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墨書 Inktalez
However, Mu Junze only needed to keep an eye on the Su Family. Now that the Su Family had made it through the preliminary selection, they could not afford to relax during the subsequent evaluations. No one could guarantee that someone wouldn’t come looking for trouble, and given Mu Junze’s concern for Su Che, he would undoubtedly do everything in his power to protect the Su Family.
Mu Tingxiu fell into deep thought at this point and asked, “How is it going with Xu Mu Cong? Has he returned yet?”
“The news says everything has been handled, but Xu Mu Cong hasn’t come back yet. It’s said he should arrive in the capital by noon today; it should be soon.”
Across from them, Mu Junze and Su Che showed no signs of worry, but Su Father appeared somewhat anxious, wanting to ask something but hesitating. Although he was nervous himself, having Mu Junze around was reassuring, especially since he wasn’t the one competing.
Yet Su Father felt a sense of urgency. Though he was a businessman who relied on good fortune and good relations to thrive, he rarely participated in such selections. Previously, he had never considered becoming an Imperial Merchant, but now that this opportunity lay before him—granted by Mu Junze—it could bolster Su Che’s confidence and demonstrate that the Su Family was not entirely inept.
When Mu Junze returned, Su Father quickly regained his composure, the speed of his transformation surprising even Su Che. It was often said that a businessman could change their demeanor as quickly as flipping a page in a book; today, he had witnessed this firsthand.
“Don’t worry. The storeroom accounts have all been checked; everything is normal. We’ve also assigned someone to oversee operations. With your father’s capabilities, I’m sure the President will be fine,” said Mu Junze, glancing at Su Father, noticing his tension as he tightly gripped his robe.
Su Father cleared his throat and said nothing more. For some reason, he always felt awkward around Mu Junze, needing to show respect while also maintaining the authority of a father-in-law—it was exhausting.
“Please have all managers enter! Time for the account verification!”
The first round involved checking whether each family’s accounts matched up correctly and ensuring there were no discrepancies or improper bookkeeping practices. Over a hundred people entered, all prepared in advance. Logically speaking, this stage should be the least prone to issues; yet still, some were eliminated.
After nearly half a month of selections, it finally came to an end. Next would be deeper checks among those who had already been selected. At this moment, Su Father felt even more at ease than before because their family had always been upright; there should be no significant discrepancies that could be uncovered during the investigation.
Just then, a commotion erupted outside the door of the Su Family. The three exchanged glances and hurried out to see what was happening. They found several young scholars at the entrance surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. The scholars shouted accusations against the Su Family, claiming they were committing fraud and colluding with officials to engage in numerous heinous acts unworthy of becoming an Imperial Merchant.
“If someone like the Su Family can become an Imperial Merchant, they will surely bring disaster upon the common people and the court in the future!”
Upon hearing this, Mu Junze spoke up sternly.
“What nonsense are you talking about?! Who sent you here?!”
The pressure emanating from Mu Junze made several scholars tremble, but they stood their ground. One bolder scholar stepped forward and addressed everyone.
“Do you see? You accuse us of nonsense without verification and want to pin a crime on us! Don’t think that just because you are a prince and we are commoners, you can bully us at will!”
“Do you have any evidence that I am bullying you? The law applies equally to the emperor and the common people. If you have evidence, present it. With witnesses among the people here today, you can file a lawsuit against me in court. Put away your little tricks; the truth cannot be disguised, and lies cannot become truth.”
“Everything must be based on evidence. Without evidence, it’s just slander, which could land you in prison! You mentioned matters concerning the Su Family—do you have any proof?!”
Upon hearing this, the scholars felt more confident. They had indeed come prepared but hesitated to present their evidence for fear that Mu Junze would seize it.
After all, who didn’t know that Duke Beiqin was the son-in-law of the Su Family? He would surely side with them.
Ultimately, the scholars demanded a public trial where they would present their evidence. Mu Junze was curious to see what trouble they could stir up, so he agreed to follow them.
He also instructed someone to secretly investigate who had sent these individuals. When they arrived at the court, after some questioning, they dispatched officers to the Su Family for verification. They returned hurriedly as evening approached.
The Capital Garrison brought with them a wooden box and an elderly man around sixty or seventy years old. This man was the steward of the Su Family. When Su Che saw him, he remained calm, but Su Father was somewhat shocked.
This man had been with the Su Family for thirty years; he had come to them as a child and claimed he had never been mistreated. It was unimaginable that he would betray the Su Family. If not for Su Che holding him back, Su Father would have asked if his conscience had been eaten by dogs.
“Shopkeeper Su, based on what they have presented, along with what your steward has said and the account books seized from the Su Family’s treasury, it appears that the Su Family indeed has financial dealings with certain officials and has privately purchased items prohibited for ordinary merchants to buy or sell. Additionally, several expenditures were directed towards impoverished families. As for the reasons behind this, I will investigate further. Shopkeeper Su, do you have anything to say regarding these matters?”
Su Che calmly took the account book and examined it, just as he had suspected, there were indeed two copies. However, he did not expect this account book to appear so soon.
He stepped forward and spoke.
"Your Excellency, although this account book appears to belong to the Su Family, it is not actually owned by us. Someone is deliberately trying to frame the Su Family. This account book was created by a traitorous servant in collusion with thieves, and I can provide proof."
As he spoke, he waved his hand to summon a witness. However, unexpectedly, an ambush occurred on the way. Fortunately, Mu Junze had secretly dispatched people for protection, but only one remained. Meanwhile, a figure in black on a nearby balcony watched the scene unfold through a Qian Li Jing. Seeing that the target had not been completely eliminated, he angrily struck his fist against the window.
"A bunch of useless fools!"
The witnessing servant was brought before them, but since he was a household servant and there was only one of him, it was difficult to reach a conclusion. As night fell, they decided to wait until the next day to investigate the whereabouts and intentions of the two sums of silver.
However, when they arrived the next day, they found either abandoned houses that were completely empty or crime scenes where people had been silenced. After inquiring around, they discovered that these families shared a common point.
That was, each household had once closed its doors for a period of time, after which their daughters went missing. The family that had moved away did take their daughter with them, but it had been many years since then; finding her now would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Once again, the situation turned unfavorable for the Su Family. Su Che did not expect their opponents to act so quickly. Mu Junze had already sent people for protection last night, but they had arrived too late.
It seemed that the mastermind not only understood the Su Family well but was also very knowledgeable about these matters. The two exchanged glances and quietly spoke in unison.
"Could it be him?"
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