Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 532 Sister Feng, quickly pretend to faint~
"Take them away?"

"Whom?"

The old lady of the Jia family was chatting and laughing with the Dowager Princess of Nan'an, who had come to visit, discussing matters concerning their children.

Unexpectedly, Master Zheng arrived at Rongxi Hall in a fit of rage, bringing news that Grandmother Jia found hard to believe.

"Yes, yes, it is!"

Jia Zheng looked troubled, after all, the Dowager Princess of Nan'an was present.

As the saying goes, "Don't wash your dirty linen in public."
His actions further angered Grandmother Jia.

The person is here, and the words have been spoken.

At this point, you suddenly become hesitant and indecisive. Isn't that just plain stupid and likely to offend people?

Grandmother Jia raised her hand and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Say!"

Seeing his mother getting angry, he quickly spoke up, pretending to be serious.

"It's my student, Prefect Fu Shi, who came to report that people from Shuntian Prefecture have come to arrest him."

At this point, Jia Zheng glanced at Wang Xifeng, who was serving not far from Grandmother Jia.

"Come and get Lian's daughter-in-law."

Upon hearing this, everyone instinctively looked at Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng, who was originally just watching the show, was stunned on the spot.

"How can it be?!"

When Grandmother Jia came to her senses, she was the first to disbelieve it.

"Has the Shuntian Prefecture gotten itself so bold as to dare to arrest the women of my Rongguo Mansion?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Is your student perhaps drunk?"

As the saying goes, even a dead tiger retains its might.

Although the Jia family has declined, they still retain their dignity.

This is a family of the highest nobility.

How dare the mere Shuntian Prefecture come to their home to arrest people, especially the women?
It all sounds like a fantasy.

Even if the Shuntian Prefecture government had a mental breakdown, its subordinates couldn't all become insane.

"This is indeed true."

Jia Zheng dared not delay and continued to explain, "The chief constable of Shuntian Prefecture is already waiting outside the mansion gate with his men."

In fact, everyone in Shuntian Prefecture knew about Fu Shi's relationship with the Jia family.

With everyone's tacit approval, Fu Shi hurriedly came to report the matter.

The meaning is clear: the household is prepared, at least to prevent the female members from appearing in front of the constables, otherwise there will be no way to refuse.

Your household should quickly use its connections to resolve this matter.

Only then did Wang Xifeng come to her senses, and she immediately burst into loud sobs.

She was just a woman, and she was about to be arrested by the authorities.

If this gets out, the damage to one's reputation will be devastating.

It is important to know that ancient laws were very biased towards women.

Even if someone commits a crime, usually it's the father, brother, husband, and son who get punished.

Unless a woman has committed a serious crime, she is rarely taken to court.

Because once you're locked up in a women's prison, it's tantamount to the destruction of your life.

Women's prisons were usually a source of revenue for government agencies.

The women who were imprisoned there were even more miserable than the girls in the three-room-two-shed houses.

Therefore, the whole society tacitly believes that if a woman is brought to court and imprisoned, she has lost her reputation.

In this era, reputation is even more important than life.

"Don't be afraid, little Feng!"

Grandmother Jia pulled her to sit down beside her and comforted her gently, "With me here, I'd like to see who can take you away!"

Li Wan, Madam Xing, Madam Wang, and others nearby all offered words of comfort.

Behind the screen, the Jia family's young ladies and Xue Baochai whispered amongst themselves, their jade pendants jingling.

Only Lin Daiyu looked uneasy, as if she vaguely knew something.

Amidst the chaos, the Dowager Princess of Nan'an, who had come as a guest, asked a question with suspicion.

"Did the people from Shuntian Prefecture say what crime they were arresting them for?"

If it were a common crime, according to the law, Jia Lian should be dragged away and flogged.

Now they're specifically naming names to arrest people, so the crimes they're accused of must be serious.

After all, the Shuntian Prefecture couldn't be fools who didn't know Wang Xifeng's identity.

