Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Shen Lang opened a ledger and began flipping through it rapidly. He wasn't just reading; he was capturing and scanning the pages, automatically extracting the data into a spreadsheet in his mind. Back when he had memorized the *Jin Clan's Family Maxims*, Shen Lang was still clumsy with his mental computer, taking a full thirty seconds to capture and scan a single page. Now, it took him a mere ten seconds.
Old Master Lin, watching Shen Lang flip through the ledgers with such incredible speed, was completely dumbfounded. At that pace, he could only be catching a few characters at most. Analyzing and calculating the figures within the ledgers would be utterly impossible.
*Sigh, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up in the first place.*
Old Master Lin couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation, yet he continued to work diligently without a hint of laziness, pulling out key ledgers from the mountain of books and placing them before Shen Lang. He no longer dwelled on whether Shen Lang could uncover He Wensu's corruption, focusing only on finishing his own task, a flicker of hope all but extinguished in his heart. After a full five hours, Old Master Lin had placed all thirty-five key ledgers in front of Shen Lang.
"Young Master Shen, I have finished the task you assigned me. There may be a few minor omissions, but all the most important ledgers are here."
"Thank you, Old Master. It is already late. You should go and rest."
"Is there nothing else you need of me?"
"No, that is all. Please, go and rest."
Old Master Lin glanced at Shen Lang, who was still flipping through the pages at an astonishing rate. He wanted to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.
*Do your best, and leave the rest to fate!*
The old man deeply regretted that this opportunity to catch the parasite He Wensu would likely come to nothing. He had reported He Wensu's suspected embezzlement to the Count before, but his lordship was overly magnanimous and had always brushed it aside.
*Let's investigate this later. For now, it is more important to foster unity within the estate. I believe that while He Wensu has his flaws, his loyalty to the estate remains unwavering.*
After the Count had said that, Old Master Lin could not press the matter further. To continue without proof would have made him seem like a jealous colleague trying to disrupt the harmony of the estate. The old master had resolved to leave the Count a letter written in his own blood when he passed away. Surely, a message of such gravity would make the Count wary of He Wensu and take his words seriously.
"Then I shall take my leave."
Old Master Lin held not a shred of hope for Shen Lang's investigation tonight.
"Take care, Old Master."
Shen Lang continued to flip through the ledgers, his pace growing ever faster as he became more proficient with his mental computer. Another hour passed. He had finally gone through all several dozen of the important ledgers, extracting every figure into his mind and creating a detailed spreadsheet. All that remained was for the computer to run the calculations, find the discrepancies in the books, and determine just how much gold this parasite, He Wensu, had siphoned from the estate over the past twenty years.
One might think that for a modern accountant, creating a fake set of books is child's play, but even they cannot create a ledger without flaws. For a rudimentary accountant like He Wensu, it was even more of a certainty. Calculating the figures extracted from the books normally, even with an abacus, would have taken at least a month or two. But with a computer, even the most complex calculations were finished in an instant.
As his mind's computer performed the rapid calculations, Shen Lang took a brush and paper, drawing out tables line by line, clearly recording the calculated figures within them. This way, even a layman like the Count could understand the flow of the accounts at a single glance. One by one, the tables took shape under Shen Lang's brush.
He Wensu's fraudulent ledgers began to reveal their secrets. With each figure that was clearly written on the paper, Shen Lang himself was stunned into a stupor. He had expected He Wensu to have embezzled a great deal, but... he had never imagined the sum would be this devastatingly large!
* * *
Just as the sky began to lighten, the gates of the Count's estate opened. Dozens of people, horses, and carriages departed. They were all members of the estate's household, so they were not stopped. One among them hurried toward He Wensu's residence.
"Master He Wensu, it's terrible! Young Master Shen and Old Master Lin suddenly came to the Accounts Office last night. Old Master Lin left around the Hour of the Tiger, but Shen Lang is still inside. They must be investigating the ledgers to retaliate against you!" the messenger reported, panting for breath.
He Wensu was momentarily stunned, but then he burst out laughing. "Hahaha!"
"Ignorance truly knows no fear. What does that whelp have to be afraid of? He dares to investigate my ledgers? My books are crafted to be flawless; not a single issue has been found in over twenty years. Besides, how much time does Shen Lang have? He could stare at them for half a month and find nothing. It would take him a month just to look through the thousands of ledgers by himself. Finding a discrepancy in one night? He must be dreaming."
He Wensu said with a triumphant air.
"Besides, he's out of time. He's about to be finished."
He knew Tian Heng would not let Shen Lang off the hook. He had said he had a fatal blow that would kill Shen Lang in one strike; it was sure to cause immense damage.
*Shen Lang, I was just about to get rid of you, and you walked right into my hands... All the better. Now I have a legitimate reason to slander you.*
He knew the Count well. His lordship was kind and generous, and always careful to preserve the dignity of his household members. Once He Wensu appeared at the estate, specifically in the Accounts Office, the Count would surely order Shen Lang to stop his investigation and leave.
Right now, with the new political situation in the State of Yue heating up, the Count valued internal unity above all else. If Shen Lang failed to find anything this time, he would lose the Count's trust. If He Wensu then made a fuss, the Count would have to discipline Shen Lang just to appease him. Once Shen Lang was in hot water, He Wensu could coordinate his attack with Tian Heng and crush him completely.
