Chapter 417 Diaomin
When they arrived at Shanghe Village, many children saw two horses running towards them from afar. They were two officials, and they all watched from afar.
"Young man, can you tell me where Mo Sanniang's home is?" Su Ying asked one of the little boys who looked a bit smart.
"That's the house by the pond ahead!" the little boy pointed. "Are you Lord Su?"
Su Ying and the county magistrate are both of the seventh rank and both have the color light green.
Su Ying smiled, "You are very smart!"
There were a few dilapidated thatched houses by the pond. An old woman with white, disheveled hair and wearing a new cotton-padded jacket that didn't fit her was shouting there.
A woman in her early twenties, dressed in rags, with a fawning and humble look on her face, tried to please the old woman. Milo put some old rice in her bag and went to the pond to wash it.
You don't need to ask to know that this is Mo Sanniang's home.
Su Ying rode on her horse, looking down from above, "Where's Mo Sanniang?"
"Su, Lord Su?" The people have an innate respect for officials. The old woman became timid and her previous aggressiveness was completely gone.
Behind them were many villagers who came to watch the fun. It was New Year's Day, and two officials came to the village, one of whom was a female official.
Su Ying was the only female official in the Tang Dynasty and was very famous in Wu County. I had never seen her in person, but by looking at her official uniform, I knew it was Su Ying.
"I'm asking you a question. Where is Mo Sanniang? Call her out!" Su Ying said coldly, with contempt in her eyes.
"Ah?" The old woman had a bad feeling and stammered.
"Sanniang suddenly fell ill and passed away! I wonder why Lord Su suddenly visited us?"
"Dead from illness? He went home to celebrate the New Year yesterday, and today, on the first day of the new year, how could he suddenly die from illness?
Since he died of illness, why don't you see a white banner hanging in your house?" Su Yingsen said coldly.
"We are a poor family. We just bury the dead with a straw mat. Why bother with so many details?" The old woman said sharply.
The voices startled the people in the house, and an old man and two men came out. Feng Er walked with difficulty, dragging his legs.
He was timid, cowardly and looked helpless. When he saw Su Ying and Su Lao San, he panicked and huddled together.
"Where is it buried? Take me to see it!" Su Ying raised her chin arrogantly and said to the old woman.
"Sir, this is my family matter. Your behavior is inappropriate." The old woman's teeth were chattering, and she looked strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
"Mo Sanniang signed a one-year contract with my Su family. Yesterday, she received a lot of gifts and money, all of which were advances on her maid's salary.
He died of illness within a day. As the head of the family, we naturally want to claim the advance salary and also ask your Feng family for liquidated damages." Su Ying lied with her eyes open.
"What? Demanding salary and liquidated damages?" Several people from the Feng family exclaimed, "Master Su, you can't bully others by taking advantage of your power!"
"How did I cheat? Do you think I'm rich? Can't I take back the money I gave you for free? Do you think you're right just because you're poor?
If you return it now, I can let you go. If you don’t, I’ll tear down your shabby huts when the government comes!” Su Ying said arrogantly.
When dealing with such evil people who pretend to be pitiful, you have to act arrogant and domineering, fearless of heaven and earth.
If reasoning doesn't work, you can convince people with martial virtue!
"Sir! We are poor people. Mo Sanniang came back yesterday fine! She died last night! This is a natural disaster and man-made disaster. Sir, you are so unreasonable and oppress us common people!"
The old man's eyes turned and he started to put the blame on Su Ying.
"Does anyone know where Mo Sanniang is buried?" Su Ying asked everyone.
The villagers were silent. People from the same village were all related to each other, and they would see each other every day. If they reported the matter, they would suffer no good consequences and would be retaliated by the Feng family.
"You don't want to talk? Fine, we'll talk in court later. I'll beat you with thirty sticks. Let's see if you're tougher than the sticks in the court.
"How dare you blackmail a court official! You're so bold!" Su Ying threatened.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!" A group of yamen runners pushed aside the onlookers and came in, "Master Su!"
"Yesterday my wet nurse went home for the New Year celebrations. Today, the children at home were crying, so I had no choice but to come look for her. The family said she had died of illness.
I asked for an advance on my salary, but these unruly people turned against me and falsely accused me of bullying. I suspect they murdered Mo Sanniang for money and are bringing her back for a thorough trial!
Su Ying put on a big hat and said, "Take them all away! Leave no one behind in this family! The clothes this old woman is wearing belong to Mo Sanniang."
"Sir, it's unfair!" The Feng family, young and old, cried out in unison.
"Unjust? Let me ask you, why is your leg injured? Why are Mo Sanniang's clothes on you?" Su Ying questioned.
"Sir!" Someone came hurriedly.
There were a few old men, skinny, with gleaming eyes and a shrewd and calculating look on their faces.
Su Ying said nothing, looking at these old guys coldly. It was obvious that these were the ones who claimed to be the elders of the Feng family. They could kill people at will and decide the life and death of others, thinking they were the kings and the bosses.
"Who are you?" Su Ying said with disdain.
"Sir, we are the elders of the Feng family. Mo Sanniang is indeed dead, but not from illness.
That Mo Sanniang did not follow the rules of our Feng family. She committed treason and killed her parents-in-law, brother and sister-in-law, and husband.
We will follow our clan rules and throw him into the mountains to feed the wild beasts as a warning to the younger members of the clan!" The elders said righteously.
"Humph! Treason? You, the sons of the Feng family, sold other people's children, bullied Mo Sanniang, and robbed Mo Sanniang of her money, and you didn't say a word.
What? People can't resist and have to wait to be captured, which is in compliance with your Feng family rules?
You Feng family are so bold, you kill innocent people at will!" Su Ying became more and more angry as she spoke, "Catch these old guys together!"
"How dare you! This is Shanghe Village. Where are the Feng family members?" the elders shouted.
"Here!" A group of villagers stepped forward and surrounded Su Ying, Su Laosan and the yamen runners.
"What, you want to rebel?" Su Ying said sarcastically, no wonder poor mountains and bad waters produce unruly people!
What kind of clan members can this self-righteous and evil-minded elder bring up?
"Swish!" The yamen runners all drew their swords. "Who dares to come forward? Who dares to hurt Lord Su? We in Wu County will not agree. We will not agree!" the yamen runners shouted.
"Where do you get your vermicelli, honey, and tea oil? How do you have enough to eat? It was Master Su who taught the people of Wu County and Wuzhou!
Anyone who dares to touch Lord Su will be beheaded by us!" The bailiffs stood in front of Su Ying.
At first, the county government was so poor that the yamen runners took illicit measures and exploited the people.
It was Su Ying who taught the people all her good things one after another for free, and their lives gradually got better.
They set up a fried dough stick stall in the back, allowing Niu Er's wife to join their wives in making money, and now every family lives a well-off life.
They wish they could burn incense and offer sacrifices to Lord Su every day!
How dare those unruly people from Shanghe Village yell at Lord Su? Do they really think the county yamen runners are just Buddha statues on the desk, just for show?
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