Chapter 163: Questioning in the Face (2)
Translator: Antonia
Putting down the teacup, she appeared interested in Feng Da’s words, “Oh? What businesses are getting better? Then, who are in charge of them? What method have you used in such a short period of time to save the businesses that have been losing money for five years in a row?”
Feng Da got dumb. Obviously, he had expected that Mo Qianxue should ask such details. A girl barely going out of door couldn’t know much about business. Just give her an answer. In a flash, he came up with another idea.
“Tianshengxuan.” Feng Da lifted his head that had lowered to show loyalty just now and pointed at manager Zhang, “This is manager Zhang who has come up with the plan. In the past, Tianshengxuan collected antiques at a price too high, but there wasn’t much demand in the market, which led to a backlog of cash, so often we had to sell at a lower price. Recently, we begin to collect cheaper paintings and calligraphy works, which sell well…”
Feng Da replied unhurriedly, while manager Zhang added something intermittently and promised with confidence that if the case lasted, the antique shop would be profitable…
In the past, the antique shop ran worst, collecting works at a high price and selling low. The gap was huge. When the two men were enjoying their play, Mo Qianxue already got impatient. It seemed that without a tough hand, they would play more tricks.
She sneered, staring at Feng Da, and asked, “Feng Da, I’d like to know what you look of me. Until this moment, you still treat me like an ignorant child?”
“Heaven will prove my conscience, I…” Feng Da was a little confused why Mo Qianxue wasn’t interested in the promising picture he had drawn, but he had been a good player in displaying loyalty and conscience. This time was no exception.
Mo Qianxue was really stunned at this man’s thick skin.
Yesterday, when hearing that Feng Da had swallowed millions taels of silver, nanny Mo pissed off, and at this point, she couldn’t hold back anymore, pointing at Feng Da and cursing, “Conscience? You have one which isn’t in a dog’s belly?”
Nanny Mo was cursing him, and Mo Qianxue didn’t plan to waste more time in beating around the bush, “Feng Da, I give you one last chance. Where do you put all the silver you’ve misappropriated over these years? And you guys, if you take out the money, I’ll let you leave. If not, don’t blame me for what I’ll do.”
“Lady, are you going to wrong me until I die? I only have a hundred acres of land and a small mansion. I don’t have other properties. It’s my fault that I didn’t run the businesses well, but I won’t accept it if you throw dirty water at me based on it!”
As he talked, he got more grieved and indignant, standing up, as if he was outrageously wronged.
Without the evidence, Mo Qianxue might have believed in what he said.
She snorted, “You won’t accept it?”
“Of course I won’t accept your groundless accusation. Please show us evidence. I’m not one of the servants of the Founder mansion. You can’t punish or kill me as you like.”
At this moment, Feng Da spoke with a straight backbone and loud and powerful words, as if without a proper reason, he wouldn’t let it go. There wasn’t a trace of respect at all.
Manager Zhang and the others, including the two that had knelt out of fear, all stood up. Hearing Feng Da’s self-righteous words, they glanced at each other and all displayed recalcitrance.
“That’s not fair lady. For so many years, manager Feng takes care of everything alone in the capital. Business is like war. Nobody can win forever…”
“Lady. You can’t throw dirt at us just because of losing money. Otherwise, who will dare to do things for you…?”
“Lady, natural disasters are inevitable. We ordinary people can do nothing against the heaven…”
They quibbled one after another, showing no respect at all. Mo Qianxue gave a look to nanny Mo, who nodded and swiped out her sword at once.
As the blade came in the air, it hummed on nanny Mo’s internal strength.
Instantly, there was quiet. Although these men were well-informed outside, they weren’t martial artists. Besides, all of them had heard of Mo Qianxue’s glorious deeds.
On the first day returning to the capital, her nanny and guards killed a dozen people, but even the Emperor didn’t blame her and only grounded her in her own mansion for seven days.
Only until this moment did they begin to associate Mo Qianxue to the heatedly-discussed cruel eldest young lady of the Founder mansion.
This girl was no longer the timid ignorant one that manager Feng had known many years ago, but a noble lady who could order a beheading at any time.
The sword gleamed, and the managers subconsciously stepped back. But not Feng Da.
Mo Qianxue killing people. Feng Da always believed it was exaggerated rumor.
Every time he came, she had been hiding behind madam and got nervous meeting a stranger.
Even though she grew up now, the timidity in her bones wouldn’t change. That incident was probably nanny Mo the hideous woman and her guard accidentally killing a bunch of riots who tried to rob. Otherwise, why did the Emperor forgive her?
To scare him? By an old nanny who made a fuss?!
