Chapter 45: Feigning a Sound in the East to Strike in the West

Yang Can rose early and had Xiaotan attend to him as he washed and cleansed his face.

It was as though nothing had happened the night before.

Since Xiaotan was not embarrassed, Yang Can naturally felt no embarrassment either.

He brushed his teeth with a chewed willow twig dipped in green salt, pondering that, given the chance, he ought to invent a proper toothbrush.

It was not that he had never considered the idea before. But in this era there were no patent laws, and the thing required no particular technical skill.

The only reason it had not yet appeared was that no one had thought of it.

The moment he made one, others would imitate it.

But if he could first establish an industry of his own, the situation would be different.

He could manufacture a large quantity in advance and stockpile them, so that the moment the toothbrush appeared, it would flood the market.

Even if others copied it afterward, he would still earn his first fortune.

Moreover, he would enjoy the advantage of being the first established brand in the market that followed.

Therefore, he would not reveal this profitable idea until he possessed an industry of his own.

After washing, grooming himself, and changing into a fresh robe, Yang Can went downstairs for breakfast.

Li Damu and Qingmei had already arrived in the hall.

The moment Qingmei sat down, Sangzhi began to cast a meaningful gaze over her.

Qingmei had left rather late the previous night.

She knew, after all, roughly how long Yang Can could keep at it.

That honest girl had calculated the time and waited until she estimated things had returned to their usual duration before leaving.

By then, it had already been the middle of the night.

Moreover, while she sat there, she had kept a wary eye on Yang Can, her legs tensed and ready to spring away at any moment.

As a result, the muscles in her legs had become so tight that she suffered a cramp while going downstairs.

With Sangzhi and Xiaotan witnessing such a scene, how could they possibly interpret it any other way?

Qingmei knew perfectly well what Sangzhi’s gaze meant. Unfortunately, this was the sort of matter that was best left unexplained; the more one tried to clarify it, the worse it became.

Helpless, Qingmei could only sit there in a sulk.

Just then, Yang Can came strolling down the stairs with Xiaotan.

The moment she saw the culprit, Qingmei’s large eyes shot him a vicious glare.

Yang Can raised an eyebrow at her, utterly perplexed.

This scoundrel was pretending not to know?

Still, that eyebrow-raising gesture really did look good...

Bah!

The momentary daze in Qingmei’s eyes vanished as she immediately saw through Yang Can’s handsome-man ploy.

That vile man was trying to seduce her? Did he think she was the sort of shallow woman who could be swayed by that?

It was only an eyebrow. Who cared?

Breakfast ended amid Sangzhi’s thoughtful silence, Qingmei’s feigned composure, Li Damu’s growing confusion, and Yang Can’s complete calm.

At that moment, the manor steward, Lai Gulu, came to invite them over, and Yang Can and the others followed him out of the small courtyard.

The courtyard offered considerable privacy, being enclosed by tall walls.

After entering the central courtyard, they saw nearly thirty of the Zhang family’s household guards drilling on the training ground.

The iron spearheads glittered with a brilliant, icy sheen beneath the sunlight.

Most of these guards were descendants of mixed unions between Han Chinese and the Rong, Man, and Di peoples of Longshang.

As a result, their physiques and features appeared particularly lean and formidable.

Naturally, Manor Lord Zhang had chosen only the finest martial retainers to serve as guards.

...

On Zhang Yunyi’s side, the accountants, field supervisors, granary overseers, and tenant leaders of Feng’an Manor had all arrived.

When he saw Yang Can and the others approaching, Zhang Yunyi quickly glanced at Qingmei, who walked half a body-length behind Yang Can.

She truly was a delicate and charming young woman, even more beautiful than Sangzhi and Xiaotan.

With her keeping watch, Steward Yang would have no chance to indulge himself. His own plans would therefore need to be adjusted.

Perhaps he could create an opportunity and catch the two of them in the act?

But he could not make such a move until the final moment, when all other paths had been exhausted. For now, he would wait.

Today was the first day Yang Can was formally inspecting Feng’an Manor.

Thus, early in the morning, Manor Lord Zhang brought a large group of people along and accompanied Yang Can and the others on a comprehensive tour of the estate.

They examined the division of Feng’an Manor’s fields, its irrigation works, the network of ditches, the reservoirs, the management of the grain stores, as well as the mill and the smithies responsible for making and repairing farm tools...

Manor Lord Zhang also gave them a more detailed account of the population within the estate:

Free commoners who owned small plots of land and paid grain and labor levies to the manor;

Retainer households who were civilians in peacetime and soldiers in wartime;

Landless tenants who rented fields from the estate, and so forth.

As for the people who had fled here from the Central Plains or from territories ruled by other great clans for various reasons, Manor Lord Zhang naturally did not mention them at all.

He had taken them in, ordered them to reclaim wasteland, and turned them into tenants.

Those tenants and the newly cultivated land belonged to Manor Lord Zhang. The clan knew nothing about them.

While Yang Can made a cursory tour of the estate, a corpse quietly surfaced in the moat of Feng’an Fort.

The man was thin, unkempt, and covered in grime. Everyone in the village knew him. His name was Zhen Laoshi.

Zhen Laoshi had been a hardworking peasant who farmed his own land. For several years, father and son had risen before dawn and returned late at night, reclaiming more than ten acres of fertile fields.

When his son became ill from exhaustion, Zhen Laoshi borrowed money from Manor Lord Zhang at exorbitant interest.

The outcome was entirely predictable.

His fields eventually passed into the Zhang family’s hands, his son died of illness, his daughter-in-law remarried, and Zhen Laoshi lost his mind.

Now the madman Zhen Laoshi had departed this world altogether.

After a full day, Yang Can had gained a direct understanding of the estate’s agricultural production, population management, tax collection, village regulations, and customary laws.

