You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?-Chapter 80: Has He Gone Mad?

Chen Yi. Chen Qingzhou.

To the physicians, apprentices, and accountant at Jishi Medicine Hall, that name thundered in their ears.

Setting aside the fact that he had succeeded Wang Ji as the new Shopkeeper of Jishi Medicine Hall, his identity alone as the man who had married into the Xiao Family—as the husband of Second Miss Xiao Jinghong—was enough to make them wary of underestimating him.

What’s more, Chen Yi’s name had been circulating throughout Shu State City recently.

The opinions were mixed, but one thing was certain: he had a reputation for not playing by the rules.

And so, the physicians, apprentices, and accountant, who had been herded into a corner by Ge the Third, now forced smiles onto their faces.

They bowed respectfully, addressing him as "Shopkeeper."

Chen Yi remained calm, taking out the written confession—signed and fingerprinted by the owner of the neighboring herbal medicine shop—and slapping it onto the table beside him.

"Even if I don’t say a word about the shop next door, I’m sure you all know exactly what’s been going on."

"So I don’t want to hear any excuses. Just write down everything you know and everything you’ve done, in full detail, then sign and fingerprint it."

Chen Yi paused, his gaze sweeping over the stunned group. "To dare embezzle silver from the Dingyuan Marquis’s Mansion," he said coolly, "I’d say you all have a death wish."

This was no light threat.

But according to the shop owner’s confession, in five years, he alone had skimmed no less than a thousand taels of silver.

To say nothing of Wang Ji from Jishi Medicine Hall. It might not have been ten thousand taels, but it was certainly several thousand.

The remaining physicians and the accountant naturally got their cut as well; the only difference was that their shares were smaller.

At his words, the Medicine Hall fell silent.

The physicians and the accountant were older and more composed, and managed to keep their nerve.

The apprentices, on the other hand, were already pale with fright, their legs trembling as they hastily dropped to their knees to beg for mercy.

"Please, Shopkeeper, see the truth! We only came here to learn a trade. Not only did we never take a single coin, but we even have to pay tuition to the Medicine Hall every month!"

"Please, Shopkeeper, we’re innocent!"

Chen Yi glanced at them. "Just write down what you know. If your statements don’t match what the others write, you’ll be sent packing right back where you came from."

"Th-thank you, Shopkeeper."

The apprentices were in no state to consider the feelings of the physicians or the accountant; they were already scared out of their wits.

Outsiders might not know, but how could people like them, born and raised in Shu State, not understand the weight behind the two words, "Duke Dingyuan"?

If the Xiao Family found out what they’d done, losing their heads would be getting off easy.

It could even implicate their families. At worst, their entire households could be exiled to the bitter, cold lands of Lingnan.

The apprentices were insignificant; they weren’t Chen Yi’s target.

He now looked at the impassive physicians and accountant. "Not planning to cooperate? Or do you think you have nothing to fear?"

The men exchanged a glance. The accountant, dressed in a fine brocade jacket, stepped forward.

"Shopkeeper, while we admit to what you’ve said, this silver was simply our share of the Medicine Hall’s profits. We haven’t violated any of the rules set by the Eldest Miss."

Chen Yi chuckled and shook his head. "I must say, this is the first time I’ve heard someone describe embezzling from their master so sanctimoniously."

The accountant bowed again. "You flatter me, Shopkeeper. We were simply following the rules set by the previous shopkeeper."

"I wouldn’t say we were diligent, but we did our duties. We never took a single coin more than what we were due."

Chen Yi kept smiling. He had to admit, the man had a knack for sophistry.

"Since you’re the accountant, let me ask you: is the amount of silver you turn over to the Xiao Family each month a fixed sum?"

"It is."

"And if profits exceeded that amount, did you then send patients to the shop next door to have their prescriptions filled?"

The accountant hesitated before nodding. "You are correct, Shopkeeper."

Chen Yi’s smile vanished. "In that case, you can take a trip to the Government Office."

"If the Lord Prefect agrees that your actions were correct and in accordance with the laws of Great Wei, then not only will I refrain from punishing you, I will reward you handsomely."

"I’ll even post notices in every city in Shu State, proclaiming how you all fulfilled your duties and served the Xiao Family."

"..." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The accountant’s face fell. He bowed low, not daring to look up. "Shopkeeper, forgive me. I... I’ll write it now."

Chen Yi shot him a sidelong glance, then turned to the physicians. "And you?"

"We wouldn’t dare trouble you, Shopkeeper. We’ll write everything down truthfully right away."

The Medicine Hall fell quiet once more as the men gnawed on their writing brushes, putting to paper everything they had done over the past few years.

Chen Yi sat to the side, watching quietly, and some thoughts about the accountant’s mentality began to form in his mind.

’His petty sophistry revealed something. It wasn’t hard to see how the Xiao Family—or more specifically, how Xiao Wan’er—usually treated them.’

’To put it nicely, she trusted her people. To put it bluntly, her rules weren’t strict, she didn’t distinguish between reward and punishment, and she was far too soft-hearted.’

’Under normal circumstances, Chen Yi might have praised Xiao Wan’er for her beauty and kindness.’

’But with the Xiao Family facing threats from both within and without, even the smallest mistake could cause them to lose everything.’

Ge the Third, standing to the side, couldn’t see that far ahead, but he knew his master was making a show of authority.

’A single herbal shop owner embezzled a thousand taels of silver from the Xiao Family... The man had the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard!’

’It was a good thing his master had discovered it, or the Xiao Family’s losses would have been immense.’

