Special Audit

Given how hard-pressed the Yuan Kingdom was by the war, it would have had to hold its nose and take the loan even if the Mount Rong Sect had demanded three or four percent compound interest, let alone two percent simple interest. "The Mount Rong Sect sent me here specifically to audit the operational status of these mines, pastures, and harbors." To put it plainly, He Lingchuan and Hu Qin were tasked with gatekeeping to determine whether they were truly worth the value. "In addition to the seven million taels, the collateral from earlier loans must also be reexamined." "Ah..." Lord Wang steadied his nerves slightly. "Of course, of course. That is only proper." "Furthermore, the Mount Rong Sect will review and approve every single line item concerning the disbursement of these seven million taels!" He Lingchuan said solemnly. "Any item that fails to pass will not be disbursed." Lord Wang stared in disbelief. "Ah... surely this wasn't in the original terms of the agreement?" "The Mount Rong Sect made virtually no changes to the agreement drafted by the Yuan Kingdom, save for adding this one clause. Sect Leader Xue declared that if Yuan refuses, the agreement is immediately canceled, and Yuan must settle all past debts at once!" Beads of sweat instantly broke out on Lord Wang's forehead. Who could possibly counter such an unexpected stroke? There was simply no precedent. He immediately said, "Allow me to explain, allow me to explain. Let us first review the collateral. I will report your requirement to my superiors without delay." "It is not my requirement," He Lingchuan corrected. "It is a special condition set by Sect Leader Xue of the Mount Rong Sect!" "Yes, yes. Let us examine this current term first, then." At Lord Wang's command, petty clerks hauled in ledgers and registers. He Lingchuan waited for a moment, but no more ledgers arrived; barely a dozen volumes were stacked on the table. He frowned. "Just these?" "Yes, that is all of them." "Mr. Hu, please." He Lingchuan gestured to Hu Qin, who immediately set to work flipping through the registers alongside the two Mount Rong disciples. "This is Deputy Envoy Hu Qin, here specifically to assist me with the audit," He Lingchuan introduced Hu Qin while voicing his dissatisfaction. "This is far too little. Only this much documentation for five parcels of collateral?" "These are all prime assets, run smoothly year after year with very stable yields." Hu Qin casually picked up a register and glanced through it. "Take this Yongshan Mine, for instance. Although it yields Shaoling ore, it has already been mined for over forty years. Can the remaining reserves truly sustain another thirty years of extraction?" "There should be no issue. The output of the Yongshan Mine has steadily increased in recent years, and the quality is excellent. Geological observations indicate that the reserves remain abundant, as you can see in the records." Hu Qin gave a slight smirk. "Yet the special envoy and I visited the Yongshan Mine in person on this journey. The veteran local miners said that the easily mined ore has already been exhausted. What remains must be extracted through inclined shafts, and the quality is middling, requiring extensive refining afterward. That will demand more miners and more smelters." "How could that be?" Lord Wang asked in surprise. "The hearsay of one or two people hardly counts as proof." At that moment, the Mount Rong disciple beside them handed a register to He Lingchuan. "Envoy, this is last year's revenue, but records for the final two months are missing." Lord Wang chimed in, "Those records have not arrived yet. They will be supplemented in a couple of days." "Now, regarding Wusong Port." Hu Qin opened another register. "The Baling Kingdom recently began building new dams and canals, forcing the river to divert. If vessels take the new channel, the journey along this stretch of the Xunyang River can be shortened by two days. Passenger and cargo traffic at Wusong Port will plummet..." This assistant envoy had truly come prepared. Lord Wang was unfamiliar with the matter and glanced toward the subordinate official beside him, who promptly spoke up: "The Baling Kingdom does intend to build new canals and dams, but construction has not even begun. The hydrological conditions there are complex; completing it will take at least five to seven years. Moreover, heavy silt buildup makes it uncertain whether ships can navigate it year-round. By comparison, moving goods through Wusong Port remains the most stable and secure option..." The two sides went back and forth, scrutinizing every detail. Before anyone realized it, six hours had passed, and Lord Wang had slipped away. Hu Qin was still full of energy. He Lingchuan stood up, stretched, and had someone summon Lord Wang back. "Lord Wang, let us call it a day here. Shall we continue tomorrow?" He needed to save some energy to face the main event back home. ... When He Lingchuan returned to He Manor, dusk had fallen, and He Chunhua was not yet home. Just as he stepped into his courtyard, someone followed him in, calling out, "Young Master!" The voice sounded very familiar. He Lingchuan turned around and saw Shan Youjun, breaking into a grin. "There you are." Back then, he had recruited two men from the Li clan of Dunyu, and Shan Youjun had been one of them. Later, He Lingchuan used him and Jiao Tai as the foundation to build his personal guard, whose combat effectiveness was considerably higher than that of He Chunhua's Auxiliary Army. Unfortunately, when He Lingchuan fell into the Han River, he had been unable to take the squad with him. Shan Youjun looked equally delighted. "My uncle told me you were back, so I hurried over." Ding Zuodong and Shan Youjun were uncle and nephew, and both had originally served He Lingchuan. After the young master fell into the river, He Chunhua had absorbed them into his own household. Qiu Hu stood behind He Lingchuan, looking aloof and indifferent. Shan Youjun subconsciously stole a couple of glances at him. In the past, the person standing behind the young master had been him. He Lingchuan said "good" several times before asking, "I heard you got married?" "Ah, yes." Shan Youjun looked bashful. "I took a liking to a girl in Dunyu and married her four months ago." While they were speaking, a servant came to summon He Lingchuan. He Chunhua was back. With a bit of time left before dinner, he called He Lingchuan into the study. Qiu Hu stopped outside, taking up guard before the door. He Chunhua closed the door and immediately asked, "How did the review of the agreement go?" "The documentation is incomplete. On the surface, nothing seems wrong, but quite a bit has been hidden or omitted." He Lingchuan scratched the back of his head. "We will have to pick through it item by item and deliberate carefully. By the way, Father, when will the people you found for me arrive?" "The day after tomorrow at the latest." He Chunhua was always reliable in handling matters. He paced a few steps, then asked bluntly, "Why did you stop me from going in today? How can a junior like you understand these technical matters?" This was an affair of state. For the Mount Rong Sect to assign it to a disciple who had joined less than six months ago was treating a vast sum of money with utter disregard—a truly baffling maneuver! Thinking of this, He Chunhua felt a faint chill in his heart. Sect Leader Xue of the Mount Rong Sect was by no means senile. Did this arrangement hold some deeper meaning, or was there hidden intrigue behind it? What had earned his eldest son such an important responsibility? He Lingchuan smiled. "You do not hold the title of special envoy. If you had come inside and traded barbs with officials of your own court, I fear the monarch would only have grown more furious. I was acting in your best interests." He had gone there today specifically to pick holes in the agreement; could his old man openly do such a thing? He Chunhua had only mentioned it in passing; how could he not understand the stakes? Yet he hated being kept in the dark, and hated even more when things slipped beyond his control—it left him uneasy, anxious, and unable to sleep soundly. Setting the topic aside, he sat down. "Not long after you entered the Directorate of Reception, the monarch summoned me." He Lingchuan hooked a chair over and seated himself as well. "Was His Majesty pleasant and genial toward you?"