Rise From the Humble

On the second day, it was dark outside and the morning star was still high. Zhu Ping'an had already led Liu Mu and Liu Dadao on horseback out of the Linhuai Marquis Mansion and headed straight for the Taicang Bank.

This time, Zhu Ping'an carried another day's food in his backpack diagonally, and the two gourds hanging on his waist were filled with water. In addition, Zhu Pingan also wore a soft silk armor next to his body. Li Shu forced Zhu Pingan to put it on in the morning.

Li Shu specially sent a letter asking his second brother for the silk armor a few days ago, and it was just rushed from the south to the capital yesterday. In the morning, Li Shu insisted that Zhu Pingan put on this soft silk armor before letting Zhu Pingan go out.

This silk soft armor is not as magical as written in the novel. It is just a special method of processing silk. After dozens of processes, the silk remains soft and tough, and is woven by hand. It is very light. , wearing it looks like not wearing it, and outsiders can't tell. Moreover, wearing it in summer has the effect of relieving the heat and cooling down.

Compared with gold silk soft armor, silk soft armor is less effective against slashing weapons such as knives, but it can also effectively reduce the contact surface of swords and swords, reducing damage, so that ordinary swords and swords will not be fatal; In addition, compared to gold silk soft armor, silk soft armor is more effective in preventing bows and arrows.

The principle is the same as during the Genghis Khan period, Mongolian cavalry often wore silk clothes next to their bodies. The reason why Mongolian soldiers wear silk clothes next to their skin is not because of luxury or corruption, but because of the toughness of silk. They wear silk clothes for self-defense. If he is hit by an arrow, the silk thread will be entangled with the arrowhead. The arrow will be shot into the body with the silk thread attached. At this time, you only need to gently pull the silk thread to pull out the arrow, effectively reducing bow and arrow damage.

Liu Mu and Liu Dadao also brought their own food and drinking water. In addition, Liu Mu also carried a sword on his waist, Liu Dadao carried a thick-backed scimitar, and each of them had six or seven darts inserted in their belts. .

After listening to Zhu Pingan's reminder yesterday, the two of them brought enough self-defense equipment today. They were very vigilant along the way and vaguely protected Zhu Pingan in the middle.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful and the road to Taicang went smoothly.

When we arrived in Taicang, the sky was just bright and the morning light was still brewing under the horizon.

Zhu Pingan entered Taicang alone and went straight to the accounting room.

The people in Dongchang worked in two shifts and stayed outside the room. However, they did not expect Zhu Pingan to come to check the accounts so early, and they couldn't help but think highly of Zhu Pingan.

Because it was not yet bright, Zhu Pingan lit an oil lamp in the room and checked the account books by the light.

At yesterday's pace, it would take one day today plus half a day tomorrow to finish checking the account books.

Judging from the account books, the further we go, the more false accounts and deficits there will be. Take the first account book that Zhu Pingan checked today. This one is nearly 200 yuan more on average than the one he checked the day before yesterday. False accounts and shortfalls of two denarii.

After Zhu Ping'an checked an account book, the morning light burst out of the eastern sky.

Under the light of the morning light, Zhang Guanku, Jia Langzhong and others arrived in Taicang early, an hour earlier than usual. They wanted to get ahead of Zhu Pingan, stop Zhu Pingan at the door, and then talk to Zhu Pingan. Taicang "routine".

"Sir, Inspector Zhu came to Taicang half an hour ago." The soldier on duty at the gate of Taicang Bank reported truthfully when asked by Zhang Guanku.

"Grass!"

When Zhao Langzhong heard this, he cursed fiercely and slammed the box of tea leaves in his hand to the ground.

Others also looked bad.

Zhang Guanku glanced at Mr. Zhao and said with a sullen face, "If you have something to do, shut the door and tell me why you are so crazy at the door!"

"I'm just so angry that this guy named Zhu is kicking his nose and face."

Doctor Zhao shrank his neck and muttered, but he still followed Zhang Guanku obediently to Zhang Guanku's office room in Taicang.

After arriving at Zhang Guanku's office room, several people closed the door and started another round of "conspiracy discussions" against Zhu Ping'an.

The discussion took place for a long time, but no result was reached.

