Shipin Dalizheng

Shopkeeper Xu lowered his head even lower.

Cui Xian looked at Shopkeeper Xu with reproach again. No wonder he dared to buy this shop. The temptation was too great.

However, this is not a crime and it is a case of both parties being willing to fight and suffer.

"Prince Rong, generally speaking, it's still the internal strife of the Bo family that has affected the common people. Shopkeeper Xu is greedy for profit, but his crime is not punishable by death. Please return a portion of his principal to him so that his family can survive."

Shopkeeper Xu had a bitter face. After hearing what the county magistrate said, he was afraid that it would be difficult for him to get everything back.

Rong Tang didn't say yes or no, but asked Shopkeeper Xu, "How much did it cost you to buy the shop?"

Shopkeeper Xu hesitantly said, "Eight hundred taels... plus the twenty taels for Chief Clerk Cai."

"That's eight hundred and twenty taels. I wonder how much Manager Xu earned monthly as a cloth shop owner, and how many years he worked there to save up that much silver?"

Shopkeeper Xu suddenly became excited. "No, no, I borrowed it. It was all borrowed by me. I don't have any money..."

"How much did you borrow? Bring me the receipt. If you have it, it's considered a loan. If not, you need to explain it separately. Now, tell me, how long did you do it?"

Shopkeeper Xu opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice, "Five...five years."

"How much is the monthly salary?"

"One, one ounce and two cents."

"Do you have a family or children? Is the house yours originally or was it acquired later?"

Seeing that Manager Xu was shaking, he didn't even have the courage to answer Rong Tang's question.

Rong Tang said, "Then treat you as a bachelor, without food or drink. Monthly allowance is one tael and two qian, fourteen taels and four qian a year, seventy-two taels in five years. This prince would really like to know what kind of loyal friend is willing to lend you seven hundred and fifty taels of silver to buy a shop. Since he has the money, why doesn't he buy it himself instead of lending it to you?"

Shopkeeper Xu lost control and yelled, "It's my own money. I already had it. Is that not okay? Who said someone with eight hundred taels of silver can't become someone else's shopkeeper?"

"Very good. Then let me ask you the same question. Five years ago, you had 800 taels of silver. Why didn't you buy a shop and start your own business? You could have bought at least three shops then, right? Or do you know that if you hold on for a few years, you could buy four shops with that money, plus give away hundreds of taels of goods for free?"

Shopkeeper Xu had no idea how to respond. He just stared at Rong Tang with a pair of terrified eyes. "It's mine. It's my own money. Whether I buy it or not, and when I buy it, has nothing to do with you."

"But now it's related." Rong Tang leaned towards him, "This prince has reasonable suspicion that you falsified the accounts during your time as shopkeeper, embezzled money from your employer, and stole my money."

Shopkeeper Xu jumped up as if scalded by boiling oil, "No, you are wronging me, you have no evidence..."

Rong Tang waved his hand and said, "Rong An, go and search for evidence. He probably didn't destroy all the old account books."

Rong Wanli's voice came from outside, "Master, I have brought all the account books."

It turned out that after they left, Rong Wanli "persuaded the matter with reason and moved his heart" to the waiter of the cloth shop. Finally, the waiter was so moved that his eyes turned black and his whole body ached, and he voluntarily handed over the account book.

"There are not only items from the past five years, but also items from five years ago."

The account book was placed in a box at Rong Tang's feet. Rong Tang stepped on the account book and looked at Manager Xu without saying a word.

For some reason, Manager Xu's tense spirit suddenly relaxed.

Is there no problem with this, or is it that the accounting is done well, so you think he won’t be able to find out?

Cui Xian on the side did not move for a long time. He felt that half of his body was about to burn and he urgently needed to turn over.

"Ahem...Prince Rong..."

"I would like to borrow your office to personally audit the accounts. County Magistrate Cui, do you mind?"

"Uh...I don't mind."

Meals are also available.

