Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 705 - 541: Pushing Steward Yu to Take the Blame?
The Juxiang Building in Jingyuan Prefecture was the first he worked so hard to establish. It is located near the Jingyuan River and has a wharf, so business has always been better than in other states.
But even so, the net profit of a month is only about five thousand taels. That Xing Yang actually dared to embezzle so much.
If this continues, he will surely embezzle more, after all, it’s not that easy to stop once started, is it?
When the account books are submitted for review, the discrepancy in the Silver Coin compared to previous years will be too significant for Gu Chengyu to overlook.
The bookkeepers in various places cannot be ignored; he needs to find time to meet with them.
Gu Chengyu thought about gathering these accountants together for a unified audit when he returned to the Capital.
Having the bookkeeper of one state check the accounts of another, though troublesome, is bound to be effective.
Gu Chengyu has always been clear about rewards and punishments. If any state’s Juxiang Building does good business, Gu Chengyu will give an extra red envelope at the end of the year.
This not only motivates everyone but also encourages mutual oversight.
It has been years since he last saw these shopkeepers and bookkeepers; inevitably, hearts start wandering. Moreover, to prevent similar incidents, Gu Chengyu will surely have to give them a stern warning.
He will plant a few spies here and there to keep an eye on his own taverns and those of other states; as long as there are benefits, there’s no fear these people won’t act.
Previously, Gu Chengyu focused all his energy on the imperial exams and the court, inevitably neglecting business matters.
In the past two years, he has become a hands-off shopkeeper, only reviewing the accounts annually, without really putting forth much effort.
Wealth stirs the heart; who can always remain true to their original intentions? Yu Tuanzi, having traveled a lot over the years, might have developed some ideas as well.
Gu Chengyu rubbed his forehead, can’t things just calm down? Or maybe there are too few reliable people; he needs to quickly acquire more talent, which is hard to come by!
"Manager Xing, I will give you another chance. Confess, and I might still be lenient."
Gu Chengyu looked at the disfigured Xing Yang, his expression cold and hard.
Manager Xing suddenly felt relieved, could it be that the owner is still willing to forgive him?
"Master, everything Accountant Ding said is true. On that day, I knew Steward Yu was going to a nearby state and would not return to Jingyuan Prefecture soon, so I took the risk."
Xing Yang paused, and spoke with a face twisted in pain, "Master, you can send someone to investigate. I gave Yang’s younger brother over a thousand taels of silver, and the remaining silver is all here."
Gu Chengyu nodded, believing that Xing Yang wouldn’t dare lie now.
"What did Steward Yu tell you before he left? Was it your idea to embezzle Silver, or someone else’s?"
Gu Chengyu did not hide his purpose, after all, he would not keep Xing Yang. As for Accountant Ding, with the indenture contract in hand, he dared not speak on a whim either.
The implications of his words were clear enough for these two to understand.
Xing Yang was taken aback, what does the owner mean? Could he be suspecting Steward Yu?
He suddenly had an idea; if he could shift the blame onto Steward Yu, he could be said to have made amends, right?
As long as Steward Yu takes the fall, the owner will surely be lenient with me. As for wronging Steward Yu, what does it matter?
As long as the owner believes or even slightly suspects, his own responsibilities will lessen.
Even if Steward Yu clarifies this later, the owner would only think he’s making excuses.
Xing Yang opened his mouth, about to shift the blame to Steward Yu, but his hesitation was noticed by Gu Chengyu.
"You’d better think it through before speaking. I believe you wouldn’t want to endure more physical punishment. If I find any falsehood, I’ll let you know what it’s like to wish for death."
"I have my ways to verify your claims. When Steward Yu was in Jingyuan Prefecture, he surely had people with him. What he told you, whether others were present, and if you met privately, I can check these."
These words caused the words ready to escape from Xing Yang’s mouth to be swallowed back again, making him hesitate. If the owner found out, wouldn’t he face even worse consequences?
Gu Chengyu snorted coldly, still not being honest? It seems he hasn’t learned his lesson yet!
"Ming Yan! Help Manager Xing regain his senses." Gu Chengyu was about to lose his patience; some people will only tell the truth after a taste of suffering.
Upon hearing this, Xing Yang was frightened out of his wits, hastily shaking his head and pleading, "Master! Master! Please, I’ll talk, I’ll talk."
However, Gu Chengyu was already too impatient to listen to his nonsense. As long as a little lesson was given, truth would inevitably follow.
"Ah~"
Accountant Ding shrank his neck, wishing he was invisible.
He had never thought this young master could be so terrifying. Trying to hide his stiffened back, Accountant Ding did his best not to hear the screams echoing in his ears.
"Sir! He’s passed out." Ming Yan tugged on Xing Yang’s hair, checking his eyelids, only to find him unconscious.
Gu Chengyu frowned, "Drag him outside and splash him awake with cold water."
Accountant Ding swallowed, even unconscious, not spared. Originally a small bookkeeper, he was sold by his former owner after making a mistake.
But he had never seen such a scene before. He now even thought his former owner was quite merciful to him.
Gu Chengyu turned to glance at the stunned Accountant Ding, seeing the fear already evident on his face, he knew he had achieved his goal of instilling fear by example.
To prevent truly scaring Accountant Ding, Gu Chengyu decided to give a concession.
He picked up the account book Accountant Ding had recorded, discovering it was no less than Accountant Xu’s he reviewed earlier.
Seeing Gu Chengyu perusing his bookkeeping, Accountant Ding’s heart jumped to his throat, fearing the owner might find fault with him next.
After Manager Xing, would it be his turn? Accountant Ding was full of anxiety.
"Not bad!" Gu Chengyu nodded, recognizing the bookkeeping method he taught.
Separating expenses from income, although not in Arabic numerals, it was more organized than the previous method.
Previously, he noticed bookkeepers recorded everything in a jumbled manner, making it hard to decipher.
Accountant Ding felt relieved upon hearing this, did this mean he had recorded it correctly?
"The account book is fairly clear, your refraining from conspiring with Manager Xing is commendable."
Besides accounting skills, Gu Chengyu valued Accountant Ding’s resistance to the temptation of wealth, refraining from involvement.
Even if Accountant Ding and others didn’t say, Gu Chengyu could infer. Otherwise, Xing Yang couldn’t have sent Accountant Ding away.
"How could a humble person dare commit such acts? Unable to contact you previously, there was nowhere to seek justice. Accountant Xu also quarreled with Manager Xing over the accounts, he might have also noticed discrepancies; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been driven off by the manager."
