Zhou Chuanqing’s situation was much more troublesome than what Fu Tian and the others were dealing with.
Although Manager Zhao had been detained by the officers, he stubbornly insisted that it was only because a major customer placed an order so large that he didn’t have time to transfer stock, so he borrowed grain from Steward Li, whom he knew well.
Soon after, Master Zhao received word of the situation and rushed to the rice shop to back up Manager Zhao.
The Zhao Family wielded considerable influence in Shangming Town. The constables who came with Master Zhao were clearly cowed by his presence.
If it weren’t for Xiao Qiao stubbornly refusing to let go, Master Zhao would have been able to take his man away right then and there.
The tension between the two sides was palpable. As Fu Tian stepped into the back courtyard, he immediately sensed this subtle, charged atmosphere.
The Zhao Family’s men blocked the courtyard gate, guarding the exit tightly. Surrounded by a crowd, Master Zhao stood at the front, clearly the leader.
Inside the courtyard, Zhou Chuanqing and the others held Manager Zhao, looking somewhat at a disadvantage.
“Looks like I arrived just in time.”
Without a change in expression, Fu Tian circled around from the back and stood in front of Zhou Chuanqing. The others followed, lining up behind him.
Although they were still outnumbered by the Zhao Family, with Chu Xiangtian and Chang Xi—two burly men who looked anything but easy to mess with—holding the line, they actually seemed to gain the upper hand.
“So this is Master Zhao? You must be here about Manager Zhao, right?”
Fu Tian wore a faint smile, but his eyes were anything but friendly.
“If you already know what’s going on, I hope you’ll explain things clearly. There’s no need to let a steward tarnish the Zhao Family’s reputation, and it’ll save the authorities a lot of trouble.”
Master Zhao was in his fifties, but his pampered lifestyle made him look barely over forty. Seeing that Fu Tian was just a youngster, he didn’t take him seriously at all.
On his turf, who could possibly outmatch him?
Who would have thought Fu Tian would come out swinging, demanding he confess right off the bat? That tone didn’t give Master Zhao any face at all.
Furious, he snapped, “Where did this impudent brat come from? How dare you be so presumptuous! Has your family not taught you to respect your elders?!”
“If the Zhao Family is willing to explain the situation fully, punish the culprit, and return all the stolen silver, I’ll naturally address Master Zhao as an elder.”
“But if Master Zhao intends to shield criminals and swallow up the Fu Family’s property…” Fu Tian’s expression hardened, imitating Chu Xiangtian’s stern demeanor.
“Then don’t blame the Fu Family for being rude!”
Everyone present quietly sucked in a breath. The Zhao Family’s people were shocked that he dared offend Master Zhao so openly.
Although Master Zhao looked kind and easygoing, everyone in Shangming Town knew he was petty and vengeful; usually, no one dared provoke him.
Chu Xiangtian and the others were also struck by how much sharper and more forceful Fu Tian had become—he was nothing like the soft and gentle young master he was in private.
Master Zhao was so angry he nearly fell backward, glaring at Fu Tian, speechless with rage.
In the end, he could only snarl, “Then let’s see the magistrate! If you can’t produce evidence, I’ll make sure you never return once you’ve come!”
His tone was full of certainty, whether it was because he relied on his power or because he was sure Fu Tian couldn’t produce any proof.
Fu Tian touched the account book hidden in his sleeve and gave a faint smile. “After you, then.”
Master Zhao: “
With a flick of his sleeve, Master Zhao stormed off with his servants, full of bluster.
“Thank you for your hard work, sirs,” Fu Tian said. “Let’s go as well.”
The officers led Manager Zhao ahead, while Fu Tian deliberately hung back, passing the account book to Xiao Qiao.
“Take a look at this.”@无限好文,尽在晋江文学城
Xiao Qiao took the account book and flipped through a few pages. The further she read, the grimmer her expression became. The account book used a double-entry four-column bookkeeping method.
The upper part of each page recorded the amount of grain received and the corresponding price, while the lower part listed the expenditures.
The expenditure section didn’t specify recipients, but each page bore a red seal with a name: “Zhao Mian”—it looked like a personal stamp.
“Zhao Mian is Master Zhao’s eldest son,” Fu Ji said. The Zhao Family was one of the powerful families in Shangming Town, and he had already looked into their background.
Xiao Qiao flipped through some more.
The account book covered transactions for the year, listing each dou of grain traded, while the other half showed the actual accounts of the Fu Family Rice Shop.
The books Steward Li had turned in before had all been tampered with.
Once he saw the real expenditure records, Fu Tian’s face darkened. “These accounts are enough to convict them.”
“It’s just about the silver…” Fu Ji was also troubled. Even just these records already showed the Fu Family had lost a significant amount of money. Recovering it all wouldn’t be easy.
Fu Tian shook his head, tapping the red personal stamp with his finger. “Either they pay up, or… the Zhao Family loses a son.”@无限好文,尽在晋江文学城
The personal stamp with Zhao Mian’s name was clear as day on the account book. Steward Li probably didn’t trust anyone, so he used the stamp as proof of the transactions.
