Chapter 33 The Mystery of the Ledgers
After seeing off Madam Qin, who was seething with resentment, the flower hall returned to silence. The composure she had displayed earlier gradually faded, and Su Wanrou picked up the now slightly cool teacup, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Yunbin quickly stepped forward and brewed hot tea again, saying in a low voice, "Madam, are you alright? That Second Madam Qin is so unreasonable; she's clearly here on purpose to cause trouble."
Su Wanrou shook her head, took a sip of hot tea, and felt a slight relief as the warm liquid slid down her throat. "It's alright, as expected." She put down her teacup, her gaze falling on the bright sunlight outside the window, but her heart felt heavy. Although Madam Qin the Second had been turned away today, the Qin family's interference in the Duke's mansion's internal affairs was now blatantly obvious, and similar troubles would likely be frequent in the future.
This was just the first small hurdle she faced after officially taking charge of the team.
“Madam,” Gu Zhong, who had been quietly waiting outside the hall, bowed as he entered, “this old servant has compiled the main account books of the household for the past few years. Shall I present them to you for your review now?”
Su Wanrou composed herself and nodded: "Thank you, Uncle Zhong, please bring it in."
Gu Zhong responded with a "Yes," and turned to gesture. Several servants carried in three heavy mahogany chests and gently placed them in the center of the flower hall. The chests were opened, revealing neatly stacked account books bound with blue cloth, and a musty smell of old ink and dust filled the air.
Looking at the three large boxes of account books, Yunbin and Yuebai were both secretly astonished. Su Wanrou, however, remained calm and said to Gu Zhong, "Uncle Zhong, I am young and not very familiar with the old customs of the manor. I will need your guidance in the future. Please find out the general accounts for recent years and the details of several major expenditures so I can take a look."
"Yes, Madam." Gu Zhong obeyed, skillfully picking out seven or eight exceptionally thick account books from the box and presenting them with both hands. "These are the general accounts for the past five years, as well as details of major expenditures such as repairs to the manor, harvests from the estates, and social obligations. If Madam has any questions, please feel free to call this old servant."
"Okay, I understand. You may all leave now. I'll take a look myself." Su Wanrou gestured for Yunbin to move the account books to the chaise lounge by the window.
The servants filed out, leaving only Su Wanrou in the flower hall. She walked to the couch and casually picked up the top booklet, whose cover read "Yongchang Twenty-Two Years' General Accounts." Its heavy weight reminded her of the significance of this family business.
She took a deep breath and opened the account book. Dense, tiny characters filled the page, the income and expenditure items clearly listed in a neat and orderly format, clearly indicating strict management. She calmed herself and carefully examined each page. The Duke's mansion's income mainly came from the rent of its estates and shops, as well as Gu Yangui's salary; its expenditures were vast and varied, ranging from monthly allowances for each household, servants' meals and wages, and daily purchases, to mansion repairs, festival expenses, and social obligations—a complete and complex array.
At first glance, the accounts seemed to be in good condition, and the large sums were reasonable. However, when she saw the account book for the "23rd year of Yongchang," her brows furrowed slightly. In that year, there was an expenditure of three thousand taels, listed as "purchasing furniture and furnishings for the Xishan Villa."
Xishan Villa? In Su Wanrou's memory, Gu Yangui didn't seem to visit Xishan often, and there was little mention of the villa in the mansion. She paid attention and continued flipping through the books. In the "Yongchang Twenty-Fourth Year" account book, she found another expenditure of 2,500 taels, listed as "Xishan Villa Repair".
A rarely used villa, yet over five thousand taels of silver were invested in it within two years? That amount was enough to buy a decent house in the capital. Su Wanrou's heart raced slightly; her intuition told her there might be something fishy going on. She remained calm and continued to peruse other account books, trying to find more clues.
In the detailed account of "social obligations," she noticed several fixed and substantial expenditures each year, paid to a few officials who were not particularly prominent or their families. These were mostly categorized as "festival gifts," "birthday gifts," or "ice and charcoal gifts." In the past, Su Wanrou might not have given them much thought, but considering the expenses she had just discovered at the Xishan Villa, she couldn't help but wonder if these seemingly routine social obligations also concealed some hidden agenda.
two
Over the next few days, aside from her daily chores and spending time with Mingxuan, Su Wanrou spent most of her time buried in those boxes of account books. She examined them meticulously, not only looking at the general ledger but also comparing the detailed accounts for each relevant year.
