The Wendan Hall.

“Wen” represented knowledge and integrity; “Dan” stood for daring and strategic foresight.

Dark chestnut-colored pillars, like dragons, soared towards the ceiling. The azure-gold floor tiles were so reflective they showed one’s face.

At the head of the hall sat a Zitan wood Grand Tutor’s Chair, reserved exclusively for the family head. Symmetrically placed on either side were carved chairs, with Chen Lizhi on the left and Chen Lizun on the right.

Behind Chen Lizun, on the left, stood a towering bookshelf laden with family genealogies, historical commendations, and court gazettes. Behind Chen Lizhi, on the right, hung an unopened long sword, a jade axe, and a bronze tripod.

The hall was silent, but Chen Yue’s mind echoed with Chen Ji’s voice: “Manager Chen Yue, I wonder if that money is still there?”

He had not expected that the “butcher’s knife” he intended to wield in the Wendan Hall today would instead fall upon himself.

Chen Lizun’s gaze settled on Chen Yue: “Chen Yue, Chen Ji is asking you a question.”

Chen Yue snapped back to attention and hastily replied, “Reporting to Master, those silver ingots are public funds. How would this humble one dare to use them?”

Chen Ji slowly said, “Family Head, since we are holding a clan meeting today, why not simply audit the salt business accounts as well? If there were any bad debts in the past, it would be good for all the elders to bear witness.”

Elder Chen nodded slightly: “Agreed.”

Chen Wendde started to walk out: “I’ll go get them with some men.”

Chen Lizun, however, stopped him: “Brother Wendde only caught a cold before the New Year. It would be better to send someone with quick feet. I will send Chen Huang.”

Elder Chen nodded again: “Agreed. Go and return quickly, don’t miss the morning duties.”

Chen Lizun walked to the door and nodded at a middle-aged man waiting outside the Wendan Hall. The man strode away, strong and robust.

Inside the Wendan Hall, everyone fell silent. Their skill in maintaining composure was impressive, one better than the next. Even Chen Ji stood motionless with his eyes closed. Only Chen Yue’s hands uncontrollably clutched his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.

They waited for the time it took for an incense stick to burn, and the hall remained silent for that entire duration.

After the incense stick had burned down, Chen Lizhi slowly opened his eyes. Being too thin, his cheeks were deeply sunken, making his eyes appear like fish eyes protruding from his face.

He straightened the sleeve of his official robe: “Chen Ji.”

Chen Ji also opened his eyes: “What are your instructions, Second Uncle?”

Chen Lizhi smiled: “I heard you made quite a splash at the Qi family’s literary gathering recently. With such talent, why don’t you study the classics at the academy? Returning to participate in the imperial examinations after completing your studies is the proper path.”

Chen Ji calmly replied, “This nephew’s ambition is to expand territory and repay the Emperor’s grace.”

Chen Lizhi’s tone shifted: “By the way, have you met any of the Qi family young ladies at the gathering?”

Chen Ji hummed in affirmation: “I’ve met all of them: Miss Qi Zhaoyun, the second daughter; Miss Qi Zhaoning, the third daughter; and the illegitimate daughter, Qi Zhenzhu.”

Chen Lizhi chuckled, leaning back in his chair: “Which one do you prefer? I think Miss Qi, the second daughter, is quite good, learned and sensible. But I heard the third daughter, Miss Qi, is more interested in you.”

Chen Ji shook his head: “This nephew has no mind for romance at present, so I don’t prefer anyone.”

Chen Lizhi shook his head: “How can you have no mind for romance? As the saying goes, ‘first establish a family, then establish a career.’ A man needs to marry before his mind can settle. Men in the countryside marry at thirteen. Even in our wealthy families in the capital, it’s rarely later than twenty. In our dynasty’s founding period, the court even stipulated that officials would enforce marriage for men over forty and women over thirty who remained unmarried. You are already eighteen…”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Second Uncle, did all those men who married early in the countryside establish their careers?”

Chen Lizhi was stumped for a few seconds, then sneered, “I forgot you’re Physician Yao’s apprentice; you always like to retort.”

