A Clash of Gods - Chapter 84
Chapter 84 The Accountant
Yang Ning was stunned, and Gu Qinghan asked with a frown, “What? Why can’t we see the chief steward?” She had once stayed in the old house for several days. With a good memory, she remembered this old man who opened the gate, but she didn’t know his name.
The old man answered, “The chief steward Qi Hong you mentioned has left the old house long ago, so you won’t see him.”
Gu Qinghan was extremely surprised and asked involuntarily, “Qi Hong is not here? How is it possible? Isn’t he in charge of the old house all the time?” Before she entered the gate, she found that the old house was really unusual.
“Cut the crap. Open the gate and let us in.” Yang Ning reached out his hand, trying to push the gate, but the old man stopped him. “I advise you to leave as early as possible. If the people in the house know that you masquerade as the heir of Marquis of Honor, you can’t leave even though you want to.”
Yang Ning was astonished and wondered why the old man knew that he masqueraded as the heir.
Gu Qinghan was furious and questioned coldly, “Qi Hong is not in the house. Where is he? Now who is in charge here?” She thought of something and took off her hat. Then her hair scattered like waterfall. She stared at the old man and asked, “Do you know me?”
The old man looked her up and down, with a startled expression and then greeted automatically, “You are… My Lady!”
Gu Qinghan thought this old man had a good memory, while he had opened the gate and knelt on the ground. “I was impolite. Please forgive me, My Lady!”
Yang Ning was wondering if the old man found out that he masqueraded as the marquis’ heir. Seeing that the old man recognized Gu Qinghan, he realized that he misunderstood, thinking, “Even Gu Qinghan and the Dowager didn’t find anything wrong with me. And this old man might have never seen the marquis’ heir, so how could he see through me?”
“Get up first.” Gu Qinghan passed by the old man and entered the courtyard, and Yang Ning followed her in. As soon as he entered, he felt chilly at daytime unexpectedly. He didn’t know if it appeared to be cold because the old house was large but few people lived here.
The old man got up and closed the gate, following them. Yang Ning found that the old man was lame as he walked with a limp.
They walked inside and saw the spacious courtyard with rockeries and lawns. Till they reached the main hall, they didn’t see anybody else. Gu Qinghan’s pretty face looked solemn, and she entered the main hall, turning around to ask the old man behind them, “Where are the others? Why is it so cheerless here now?”
The old man replied in a hurry, “Lord Cheng has gone to the city and would come back at night. There are about ten people in the house. I am going to tell them to come.”
“Wait.” Gu Qinghan frowned. “Who is Maser Cheng as you said? Why haven’t I heard about him?” Then she added, “By the way, you look familiar, but I don’t remember your name.”
The old man responded, “My name is Wei Dong. My Lady, when you got married, I was in this house. You have a wonderful memory. I didn’t expect that you still remember me.”
“You also have a nice memory and can recognize me.” Gu Qinghan sat in a chair, and Yang Ning took a seat next to her, looking around.
“My Lady, you don’t know Lord Cheng?” Wei Dong was surprised. “He is the chief steward’s son and is in charge of the house these two years. I thought you have already known.”
“The chief steward’s son?” Gu Qinghan was more astonished. “You said he is in charge of the house these years? Where has the chief steward gone? What do you mean by saying that we won’t see him?”
Wei Dong explained, “The chief steward had a stroke suddenly three years ago and was paralyzed. He had to lie in bed and somebody took care of him. It happened that then Lord Cheng… Qi Cheng just came here a short time ago, so he temporarily took over the chief steward’s job to manage the old house’s affairs.”
Gu Qinghan was astounded. “Three years ago? Do you mean that the man called Qi Cheng has been in charge of the old house and the fiefdom in the past three years?”
Obviously, Wei Dong didn’t expect that Gu Qinghan would have such a reaction, so he asked in surprise, “My Lady, you know nothing? Lord Cheng goes to the capital every year. You have never seen him?”
Yang Ning didn’t expect that the old house had such an accident. Then he furrowed his brows. “Aunt, you have never heard of Qi Cheng? Does the chief steward have a son? What did Qi Cheng do in the past?”
Gu Qinghan shook her head. “Qi Hong is a member of the Qi family, and I know little about him. I remember that he comes from Jiangxia. Later he came to the old marquis for shelter and worked in the house all the time. I don’t know if he has a wife or children.”
Wei Dong explained, “I seldom heard the chief steward talk about his family, but I heard that he had some property in his hometown Jiangxia and seemed to have some children. Ugh… Qi Cheng was doing business in Jiangxia all the time. When he suddenly came to the old house to see the chief steward, the latter was surprised then, but we couldn’t ask about his private affairs.” He lowered his voice. “But the chief steward seemed on bad terms with his son Qi Cheng. Somebody heard that they quarreled several times. After a quarrel, the chief steward had a stroke all of a sudden and couldn’t get up since then.”
“Qi Cheng’s background is interesting.” Yang Ning chuckled. “The chief steward was always in good health but suddenly had a stroke after Qi Cheng came. Aunt, is there something wrong?” He looked at Wei Dong and asked, “The chief steward had a stroke and couldn’t manage the house. Did you send somebody to the capital to report?”
Wei Dong answered, “On the same day, Qi Cheng sent somebody to the capital. The chief steward couldn’t get up and nobody was in charge of the house, so Qi Cheng temporarily replaced him to handle things.”
