Chapter 23: So That's How It Is—A Valuable Lesson Learned

The weather remained sweltering. After several downpours, the Guanzhong region returned to a state where one sweated like rain.

The sun beat down directly onto the Weiyang Palace. The marble floor of the plaza outside the Xuanshi Hall seemed to radiate heat from beneath. Emperor Wu of Han sat cross-legged before a desk in the Xuanshi Hall, which was piled high with scrolls. On a ceramic platter lay grapes, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and cucumbers, all chilled with ice to ward off the summer heat. These were fruits brought back from the Western Regions by Zhang Qian, and the common folk had no access to them at the time.

Bao Shengzhi stood before the Emperor, bowing deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Grandson has left the palace. It appears the Crown Prince has dispatched some men to follow him."

Emperor Wu scoffed, "He is not as foolish as he looks; he fears his son might suffer a disadvantage outside." He then added, "See that you handle the investigations from the Crown Prince's palace well; do not let any flaws show."

"Understood!"

"Wait," Emperor Wu called out, stopping him. "Go now and, based on the ledgers of the Grand Coachman's office, draft something similar for me."

"As you command!"

Emperor Wu harbored a suspicion. He was convinced that Liu Jin had discovered Gongsun Jingsheng’s embezzlement immediately upon entering the Grand Coachman's office, which explained his urgent need for funds during this period. Whether or not Gongsun Jingsheng was corrupt was irrelevant; Emperor Wu had known that for a long time. What intrigued him was how his eldest grandson had uncovered the fraud. Emperor Wu had the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate secretly for a long time, assisted by the Minister of Agriculture, Sang Hongyang, before they finally unraveled the tampering in the Grand Coachman’s ledgers.

By midday, Emperor Wu set aside his memorials, changed his attire, and left the Weiyang Palace, accompanied by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

...

Liu Jin, accompanied by several servants and an ox cart, reached the outskirts of the city. Horses in the Han Dynasty were precious; they were either kept in the Shanglin Park for the Emperor’s hunting or sent to the northern frontiers to equip the cavalry. Few in Chang'an owned horses, so ox carts were relatively common.

The old man was already sitting in the residence, waiting for Liu Jin’s arrival. Liu Jin had brought not only his household servants today but had also specifically hired several carpenters from Hengmen Street to join him.

Several dishes of steamed food and chilled wine were laid out in the main hall. Liu Jin walked in with a smile and asked, "Old man, why didn't you have the cook prepare some stir-fried dishes?"

Emperor Wu gestured for him to be seated and ordered Bao Shengzhi to load the money for Liu Jin before replying, "Keep your own craft to yourself. If you teach it to others, wouldn't you lose your own advantage?"

"No one shares their specialized skills easily unless the person is their son or student."

Ancient concepts differed from those of later generations; there were no patent or intellectual property protections. Anyone with a craft would naturally not pass it on easily, which explained why the master-disciple relationship in ancient times was held in such high regard, comparable to that of father and son.

"It’s just cooking, is it really that serious?" Liu Jin laughed, not dwelling on the matter.

Emperor Wu shook his head; after all, it was merely culinary skill, and he did not care much for it.

"By the way, I had my servants manage some business matters for me. I don’t quite trust those beneath me; I feel the ledgers might have some issues. Do you know anyone who understands accounting who could help me check them?"

Liu Jin pointed to himself with a smile. "I know a little. Where are the ledgers? Let me take a look at them for you."

Emperor Wu chuckled, "Why is it that you know a little about everything? I really couldn't tell you were such a polymath."

"Here." He handed the stack of bamboo-scroll ledgers from his desk to Liu Jin. "They are all here."

Liu Jin opened the ledgers and, after looking at them for a while, said with certainty, "The ledgers are indeed not quite right. Your servants are truly deceiving you."

"What makes you say that?"

Liu Jin gestured for the old man to lean in closer. He pointed to a set of figures in the ledger and said, "Look at these hundreds and thousands; the leading digits seem to contain numbers from one to nine almost equally."

Emperor Wu nodded. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Liu Jin explained, "Yes, a normal person would think this is reasonable, as each digit from one to nine should have a one-in-nine chance of appearing. But in reality, the leading digit 'one' should appear about thirty percent of the time. In other words, you should see data starting with one quite frequently in the ledger."

"Look at your ledgers again. The frequency of 'one' is not that high; it's similar to the other digits. This is because the forger is feeling guilty and assumes that by having all sorts of numbers appear, they won't be detected. Furthermore, because these numbers are small—some in the hundreds, some in the tens—people’s attention is usually focused on the ten-thousands or hundred-thousands. It is very easy to overlook these small amounts. As long as the large sums look correct, people generally default to believing the ledger is fine."

"That is why some forgeries are not easily discovered."

"Of course, this doesn't apply to all ledger fraud, but as luck would have it, your ledger has some issues. Fortunately, since these small amounts are not that many, even if there is a loss, it would only be around ten thousand coins or so."

Emperor Wu was lost in thought, muttering, "So that is how it is."

No wonder he had discovered Gongsun Jingsheng tampering with the ledgers as soon as he entered the Grand Coachman’s office. As for how Liu Jin made Gongsun Jingsheng confess to the embezzlement, Emperor Wu did not know, but the boy must have used some special method; otherwise, Gongsun Jingsheng would not have confessed so quickly.

Liu Jin naturally did not understand what the Emperor meant by those few words, assuming he had simply grasped the method for identifying fraudulent ledgers.

Emperor Wu examined the ledgers again, focusing on the larger figures—the ten-thousands and hundred-thousands—and found that, just as Liu Jin said, the frequency of 'one' as a leading digit was indeed much higher.

"Who taught you these things?" Emperor Wu asked with curiosity.

Liu Jin replied nonchalantly, "I am self-taught."

*Ha*, you little rascal, getting arrogant, are you? Emperor Wu looked at him, rendered speechless, and shared a knowing smile.

After Liu Jin finished his meal and had a few sips of wine, Bao Shengzhi had finished loading the money onto the ox cart. Before parting, Liu Jin seemed to recall something and asked Emperor Wu, "Old man, you have read many books and understand more principles than I do. I have a question—could you enlighten me?"

Emperor Wu stood with his hands behind his back in front of the suburban residence. The sun hung in the sky, the heat stifling, yet he stood silently, seeing Liu Jin off.

"Oh, go ahead and ask. What is the question?"

Liu Jin said, "My father suggested some good strategies to my grandfather. They were clearly for the benefit of the family, so why does my grandfather seem to dislike him even more for it?"

Emperor Wu replied, "You are speaking without context. Be clearer."

Liu Jin said, "Suppose my family are government officials, and my father suggested a policy to my grandfather that would benefit the people. But when my grandfather heard these policies, he seemed angry. Why is that?"

Emperor Wu countered, "Did he suggest it in front of others?"

Liu Jin nodded. "Yes."

Emperor Wu smiled and said, "Then your father should reflect on whether he overstepped his authority and usurped what originally belonged to your grandfather. If it were truly such a good suggestion, why not say it in private?"