Chen Lizun’s lips curved slightly.

Chen Ji was slightly curious: “Is Second Uncle acquainted with my master?”

Chen Lizhi scoffed: “Acquainted? How could I not be? Because of your eldest uncle’s lack of heirs, our family invited him several times, but he refused to come no matter what, not even for a thousand taels of silver.”

Chen Lizun’s expression darkened again, and he coldly looked at Chen Lizhi: “Why bring that up? You should focus on your own health.”

Chen Lizhi shrugged, uncaring: “Why should family members be so secretive?”

Chen Ji frowned slightly.

Master must have performed a divination beforehand. Given Master’s cautious nature, refusing to come even for a thousand taels of silver wasn’t because he was unwilling, but because he couldn’t.

Strange, what was Master so wary of?

As he pondered, several men arrived in front of the Wendan Hall, carrying two large chests. Behind them, two more men carried a stretcher with a body covered in a white cloth.

The moment he saw the dead man, Chen Ji noticed Chen Yue’s hand, which had been gripping his sleeve, slowly relax. He exhaled a long, steady breath, no longer flustered.

Looking at Chen Lizhi, the latter remained perfectly calm, even having the presence of mind to chat idly.

At this moment, Chen Lizhi grumbled to the outside of the hall: “I sent you to retrieve the salt business’s silver, why have you brought back a dead body so early in the morning? How unlucky!”

Chen Ji looked calmly, only to see Chen Huang standing outside the hall, bowing and explaining: “Reporting to Second Master, when I arrived at the salt business on Mule and Horse Market Street, Manager Ye Yumin had already hanged himself from a beam in the main hall. He also left a letter confessing to embezzling 230,000 taels of silver from the public accounts over the years, expressing his shame for betraying the Family Head’s trust, and atoning for his crime with death.”

Chen Lizun rose abruptly, walked to the threshold, and asked in a low voice, “Is it Manager Ye’s handwriting?”

Chen Huang nodded silently.

Chen Lizhi burst out cursing: “He embezzled 230,000 taels of silver from my Chen family and thinks he can just die to escape it? It’s not that easy! Guards, take all the male members of his family to the authorities and exile them to Lingnan! And sell all the young female members of his family to the Eight Great Hutongs!”

Chen Ji remained silent.

The Chen family salt business accounts had been made impeccably clean by Chen Yue, leaving no trace of wrongdoing.

However, the account books only showed official salt transactions, not a single catty of private salt. It must be that several managers had secretly mixed private salt into the Chen family’s salt business, selling it and dividing the profits among themselves, without the family head’s knowledge.

Now, with Manager Ye, who was responsible for the private salt, dead, the deficit in the public accounts could all be blamed on him, leaving no one to verify. Moreover, even the private salt dealers had been silenced, eliminating the lingering problems for the Second Household.

No wonder Chen Lizhi was so composed.

Then came a thud.

Chen Yue knelt on the azure-gold tiles, his head knocking against the ground like a pestle, “Family Head, this humble one was negligent. I never expected to allow this villain Ye Yumin to embezzle public funds. I beg the Family Head for punishment.”

The thudding sound of his kowtows echoed through the Wendan Hall, and he didn’t stop even when blood appeared on his forehead.

Elder Chen remained silent for a long time, allowing him to continue kowtowing.

Chen Wendde angrily chastised, “What’s the use of kowtowing now? Why aren’t you thinking of a way to remedy this?”

Chen Yue dared not stop and could only continue.

Chen Wendde secretly glanced at the Family Head again, who still had his eyes closed, as if truly intending to let Chen Yue kowtow himself to death in the Wendan Hall. He looked at Chen Ji, but Chen Ji was silently watching Chen Yue kowtow, his eyes showing no ripple of emotion.

Chen Ji lowered his head, looking at his reflection in the azure-gold tiles, and softly said, “Logically, Manager Ye embezzled 230,000 taels of silver, which he couldn’t spend all at once. An ordinary family buying a thousand-li horse costs only two hundred taels of silver, and even purchasing a three-courtyard mansion in the inner city is only two thousand taels. Why do Second Uncle and Brother implicitly assume this money cannot be recovered, and no one mentions recovering the stolen funds?”

