Chen Xiaomu paused at the door, then slowly approached the wooden frame with the account books, casually pulled out an account book from the wooden frame, took it in his hand and flipped through it casually. The title pages of the account book were all written with calligraphy brushes. Written in block letters, the accounts of various incoming and outgoing balances are densely recorded.
Standing in front of the wooden frame and looking through the account books for a long time, Chen Xiaomu couldn't see any holes in the accounts. Chen Xiaomu was not interested. Just when he closed the account books and was about to put them back on the wooden frame, he suddenly saw the spine of the account. There was also a line of small characters written on the top of it, which read the number 18 on file A. Then he looked up at the place on the wooden shelf where the account book had been pulled out. Sure enough, there was also a line of small characters written on the wooden shelf that corresponded to the number 18 on the back of the account book.
Chen Xiaomu suddenly became interested. He wanted to see how many account books there were on the wooden shelves in the Risheng Qianzhuang's account room. After inserting the account number 18, he began to check the account numbers along the wooden shelves. However, before he could check all the account numbers this time, he discovered another strange thing, that is, due to the need to do accounting from time to time, the account books on these wooden shelves would be frequently pulled out and inserted over time. , there will inevitably be some burrs on the wrapping paper on the back of the account book. In addition, depending on the length of time, the paper of the account book will also be slightly yellowed. However, in the account book No. 8 of file A that he just pulled out, The first few account books in the row have new backs, as if they had just been inserted.
Chen Xiaomu immediately stepped forward and pulled out the account book No. 1 in the first block. When he opened it, he found that except for the first two pages, which contained some accounts, the back pages were all blank. Then Chen Xiaomu put a few books on the wooden shelf. I took down all the account books with brand new backs, but when I opened them, there was not a single word on the inner pages of these account books!
"Take us to the bank's bank vault." Chen Xiaomu threw down the account book in his hand and immediately turned around and said to the bank concierge standing next to him.
"This...!" The concierge was confused: "Sir, in the entire bank, only Shopkeeper Chai and Mr. Accountant can go to the bank at will. The rest must be led by Shopkeeper Chai and Mr. Hu before they can go to the bank. , otherwise they will be forcibly driven away by the bank guards.
"Haha" Chen Xiaomu pointed at the account book he had just thrown away and sneered: "Your Chai shopkeeper and Mr. Hu have fled in fear of crime. Do you still expect them to come back and take us to the bank?"
"Ah!" The concierge suddenly widened his eyes and said in surprise: "Sir, you have to show your credentials when you speak. Shopkeeper Chai's family has a big business, how can he just run away?"
Chen Xiaomu originally didn't want to talk nonsense with the concierge, and was prepared to force him to take him to the bank, but then he thought about it again, and in order to convince the concierge to cooperate with him, he still reluctantly took the blank account books, He patiently said to him: "Look, these blank account books were all pulled out from the armor on the shelf, and the backs are all brand new, which shows that these account books were temporarily filled in to fill in the numbers. , the original old account books have been replaced!"
"Sir, did you insert a new account book because the previous account book was full?" The concierge had worked in the bank for many years and knew a lot about the affairs in the bank, so he reminded him in a low voice.
"No." Chen Xiaomu shook his head and affirmed: "When the old account books are replaced with new ones, detailed instructions will be given on the title page of the account books, and these account books do not have any words in this regard at all. If this happens, There is only one explanation for the situation, and that is that the amount of silver registered in the replaced account books is too different from the amount of silver in the bank, so they had no choice but to hide these account books or simply destroy them!"
Chen Xiaomu was talking to the concierge when Zhang Heiniu walked in and clasped his fists: "Sir, is there a man named Zeng Guang outside the door asking to see you?"
"Zeng Guang?" Chen Xiaomu was stunned when he heard this. He didn't seem to have this person in his mind. Unexpectedly, the concierge on the side was relieved when he heard it and said excitedly: "Sir, Mr. Zeng is the third gentleman of our Risheng Qianzhuang accountant. Here is He knows more about things than ordinary people, so if you have any questions, you should ask him!"
Chen Xiaomu nodded and said to Zhang Heiniu: "Let him come in."
Zhang Heiniu heard the sound and went out. Immediately, a thin, middle-aged man wearing a green robe, with three long beards and a pale face came into the room. He glanced at everyone in the room and finally Focusing on Chen Xiaomu who was wearing official uniform, he quickly took a step forward, bowed and cupped his hands and said: "The common people have seen you, sir!"
Chen Xiaomu nodded and asked him, "Are you Mr. Zeng Guang, the third clerk in Risheng Qianzhuang's account?"
Zeng Guangyi cupped his hand and said, "They are just ordinary people."
"Have you seen these account books?" Chen Xiaomu pushed several blank account books on the table to Zeng Guang's eyes and asked him.
Zeng Guang stretched his head to take a look and said calmly: "Sir, common people have seen it before."
Chen Xiaomu pointed to the wooden shelf behind him filled with account books and asked calmly: "Did you see it on this shelf?"
Zeng Guang shook his head and said, "Sir, the common people saw this in the warehouse next to the accounting room. There are still many blank account books there."
Chen Xiaomu pointed to the gap on the wooden shelf where the blank account books had just been pulled out, and then asked: "Mr. Zeng, do you still remember the account books that were originally placed here?"
Zeng Guang followed Chen Xiaomu's gesture and walked to the wooden frame. He took a closer look at the numbers on the wooden frame, then nodded and said affirmatively: "Sir, the common people remember that the account books from Grade A to No. 1 are among the top in the new capital city." There are separate account books for several wealthy households. Among them, account number 1 belongs to Wu Guanglu, the richest man in Xinjing City, account number 2 belongs to Bao Youxiang, the owner of Bao Fuji Buzhuang, and account number 3 belongs to Shangguan Yun, the owner of Changxingyuan Jewelry and Jade Shop. Clear." Zeng Guang named the three wealthy families with the most silver deposits at Risheng Money Bank.
