Taking sick leave is obviously a helpless strategy that has been prepared a long time ago, and Li Qichang is a good person. This conclusion was reached after Cao Hao took charge of Li Qichang's duties. Because Li Qichang had already completed all the accounting work at hand before he was "sick". At this time, there were several major affairs in the ministry that Peng Zhu's side was left to transfer grain, and after this matter was completed, there was nothing to call Cao Hao's final judgment, so Cao Hao took over easily, but he was leisurely for half a month.

Until an official document sent by the fourth elder brother arrived.

Some time ago, the holy driver went to Tongzhou to inspect the river embankment, and the prince, the fourth elder brother, the fifth elder brother, the eighth elder brother, the fourteenth elder brother, the fifteenth elder brother, and the sixteenth elder brother followed. At present, the fourth elder brother is driving the river with Shaotun, but he sent an urgent official letter, asking the household department to re-check the sea tax and the loss of the sea bandits.

In the following year, the maritime ban officially ended, and in the following year, four customs offices were set up in Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Yuntai Mountain in Guangdong, Fujian, Ningbo, and Jiangnan, respectively, to manage foreign trade.

On the side of the household department, the Guangdong Division, the Fujian Division, the Zhejiang Division, and the Jiangnan Division are all involved in the sea tax, and because the Fujian Haikou went north to rob in many coastal areas, all localities reported losses, so the Fujian Division, the Zhejiang Division, the Jiangnan Division, and the Shandong Division all have Haikou loss accounts, but this re-examination has made half of the household department busy.

The Fujian Division was involved in both, and Cao Hao personally participated in the review of the loss of Haikou, so when he organized people to take stock of the accounts, he avoided the loss of Haikou again, and took Fu Xiangong and a few people to the accounts of the sea tax.

There are no outsiders left and right, Fu Xiangong looked at the accounts and couldn't help but feel sorry for Li Qichang: "A total of 50,000 or 60,000 taels of silver, can there be anything wrong with this account?" Master Li is really wronged! That man is a deceitful! ”

As soon as a sentence came out, although all the people present were his confidants, they were all frightened - although he didn't name Shi Wengui, who still didn't know who he was referring to? It is said that Shi Wengui took the sea tax and Li Qichang is a well-known thing.

Chade couldn't help but say: "My lord, be careful! Don't get into trouble! Cao Hao also tactfully reminded Fu Xiangong to pay attention to his words.

Fu Xiangong shook his head, and his voice was lowered a little, but he was still full of resentment: "If you don't find a reason for the first, can you still make a fuss about the sea tax?" Master Cao, you say, what is he not a bully? ”

Cao Hao patted him on the shoulder, but there was nothing to answer. That's what it's all about.

During the Kangxi period, the customs tax was set very low, and the customs tariff quota of Fujian was only 30,000 taels, and this year Fujian was a catastrophe and a catastrophe, and the trade volume was reduced a lot, and the tariff was also greatly reduced, at most more than 20,000. In recent years, the tariffs collected by Tianjin and the Northeast Customs have been the largest, with a quota of only 25,000 taels, and there are not many other sporadic taels.

Together, Li Qichang's sea tax account is only 50,000 or 60,000 taels of silver, which is the simplest and most unlikely to be wrong compared to other accounts that are often hundreds of thousands or millions of taels. Bishi Wengui can find this mistake, presumably Li Qichang is "sick" and angry.

But what can I do if I know that Shi Wengui picks bones in eggs? He obviously did it on purpose, the first few times he argued with Li Qichang was probably just a shout behind closed doors, and the little officials only reported some things about smashing cups, but this time even the content of the quarrel came out, and the little officials also said that more than one or two people heard it!

It's one thing to know what you know, but it's another thing to say it, and it's not a good thing to talk about your boss in private like this.

Cao Hao had a good impression of Fu Xiangong, and didn't want to see any trouble caused by his tongue, so he changed the topic: "Since Prince Yong can send an urgent official document back to check the accounts, there must be some reason, let's take a closer look and don't make any mistakes." ”

A few of them nodded yes, so they didn't say anything and buried themselves in their work.

Cao Hao was facing the accounts, thinking about it, and suddenly made the loss of the sea and the sea tax look like two different things that are completely incompatible, and he didn't know what it meant to let him check together. If it is said that the sea invaders have affected overseas trade, it is certain, but the sea tax itself is not much, and it can even be said that in the current total tax revenue, I am afraid that it will not even account for one percent, so why make such a big fanfare?

