Chapter 131: Summoning Him to Court

Chapter 131: Summoning Him to Court

"If I’ve got it right, the gate of the Sun family’s warehouse should have been forced open by the crowd of ordinary people, right?" Lu Mingchao tilted her head, blinking as she asked.

After her last moment of introspection, she had decided to show no more mercy to Sun Zhiye.

A deadly move calls for an equally deadly response, or else it would make her appear weak!

Sun Zhiye never got the chance to burn the spoiled grain.

Xie Yan reached out, gently tucking a strand of Lu Mingchao’s wind-tousled hair behind her ear, and said with a playful grin, "Mingchao’s really got the hang of this whole calculation thing, achieving remarkable success."

"Of course," Lu Mingchao lifted her chin, full of pride.

After a pause, she continued, "Any word on the missing pearl yet?"

Xie Yan nodded, "The undercover agents are still looking into it."

Lu Mingchao’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she pursed her lips, "Once the county office accepts the case of the old woman Xing accusing Sun Zhiye, make sure she’s safe."

"That servant boy named A Xing is the second young master’s right-hand man. Whether he’s out partying or bothering respectable women, the two are inseparable."

"Perhaps, the old woman Xing might have some clues."

If you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.

If the shoes remain dry, she’d have to wonder if the second young master’s shooting blanks.

"And the courtesans that the second young master of the Sun family frequents at the brothel, we can gently fish for info."

In the world of wine and women, it’s not just a man’s pants that come off, but his guard too.

After a few cups of wine, with a beauty in his arms, he loses all sense of reality, only knowing to turn the world upside down.

Xie Yan sighed softly, "Mingchao, what if, after all the searching, we truly find nothing?"

Lu Mingchao’s long lashes fluttered, her eyes slightly lowered, concealing a fleeting chill, "Make something up."

The matter of Sun Zhiye killing the second young master of the Sun family is a festering wound and deep-seated anger in the hearts of Old Master Sun and Madam Sun.

Not to mention, afterward, Sun Zhiye coldly shipped Old Master Sun and Madam Sun off to a remote temple.

In their lonely, hard days, longing and bitterness can quickly turn to hate.

If the second young master of the Sun family had any descendants left in the world, Old Master Sun and Madam Sun would have no more reservations!

"Making stuff up is still risky, so let’s continue searching. After all, it’s not time to pull out the big guns yet."

...

Changhe County.

Sun Family Warehouse.

Du Zhong showed up late.

As soon as he got off his horse, the warehouse’s heavy door looked like it had taken a beating, swaying unsteadily.

The crowd swelled like a rising tide, one wave after another.

The heavy wooden door slammed down with a thud, instantly kicking up a thick cloud of dust that spread all around.

Du Zhong couldn’t make out who had stepped on the fallen door and rushed into the warehouse first, only knowing that one person led the way, and the rest of the common folk surged in like a stampede, pouring in like a flood.

The warehouse guards couldn’t stop them, nor dared they.

It’s over! Everything is lost!

Du Zhong was consumed by panic.

Soon, the cries of the common folk rang out from inside the warehouse.

"The rice has truly turned red. Other grain shops sell rice for copper coins, but the Sun family’s grain shop peddles rice that kills."

"When we first rushed in, someone was sifting through the reddened grains."

"Chaofu Grain Shop conducts daily inspections, but the Sun family’s grain shop, with no conscience, passes off moldy rice as fresh. It’s not about not knowing quality, but about comparison."

"I heard from the old doctor at Nanshan Hall that even if you pick out the moldy and discolored grains, the remaining rice is still toxic, like a slow poison. You wouldn’t even know what killed you."

"No wonder my mother died so suddenly and without warning. It was from eating the Sun family’s rice."

"Come on, grab a handful, make sure you grab a handful, so the Sun family can’t deny it."

Among the common folk, a man dressed as a scholar raised his arm and bellowed, "Before coming here, I heard an old woman rang the bell to accuse the eldest son of the Sun family of his misdeeds. Because it was a servant accusing the master, she was given thirty lashes, beaten to a pulp. Yet, there is evidence suggesting the old woman was seeking personal revenge."

"Now it seems, personal revenge was a lie; righteous exposure was the truth."

"Since the heavens have allowed us to witness this, it has bestowed upon us the mission to uphold justice and protect the weak. We will not wrong the innocent, nor will we spare the guilty."

His words rang out firm and clear, stirring the blood of those who listened.

"Take these grain pickers to the authorities, prove that the old woman who rang the bell of grievance did not lie."

The scholar-dressed man sparked a towering sense of heroism in the hearts of the common folk, who stood tall and proud.

Du Zhong led a group of guards to block the warehouse door, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The Sun family never intended to sell damp and moldy grain!"

"He’s the lackey of a profiteer, don’t listen to his nonsense. The woman who risked her life to seek justice for us common folk is still waiting for us to save her."

From somewhere in the crowd, a voice called out.

"Charge out!"

In the ensuing scuffle, if not for the guards’ tight protection, Du Zhong would have been flattened like a pancake.

"Grab them!"

Du Zhong, covered in dust, pointed at two particularly outstanding individuals in the crowd and barked out the order in frustration.

The guards looked at each other.

In such a situation, the slightest misstep could lead to injury or even death.

At this point, even if they caught those two who had been fanning the flames and stirring the pot, what good would it do?

The fact that the Sun family’s grain had turned moldy and red was undeniable.

The common folk saw it with their own eyes and even grabbed some as evidence.

At the county yamen, Old Woman Xing was willing to endure punishment just to file her complaint.

The sharp-witted guards were already considering switching employers.

At the county yamen, Magistrate Xu was about to put the case on hold, detain Old Woman Xing, and wait for solid evidence before moving forward with the trial when he heard a loud commotion outside the yamen.

An officer rushed in and reported, "Your Honor, the people outside say they have witnesses and proof that Sun's is selling tainted grain and are ready to testify for Old Woman Xing."

"They say those who gather firewood for others shouldn’t be left to freeze in the storm."

Magistrate Xu’s face tightened.

Had the scholars from Changhe County gotten mixed up in this?

He was a scholar himself, having climbed the ranks through the imperial exams, and he knew just how sharp scholars’ tongues and pens could be.

If this case wasn’t handled right, his reputation as an official would take a hit.

"Your Honor, there are more than a hundred witnesses," the officer added carefully.

Magistrate Xu looked at Old Woman Xing, bloodied and lying on the ground, clenched his teeth, and said, "Move to the main hall, take down the barriers outside, and let the people in to watch the trial."

"The bailiffs need to keep things in order but can’t lay a hand on the people."

"Old Shi, go to the Sun family yourself and bring the head of the household to court."

Magistrate Xu couldn’t help but curse Sun Zhiye under his breath.

He’d once thought Sun Zhiye had what it took to go far.

Turns out, he was just a short-sighted fool who couldn’t let go of small gains.

The Sun family was loaded—they could easily handle the loss of a small granary of moldy grain!

So what did Sun Zhiye do?

Was the Sun family that hard up for cash?

Enough of this—he’d make sure Qingxing stayed away from Sun Zhiye from now on.

To keep Qingxing from doing something else that’d make him a laughingstock.

The son of a wealthy family broke off the engagement.