Chapter 337 Setting Fire to the Mountain
There were four or five merchants who came to pick up the goods this time.
They met in Ping'an County and came here together.
As the group entered the courtyard, after simply stating where they came from, Manager Yan immediately came out to greet them.
"This way, please." Manager Yan led four or five people to the reception room of the soap workshop. "Please wait a moment while I go to get the documents."
He picked up the documents, and just as he sat down to check the quantity of goods...
Bai Qi couldn't help but ask, "When I came here before, it was always Madam Sui who received me. Why haven't I seen Madam Sui today?"
"I'm practically the manager now, handling all the reception of customers," Manager Yan sighed. "If it weren't for this mess, Lady Sui would definitely have chatted with you all for a bit... Anyway, Manager Bai previously ordered 12,000 bars of soap, 4,000 of which were unscented..."
Bai Qi raised his hand to stop Manager Yan, and frowned, asking, "Has something happened to Madam Sui?"
"Sigh—I can't say... Never mind, we're all old acquaintances." Manager Yan lowered his voice. "You've all heard about the coal mine discovery in our village, haven't you? The imperial court sent a sixth-rank official to mine it. After this official came to our village, he did all sorts of outrageous things, and Madam Sui was so angered that she fell ill. The doctor said she probably won't live for more than a few days..."
"Not only were the houses in the village looted, but the elderly were also beaten. Old Master Zhao and the village head are still bedridden, and a pregnant woman was pushed to the ground, bleeding profusely. It's unknown whether she can save her child... There are many young girls in the village who have caught the eye of Lord He. It was Lady Sui who risked her life to resist, saving those young women from harm... But Lady Sui herself..."
The four or five merchants who came to pick up the goods all looked incredulous.
They came from all over the country and had traveled all over the country all year round, and had never heard of such an outrageous thing.
Even some corrupt officials wouldn't be this brazen; Lord He is truly outrageous.
“No wonder I kept hearing people mention Lord He when I arrived in Ping’an County.” Bai Qi pursed his lips. “After I make this purchase, I will travel by water to the capital. Once I arrive in the capital, I will also publicize Lord He’s deeds. Don’t think that just because you’re far from the emperor’s feet, you can be lawless.”
Another merchant said, "I'm going to Shuicheng in the south this time. There seems to be a Lord He there who boasts every day about having a distant cousin who is a high-ranking official in the capital. I need to make a good impression on him in Shuicheng."
Other customers echoed this sentiment, saying that such a thing should be publicized to the fullest extent.
Manager Yan smiled calmly. This was his goal: to make He Yan's actions known throughout the country. At that point, even if the He family in the capital wanted to protect He Yan, the court would not allow it.
After Manager Yan checked the goods and saw the merchants off, the doctors in the courtyard finished examining the villagers and then took their boxes to treat He Yan.
Because He Yan fell ill, four or five of his followers also collapsed. Without these people, the village became quiet.
For three days in a row, nothing outrageous happened in the village.
Magistrate Shen stayed in the village for three days.
Although Shen Zheng strongly insisted that he stay at Cheng Wanwan's house, he refused without hesitation.
He admired Lady Sui, and it was precisely because of this admiration that he could not allow the villagers to tarnish her reputation.
He lived with He Xiao, who lived in Cheng Wanwan's old house. There were two rooms, one for each person, while Master Yuan slept on the floor.
Time flies, and it's already the end of the first month. The first examination for the children's degree this year is on the second day of the second month, which is just a few days away.
Magistrate Shen and Master Yu were discussing the situation in Dahe Village.
Master Yu stroked his beard and said, "These children have only been studying for less than half a year. It's too early for them to take the county exam. Only Jing Si can take the exam, and Tie Zhu can also broaden his horizons."
Magistrate Shen asked, "Your son is ten years old this year. Do you plan to send him to the county examination?"
Master Yu waved his hand: "He can recognize a couple of characters and read a couple of books, that's enough. I don't plan to let him pursue an official career."
This road is full of thorns and is too difficult to walk. If he can't walk it, his son certainly can't either. Why suffer this hardship?
"Father, I want to take the county exam." Ten-year-old Yu Zhan stepped forward. He was a handsome young boy, about the same height as Si Dan. He had a determined look on his face and his eyes were filled with determination. "Father, you have been teaching me to read and write since I was two years old. After studying for so many years, you should let me take the exam. If I don't succeed, I will give up on this idea."
Lu Yingxue nodded: "Old Yu, just because you can't do it doesn't mean the child can't. We have to believe in Xiaozhan."
Zhao Sidan arrived at some point, blinked, and said, "I've compared my knowledge with Brother Yu. He's much better than me. He'll definitely pass the preliminary exam this time, and who knows, he might even pass the county-level exam."
The preliminary examination for candidates for the imperial examination consisted of three parts: the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the provincial examination. Passing the first two made one a candidate for the imperial examination, while passing the provincial examination made one a scholar. Some lucky and learned individuals happened to be able to take the provincial examination in one year and become scholars in one fell swoop, which was a great honor for scholars in ancient times.
“You…” Master Yu looked at his son and sighed, “You can’t force things. If something that should go smoothly keeps failing, it means it’s not right for you. Sometimes you have to learn to give up.”
Yu Zhan raised his chin: "How can I give up if I haven't tried? Father, you don't need to persuade me. I registered a long time ago, and I will go to take the exam with Jing Si in a few days."
A group of people were talking in the main room when a commotion suddenly broke out outside.
These past few days, Magistrate Shen has been staying in Dahe Village, where the village has been unusually quiet.
The noise was so loud that everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Lu Yingxue quickly lifted the reed curtain and stepped out, her face immediately darkening: "That Lord He, how come he wasn't killed by the wolves? He actually managed to go out..."
Over there, He Yan sat in a sedan chair, carried by four officials. His face and neck were wrapped in cloth, and one arm was draped around his neck. His face was bluish-black and bloodless. Despite being so ill, he still had to come out and cause trouble.
He pointed to the distant Dadong Mountain, his eyes filled with rage: "Burn it...burn it all! I will burn all those biting wolves to death..."
Those wolves dared to bite him, leaving him covered in bite wounds. He might even be unable to have sex in the future... This was an unbearable humiliation and a grave enmity. He had to take revenge a hundredfold or a thousandfold!
Ten or so officials, carrying torches, walked to the foot of Mount Dadong. The torches fell to the ground, igniting the dry grass, and a fire quickly broke out.
"No! Absolutely not!" The village headman brought over a large basin of water and poured it onto the fire. "Lord He, this Dadong Mountain is the blessed land of Dahe Village, the forest that sustains the villagers' livelihood. It cannot be burned, it absolutely cannot be burned! Please, Your Excellency, have mercy, have mercy..."
The villagers all rushed to help put out the fire.
Their village was built against Dadong Mountain, and for generations they have relied on the mountain for their livelihood. If the mountain were burned down, their Dahe Village would cease to exist.
"Outrageous! How dare you!" He Yan coughed up blood in anger. "Cough cough cough... Arrest them! Arrest these troublemakers! Cough cough!"
His violent cough caused him to vomit blood continuously. He hadn't had a good day in the past few days. As his health deteriorated, his anger grew. Only burning down the mountain could quell his rage.
"Lord He!" Magistrate Shen strode forward, blocking the way for the village head. Though humble, his voice carried an undeniable authority. "Arson, burning of the mountain, boiling of cauldrons and burning of charcoal, the entire mountain teeming with livestock, snakes, rats, insects, and ants, many dying young or with dead snakes and tigers—all are acts of killing… The sins are heinous, too numerous to recount…"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
