn't expect that I allowed Ye Yumin to embezzle public funds. I beg you to punish me."

The thumping sound of his kowtow echoed in the Wendan Hall, and he did not stop until he bleeds.

Elder Chen did not speak for a long time and just let him continue to kowtow.

Chen Wende angrily shouted: "What's the point of you kowtowing now? Why don't you think of a way to remedy the situation?" Chen Yue didn't dare to stop and could only keep kowtowing.

Chen Wende glanced at the master again, but he still had his eyes closed, as if he really wanted Chen Yue to kowtow to death in the Wendan Hall. He looked at Chen Ji again, but Chen Ji was watching Chen Yue kowtow silently, without a trace of emotion in his eyes.

Chen Ji looked down at his reflection in the lapis lazuli brick and said softly, "It stands to reason that Shopkeeper Ye Er embezzled 230,000 taels of silver, which would take too long to spend. An ordinary family would only spend 200 taels of silver to buy a thousand-mile horse, and even a three-story house in the inner city would only cost 2,000 taels of silver. Why did my second uncle and brother acquiesce that the money would never be recovered, and no one mentioned the matter of recovering the stolen money?"

Chen Wende was speechless.

Chen Ji looked up and looked at him: "Brother, if we raid the house of Shopkeeper Ye Er, maybe the 230,000 taels of silver are in his house, don't you think?"

Chen Wende had a blank expression on his face. Chen Ji's words just meant that he wanted the second branch to make up for the loss.

But this is 230,000 taels of silver, and the lives of Chen Yue and others combined are not worth 230,000 taels of silver.

Chen Wende suddenly realized that this half-brother... was a person who liked to kill everyone.

As Chen Yue kowtowed, a voice suddenly came from outside the Wendan Hall: "Wow, it's so lively?"

When everyone looked, they saw Chen Yu striding towards them in a blue official robe.

Chen Yu stepped over the threshold, kicked Chen Yue out, and cursed: "Don't you know to give way when the master comes? You have no sense at all."

Chen Yue rolled on the ground. Chen Yu bowed to Chen Ge Lao and said, "Master, I have found out the reason for the deficit of the grain bank. It was the chief treasurer Chen Xuansu who colluded with the accountant, the warehouse supervisor, and the storekeepers to commit fraud. The accountant used the 'flying and scattering' technique to embezzle the grain when collecting it, and the warehouse supervisor used the 'insertion of chaff' technique to add husks to increase the weight when entering the warehouse, and then sold the old grain at the bottom of the warehouse privately by the 'bottom of the granary' method. There are a total of 37 fraudsters. In three years, they stole 12,000 dan of rice, which is equivalent to 9,600 taels of silver. This is only three years. If we investigate further, I'm afraid there will be more."

Chen Lizhi became excited: "In just a few days, so many people have been arrested?"

Chen Yu smiled slightly: "Father, if you give me some more time, I can catch more. But I personally think that if we catch them all, I am afraid that everyone in the grain store will panic and lose their interest in running the business, so I haven't expanded the matter yet. After all, the grain store is ours, and one day less of business means one day less of income."

Chen Lizhi stroked his beard and said, "It's safe. You have made a lot of progress in the Ministry of Revenue over the years. You can't let some villains affect your family's livelihood."

At this point, he picked up the teacup beside him and looked at Chen Lizun slowly: "Brother, all the people in this grain store are your people. I remember that the warehouse supervisor is my sister-in-law's uncle? And the storekeepers of several grain stores are also from her family... What do you think we should do?"

The Wendan Hall fell silent, as if the air had frozen, freezing everyone's words in their mouths.

After a moment, Chen Ji said, "Brother Chen Yu is right. We cannot let a few villains ruin our family's livelihood. The Chen family's salt and grain shops mobilized so many people at the same time, which made outsiders laugh at it."

Chen Yue let out a long breath.

Elder Chen spoke slowly and hoarsely, "The grain shop owner who abused his power for personal gain will be punished with 100 canes, and the salt shop owner who failed to discipline his subordinates will be punished with 50 canes. All those who committed fraud in the grain shop will be expelled from the Chen family and will never be employed again. We will check the account books for the past ten years and order them to make up for the shortfall, otherwise they will be sent to the government. The remaining seven salt shop owners, even if you have to sell your ancestral property or your own land, must make up for the shortfall of 230,000 taels of silver to the public account, otherwise you will all be beaten to death."

Two hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver...

