I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 332 Good means

"Stop joking, ma'am!" the waiter shouted. "Next!"

The people in line behind her pushed past the woman who was still trying to argue, saying, "Excuse me, could you give me five pounds?"

Outside Hu's Dim Sum Shop, Zhu Bing looked at the ever-growing queue and whispered to the registrar, "Immediately send someone to inform the prefect."

The registrar replied, then turned and hurriedly left.

In the main hall of the Suzhou Prefectural Government, Suzhou Prefect Min Zhuang paced anxiously back and forth.

Tang Wei, the Vice Magistrate of Suzhou, strode into the main hall. "My lord," he said, "I have already ascertained that the salt sold by the Salt Commissioner is indeed made from seawater!"

"Is this true?"

Tang Wei nodded heavily, "This humble official personally went to Rudong County and witnessed Magistrate Wang Yuan leading workers to produce salt!"

"Good, good!" Min Zhuang slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "The fact that sea salt is poisonous is common knowledge among the coastal people. In order to reform the salt administration, the Salt Commissioner is willing to let the people eat poisonous sea salt. His heart is truly despicable!"

"As the magistrate of Suzhou Prefecture, how can I stand by and watch the people under my jurisdiction be poisoned by treacherous people?" Min Zhuang shouted. "Immediately send troops to seal off the shops selling sea salt!"

Tang Wei accepted the order and left.

Min Zhuang turned his head and asked, "Where is the Salt Commissioner now?"

The constable replied, "The Gao family's shop on Guanqian Street is now selling salt."

Min Zhuang sneered, "Come with me to arrest the villain!"

All the yamen runners from Suzhou Prefecture came out and followed Min Zhuang on horseback all the way to Guanqian Street.

In the Gao family's shop on Guanqian Street, Tang Zhao rolled up his sleeves and helped the shop assistant sell salt. He also had to be wary of people repeatedly queuing up to take advantage of the situation. He was physically and mentally exhausted.

Suddenly, a troop of soldiers rushed through the queue and squeezed into the shops. A man who looked like a captain shouted, "By order of the Prefect, seal off the shops!"

The people were in a state of panic.

Why close the shop?

"Heavens above! These officials can't stand to see us common folk living well!"

"You can't close the shop! Anyone who tries to close it will have to step over my body!"

"Shut up, all of you!" The captain was surrounded by the crowd, his ears filled with the clamor. "You bunch of fools, I'm doing this all for your own good!"

"Do you know what kind of salt this shop sells?" the captain roared. "It's sea salt! Poisonous sea salt!"

The crowd fell silent instantly.

Someone asked tremblingly, "What did you say, sir? This salt is sea salt?"

“That’s right!” the captain said proudly. “When the prefect learned that someone was daring to sell sea salt as salt produced in salt mines to the people, he specially sent us to seal up the shop to prevent innocent people from being harmed!”

The people clutched their cloth bags tightly.

These soldiers are bastards. It's bad enough that they bully others on a daily basis, but now they're even going so far as to cut off their only source of salt. They're truly worse than animals!

Seeing that the people did not believe him, the captain stopped talking and handed the mess over to Min Zhuang, who had arrived. He then led his troops to surround the shops and the people queuing up, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.

"Your Excellency the Prefect," the people said, electing the highly respected village head. "This soldier says he was ordered by Your Excellency to shut down the Gao family's shop because the salt they sell is poisonous sea salt. May I ask Your Excellency, is this true?"

“It’s true,” Min Zhuang said, dismounting. “Tang Shaoyin personally went to Rudong County and saw with his own eyes the Rudong County Magistrate leading his workers to dry salt on the beach. If you don’t believe me, you can go to Rudong County to see for yourselves.”

Upon hearing the prefect's solemn promise, how could the village headman not believe it? He burst into tears, grabbed the cloth bag with trembling hands, pushed through the crowd, rushed into the shop, and slammed the bag hard onto the counter.

"You filthy beasts! Have you lost your conscience? You sell poisonous sea salt to us common people and expect us to be grateful to you!" The village head's eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Aren't you afraid of going to hell after you die, having your tongues pulled out and your hands and feet cut off, and being thrown into the animal realm by the King of Hell, never to be reincarnated?!" Tang Zhao wiped the spittle the village head had sprayed on her face, held back Wu Yi'er and Wu Bing'san who were about to step forward, and walked around the counter to stand in front of the village head.

The village head, his neck stiff, stared at Tang Zhao. "No wonder you look so ugly. This is God's punishment for you!"

Tang Zhao sneered, "Fool!"

The village head was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"I'm saying you're an idiot," Tang Zhao said, pointing at the crowd of people who were glaring at her angrily, as if they wanted to strangle her. "You're all idiots!"

These words were like cold water poured into a frying pan; the people immediately erupted in anger.

"What did you say?"

"You sold us sea salt, which harmed us, and then you called us idiots!"

"Brothers, let's tie up this unscrupulous merchant together! Luckily, the prefect is here; let him avenge us and kill this scoundrel!"

Tang Zhao stared at them coldly, neither speaking nor making a move.

Wu Yier, Wu Bingsan, and others glared angrily at the ungrateful Suzhou people.

The young woman came to Jiangnan with good intentions to reform the salt administration. She painstakingly dried sea salt for the people of Jiangnan to eat, but instead of being grateful, they even tried to beat and kill her.

When has this girl ever suffered such injustice?

Several strong and capable villagers were eager to take action.

"Stop! No one is allowed to make any rash moves!"

"My lord!" The village headman looked at Min Zhuang with red eyes, "Such a treacherous merchant must be killed to appease public anger!"

Min Zhuang strode over, and the crowd automatically made way for him. He bowed to Tang Zhao and said, "Your humble servant, Min Zhuang, the Prefect of Suzhou, greets Your Excellency, the Salt Commissioner."

The people were in uproar.

"Sir, what did you say?" The village head pointed at Tang Zhao. "She's not a swindler, she's the Salt Commissioner?"

Before Tang Zhao could give any instructions, Min Zhuang straightened up. "That's right! This is the Salt Commissioner sent by the imperial court to Jiangnan to oversee the reform of the salt administration!"

The village head was stunned for a long time, then sat down on the ground, slapping his thigh and wailing.

"Heavens above! Open your eyes! How could such a scoundrel be appointed to a high position? Isn't this going to force us common people to our deaths?"

"No, I'm going to the capital! I'm going to appeal to the emperor! Even if it means rolling on a bed of nails and being beaten, I'll risk my life to make the emperor rescind his decree!"

"I am coming too!"

"Count me in!"

"Let's all go!"

Looking at the united people of Suzhou, Tang Zhao turned to Min Zhuang, who was standing to the side with a worried expression, and whispered, "Is Lord Min satisfied with this situation?"

Min Zhuang asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that, sir? I don't understand."

“Lord Min, this is not very meaningful,” Tang Zhao shook his head. “Now I am being condemned by everyone, and the salt administration is about to fail. Not only have I messed up my job, but I have also aroused public anger.”

Tang Zhao sighed as he spoke, "I suppose it won't be long before His Majesty summons me back to Luoyang to be punished. After this ordeal, His Majesty will surely put the reform of the salt administration on hold."

"And Lord Min will be promoted for his meritorious service in pacifying the people, and he will surely rise rapidly in rank thereafter."

Tang Zhao gave a thumbs up, "Lord Min, you truly have excellent skills!"