Chapter 273 Zhou Huaining Goes Crazy
"I can beat up whoever I want, and I don't care if he's old or not. You're just a small village headman, and you think you're a human being?!"
Another guard raised the knife in his hand and slashed at Ye Yanping.
Ye Yanping stretched out his hand and slapped the knife away.
The guards were horrified and ran outside, "Hurry up, someone's coming! There's a rebellion in Heihe Village!"
The guards rushed in, followed by the governor and others.
"What's going on?" the governor asked sternly.
The two guards immediately seized the opportunity to make a false accusation, "Your Excellency the Governor, they hid the strawberries and refused to pay tribute, and even deliberately knocked them over!"
"The villagers of Heihe Village actually want to fight with us!"
The governor looked at the strawberries on the ground with a gloomy expression. "Village head, please tell me what's going on. Is your village really planning a rebellion?!"
The head of the village was pale and his clothes were soaked with sweat.
"I…I wanted to leave some fruit for the children in the village, but I didn't want the official to see me. The villagers were frightened by the official and accidentally knocked over the fruit.
The governor was about to strike someone, but the villagers were worried that I, due to my age, could not withstand the official's fist, so I blocked it. We had no intention of fighting the official, let alone rebelling. Please forgive us, Governor!"
The governor sneered, "You're leaving this fruit for the children of your village, even though I'm not worthy of eating it? In my opinion, you don't know the severity of the situation, and you deserve a beating!"
"Right, right, right! He deserves a beating!" Zhou Huaining suddenly snapped. "That damn old man, why didn't he just farm the land? He insisted on grafting strawberries! Now trouble has come to us! Governor, you'd better beat him to death. That way, no one will be able to eat strawberries anymore! Peace on earth!"
"You!" The governor was furious, but thinking of Zhou Huaining's identity, he finally did not lose his temper.
"Forget it, I'll let you off this time! From now on, when you pick strawberries, there must be soldiers watching over you! If what happened today happens again, and you use the imperial products for other purposes, you'll have to watch out for your heads!"
"Yes, thank you, Governor."
The villagers agreed verbally, but felt extremely uncomfortable in their hearts.
What did they do wrong?
Just because I grew delicious fruits, I have to get into such a big trouble?
If that were the case, they would rather not grow strawberries!
"Hehehe..." Zhou Huaining suddenly sneered.
"What are you doing?" the governor asked patiently.
Zhou Huaining rolled his eyes, "Can't you see? I'm laughing! This is fucking ridiculous!"
The villagers were stunned.
Isn't this the unruly behavior of Young Master Ning?
Why did the county magistrate suddenly become like Young Master Ning?
Is this Master Ning or the county magistrate?
Zhou Huaining crossed his arms over his chest, a look of sarcasm on his face. "After all, I am also the parent official of Xianchuan County. Your Excellency the Governor, isn't it too unfair to treat the villagers like this?"
The governor said coldly, "County Magistrate, how have I been unfair?"
Zhou Huaining sneered, "Heihe Village has grown a fruit that everyone loves to eat. That's a merit, isn't it? But why do I feel that you, sir, are treating them like criminals?
Is this the treatment that meritorious individuals deserve? I seriously suspect the Governor has misinterpreted the Emperor and Princess's original intentions and is intentionally causing them to bear the brunt of the infamy!
The governor was embarrassed and said angrily: "Zhou Huaining, what are you talking about... You are deliberately slandering me. Don't be so arrogant!"
"I have always been arrogant towards people I don't like, and the emperor knows this." Zhou Huaining raised the corner of his mouth.
The governor fell silent.
Everyone in the capital knew that the reason why Zhou Huaining, as the son of a marquis, became a famous playboy was ultimately due to the emperor's extraordinary tolerance towards him.
The emperor always turned a blind eye to Zhou Huaining's ridiculous behavior, as if he could not see it.
"For example, if my people want to fight, I'm the only one who can do it! What right do they have to fight? Who do they think they are?"
Zhou Huaining suddenly pointed at the two guards angrily, "Get over here!"
The two guards panicked, "Governor..."
The governor sighed and said nothing.
Zhou Huaining slid over and punched both of them in the face.
Everyone was stunned.
The governor covered his face with his hands, his face was as black as water.
"Apologize to my fellow villagers! Otherwise, I'll kill you!"
The guards had never seen such a madman before, and they quickly apologized, "Sorry, we shouldn't have taken action just now!"
The villagers of Heihe Village did not dare to speak.
Zhou Huaining asked loudly: "Do you forgive them?"
"Forgive, forgive!" the villagers answered in a rush.
Zhou Huaining slowly put away his fist.
"If anyone dares to treat the people under my rule like this, I will immediately leave and return to the capital to meet with the emperor and let him judge the matter!"
"Oh, Magistrate! Don't be angry, County Magistrate." The prefect, who had been in the background until now, stepped out to mediate. "You want to seek benefits for your people. That's easy. I can write a few words, such as - Xianchuan First Village, and have them make it into a plaque and hang it on the city wall. Wouldn't that make them famous?"
"Don't bother with those empty words!" Zhou Huaining said mercilessly, "They are so poor, yet they still spend money to make a plaque, just to hang your calligraphy? Can you eat or drink on that plaque? Or do you think your calligraphy is more valuable than my father's? This is the number one village in Xianchuan, won't I let my father write it!"
The prefect couldn't catch his breath and almost choked to death.
The governor took a deep breath, calming his expression. "Alright! I was so anxious about the imperial fruit that I forgot to reward Heihe Village. Once the fruit is delivered to the capital, the emperor will be pleased and will naturally reward him!"
"Isn't the Governor planning to do something?" Zhou Huaining said carelessly, "I heard that it was the Governor who recommended this fruit to the Emperor! If the Emperor rewards it, the Governor will be the biggest beneficiary, right?"
The governor's face turned red and white. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, this fruit was originally sold for 200 coins per pound in Heihe Village! They were originally planning to make a good living by selling fruit! The governor wouldn't just take it away without paying a penny, would he? Is he an official or a bandit?"
The governor was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood. "What are you talking about... You are so outrageous! You are going too far!"
Zhou Huaining laughed, "The Governor is plundering the people of my county like this. Even a playboy like me can't stand it! As the saying goes, when you beat a dog, look at its owner. The Governor is rubbing my face on the ground. I don't want to be the county magistrate anymore. Whoever wants to be the county magistrate can do it!"
As he spoke, he threw his officer's hat to the ground.
The governor was so angry that he held his forehead and almost fell down. "Who said I won't pay?! Isn't it okay for me to pay this money?"
"Why didn't you say so earlier!" Zhou Huaining picked up the officer's hat, blew off the dust on it, and put it back on his head.
Then he said to the villagers with a smile: "What are you still standing there for? Come and weigh it! The governor is giving you silver!"
"Then thank you, Governor!"
The villagers suddenly became energetic and immediately picked up the large scale.
The third batch of fruits was obviously less in quantity, only 70 kilograms.
"Governor, fourteen taels of silver!" Zhou Huaining looked at the governor with a smile.
"Give it to him!" The governor was so angry that his face was distorted.
Zhou Huaining took the silver and handed it directly to the head of the village. "Keep growing the fruit. There are too few now. Plant more! The governor has plenty of silver. He's willing to spend everything he has to show his filial piety to the emperor!"
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