Chen Yue entered the salt shop as an apprentice at the age of 16, became a warehouse supervisor at the age of 21, became the second shopkeeper at the age of 28, and became the chief shopkeeper at the age of 34. He is now 46 years old and has been in control of the salt shop for more than ten years. If he wants to make up the 230,000 taels of silver with other shopkeepers, he is afraid that his whole life will be in vain.

But this is money to buy your life.

Chen Yue climbed up again and kowtowed heavily: "Thank you, Patriarch, for not killing me. Thank you very much..."

Chen Ji interrupted, "Master, it is no accident that a pest like Ye Er appeared in the salt shop. I personally think that when you see an ant in the house, there must be tens of millions of ants hiding underground. Although my Chen family does not want to spread this matter, we still have to check if there are other pests. Please allow me to thoroughly check the salt shop, and check every shopkeeper, warehouse supervisor, accountant, court clerk, and head trader. Anyone who does not cooperate with the audit will never be hired."

Chen Yue's heart trembled.

Elder Chen said hoarsely, "Yes."

Chen Ji said again: "Master, now that the second shopkeeper Ye is dead, the salt transport business cannot be abolished. Please allow me to arrange a trustworthy person to take over the position of the second shopkeeper."

Elder Chen nodded: "Also."

Chen Yue's mood sank to the bottom. Chen Ji first seized the power of appointment and dismissal of the salt company, and then stuffed a nail in to block all the water transport. These two things were enough to nail him to the ground and make him unable to move.

At this time, Chen Lizhi suddenly said, "Let's keep these salt permits in the government office first. Now the rumors are all over the city, saying that my Chen family is engaged in private salt business. If we keep the salt permits in the government office, they can serve as evidence when the salt inspector inspects the city."

Elder Chen looked at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji thought for a while and said, "No problem."

Chen Xu, the middle-aged man beside Elder Chen, whispered, "Master, it's time to go to Wenhua Hall."

Elder Chen nodded and raised his arm, and Chen Xu helped him walk out.

When Elder Chen passed by them, he said leisurely, "Don't look so sad, everyone. The deficits and malpractices of the grain and salt companies over the years have been thoroughly investigated by two young men in just a few days. My Chen family has successors, and we should be happy. As the saying goes, it is easy to get thousands of soldiers, but it is difficult to get a general. It's just a few hundred thousand taels of silver. My Chen family can afford the loss. I am very happy to be able to use this silver to buy two successors. Disperse, don't miss the appointment."

Everyone watched as Lord Chen got on the carriage outside Wendan Hall. Chen Xu led a few middle-aged men away with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, and everyone wore a sword at his waist.

When the Wendan Hall was quiet, Chen Lizhi looked at Chen Ji with a half-smile: "What a trick, Chen Liqin was really blind to send you to the clinic as an apprentice."

Chen Ji bowed and said, "Second uncle, you are too kind."

Chen Lizhi laughed and walked out: "Let's go, there's a long way to go."

Chen Yue used his hands and feet to get up from the ground and followed Chen Lizhi.

In the Wendan Hall, Chen Lizun waited until everyone else left, then said to Chen Ji in shame, "It is your aunt's family that caused this matter, otherwise you would have put Chen Yue to death today, but..."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Uncle, why blame yourself? I understand the reason."

Chen Lizun leaned on the beam of Wendan Hall and looked out, and said with emotion: "From the court to the family, there is no escape from the word tug. You pull me, I pull you, and many things are neglected in this tug."

Chen Ji bowed and said, "I would like to thank you for your help this time. Without the 200,000 salt vouchers from the Ministry of Revenue, I would not be able to make this cage."

Chen Lizun shook his head: "Why should I thank my family? The money from the salt permits..."

Chen Ji said seriously: "The money is also in Ginkgo Garden. Please send someone to take the money away and deposit it into the Ministry of Revenue."

Chen Lizun seemed to be thinking about something. "But you don't want to keep such a large sum of money? Logically, you can just settle the account with the Ministry of Revenue at four coins per note, and you can keep the rest... Do you have other plans?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "It's not that I don't want to stay, but I can't. The Ministry of Revenue secretly paid 200,000 salt permits to salt merchants who are not on the list, which is against the rules. If the money is not returned in full, I am afraid that I will have no life to spend it. In addition, please come to the palace and report this transaction to His Majesty. The remaining 50,000 salt permits will continue to be consigned to me."

"It's rare that you haven't been blinded by money," Chen Lizun lowered his head and thought for a moment: "What can I say and what can't I say?"

Chen Ji said firmly, "Tell me everything."

(End of this chapter)