The deeper you investigate, the more doubts you find.
Besides the initial purchase of furnishings and the major renovation, the expenses for the Xishan Villa also included a fixed annual "maintenance" fee of about five hundred taels of silver. However, according to what she had learned indirectly, the Xishan Villa was not very large, and Gu Yangui rarely went there, so the daily maintenance did not require such a huge expense.
What alarmed her even more was that when she checked the inventory register of the mansion's storerooms, she discovered that some valuable ornaments and paintings purchased several years ago, such as a sandalwood screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl and a landscape painting by a famous artist from a previous dynasty, were not recorded in the current storeroom inventory. When she asked Gu Zhong, the old steward gave only vague answers, saying that some items were old, damaged, or used for other purposes, and the accounts could not be closed in time.
Damaged? Used for other purposes? Su Wanrou didn't believe it. Those were all valuable items; even if they were damaged, there should be records and procedures for handling them. How could they just disappear into thin air?
That afternoon, the weather was sweltering. Su Wanrou sat by the window, deep in thought, staring at an account book recording the income of the farms. On the surface, the account book seemed flawless, with all income and expenditure items clearly organized. However, thanks to the keen business acumen she had honed in her previous life, she noticed something unusual—the harvest figures from several farms had been almost identical for several consecutive years, accurate to the tael or qian (a unit of weight). This was virtually impossible in agriculture, which depended entirely on the weather.
"Yunbin," she called softly, "go and ask Uncle Zhong to come over. Tell him I have some old stories about the estate that I'd like to ask him."
"Yes, madam."
A short while later, Gu Zhong arrived, still with that respectful and composed demeanor: "What are your orders, Madam?"
Su Wanrou pushed the account book in her hand over, pointing to the few places where the harvest figures had remained almost unchanged, and said in a gentle tone as if she had mentioned it casually: "Uncle Zhong, you see, these farms have had the same harvest for three or four years in a row, which is quite strange. But are all the farms in our manor so blessed with good weather and stable harvests?"
Gu Zhong glanced at the numbers, his expression unchanged, and bowed as he replied, "Replying to Madam, these estates are all top-quality irrigated land, and the tenants are all honest and hardworking old men, so the harvest has always been reliable. There are slight fluctuations, and for the sake of convenience when keeping accounts, there is rounding, so the amounts appear to be similar."
“Oh? Rounding?” Su Wanrou repeated softly, tapping her fingertip on the almost identical number. “Three years in a row, not a penny off. This ‘rounding’ is quite a coincidence.” Her voice remained gentle, yet carried an undeniable scrutiny.
Gu Zhong lowered his head and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Perhaps the people below made a mistake in keeping the accounts. Madam, please investigate carefully. This old servant will definitely have them check carefully and report again."
“Negligence?” Su Wanrou raised her eyes, her gaze clear and sharp as it landed on Gu Zhong’s face. She stopped beating around the bush. “Uncle Zhong, you are a senior member of the household. My late sister relied on you, and the Duke entrusted you with the affairs of the household. I am young and don’t understand many things, so I still need to rely on you a lot. But some things, if it’s just negligence on the part of subordinates, can be investigated and punished. But if…” She paused, her tone turning serious, “if it’s a long-standing problem, or even someone profiting from it, damaging the foundation of the Duke’s household, then that’s no small matter. Uncle Zhong, what do you say?”
Gu Zhong's back seemed even more hunched than before, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead in the sweltering air. He knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Madam, please be wise! This old servant... this old servant is utterly loyal to the Duke's Mansion and to the Duke, with absolutely no disloyalty! If there are problems with the accounts in the manor, it must be due to the subordinates deceiving their superiors and concealing the truth, and this old servant has failed to investigate! Please, Madam, give this old servant some time, and this old servant will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Looking at the old man kneeling before her, Su Wanrou felt little pleasure, but rather a heavy heart. Gu Zhong was a senior member of the household, holding a position of extraordinary status; even Gu Yangui treated him with deference. If the accounting issues were truly related to him, or if he knew about them but deliberately concealed them, then the implications would likely be far deeper. Her pointing this out today was both a warning and an opportunity for him.