"Back to the estate! How dare a boy who still smells of his mother's milk challenge me? He's asking for death!"
* * *
Upon entering the estate, He Wensu, his eyes red, knelt stiffly before the Count. He sobbed and asked.
"My lord, do you not trust me?"
"That is not it."
"Just now, as I passed the Accounts Office, I saw Young Master Shen inside. Do you not trust me, and that is why you are having him investigate the ledgers I prepared?"
He Wensu's words tumbled out like a string of firecrackers.
"I may have my flaws, but my loyalty to you, my lord, and to the Jin Clan is absolute! In the past twenty-some years, there has not been a single day when I was not completely devoted."
He Wensu pressed his forehead to the ground until it bled.
"Look at me! I am but fifty years of age, yet my hair and beard have turned completely white from pouring all my heart and energy into my work. And yet, my lord, because of the careless words of a greenhorn, you doubt this old servant who has been loyal for over two decades... What meaning is there for me to go on living?"
With that, He Wensu immediately scrambled toward a wall, intending to smash his head against it.
Seeing He Wensu about to ram his head into the wall, the Count rushed forward to stop him.
"You mustn't!"
He Wensu seized the opportunity to clutch the Count's legs, his eyes blazing.
"My lord, I entered the estate in my teens and grew up here, serving since the time of the previous master. Throughout this entire estate, there is no one more fiercely loyal than I. If I could, I would tear out my own heart to show you my sincerity!"
As he spoke, He Wensu beat his chest and stomped his feet. His meaning was crystal clear: *I, He Wensu, am so loyal, yet you treat me this way. My lord, how can you not trust your own people?*
The Count spoke in a gentle voice, "Rise, rise... Wensu, of course I believe you are loyal to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate."
He Wensu remained kneeling on the floor, wailing, showing no intention of getting up. The Count knew what he wanted.
"Someone, go to the Accounts Office and tell Shen Lang to stop what he is doing and come out."
He Wensu still did not rise. He clung to the Count's legs and shouted, "My lord, if you suspect me of disloyalty, if you suspect I have done something to betray the estate, then send men to search my home. That will make things clear."
The Count frowned. It had now come to talk of searching his home. How could everyone in the estate not be disheartened by this situation? At that moment, he felt even more regretful and said, "Go quickly, and bring Shen Lang to me at once."
"Yes!"
Another servant hurried off to the Accounts Office. Only then did He Wensu rise from the floor, satisfied. The Count was inwardly displeased but had no choice but to offer him words of comfort. He Wensu appeared to be shedding tears of gratitude, but inside, he was gloating.
*Shen Lang, you ignorant fool, you dare to fight me?*
He Wensu knew the Count's temperament all too well. He was intelligent but not ruthless, and he preferred to plan things out slowly. The Count possessed the elegance and magnanimity of a nobleman and knew how to preserve the dignity of his subordinates. He would rarely turn on them in front of everyone unless absolutely necessary.
* * *
Bang!
The door to the Accounts Office was thrown open. A middle-aged steward entered with four servants, his eyes flashing with hostility and triumph as he looked at Shen Lang. The middle-aged steward thought to himself.
*Hmph, so what if you're the Count's son-in-law? You're just a live-in son-in-law. You think you're more important than our master? You're just asking for humiliation.*
Despite his inner thoughts, he maintained a very respectful demeanor, bowing low as he said, "Young Master, the Count has ordered you to cease all activity and leave the Accounts Office."
Shen Lang's eyes snapped open, and he glanced outside.
*Has the sun risen? Time flies. The sun came up before I even realized it.*
Seeing this, the middle-aged steward found Shen Lang even more pathetic.
*The Young Master truly is an eccentric. He couldn't even finish one ledger in a single night, yet he dared to conduct an investigation. His foolishness is almost pitiful. To investigate the ledgers, you'd need at least a few dozen professional accountants working for a month or two to find anything.*
Just then, the second servant sent by the Count rushed in and announced loudly, "Young Master, the Count commands you to come to the main hall at once and apologize to Master He Wensu."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the Accounts Office grew even more smug. They were all stewards and clerks who worked there, and they were all in the same boat as He Wensu. Shen Lang nodded and said, "Very well. I'll go at once."
Shen Lang tucked a thick stack of white paper into his robes and headed for the main hall. The middle-aged steward wanted to snatch the papers from Shen Lang's robes and examine them, but he only thought about it, lacking the courage to act. Besides, what could Shen Lang possibly have found in a single night...? There was no need to worry.
* * *
Inside the main hall. The Count sat in the host's seat, while He Wensu sat in a lower seat to the left. He Wensu was internally pondering the existence and method of the fatal blow Tian Heng had told him about for dealing with Shen Lang. According to his original plan, he was going to slander Shen Lang after he had apologized, but he couldn't wait that long.
"My Lord Count, there is something I wish to report to you, but I am unsure if I should speak."
"Speak."
"I have heard a rumor circulating in Xuanwu City that Shen Lang is only pretending to be simple-minded, but is in fact extremely intelligent. I fear his past pretense of being a foolish and incompetent person was because he harbored some scheme in his heart."
Hearing this, the Count's mood soured, and he immediately frowned. Although he often put on a stern face and lectured Shen Lang for his actions, it all stemmed from a place of affection. The Count was a man of upright and conservative character, but deep down, he didn't dislike Shen Lang's freewheeling nature. He felt that Shen Lang possessed something he himself lacked.