Chapter 660 - 662: How to Remedy?

Chapter 660: Chapter 662: How to Remedy?

Ancient Wenheng looked at him with a smile. "Mr. Liu, I’m afraid I don’t follow. If there’s a problem, it’s my duty to solve it. But this matter is beyond my authority, so naturally I have to seek a ruling from my superiors."

Seeing the furious glare in Liu Xuan’s eyes, Ancient Wenheng sighed. "Mr. Liu, you should focus on how you’re going to fix this."

For an impoverished province like Yi, several hundred thousand taels of silver was an astronomical sum.

He had just glanced at the ledgers himself. The accounting methods were truly covert. If Qianqian hadn’t specifically trained him for this kind of thing, he might not have been able to uncover it at all.

’He figured Liu must have been stalling for time, not just to make me late, but also to throw me off balance. The idea was that I’d be too flustered to immediately check ledgers that were supposedly already closed.’

’If anyone else had come to take over, they would have been completely fooled.’

’It was just Liu Xuan’s bad luck to have run into him.’

Liu Xuan was now filled with regret. ’If I had known Mr. Gu would be this troublesome,’ he thought, ’I would have been more ruthless from the start. Maybe things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.’

But now, he was more worried that with these hidden sums all dug up, his career as an official was over.

"Mr. Gu, be merciful where you can. I know these discrepancies were caused by my own carelessness. How about this? I will personally cover the entire missing amount," Liu Xuan said in a low voice, taking a step forward.

He paid no mind to the guards at the side; they were just Ancient Wenheng’s confidants.

Ancient Wenheng said, "Mr. Liu, it’s too late for that now.

The Governor might already be on his way. You should be thinking about how you’re going to explain this."

’This isn’t a good idea,’ Ancient Wenheng thought. ’If he could embezzle this much silver while serving as Inspector General, what about his previous posts?’

’If I let him off the hook now, who knows which region will suffer next.’

’If I go easy on him now and he becomes even more corrupt later, I’d be an indirect accomplice to his crimes.’

Liu Xuan’s expression soured. "Mr. Gu, are you determined to make an enemy of the Liu Family?"

Information about Liu Xuan immediately surfaced in Ancient Wenheng’s mind. The Liu Family he spoke of was a major aristocratic family in the north.

They were said to have a history spanning several hundred years, with deep and tangled roots throughout the north. Most people wouldn’t dare to cross them.

"I eat the Emperor’s grain, so I do the Emperor’s work," Ancient Wenheng said, unintimidated. "Mr. Liu, your actions have violated the Holy Emperor’s principles. You had best think about how you’re going to explain yourself."

’Everyone has a backer,’ he thought. ’I was appointed by imperial decree. Is a single aristocratic family greater than the Emperor himself?’

"Good. Very good!" Liu Xuan gritted out, then flicked his sleeve and found a seat. Even if this couldn’t be settled peacefully, he had to think of a way to minimize the damage.

Ancient Wenheng rubbed his stomach. He had been in such a rush to get here that he hadn’t had time for lunch, and his stomach was starting to protest.

’I miss my wife so much right now,’ he thought. ’If she were here with me, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this.’

Ming Zhong shot a look at a few of his comrades. Someone quickly came over to take his post. Just as Ming Zhong turned to leave, he was blocked by Liu Xuan’s guards.

"Get out of the way. Our master has been traveling hard all day and hasn’t had a single bite to eat. Can you bear the responsibility if he falls ill from hunger?"

"Mr. Gu hasn’t eaten?" Wu Haicong cried out in alarm. By now, anyone who wasn’t a complete fool knew which side to be on.

"Then we must make arrangements at once," someone else chimed in. "You’re not familiar with this area, young man. Allow me to go to a nearby restaurant and have them send over a few dishes."

Everyone was eager for the chance to curry favor with their new superior and make a good impression.

Without waiting for a refusal, the man who had just spoken walked straight past the guards and headed out.

Liu Xuan sensed the shift in allegiance and cursed inwardly. ’The tea grows cold before the guest has even left.’

Seeing the crowd fawning over Ancient Wenheng, Liu Xuan snorted, then beckoned his confidant over and whispered in his ear.

Just as the confidant was about to leave, before he even reached the door, Ming An—disguised as the coachman—blocked his path with his whip.

"Mr. Gu, what is the meaning of this?"

Ancient Wenheng replied, "Until this matter is settled, it’s best if no one leaves.

If something else were to go missing, it would be even more difficult for you to explain, Mr. Liu.

After all, you did say your men were unreliable. A little caution is always wise."

Liu Xuan was speechless. ’So that’s what he was waiting for.’

"Don’t forget, Mr. Gu, I am not your prisoner. My comings and goings do not require your permission.

Men! Throw out anyone who obstructs my orders!"

The words had barely left his mouth when his trusted men all moved on Ming An at once.

Ming Qin and the others remained by Ancient Wenheng’s side, even offering a running commentary on the fight.

Ming Si remarked, "That Ming An. He looks like he was in a hurry to grow up. With that unkempt beard, he just looks more hateable than the rest of us."

"Hah! If it weren’t for that face, the Master would never have picked him to be the coachman.

But has driving the carriage all this time made the kid lose his edge? He’s not training hard enough. Look at those moves, they seem a little rusty."

The onlookers’ mouths twitched. ’He was holding his own against multiple opponents, yet his comrades found him lacking. Just how skilled must they be?’

"Ming An, are you going to be all day?" Ming Qin called out, getting excited and rising on his tiptoes. "That whip of yours is useless in here. Want me to toss you a saber?"

Ming An used an opponent’s momentum to trip him, then used the handle of his whip to strike another man’s temple. Without missing a beat, he shot back, "A real man never says he can’t! If you’re going to watch, then watch. Don’t be a backseat driver.

I haven’t had a good fight in ages. This is just a warm-up. I’ll bring out the big guns in a minute."

Everyone was speechless. ’He’s already taken down almost all of them, and he calls that just a warm-up?’

’If he used his "big guns," who would they be for?’

As if sharing the same thought, everyone’s gaze turned toward Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan watched his useless men. In such a short time, they were already at a disadvantage.

This was one man against five. It seemed there was nothing to be gained today.

He just couldn’t understand it. How could a mere scholar from a humble background have so many expert guards?

"Mr. Gu, this is hardly the place for a brawl," Liu Xuan said coldly, but only after his last man was knocked to the ground.

Ancient Wenheng replied, "You can’t really blame my coachman. He’s just a country fellow who doesn’t know any better. It’s inevitable that his methods are a little rough."

He then glanced around the room, giving Ming An an appreciative look. "Still, he showed some restraint. He didn’t break anything. Otherwise, replacing it all would have cost even more silver."

Liu Xuan’s beaten men, already lying prone on the floor, were in no position to argue.