Cao Hao was thinking about it, when he suddenly heard a low startled voice from the pen-post Chade. Because the room was quiet, although his voice was not high, everyone could hear it clearly, and they all looked at him together.

Seeing everyone's inquiring eyes, Chade was a little uncomfortable, opened his mouth, but didn't say why, and shook his head again. Another post style Jin Jie's surname was the most anxious, and he couldn't help but say: "It's okay, what are you 'huh'?" Say something! ”

Chad called him a little embarrassed: "Look, it's a little wrong...... I'll check it out later......"

Everyone was stunned and hurriedly asked him, "What's wrong?" Wrong accounts? ”

Chade hesitated for a moment, but still freed up a page of the ledger and brought it to Cao Hao and Fu Xiangong, and everyone gathered together to take a look. Chad took a pen and circled a few merchant ships, and said, "Here it is written that because of the sea bandits, the goods on board are damaged and taxes are confiscated." But...... A few days ago, it was my merchant ship, and I didn't see these ......."

Everyone fell silent, everyone had mentioned Li Qichang's grievances before, and when they saw such things at this time, they didn't know what to say for a while. Everyone is thinking, could it be that Shi Wengui didn't deliberately find fault, Li Qichang really has a problem?

Soon, this idea was rejected by Fu Xiangong, and he was the first to speak: "It's not me who I said, I can trust Master Li's personality, and I guess a few people also know it." Besides, these boats are only a matter of 1,800 taels of silver, and if you want to erase the selfish interests, then you should also wipe them more! ”

Cao Hao nodded, this matter is indeed strange, although he has only been in contact with financial accounts for a long time, he also knows that if he wants to make fake accounts, he must make all the relevant accounts flat, not to mention whether Li Qichang will make false accounts for the sake of a thousand taels of silver, just say that he is the chief of the first department, these accounts will eventually be in his hands, it is easy for him to make the accounts on both sides flat, how can he leave such a loophole for people to detect?

went back to Mr. Zhuang to say it, but he couldn't find the reason for it for a while, so Cao Hao decided to wait and see what happened. I don't think it could be that Shi Wengui deliberately faked it in order to squeeze out a man, in that case, it would be really incorrigibly stupid, could it be that the old man Kangxi couldn't be decorated?

* Although Cao Hao only lived in the Chunwang Mansion for three days, Chu Yu still had to live in the Junwang Mansion until the end of February. Even if he thinks about her, Cao Hao doesn't feel very cold every time he goes over and returns to the house.

This time, after dinner, the sky was still bright, Cao Hao was bored, so he went to the Banyan Courtyard to find Zhuang Xi to play chess.

Although it was already mid-February and the weather was much warmer, Zhuang Xi was afraid of the cold and was still too lazy to go out. Seeing Cao Hao coming, and he didn't look like he was having something, Zhuang Xi smiled: "It can be seen that this is the newlywed Yan'er, and the two of them have been separated for a few days, so they feel that it is difficult?" ”

Cao Hao was not informal, and nodded with a smile: "Mr. is right, I don't think so, but now I am uncomfortable when I return to the room!" ”

Zhuang Xi touched his beard and quipped: "Son, this is the joy of the boudoir, it seems that Ling Zun is expected to hug his grandson within the year!" ”

Just when Xiqiu brought tea, Cao Hao casually glanced at it and found that he seemed to have forgotten something. Xiqiu noticed it, and hurriedly lowered her head and retreated. Zhuang Xi coughed beside him, interrupting Cao Hao's contemplation.

Cao Hao looked at Xiqiu's back, turned his head and said to Mr. Zhuang: "I remember two days ago, I heard that Amethyst mentioned that Mr. Liqiu was sick, and said that he invited a doctor from outside to come and have a look." Because there are a lot of errands in these days, I forgot to ask, I don't know if I have been cured? Now is the time when it is warm and cold, don't delay the illness. Mr. is also here, his health is not good, what should I do if I get infected again! ”

Mr. Zhuang's face was rarely uncomfortable, and he looked at Cao Hao, looking like he wanted to speak and stopped.

That's not right! Cao Hao looked at him like this, and couldn't help but wonder, but the maid was sick, what can't be mentioned? Is there something hidden that needs to be covered?

