Chapter 48: Good Brother-in-Law!

A kitten's meow certainly does not sound like laughter.
What kind of cat is this? Dug out from a tomb?
Inside the main hall of the county yamen.
Everyone was speechless.
Ouyang Rong wore an expectant expression, waiting for their response.
Shopkeeper Ma, known for his overbearing temper, was the first to lose his patience, cutting in:
"Lord Magistrate, the grain we brought here was actually borrowed. We only had the nerve to borrow it and bring it over to sell because we saw how the people of Longcheng County were suffering and lacking food. Now we have to return it; we cannot just pile it all up here in Longcheng."
Wang Chaozhi nodded in agreement: "Exactly, exactly. Who knows, disaster-stricken folks in other counties might be in dire need of it right now. It is better to transport some of it out. The people of Longcheng simply cannot consume this much."
If the people of Longcheng couldn't consume this much grain, why transport so much of it here in the first place? Wasn't it driven by greed, coveting Longcheng's high grain prices? With an abundance of grain and too few buyers, the grain prices would inevitably drop instead of rising... Xie Lingjiang, eavesdropping from the inner parlor, clenched her slender hands into fists, but then slowly relaxed them.
Hmph, now that senior brother has locked the door on them like stray dogs, and they are finally feeling scared after hoarding so much grain?
Inside the main hall, Shopkeeper Li and the other grain merchants chimed in successively.
Expecting to face further trouble, they were utterly caught off guard when Ouyang Rong, who had been listening attentively, immediately nodded and slammed his decision down. He slapped the wooden armrest of his chair and sighed with solemn emotion:
"It is commendable that you all share this heart of compassion for the common people. This official can only manage a single county and locality, but as merchants, you have the opportunity to bring blessings to people everywhere. You have truly worked hard! Since you possess such great righteousness in your hearts, how could this official hold you back? The grain at the docks may be transported away! I will assist you with all my might!"
Such a straightforward and accommodating attitude completely stunned Wang Chaozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the others. Even after hearing Ouyang Rong's words, this group of seasoned old foxes who had traveled far and wide felt a faint flush of shame.
Wang Chaozhi tentatively asked: "Then shall we... transport it away right now? But those bailiffs outside the warehouses..."
Ouyang Rong waved his hand amicably and turned to instruct: "Liulang, go and withdraw the men."
Constable Yan, however, dropped heavily to his knees with a thud, sticking his neck out and flushing crimson: "Your Honor, you cannot withdraw them all!"
The young magistrate frowned, his voice stern and imposing:
"I told you to withdraw them, so withdraw them! Why so much nonsense? I know what I'm doing. Which of these gentlemen present is not loyal to the sovereign and devoted to the country? They are certainly not the kind of thieving rats who would plunder the civilian relief granaries!"
Yan Liulang clutched the young magistrate's robe, offering his remonstrance with tears streaming down his face:
"Your Honor, please reconsider! This is the order of Inspector-General Lord Shen. If we don't investigate even a single one of them and just let everyone go, how will you account to Lord Shen? Lord Shen is famously iron-faced and ruthless; he might just strip Your Honor of your official post on the spot..."
"Let him strip it! This Ouyang is not afraid!"
"Your Honor!"
"Let go of me!"
"I won't let go!"
"I told you to let go!"
"Lord Magistrate, please reconsider! At least inspect them once before letting them go!"
"You!"
Ouyang Rong struck his palm against his wrist with a sigh, while Yan Liulang clung tightly to his calf, refusing to budge.
The extreme tug-of-war between the master and his servant left the group of grain merchants staring in absolute bewilderment.
Even the thick-skinned Wang Chaozhi couldn't help muttering: "Perhaps... we should just do a symbolic inspection as a formality. After all, our grain is truly above board."
Yet, unexpectedly, this quiet murmur acted like a stone cast into calm water, sending ripples across the entire room.
Ouyang Rong and Yan Liulang instantly halted their struggle, turning to glare at him, while the other grain merchants cast resentful glances as well.
"..." Wang Chaozhi.
Damn it, I was just running my mouth, stop looking at me!
Yan Liulang tentatively offered: "Lord Magistrate, why not follow this gentleman's suggestion? We inspect one household and release one household, just to put up a facade."
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then sighed bitterly: "Then keep your eyes wide open and see whether we are wronging good people. Let's see if what I said was right."