Chen Wendde was speechless.

Chen Ji looked up and directly at him: “Brother, if you go and raid Manager Ye’s home now, perhaps the 230,000 taels of silver are still there, don’t you think?”

Chen Wendde was expressionless. Chen Ji’s words clearly aimed to make the Second Household cover this deficit.

But this was 230,000 taels of silver. The lives of Chen Yue and others combined were not worth 230,000 taels.

Chen Wendde suddenly realized that this half-brother… was a ruthless individual who liked to finish things completely.

Amidst Chen Yue’s kowtows, a voice suddenly came from outside the Wendan Hall: “Oh, what a lively scene!”

Everyone looked, and there was Chen Yu, striding in wearing a blue official’s robe.

Chen Yu stepped over the threshold, kicked Chen Yue, sending him sprawling, and grumbled, “Don’t you know to make way when the master arrives? No common sense.”

Chen Yue rolled on the ground. Chen Yu cupped his hands to Elder Chen and said, “Family Head, I have already investigated the cause of the deficit in the grain business. It was due to the head manager, Chen Xuansu, colluding with the accountant, warehouse supervisor, and the assistants from various grain stores to falsify accounts. The accountant embezzled during grain collection using the ‘scattering’ method, the warehouse supervisor increased weight during storage by adding chaff using the ‘chaff-mixing’ method, and they privately sold old grain from the bottom of the granary using the ‘bottom-of-the-granary grain’ method. A total of thirty-seven individuals were involved in these malpractices, having stolen 12,000 shi of rice over three years, amounting to 9,600 taels of silver. This is only for three years; if we investigate further back, there will likely be even more.”

Chen Lizhi became interested: “You caught so many people in just a few days?”

Chen Yu smiled slightly: “Father, if you give me more time, I could catch more. However, I personally believe that if we arrest all of them, it might cause panic among the grain business staff and disrupt operations. So I haven’t expanded this investigation further. After all, the grain business belongs to our family, and losing one day of operation means losing one day’s income.”

Chen Lizhi stroked his beard: “Sound thinking. Your experience in the Ministry of Revenue all these years has truly brought significant improvement. We can’t let a few petty individuals affect the family’s business.”

At this point, he picked up the teacup beside him and, unhurriedly, looked at Chen Lizun: “Brother, everyone in this grain business is your subordinate. I remember that warehouse supervisor is your sister-in-law’s maternal uncle, isn’t he? And several grain shop assistants are also from her family… What do you plan to do?”

The Wendan Hall fell silent, as if the air had frozen, trapping everyone’s words in their mouths.

After a moment, Chen Ji spoke: “Elder Brother Chen Yu is absolutely right; we cannot let a few petty individuals disrupt the clan’s business. Having so many people from both the Chen family’s salt and grain businesses investigated at the same time would also make us a laughingstock to outsiders.”

Chen Yue immediately let out a slow, long breath.

Elder Chen’s voice was hoarse and leisurely: “The grain business manager who engaged in malpractice shall receive one hundred strokes with a cane. The salt business manager who failed to supervise his subordinates shall receive fifty strokes. All individuals involved in the grain business malpractices shall be expelled from the Chen family and never employed again. We will also investigate the past ten years of accounts and order them to repay the deficit; otherwise, they will all be handed over to the authorities. As for the remaining seven managers of the salt business, you must make up the 230,000 taels of silver deficit in the public accounts, even if you have to sell ancestral property or family land. Otherwise, you will all be beaten to death.”

230,000 taels of silver…

Chen Yue joined the salt business as an apprentice at sixteen, became a warehouse supervisor at twenty-one, a second manager at twenty-eight, and the head manager at thirty-four. He was now forty-six and had controlled the salt business for over ten years. But to cover this 230,000 tael deficit with the other managers would mean his entire life’s work had been in vain.

But this was the price for his life.