"Yes~"

Finally, under the stern gaze of Grandmother Jia, Jia Zheng stopped dragging his feet and acting coy.

Speaking quickly yet steadily, he said, "Listen to what Fu Shi has to say."

"The first person to arrest Laiwang was Chen Mogong, the Censor of Guangdong Province of the Censorate, who captured him in the south of the city."

"An imperial censor?" Grandmother Jia exclaimed in surprise. "How come there's another imperial censor?"

"How could a censor from Guangdong Province go to the south of the city to arrest someone?"

Jia Zheng explained helplessly, "Censor Chen also holds the position of Inspector of the City, and is the Inspector of the South City, so he should be in charge."

The Dowager Princess of Nan'an, eager to hear the gossip, inquired curiously.

"And who is Laiwang'er?"

"Why would his arrest implicate your household?"

That's a very good question.

But Grandmother Jia was no longer in the mood to respond.

When Jia Zheng mentioned Laiwang'er, she clearly felt it; Wang Xifeng, who was leaning against her and crying out for justice, instantly stiffened.

She stopped crying and shouting.

You should know that Grandmother Jia was the daughter-in-law of Jia Yuan, the first Duke of Rongguo.

After so many years of ups and downs, I have gained so much experience.

I immediately understood that something really happened to Feng Lazi!
Sure enough, Jia Zheng continued speaking.

"Laiwang'er is Lian'er's wife's maid."

The term "accompanying room" does not mean that a house is included in the dowry.

This refers to the group of maids who accompany a woman when she marries, according to marriage customs.

These men and women were all part of the dowry, one of the mistress's most trusted assets.

Once these words were spoken, those who needed to understand understood.

The only thing I don't understand now is what exactly I did wrong!
“Laiwang’er.”

Jia Zheng sighed, "He was caught red-handed for lending money at exorbitant interest rates."

As early as the Han and Tang dynasties, there were clear legal provisions that monthly interest exceeding a certain amount was illegal.

During the Ming and Zhou dynasties, lending money at exorbitant interest rates was a serious crime. The practice of prioritizing cash over paper money, engaging in nine-fold lending and thirteen-fold rebates, and taking advantage of easy profits were all categorized as serious crimes of 'wickedness'.

If such an act causes social unrest or leads to death, the perpetrator will face charges under the provisions of "intentional homicide" and "driving someone to death."

Without a doubt, this is a real felony.

If Wang Xifeng is involved, it's not something that can be easily resolved by simply having Jia Lian beaten.

"Upon arriving at Shuntian Prefecture, under the guise of the three-wooden canopy, Laiwang confessed everything."

"The person who confessed to being the mastermind behind it all was Lian's daughter-in-law."

These words created an extremely strange atmosphere in Rongxi Hall.

Everyone turned to look at Wang Xifeng, their gazes filled with complex emotions.

Almost instantly, everyone subconsciously assumed that this must be true!

Only Jia Baoyu, who was sitting on the other side of Grandmother Jia, did not believe it.

Confused and disoriented, Wang Xifeng nestled in Grandmother Jia's arms, utterly at a loss.

Just then, he heard Grandmother Jia's soft voice.

"cry!"

After saying that, he secretly pinched her with his hand.

Once she came to her senses, Wang Xifeng immediately burst into tears.

She cried and shouted that she was innocent.
Her voice was extremely loud, and the Rongxi Hall immediately became noisy.

Behind the screen, the Jia sisters were also whispering among themselves.

Xue Baochai, her brows slightly furrowed, was about to say something when she suddenly noticed Lin Daiyu whispering a few words in Zijuan's ear.

Zijuan quickly went over and walked to Yuanyang's side, whispering a few words in her ear.

Then Yuanyang stepped forward, helped Wang Xifeng up, and whispered in her ear.

"Pretend to faint~"

The next moment, Wang Xifeng, who was crying and shouting for justice, suddenly straightened her neck, hiccuped, rolled her eyes back, and lay down on the ground.

Chaos reigned once again.

