Chapter 134 Could it be that Jiang Yu is doing something big?
Jiang Yu looked at the evidence she had compiled and sighed. The worst thing about falsified financial data is the ability to compare it horizontally and vertically. No matter how well your data is presented, or how perfectly the books appear, a comparison will always reveal flaws.
Fake is fake; when compared to real data, there will always be some discrepancies. Investigating along these discrepancies makes it easy to catch the big fish. This is what a friend of Jiang Yu's from her previous life, who worked in auditing, told her.
"Miss," Xia He said softly as she entered, "Butler Li has arrived."
Jiang Yu hummed in agreement, assuming the results had been found. It wasn't a particularly secretive matter to begin with, so it shouldn't have been difficult to investigate. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Should we have him come over?"
Xia He left and soon returned with Li Zhong. After bowing, Li Zhong said, "Madam asked this old servant to investigate the young master's expenses these days. This old servant has found out everything, but... I dare not report to the young master's wife."
Jiang Yu thought to herself that he was indeed a housekeeper; most people wouldn't come up with such a reason. Jiang Chengye had long since lost his reputation, so by using him as an excuse, she could occasionally ask for leave to go home and deal with her parents' "arguments."
Jiang Yu's expression darkened. "What has Father done now?"
Li Zhong looked like he had something on his mind and couldn't say it in public. Jiang Yu stood up helplessly and went to the Minister of Revenue's study. When she arrived, she said with a troubled expression, "I have some matters to attend to at home."
Minister of Revenue Tang Boyang was silent for a moment, then said, "Go."
Jiang Yu thanked him and left. Tang Boyang frowned and thought for a moment before calling over his attendant and instructing him, "Summon Li Zhengze."
After the attendant left, Li Zhengze arrived shortly after. He gave a respectful bow, and then Tang Boyang asked, "Jiang Yu said he has some family matters to attend to. Do you know what it is?"
Li Zhengze wore a "So you're quite gossipy too" expression on his face and said, "I vaguely heard her steward say that the wife of the Duke of Chu's heir asked the steward to investigate the Duke of Chu's heir's expenses, and it seems that some problems were found. The steward didn't say what the problems were."
Tang Boyang hummed in agreement, "I was just asking because I was worried she might be facing some difficult situation."
Li Zheng nodded. Although he was a playboy, the Marquis of Jinyang had told him about the intricate relationships between the officials in the Ministry of Revenue many times.
Before Jiang Yu took office, his father, the Marquis of Jinyang, told him, "Jiang Yu was originally going to enter the Ministry of Personnel, but through a power struggle, he ended up in the Ministry of Revenue. Therefore, Jiang Yu will not have a smooth time in the Ministry of Revenue. You should not get involved in their struggles. Their struggles have nothing to do with you, nor with our Marquis of Jinyang's mansion."
Therefore, Li Zhengze wouldn't believe Tang Boyang's high-sounding words. However, because of Tang Boyang's concern for Jiang Yu, he suddenly felt that Jiang Yu's daily review of official documents over the past six months wasn't just killing time and accumulating seniority, but rather that she was doing something important?
He had always assumed that Jiang Yu's path was similar to his own. He would spend a few years in the Ministry of Revenue, and then, with the help of the Duke of Chu, get promoted. However, Jiang Yu was better at studying than him, and he even solved questions that were more difficult than the imperial examinations, so he started with a higher position than him.
But now he had some doubts. Could it be that Jiang Yu was up to something big?
Li Zhengze returned to the bookcase and walked in front of the rows of bookshelves, looking at the files on them. He thought he might be overthinking things. These files and documents had all been signed at each level; what could be wrong with them?
Moreover, if problems could be found simply by looking at these official documents, why would Tang Boyang have assigned Jiang Yu to the cabinet warehouse?
"I must be overthinking it." Li Zheng shook his head, swayed as he left the storeroom, and sat on the railing under the eaves.
He then said to himself, "Besides, what does it have to do with me what Jiang Yu found in the storeroom?"
Thinking of this, he leaned against a pillar, dangling his legs and gazing at the sky. Life was so boring! Sometimes he thought that being this damned heir wasn't a good thing. If he weren't the heir, he wouldn't have to bear the responsibilities of the family, and he could do whatever he wanted.
"Sigh!" He sighed heavily.
After Jiang Yu returned to the Duke of Chu's mansion with Li Zhong and Xia He, Li Zhong reported, "The company that manufactures military supplies such as spears, armor, and saddles for the Ministry of War is a place called Huifeng Ironworks. The owner of Huifeng Ironworks is a man named Hong Yong. We haven't found out his detailed information yet, but what we do know is that he is not from the capital."
After listening, Jiang Yu frowned slightly and pondered for a while before asking, "When did HSBC Ironware Shop open?"
Li Zhong: "It has been two years, since the emperor decided to expand the army."
"After the military expansion!" Jiang Yu murmured.
This means that HSBC Ironware Workshop was established specifically to manufacture military supplies. So, who is Hong Yong working for?
"Let's go out for a bit." Jiang Yu said, leaving the study and entering the bedroom. She had Chunxue find a set of men's clothes for her to change into, and then had Xiahe do her makeup. Suddenly, she looked completely different from before.
When her business first started, Jiang Yu often had to travel, and men's clothing was more convenient, so Xia He was very skilled at drawing Jiang Yu to look more like a man.
Upon leaving the dormitory, Li Zhong was startled to see her, and then asked uncertainly, "Miss?"
Jiang Yu smiled, "It seems Xia He's cooking skills are still as good as before."
Li Zhong couldn't help but say, "The craftsmanship is indeed excellent; these days, young ladies are just like handsome young men."
Jiang Yu laughed heartily, then said, "Find two unfamiliar servants to follow me."
Li Zhong knew what he was going to do as soon as he heard it, and had no intention of persuading or stopping him. He now completely regarded Jiang Yu as his master, rather than a young master who needed his help.
"This old servant will transfer two men from the secret guards to accompany you whenever you go out dressed like this," Li Zhong said.
Jiang Yu nodded, "You can arrange it."
"Yes." Li Zhong withdrew, and a quarter of an hour later returned with two servants. Jiang Yu looked at the two men carefully, and could only describe them with two words—ordinary.
They were really ordinary, so ordinary that they would be easily lost in a crowd, or someone with a bad memory might forget their faces after just one meeting. But that's probably one of the characteristics of bodyguards.
"What are your names?" Jiang Yu asked.
"Please bestow a name upon me, Miss," one of the guards said.
Jiang Yu thought for a moment, then pointed to the guard who had spoken earlier and said, "You shall be called Shou'an."
She pointed to another guard and said, "Your name is Cheng Fu."
Jiang Yu, accompanied by two bodyguards, exited through a secret passage in the Duke of Chu's mansion and rode towards Huifeng Ironware Shop. Huifeng Ironware Shop was located in the southern part of the city, and it took the three of them more than two quarters of an hour to arrive on horseback.
Upon arriving nearby, Jiang Yu instructed Shou'an to find a place to settle the horses, intending to slowly make their way over. However, after taking only a few steps, a man in black blocked their path and whispered, "Prince An requests your presence."
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