Yuan Laoliu pushed through the crowd, knelt on the ground, and shouted, "My lord, I can testify that Manager Ma lied. He initially demanded ten coins a day for sanitation management at the Chen family's shop, then increased it to twenty coins, and finally even to thirty coins. The Chen family complained that the increase was too much."
Finally, I had no choice but to pay for three days, and they haven't come for several days in a row..."
A serious expression appeared on his face as he glared at the steward, speaking righteously as if he were a judge or warrior.
"Manager Ma is bullying us merchants!"
Someone took the lead.
Some people followed suit and supported it.
Not long after.
Almost all the vendors began to denounce Manager Ma for arbitrarily raising sanitation management fees.
Ma Jinping was pale and weakly pointed to... those merchants who used to fear him like rats!
Those people's eyes showed excitement, frustration, shock, and anger, but no fear.
How dare you lowly merchants?
I am your king/queen on this food street.
He glanced at the Chen family man standing calmly to the side, noticing his indifferent expression and lack of interest in looking at him, wondering what he was thinking.
Even as the crowd congratulated him, he remained calm and composed, showing little excitement or agitation, as if it were all expected.
Then it occurred to me again.
When Xu San asked his family to pay the stall management fee, he smiled obsequiously and reluctantly, humble and awkward, when suddenly a bold idea came to his mind.
impossible!
Did the other party start plotting against me back then?
His servility, awkwardness, and obsequiousness were all a facade; he concealed his sinister fangs, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
The other party is clearly just a lowly farmer, so how could he have such great power to drive and influence the old folks at Xuan Nan Academy and the young students at the county school?
Feeling lost and confused.
Su Yong said in a deep voice, "Ma Jinping, do you know your crime? Who gave you such great power to prey on the people? A mere clerk, acting recklessly and making the entire food street a mess!"
Ma Jinping sighed dejectedly, then glared fiercely at Chen Xian.
"Now that things have come to this point, there's nothing more to say. I only regret that I didn't take direct action back then and kill the Chen family!"
With no one left to testify, there's no way I could have bullied them!
Wow!
The crowd was somewhat horrified upon hearing these words; despite being under the blazing sun, they inexplicably developed goosebumps.
"Kill him! It's outrageous! Under the clear sky, a lowly official dares to beat and kill ordinary people in the street!"
"Kill him!"
Fortunately, the yamen runners managed to maintain order.
The person was not killed on the spot.
Su Yong said in a deep, cold voice, "Master Ma, I ask you, do you have any relatives in Yingzhou Prefecture or Lushang County who make a living by farming?"
The seemingly random remark left Manager Ma somewhat bewildered.
“I am from Lushang County, and I do have relatives and friends in my clan who farm in the village.”
"Has the locust plague recently affected your villages and towns in Yingzhou Prefecture? Has your grain been completely devoured by the locusts?"
"Wasn't this handled properly by the adults?"
Su Yong said in a deep voice, "I was merely reminded by someone, and the one who actually blew the whistle in advance was a farmer..."
After going around in circles for a long time,
The onlookers' patience was wearing thin, and they all asked in confusion, "Who is it?"
"Is this related to this matter, Your Excellency? Deal with this scoundrel immediately; we're waiting to go home for dinner."
Despite the atmosphere being one of anger, everyone was amused by that remark.
Ma Jinping almost lost his composure as well. What was he eating? Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Chen?"
Master Li strode forward, smiling broadly, and said, "Gentlemen, standing before you is Chen Xian, a ninth-rank military officer recently bestowed upon him by His Majesty!"
Everyone was bewildered.
Who is Chen Xian?
A furious shout.
"Impossible! How could a farmer obtain an official position? And a ranked one at that, even if it's a sinecure?"
Ma Jinping was the first to break through the defenses.
He was nothing more than a lowly clerk.
Magistrate Su rebuked him, "He saved 10,000 shi of grain from Yingzhou Prefecture! He ensured that your clansmen could have enough to eat this year and that the locusts would leave empty-handed! You, a mere clerk, who gave you the audacity to make things difficult for him!"
"Then why didn't he say so before..."
"Shut up!"
Magistrate Su's face turned cold with anger. "What? Do ordinary farmers have no dignity? Do they think they can be bullied by you at will?"
Ma Jinping looked up at the sky and roared.
"ah!"
Master Li gave instructions to the yamen runners.
"Find a rag and gag him, he's making so much noise it hurts my ears!"
Ma Jinping struggled desperately, but his mouth was still suppressed and he was silenced.
The onlookers were completely dumbfounded.
A junior official, a ninth-rank official, a locust plague, Yingzhou Prefecture, a farmer, the Chen family.
All the words make up a picture.
The vendors were all stunned.
You hold a low-ranking, leisurely official position of the ninth grade, and you still receive a monthly salary. Why do you need to set up a stall in the food street?
Can't they just run rampant in the village, bullying men and women?
Then, feeling fearful and guilty, he glanced at Chen Xian.
These people used to mock this man so harshly.
The things they said were as disgusting as could be.
Su Wenxuan stood in the group chat, coldly scanning Yuan Laoliu and the others, and whispered something to Su Yong.
Su Yong frowned.
The students of the county school, led by Duan Erlang, bowed and said, "Chen Zuolang, please forgive my disrespect!"
Chen Xian: "You are all scholars, while I am just a farmer who happened to receive His Majesty's favor. Please still call me Boss Chen."
this.
They glanced at each other.
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