Yan Liulang nodded repeatedly. Afterward, the blue-robed constable barged into another round of discussion with the disgruntled and impatient young magistrate, until the latter finally, and with visible reluctance, agreed to a compromise plan that satisfied both sides.
Meanwhile, the eighteen grain merchants waiting on the side looked at one another in blank dismay. The smooth progression of events somehow felt slightly off, and the expressions of Wang Chaozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the others turned suspicious and uneasy.
Before they could ponder further, the young magistrate—who loved the people as his own children—turned back, his expression tinged with apology:
"Since the Inspector-General demands that we local officials investigate, I must give him some account.
"How about this, gentlemen? You may continue selling your grain in Longcheng for now, while Constable Yan leads his men to work overtime to audit your hoarded grain and verify the vintage and origin of the grain. Rest assured, as long as it is clean, legitimate grain, we will not block your departure. I will personally issue your transit passes, and the yamen will also organize personnel and boats for you, escorting you out of the territory with all due courtesy!"
Shopkeeper Ma asked anxiously, "My lord, how long will the audit of the hoarded grain take? If it drags on too long, in case the aged grain loses its value..." Seeing Ouyang Rong turn his gaze toward him, he quickly nodded frantically in explanation: "It's mainly out of concern for the suffering people in other counties. We surely cannot send them aged, spoiled grain to eat."
"I see." The young magistrate nodded with a look of sudden understanding, offering a somewhat embarrassed smile:
"Actually, this is also my first time serving as a local official, so I don't quite understand these matters. You can coordinate the specific details with Head Constable Yan; he will cooperate with you fully. Do not worry, I will be keeping a close eye on this. If you have any questions, feel free to bring them up."
Yan Liulang faced the crowd with a stern expression, adopting a strict, all-business tone:
"Everyone, discuss amongst yourselves how you wish to be inspected. Shall we wait until all the wharf warehouses are audited uniformly before issuing permits and releasing everyone together, or shall we proceed in order, inspecting one household at a time and issuing transit passes one by one? Those who finish the inspection early get to leave early."
The eighteen grain merchants collectively froze, and the atmosphere in the hall fell into a brief silence.
Under the gaze of the straight-faced constable and the smiling magistrate, the expressions of Wang Chaozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the others gradually grew complex.
Within this small circle of grain merchants who had colluded to corner the market and drive up rice prices, numerous wandering glances began to dart about.
A rather plump minor grain merchant offered a ingratiating smile and asked: "May I ask, Constable, about how long would a uniform inspection of the wharf warehouses take?"
Yan Liulang replied casually: "That's hard to say. Half a month at least, perhaps a month if things are slow. Mainly because you've piled up so much grain; who knows if there's any illegally hoarded grain hidden inside? Hmph, if His Honor weren't vouching for you, I'd have thought you were deliberately here to make things difficult for us brothers."
"..."
Hearing that it would take at least half a month, many of the grain merchants grew restless and visibly anxious. The warehouse storage fees and moisture-prevention fees alone would amount to a massive sum of silver!
Besides, who knew whether grain prices would plummet within that half a month? Longcheng County wasn't home only to these eighteen visiting grain merchants; during the recent surge in grain prices, the local gentry and landlords of Longcheng had also followed the trend and hoarded massive amounts of grain.
Earlier, high grain prices benefited everyone, and they had maintained a tacit agreement to prop up the prices. But now, with the city gates blocked, confidence shaken, and the supply-demand balance severely skewed, who could guarantee that some gentry or landlord wouldn't lose their nerve and be the first to slash prices? Once that happened, it would trigger a panicked sell-off...
"Stop dilly-dallying and make your choice! His Honor still has to go eat his meal. This young master is starting the inspections this afternoon without delay, so don't come running to His Honor to file malicious complaints claiming the brothers are bullying civilians. Choose quickly—which inspection method will it be?"
Wang Chaozhi couldn't help asking: "Head Constable Yan, if we go with the second method, inspecting house by house, how long... how long does an inspection for a single household take?"
"Shortest is two to three days, longest is five to six days... That naturally depends on how much hoarded grain there is. Lots of grain means a slow inspection, little grain means a fast one. Dammit, do you even need to ask?"
As if his intelligence had suffered a grave insult, the head constable gripped the hilt of his saber tightly. The crowd shrank back instinctively; judging by his posture, had the amiable and beloved magistrate not been standing right beside him, this short-tempered constable would have likely drawn his blade and cut down some villains right then and there.
