Outside the north city gate, Goat Beard’s corpse had already been hung on the city gate tower.
Hanging a corpse outside the city was a harsher punishment than beheading. Xichuan City had not seen this for many years.
Below the notice board, crowds of commoners gathered, pointing and discussing Goat Beard’s corpse.
The yamen runners held iron megaphones, repeatedly reciting the crimes listed on the notice board about Goat Beard.
“No wonder Her Highness the Princess wanted to hang this man’s corpse. He was truly too wicked, deliberately driving up grain prices!”
“Not only did he hoard grain and refuse to sell it, but he also sealed Mr Jin’s granary, preventing Mr Jin from selling grain at fair prices!”
“Not letting the gentleman sell grain was bad enough, but he even schemed to drive both the gentleman and Her Highness the Princess out of Xichuan. That was way too much!”
“Such a person deserves to be hacked to pieces and have his line ended!”
“Bah!”
“Ninth Princess did well!”
“The yamen runner said Mr Jin has brought back a lot of grain from Jiangnan. Soon they will open the granaries to sell, and grain prices will drop. Everyone, no need to worry!”
“The Princess and Mr Jin killed so many big shots at once this time. I wonder if they will face retaliation!”
“The Princess and Mr Jin are in the right. Who would dare retaliate against them?”
“Court matters are not just about being in the right. So many big shots, are they that easy to kill?”
“Since Her Highness the Princess and Mr Jin dared to kill them, they must have confidence!”
“I hope so!”
…
The content on the notice had been planned by the Ninth Princess long ago. It was basically true.
The commoners hated the hoarding nobles to the extreme, while they felt deep gratitude towards the Ninth Princess, Jin Feng, Qing Xinyao, and others.
Jin Feng and Ruan Qingyao leading a large group of naked wealthy merchants and gentry was too eye-catching. They were spotted by the commoners from afar.
After recognising the leaders as Jin Feng and Ruan Qingyao, the commoners surged forward in a wave.
“Mr Jin, who are these people!”
“I recognise one. He is the big boss of Xinglong Grain Shop on West Street. I used to unload goods for his family. I saw him once!”
“That one is Zhao the steward from the prefectural yamen. Why is he naked?”
“He must have colluded with grain merchants and got caught by Lord Qing. Parading them naked for public humiliation!”
“Serves them right!”
“Give me a stone. Smash him to death!”
The commoners thought these naked people in front of them were the nobles and grain merchants mentioned in the notice. They picked up mud and stones from the ground and threw them.
The scene instantly became chaotic.
Meng Tianhai immediately directed the Weisheng Army to maintain order.
Under the protection of the bodyguards, Jin Feng quickly passed through the city gate and returned to the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce’s base in Xichuan City.
The commoners’ emotions were too agitated. Even with the Weisheng Army maintaining order, the wealthy merchants and gentry were smashed until they were covered in bruises.
At the Xichuan Prison, the Weisheng Army divided them into several categories.
Those few grain merchants were locked alone in one cell.
“You can stay here for one night first. Tomorrow someone will take you to the prefectural yamen to withdraw the lawsuit from the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce.”
A Weisheng Army squad leader said while locking the cell door.
“Once the lawsuit is withdrawn, can we go back?”
One of the grain merchants asked.
“What are you thinking? After falsely accusing Mr Jin and causing so many commoners to die, you still want to leave?”
The squad leader sneered. “I can tell you, you are all doomed. Not one of you will leave Chuanshu alive!”
“Since we are doomed, why should I withdraw the lawsuit?”
The grain merchant stiffened his neck and said. “I will not withdraw the lawsuit. That Jin fellow can forget about opening the granaries!”
“At this point, you still want to threaten Mr Jin? You really have guts!”
The squad leader was amused to anger.
“Am I wrong? We are dying anyway. Why should I let that Jin fellow have his way?”
“Dying and dying are not the same,” the squad leader said. “Withdraw the lawsuit tomorrow, and once you die, the matter ends. If you insist on being stubborn, not only will you die, but your wives, children, elders, and entire clans, none will survive!”
“You dare!”
The grain merchant jumped up in fright at the squad leader’s words.
“I am just a soldier. Of course I do not dare. I have no ability to exterminate your clans.”
The squad leader narrowed his eyes. “But do you think Her Highness the Princess dares? Do you think Mr Jin dares? Also, if you shout again, I will let you taste the prison’s methods before you die!”
The grain merchant was immediately scared silent.
With his shrewdness, he naturally knew a squad leader saying so much must have been instructed from above.
Whether the one instructing him was Jin Feng, the Ninth Princess, or Qing Xinyao no longer mattered.
Whether it was the Ninth Princess or Qing Xinyao, they could easily crush them.
Although Jin Feng’s status was not high enough, he was very close to the Ninth Princess.
The grain merchant even suspected that this whole affair was orchestrated by Jin Feng behind the scenes.
Otherwise, with the Ninth Princess’s cautious nature, she would not have hung Goat Beard’s corpse outside the city.
“Alright, think it over carefully tonight. Whether to resist stubbornly or to take a quick clean death.”
The squad leader had said what he needed to say. He locked the cell door and left.
In the prison, the grain merchants looked at each other, all with faces full of despair.
Was there still a choice?
The Ninth Princess had even hung a high noble from the capital like Goat Beard outside the city. What could she not do?
Finding any excuse, exterminating their entire families would be child’s play.
Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce.
Jin Feng was not worried at all that the grain merchants would resist stubbornly. His mind had already started planning the disaster relief matters.
“Big Liu, go and call Shopkeeper Ruan and Miss Ruan over. I have something to discuss with them!”
“Yes!”
Big Liu agreed and went out to call them.
In just two or three minutes, Big Liu brought them in.
“Quite fast,” Jin Feng asked with a smile. “Has Miss Linglong not gone back yet?”
Ruan Tongjie was the chamber’s shopkeeper and lived in the adjacent courtyard. It was natural for her to arrive quickly.
Zhu Linglong rented a house outside to live with her family. It was already evening, and Jin Feng thought she had gone home after work.
“My mother has always been worried about you, sir. Knowing you returned to Xichuan, she brought me to wait at the chamber.” Zhu Linglong replied.
“Auntie is here too?” Jin Feng looked at Big Liu. “Quickly invite Auntie in!”
Zhu Chen had run an inn for half her life and could be said to have seen and known much.
Jin Feng had only been in Dakang for a short time. He indeed needed someone like her to help formulate the disaster relief plan together.
“Sir, I hoped day and night, thought every evening, went to pray before the Bodhisattva every day. You have finally returned!”
As soon as Zhu Chen saw Jin Feng, her eyes reddened. She circled around Jin Feng once, confirmed he was really fine, then clasped her hands and bowed around. “Bodhisattva bless! Bodhisattva bless!”
Zhu Chen’s display was half flattery, and the other half genuine relief from the heart.
It was not that she had deep feelings for Jin Feng, but she understood that her family’s escape from hardship and current good life were all because of Jin Feng.
If something happened to Jin Feng in the East Sea, her family’s good days would be over.
“Thank you for your concern, Auntie.”
Jin Feng smiled at Zhu Chen, then got straight to the point. “I called the three of you over because disaster relief is about to start soon, and I need your cooperation.”