"Uncle Zhong, please rise." Su Wanrou offered a slight gesture of support. "It's not that I suspect you. It's just that now that I've taken over the family affairs and discovered the suspicious points, I can't turn a blind eye. Otherwise, how will I explain it to the Duke in the future? And how can I face the rules that my late sister painstakingly established?"
By bringing up "the late elder sister" and "the Duke," she was both indicating that she was not deliberately causing trouble and emphasizing the importance of the matter.
Gu Zhong stood up, his face pale, and repeatedly said, "What you say is absolutely right, Madam! It was this old servant who was confused! This old servant will go and investigate immediately and give you the truth!"
“Hmm,” Su Wanrou nodded, her tone softening, “There’s no need to make a big fuss. Just investigate discreetly to avoid alerting them and causing unrest in the manor. Especially… the West Mountain Villa, which has had considerable expenses in previous years, needs to be carefully investigated as well.”
Upon hearing the words "West Mountain Villa," Gu Zhong's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. Although he quickly recovered, it did not escape Su Wanrou's notice. He bowed his head and replied, "Yes, this old servant understands."
three
After Gu Zhong left, Su Wanrou sat alone by the window, her mood far from relaxed. The suspicion surrounding the account books hung heavy in her mind like a thick fog. She was almost certain that there were significant problems with the Duke's mansion's accounts, potentially involving inflated income from the estates, excessively high purchase prices, and even asset losses. Gu Zhong's reaction further convinced her that even if he wasn't the mastermind, he was definitely one of the insiders.
Would he try to cover it up? Or would he investigate the truth? Su Wanrou wasn't sure. Gu Zhong had been deeply entrenched in the Duke's mansion for many years. If he intended to conceal the truth, it would be incredibly difficult for her, a newcomer and mistress, to find out the truth.
However, if she were to give up now and pretend not to know, not only would she be betraying Gu Yangui's trust, but these long-standing problems would be like a malignant tumor, constantly eroding the foundation of the Duke's mansion. Moreover, she had already alerted the enemy today; if she couldn't take this opportunity to remove the festering sore, it would surely become a major threat in the future.
She needs help. Someone outside the mansion, someone she can trust, and someone capable of secretly investigating.
After pondering for a long time, Su Wanrou spread out the letter paper, picked up her brush, and dipped it in ink. She wrote quickly, her handwriting delicate yet revealing a resolute determination. After finishing, she sealed the letter with sealing wax and summoned Yunbin.
"Yunbin, go back to the Yongchang Marquis's residence yourself and deliver this letter to my mother. Remember, it must be delivered personally; do not let anyone else handle it," Su Wanrou instructed solemnly. Her letter did not explicitly address the accounting issues, only stating that she was new to managing the household and had encountered some difficulties. She wished to ask her mother to help find a reliable and experienced accountant to lend to her for a period of time. Although the Yongchang Marquis's residence had declined, her mother came from a prominent merchant family, and her dowry included several capable former associates.
Seeing the lady's serious expression, Yunbin knew that the matter was of great importance. She solemnly took the letter and hid it close to her body, saying, "Don't worry, Madam, I will definitely handle it well."
After seeing Yunbin off, Su Wanrou's heart remained uneasy. She walked to the veranda, looking at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, wilted and drooping under the scorching sun, her mind a jumble of emotions. She'd only been in charge for a few days, and she'd already stirred up such a huge hornet's nest. What would Gu Yangui think if he found out? Would he think she was meddling, or…?
"Mother! Mother!" Mingxuan's clear voice interrupted her thoughts. The little guy came home from school and ran over like a happy little bird, throwing himself into her arms, holding up a small windmill in his hand. "Look! The teacher praised my handwriting and gave it to me!"
Su Wanrou quickly wiped the worry from her face, replaced it with a gentle smile, and knelt down to take the windmill: "Really? Our Xuan'er is so amazing!" She stroked the child's head, looking at his innocent smile, and a strong protective instinct suddenly welled up inside her. This home belonged to Gu Yangui and Mingxuan, and it was also her home now. She absolutely couldn't stand by and watch it be eaten away!
Four
Over the next few days, the mansion appeared calm on the surface, but an uneasy atmosphere seemed to be brewing beneath the surface.
