Hui Niang's initial attitude was that she should not give up her old people and let Chen Xi promote and reuse Song Xiaocheng.

However, after investigating the accounts of Song Xiaocheng's business control, Hui Niang suddenly changed her mind and asked Chen Xi to decide whether Song Xiaocheng is available on her own, which was equivalent to completely denying Song Xiaocheng with her.

But she understands Chen Xi's personality.

Chen Xi was nostalgic and would not give up a long-grown confidant. Song Xiaocheng did not do anything out of the ordinary for the time being. He has always been loyal to his work and even transported supplies in time as Chen Xi told him to complete the supply of the new city.

Chen Xi had never thought about dealing with Song Xiaocheng's affairs in a hurry, but because he was about to go to war, and Hui Niang's suggestion made him feel that he should settle the matter earlier instead of dragging it down. After all, after Song Xiaocheng arrived in Xincheng, there was actually not much to do except supervise the transportation of materials.

On September 27th, Chen Xi called Song Xiaocheng.

Although Song Xiaocheng has been to Xincheng for a few days, there are not many opportunities to see Chen Xi alone, let alone have in-depth exchanges.

"Sir, what's the matter with you looking for a younger person?"

When Song Xiaocheng saw Chen Xi, his eyes were full of expectations. He did not seem to think that he had done something wrong, or he felt that Chen Xi could not find out his fault, and he would not pursue it even if he found out.

Because they were meeting in private, Chen Xi did not show off his airs and waved his hand: "Sit down and talk."

Song Xiaocheng was very reserved in front of Shen Xi, thinking that Chen Xi was important, so he followed Chen Xi to two chairs side by side in a corner of the living room. After sitting down, Chen Xi still stood respectfully.

"Sir, please give me some instructions, please stand and listen." Song Xiaocheng smiled.

Chen Xi did not force himself and said, "Brother Six, we came from the same place. We have been together for a long time. There is no need to call adults and villains. I don't want to beat around the bush..."

The more polite Chen Xi was, the more Song Xiaocheng felt that there was something wrong, but he still didn't understand what Chen Xi wanted to say.

Song Xiaocheng said: "Sir, please tell me clearly."

Chen Xidao: "I have sent someone to investigate the accounts of the Chamber of Commerce in the past few years. It's not that I don't trust you or what... In the past few years, as I do business with the Folang Jiren, the transactions have gradually expanded. I have to pay more attention. I originally wanted to help you straighten out your business, but I didn't expect that I would find so many problems."

Song Xiaocheng suddenly became nervous, his face turned red, and hesitated: "The account... should be no problem? Is the young man who can't do the accounts, and there may be omissions. Let's go back and ask someone to check it."

Chen Xi waved his hand and shook his head and said, "The account is dead, but people live. When you do business in Fujian, Guangdong and Huguang, I often don't care about it in the north. Even if you encounter any trouble, you can only find a way to solve it yourself. I can understand this. I vaguely know some things before, but I never thought about delving into it. I didn't expect that the mistake would be so big now."

Even if Song Xiaocheng was stupid, he knew that Chen Xi had indeed caught his tail and knelt down directly: "Sir, villain is confused."

Chen Xixu asked: "Brother Six, get up and talk. We don't need so much etiquette. If I really want to make things difficult for you, I won't talk to you alone. I just want to know what you have done in the past few years... I was very hurrying every time I saw you. I didn't ask you, and you never confess to me. This time we have time and don't have to hide it anymore. If you hide it, you may never be able to help me again."

Song Xiaocheng got up from the ground, lowered his head and did not dare to look at Chen Xi, looking guilty.

After a while of stagnation, Song Xiaocheng said: "Sir, in fact, it has been difficult to do business in the south in the past few years."

"Um."

Chen Xi nodded, "Tell me directly. As long as it is the truth, you will tell me whether it is reasonable or not. I hope to see the most sincere family member of the carriage and horse gang in the past."

Song Xiaocheng nodded and explained the situation in Jiangnan a few years ago to Chen Xi, basically complaining, as if he had to do everything.

"...Sir, you are not in the south. The local officials will ask us for money every time. Even the inspection department will come out to make trouble from time to time. In addition, many new forces in the local area have risen. Sometimes when brothers go to fight, they have to pay the settlement fee first. When doing business, they are often maliciously owed the payment for goods. Among them, officials and generals are the majority. Who dares to ask for it without your instructions? Even if you ask for it, they will not come back..."

Song Xiaocheng said it very generally, and the things he chose did not start in chronological order, and many of them were repeated.

