In the countinghouse, Yang Zhengshan sat at the desk with bold, sweeping authority, while outside the door, Xu Zhen and the others all looked at each other.
"Sir, last month's grain and fodder has a shortfall of thirty dan!"
"Sir, there's a problem with the silver disbursements for May. They actually bought thirty bolts of silk!"
"Sir, there are twenty fewer ox-sinew bows in the storeroom!"
As Yang Chengxu and the others audited the accounts, problem after problem was laid before Yang Zhengshan, and the brows of the group of officials outside the door could not help but bead with cold sweat.
Yang Zhengshan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ox-sinew bows?"
"Yes. In March this year, one hundred ox-sinew bows were entered into storage, but now only eighty remain, with no record of any being taken out!" Yang Chengxu said.
The outflow of military equipment was a major matter.
If it was found out, heads would roll.
Yang Zhengshan glanced at Xu Zhen and the others outside the door, then nodded with a calm expression.
Xu Zhen could no longer sit still. "Thousand-Man Commander, please step aside for a word."
"Say what? Say it right here!" Yang Zhengshan looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.
"This~~"
Xu Zhen hesitated for a moment, but in the end he still gritted his teeth, moved close to Yang Zhengshan, and lowered his voice. "Sir, this matter was Official Zhang's doing."
"You didn't take part?" Yang Zhengshan asked.
"No, absolutely not!" Xu Zhen shook his head like a pellet drum.
Yang Zhengshan could not be bothered with him and quietly waited for Yang Chengxu and the others to continue auditing the accounts.
About two hours passed, and Yang Chengxu and the others finally finished going through the account books.
There were