Chapter 43 Why is it Different from What I Thought?
Li Jing also felt this matter should be addressed early, so the next morning, just as the morning light crept over the mountain, he climbed out of bed and headed to the storeroom.
He searched from wall-mounted cabinets to floor-standing ones, opening every locked chest, and finally had the steward fetch the inventory list to compare twice, making his head ache even more.
He spoke with a tone of distress, "Why has the expenditure been so high this past half year?"
The steward, with a beard turning grey, pretended to be mute, looking at his nose with his eyes, and at his heart with his nose, but finally, seeing Li Jing’s bloodshot eyes persistently staring at him, he could no longer pretend and said, "Sir, usually we only entertain a few lords from Chentang Pass and family relatives, but this year, we’ve had several doctors from Zhaoge, especially Fei Zhong and You Hun, whose spending is extravagant. Moreover, the lady’s shops are changing tenants, so there hasn’t been any rent for the past couple of months, hence the financial imbalance."
"Humph, that woman is deliberately trying to piss me off!"
Li Jing sighed; he knew the old steward wasn’t wrong. But going to the Dragon Palace, he still had to offer apologies, and he couldn’t go empty-handed.
So he searched through the government storeroom again, used Earth Style to travel to the seaside, sent a message, and was then ushered into the palace by the envoy of the East Sea.
Having visited his old neighbor, the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, multiple times before, Li Jing was even more puzzled by the sight of a thorny, armored fish beside him.
Li Jing cupped his fist and inquired, "May I ask, General, where is Mr. Zhao, the palace envoy who usually handles receptions? Why haven’t I seen him this time?"
The Thorn Fish General chuckled and said, "General Li, don’t worry. The Old Dragon King has gone to the South Sea and won’t be back soon. This time, it is the Third Prince Ao Bing who will meet with you, so I’ve been sent to fetch you."