Su Li smiled slightly, seeing her two maids staring intently at her.
"Ask whatever you want." Si Qin hesitated to speak, but Mo Hua couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked, "Miss, when did you learn medicine?"
The maids had been with their young mistress since childhood and had never known that she possessed medical skills, and very formidable ones at that, capable of even curing Golden Grass poisoning.
Su Li leaned against the carriage wall and lazily said, "Your mistress was favored by an immortal. An old immortal taught me in my dreams." The two maids looked at her in annoyance.
"Miss, do you take us for three-year-olds?" Su Li looked at the two maids. She was indeed favored by an immortal, which allowed her to be reborn.
"I taught myself. There are so many books in Father's study, many of them medical texts." This was true. Ever since she got that scar on her face, she rarely went out. The most common thing she did every day was to go to her father's study to read books.
Seeing the two maids look at her with pained expressions, Su Li smiled, "It's alright. 'What is lost in the east is gained in the west.' See, haven't I gained a skill in medicine?"
Si Qin recalled something about the estate and said, "Miss, although you don't like going out, there's no need to give all your clothes and jewelry to Second Miss. Besides, those twelve jade pieces were given to you by the Duchess."
Su Li chuckled, "Those twelve pieces aren't so easy to wear. She's a concubine's daughter. Wearing such precious items to the Qionghua Banquet... Heh heh..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, "Miss! Your servant understands! If Second Miss truly wears the twelve jade pieces, she will definitely become the target of public criticism. We know very well the methods of those noble ladies. By then..."
Su Li sneered. Yes, no one knew the methods of those noble ladies better than she did. After her disfigurement, she didn't just cower in the estate every day at first.
But every banquet, there would be all sorts of accidents, and although she was of noble status, it was impossible to guard against the subtle obstacles those noble ladies would secretly set up.
Even with her noble status, it was like this, let alone Su Yue. Others might not know about this Qionghua Banquet, but she knew it was for selecting a consort for the Crown Prince to bring good fortune.
The Crown Prince had been bedridden for months, and the imperial physicians in the palace were helpless. As his condition grew increasingly serious, the Imperial Astronomy Bureau suggested selecting a consort to bring good fortune.
If Su Yue wanted to show off, let her go. Anyway, as a concubine's daughter, the Empress wouldn't think much of her.
"Miss, we've arrived at Zui Xian Ju," the coachman's voice came. Si Qin and Mo Hua helped Su Li alight from the carriage.
Si Qin asked, "Miss, what are we doing at Zui Xian Ju?" Although Zui Xian Ju was the Madam's property, Miss never bothered with such trivial matters.
"Audit the accounts." Su Li softly uttered two words.
"Audit the accounts?" Seeing that Miss was unwilling to say more, Si Qin and the other maid stopped asking questions and followed Su Li into Zui Xian Ju.
Zui Xian Ju was one of the top restaurants in the capital. It was packed with customers every day, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it brought in a fortune daily, but the reality was not like that. As soon as they entered Zui Xian Ju, a man in his forties came to greet them.
"Miss, why have you come?"
Su Li said, "Uncle Lin, my mother has gone on a long trip. I've come to check this month's accounts."
Shopkeeper Lin chuckled, "Miss has truly grown up and knows how to share Madam's burdens. Just yesterday, Accountant Xia said the account books were ready. Come, let's go to the accounts room."
Su Li nodded and walked ahead. "Uncle Lin, who recommended this Accountant Xia?"
Shopkeeper Lin thought for a moment and replied, "Master arranged for him to come. He said he was very capable."
Su Li sneered inwardly. Capable indeed. Otherwise, how could he have smoothed the accounts so perfectly without arousing suspicion, making Mother unaware for so long! Unfortunately, he ran into her!
This accountant was actually Concubine Xia's elder brother, Su Yue's maternal uncle! Half of the money he embezzled went into the pockets of the person in the West Courtyard! The precious silks and expensive jewelry that Su Yue wore all came from here.
Upon reaching the accounts room, they saw Xia Jiang already inside.
"Miss has come to check the accounts. Quickly bring out the account books," Shopkeeper Lin said to Xia Jiang.
Xia Jiang chuckled, "Ah, Miss, please sit. Please wait a moment."
Su Li sat down on a chair, with Si Qin and Mo Hua standing behind her. Su Li observed Xia Jiang. On the surface, he looked honest and steady, but who knew he was so black-hearted.
In her previous life, this person ran away with the funds from Zui Xian Ju. When the person from the West Courtyard cried, full of remorse, begging her father and mother for forgiveness, saying she was tricked by her brother, she then realized that this person was actually Su Yue's maternal uncle.
"Miss, these are this month's accounts. Please take a look." Xia Jiang's face was respectful, but the contempt in his eyes was clearly seen by Su Li. Does he think that because her mother couldn't spot the loopholes, she wouldn't be able to either?
Heh!
Su Li chuckled, "Accountant Xia, please bring last month's account books as well for me to see." Xia Jiang was startled. Could she really see something? But then he thought, How could a young lady from an official family, who never leaves her house, understand these things?
