Chapter 352 Teahouse, Dispute
At this time, a group of people gathered at the entrance of Yongye Tea House, all of them were there to watch the fun.
Gongsun Yushu and Murong Jing were curious, so they pushed through the crowd and walked in. The noise of the quarrel inside became clearer and clearer.
Three boxes of tea were placed side by side on the table in front of the Yongye Tea House. The teahouse's manager, Zhou, had a furious look on his face as he was arguing with a man who looked like a manager.
Murong Jing saw the manager's clothes and felt they were very familiar, as if she had just seen them.
Yes, it was in the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion. She had seen someone wearing this dark gray steward's robe, exactly the same.
She looked at Gongsun Yushu in surprise, "Someone from your house?"
Gongsun Yushu frowned slightly, but had no intention of standing up for his servant.
Shopkeeper Zhou pointed at the tea in the box angrily and said:
“This batch of tea is obviously of high quality, but you claim it is of inferior quality and are only willing to pay the price of inferior tea.
Aren’t you from the Ning’an Marquis’ Mansion bullying us common people by taking advantage of your power?!”
When Manager Zhou said this, the onlookers all looked at the manager with different eyes.
Murong Jing's mind moved slightly, and he recalled some rumors he had heard recently.
She knew about the tea-horse trade on the border. Her father found a way to lower the price of horses in Uzbekistan. The tea that could only be exchanged for three horses before could now be exchanged for five excellent war horses, greatly increasing the reserves of the Northern Frontier Camp.
The tea used to exchange for horses was always purchased with the help of Earl Ning An.
But recently she heard some rumors that the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion had done a lot of shameful things in order to buy tea at low prices and oppress the people.
But she had only heard these rumors and didn't know whether they were true or not.
The Ning'an Marquis's Mansion has a long-standing friendship with her two families, so she would not have any opinion about the entire Ning'an Marquis's Mansion just because of some rumors.
As for the investigation... that is the business of the Yunzhou government. I am just a general leading troops to fight in battles, so I cannot care about so many things.
But now looking at this scene in front of him... Murong Jing fell into deep thought.
The manager did not notice Gongsun Yushu in the crowd behind him.
After hearing what Manager Zhou said, he did not show any weakness and grabbed a handful of tea from the box to show everyone.
"Look everyone, this tea is dull in color and the leaves are broken. It doesn't look like top quality at all.
Boss Zhou, the sample you showed us last time was not like this!"
Shopkeeper Zhou stamped his feet in anger, feeling extremely aggrieved, "Oh my goodness!"
"Didn't you check the goods yesterday and see if there was anything wrong? The goods were taken away and left overnight at your Ning'an Marquis's mansion. Today you came to me with these boxes of broken tea.
You must have secretly changed it after you took it back, and you came here to pick a fight on purpose today in order to shirk your responsibility!"
After hearing this, the people around nodded and began to point fingers at the manager and talk in low voices.
"I checked the goods when I picked them up, but they didn't tell me at the time and came to look for me a day later. There must be something fishy going on..."
"For a noble family like Ning'an to do such a thing just for a few boxes of tea, isn't this too shameful?"
"Hey, he's the uncle, can't he do whatever he wants?"
"That's right. What can ordinary people like us do if we encounter this situation..."
The sound of discussion reached the ears of the steward, and naturally also reached the ears of Murong Jing and Gongsun Yushu.
Murong Jing didn't say anything. Gongsun Yushu's face darkened a little, but he didn't dare to get angry.
As the son of the Ning'an Earl, wouldn't it be a loss of status for me to jump out and argue with these common people at this time?
"Manager Zhou, you can't say that."
The steward of the Bo's Mansion also had a very unpleasant expression on his face.
"Your Yongye Tea House is also a time-honored brand in Yunzhou City. Out of trust in you, we only opened the boxes for a quick inspection when we came to pick up the goods yesterday.
But after the tea leaves were transported back to the palace, they discovered that only the top layer of the box contained good tea, and the bottom layer was all broken tea leaves!"
Shopkeeper Zhou asked loudly: "Do you have any evidence to support your claim? Without evidence, it's just slander!"
"Evidence? I am the evidence standing here!
If there was no problem with your tea, would we, a mansion as big as ours, deliberately cheat you out of the money for these boxes of tea?"
The quarrel between the two became louder and louder, but the people around them also heard that the steward of the Bo's Mansion did not have any evidence.
Isn't this just bullying?
Murong Jing couldn't help but frown.
Shopkeeper Zhou pointed at the tattered boxes of tea in front of him, then at the steward, and said excitedly:
"You... don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion backing you up!
