Jin Timming shouted "Young Master Zhu," and Hai Rui finally understood – this handsome youth was the illustrious Zhu Mo! The shifty scholar beside him must be his attendant, what was his name, Xiao Xiao Sheng?
But why had he come to Chun'an? And why had the well-dressed middle-aged man, Zheng Bichang's nephew, who came to buy land, kowtowed to him?
Could it be?
Was Zhu Mo also here to buy land? Was he the mastermind behind this move? That he would support the powerful families in exchange for their backing of his anti-Japanese war debts and banking endeavors?
Hai Rui pondered for a moment, his mind filled with suspicion—
He had seen many such people, full of grand pronouncements but venomous in their actions! To say nothing else, hadn't one come to Chun'an just last month? Posing as Hu Zongxian's son, he had swindled the county magistrate and bailiffs, even absconding with the remaining two hundred taels of silver from the county treasury…
These people had countless tricks up their sleeves, how could they be trusted?
Therefore,
Hai Rui did not rush to greet him. Instead, he continued to stare at Jin Timming, reprimanding, "Stop beating around the bush! Just tell me clearly, what are you doing in Chun'an with this silver?"
Jin Timming trembled and replied, "I, I, I am under orders from the Provincial Governor's office to escort disaster relief silver to Chun'an…"
Disaster relief silver?
Who were they trying to fool?
Hai Rui was furious upon hearing this. He rebuked, "Nonsense! If it's disaster relief silver from the Provincial Governor's office, where are the treasury markings? The carriage clearly says 'Official Zhuang.' Are you deceiving me?!"
As soon as these words were spoken,
The assembled villagers immediately understood—
That's right, this was clearly a deception. Imperial disaster relief was always clearly marked, it would definitely say "Provincial Silver." This person was obviously a fraud!
A commotion!
The crowd erupted in an uproar!
Hai Rui, enraged, bellowed, "Guards! Seize this man!"
"As you command!"
Four bailiffs, covered in mud, immediately pinned Jin Timming down. Two others swiftly drew ropes and bound Jin Timming's hands.
But as Hai Rui's bailiffs moved, the soldiers escorting the silver could no longer stand by. With clanging sounds, they surrounded them. The leading soldier shouted at the bailiffs, "All of you, step back! The Governor has instructed that this mission must not encounter any errors! Disobey and you will be beheaded!"
Hiss!
At these words, the bailiffs holding Jin Timming hesitated, and the onlookers grew nervous, beginning to retreat.
The situation immediately became critical!
A few fearless farmers gripped their hoes tightly, their eyes blazing with defiance!
Seeing this, Hai Rui knew that today's confrontation was about sheer will. This man was undoubtedly a fraud, otherwise, why would he not bring treasury silver for disaster relief? This so-called official bank's money must have been raised by Zheng Bichang and Yan Shifan to buy land. If he backed down now, losing momentum, and the people retreated, he, as the county magistrate, would be helpless!
Therefore, today's affair was exceptionally perilous. Hai Rui feared nothing else but this young man, Zhu Mo. If Zhu Mo was the mastermind behind everything, then the situation would be extremely dire!
Because this person was an imperial envoy for disaster relief, a de facto official in commoner's clothes. Tan Lun had also instructed him: this person was very peculiar, and under no circumstances should he be offended.
It was clear that,
This Zhu Mo was no ordinary person. If he resorted to force, binding the people's hands today, collecting the silver, and signing the land deeds, there would be no room for maneuver… And his mission to protect the disaster victims would be a complete failure.
Although Tan Lun had also said this person was upright, the problem was—he was still young. What if he couldn't resist the temptations of Yan Shifan and Zheng Bichang? Or what if they already held something against him? The situation suggested this possibility was not small.
The more Hai Rui thought, the more anxious he became—the situation had clearly reached a point where hesitation was no longer an option!
Hai Rui immediately shouted, "My fellow villagers! We will not sell our land, no matter what! Whoever he is, we must not sell our land! Today, even if I, Hai Rui, am shattered into pieces, I will uphold justice for you all!"
Seeing that the crowd had regained some spirit, and many villagers' eyes became firm again, he continued:
"My villagers, think about it. If we sell our land this year to survive the famine, what will we do in the future? Where will we farm next year? Without our own land, what happens if there's an illness or disaster? What if there's another famine next year? Won't we have to sell our children?"
"Moreover, how much are they offering? You all know yourselves! How many groups have come before, and how much did they offer? Is that buying land? That's simply preying on distress!"
"I, Hai Rui, am your father-official today, and I will be your advocate! This land will absolutely not be sold!"
"Yes, we are running out of food. I, Hai Rui, cannot guarantee that I can get you grain, but I swear that even if I risk my life, I will borrow grain! I will go to General Qi, to Zheng Bichang, to the imperial court to demand it! Even if I have to kneel for three days and three nights, I, Hai Rui, will not hesitate!"
Boom!
Hiss!
"We support Master Hai!"
"Master Hai, uphold justice for us!"
"We will not sell our land, even if beaten to death!"
"These swindlers! Get out of Chun'an quickly!"
"Yes! Swindlers, get out!"
"…"
The crowd's spirits were once again stirred with sorrow and resolution. The villagers' faces were filled with grief, their expressions still fearful, but their gazes gradually hardened. Everyone looked at Hai Rui, understanding that this was the moment that would decide their families' destinies.
…
Zhu Mo had intended to explain himself to Hai Rui, but under the circumstances, it was impossible.
This Hai Rui truly saw him as a villain. Jin Timming's kowtow had made everyone believe that Zhu Mo was the one in charge of this matter. And the word "Bank" on the carriage—how could it be explained to these villagers in a few words?
Moreover,
The poignant atmosphere at the scene deeply moved him, especially the phrase "I will be your advocate," which made his blood surge…
Indeed,
How weak were the common people in ancient times? They truly needed a powerful protector. Wasn't Zhu Mo here on this trip precisely to be an advocate for the people of the Great Ming?
And this Hai Rui, true to his reputation, was indeed someone who dared to risk his life for the people. The trust the people placed in him was like the deep affection of orphans for their parents. This was truly the most moving scene he had witnessed since arriving in the Great Ming…
His words also coincided with Zhu Mo's own thoughts.
Was it not for the same reason that Zhu Mo had come to Jiangnan? Was it not to protect the people's land that he had invented the Weaving Bank? Hai Rui's actions were not wrong; he couldn't blame him, because this was the reality of the Great Ming…
What were the common people worth?
Were they not all exploiting the common people under the guise of grand reasons? Hadn't Zhu Mo himself been extorted in the mountain Taoist temple? In Chun'an, there was a Hai Rui who could resist; if it were any other county magistrate, the disaster victims' land would have been sold cheaply long ago! They wouldn't have waited until today?
But the current situation was extremely tricky—
With just one command, these thirty soldiers would obey and immediately control the situation that was about to spiral out of control.
But the trouble was—
Hai Rui didn't trust him at all! If he gave an order, Hai Rui would likely think he was resorting to force! Wouldn't that lead to a direct confrontation between the two sides?