However, Chen Xi listened very seriously and waited for Song Xiaocheng to finish speaking. His eyes narrowed slightly and asked, "I just want to know how much money you took out."

"this……"

Suddenly asked about the point, Song Xiaocheng had no way to answer. After a while of silence, he lowered his head and admitted his mistake, "I spent four or five thousand jin to buy land and houses. If I added the money I paid to my brothers privately, there might be more than ten thousand taels."

Speaking of this, Song Xiaocheng said tremblingly: "Sir, you should sue me."

Chen Xi frowned: "Ten thousand taels of silver, compared to the money you earned in the past few years, is a drop in the bucket. I don't have to worry about you. After all, you didn't embezzle it privately, but the problem is that you lack the accounts of as much as 300,000 taels of silver. With such a large deficit, just the exploitation of local governments and wards you mentioned, and the bad year, there is no way to explain it, because many of the losses you mentioned are actually recorded in the accounts."

Song Xiaocheng stopped talking. At this time, he finally knew that the matter could not be hidden, and Chen Xi had already investigated it clearly.

Chen Xi continued: "Three hundred thousand taels of silver, almost 10% of the money you have earned in the past few years, has disappeared without a trace. I wonder what to explain?"

Song Xiaocheng knelt down and kowtowed again, and did not defend himself again this time.

Chen Xi sighed: "I also know that in the past few years, I have been calling the chamber of commerce money to solve my problems. Whether it is working in Huguang or going to war in the northwest, I have always taken money and supplies from you. Many times it makes you feel embarrassed, and you are doing things under pressure."

"From a private perspective, you are the one who has the heavy responsibility on your shoulders. Even if you do something wrong occasionally, I can understand it. But if you deceive the crime to the end, then I wonder how to maintain our relationship?"

Song Xiaocheng continued to kowtow without giving any explanation. In his opinion, nothing was futile to say at this time.

Chen Xi also knew that the huge commercial empire in the south suddenly left Song Xiaocheng to manage it and would immediately fall into paralysis. Many things should be taken slowly. He immediately said: "Let's go over the past, I don't know anything. Tomorrow you will send troops, perform well, and strive to make achievements. With military achievements, I will promote you to a military position, and at least earn a hereditary thousand family. If you don't want to serve in the army, I can also try to find you an errand in the yamen. There is no problem being a county magistrate in the nine borders or the southwest."

If it were someone else, Chen Xi's proposal would definitely make him very excited. What a great trust this is, which is so carefully arranged.

However, Song Xiaocheng was neither happy nor angry, and still knelt down and couldn't get up.

Chen Xi could understand at a glance that as the head of the Fujian Chamber of Commerce of Song Xiaocheng, it would be better to lead him alone than to be a small official in the army or in the yamen. The power and interests he has are incomparable.

"Why, you don't want to?"

Chen Xi looked at Song Xiaocheng with a trace of murderous aura in his eyes.

Song Xiaocheng's forehead was still stuck to the ground, and his words were sobbing: "The villain was blinded by lard, and he did something wrong. You are merciful and did not punish him. But the villain dared not be petty... Sir, why don't you let the villain go. From now on, the villain finds a place to live, and pretend that he has never followed the adult."

Chen Xi was surprised when Song Xiaocheng said this.

At first glance, Song Xiaocheng wanted to retire and farm honestly, but if he changed his mind, he had huge resources, wanted people and money, and this move was like setting up his own business.

Under the protection of Shen Xi, Song Xiaocheng inherited the connections and assets of the Tingzhou Chamber of Commerce and formed a huge business empire. Although Hui Niang and Li Jin established brother chambers of commerce in Guangzhou Prefecture and their business grew bigger and bigger, as the two sisters followed Chen Xi to the north a few years ago, almost all the businesses in Jiangnan were affected by Song Xiaocheng. In their old nests, local prefects and county magistrates might not dare to offend him.

Such an identity and status can a sesame official satisfy Song Xiaocheng?

Chen Xi revealed a hint of chill in his words: "You must start and end well when doing things. You won't understand this principle, right?"

Song Xiaocheng didn't answer, but just kept kowtowing.

Chen Xidao: "No matter what you think, what you have to do now is to go to the sea with me. Brother Jiu is not by my side. I need someone to help me. Now I am ordering rather than discussing with you. You have no right to choose in this matter."

Realizing that Song Xiaocheng had left control, Chen Xi spoke in a tough tone and looked serious. If the other party objected again, he would not mind taking him down immediately and punishing him.

Song Xiaocheng kowtowed: "The villain obeys the order."