"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

After finally managing to send Wang Xifeng back, Grandmother Jia sighed and expressed her feelings to the Dowager Princess of Nan'an.

"I never expected that something like this would happen."

"Don't worry," said the Dowager Princess of Nan'an with a smile. "It's just a misfortune for the family; a traitor has come from our ranks."

“It is clearly Laiwang’er who is using your family’s power to commit evil deeds.”

"After being arrested, in order to exonerate himself, he even tried to implicate the head of the family."

“Such villains should be killed quickly.”

As the saying goes, old age makes people shrewd, especially those who have been through the trials of noble families.

They quickly grasped the crux of the matter and offered the Jia family a solution.

Just insist that Laiwang did it himself, there's no need to make a fuss.

Even if everyone knows that Wang Xifeng is behind it all.

But as long as Nalaiwang dies in prison, the matter will soon be settled.

Behind the screen, Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu nodded in unison.

However, Jia Zheng said, "The key to this matter is that Imperial Censor Chen has already submitted a memorial impeaching him."

The matter has already reached the emperor.

Grandmother Jia's face finally turned pale.

Willow Alley, west of the city.

Zhang Youcai, the infamous leader of the Juyi Alliance in the capital, known in the martial arts world as the Thunder Palm, lived in this alley.

The Juyi Alliance has a large business, operating numerous gambling establishments, brothels, and other businesses.

The crimes committed include debt collection to the point of death, forcing women into prostitution, kidnapping and extorting money, and countless other evil deeds.

It can be said that they dare to commit any kind of heinous crime.

Cai Mantang, located in Tianshui Lane in the south of the city, is one of the properties under the Juyi Alliance.

Rumor has it that they weren't caught by the authorities because they had powerful backers.

Today is the auspicious day for Zhang Youcai to take his eighteenth concubine, and many of his friends from the martial arts world have come to celebrate, making it a lively and festive occasion.

The White Paper Fan of the Juyi Alliance, who was collecting gifts at the entrance, couldn't stop smiling.

"When Zong Piaoba was a child, his family was so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat."

"Later, he was taken in by the old leader and his only thought was to make money and make more money."

"I'll do it again when I have money~ and take in more women~"

"I fought my way out of the martial world with sword and spear, all for this kind of enjoyment."

"Taking a concubine would be great!"

"Not only do they receive gifts, but they also receive a large sum of money as a gift."

"No wonder the boss likes taking concubines so much."

As Bai Zhishan was happily checking the gift list, a tall figure appeared in front of the table.

I subconsciously looked up.

The person in front of me was tall and strong, dressed in a smart and capable outfit.

He carried a sword in one hand and a gift box wrapped in large red brocade in the other.

Her hair was piled high in a bun, but she wore a blue cloth (mask) on her face.

The man with the white paper fan asked in confusion, "Young hero~"

"Here to deliver a gift." Lin Dao placed the gift box he was holding on the table.

"Oh~"

The white-paper-fan-wielding man hurriedly picked up his pen and asked, "May I ask your esteemed name, young hero, and where you are from?"

"Sheyang Lake, Wei Xiaobao."

The white paper fan, which was writing on the gift list, suddenly stopped writing.

As if seeing a ghost, he looked up at Lin Dao.

The name of Wei Xiaobao, the chief of the thirty-six strongholds and seventy-two villages of Sheyang Lake, is known to everyone in the martial arts world.

He was a wanted criminal appointed by the imperial court and indirectly caused the great purge of the Grand Canal Gang.

Tens of thousands of troops nearly wiped out all the heroes of Lianghuai, but they still couldn't find any trace of Wei Xiaobao.

Unexpectedly~
Sweat beaded on Bai Zhishan's forehead like rain, and he stammered.

"Young...young hero...please don't joke around..."

Lin Dao tapped the gift box with his fingers.

"Giving gifts to your boss."

Untie the silk and open the box.

Inside is a clock.
"Here's your boss~"

"Deliver the clock!!"

(End of this chapter)