On the second day, it was dark outside and the Morning Star was still high in the sky. Zhu Ping'an had already taken Liu Mu and Liu Dadao on horseback out of the Linhuai Marquis Mansion and headed straight for the Taicang Silver Vault.
This time, Zhu Ping'an brought a day's worth of food in his backpack, and the two gourds hanging around his waist were filled with water. In addition, Zhu Ping'an also wore a silk soft armor next to his body, which Li Shu had forced Zhu Ping'an to put on in the morning.
Li Shu sent a letter to her second brother a few days ago to ask for the silk soft armor, and it was delivered to the capital from the south yesterday. In the morning, Li Shu insisted that Zhu Ping'an put on the silk soft armor before letting him go out.
This silk soft armor is not as magical as described in novels. It is just processed with a special method of silk. After dozens of steps, the silk remains soft and tough. It is then hand-woven and very light. Wearing it is as if you are not wearing anything, and outsiders cannot tell the difference. Moreover, wearing it in the summer can also help cool down the body.
Compared with gold silk soft armor, silk soft armor is less effective against slashing weapons such as swords, but it can also effectively reduce the contact area of the sword and the knife, reduce the damage, and make ordinary sword and knife slashes not fatal; in addition, compared with gold silk soft armor, silk soft armor is outstanding in defending against bows and arrows.
The principle is the same as that during the Genghis Khan period, Mongolian cavalry often wore a silk garment next to their skin. The reason why Mongolian soldiers all wore a silk garment next to their skin was not because of luxury or corruption, but because of the toughness of silk. They wore silk clothes for self-defense. If they were shot by an arrow, the silk thread would wrap around the arrowhead, and the arrowhead would be shot into the body with the silk thread. At this time, they only needed to gently pull the silk thread to pull out the arrowhead, effectively reducing the damage caused by the bow and arrow.
Liu Mu and Liu Dadao also brought their own food and drinking water. In addition, Liu Mu had a sword hanging around his waist, and Liu Dadao had a thick-backed scimitar on his back. Both of them had six or seven darts inserted in their belts.
After listening to Zhu Ping'an's reminder yesterday, the two men brought enough self-defense equipment today. They were very vigilant along the way and protected Zhu Ping'an in the middle.
But fortunately, the journey was safe and smooth, and we arrived at Taicang smoothly.
When we arrived in Taicang, the sky was just beginning to brighten and the morning light was still brewing below the horizon.
Zhu Ping'an entered Taicang alone and went straight to the accounting room.
The people from the East Factory worked in two shifts and stayed outside the room the whole time, but they didn't expect Zhu Ping'an to come to check the accounts so early, and they couldn't help but look up to him.
Because it was still dark, Zhu Ping'an lit an oil lamp in the room and checked the account book by the light.
At yesterday's pace, I'll be able to finish checking the account book in today and half a day tomorrow.
Judging from the account books, the further back in time, the more false accounts and deficits there are. Take the first account book that Zhu Ping'an checked today, for example. This account book had an average of nearly 200 taels of silver more false accounts and deficits than the account book he checked the day before yesterday.
After Zhu Ping'an finished checking an account book, the morning light began to rise in the eastern sky.
In the light of morning light, Zhang Guanku, Jia Langzhong and others arrived in Taicang early, a full hour earlier than usual, hoping to get there before Zhu Ping'an, stop him at the door, and have a good talk with him about the "custom" of Taicang.
"Your Excellency, Inspector Zhu arrived in Taicang half an hour ago." The soldier on duty at the gate of Taicang Silver Vault reported truthfully when Zhang Guanku asked.
"Grass!"
Upon hearing this, Doctor Zhao cursed harshly and threw the box of tea in his hand to the ground.
The others also looked unhappy.
Zhang Guanku glanced at Doctor Zhao and said solemnly, "If you have something to say, let's talk behind closed doors. Why are you acting crazy at the door?"
"I just can't bear it. This Zhu guy is taking advantage of me."
Doctor Zhao shrank his neck and muttered something, but still followed Zhang Guanku obediently to his office in Taicang.
After arriving at Zhang Guanku's office, they closed the door and began another round of "conspiracy discussion" against Zhu Ping'an.