"Alright, Miss, please wait." Two months' worth of account books were placed on the table. Su Li picked up the books and slowly read through them page by page.
"How long has Accountant Xia been at Zui Xian Ju?" Su Li asked, seemingly casually.
"Replying to Miss, almost two years." Two years? Then he embezzled quite a lot! Su Li placed the account book heavily on the table.
With a thud, Xia Jiang was startled.
"Miss, is there something wrong with the accounts?" Xia Jiang asked cautiously.
Su Li looked at him coldly and said, "Accountant Xia, do you truly believe that no one can see the tricks in these accounts?"
Xia Jiang immediately turned pale and cried out in injustice, "Miss, I, Old Xia, have been diligently working at Zui Xian Ju for two years. What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean? Then tell me, at the beginning of the month, you bought a batch of grain, which was enough for Zui Xian Ju for a month.
At the end of the month, you bought another batch. Let's assume you bought it for next month. But then you bought it again in the middle of the second month, and again at the beginning of the third month.
How do you explain that?" Normally, buying one batch a month would be enough. By this calculation, he bought three batches in two months. But the audit only covered the current month, which is why Mother didn't discover this loophole.
Xia Jiang's face instantly paled, and he wiped the sweat from his forehead, saying, "Miss, grain is cheaper in summer, so we need to buy more to store for winter."
Su Li chuckled, "Oh? Then where is the stored grain?"
Xia Jiang wiped his sweat and said, "This humble one had it stored in an outside warehouse."
Su Li smiled faintly, "Bring me both years' worth of account books."
"This..."
"What? The owner wants to check the accounts, and you refuse? Or does Accountant Xia have a guilty conscience? Do I need to report to the authorities?"
Si Qin and Mo Hua's eyes widened in surprise. Was this still their usually melancholy young mistress?
Shopkeeper Lin also looked at Xia Jiang and said, "What are you waiting for? Go quickly! Miss wants to check the accounts. Why are you stalling? Do you really have a guilty conscience?"
Xia Jiang's heart was filled with bitterness. He had thought this was a useless young lady, but unexpectedly, she was a tough nut to crack. If he didn't bring the account books, she would report to the authorities. If he brought the account books, it would also be a big trouble.
Forget it, I'll just get through this for now, then go to my sister for help. Xia Jiang turned and brought out a stack of account books. "Miss, these are the account books for the past two years."
Su Li took the account books and looked through them. She chuckled, "Accountant Xia is truly considerate of Zui Xian Ju. He's been hoarding grain since last year. There must be hundreds of thousands of jin of grain in that outside warehouse, right? Then we won't need to buy any this winter. Three days from now, I'll go check this batch of grain."
Xia Jiang was dumbfounded.
"What? Is there a problem?"
"N-no problem." Xia Jiang wiped his sweat.
Su Li stood up and said, "That's good. Well, I should head back now. I'll come again in three days." Downstairs, Shopkeeper Lin's face was full of apologies. "Miss, I'm sorry. I didn't even notice Accountant Xia had a problem."
What hoarding grain! He knew nothing about it. If Miss hadn't checked the accounts, those hundreds of thousands of jin of grain would have surely ended up in Xia Jiang's pockets.
Su Li chuckled, "Uncle Lin, you don't need to blame yourself. This person was recommended by my father, so of course you would trust him. But, Uncle Lin, this Xia Jiang is the elder brother of that person in the West Courtyard."
"What!"
Su Li said, "Uncle Lin, find someone to watch him these few days. Don't let him run away!"
Shopkeeper Lin immediately said, "Miss, rest assured!" Su Li naturally trusted Shopkeeper Lin. This restaurant was her mother's dowry, and Uncle Lin was also someone her maternal grandmother had given to her mother.
"By the way, in six or seven days, a man named Wang Wei will come looking for you. Have him help out in the restaurant for now. I have other plans for him later."
"Yes, Miss."
Getting into the carriage, Si Qin eagerly asked, "Miss, that accountant clearly embezzled funds. Why don't you report him to the authorities?"
Su Li said, "Report him? That person in our estate can push the blame completely clean. I'll give him three days to spit out all the embezzled money."
She knew that the bulk of this money was in the West Courtyard. She naturally didn't want them to live a carefree life, so she had to cut off their path to wealth first! Once Xia Jiang emptied the West Courtyard, she'd see how that mother and daughter could live so freely!
"But Miss, what if Concubine Xia refuses to hand it over no matter what?"
Su Li sneered, "She will!" Xia Jiang had helped his sister conceal more than one or two things over the years. With this leverage,
would Concubine Xia dare not hand it over? If she reported it and pushed Concubine Xia too hard, making her own brother die in prison, she believed Concubine Xia would still do it.
By then, where would she find out Concubine Xia's secrets? She still remembered Su Yue's words before her death in her previous life, saying that she wasn't her father's daughter at all! That is, Concubine Xia had someone else outside more than ten years ago!
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