Chapter Sixteen: All Accounts Settled

“Lin Guchong, how many account books have you cross-checked for the Right Battalion of the Five Armies Camp?”
Lin Guchong stepped forward. “All one hundred and sixty-two account books have been checked and bound into a separate volume.”

At Lin Guchong’s report, a murmur rippled through the crowd. One hundred and sixty-two books—a staggering workload, rivaling that of Xie Yi, the most capable under Chen Gaowen’s command. No one had expected that Lin Guchong and Wang Rui, usually so unremarkable, could, together with a few junior clerks, perform so outstandingly—nearly matching Xie Yi’s standard.

Even Chen Gaowen cast a surprised glance at Lin Guchong. He had been planning to give these dissenters a hard time, yet it turned out Lin Guchong and Wang Rui were not lacking in ability.

As all eyes turned toward them, Lin Guchong and Wang Rui squinted in pleased smiles, their faces radiating satisfaction. With a sidelong glance at Zhu Cilang, their expression said everything—everyone understood, and suddenly all attention shifted to Zhu Cilang.

Chen Gaowen’s lips twisted into a rare smile as he gazed at Zhu Cilang, his eyes full of meaning.

Lin Guchong muttered quietly to Wang Rui, “Miss a single account book, and you’ll get two heavy beatings. With two hundred books to check, at least a hundred are bound to be unfinished. Even if the rule caps the punishment at thirty strokes to prevent death, under the hands of the yamen thugs, Qin Xia will be crippled for life.”

Wang Rui continued in a low voice, “Then Chen Gaowen will have the perfect excuse to remove him from the Ministry of Revenue for incompetence—and give the vacant post to one of his confidants.”

They were all too familiar with this method. Countless proud and headstrong individuals had been destroyed in this way, their lives ruined.

Thinking of Zhu Cilang’s previous bold words, Lin Guchong and Wang Rui both felt a surge of satisfaction.

Sure enough, Chen Gaowen called out, “Qin Xia, how many account books for the Left and Right Battalions of the Five Armies Camp have you checked?”

Silence fell at once.

Zhu Cilang stepped forward, standing tall and upright, composed yet unyielding, determination shining in his eyes. His voice rang out clear and firm, “Reporting, sir: I have cross-checked two hundred and nineteen account books for the Left and Right Battalions of the Capital Garrison. All are complete—”

As he spoke, every gaze in the hall focused intently on him.

Lin Guchong and Wang Rui clenched their fists in fury, their smiles turning to grim sneers.

“All two hundred and nineteen account books have been checked and bound into a separate volume. I request your review and verification.” Zhu Cilang’s words were distinct and official, so clear that no one could misunderstand.

Yet, when he finished, a stunned silence gripped the room. Everyone stared at Zhu Cilang as if they had misheard.

Suddenly, Wang Rui leapt forward, pointing an accusing finger as he roared, “Qin Xia, you’ve got nerve! How dare you lie so brazenly! My team of six worked nonstop for ten days to finish just one hundred and sixty-two account books from the provincial warehouses. You claim to have finished two hundred and nineteen by yourself? Such audacity! Before all your colleagues, you dare to lie!”

Lin Guchong, breathing heavily, glared at Zhu Cilang, incredulous. “Don’t think we’re fools. This task is of the utmost importance to the Grand Minister of Finance. You dare to deceive? Do you think the Ministry of Revenue lacks the means or will to punish you? Be aware: for deception, the lightest penalty is dismissal; the harshest, imprisonment and years of hard labor!”

Zhu Cilang met their eyes calmly—Wang Rui, Lin Guchong, and all the watching officials—and replied indifferently, “If the work is done, it is done, and there’s no denying it. The fact that you can’t finish doesn’t mean no one else can. Your own incompetence doesn’t mean the whole world is as incapable as you are.”

Wang Rui nearly lunged at Zhu Cilang in rage.

Lin Guchong grabbed the impulsive Wang Rui, both men’s faces burning with shame. Zhu Cilang’s scorn stung, but what unsettled Lin Guchong even more was the hint of something amiss—a sense that he had overlooked something crucial, something that would spell disaster for him.

“Over two hundred account books? Impossible!” Wang Rui growled under his breath.

But aside from Lin Guchong and Wang Rui’s outburst, the rest had fallen utterly silent—save for the sound of breathing, not a word was spoken. Xie Yi’s sweeping gaze kept them in check; even those who might have sided with Lin Guchong held their tongues.

Clearly, Xie Yi had caught on.

Lin Guchong, regaining a shred of composure, forced down his anger and said, “No one here is a fool. If you dare to lie, Qin Xia, you’d better be ready to pay the price. Failing the task brings a beating, but deceiving your superiors—falsifying records—means being expelled from the ministry and thrown into prison!”

At these words, the way the others looked at Zhu Cilang changed.

Zhu Cilang merely smiled, said nothing, and bowed to Chen Gaowen. “Here are the two hundred and nineteen account books. If there’s any doubt as to their authenticity, sir, please inspect them.”

Xie Yi’s eyes glittered as he fixed his gaze on Zhu Cilang—a flash of realization crossing his face.

Again, a rare smile broke over Chen Gaowen as he approached Zhu Cilang’s cart.

The others stepped back to clear the way. Unlike the rest, Lin Guchong and Wang Rui edged closer, craning to see as Chen Gaowen examined the books.

Chen Gaowen began his review, opening the account books one by one. He read through the first few carefully, page by page. Soon, as he progressed, his inspection became cursory, only glancing through. Though two hundred and nineteen books was a large number, it was not necessary to scrutinize each one. With years of experience, Chen Gaowen could judge the quality of the work by checking a few key figures and quickly calculating the totals in his head. After examining three books closely, his pace quickened; by the seventeenth book, he was smiling, casting a sidelong glance at Zhu Cilang, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction. For the remaining hundreds, he merely sampled a few at random before moving on, even more pleased than after Xie Yi’s report.

Chen Gaowen’s check was swift, but others continued flipping through the books. Like him, they glanced through a few pages and considered each book reviewed.

But to the rest of the officials, no one expected Lin Guchong and Wang Rui to discover any error just by skimming. Yet, as if possessed, the two pored over each book as quickly as possible. When the last page was turned, Lin Guchong, who understood immediately, collapsed in defeat, his face stiffening and flushing until even his neck was red and swollen. Clutching his embroidered robe, he hung his head to hide his burning cheeks and reddened eyes.

Wang Rui, meanwhile, held on with forced composure, glaring at Chen Gaowen, breathing heavily, lips trembling as if trying to muster some shocking retort.