Early this morning, Mo Qianxue had manager Feng summoned. Whether the money could be traced back or not, she must do the accounting with him.
Tomorrow's peach blossom party would be an opportunity for her to build connections with nobilities or better obtain and analyze information of Tianqi. However, there would also be many traps. Probably, she might get into a bigger crisis than last time when she met the Emperor…
Last time, everybody had little knowledge of her character and believed she was still the timid pushover as before, so that she managed to catch them by surprise.
However, this time, things would be different…
Hence, before attending the peach blossom party, she had to put an end to the whole situation related to manager Feng, so that she could later focused on dealing with outside traps.
Moreover, the person who would take over the accountings—Yunyao was already on the way, and a new manager was selected too.
When Feng Da was ushered into the front hall, he still took with him the swarm of eight managers. Obviously, early as when he had handed over the accounting books, they had worked out a strategy to deal with Mo Qianxue.
He still greeted her with the honest polite smile, "Lady."
Then, the other eight managers also bowed and said in unison, "Lady."
They were all smiles, but Mo Qianxue didn't plan to give them a nice smile. Not slap a smiling face? No, that wasn't her!
Till this moment, she no longer needed to be courteous. Feng Da was the major offender, but all the others, since they could be here and fool her around, couldn't be innocent either. A good opportunity to clean them away once and for all.
Bang. When they greeted her, Mo Qianxue didn't greet back but heavily cast the teacup to the floor.
Feng Da and the other eight were stunned for a second and didn't realize what was going on when they heard Mo Qianxue scolding, "Kneel down."
The loud breaking and scolding sound instantly reduced the air pressure to the bottom.
After all, with guilty conscience, two of them with weak hearts kneeled at once as they felt their legs becoming feeble.
Smelling a rat, Feng Da also pulled his face, a ghost of cruelty and scorn flickered in his eyes.
However, when he looked up again, the cruelty and scorn were replaced by sadness, "It's my fault that I didn't run the businesses well. But they have done their job with commitment. If lady punished them because of natural disasters, the other subordinates would be disappointed."
Disappointed? She was the one who had lost money and been cheated by a hideous servant. Even she didn't say she was disappointed!
A hideous guy as expected, he used one single sentence and put the eight restless men into the same camp and shifted the blame on her by the way.
She was afraid she couldn't do anything to him if she hadn't found any hard proof.
Mo Qianxue sneered, while Feng Da put aside the lower hem of his clothes and stood on one knee, tears brimming up, and sounding agitated, "If lady is dissatisfied, you could fire me, but it's unnecessary to put the blame on them altogether. Just let me alone bear the consequences."
Playing the martyr, escaping, and pulling the rug under from her… Three ruses at the same time aiming at buying them, shaking off the blame, and catching her off guard.
He believed that she couldn't find any flaws in the accounting books within these seven days and that she couldn't find a proper person to take over his position.
As expected, hearing manager Feng's words, some of the either managers understood his intention and some believed he was a righteous and loyal friend…
Hence, one said, "It's also my fault. I'd like to resign as punishment."
Another one said, "Since lady no longer trusts me, I'd like to resign too."
Another one even said, "Although I'm not capable enough, but I'm loyal. If lady doesn't believe that, the last way to prove our innocence would be death…"
Seeing this group of people so drunk with their lies, Mo Qianxue wasn't angry anymore and laughed, "It's good to hear that you're all so loyal. Originally, I appreciated your hard work and planned to scold you only for the downward businesses. However, if you're so loyal and wish to resign, I think I have no other choice but to agree."
Trying to pull the rug under from her? Then she could roll with it and just give them the rug. "Since you all requested to resign, then you have my consent. Now let's take this day to go through the accounting books, so that you can have your innocence." The word innocence was emphasized long.
Finishing that, Mo Qianxue displayed hesitation and sighed, "Alright. I won't make it hard for you. Anyway, the shops don't make money. Just shut them down. I'll start something else."