「Not long after.」

Just as the physicians, apprentices, and accountant were writing out their confessions, Liu Si’er arrived with Wang Ji in tow.

And he was quite literally in tow—trussed up like a pig for slaughter, with a gag in his mouth.

"Master, I’ve carried out your orders. Wang Ji is here," Liu Si’er announced.

Chen Yi glanced at Liu Si’er and waved him off. "Go stand guard outside. And while you’re at it, check if the owner of the shop next door has fled."

Liu Si’er hesitated for a moment before accepting the order and leaving the Medicine Hall.

’Although he couldn’t figure out the Fledgling’s plan, judging by today’s events, if the Fledgling reported this to Eldest Miss Xiao and the Old Master, he was bound to get some kind of reward.’

’If he pushed a little harder, he might even secure a position as a court official or a place in the Dingyuan Army.’

’He just didn’t know what the Fledgling’s true intentions were.’

After Liu Si’er left, Chen Yi gestured for Ge the Third to untie Wang Ji, then told him to go stand guard at the door as well.

Wang Ji rubbed his raw, throbbing wrists and glanced around the room.

He caught the look the accountant shot him and knew at once that this matter would not be resolved easily.

After a moment of silence, Wang Ji stood up, bowed, and said, "Shopkeeper, I wonder, have you informed the Eldest Miss of your actions today?"

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. He looked Wang Ji up and down, then actually smiled and nodded. "Not bad. You’re a cut above the others."

Wang Ji couldn’t tell if he was being praised or mocked.

Chen Yi didn’t bother trying to guess his thoughts. He gestured for Wang Ji to sit. "It’s true, I haven’t asked for Eldest Miss Xiao’s opinion."

"But I’m sure you, Shopkeeper Wang, are aware of the consequences of your actions. Nearly ten thousand taels of pure silver is no small sum."

"Tell me, do you think the Old Master and the Second Master in the mansion will inquire about this matter?"

Hearing this, Wang Ji’s expression turned grim as he sat down beside him.

This was precisely why he had tried to downplay the situation by only mentioning Xiao Wan’er earlier.

As a veteran of the Medicine Hall, he knew Xiao Wan’er’s temperament well. Even if she found out he had embezzled money, she most likely wouldn’t do anything serious to him.

But if the other masters of the mansion got involved, he figured he’d be facing certain death.

Chen Yi saw the sweat beading on his forehead and knew the man had thought it through.

"Come now. Everyone else has written their confession. As the shopkeeper, it’s going to be difficult for you to get out of this."

Chen Yi handed him a brush and paper, then asked with a smile, "You’ve made so much silver. Did you ever consider what kind of trouble it would cause for the Eldest Miss if this was exposed?"

Wang Ji’s face grew even darker.

He knew better than anyone what kind of impact this would have on Xiao Wan’er if word got out.

For a woman to be managing the family’s businesses was already a challenge. If she were found responsible for a major blunder, even if the Old Master said nothing, the masters of the Second and Third Branches would certainly be displeased.

Thinking of this, Wang Ji took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone, "You don’t need to say another word. I did this. It has nothing to do with the Eldest Miss."

Chen Yi let out a soft laugh. "A straightforward man, I see."

Then, his tone shifted. "But a foolish one, too."

"You earned so much money on the side, and you never thought to win over one of the masters from the mansion as a patron?"

Wang Ji was taken aback. Though he didn’t understand the intent behind the question, he thought for a moment before explaining.

"I only did this because my father’s generation performed meritorious service but went unrewarded. I wanted to make some money so I could help them out if they ran into trouble in the future."

"To be honest with you, I never intended to harm the Eldest Miss, nor did I ever think to seek protection from one of the mansion’s masters."

’Unrewarded merit?’

’Chen Yi suddenly thought of Uncle Gui. He, too, had performed meritorious service and received no reward, ending up as a servant in the Xiao Family.’

’It seemed the incident from a few years ago had left a deep mark on these old veterans.’

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yi waved his hand. "Finish writing and put your fingerprint on it first. We’ll talk after."

"Whatever your reasons were, what’s done is done. I assume you’re prepared to face the consequences."

Wang Ji nodded silently, took the brush and paper, and buried his head in writing down his deeds.

He included how he had opened the Herbal Medicine Shop on the side, how he had colluded with that Boss Yan to line his own pockets, and so on.

Before long, they had all finished writing, signing, and adding their fingerprints.

Chen Yi read through each confession, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Your stories all corroborate one another. I suppose you could be called honest."

’Honesty forced out of someone is still honesty, after all.’

’A rare and commendable thing.’

Wang Ji and the others exchanged glances, then fell silent, waiting for him to pass sentence.

Chen Yi, of course, knew what they were thinking. After folding the confessions and tucking them into his sleeve, he clapped his hands.

"All right, stop looking like you’re at a funeral. I have two conditions. If you agree to them, we’ll consider this matter closed."

Seeing his smile, Wang Ji was filled with suspicion, but he hurriedly asked what the conditions were.

’If there was a way out, at least his family could be spared from suffering.’

"The first condition: you return every last coin of your ill-gotten gains."

"That... we are willing."

Although Wang Ji and the others were reluctant, compared to their lives, money was a trivial matter.

Chen Yi continued, "As for the second condition... I want you all to remain at Jishi Medicine Hall, and for business to continue as usual."

Wang Ji froze, then asked cautiously, "When you say ’business as usual,’ do you mean...?"

Chen Yi nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "It means exactly what you think it means."

"You... you..."

Wang Ji and the others were dumbfounded. ’Has he gone mad?’