Now that it had fallen into their hands, regardless of whether the rest of the Zhao Family was involved, there was no way Zhao Mian could escape.
The group followed the officers to the Yamen, where the magistrate was already waiting in the main hall.
This magistrate was said to have just been promoted.
The previous one had been brought down by the gold mine corruption case and was now being sent to the County Capital for trial, so this new magistrate had just filled the vacancy.
The magistrate sat on the bench, looking stern and dignified. Master Zhao’s face was even darker than before.@无限好文,尽在晋江文 学城
Fu Tian respectfully saluted, and Zhou Chuanqing immediately wrote out a complaint and submitted it, accusing the Zhao Family Rice Shop and Master Li of colluding to embezzle the Fu Family’s assets for years.
The magistrate read the complaint carefully, then ordered Manager Zhao to be brought forward.
“Lord Magistrate, please ensure a fair trial.”
Manager Zhao was forced to kneel in the court, head bowed as he shot a furtive glance at Master Zhao. Master Zhao gave a heavy cough, his gaze dark and threatening as he stared at the magistrate.
His look was full of menace, but anyone able to get promoted at a time like this clearly wasn’t one of those who colluded with the powerful.
The magistrate shot him a glance and gave a faint nod. “Rest assured, Master Zhao, I have always been impartial.”
Master Zhao’s expression changed, and he was too angry to speak.
Following procedure, Manager Zhao was questioned first, then Steward Li was brought in to be interrogated.
Although Steward Li’s testimony differed slightly from Manager Zhao’s, the main points matched. Master Zhao began to smirk, shooting Fu Tian a scornful look.
“Lord Magistrate, we also found several account books. Please review them first.”
Fu Tian didn’t even look at Master Zhao. Noticing Steward Li seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, he couldn’t help but smile.
“Present them!”
The main account books were placed in the officers’ hands. Fu Tian specifically called out, “Steward Li, do these account books look familiar to you?”
Steward Li looked up in confusion. The instant he saw the familiar books in the magistrate’s hands, his face turned ashen.
Master Zhao noticed the dramatic change in his expression, and his own face changed as well, his gaze locked on the magistrate.
The magistrate quickly flipped through a few pages, frowning, then called in the Yamen’s accountant for a detailed review. The courtroom was dead silent except for Steward Li’s increasingly rapid breathing.
The accountant whispered a few words to the magistrate and then withdrew.
“Steward Li, do you have anything more to say?” The magistrate tossed the open account book at his feet. Steward Li, hands trembling, picked it up.
When he saw the personal stamp, his composure finally broke. He prostrated himself on the floor, kowtowing. “I’ll talk… I’ll tell everything…”
***
Three years ago, he had taken a concubine. The woman had a roundabout connection to Manager Zhao, and through this tie, the two of them gradually became close.
One night, after drinking together, he complained that his son was set on an official career, but he himself was just a lowly steward.
He’d worked himself to the bone for the Fu Family for more than ten years, and even the little extra he could skim off had to be spent carefully. After supporting his family, there was nothing left.
Manager Zhao offered him a way out, saying the Zhao Family’s eldest son would vouch for him, and that’s when he was tempted to do something he shouldn’t.
Fortune favors the bold, while the timid starve.
He agonized over it all night, but finally decided to take the risk. He had connections with a steward at the estate.
After hinting at his intentions, the two quickly came to an agreement. First, they falsified the price of grain.
Wen Bolì, the nominal head of the Wen Family, was just a scholar. Although he was the owner in name, all the shop’s revenue had to go into the public coffers, so he didn’t dare skim off the top openly.
Once Steward Li paid him enough silver, he just turned a blind eye and stamped the documents.
With the price of rice raised, business naturally became difficult. The warehouse filled up with unsold grain, which he sold to the Zhao Family at a low price.
He kept sixty percent of the proceeds, with the remaining forty percent split between the estate steward and the others.
Every year, he also paid a share to Wen Bolì. Thanks to the estate steward’s help, even if the rice shop couldn’t sell its grain, as long as he sent word, there was always more grain coming in.
It went on like this for three years without a hitch, so they grew even bolder.
Before, they would at least use old rice to pad the warehouse, but now they couldn’t even be bothered with that—the whole warehouse was empty.
And those account books were his insurance policy. The Zhao Family had power, and their eldest son was the legitimate heir.
As long as he held onto these, the Zhao Family would have to protect him. He never imagined that the very records meant to save his life would become the evidence that doomed him.
“Men, bring Zhao Mian here!”
With Steward Li’s full confession, the magistrate ordered Zhao Mian, who was implicated, to be brought in for questioning as well.
“You dare!” Master Zhao shot to his feet, glaring angrily at the magistrate on the bench.
Fu Tian smiled and persuaded him, “Master Zhao, calm yourself. This is the public court. Obstructing the magistrate’s investigation isn’t something a wise man would do.”