Gu Zhong claimed illness and took two days off, not showing up. Su Wanrou handled her household chores as usual, not mentioning the accounts at all, but secretly she paid closer attention to what was happening around her. She noticed that the money manager in charge of the department seemed somewhat uneasy, making several minor mistakes in his replies. The prices of ingredients reported by the kitchen purchasing department were also much more "reasonable" than in the previous days.
Aunt Zhou had quieted down somewhat, perhaps because news of Madam Qin's setback had reached her ears. But Su Wanrou occasionally caught a glimpse of resentment and a hint of... faint expectation in her eyes during her greetings. What was she expecting? Was she expecting Su Wanrou to uncover the problem and then be unable to extricate herself? Or was she expecting Su Wanrou to find nothing and end up humiliated?
Su Wanrou sneered inwardly. No matter what these people were planning, she would not give up halfway once she had taken action.
On the third day, Gu Zhong finally returned. He looked somewhat haggard, but his eyes were calmer than before, even carrying a sense of relief and determination.
When he requested an audience with Su Wanrou, he dismissed his attendants, then took out a thin, blank booklet from his bosom, presented it with both hands, and said in a hoarse and heavy voice: "Madam, this old servant... has failed the trust of the Duke and the late Madam, and deserves to die! This is some... factual information that this old servant has secretly investigated and recorded these past few days. Please take a look, Madam."
Su Wanrou was startled and took the booklet. The booklet wasn't thick, but its contents were shocking! Several points were clearly listed inside:
The actual expenditure of Xishan Villa was less than 30% of the accounts. Most of the remaining funds were embezzled by Zhao An, a distant cousin of the late Madam Qin and the current manager of the villa, in collusion with Manager Qian and others. Some of the funds were also used to bribe people related to the Qin family.
Some estate managers have long been falsifying expenditures and concealing income, colluding with the accountants to falsify accounts and deceive their superiors.
Several valuable items in the storeroom are indeed missing, suspected to be related to a married nanny who served the late Madam Qin.
Some of the so-called "social obligations" expenditures contained inaccuracies in both the recipients and amounts, and the flow of funds was questionable.
Each entry was accompanied by brief clues or testimonies from informants. While not exhaustive, it was enough to outline a corrupt network that had entrenched itself within the Duke's mansion for years! And this network seemed to have intricate connections to the late Madam Qin!
Su Wanrou's palms turned icy cold. She knew there was a problem, but she hadn't expected it to be so serious or so deeply involved! Especially since it involved her late wife, Madam Qin… How was she supposed to handle this? A slight misstep could not only offend the Qin family but also lead to misunderstandings from Gu Yangui—after all, Madam Qin was his first wife!
She closed the booklet and remained silent for a long time, her heart filled with turmoil.
Gu Zhong knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face: "Madam, this old servant... this old servant is not entirely unaware of the situation, but... after the late Madam passed away, there was no one in charge of the household, and the Duke was busy with court and military affairs. This old servant... this old servant was confused for a moment, thinking that it was better to avoid trouble, fearing that if things got out of hand, it would damage the late Madam's reputation and cause the Duke trouble, so... so I dared not report it for a long time! This old servant is guilty! Please punish me, Madam!"
Su Wanrou looked at the old man kneeling and begging for forgiveness, her feelings a mix of emotions. He had indeed been negligent, even bordering on leniency. But in the end, he chose to confess to her and hand over this crucial booklet. Was it due to pressure? Or a pang of conscience? Or perhaps, he had seen the situation clearly and decided to abandon his evil ways?
Regardless, he took this step and gave her a breakthrough.
“Uncle Zhong, please get up.” Su Wanrou’s voice was a little hoarse. “This matter is of great importance and involves many aspects. It is not something that you and I can decide on our own.”
She stood up, walked to the window, gazed at the darkening sky, and took a deep breath. Now, she couldn't handle this alone. She had to tell Gu Yangui.
But how could he bring it up in a way that would both reveal the truth and avoid embarrassing or angering him? After all, the deep-seated problems in the household had occurred right under his nose, and involved his deceased first wife.
"Prepare the sedan chair." Su Wanrou turned around and instructed the maid waiting outside the door, her voice regaining its calmness, "I need to go to the study in the front courtyard to see the Duke."
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