When Mr. Zhuang saw Cao Hao looking at him like this, he touched his beard and laughed twice: "I thought I would find someone to mention to you, but now that I am in a hurry, I will tell you!" Speaking of this, he paused again and said: "I didn't have any intention of continuing to take concubines, but the two sisters of Lianqiu and Xiqiu are docile, and they have been waiting for them for the past two years, which is really ......."

Two sisters, Mercy Autumn and Mercy Autumn? Cao Hao couldn't help but be dumbfounded. In the past two years, I have also persuaded Mr. Zhuang to marry a house, saving him from being old and lonely, so Mr. Zhuang pushed it, but here are two sisters, what is the reason!

Mr. Zhuang was a little embarrassed, but when he saw that Cao Hao was silent, he couldn't erase it, and his old face was red.

When Cao Hao saw it, he didn't know whether to say "congratulations" first, or what to say first, thinking that Lianqiu was sick without saying anything, could it be that he had it?

Although I respect Zhuang Xi as a relative, but I am only seventeen or eighteen years old, it would be good if the two of them were willing, otherwise it would be really emotional.

"Sir, the two sisters ......" Cao Hao was a little embarrassed, not knowing how to ask. Although Sister Lianqiu and Sister Xiqiu are subordinates, and they have been waiting here since they bought them, Cao Hao did not mean to look down on them in his heart, and he would not force the two of them to do anything for the sake of An Zhuangxi's heart.

Zhuang Xi has been with Cao Hao for more than a year, and knows his temper and surname, he will not dispose of it arbitrarily when Fangcha is so prickly, and points it to Wei Bai, so he smiled and said: "I just like the two sisters surnamed Supple, thinking that it is good to have them as companions, so I naturally want them to be willing, am I the impatient boy?" As he spoke, he was faintly proud, and he no longer called himself "old", he was quite refreshed, but he looked several years younger.

This is not obvious, and he received two at a time, Cao Hao couldn't see his smug look, looked at him and said: "Mr. is not in a hurry, what is wrong with the little master of Piqiu?" Could it be that I misunderstood, didn't she have joy? ”

Zhuang Xi was drinking tea, and almost choked when he heard the words, but he was not embarrassed, but shook his head more and more proudly and laughed twice: "It's just one time, who would have thought that there would be a result, I really didn't expect it!" ”

Cao Hao thought that he had been a widower for many years, and he was also lonely, and most of his dissatisfaction with his "old man did not repair" was gone, and he said seriously: "It is also a good thing that Mr. is willing to continue the strings, and it can be regarded as double happiness." When Chu Yu comes back, let's do a good job in the house, and the house here will also be well arranged. Thinking in his heart, Ming'er sent someone to the yamen to eliminate the slavery of the two sisters, Lianqiu and Xiqiu, and then let Amethyst help prepare two neat dowries, don't wronged them.

Zhuang Xi hurriedly shook his head, telling Cao Hao not to be too loud. He usually said that in front of everyone in the house, he was all holding the elders, and now he wants to accept his maid, and he is still unmarried and pregnant, and he feels panicked when he thinks about it, so he hesitates so far, and he is not embarrassed to speak.

Cao Hao is okay here, he is here and here, and he can be considerate; The county lord has just been married, and he still has to worry about three points. Therefore, Zhuang Xi only said to choose a child, ask Amethyst to send two grandmothers to open their sisters' faces, and then put two tables of wine and invite a few stewards in the house.

Cao Hao saw that it was dark outside, so he didn't stay long, and said goodbye with a smile.

The next time, Cao Hao told Amethyst about the Rong Courtyard and helped Mr. Zhuang to do his family affairs. Amethyst listened, pondered for a while, and said, "Uncle, the slave maid listens to Mr. Zhuang's meaning, it looks like a concubine, but it doesn't look like she wants to continue the string!" ”

Cao Hao asked slightly: "Could it be that because of the identities of the two of them, this side will go to eliminate the slavery!" ”

Amethyst glanced at Cao Hao and said with a wry smile: "Uncle treats people well, and he doesn't despise slaves and maids, how many people in the world are like uncles?" 'A maid is a lady', which will be paid attention to for two or three lifetimes, and even the children and grandchildren will be disgraced! ”

Cao Hao shook his head: "Mr. Su is said to be open-minded, not a person who cares about these secular rules. ”

Amethyst pondered and said, "Even if Mr. Zhuang doesn't care about it himself, he is afraid of other things!" Although his daughter is married, it is not easy for her mother's family to act indiscriminately! ”

Cao Hao was speechless and did not speak again.

(To be continued)