By the time they returned from their inspection, evening had already fallen.

Zhang Yunyi once more attempted to arrange a lavish banquet for Yang Can, but Yang Can politely declined.

“Your lordship’s kindness is deeply appreciated. But one’s stomach cannot endure rich meat and fine dishes every day. Let us keep things simple tonight. Yes, simple will do...”

Zhang Yunyi smiled faintly and agreed.

In any case, the man was already within his estate. Whatever Yang Can intended to do, none of it could escape his notice.

After dinner, Xiaotan and Sangzhi brought in tea. Yang Can then dismissed them, keeping Li Damu and Qingmei behind.

He turned up the oil lamp before him, replaced its shade, and glanced at Accountant Li and Qingmei.

“You two know perfectly well why we have come to inspect the various estates and properties recently transferred to us.

“Today, with Manor Lord Zhang accompanying us, we have gained a basic understanding of the whole of Feng’an Manor.

“What do you think we should do next? Do either of you have a plan?”

Qingmei’s heart stirred.

Had Yang Can not told her last night what he intended to do? Why was he asking them for advice today?

Li Damu, however, immediately brightened.

“Chief Steward, in my view, we should begin by auditing their accounts.”

The account books Yang Can had previously obtained had been submitted by Yu Huanhu.

At that time, the second branch had been responsible for these six estates, and the accounts of all six had been consolidated and submitted to Yu Huanhu.

Yu Huanhu had then combined the ledgers for all the fields under his control and reported them to the Clan Lord.

Yang Can had discovered several irregularities in Yu Huanhu’s accounts. By comparing them with the clan’s general ledger, he had already uncovered problems in Feng’an Manor.

Li Damu, however, was clearly unaware of this.

Yang Can therefore understood that even if Li Youcai favored Zhang Yunyi to some degree, he would never take an enormous risk for Manor Lord Zhang.

Li Youcai would not have warned Manor Lord Zhang in advance, much less told Li Damu.

At that moment, Li Damu was eager to prove his usefulness.

Steward Yang had received a beauty from Manor Lord Zhang to attend him. He must have spent the night with her, surely?

The thought made Accountant Li’s heart itch. He wanted the same treatment.

Especially Xiaotan, who was as petite and adorable as a little perfume tassel.

That was precisely the type Li Damu liked best—small and convenient to toy with.

If he could persuade Steward Yang to make auditing the accounts the focus of this inspection, would that not highlight his own importance as an accountant?

When the time came, Manor Lord Zhang would surely seek to win his favor. Whatever Steward Yang received, he ought to receive as well!

Accountant Li said eagerly, “Steward Yang, as this old man understands it, whenever an estate wishes to deceive its lord and profit at every level, it relies on only a handful of methods. As long as we audit the accounts carefully, we are bound to find something.

“We can conduct a thorough examination of every account in Feng’an Manor tomorrow. If they have tampered with the books, it will never escape this old man’s eyes.”

Qingmei replied dismissively, “Mr. Li, what if Feng’an Manor keeps two sets of books—one genuine and one for appearances?”

Li Damu knew that in the households of these great clans, the personal maids serving noble young ladies were trained from childhood.

They were well versed in every aspect of household administration and could not simply be regarded as servants who poured tea and carried water.

Still, you merely understand a little. How could you compare with a professional like me?

Stroking his beard with a smile, Li Damu said, “Miss Qingmei, if they have done anything, how could there not be the slightest trace? Auditing the accounts is a step we must take.”

After answering Qingmei firmly but without hostility, Li Damu turned back to Yang Can.

“Steward Yang, Feng’an Manor has only just been returned to the main branch. The transfer happened so suddenly that they would not have had time to fabricate their accounts.

“We need only thoroughly examine the field registers, rent records, and grain-storage accounts for the past three years.

“If there are hidden fields, falsely reported expenses, or discrepancies in the movement of stored grain, they will inevitably have left evidence behind.”

Yang Can smiled faintly and nodded.

“Indeed. The accounts must certainly be examined.”

After thinking for a moment, he continued, “Mr. Li, you will not be able to manage everything alone. Choose a few accountants from Feng’an Manor who have little seniority and low positions to assist you.

“Especially those who are advanced in years yet have never been given important responsibilities in Feng’an Manor.”

The moment Accountant Li heard this, he understood. He could not help raising his thumb in admiration.

“Brilliant! Truly brilliant!”

“Haha. Those who have long been frustrated and overlooked may not lack the courage to take a chance now that the old ruler has been replaced by a new one. They may be willing to stake everything on a bold move.”

Yang Can smiled.

“Even if they dare not openly betray their lord, should they harbor resentment, they may still ‘inadvertently’ place a flaw before Mr. Li.”

“Exactly so! Hahaha...”

Accountant Li rubbed his hands together, ready to set to work in earnest.

As for whether he actually discovered anything, that would depend on whether Manor Lord Zhang’s offerings were generous enough.

So long as the proper ‘meaning’ was conveyed, even if there truly were problems, he could simply fail to find them.

If nothing was found, that would only mean his abilities were lacking or that he had overlooked something. Surely no one could punish him for that?

Qingmei blinked.

“What about me?”

Yang Can replied, “The breakthrough will be through Mr. Li.

“As for the two of us, we will spend each day touring the estate and attract Manor Lord Zhang’s attention.”

Li Damu clapped his hands in praise.

“An excellent plan! The steward will remain in the light while this old man works in the shadows. With such a diversion, success is assured.”

Qingmei cast a sidelong glance at Li Damu.

Yang Can was the sort of man who was more cunning than a monkey once he had fur on him.

Hmph! As for which of the two of them was really in the light and which was in the shadows, that remained to be seen.