Chen Yue climbed back to his feet, kowtowing heavily: “Thank you, Family Head, for sparing my life, thank you…”

Chen Ji interrupted: “Family Head, the presence of a ‘moth’ like Manager Ye in the salt business is by no means accidental. This junior privately believes that when you see one ant in the house, there must already be millions hidden underground. Although our Chen family does not wish for this matter to spread, we still need to investigate if there are other ‘moths.’ I ask the Family Head to permit me to thoroughly investigate the salt business, examining every manager, warehouse supervisor, accountant, shop assistant, and head clerk. If anyone fails to cooperate with the audit, they shall be permanently dismissed.”

Chen Yue’s heart tightened.

Elder Chen said hoarsely, “Agreed.”

Chen Ji continued, “Family Head, now that Manager Ye is dead, the salt transportation business cannot cease. Please permit me to arrange for a trustworthy individual to take over the second manager’s position.”

Elder Chen nodded: “Also agreed.”

Chen Yue’s mood sank to rock bottom. Chen Ji first gained control over appointments in the salt business, then inserted a “nail” to control all transportation. These two points alone would pin him to the ground, unable to move.

At this moment, Chen Xu, the middle-aged man beside Elder Chen, whispered, “Family Head, it’s time to go to Wenhua Hall.”

Elder Chen hummed and raised his arm. Chen Xu helped him walk out.

As Elder Chen passed by the others, he slowly said, “None of you need to look so glum. The deficits and long-standing problems in the grain and salt businesses, which have accumulated over so many years, have been thoroughly investigated by two young men in just a few days. My Chen family has capable successors; we should be happy. As the saying goes, ‘It’s easy to raise a thousand soldiers, but hard to find one general.’ A few hundred thousand taels of silver are nothing; our Chen family can afford such a loss. To use this money to secure two successors, I am very pleased. You may all disperse; don’t miss your morning duties.”

Everyone watched as Elder Chen boarded the carriage outside the Wendan Hall. Chen Xu, leading several middle-aged men, walked away with imposing strides, each with a saber at his waist.

Once the Wendan Hall quieted down, Chen Lizhi looked at Chen Ji with a half-smile: “Excellent tactics. Chen Liqin was truly blind to send you to a medical clinic as an apprentice.”

Chen Ji cupped his hands in a bow, neither backing down nor conceding: “Second Uncle flatters me.”

Chen Lizhi laughed and walked out: “Come, come, there’s always tomorrow.”

Chen Yue scrambled to his feet, using both hands and feet, and followed behind Chen Lizhi.

Inside the Wendan Hall, Chen Lizun waited until the others had left, then said to Chen Ji with a hint of shame, “It was my sister-in-law’s family who complicated this matter; otherwise, Chen Yue would certainly have been brought to his end today, but…”

Chen Ji smiled: “Elder Uncle, why blame yourself? I understand the reasons.”

Chen Lizun leaned on a pillar of the Wendan Hall, looking outside, and sighed, “From the imperial court down to the family, one cannot escape the word ‘tug-of-war.’ You pull me, I pull you, and many matters become neglected in this constant struggle.”

Chen Ji cupped his hands: “I must also thank Elder Uncle for your assistance this time. Without the 150,000 salt certificates from the Ministry of Revenue, I wouldn’t have been able to set up this trap.”

Chen Lizun shook his head: “Why thank family members? As for the money from selling those salt certificates…”

Chen Ji said earnestly: “That money is also in Ginkgo Garden. Please arrange for someone to collect it and transfer it to the Ministry of Revenue’s accounts.”

Chen Lizun pondered for a moment: “Such a large sum of money, and you won’t keep any? Logically, you could just account to the Ministry of Revenue for four qian of silver per certificate, and keep the rest… Do you have other plans?”

Chen Ji shook his head: “It’s not that I don’t want to keep it, but that I cannot. The Ministry of Revenue secretly issuing 150,000 salt certificates to unregistered salt merchants already broke the rules. If the money isn’t returned in full, I might have the money but not the life to spend it. Additionally, please go to the palace, Elder Uncle, and report this transaction to His Majesty.”

Chen Lizun lowered his head, thinking for a moment: “What can be said, and what cannot?”

Chen Ji stated with conviction: “Tell everything.”