Thinking of this, Feng Da didn’t retreat but pushed forward, “Do you want to kill me to ease your anger? I’m a citizen now. The managers can prove. Besides, I’ve been loyal to madam…” Did she dare to kill the nine of them at home when she was grounded by the Emperor?
The other managers wanted to say something, but at the sight of the gleaming sword, shut up at the right time. It wasn’t necessary to risk their lives to win an arguing. Mo Qianxue enjoyed her tea, graceful and languidly, inwardly laughing at these stupid reckless people.
It’d be alright if he didn’t mention madam, but he did and boasted about his loyalty. Nanny Mo would definitely give him a lesson.
Unsurprisingly, nanny Mo, before Feng Da finished, pulled her face without talking, raised the sword at him, and instantly cut off the hair on the top of his head against the skin, then pointing at his throat.
“If you have a death wish, I can do you a favor. By then, I could say you guys swallowed the Founder mansion’s money and had evil intentions against lady. Not a big deal to kill you. After all, you’re just a bunch of unruly folks who offended a noble lady… If anyone needed to pay for it, I can take the punishment. It would have nothing to do with lady…”
Before nanny Mo finished, the several managers swarmed up and pulled back Feng Da who was already freaked out.
They understood. Just now when nanny Mo took out the sword, lady didn’t even blink. Very likely, she would really kill them all.
Ordinary folks offending a noble lady! They wouldn’t die because of it, but the punishment was unsparing! Based on the previous attitude of the Emperor, Mo Qianxue would be at most grounded longer for not discipline servants well if she allowed the the hideous woman to kill them and then asked her to take the punishment.
They couldn’t afford to risk their lives in this gambling!
In fact, even if not being dragged back, Feng Da didn’t dare to come forward anymore. The attack already made him sweat much. The blade sweeping against his scalp was icy cold…
Now, he regretted!
He had prepared two sets of ledgers. If Mo Qianxue died and the Mo clan took over the Founder mansion, he gave them one. If Mo Qianxue came back, he gave her the other.
Although the first one set wasn’t authentic either, it had a hundred thousand taels of silver in balance, which was enough for the short-sighted Mos.
The second set was what had been provided to Mo Qianxue and had zero balance. He had believed that an ignorant girl wouldn’t dare to do anything to him and would listen to him to sell the shops. Master Mo, on the other hand, was a cruel guy. It wasn’t easy to deceive him, so he had put some sweet on the ledger.
To his surprise, this timid girl was cultivated by hideous nanny Mo into a heartless thing.
However, the present situation left him no way out. Anyway, she couldn’t figure anything from the ledgers. The worst case scenario was him being sent to the police where he could use money to…
Before he worked out a plan, Mo Qianxue spoke, “Alright. Then I’ll give you a quick death.” The sound was calm, as if in her eyes, life was nothing but ants. He felt himself like a stupid clown…
“Butler, please fetch me the ledgers. I’m going to tell him how he made fake accountings and how his loyalty turned the money of Founder mansion into his own.”
The butler had been waiting at the door. As Mo Qianxue ordered, he waved his hand, and two servant boys carried the hundreds account books into the front hall.
Mo Qianxue picked up one, “In the year 315, Tianshengxuan spent five thousand taels to purchase a jade vase and sold it in the year 218 at four thousand taels. It took one transaction three years to close, losing one thousand taels…”
“It’s because nobody bought it during the two years. Hence, we reduced the price, or the cash flow wasn’t enough for further operation. I approved that.”
“You did? However, I happened to hear that the jade vase was about by the third lord Wan for the celebration of old madam Wan’s birthday. They bought it with 9999 taels of silver for good luck…”
Mo Qianxue said slowly, while manager Zhang’s face turned pale completely.
“Moreover, old madam Wan’s sixtieth birthday was in the year 315, which meant it was sold quick and earned 4999 taels… Do I need to give you more examples?”
Saying that, she threw the ledger at manager Zhang who knelt at onc.e
Mo Qianxue randomly picked up another one, “This is Yuji Restaurant’s…”
“This one is…”
Mo Qianxue pointed out the flaws of the eight managers. Instantly, the swaggering men all became pale-faced and knelt down. They had read the ledgers in which a balance was stuck but the numbers were fake.
Just like the five-thousand-tael vase that sold at four thousand tael three years later. The numbers weren’t even recorded in the same book. It was hard to find out one by one. They had believed that even if she found it wrong, it sounded reasonable to reduce the price after a good remained in stock for years. However, the fact was that lady even figured the buyers, making it impossible for them to deny anymore.
Seeing he lost the game totally, Feng Da muttered, looking insane, “Impossible…that’s impossible. The book must be fake!”