Evidently, they hadn't expected her to agree immediately and were stunned at once, especially the eight managers. Their face turned almost green.
Manager Feng had told them that lady had a weak personality and would never find any flaws in the books or force them to spit out what they had swallowed.
At present, the Founder mansion even didn't have allowance, but she had to get things going for the sake of its face. What face meant? Money!
His previous suggestion of selling out manors and lands was only a make-believe thrust.
Lady would never do that. Even if she was stupid, the people around her, including butler Mo, nanny Mo weren't fools.
But, even though they guessed that there were tricks in the account books, they could do nothing and at last had no choice but to sell out the shops. By then, he could secretly purchase these shops and become an owner from manager…
However, what was going on now?! Lady didn't mention about money or sell the shops, but readily agreed their proposal and tried to clear them away.
At this moment, these people only wished to smack themselves in the face, hating their tongues.
Feng Da sorted it out quick and tore up at once, "Lady, it's my fault. I'm too useless. But they are former managers under madam and listen to my order. What wrong did they do? These shops are left by madam. We can't shut them down casually!" He planned, first, to mention madam to calm lady down, and then talk about others things afterwards.
"What's more, since lady returns, we have been reflecting on it and made adjustment respectively. Two of the shops are getting better…"
He could leave, but these managers mustn't.
These people were his eyes and hands. As long as they were there, the shops would be his some day.
In the seven days, Mo Qianxue had checked all the shops under his management. Although the business didn't run best, it was not bad. Hence, by rough estimation, there should be a loss of a million taels of silver including the incomes of the shops and the lands.
If she could, at this moment, she wanted to take out the account books, pointed out the flaws in his face, and then accused him. With the iron-hard proof, she could have his house searched, take back what belonged to her, sell out his families and sentence him to death.
However, he was a citizen now, not a slave. The Founder mansion couldn't decide his life or death…
If she really did so, that would be murder, giving the Empress and Emperor one more reason to put her to death or at least blackmail her. Mo Tianfang's good reputation would be ruined too.
The hideous man was just taking advantage of it!
The fake accounting did cleverly, but it contained flaws. Even if a balance was struck, and every income and expenditure were meticulously recorded, there were tricks in the numbers… Through a normal way, even the government audit couldn't come to a conclusion within seven days or a hundred days since there were hundreds of account books.
Feng Da had lived in the capital for many years and built many connections, so this would be a good opportunity for him to utilize these connections… Hence, the account books would be bit up by rats or soaked in water or… As long as some of them were damaged, the case could have no result…
At most, the government might confiscate all properties under his name, under the pressure of the Founder mansion.
She had figured out that this guy was very cunning and had little properties under his own name, expect for the hundred acres of land and a middle-sized house, which was granted by her mother years ago, for the sake of his face as a manager of the Founder mansion.
Madam Mo had been kind and allowed his parents, former servants of the Founder mansion, to spend their old lives at home. Hence, his house was dwelled by his parents and a few servants.
The house of his concubine who had given birth to children was under the name of his son. While the house lived by the other concubine was rented…
A hundred acres of land and a small house worth almost nothing compared to a million silver!
What a good calculation!
He would suffer no punishment or loss of money.
Originally, he was merely a son of a dowry girl and assistant in the shop. As he turned adult, madam Mo let her servant girl Dongniang marry him and later, considering his face as a manager, not only let him bring back his parents but also bought them a small mansion.
Before going to the west, madam Mo was also so kind and grateful to his loyalty that she gave his life indenture back, in the hope that he could do his work better during her absence in the capital. Madam Mo had done everything for him, but he paid her back in this way!
Fine calculation!
An ungrateful biting wolf deserved punishment! She wouldn't let it end easily before she found out how much he had swallowed and where he hid it.
The managers panicked. Feng Da couldn't remain calm. But Mo Qianxue unhurriedly sap her tea that nanny just handed her, with a playful smile on her face.