Fellow villagers, please judge for yourself. My tea is obviously fine, but they insist on saying it is inferior without any evidence. Isn’t this bullying an honest person? ?
Our Yongye Tea House has been passed down for decades, and today we are being framed like this. I...I will fight you!"
As he spoke, Shopkeeper Zhou rushed towards the steward. However, the steward was followed by several servants. Seeing this, they surrounded Shopkeeper Zhou and threw him to the ground.
For a moment, everyone was outraged and cast angry and accusing glances at the steward of Ning'an Earl's Mansion.
"Damn these naughty slaves! They have brought shame to the Ning'an Marquis' Mansion!" Gongsun Yushu cursed in a low voice with a dark face.
"Get out of the way, everyone!"
Someone outside the crowd shouted, and everyone made way for a path, and several patrolling yamen runners came in.
"What happened?" the bailiff asked, looking at the disheveled Manager Zhou lying on the ground.
"Sir... Sir!" Shopkeeper Zhou struggled to get up from the ground and shouted with all his might:
"I have grievances to appeal!!!"
After hearing the whole story, the leading yamen runner looked hesitant and looked at the manager.
I am just a small county yamen runner. If I offend the Ning'an Marquis' Mansion... it would be easier for them to crush me to death than to crush an ant.
Murong Jing curled her lips, "It seems that I can't afford to offend your Ning'an Marquis' Mansion."
Although his tone sounded teasing, there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.
What she hated most in her life was people who took advantage of their power to bully others.
Murong Jing was thinking in her heart that if the county government didn't dare to intervene in today's matter, she would not be able to help but teach these guys a lesson even in front of Gongsun Yushu.
Gongsun Yushu's next words surprised her a little.
"No need for the reward, my lady. These wicked servants have ruined the reputation of our mansion. If the yamen runners dare not arrest them, I will personally send them to the county yamen and will never condone them!"
Gongsun Yushu's words were sonorous and powerful. Murong Jing glanced at him a few more times before saying with some admiration:
"Brother Gongsun, well done."
Gongsun Yushu gave her an affirmative look.
The performance of the yamen runner did not disappoint Murong Jing. Facing the eager gazes of the people around him, the yamen runner felt his blood burning in his chest.
He gritted his teeth and went for it.
"Come here, take them all to the county government office!"
The steward's face changed, "I am the steward of the Ning'an Marquis's Mansion, how dare you——"
The yamen runner was so hot-blooded that he didn't listen to what he said and waved his hand:
"take away!"
The county court held an open trial. Many common people, who rarely saw such a grand event, followed behind. Some even ran home to pocket a handful of melon seeds and hurried to the county court.
"Brother Liang Zhou, do you want to go take a look?"
Ding Xiaoqiu, who was in the teahouse, saw that the crowd downstairs was heading towards the county government office and asked Liang Zhou.
Liang Zhou's gaze did not follow the flow of people downstairs, but instead stayed on Murong Jing and Gongsun Yushu.
"How interesting..."
He gently stroked his chin with his right hand, his eyes showing more interest.
Ding Xiaoqiu looked downstairs in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"
Liang Zhou smiled without saying anything and stood up.
“You have so much fun in your city.
Let's go, follow me - by the way, ask the store if they have a bamboo hat or straw hat to cover your face."
Ding Xiaoqiu followed Liang Zhou downstairs obediently.
"Why cover your face?" Ding Xiaoqiu asked.
Liang Zhou suddenly stopped and turned around, and Ding Xiaoqiu almost bumped into him.
Liang Zhou pointed at himself and helplessly counted on his fingers:
"I am the magistrate of Yingcang County next door, and you are the prefect's son. The little princess knows both of us. The Ning'an Marquis's Mansion has a feud with your father."
"Do you hope to be recognized now and let Gongsun Yushu find out that we are familiar with each other?"
Ding Xiaoqiu touched the back of his head and suddenly realized that Liang Zhou wanted to cooperate with him in a covert way.
So he nodded to Liang Zhou in admiration and ran to buy a straw hat without saying a word.
…
downstairs.
Gongsun Yushu spoke first and said to Murong Jing:
"Let's go, let's go to the county government office and take a look."
Murong Jing nodded, as she also wanted to see what the outcome of this matter would be.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a young man wearing a gray hat in Yongye Tea House, looking at her with a furtive look.
(ps. Someone lost his ID card when he moved, and he needs to get a new one before he can go online. So sad... I will resume updating twice a week tomorrow!)
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