However, although Zhu Pingan was suddenly so interested in checking the accounts, they still believed that it was impossible for Zhu Pingan to find out the problems with the account books produced by "Ghost Zhang" and other top accountants in the capital.

Treasurer Liu, who has always been timid and fearful, was also convinced by the crowd. He was worried about whether Zhu Pingan would find out the problem, which was more due to his personality. After everyone cited the irrefutable evidence that Zhu Pingan did not know how to calculate, and was a toad in checking accounts, etc. After the facts, Treasurer Liu also believed that Zhu Ping'an could not find any problems in the accounts.

To make iron, you have to be hard-working. Zhang Guanku also ordered Jia Langzhong, Zhao Langzhong and others with good connections to prepare generous gifts to visit important officials such as the Ministry of Household Affairs to smoothen the relationship; then he ordered Treasurer Zhang and others to hold carrots and sticks in each hand, one by one. Secretly keep an eye on the Treasury soldiers and officials, knowing what is good and bad. We are all grasshoppers in the same boat. If anyone dares to harm everyone with his words, then don't blame everyone for harming him first.

The effect was outstanding, and many officials such as the Ministry of Revenue secretly nodded; Taicang's top and bottom also became a monolithic unit, unanimously speaking to the outside world - Zhu Ping'an, they all eat from the pot of Taicang, and have the same interests, so they naturally stick together to deal with it together Zhu Ping'an is a person who does not act according to "conventions".

When the people of Taicang unified their thinking, and under the leadership of Zhang Guanku and others, they were united and united in dealing with the outside world, Zhu Ping'an had been concentrating on checking the accounts. Except for a few inexplicable sneezes in the middle, it could be said that he was deaf to what was going on outside the window. , only focus on checking the accounts in hand.

Like yesterday, Zhu Pingan checked the accounts until the sun was setting and the night was dim before he put away the account books and brushes in his hands.

All that was left behind was a box and a third of the ledgers.

The speed is faster than expected, and the check will be completed early tomorrow morning.

The difference from yesterday was that when Zhu Ping'an left the yard, there were no Zhang Guanku, Jia Langzhong and others outside the yard.

I originally thought that they would pull me back and tell me about "routines" like yesterday, but I didn't expect them to give up so quickly. Well, that's good. I saved myself from checking the accounts for a whole day, and I was exhausted and had to concentrate on dealing with them.

The moon sets, the sun rises, another day begins.

As Zhu Pingan expected, early on the morning of the third day, Zhu Pingan reorganized all Taicang's account books for the past three years using double-entry accounting tables.

The false accounts and shortfalls are simply astonishing! Far beyond Zhu Pingan's imagination.

Great rat, great rat, you will soon pass away!

After checking the accounts, Zhu Pingan hid all the double-entry accounting sheets and final statistics close to his body. He handed over all the account books of Taicang for the past three years to Dongchang Xue Jian and others, and they escorted them to Xiyuan and sealed them in the warehouse. .

After Zhu Ping'an and Dong Chang's people left, Zhang Guanku and others couldn't wait to enter the room where the accounts were checked.

The room was empty, with only a piece of rice paper left on the table.

Familiar, yet unfamiliar.

They said they were familiar with it because they had seen this piece of rice paper, and they remembered the lotus leaf toad on it especially. It was precisely because of this lotus leaf that they secretly laughed at Zhu Ping'an for being a toad inspector.

The reason why I am unfamiliar is because on this piece of rice paper, there was originally only one sentence: "Sitting alone in the pond like a tiger roosting, nourishing the spirit under the shade tree." Now there are two more lines below this sentence to complete the poem.

"Seven Ancients: Chanting Frogs"

Sitting alone in the pond is like a tiger crouching, nourishing the spirit under the shade of trees.

If I don't speak first when spring comes, no insect will dare to make a sound.

"If I don't speak first when spring comes, no insect will dare to make a sound." Zhang Guanku recited it silently, and suddenly felt a chill on his back, as if there was a thorn in his heart.

When Secretary Liu and others read this poem, their expressions couldn't help but change, and they were shocked. How could a toad be so domineering and heroic? !

We call him a toad inspector. Is he mocking us as bugs? !

Treasurer Liu, who was relieved at first, felt uneasy for no reason.