The shopkeepers' words did not sway Qingyan; instead, they left a vague shadow in her heart.

"Bring up all the ledgers." Qingyan directly demanded to inspect the ledgers, determined not to let outsiders interfere.

This part of the accounts should not have been tampered with. As long as she has half a month's worth of accounts as a base, she can probably guess the rest. In modern times, she had taken the CPA exam when she was bored and had done some research on account books.

"!" The accountant hurriedly went to fetch the account books for the masters. Now, the managers were in dire straits themselves, and the people below hoped to make amends.

Soon, the ledger was brought over. Qingyan looked at the records in the ledger and her face was very ugly. Her anger was stirred up. The numbers recorded in the ledger were very different from the ledger she had seen. Some numbers did not appear in the revised ledger.

She picked up a pen and sketched a few numbers in the ledger. When Yin saw them, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Normally, he despised corruption the most. If even a small place like Linglong Pavilion and Yuelai Inn could generate so much profit, how much more so in the officialdom?

The Mongol leaders came to extort money time and time again simply because they thought that Ulanara could not complain to Emperor Kangxi, since the Eight Banners members were not allowed to engage in business.

Most of those business establishments were managed by their servants.

"You guys are really bold, using your positions to seek so much profit, taking a 20% cut, and not having to pay any taxes. I'm such a sucker, I've paid your taxes for almost four years." Qingyan smiled coldly. He didn't like managing the affairs of his subordinates and had given these managers full trust, but they still did this, making Qingyan feel that all his good intentions had been wasted.

Previously, Yin had also had such concerns, but she thought he was worrying unnecessarily. The person she chose was selected by Fei Yanggu and his two sons together with Yin.

If these people have problems with their keys, how will she manage them in the future?

"Little darling, let me see the ledger!" Seto noticed that the two looked strange and quickly spoke up.

If Qingyan were to argue with Yin over such trivial matters, it would be a loss for her.

"Ah Hun, here you go!" Yin handed the account book directly to Saito. It was better for him to handle it; Xiao Guai's identity was a bit too sensitive.

Seto flipped through the ledger and saw the numbers drawn on the little monster's head. He had to admit, these people's bills were quite substantial.

"Eru, drag them out and give them twenty strokes of the cane before we talk." Seto had a fiery temper; if he saw anyone bullying Xiaoguai, he had to give them a beating first before talking about anything else.

"Young master, we really had no choice!" Upon hearing Seto's order, the shopkeepers dared not make any further moves and immediately begged for mercy.

"No other choice?!" Seto sneered.

The Linglong Pavilion here is not large in scale, and they may only earn tens of thousands of taels of silver. What if they went to other places?

Will the shopkeepers in the south embezzle even more silver?

"Eru, go." Eru was Yin's confidant after all, so he still had to give Yin face.

Yin's thin lips parted slightly, uttering four cold words.

Instantly, the shopkeepers kneeling on the ground were all frightened. They had been invited by Xiao Guai with kind words and were far from the emperor's reach. Their partners, seeing their powerful connections, dared not tremble any longer.

They usually offer a fixed price, which is much lower than other shops. To outsiders, they exaggerate the amount of money they offer as a token of respect, hoping to make more money from Qingyan.

They were the ones who actually had access to Linglong Pavilion's accounts. Looking at the funds in the accounts, they felt a strong urge to ask for more kickbacks.

They believe that Linglong Pavilion's current scale is related to their continuous efforts on the front lines. Qingyan only provided the design; the actual sales still depend on these managers.

"Don't feel unconvinced. The managers in the capital not only keep their accounts clear and detailed, but they also record every single expense and even their share of the profits," Qingyan said directly.

Of all the shops within the Qing Dynasty, only those in the capital and Jiangnan region truly put her at ease, as every single transaction, regardless of its size, was meticulously recorded.

She placed the same trust in all the shopkeepers, but they submitted responses in various forms.

In truth, she knew that many shopkeepers shared the same thought: they hoped to receive kickbacks from their employers. She always believed that "too much of a good thing can be bad," and as long as their compensation was within reasonable limits, she wouldn't say anything.

Today's reality has given her a resounding slap in the face; this ledger speaks volumes about her indulgence.

Originally, these shopkeepers were all good people; it was a moment of trust that led to the current situation.

"Master, my men have returned from ransacking the houses. Now, the men I sent out are registering the property at each of the managers' residences." Erlu went to the gate to find a guard, ready to carry out Seto's orders.

As soon as the words were spoken, the shopkeepers' faces turned extremely ugly. They still held considerable authority in the shops, and when their masters were not around, they were the ones giving orders.

Now, they are being flogged in front of everyone, which is unacceptable to them.

"Go, have everyone in the shop take a look. I can't let the termites stay," Qingyan ordered directly.

Her face turned cold, and she pursed her lips as she spoke.

“My lord, please have mercy! We’ve run Linglong Pavilion for so many years, we’ve worked hard enough, even if we haven’t done it ourselves!” the managers said directly.

A chill ran through them; all their hard work had been rendered meaningless.

Instantly, the hall fell silent, and even the craftsmen lost the face to plead for mercy.

"Heh heh!" Qingyan sneered. "This is the first time I've ever heard of servants doing good deeds for their masters!"

Her words made everyone ashamed. In order to survive, they used all sorts of reasons as excuses. Qingyan rarely treated them like servants. Over time, they lost that awareness.

Now, she suddenly said it out loud, and they were looked down upon by outsiders, always feeling that the people around them were looking at them with contempt.

"Execute!" Yin couldn't stand it anymore. Letting Xiao Guai and the servants waste time talking nonsense was simply a waste of time.

Several guards came in from outside and dragged the shopkeepers outside to be flogged.

People strolling on the street gathered around to watch as the managers of Linglong Pavilion were flogged. These people were usually superior to others, and ordinary people dared not offend them.

Their resigned attitude today surprised even themselves.

"The master of Linglong Pavilion has arrived! These people have committed a crime!" Some of the earlier arrivals were discussing among themselves. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)