Something's fishy!

The onlookers instantly became excited.

Zhang Yousan's expression was one of restraint and forbearance, but when the old man urged the county magistrate again, he could no longer hold back.

"Why did the silver go from thirty-five taels to eighteen taels, a full seventeen taels less?"

"This doesn't even include the money you borrowed behind my back."

“You only had ten acres of land at home, and you sold it all.”

"Do you want me to tell the adults what you did with so much silver?"

ah?

Old Zhang mumbled, his anger rising with embarrassment, "You're my son, what right do you have to tell me how to spend my money?"

"It's only natural for me to spend money."

Snap—

The gavel struck.

The county magistrate stared at Old Man Zhang, his tone authoritative, "You borrowed money outside and sold your family's land. How much money did you get?"

Is this true?

"I...a commoner..."

Zhang Yousan kowtowed. He was going all in. He had originally thought that his life was over and that was it.

Keep a close eye on the remaining money at home. I'm still able-bodied; if things don't work out, I can always earn more.

But when Old Man Zhang asked him for money, he refused, and Old Man Zhang actually tried to kill him.

He was completely disheartened. Unable to repay the high-interest loans, he prepared to take the money and leave for another place.

Before they could even set off, Old Man Zhang reported them to the authorities.

He had originally thought that he shouldn't get involved in that matter, but Old Zhang's words were piercing and he didn't care about his life or death at all.

Since that's the case, let's all just give up and destroy ourselves.

"Your Excellency, he borrowed fifteen taels of silver from outside, and now with compound interest, it has reached fifty taels."

"The family's ten mu of land also sold for forty taels."

"A total of ninety taels."

Oh my god!

Ninety taels, plus the seventeen taels that were missing earlier, what did this old man do with it? He just wasted it all.

Many people can't earn this much in their entire lives.

People quieted down, surprised that such a small case involved such a large sum of money.

"The eighteen taels of silver at home, because I only brought it back this month, have not yet been taken by him."

The county magistrate and his advisor exchanged a glance and also took it seriously.

He sternly rebuked Old Man Zhang, "So much silver can't be spent on food and drink alone. Did you gamble it away or spend it at brothels?"

Eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring.

These are pretty much all that people can think of.

Old Zhang remained silent.

Zhang Yousan snorted, "Sir, he's become addicted to opium."

Smoking addiction?

Even a farmer wouldn't spend that much money on a pipe.

"The tobacco he smokes is different from what we usually see; it's very expensive, and he feels uncomfortable if he doesn't smoke it for a day."

"I only found out when he asked me for money."

“One tael of tobacco costs one tael of silver, which I simply cannot afford.”

That's why I wanted to take the last bit of money left in the house and leave.

"I've never even heard of that kind of thing, but I've seen how he looks when he can't get it."

"He grabbed a sickle and chased after me, hacking at me."

"If he can't catch me, he'll cut himself."

Zhang Yousan lifted up Old Man Zhang's arm, which was covered with fine knife marks.

Ahhhhhh?

People were full of questions and stunned.

What is so powerful?

What exactly is this thing?

Murong Yue slowly stopped eating broad beans.

Qi Yuan's expression also turned serious.

Previously, when Murong Yue ate food brought in from outside the palace, she said it was poisoned.

That case was handled by him and the Imperial Advisor together.

At that time, a lot of Yunguo chestnuts were seized in that shop.

The Imperial Advisor said that those chestnuts were addictive; even the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen, Zhu, and the guests who ate them every day were addicted to them to varying degrees.

If you don't eat it for a while, you'll quit.

The Imperial Advisor explicitly stated that there is an even more potent form of this stuff: it can be made into tobacco leaves for smoking.

It's so addictive that you can't quit.

If a country's people, military, and even officials behave this way, then that country is doomed.

This is why Li Xuanji agreed to His Majesty's attack on the Yun Kingdom.

The Yun Kingdom actually wanted to destroy the Qing Kingdom using this method.

At the time, the Imperial Guards arrested many people along that line, but they never expected that it would have developed to this extent in Luoyang, outside the capital.

What about the other states?

Is it only among ordinary people?

How much money do ordinary people have? What about the officials? What about the powerful and wealthy?

Qi Yuan felt a chill run through his body, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"What's wrong with you?" Noticing his unusual behavior, Ah-hao asked with concern.

"I..." Qi Yuan steadied himself and looked at Murong Yue, "Master, we..."

Murong Yue raised her hand. "I know."

She stepped out of the crowd, frowned, and instructed Qi Yuan, "Go find that official. We'll interrogate him again in jail. Don't let anyone else know."

"yes."

Your Majesty's approach is correct; we must not alert the enemy now.

Murong Yue originally planned to travel in the afternoon.

Now we can't leave either.

She asked Li Chi to finish cleaning the room, and then she paced back and forth inside.

She hated that poison; she had been used as a test subject because of it.

I originally thought they were only in the capital and had all been dealt with, but I didn't expect there were still some in other parts of the Qing Kingdom base.

What to do? What to do?

No! I am an invincible zombie! I cannot give up!

Even if you're scared, you have to do it!

A moment later, Murong Yue had calmed herself down.

"Okay, I want to write a letter."

"Yes, Master."

Ah Hao deftly spread out the letter paper and ground the ink.

Murong Yue's first letter was to Li Xuanji.

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