"Outrageous!" Magistrate Sun roared. "Tell us the truth at once!"
Qin Xiaozhou suddenly turned her head and stared intently at Qian Sheng. For the first time, she felt that a person could be so hypocritical and clever. In just two quarters of an hour from the street to the yamen, this person had come up with such an idea.
She kowtowed heavily. “My lord, I have never said such a thing. This man’s words are all slander. He not only slanders me but also you. Since you took office in Fenggu County, you have been fair, honest, diligent and thrifty in serving the people. The people have all witnessed this and respect you. But today this man actually used me to frame you. His heart is despicable.”
Qin Xiaozhou spoke clearly, “As long as this person links me to you, even if you are truly handling the matter impartially and clearing my name, most people will think you are biased. This will ruin your many years of achievements, my lord.”
Magistrate Sun was furious. Collusion between officials and merchants was a serious crime. In order not to affect his future promotion, Magistrate Sun had always been very careful about his relationship with the merchants in the county, for fear of giving his opponents a handle to use against him. Now this Qian Sheng dared to talk nonsense in public. If someone with ulterior motives heard it, his future career would be tarnished.
"Qian Sheng, you have some nerve."
Qian Sheng hurriedly kowtowed, "Your Honor, everything I have said is true. This woman has been using your name to bully and oppress people in the county, ruining your reputation. If this cunning and treacherous person who damages the reputation of an official of the court is not dealt with as soon as possible, she will cause trouble for you. I was afraid that you would be kept in the dark and used by this villain, so I exposed this woman's vicious face."
The onlookers outside whispered among themselves, "Manager Qin is a good person, when did he start acting like a tyrant?"
"That's right, my family sells vegetables. We deliver vegetables to Xiulou every day. The prices are fair, and we always pay on time and never delay payment."
“My family wove a bolt of cloth from the silkworms this year. Others complained that it was too much trouble to haggle over a bolt of cloth, so I sent it to the embroidery shop. The embroidery shop accepted it and I got a tael or three qian. That's how I got money to buy medicine for my father. She is my family's benefactor.”
More and more people around the county town started raising silkworms, and each household harvested one or two silkworms. Although it wasn't much, one or two taels of silver was enough for a family to eat their fill for several months, so Qin Xiaozhou and his family naturally had no complaints.
"Silence!" Magistrate Sun shouted angrily, and the courtroom fell silent. "Qian Sheng, you came to this county from the neighboring county, and you have been restless, causing trouble and slandering women. You are hereby punished to pay Qin Xiaozhou thirty taels of silver and are expelled from this county immediately. Court adjourned."
Qian Sheng dared not confront the county magistrate directly. Even though he was unwilling, he had no choice but to comply. However, after leaving the courtroom, he said fiercely to Qin Xiaozhou, "Manager Qin, you really have some tricks up your sleeve. You, a woman, have played with so many men. If this were in our county, you would have been thrown into a pig cage long ago."
Qin Xiaozhou slapped him across the face, saying, "If you spread another rumor, I'll hit you again."
"You, you rude woman..."
"Get out." Lu Yunfeng squeezed out of the crowd, protecting Qin Xiaozhou with one hand, and kicked Qian Sheng in the stomach, sending him flying into the crowd. "My wife is an innocent person, stay away from her."
Qian Sheng half-propped himself up and shouted with all his might, "Are you this slut's husband? Young master, your wife is using the guise of doing business to seduce multiple men. Not divorcing such a promiscuous woman immediately would be a disgrace to you."
Qin Xiaozhou stepped forward and slapped him again, then shook her hand. "You're shameless. You can't understand human language. Your slut-shaming tactics won't work on me. You said I seduced you, but you couldn't produce any evidence in court just now. If you think the trial was too lenient, then I'll go beat the drum again, and we'll go to court and discuss it in detail."
Qian Sheng naturally couldn't produce any evidence, and he knew that going to court again would be pointless. He also couldn't let Qin Xiaozhou suffer another blow, so he could only drag her into the mire of a slut. "Shameless woman, you're not even as good as a prostitute. I slept with you, so the thirty taels the magistrate just fined me for are your payment for prostitution. Hahahaha, you sued me in court because I didn't pay you, and now you won't even let me say anything?"
This person is utterly shameless!
Those who were watching the spectacle either harbored malicious intentions or simply enjoyed the drama. Seeing Qin Xiaozhou about to be dragged from her glamorous life into the mire of promiscuity, they couldn't help but add fuel to the fire, saying, "This Manager Qin is indeed always showing her face in public. It's one thing for the Embroidery Pavilion and Yifan Shunfeng Pavilion to be women, but this trading market has both men and women."
"Yes, yes, there are both men and women who own and run this trading market. Do you really think nothing happens when they talk to each other?"
The stall owners in the trading market were displeased. "What nonsense are you talking about? The person who signed the contracts with us was Manager Qin's husband, Lu Yunfeng, and the contracts were all signed and filed at the government office. When have we ever met Manager Qin privately?"
A commotion broke out at the yamen entrance, and Lu Yunfeng's face turned completely black, as dark as the bottom of a pot. He was about to storm off to beat Qian Sheng.
Upon hearing the news, Zhao Fang rushed over and nearly fainted. Most of the women around her also turned pale. Women who were associated with promiscuous women were doomed. Women who knew Qin Xiaozhou never thought she was immoral; on the contrary, she was always generous, open, and straightforward. But in this situation, they dared not speak up for Qin Xiaozhou, for fear of getting burned.
Qin Xiaozhou, however, remained expressionless as she grabbed Lu Yunfeng, tilted her head back, and looked down at him with disdain. "Qian Sheng, you don't think that just because you've tarnished my reputation with a few words, I'll die of shame, do you? Too bad you're wrong. I, Qin Xiaozhou, am not afraid of these rumors the least."
Two more slaps followed, and blood trickled from the corner of Qian Sheng's mouth. His eyes were filled with complex emotions. Slandering reputation was a trick that worked on all women, but why did he feel so powerless in front of Qin Xiaozhou today? "You bitch."
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