Chapter 297 Arrest
After the beginning of autumn, Fengjing City was like a pot of soup that was gradually cooling down.
The sun was still shining brightly, but it had lost some of its scorching heat, lazily warming the dense leaves of the locust trees on both sides of Zhuque Street.
There was a strange languor in the air, mixed with the lingering heat and the beginnings of coolness.
In the small courtyard of the Qinde Chamber of Commerce in the East Market, the old shopkeeper was taking a nap in the half-bright and half-asleep afternoon light.
Although this place is not big, it has grocery stores, restaurants, bars, cloth shops, pawnshops... a little bit of everything.
On the wooden racks in front of the cloth shop, several pieces of light gauze and brocade had just been hung out to dry, glistening like beeswax in the autumn sun.
The newly opened wine jar in the restaurant next door, with its mud seal half-open, emanates the aroma of freshly brewed wine with a hint of acidity and freshness.
The occasional clacking sound of the abacus beads in the accounting office was like the whisper of a tired bird returning to its nest, adding a touch of profound tranquility.
At this moment, the tranquility was suddenly shattered.
The hurried footsteps unexpectedly rolled over the low threshold of the Chamber of Commerce entrance and rudely broke into the small courtyard.
Leading the group was the mayor of the East Market Office, who was dressed in a cyan official uniform and had a face as rigid as a stone statue.
Behind him were several clerks in black robes, and Wu Hou, who was holding the hilt of the sword at his waist and scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Everyone in the courtyard was so frightened that they dared not move. A clever servant quickly patted the shopkeeper on the shoulder.
The old shopkeeper slowly woke up and was about to scold, but he bumped into the official opposite him.
"Ouch!"
He stood up in a hurry and almost sprained his waist. Fortunately, the servant next to him helped him in time and he was able to stand steadily.
"Wu... Lord Wu, what are you doing..."
Don't underestimate him as he is just a small magistrate of the East Market Office, a sixth-rank official, not worth mentioning in Fengjing City.
Anyone who makes a living in this area would feel scared when seeing this person.
The mayor's eyes slowly swept across every face in the courtyard, finally fixing on the old shopkeeper.
"After investigation, it was found that the Qinde Chamber of Commerce did not have a valid city registration and had not paid sufficient business taxes.
Seal the shop and lock the people up!"
His voice was not loud, but it clearly struck everyone's heart.
The clerk Wu Hou responded loudly and immediately stepped forward to arrest the man.
"Sir! Sir, please have mercy!"
The old shopkeeper was struck by lightning. He staggered a step, and his skinny hand subconsciously reached for the corner of the mayor's robe. His voice was trembling.
"My family has been merchants for generations, and the city registers are checked every year. The taxes... the taxes were only paid into the treasury last month!
Your Excellency is very discerning, there must be something wrong..."
"A mistake?" The mayor's lips curled up in a cold arc, his eyes sharp as a knife. "The accounts are written in black and white, how can you quibble?"
He swung his hand violently, like a merciless guillotine, "What are you waiting for? Take him down!"
Although the clerks and Wu Hou shouted loudly and made intimidating moves in the first chapter, they actually did not move very quickly.
The main reason was that they were summoned in a hurry, and they didn't know what the mayor was planning.
Normally, they just give warnings and get some benefits, but rarely do they actually arrest people.
But now that they had given orders twice in succession and in a firm tone, they immediately gave up their tentative thoughts and stepped forward quickly.
Little did they know that although the mayor had a stern look on his face, he was actually trembling in his heart.
Who understands? He was working diligently in the government office when he suddenly received a secret order from the Xuanji Guards, which almost scared him to death.
Officials below the third rank in Fengjing do not need to ask for permission. If a mere sixth-rank official like him were to fall into the hands of the Xuanji Guards, he would probably die without knowing how.
Mayor Wu did not dare to delay at all. He gathered people as quickly as possible and rushed here.
As for what tricks the Qinde Chamber of Commerce had, and what qualifications it had to be targeted by the Xuanji Guards, he didn't care at all and wouldn't ask.
Just pray in your heart that it won't involve him.
The clerks and officials knew the mayor's attitude and pounced on him like wolves and tigers.
The half-person-high wine jar at the entrance of the restaurant was roughly pushed over. With a loud crash, the wine mixed with broken pottery shards flowed everywhere.
In the grocery store, a basket of half-dried red dates was overturned and the fruits rolled all over the floor.
The cries of begging, the sounds of breaking things, and the sounds of scolding instantly tore through the laziness of the afternoon.
From the old shopkeeper to the weaver servants, no one in the Chamber of Commerce dared to resist and they were all arrested.
"Grandfather!" A young embroiderer wearing an apricot-red half-sleeve dress suddenly rushed out of the cloth shop. She was the granddaughter of the old shopkeeper.
At this moment, the blood had drained from his face, and he desperately wanted to support his grandfather who was lying limp on the ground.
A tall clerk was pulling the old shopkeeper's arm to drag him up. The embroiderer rushed over to stop him and pushed the clerk away in desperation.
"You are rebelling!" The clerk was furious and slapped the embroiderer hard in the face.
The crisp sound drowned out the noise in the yard.
The embroiderer was beaten so hard that she was completely stunned. Her hair was disheveled and a streak of bright red blood was flowing down from the corner of her mouth.
She stumbled backwards and bumped into a toppled wooden shelf, tearing off the remaining half piece of gauze.
After killing the chicken to scare the monkey, everything went very smoothly and soon all the twenty or so people were captured.
Two Wu Hou were left to guard the Chamber of Commerce and a seal was put on the door.
Led by the mayor, he led his men and headed towards the East Market Office with their heads held high.
Langyinfang, Fang was jogging quickly ahead, leading the way.
The back of his half-worn green official uniform was stained with dark sweat stains, and beads of glossy sweat rolled down his forehead, but he didn't bother to wipe them off.
Behind him was a group of imperial guards and officials from the Ministry of Works.
The pedestrians didn't know what was happening, but they could tell from the awe-inspiring aura that it was no small matter, so they all avoided it.
Fang Zheng finally stopped in front of a shop.
The shop has a small frontage, with an ebony sign hanging on it and three small gold-plated characters "Baoguang Pavilion".
Above the door lintel is an exquisite copper crane lamp stand with a glazed lotus lamp in its beak.
"My dear superiors, this is it."
The leading Imperial Guard captain looked around and spoke loudly:
"Last night, there was a fire in Chengyuan. After an inspection by the Tiangongsi, it was determined that the source of the fire may have come from this shop."
He suddenly raised his hand and said in a voice like the grinding of pig iron: "We have been ordered to arrest the criminals and seal up the property! Break down the door!"
"boom!"
With a loud bang, the ebony shop door was kicked open, and the sound of the bolt breaking was deafening.
"No one is allowed to escape." The captain shouted sternly.
"yes!"
The imperial guards rushed in.
Soon, an old shopkeeper with gray hair and wearing a brown linen shirt was dragged out from the inner hall by the imperial guards with his arms tied behind his back.
"It's unfair, sir! It's unfair!" His face was covered with dust, tears streamed down his face, and he struggled and screamed.
"I have lived a peaceful life and went to bed early last night. How could I dare to burn Chengyuan?
That... that's the nobleman's place, I wouldn't dare to do that even if I had the guts to do so!"
One of the imperial guards pointed a finger at the back of his neck, and the screaming stopped immediately.
The shopkeeper's mouth kept opening and closing, but no sound came out.
"Take him away and close the store."
"yes!"
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