"Rong Wanli, go ahead and investigate what Shopkeeper Xu's living standards were like five years ago and what they are like now. Also, make sure the shop warehouse doesn't catch fire."

"Order."

Manager Xu suddenly shouted, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with this account. Madam Jin has personally checked it."

Rong Tang sneered, "What's the point of her checking? She's just an idiot. What she thinks is okay is the real problem. Rong Zhan, keep an eye on him. Don't let him get away, and don't let him die."

That look in Shopkeeper Xu's eyes revealed his desire to eat someone alive.

Rong Zhan received the order and took Manager Xu to another empty room for custody, while Rong Tang also borrowed a room in the county government office to look at the account books.

County Magistrate Cui was already extremely curious about the case and just wanted to know whether there would be a reversal in the end. So he sent the county magistrate to help with the accounts while he himself checked the files of the house sale deeds.

You wouldn't know until you investigate. Only after the investigation did you realize how shady Cai Zhubu was. Just as Rong Tang guessed, he had secretly done a lot of things to help people forge documents, and it was unknown whether anyone had died as a result.

After scolding Cai Zhubu, he ordered people to post notices, asking all those who had been harmed by him over the years to come to the county government to petition.

During this period, we had two meals and the lawyer came in once.

Cui Xian took the time to ask his advisor, "Is there anything wrong with the account book?"

The master shook his head.

"No?"

The lawyer said, "It's hard to say, sir. I'm only well versed in law, not mathematics. Anyway, I've read a few books, but I can't figure out anything. It's just that Prince Rong and his accountant are always whispering to each other and making circles and marks in the account books. I don't know what they mean."

Cui Xian was also astonished. Although the lawyer was not good at math, he had studied for many years and was still better than a woman in the harem. He couldn't see it, and Madam Jin couldn't see it either.

He spent the whole night reading the files, and Rong Tang spent the whole night reading the account books. In the morning, people from both sides of the room went out to stretch at the same time, both looking like pandas with dark circles under their eyes.

"Good morning, County Magistrate Cui."

"morning."

County Magistrate Cui had a blank expression on his face. He turned around and ordered Chief Clerk Cai to be imprisoned.

"Hey, have you found evidence?"

"It's just a small matter. How about you?"

"Same."

Rong Shi shook the account book. "Whether he will be imprisoned or not, we still have to wait for Magistrate Cui to decide. Do you want to go to court now? I'm not in a hurry, sir. You can go to sleep for a while."

"This county can still hold out. Since Prince Rong has found evidence, let's bring it to court."

He really wanted to get the job done and have this man leave his county as soon as possible.

Shopkeeper Xu was in a daze all night, and his spirits were dispirited. He was brought to the court in a listless state.

Rong Tang said, "Sir, my accountant and I have been checking the accounts all night and have found that Shopkeeper Xu committed serious embezzlement during his time as shopkeeper. The amount involved is as high as a thousand taels. I beg you to grant us justice, arrest the suspect and imprison him, and return all losses to my uncle's mansion."

Shopkeeper Xu trembled violently and cried out, "No, no, you are wronging me. I refuse to accept it. Sir, they are talking nonsense. There is no problem with my account."

Rong Tang said slowly, "If there are any problems with the accounts, you can ask someone to take a look and find out. Shopkeeper Xu, it seems you are an old hand. You have made thorough preparations almost from the beginning when you took over the cloth shop. For example, you have double-spending, high kickbacks, and you reported ten losses for a piece of rotten cloth. You are really good at playing tricks. Yang is a pig-headed woman. She can't remember what happened yesterday. How can she remember what happened last year or the year before that? You took advantage of her poor memory and made so many false statements back and forth. Do you need this prince to remind you? Oh, by the way, it's too much, and it's been too long. Maybe you have forgotten it yourself. County Magistrate, I have marked all the problematic areas. If you don't mind the trouble, you can take a look for yourself."

Cui Xian and his lawyer were looking at the account book, while Manager Xu collapsed to the ground as if all his bones and muscles had been pulled out.