...

...

Although Chen Xi is a bit magnanimous to Song Xiaocheng, it does not mean that he will let it go.

Song Xiaocheng may be just an ordinary subordinate. Without an official position, he naturally has no social status. But Chen Xi knew that Song Xiaocheng was more like a hero, who had been in charge of the chamber of commerce for a long time, had a government backer in the south for many years, and had gray organizations like the chariot and horse gang. Zi Qian, who was backing the Dusi Yamen, could not compare with him.

In this situation, Chen Xi could only stabilize it first, but he did not blindly allow it. He wanted to see how Song Xiaocheng reacted first.

That night, Yunliu informed Chen Xi of the investigation.

"Sir, after Song Dang's family returned, he was preparing for the Sunset War, but he secretly sent someone out of the city and went south. Maybe he brought his message... Will he catch the person back?"

Yun Liu was a little worried, sure that Song Xiaocheng had done something unfavorable to Chen Xi, and his eyes were full of concern. After all, that was Chen Xi's direct line. In terms of trust, she and Xier might have to stand aside, and if they betrayed, they have a great relationship.

Chen Xidao: "If he just sent someone back to Fujian to send a message, it would be nothing. At most, he would transfer the property under his name, or arrange for people to destroy the account book, remove the evidence and not let me find out what he did."

Yunliu lowered her head: "But that also means... he is unfaithful to the adults!"

Chen Xi held a document in his hand, looked at it for a while, and stared at Yun Liu's eyes: "Do you think I'm too tolerant of him?"

"There is no such intention for humble duties."

Yun Liu said, "I just want to remind the adults to be careful of this person. According to the reports from the people below, the key to the establishment of intelligence agencies such as Fujian, Guangdong and Huguang is that the Song family obstructed them. The Song family has close contacts with some local officials. He has a great influence in Guangdong and Huguang, and his number of subordinates is much more than adults know. With his identity, there is no need to raise so many idle people, and it is very likely that he has a disobedient spirit."

Chen Xidao: "I think he wants to gain a foothold in the local area, get closer to local officials, or cultivate more brothers. It is understandable that he is greedy and abuse of power. I have also reminded him that if he continues to do things randomly, I will let him know how miserable the outcome will be. But now I still regard him as my own person. If it really changes, I will be wrong."

Yun Liu looked at Chen Xi in surprise, completely unaware of Chen Xi's mentality... Shouldn't you pursue the wrong thing? What's the difference between doing this and raising a tiger?

But Yun Liu did not dare to speak out loud, so after giving her salute, she went back to prepare for the battle to come to the sun. The information on this battle will be collected and provided by her subordinates.

...

...

Yunliu returned to her residence, and Xier waited for a long time.

When Xier saw Yun Liu, she quickly got out of the hospital to greet her. The two girls entered the room together. Xier asked anxiously: "Has the lord said how to punish the person named Song?"

Yun Liu shook her head with a worried look on her face and said, "Sir, don't want to touch the Song family for the time being, it seems that she has other plans."

Xier was very angry when she heard this: "Isn't you punish me? You dare to betray the adults. Such people are not worthy of sympathy... The people we sent to Fujian and Huguang will disappear from time to time. It is very likely that he ordered people to do it. Now he wants to leave the adults and do his tricks, and maybe they are in love with the Japanese behind their backs! They are scattered in and out of the way!"

When talking about Song Xiaocheng, Xier chattered endlessly.

Yun Liu smiled bitterly and sighed: "Adults have their own considerations in doing things, and we can't interfere... Besides, the situations you mentioned are just speculations. Can adults move on to the elderly around you without evidence? What will the others think?"

Xier said: "If you want evidence, you can ask us to investigate, but you don't seem to have the intention to investigate it in depth."

Yun Liu looked at Xier: "Adults have their own considerations... With my understanding of him, he never does things that he is unsure of. He should not hesitate on the issue of the Song Dang family... Maybe he has more appropriate arrangements, which are not something you and I can think of."

"Yeah?"

Xier still doesn't believe it.

Yun Liu said: "After you have been with the adult for a long time, you should also know the adult's temperament. We are adults. If you don't even understand this, you will be in vain to have a fight with the adults."

...

...

Chen Xi called Ma Ang and Han Yi that night.

This is also the promise made by Chen Xi before, asking Han Yi to go back and think clearly what he could do, and meet Han Yi once before going to the battle to prove whether this person was helpful to him.

When Han Yi saw Chen Xi, he stood there nodded and bowed with a complimentary smile on his face.
To be continued...