Everyone nodded; so that's how it is.
"I heard that today is the deadline agreed upon by both parties for the redemption of the luminous pearl. After today, the pawnshop will have the right to dispose of the luminous pearl, and the price it sells for will be none of that old farmer's business."
This matter has already spread far and wide. There are many people in the world who are not short of money, and 100,000 taels of silver is nothing to the rich.
Therefore, starting tomorrow, many people will come to buy this luminous pearl. Whoever offers the most silver will get it.
Xiao Er's words reminded Li Xue of the time when 100,000 barbarian soldiers besieged the capital, and the barbarian Hamodi gave Zhang Debang a luminous pearl in an attempt to win him over.
It is said that the luminous pearl was a rare treasure. It was this luminous pearl that completely captivated Zhang Debang, making him a sinner for all time.
Not many people knew about this. When Sullivan was defeated and captured, he confessed to the incident. At that time, the court searched the entire place based on the location where Zhang Debang was hiding, but they could not find any trace of Zhang Debang.
After that, Zhang Debang vanished completely, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.
At this moment, Li Xue had a bold guess: was this the luminous pearl that Hamodi had given to Zhang Debang, and was the old farmer Zhang Debang?
Thinking of this, Li Xue asked:
"Waiter, do you know how old that old farmer is?"
"I heard he's around sixty years old, with gray hair, and doesn't seem to be a local."
Since he was an old farmer, it meant he lived not far from here. What's puzzling is how this old farmer could have such valuable things.
Another thing that's puzzling is why this old farmer needed so much money all at once.
This is ten thousand taels of silver; if thieves set their sights on it, it could cost someone their life.
Hearing this, Li Xue became even more convinced of her guess; it seemed that she and her group had something to do again.
After leaving the restaurant, Li Guang looked at Li Xue and said:
"Sister, do you suspect that this old farmer is Zhang Debang?"
“Yes, Zhang Debang has seen him. Some of the characteristics Xiao Er mentioned match Zhang Debang. What we need to do is confirm that this old farmer is indeed Zhang Debang.”
"It is possible that the princess guessed that Zhang Debang has been missing for almost two years since the defeat of the barbarian troops. After so long, Zhang Debang thought that the storm had passed and he became bolder."
During this period, Zhang Debang must have been living in constant fear, like a stray dog. His close friends were also on the run with him, and all their basic needs, such as food, drink, and shelter, required money.
It's estimated that Zhang Debang had already spent all the money he had on him, and he had no choice but to pawn the luminous pearl.
Although I was being ripped off, I had no choice but to pawn it at a low price.
"Ten thousand taels of silver is quite a lot; it will ensure they have enough to eat and wear for a long time," Zhao Xian analyzed.
"Brother Zhao, what do we do now?" Li Xue asked.
"The only way to handle this matter is to report it to the authorities and let them deal with it. If we want to take advantage of this opportunity to capture Zhang Debang, we must keep it a secret and not let Zhang Debang find out."
It is hoped that the authorities will use this as a lead to follow up and bring Zhang Debang and his cronies to justice.
“Brother Zhao is right, let’s go report to the authorities now.”
Next, the group headed towards the county government office.
At the main gate of the county government office, several yamen runners stood. When they saw a group of people approaching, they stepped forward to question them.
"Who are you people, and what are you doing at the county government office?"
"We need to speak with the magistrate. Please have the messenger inform him," Zhao Xian said.
The constable sized up the group. Judging from their clothing, he couldn't discern their identities, but he could tell that these young men were neither officials nor wealthy young men.
"You have an appointment to see the magistrate, right?" the yamen runner asked.
"No, we have something important to report to the magistrate. It is very urgent."
"Even if it's urgent, it won't work. Do you think you can just see the magistrate whenever you want? Besides, the magistrate just had lunch and is taking a nap. Even if it's official business, we'll have to talk about it an hour later."
Upon hearing this, Li Xue's short temper flared up, and she was about to explode when Zhao Xian suppressed her anger.
Zhao Xian knew that the reason these yamen runners were neglecting him was mainly because their clothes were too ordinary, making it impossible to discern their identities.
The society we live in today is very pragmatic; it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to get things done.
Since these constables have this attitude, then he won't be polite either. With that thought, Zhao Xian's face darkened, and he spoke.
“We really have an urgent matter to attend to. Are you really not going to inform them?”
"This is the county government office. If you want to cause trouble here, we will arrest you."
"Alright, then let your magistrate arrest them."
After Zhao Xian finished speaking, he said to the guards behind Li Xue, "Strike the drum hard and knock out their magistrate."
"Yes, Your Excellency, Marquis Zhengyang."
After the guards finished speaking, they quickly walked towards the large drum in front of the yamen. Several yamen runners were shocked and tried to stop them, but it was too late. The drum had already started to sound.
Zhao Xian had done this many times before, and it always worked.
Upon seeing Zhao Xian's move, Li Guang and Li Xue burst into laughter; it was too funny.
The guards had just addressed Zhao Xian as Marquis Zhengyang, and the constables all heard it clearly, realizing they were in deep trouble.
When Li Guang advocated for Zhao Xian's title, the emperor bestowed upon Zhao Xian the title of Marquis of Zhengyang. This fact was already known throughout the land. Needless to say, the young man beside the Marquis of Zhengyang was undoubtedly Li Guang, the young prince of the current dynasty and the future emperor of the Great Northern Dynasty.
Several yamen runners quickly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.
"I was blind and did not recognize Marquis Zhengyang. Please forgive me."
The reversal came too quickly, leaving Zhao Xian speechless.
"Get up, everyone. The magistrate should be holding court soon. Lead the way to see your magistrate."
The yamen runners quickly got up and led Zhao Xian and the others into the county yamen.
At this moment, the magistrate of Pingyang County was not resting. He was chatting with his advisor in his study when he suddenly heard the sound of drums outside the hall, which startled him greatly.
In ancient times, the drum in front of the government office could not be beaten casually. It was only to be beaten in cases of serious injustice, major events, or extreme emergencies.
Upon hearing the drumbeat, even the busiest magistrate would have to put down his work and go to court to handle the case.
At this moment, the magistrate of Pingyang County had not yet removed his official robes. He stood up, preparing to go to the main hall of the county government office, when a yamen runner hurriedly entered and said:
"Your Excellency, something terrible has happened! Marquis Zhengyang has arrived!"
"Which Marquis of Zhengyang? Is it the Marquis of Zhengyang whom the Emperor conferred the title of Marquis of Zhengyang a while ago?"
"Probably. There was a young man with him, possibly the young prince Li Guang. Besides the two of them, there was also a woman and several guards."
"Ah, why are they here? And what's with the drumming outside the door?"
“One of the servants may have spoken disrespectfully to them, which is why Marquis Zhengyang, in a fit of anger, ordered the guards to beat the drum.”
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