Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, the magistrate's son quickly reiterated his determination.
"It's all a misunderstanding today! If you think the price isn't right, we can talk about it again. Even if you don't want to sell, that's fine, I won't buy it, I really won't!"
The villagers' expressions improved somewhat, but they still refused to release him. Who knew if he would try every means to bully them again after he was freed?
After all, this is their territory, and it's not easy for them to twist the thigh with their small arm.
Just then, the servant who had run off to deliver the message arrived with more than a dozen constables and runners.
Seeing their son bound like a dumpling from afar, the constables and officers immediately drew their knives and ran over shouting.
"You lowly people, release our young master, or we'll spare your lives!"
The villagers who had been hesitating just moments before quickly picked up their machetes. Some stood in front of them, while others even grabbed the magistrate's son and held the machetes to his neck.
The magistrate's son was so angry he almost vomited blood; he hated the constables and runners to death.
They don't show up when they should, but they appear when they shouldn't!
He frantically yelled, "Back off! Don't come up!"
The constables were somewhat bewildered, while the head constable shouted, "Young master, have you been threatened? Don't be afraid, the magistrate already knows and will be here soon!"
The magistrate's son wanted to bite him a few times, but it was too late.
Two horse-drawn carriages came galloping from afar, covered in dust, with Wen Hai and Sister-in-law Qiong sitting on the carriage shafts.
It was obvious that Sister Qiong went to ask for help and ran into Mr. Wen, who had rushed back.
In the blink of an eye, the carriage arrived.
Mr. Wen opened the door and jumped down, shouting loudly.
"Who is it that, in broad daylight, seizes and plunders, oppressing the people? Is there no law anymore? The Emperor's relocation of the capital here is an honor for the people of Jiangnan. Who dares to offend the Emperor's majesty and disregard the dignity of the court?"
He glared, his face radiating righteous indignation. "Let's go to the capital. Come with me to the Emperor and have a proper talk! Does the world truly belong to the Emperor, or to the powerful families of Jiangnan? Do you really think you're some kind of local tyrant? You probably don't know how stubborn you are!"
After this barrage of accusations, the magistrate's son was completely disheartened, and the head constable was also dumbfounded.
Isn't this just commoners rebelling against their superiors? How did it become a matter of powerful families in Jiangnan offending imperial authority and disobeying the court?
Mr. Wen didn't care about any of that. He had already made up his mind not to revise books at the Hanlin Academy, and today's event was a perfect opportunity.
He was willing to risk becoming the new regime's spearhead by sowing discord among the local powerful clans of Jiangnan against the imperial court.
If he wants to gain power, he must be useful to the emperor and the newly established court!
He turned to a middle-aged man in an official robe and said, “Brother Zhou, I need to go back to Xindu again. I’ll leave this place to you.”
The middle-aged official, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at the hot spring waterfall, was already impatient with these trivial matters. Upon hearing this, he quickly agreed and headed straight for the waterfall.
"Such a hot spring is rare. Let's quickly collect some water and check if the sulfur smell is strong. If we divert the water out, we probably won't need to build a fully covered irrigation canal; it's so hot, it won't be afraid of dissipating heat at all..."
As the middle-aged official walked, he gave instructions to the men following him. Soon they dispersed and got busy, and some even climbed the cliff to check the source of the spring.
Mr. Wen looked at Madam Cui, "Junior sister, please help the village entertain Lord Zhou and his entourage."
“Alright, senior brother, go ahead. If you need any help, just ask Uncle Liu.” Madam Cui agreed and carried Jiayin toward the waterfall.
Mr. Wen was relieved and called to the village chief and Li Laosi, "Uncle Village Chief, Laosi, I'm taking these people back to Xindu. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to come along. If this succeeds, no one will dare to rob your Broken Gold Beach again!"
The village chief replied, "If Mr. Wen isn't coming, we were planning to go to Xindu to file a complaint. This kid claims the whole world is his territory, and the land deeds and travel permits the imperial court gave us are useless. He's practically trying to become a local tyrant!"
Mr. Wen was even happier to hear this. "Good, Uncle, remember this. When you get to the city, tell everyone who asks you the same thing."
After saying that, he called out to Jiaren, "Let's go into town together, I'll show you around."
Soon, the magistrate's son, his face ashen, was thrown onto the carriage. Knowing that begging for mercy was useless, he could only shout to the constable, "Go back and tell my father!"
"Oh, oh!" The head constable realized he had made a big mistake and turned to run away with his men.
Mr. Wen didn't say anything, and the villagers didn't stop him.
The village chief, along with Li Laosi, Li Laoer, Jiaren, and a few others, escorted the county magistrate's son and several henchmen onto a carriage and followed Mr. Wen into the city.
The villagers watched the carriage disappear into the distance, feeling both anxious and delighted.
This is the son of a county magistrate! Back in Junyang, people would kowtow to him in fear and trembling.
Now that they've picked up their machetes to fight back, not only are they safe, but the magistrate's son and even the magistrate himself are going to suffer.
Sure enough, being timid and backing down is useless. Whenever you are in the right, you should stand up straight and fight back!
It has to be said that for many years to come, the fame of Suijintan, which would spread for miles around, was completely established by today's events, which solidified their village spirit of always being reasonable and never being bullied!
The villagers who had been watching the commotion from afar, seeing that the constables and officers had all fled in fear, dared not linger any longer and dispersed in a flurry.
Uncle Zhao and the others managed to get out and organize the villagers to patrol and guard the area. They also had to help the officials who were busy around the hot spring.
Jiayin hugged Madam Cui's neck, watching with great interest as Lord Zhou poured spring water into an incomprehensible, complex wooden vessel.
Then I heard him excitedly shout, "This is really great! Soaking in this spring water will definitely improve your health!"
The villagers, curious, asked in hushed tones, "Sir, this spring water is a good thing, so can we build a hot spring village?"
“Of course,” Lord Zhou, with his easygoing nature, readily agreed, even joking, “I’ll draw up the plans in a bit. As long as you build it according to these plans, this place will become a paradise on earth in less than a month. I’ll definitely come and visit then, and soak in it for a few days.”
Everyone was delighted to hear this. Uncle Zhao loudly instructed the women, "Bring out all the good things in the house. We'll treat the adults to a simple meal at noon. We can't let the adults suffer and go hungry."
Lord Zhou waved his hand and said with a smile, "What we eat is not important. I do want to thank everyone for their trust. It will be an honor to come and visit this wonderful place once it is built."
"Please feel free to come and play, sir. We won't charge you any money."
Everyone chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.
Jiayin was even more curious about how much money it would cost to build the hot spring resort.
But she's just a child, so it's not appropriate to ask.
Fortunately, Chief Escort Liu remained relatively clear-headed and did not lose his mind with joy like the other villagers.
He stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Sir, if we follow your plan, how much silver would it cost to utilize this hot spring and build up the estate?"
After thinking for a moment, and looking at the ordinary clothes on everyone's bodies and the dilapidated thatched hut in the distance, Lord Zhou hesitated before replying, "At least a thousand taels."
One thousand taels!
The villagers gasped in shock; this was far too expensive. Even the entire village's combined wealth probably wouldn't amount to half of it...
The long-awaited fourth update is here! A bonus chapter for reaching 900 book reviews (though we're still five short of 900). Next time, we'll have a fourth update when we reach 1000 book reviews. Please keep moving your fingers and give us five-star reviews, my darlings!
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