“The people in the marquis’ mansion don’t know this matter.” Gu Qinghan’s beautiful eyes were full of surprise. “Qi Cheng replaced the chief steward, and the others in the house didn’t say anything? Why did he qualify to take over the old house’s business?”
Wei Dong was also startled. “This… this is the decision of the marquis’ mansion. Cui was sent to the capital and brought a letter, which told the people in the old house that Qi Cheng would take over the chief steward’s job in the future and all people should listen to him.”
“Aunt, it appears that what we don’t know is more than what we imagined.” Yang Ning sighed. “The chief steward in the old house was replaced, but even you didn’t know.”
While Gu Qinghan calmed down and pondered for a while before asking, “You said Qi Cheng would come back tonight?”
Wei Dong replied, “He went out yesterday and told us that he would go to Jingzhou City to check on the chief steward. After the old chief steward had a stroke, Qi Cheng sent him to Jingzhou City for recuperation. I haven’t seen him for a long time and don’t know his condition. Before Qi Cheng left, he said he would come back tonight at the latest.”
Gu Qinghan sneered. “Great. I am going to see what kind of person Qi Cheng is.” Then she asked, “Do you know the tax silver? The tax from Jiangling has been delayed for more than one month. Why wasn’t it sent to the capital?”
Wei Dong responded in confusion, “I just guard the gate. I…I don’t know these things.” Then he added, “Right, Mr. Zhao is in the house. He is the accountant and has the account of all income and outgo. I am going to bring him. He must be clear about the tax.” He was about to call Mr. Zhao when Gu Qinghan stopped him. “Wait, Wei Dong. Is there a steward whose family name is Luo in the old house?”
“Steward Luo?” Wei Dong was perplexed and shook his head. “There are only sixteen people in the house. Besides the workers in the accountant office, kitchen, warehouse and the stable, only several young men employed by Qi Cheng are here. This time, they went to the city with Qi Cheng. I remember that there is nobody named Luo among them. And except for the chief steward, only the accountant Mr. Zhao can read in the house, and there is no other steward. We are only more than ten people, and a chief steward is enough. The house can’t be compared with the marquis’ mansion in the capital, and we don’t need another steward.”
Although Gu Qinghan was smart, she only felt confused, and even Yang Ning thought it was weird everywhere in the old house.
“Ask Mr. Zhao to come first.” Gu Qinghan raised her hand and gestured for Wei Dong to bring Mr. Zhao. Wei Dong bowed and retreated.
Gu Qinghan put her elbow on the armchair and supported her chin, her face solemn, as if lost in thought. Yang Ning knew that she had a lot of doubts in mind, so he moved closer to her and asked softly, “Aunt, did we get less tax income these years?”
“Apart from this time, the tax would delay sometimes in the past, but we didn’t get less.” Gu Qinghan raised her head and frowned. “Wei Dong said after the chief steward had a stroke, they sent somebody to the capital to report, but I knew nothing about it. If it weren’t for the delayed tax this time, we wouldn’t come to the old house. Everything that happened here was kept in the dark.” She was regretful. “The Dowager told me to manage the family affairs, but I… Alas, I am useless.”
“It’s far away from us, and the tax wasn’t delayed in the past. How can you think that something happened to the old house, Aunt?” Yang Ning whispered, “But one point is certain. If somebody in the old house was really sent to the marquis’ mansion to tell us what happened here but you knew nothing, it must be that somebody hid the news intentionally and didn’t let you know.”
Gu Qinghan expressed, “Then it must be nobody but Steward Qiu. Somebody from the old house went to the capital, and the people in the marquis’ mansion would never shut the door on him. Even some people from Jiangling came to our mansion, we would receive them, let alone the people from the old house, but it was Steward Qiu who always received the guests. He naturally knew somebody from the old house came to the mansion, but why did he hide the big news that the chief steward had a stroke? Doesn’t he know that he can’t wrap fire in paper? I will know something like this someday. Then how would he explain to me?”
Gu Qinghan was more confused while thinking and frowned with worry.
At this time, they heard the footsteps from outside. Somebody rushed in. Before Yang Ning saw his face, the person had knelt on the floor and greeted respectfully, “I am Zhao Yuan. Nice to meet you, Your Excellency, My Lady!”
Yang Ning saw him dressed in a long robe, wearing a cyan hat, like a scholar.
“Are you Mr. Zhao? Get up before answering.” Gu Qinghan dealt with the domestic affairs all year long, and she came from a noble family, so she had an outstanding temperament. Now she looked calm.
The accountant Zhao Yuan got up. He was thin with a full moustache and black beard under his mouth. He was about forty years old and looked learned yet shrewd. With a smile, he was respectful, replying, “I didn’t know you would come back all of a sudden, Your Excellency, My Lady, so I am not prepared. Please forgive me.”
“Mr. Zhao, I ask you, why hasn’t the tax from Jiangling been sent to the capital?” Gu Qinghan looked cold. “What exactly happened?”
“Tax?” Zhao Yuan looked astonished. “My Lady, the tax for when?”
“Of course the tax for this autumn.” Gu Qinghan wrinkled her brows. “Would I ask you for the tax for next year?”
The people in the old house would send the tax to the capital twice every year, once after spring, and the other after autumn.
Zhao Yuan responded in a hurry, “My Lady, you must be joking. The tax for autumn was sent at the end of September. Last year, the tax for autumn was delayed for several days, so we specially sent it early this year, in case the people in the marquis’ mansion worried. Logically, it should reach the mansion in early October, and it couldn’t be delayed.”