Chapter 792: Special Investigation

Given Yuguo's current dire military situation, even if Rongshan Sect were to demand a compound interest rate of three or four percent, not just two percent simple interest, Yuguo would still be forced to accept the loan.

"Rongshan Sect sent me here to audit the operational status of these mines, pastures, and harbors." In essence, He Lingchuan and Hu Qin were tasked with vetting these assets to confirm their value. "In addition to these seven million taels, the collateral from previous loans also requires re-evaluation."

"Ah..." Lord Wang composed himself slightly. "Very well, that's entirely appropriate."

"Furthermore, Rongshan Sect will meticulously approve the destination of every single tael from these seven million!" He Lingchuan stated with a serious expression. "Any item that fails approval will not be disbursed."

Lord Wang stared, wide-eyed. "Ah, but this wasn't part of the original agreement, was it?"

"Rongshan Sect made virtually no changes to the agreement drafted by Yuguo, save for this one addition. Sect Master Xue stated that if Yuguo does not agree, the agreement will be immediately canceled, and Yuguo will be required to settle all outstanding past debts at once!"

Beads of sweat immediately formed on Lord Wang's forehead.

Who could possibly counter such an unexpected move? There was simply no precedent for it.

He quickly said, "Allow me, please. Let's begin by re-evaluating the collateral. I will promptly report your demands."

"They are not my demands," He Lingchuan corrected him. "They are a special declaration from Sect Master Xue of Rongshan Sect!"

"Alright, alright. Let's review this current phase first."

At Lord Wang's command, the junior officials brought over the account ledgers and records.

He Lingchuan waited for a moment, but no more account books were brought over; only a dozen or so notebooks were stacked on the table. He frowned. "Is this all?"

"Yes, these are all of them."

"Mr. Hu, please proceed." He Lingchuan gestured to Hu Qin, who then, along with the two Rongshan disciples, began sifting through the ledgers.

"This is Hu Qin, the Deputy Assistant Envoy, who specializes in assisting me with these audit tasks." As He Lingchuan introduced Hu Qin, he also voiced his displeasure. "This is far too little. For five collateral assets, is this truly all the information available?"

"These are all high-quality assets, managed efficiently year-round, yielding very stable returns."

Hu Qin casually opened a notebook and glanced through it. "Take the Yongshan Mine, for instance. Although it produces Shaoling ore, it has already been exploited for over forty years. Can the remaining mineral reserves truly sustain another thirty years of extraction?"

"There should be no issue. The Yongshan Mine's extraction volume has been steadily increasing in recent years, and its quality remains high. Geological surveys indicate ample reserves still exist, which you can also observe in the ledgers."

Hu Qin gave a faint smile. "However, the Special Envoy and I have visited the Yongshan Mine in person. The local veteran miners informed us that the easily accessible ore at Yongshan Mine has already been exhausted. The remaining ore requires extraction through inclined shafts, and its quality is only average, necessitating extensive post-processing. This, in turn, would require more miners and more smelting facilities."

"How can that be?" Lord Wang exclaimed in surprise. "The anecdotal accounts of one or two individuals are hardly sufficient evidence."

At that moment, a Rongshan disciple standing nearby handed a notebook to He Lingchuan. "Special Envoy, this is last year's income, but it's missing data for the last two months."

Lord Wang interjected, "The information hasn't been delivered yet, but it will be provided in a couple of days."

"Now, regarding Wusong Port," Hu Qin said, opening another notebook. "Baling Nation recently constructed a new canal and dam, forcing the river to change its course. If the new waterway is used, the journey along the Xunyang River could be shortened by two days. This would drastically reduce both passenger and cargo traffic at Wusong Port..."

This Special Envoy's assistant certainly came prepared. Lord Wang was not familiar with this particular area, so he turned to an official nearby, who immediately stated, "Baling Nation does indeed intend to construct a new canal and dam, but work hasn't commenced yet. The hydrological conditions there are complex; it would take at least five to seven years to complete, and severe siltation means it's uncertain whether ships could navigate it year-round. Comparatively, shipping via Wusong Port remains the most stable and secure option..."

Both sides went back and forth, meticulously scrutinizing each item.

Unaware of the time, three hours passed, and Lord Wang quietly slipped away.

Hu Qin remained energetic. He Lingchuan stood up, stretched, and then asked for Lord Wang to be summoned.

"Lord Wang, let's conclude for today. Shall we resume tomorrow?"

He needed to conserve some energy for the main event awaiting him at home.

He Lingchuan returned to the He Residence as dusk was settling, but He Chunhua had not yet arrived home.

As soon as he stepped into his own courtyard, someone followed close behind him, calling out,

"Young Master!"

The voice sounded familiar. He Lingchuan turned around to see Shan Youjun and chuckled. "You're here."

He had once recruited two individuals from the Li family in Dunyu, and Shan Youjun was one of them. He Lingchuan later used Shan Youjun and Jiao Tai as the core to establish his personal guard, a unit with considerably greater combat prowess than He Chunhua's auxiliary forces.

Unfortunately, when He Lingchuan fell into the Han River, he was unable to take this unit with him.

Shan Youjun's face was also alight with joy. "My uncle told me you were back, so I rushed right over."

Ding Zuodong and Shan Youjun were uncle and nephew, and both had originally served He Lingchuan. After the Young Master fell into the water, they were both absorbed into He Chunhua's ranks.

Qiu Hu stood impassively behind He Lingchuan.

Shan Youjun subconsciously glanced at him a couple more times, noting that he used to be the one standing behind the Young Master.

He Lingchuan uttered several affirmative sounds before finally asking, "I heard you got married?"

"Ah, yes," Shan Youjun replied, looking abashed. "I met a girl I liked in Dunyu and married her four months ago."

As they were speaking, a servant arrived to summon He Lingchuan.

He Chunhua had returned home.

With some time remaining before dinner, he called He Lingchuan into his study.

Qiu Hu stopped and stood guard outside the study door.

He Chunhua closed the study door securely, and his first question was, "How is the agreement review progressing?"

"The information isn't comprehensive enough. On the surface, there seem to be no issues, but there are numerous concealed omissions," He Lingchuan said, scratching the back of his head. "We'll need to identify each of them later and discuss them thoroughly. By the way, Father, when will the people you're finding for me arrive?"

"The day after tomorrow, at the very latest." He Chunhua was always efficient in his affairs. He took a couple of steps, then asked directly, "Why did you prevent me from entering today? How can a young man like you, who began his studies so late, possibly understand such specialized matters?"

This was a matter of national importance, yet Rongshan Sect had assigned it to a disciple who had joined less than six months ago. It was truly baffling, as if they were treating an enormous sum of money as trivial!

A faint tremor of unease ran through He Chunhua's heart at this thought.

Sect Master Xue of Rongshan Sect was certainly not senile; did this arrangement hold a deeper meaning, or was there some hidden truth behind it?

What justified his eldest son being entrusted with such a critical responsibility?

He Lingchuan chuckled. "You don't hold the title of Special Envoy. If you had entered and engaged in a verbal duel with our nation's officials, His Majesty would likely have been even more displeased. I was merely acting in your best interest."

His sole purpose today was to find flaws in the agreement; could his father have openly done the same?

He Chunhua had merely brought it up casually; how could he not understand the implications? Yet, he disliked being kept in the dark, and even more so, he detested matters slipping beyond his control. Such situations left him feeling deeply unsettled and unable to rest.

He dropped the subject and sat down. "Soon after you joined the Bureau of Rites, His Majesty summoned me."

He Lingchuan pulled up a chair and sat down as well. "Was His Majesty cordial towards you?"