During the day, Xue Zhong took a carriage to send Zhou Jinshi back to the farm. As soon as he arrived at the farm, he immediately felt a strange atmosphere.
In the fields, the working farmers were divided into groups of seven or eight, working diligently in the fields.
But not far away, there was a figure holding a whip, his eyes fixed on the working farmers, as if monitoring their every move.
The arrival of the carriage obviously broke the tranquility of the field.
Someone immediately caught sight of the carriage with vigilance, and then ran quickly into the depths of the village.
Xue Zhong had sharp eyes and his many years of experience in management affairs allowed him to see at a glance that this was someone going to tip off someone.
This time when he came to the farm, Xue Zhong also wanted to investigate whether there was any case of misappropriation of grain.
For this purpose, ten strong servants followed the carriage, holding sticks and with serious expressions, ready to deal with any possible situation at any time.
Sure enough, the carriage stopped in front of the simple hut where Zhou Jin lived.
As Zhou Jinshi got off the carriage, a man in a gorgeous silk shirt suddenly rushed out with a ferocious face, as if he wanted to attack her.
Xue Zhong recognized him as Zhao Wu, the accountant, at a glance and lifted the carriage curtain.
When Zhao Wu saw Xue Zhong was also in the carriage, a trace of panic flashed across his face, but it was quickly covered by anger. His clenched fists seemed ready to strike out at any time.
He looked directly at Xue Zhong without a trace of fear, not even a hint of timidity. Instead, he grabbed Zhou Jinshi's collar, his tone filled with arrogance and arrogance: "You old woman, where did you hide your daughter? Even if she hid in the palace, I will dig her out!"
How outrageous and arrogant these words are.
Upon hearing this, Xue Zhong immediately rebuked him harshly, "Zhao Wu, you've been bullying the weak in the village, and the old lady already knows about it. I was sent here to punish you. Come, capture him!"
Following Xue Zhong's order, the servants he brought with him quickly stepped forward and deftly tied Zhao Wu's hands behind his back. Then, with a heavy kick, Zhao Wu was immediately tied up and unable to move.
However, in the blink of an eye, a large group of farmers suddenly appeared from nowhere.
They held torches in their hands, with ferocious looks on their faces, and surrounded Xue Zhong and his group. A conflict seemed about to break out.
Zhao Wu struggled to stand up. Seeing his men rushing over, he became even more imposing and his arrogance was evident in his words.
He glared at Xue Zhong and said viciously, "Master Xue, this farm is no longer your territory. It's not your turn to run wild here. If you dare to touch a hair on my head, I guarantee that none of you will leave the farm alive!"
Zhou Jin had already collapsed on the ground in fear, feeling a wave of dread in her heart.
She was glad that her daughter Xiaohe stayed in the Marquis' Mansion and did not come back with her, otherwise she would have found it difficult to escape this disaster.
Thinking of this, she felt a little comforted, and she could rest assured even if she encountered an unexpected accident.
Xue Zhong looked at the scene before him and no longer had any doubts about the three thousand taels of silver mentioned by Zhou Jinshi. He realized that there might be more secret activities hidden in this farm.
Although the servants he brought with him were all armed with sticks and ready for battle, he knew that once a fight broke out, he might not be able to gain the upper hand against these brute-force farmers who outnumbered him.
In this tense and stalemate atmosphere, Xue Zhong took a deep breath and needed to find a breakthrough to resolve the conflict that was about to break out.
He glanced at the farmers around him. They were all dressed in tattered clothes. Although they obeyed Zhao Wu's orders, he could read anger and dissatisfaction in their eyes, as well as a hint of confusion and helplessness.
"My fellow villagers," Xue Zhong said loudly, his voice brimming with calmness and authority. "The old lady of the Marquis's Mansion already knows that you have been subjected to bullying on the farm. I have come here to investigate the injustices committed on the farm and to restore justice to everyone. Please believe that I, Xue Zhong, am not here to antagonize you."
His words really worked, and a hint of expectation began to appear in the eyes of many people.
The farmers began to whisper to each other. It was indeed as Xue Zhong said, Zhao Wu was committing evil deeds here. Some of them gradually lowered the torches in their hands.
"Oh, isn't this Steward Xue? It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
The crowd made way, and a middle-aged manager in a blue cloth robe came calmly. As he walked, he gestured to the farmers holding torches to put them down.
Xue Zhong looked carefully and found that the person coming was Lai Sheng, with whom he had worked in the past. He was in charge of population management on the farm.
Lai Sheng said with a smile on his face, "I'm sorry that you, Mr. Xue, have come to visit the farm today. Why don't you come to my house for a cup of tea and we can talk about anything in detail."
Nowadays, there is no nominal manager on the farm. It is managed by four or five experienced managers who are also family servants.
Xue Zhong saw through Lai Sheng's intention at a glance. He just wanted to delay time and play the role of a peacemaker.
He wasn't buying it, so he said in a deep voice, "Manager Lai, long time no see. How did you manage the manor into such a mess? The old marquis passed away not long ago, and you're already causing trouble here. If this gets out, it will bring disgrace to the Xingyuan Marquisate!"
Upon hearing this, Lai Sheng hurried forward and bowed respectfully, "Steward Xue, I was planning to report to you about Zhao Wu's situation, but it was spring plowing season, and I was so busy that I delayed it. I didn't expect you to come by today and catch him doing this."
After a pause, Lai Sheng continued, "It's getting late now, and it's not a good idea for everyone to gather here. How about we all disperse? Manager Xue, please go to the shelter and rest for a while. I'll leave Zhao Wu to the people you brought with you. What do you think?"
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