bookrebus Chapter 328 Account Book 2
Chapter 328 Account Book 2
If Xiao Mo wanted to ask Hua Cailiang for the account book, he certainly couldn't do it in private, so he simply invited all the officials in the city, big and small, to the palace to discuss the matter.
In the first few things, Xiao Mo asked the officials in the city, and it seemed that he was trying to understand the daily operations of Ningchuan City.
After about two cups of tea, Xiao Mo changed the subject and looked at Hua Cailiang and said, "City Lord Hua, the king has already had a general understanding of the city's political affairs in the past few days."
"I will send someone to go back to the City Lord's Mansion with you later to bring back all the tax account books for the past three years in the city and check them one by one."
"If you want to know what a city is like, checking the account book is the most intuitive and convenient way."
As soon as Xiao Mo said this, all the officials present looked at Hua Cailiang.
What Xiao Mo said just now sounded very righteous, but what he actually meant was that he wanted to check the accounts.
Hua Cailiang, who was sitting on the left, had long anticipated that Xiao Mo would take action. He just heard him say slowly, "Your Majesty, the account books are all in the warehouse, and there are a lot of them. Please give me a few days to sort them out. I will send someone to deliver them to you immediately."
They are all thousand-year-old foxes, so how could Xiao Mo not hear that Hua Cailiang was deliberately refusing?
"If City Lord Hua is short of manpower, I have several accountants who can go back to the City Lord's Mansion with City Lord Hua to sort out the account books. We will send back as many as we can."
Ye Jintang didn't give Hua Cailiang any chance to delay. He said now that he wanted to sort out the account books. When everyone left today, Xiao Mo wanted to ask him for the account books again. He would definitely find various other reasons to delay. His only purpose was to prevent Xiao Mo from checking the accounts.
Hua Cailiang himself understood very well that no matter how good his accounts were, as long as someone was interested in checking, they would definitely find clues. Instead of bringing trouble upon himself, it would be better to nip the trouble in the bud.
"Your Majesty, you don't know that the warehouse where the City Lord's Mansion stores the account books is a strategic location. It is usually heavily guarded. It is not possible for anyone to enter just because they want to."
What he meant was that not everyone could check the account books of Ningchuan City, and that Xiao Mo and Ye Jintang were not qualified.
"It's just a few account books, but City Lord Hua actually attaches so much importance to them. It's really a bit too much."
Xiao Mo's pair of cold eyes fell on Hua Cailiang. He really didn't take him, the prince, seriously.
"I have always been very rigorous in my work, and the various account books in the city are kept very neatly, for fear that any of them would be lost."
Hua Cailiang met Xiao Mo's eyes without fear, looking fearless.
"That's great. It will be easier for me to check the accounts."
The two men looked at each other with smiles on their faces and spoke very politely, but in the eyes of other officials, their words were full of hostility and neither of them wanted to give in.
Xiao Mo picked up the teacup on the table slowly and said calmly, "I don't need anyone's consent to check the accounts of Ningchuan City. I am the supreme being in Ningchuan Province."
"City Master Hua, I will send 20 people to you now. You must immediately move all the account books of Ningchuan City for the past three years here for me. If you fail to do so, no one will be able to leave today."
Xiao Mo placed the tea bowl in his hand on the table and looked towards the door. The door curtain was opened and a team of guards in armor and holding swords rushed into the study.
His meaning was clear: if Hua Cailiang did not hand over the account book today, not only would he not be able to leave, but all the officials present would have to accompany him.
The smile on Hua Cailiang's face finally couldn't be suppressed.
The other people present were also surprised. Xiao Mo had not taken any action for such a long time, but suddenly his attitude became so tough. Was he going to take action?
"Since the prince has given such an order, I will naturally obey."
Hua Cailiang handed a token in his hand to the manager beside him and asked the manager to take people to move the account books.
When giving the token, Hua Cailiang made a barely perceptible stroke of the number ten. The manager understood and nodded, leaving.
Xiao Mo asked Shi Bin to go there in person, not because he was worried about the account books, but because he wanted him to follow him to see how to enter the warehouse of the City Lord's Mansion and how to go to the basement.
While everyone was waiting for the account books, Xiao Mo was not idle either. He asked questions one after another, making all the officials present sweat profusely. From the daily operations of Ningchuan City to the farmlands, mountains, forests, and manors outside the city, as well as the daily lives of ordinary people, no matter how big or small the matter was, Xiao Mo asked about everything he could think of.
The officials who were questioned wished that the people they sent out would bring the account books over immediately so that they could be relieved.
Half an hour later, Shi Bin finally came back with his men. All the officials in the study breathed a sigh of relief. If they were interrogated by Xiao Mo again, all their past would probably be revealed.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, a total of 26 boxes of account books were moved out. For the time being, I only looked through the top few boxes. They are indeed the account books for the past three years."
"Well, since the account book has been brought, I will not keep you all for tea."
Xiao Mo then looked at Hua Cailiang and said, "I will definitely encounter various problems when I check the account books later, and I will have to trouble City Lord Hua then."
"No problem. If there is anything that Your Majesty does not understand, please feel free to ask me. I will tell you everything I know."
Hua Cailiang almost said this while gritting his teeth. Today, in front of all the officials, Xiao Mo did this to him, just to tell everyone that he, Xiao Mo, was officially ready to take over the government affairs in Ningchuan City.
Very good, since he wants to seize power, then just come at him. Hua Cailiang is not that easy to bully.
The crowd dispersed, and Hua Cailiang and Ke Wenhai got on the carriage together.
"Brother, you wouldn't really give all the account books to Xiao Mo, would you?"
"I'm not a fool."
"Those twenty or so boxes of account books?"
"It's just a trick. The account books on the top are from the last three years, but the account books on the bottom are mixed with a lot of accounts from ten years ago. Xiao Mo wants to check the accounts, so let him check them slowly."
Hua Cailiang sneered, Xiao Mo was still a little naive to play tricks on him.
"Haha, brother, it has to be you. I was scared to death just now. If Xiao Mo really finds out something, it will be troublesome. But if it is an account book from ten years ago, haha, he will slowly check it, and it may take him a year or two to find out anything."
Ke Wenhai laughed happily. Xiao Mo wanted to control them, but that was wishful thinking.
"If we keep Xiao Mo, he will be a nuisance sooner or later. We have to think of a way to get rid of him as soon as possible."
"It's not easy, just..."
Ke Wenhai made a gesture of wiping his neck.
"It would be great if it were that easy. I heard that Xiao Mo encountered many robberies and assassinations on his way from the capital to Ningchuan City, including people sent by Imperial Noble Consort Dehui. The fact that he was able to come to Ningchuan City alive shows that he is still quite capable."
"If we want to kill him, we can't underestimate the enemy. We must think of a foolproof method."
"Since we can't use force, let's poison them. I know a young Taoist priest who has a lot of powerful poisons."
Hua Cailiang was silent for a moment and nodded.
"Call the Taoist priest to the City Lord's Mansion someday and let me see what kind of poisons he has. Maybe there is something we can use."
As long as Xiao Mo dies, Ningchuan City will become the original Ningchuan City again, and Hua Cailiang can still cover the sky with one hand and become a local emperor here.