"Do you know where these account books are now?" Chen Xiaomu continued to ask him.
Zeng Guang listened to the question and said in surprise: "Sir, when the common people left the account in the morning, several account books were still here. Is it possible that someone will come to steal the account books?"
Chen Xiaomu smiled and said, "I suspect that the thief who stole the account book is your shopkeeper Chai!"
"Can't you?" Zeng Guang was surprised when he heard this: "Shopkeeper Chai wants these account books, so he can just take them. Why does he have to get involved with stealing writing?"
Chen Xiaomu smiled coldly and did not answer Zeng Guang's words. He simply said directly: "Mr. Zeng, take us to the bank's bank to have a look."
Upon hearing this, Zeng Guang hurriedly held up his hands and said, "Please forgive me, sir. There are regulations in the bank. Only shopkeeper Chai and Mr. Hu, the accountant, can take people to the bank. No one else can go to the bank without permission!"
Chen Xiaomu's face darkened and he said angrily: "I now order you to lead the way to the bank bank, otherwise you will be sentenced to the same crime as Chai Yugui who escaped!"
Zeng Guang was startled and hurriedly defended: "Sir, shopkeeper Chai sent Mr. Wang, the accountant, to inform us in the morning that he would have a day off today. Then when I went downstairs, I saw him standing downstairs. It's impossible. There must be a misunderstanding among those who are running away!”
Chen Xiaomu said impatiently: "Don't defend him, otherwise you may regret this matter. Now it is certain that Chai Yugui escaped. Please take us to the bank quickly to check whether a large amount of cash has been shipped out recently."
"Oh, it turns out that this is what your lord is doing!" After hearing this, Zeng Guang immediately felt relieved, patted his chest and assured: "Sir, if you don't have to go to the bank to do this, the common people will know "Recently, apart from a letter sent from the Jin State Headquarters to transfer the revolving bank that was given to the bank by the Headquarters, there has been no large-scale transfer of cash."
"What, the money has been transferred away?" Chen Xiaomu was shocked when he heard this, and felt that something was wrong. He hurriedly asked: "When was it transferred away? How much money was transferred in total?"
Zeng Guang pondered for a moment and was about to answer when he suddenly saw Zhang Heiniu hurried in, clasped his fists at Chen Xiaomu and said harshly: "Sir, the sweeper from the bank came to report the case and said that two people were found in the utility room where they kept their brooms. A naked, headless male corpse!"
"Ah!" Everyone in the room was stunned by Zhang Heiniu's voice. They all looked at Chen Xiaomu blankly. Chen Xiaomu frowned and said, "Where is the sweeper now?"
Zhang Heiniu pointed to the door: "Both of them are waiting at the door to go to the utility room with the adults to conduct an autopsy!"
Chen Xiaomu thought for a moment and said to Ye Duzheng who was following him: "Master Ye, could you please go back to the government office and pick out twenty or thirty strong ones from the new veterans who came today and bring them to the bank?" Come this way, oh! By the way, call over the disobedient people in the government office."
Ye Duzheng immediately cupped his hands and replied: "Yes, sir!" and left in a hurry.
The utility room where the sweepers keep brooms, dustpans and other cleaning tools in the bank is just behind the gray building of the bank's account house. There is a low small house built against the back wall of the building. When Chen Xiaomu walked in In this small house, the scene in front of him almost made him vomit out his last night's meal. Two white, headless male corpses without even a piece of gauze on their bodies were lying side by side in the middle of the small house, with everything under and around them. It was all purple-red blood. It could be said that the two corpses were lying in a pool of blood. Since there was not much space in the small house, it was filled with a strong smell of blood.
As soon as Chen Xiaomu entered the small room, before he could take a closer look at the two headless corpses, he was so excited by the bloody smell inside that he couldn't stand. He quickly exited the room, vomiting and vomiting all kinds of meat. The mouth keeps humming!
Wei Yuxin looked amused, walked up behind him and teased: "Sir Tongpan, you are too good at this! Are you so frightened by two headless corpses?"
Chen Xiaomu groaned and rolled his eyes at her, and said angrily: "I can still go in and take a look. If you have the ability, you can also go in and take a look! But I have to tell you first, there is not even a hair on these two headless corpses." There’s no yarn at all!”
"You...!" Wei Yu's heart was suddenly blocked and he couldn't speak. He had to stamp his feet, glared at Chen Xiaomu, walked aside angrily, and ignored him again.
With no other choice, Chen Xiaomu had no choice but to ask two veterans to stay and guard the scene, waiting for Ye Duzheng to come over with Disobedience from the government office for autopsy, while he took Wei Yuxin and Zhang Heiniu to the bank bank with Zeng Guang.
Along the way, Chen Xiaomu asked Zeng Guang in detail about the money coming out of the bank. Because a murder had just occurred in the bank, Zeng Guang also felt that things in the bank were not as simple as he thought. He was afraid that he would be implicated, and he did not dare to do anything again. He reserved everything and told everything he knew. However, because Chai Yugui and others deliberately concealed it from him, he actually didn't know much.
From Zeng Guang's mouth, Chen Xiaomu learned that Risheng Qianzhuang had transported a huge amount of silver to Jin's headquarters yesterday morning. As for the exact amount, since Zeng Guang did not participate in the handling, he could not tell clearly. , I only know that on the first night of transporting the money, the Escort Bureau came with at least twenty carriages to load the money in the bank's bank.