After a long discussion, no conclusion was reached.
However, although Zhu Ping'an suddenly became so concerned about checking the accounts, they still believed that Zhu Ping'an would not be able to find any problems with the account books made by "Ghost Hand Zhang" and other top accountants in Beijing.
Liu Siku, who had always been timid and fearful, was also convinced by everyone. He had previously worried about whether Zhu Ping'an would find out the problem, which was more due to his character. After everyone listed the irrefutable facts that Zhu Ping'an could not use an abacus and made mistakes when checking the accounts, Liu Siku also believed that it was impossible for Zhu Ping'an to find out the problem in the accounts.
A blacksmith must be strong himself. Zhang Guanku ordered Jia Langzhong, Zhao Langzhong and other people with good connections to prepare generous gifts to visit important officials such as the Ministry of Revenue to smooth over the relationship. Then he ordered Zhang Siku and others to use carrots in one hand and sticks in the other, and secretly take care of the soldiers and clerks in the warehouse, and explain the benefits and disadvantages to them. We are all in the same boat. If anyone dares to talk without restraint and harms everyone, he should not blame everyone for harming him first.
The effect was outstanding, and many officials in the Ministry of Revenue and other departments nodded secretly; Taicang also became united as one, facing the outside world in unison - Zhu Ping'an, they all ate from the Taicang pot, had the same interests, and naturally joined forces to deal with Zhu Ping'an, who did not act according to "conventions".
When the people of Taicang had united their thoughts and were working together under the leadership of Zhang Guanku and others to face external dangers, Zhu Ping'an had been concentrating on checking the accounts. Except for a few inexplicable sneezes in the middle, it can be said that he was oblivious to what was happening outside and was only focused on checking the accounts in his hands.
Just like yesterday, Zhu Ping'an checked the accounts until the sun set and the night fell, then he put away the account book and brush in his hand.
All that was left was a box and one third of account books.
The speed is faster than expected, and we can finish the check early tomorrow morning.
The difference from yesterday was that when Zhu Ping'an left the yard, Zhang Guanku, Jia Langzhong and others were no longer outside the yard.
I thought they would pull me aside and give me a lecture on "routine" like they did yesterday, but I didn't expect them to give up so quickly. Well, that's good, I don't have to deal with them after a day of checking accounts and being exhausted.
The moon sets, the sun rises, and another day passes.
Just as Zhu Ping'an expected, early in the morning of the third day, Zhu Ping'an reorganized all of Taicang's account books for the past three years using double-entry bookkeeping tables.
The false accounts and deficits were simply shocking! They were far beyond Zhu Ping'an's imagination.
Big rat, big rat, I will leave you!
After checking the accounts, Zhu Ping'an kept the double-entry bookkeeping sheets and the final statistics close to his body, and handed over all the account books of Taicang for the past three years to the Bloody Sword and others from the East Factory, who escorted them to Xiyuan and sealed them for storage.
After Zhu Ping'an and Dong Chang's people left, Zhang Guanku and others couldn't wait to enter the audit room.
The room was empty, with only a piece of rice paper left on the table.
Familiar and yet unfamiliar.
They said they were familiar with it because they had seen this piece of rice paper before, and they remembered the lotus leaf toad on it particularly clearly. It was precisely because of this lotus leaf toad that they privately mocked Zhu Ping'an as the Toad Inspector.
I say I am unfamiliar with it because there was originally only one sentence on this piece of rice paper: "Sitting alone in the pond like a crouching tiger, relaxing under the green trees to refresh my spirit." Now there are two more lines of poetry below this sentence, completing the poem.
Seven Ancient Poems: Ode to the Frog
Sitting alone by the pond like a crouching tiger, relaxing under the green trees.
If I don't speak first in spring, no insect will dare to make a sound.
"If I don't speak first in spring, no insect will dare to make a sound..." Zhang Guanku repeated to himself and suddenly felt a chill on his back, as if a thorn was stuck in his heart.
When Liu Siku and the others read this poem, their faces changed and they were shocked. How could a toad be so domineering and heroic? !
We call him the Toad Inspector, is he mocking us for being bugs?!
Liu Siku, who had originally felt relieved, felt inexplicably uneasy in his heart.