Shipin Dalizheng

Cui Xian and his advisor looked at the account book together and indeed saw many marked places. After comparing them, they immediately found the problem.

For example, a batch of goods was purchased at a certain price in a certain month of a certain year, but the goods were not stored properly, became moldy, and went bad, so a loss was reported.

A year or two later, another batch of goods was eaten by rats and reported as damage.

After going back and forth several times, the value of the goods was almost the same. Even Cui Xian, who didn't know much about business, saw through the trick. It was the same batch of goods that had been reported as damaged multiple times.

There is also the repeated recording of purchases of consumables, a little at a time, which over the years adds up to a considerable amount of money.

In addition, the purchase price is much higher than that of other suppliers, and the products are difficult to sell at a high price in the later stage, so they are sold at a loss. As a result, the kickbacks are taken to the point of being full.

Shopkeeper Xu's handwriting is quite good, and he remembers the accounts clearly and in detail. One can tell at a glance that he is very serious and responsible. It is totally unexpected that he would come up with so many bad ideas.

Even Cui Xian, who prided himself on being well-educated but still having at least three or two carts of knowledge, was impressed by Rong Tang's ability to account.

"Prince Rong is really good at accounting. If he were to enter the Ministry of Revenue, he would surely achieve great things."

Rong Shi said modestly: "No, no, I just have a good memory."

At this point, Shopkeeper Xu's struggle was futile.

Rong Tang turned to Shopkeeper Xu with a cold face, "Shopkeeper Xu, you have been stealing my money for many years, and now you come to buy my shop. Do you still have the nerve to compensate me?"

Shopkeeper Xu's face was pale and he couldn't speak for a long time.

At this moment, Rong Wanli, who had gone to investigate the situation at Manager Xu's home, also came back.

"Master, this Shopkeeper Xu and the Jin family's Butler Wu are cousins. They've been working together to steal property from the mansion and the shop for the past few years. When I went to investigate, Butler Wu was about to escape, but I stopped him. But Master Jin happened to be released at the time, so everything Butler Wu wanted to take away was seized by Master Jin. Shopkeeper Xu also has a house in the county, which he also bought in the past two years and is worth three hundred taels."

This is almost the same price difference as Rong Tang estimated, and Cui Xian was full of admiration.

Upon hearing that his cousin had been arrested, Shopkeeper Xu knew that there was no way back. He said dejectedly, "I don't want the shop anymore, and I don't want the money anymore. Master Rong, I have nothing now. Please let me go."

Rong Tang scoffed, "Manager Xu, what are you dreaming of? This shop was originally mine, how could you refuse it? Return it to me, and also return the money you stole over the past five years. As for whether County Magistrate Cui still feels pity for a commoner like you and wants to let you go, that's County Magistrate Cui's business."

Cui Xian’s face turned dark.

Shopkeeper Xu's face turned pale. "Prince Rong, I have nothing left. What else do you want?"

Rong Tang turned around and asked Rong Wanli, "Does he have a wife, children, or elders?"

Rong Wanli said: "Yes, there is a sixty-year-old mother, three daughters, and a son."

"Well! Sell them all. Sell them wherever you can get the most money. How can a boy be sold for a lot of money?"

Rong Wanli said: "She can be sent to a small prostitute's house, or sent to the palace to be a eunuch."

"Good, very good. Being a eunuch is great. There is a bright future ahead..."

Before he could finish, Shopkeeper Xu staggered and fainted. He was over forty years old, with three daughters and only this one son; that was his fate.

When he woke up, he was already in prison, with Cui Xian looking at him with his head tilted to one side. Shopkeeper Xu kowtowed and begged Cui Xian to show mercy and save his son.

He even said, "Sir, please sell my three daughters, even if you have to sell them to... a place like that. Just keep my son. Our family has only one son for three generations, and he is our only descendant!"

Cui Xian had a strange look on his face and said to him, "Prince Rong gives you three paths, let you choose."

Shopkeeper Xu hurriedly asked, "Which three? As long as my son's roots can be preserved, I will agree to anything."

"The first one is that you die, your son is sold, and your wife, daughter, and mother are released."

Manager Xu was terrified. He didn't want to die, nor did he want his son to be sold.

"What about the second one?"

"Second, you die, your wife and three daughters are sold, and your son and mother are released."

Shopkeeper Xu's lips trembled violently as he asked with difficulty, "What about the third one?"

Cui Xian sighed, "Third, I will sell your wife, daughter, and mother, castrate your son, and then let you go."

Shopkeeper Xu's face turned pale in an instant.

"Choose quickly."

Seeing that County Magistrate Cui was becoming increasingly stern, Shopkeeper Xu's lips trembled for a long time, and suddenly he covered his face and cried, "I, I choose the third... the third way."

It seemed as if he could not bear the psychological pressure and was about to faint again.

Cui Xian said coldly, "Stop pretending. It seems that Master Rong was right when he said you would definitely choose the third option. Shopkeeper Xu, you didn't expect that even if you chose the first or second option, Master Rong would have let your family go. But you perfectly avoided all the ways to survive and chose this only way to die. Not to mention him, even this county won't let you go."

Shopkeeper Xu was shocked. "Why, why, how could this happen?"

Cui Xian's expression was extremely sarcastic. "Didn't you say that a son is your life for three generations? To save your own life, you chose to send him to the palace yourself, even abandoning me."

Shopkeeper Xu was shaking violently, "I...I..."

He seemed to have no bones in his body and collapsed into a pile of mud.

Cui Xian was furious and stormed out of the prison. His lawyer exclaimed, "Oh my god, Prince Rong really has such a good mind. He's so sure that Shopkeeper Xu will abandon his wife, children, and mother for his sake."

Cui Xian was furious about more than just this. He also had a contract in his hand, signed in a bet with Rong Tang. If Shopkeeper Xu chose the first or second option, he could offer a lighter sentence and give him a 10% stake in the four shops for free.

If Shopkeeper Xu chose the third path as he expected, he must be severely punished and given another 500 taels of silver in exchange for a 10% stake in the shop.

He has lost now. He has to pay the money for two shops in exchange for 10% of the shares. In the whole of Dai Viet, there is no one else as stupid as him.

The lawyer looked around and saw no one, so he whispered, "No one heard it. You don't have to admit it, sir. You don't have to pay a penny, and you can get a 10% share for free."

Cui Xian looked at him angrily. Is he that kind of person? A gentleman is open and honest, and he will accept defeat if he loses.

He held back his anger and handed the deed to the lawyer. "Go to my home in this county and transfer 500 taels of silver from my private account to Rong Shizi. Don't tell my wife for the time being."

Such an unequal investment would make people laugh, but Cui Xian also had to save his face.

The lawyer consoled him, "Look at the shop's accounts. If you manage it well, it can make money. It can earn about three hundred taels a year, and you can get thirty taels. You can make back your investment in just eight months out of sixteen years."

The more you comfort someone, the angrier they get, right?

Meanwhile, the four men who had returned to the shop were talking as they cleaned up. Rong Tang suddenly sighed, "A gentleman is open and honest, while a villain is always worried. Cui Xian dared to bet with me because he had chosen the first or second option for Shopkeeper Xu. He doesn't believe that any son, husband, or father would push his entire family into the fire just to save his own life."

Rong Wanli said, "But we weren't there, so how can we be sure he wouldn't lie?"

"As I said, a gentleman is open and honest. If he were a villain, he wouldn't have bet with me. His willingness to bet proves that he is a gentleman. He took one look at this pit and jumped into it."

Rong Wanli was still a little unconvinced, "What if the master is wrong and Manager Xu really chooses the first or second path?"