The plump minor grain merchant cautiously suggested: "Then... perhaps we should let the ones with less grain be inspected first? That way it goes faster..."
"We choose the second method! House by house!"
Shopkeeper Ma suddenly reached out and shoved the plump merchant aside. The fat on his face twitched as he turned his gaze to Ouyang Rong and his companion across the room:
"My household goes first!"
The crowd was stunned for a second, and then the hall erupted. Several grain merchants panicked and cried out:
"Shopkeeper Ma, your household has the most grain by far! At least half a month is needed just for you. Why are you cutting in line?"
Shopkeeper Ma—who had kept his voice subdued and courteous while speaking with the young magistrate—whipped his head around, glaring straight at the complaining parties. Pointing a plump finger adorned with prayer beads behind him, he said:
"What did you say? Say it again."
The group of minor grain merchants instantly fell silent, behaving even more obediently than monkeys in a circus troupe.
"Hmph." Shopkeeper Ma sneered as he turned back, instantly shifting his voice back to a soft, gentle tone. However, the smile on his face looked far uglier than weeping:
"Lord Magistrate, our Jinling Xue family has long admired your reputation as a man of noble character. Should Your Honor ever have the opportunity to visit Jinling, we will surely sweep the floors to welcome you and greet you with our shoes on backward. Furthermore, this Ma still holds some meager influence in these parts. If you ever need..."
"A mere trifle of influence? This old man has it too."
Just as Wang Chaozhi was opening his mouth to speak, Shopkeeper Li—refusing to be outdone—stood up from beside him, blowing his beard and staring with wide eyes. While the minor grain merchants might fear Shopkeeper Ma, he certainly did not; his background was not much inferior.
"Let my household go first instead! Lord Magistrate, our Chief Administrator holds your pristine reputation in high esteem and constantly mutters that 'Lianghan is a true gentleman,' long wishing to be pen-pals through letters. I shall gladly broker this gentlemanly friendship; upon my return to Hongzhou, I will personally deliver a letter on behalf of the Chief Administrator."
Ouyang Rong set down his teacup, a look of mild astonishment crossing his face: "I never expected that these lords, amidst their busy schedules, would still remember a humble official like myself? I am truly flattered."
"You are merely being modest, Lord Magistrate."
"Please do not belittle yourself, Lord Magistrate."
"No, let my household go first."
"Let me go first! Move aside, you surnamed Li."
"You're the one who should move aside..."
Following this, Shopkeeper Ma and Shopkeeper Li vied with each other relentlessly, surrounding Ouyang Rong with a barrage of flattery and compliments.
The minor grain merchants, lacking comparable backgrounds, were left trailing behind and unable to wedge a word in. They burned with indignation, yet dared not express their anger.
Quite a few minor grain merchants suddenly noticed something unusual and cast sidelong glances at Wang Chaozhi. Ever since Shopkeeper Ma and Shopkeeper Li had locked horns, the young master of the Wang family had fallen entirely silent.
The minor grain merchants wore peculiar expressions. Logically speaking, given young master Wang's lineage from the prestigious Langya Wang clan, he had no reason to yield to Ma and Li in terms of background, and he even had an existing personal acquaintance with Magistrate Ouyang. So why was he suddenly acting like a completely different person?
Just as Shopkeeper Ma and Shopkeeper Li had entirely cast the short youth out of their minds and swarmed around Ouyang Rong to fight for the first spot—and while the rest of the grain merchants looked on in bewilderment—
Wang Chaozhi suddenly let out a deafening roar:
"Brother-in-law!"
Leaping forward, the young master of the Wang family grabbed Ouyang Rong's hands as if seizing the last straw to save his life. With tear-filled eyes and a deeply affectionate gaze, he cried out:
"Let me go first! Good brother-in-law!"
"Pfft..." The young magistrate spat out a mouthful of old tea, sending it spraying far across the room.
"!!!!!!" The junior martial sister in the inner parlor.
"???" Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the rest of the grain merchants.
The grain merchants, both big and small, stood dumbfounded, suspecting their ears had deceived them.
Brother-in-law?
Young Master Wang, that is definitely not what you called him this morning on the viewing platform, nor is it what you told us...
Utterly numb.
Welcome to taste this classic novel~
(End of this chapter)