in2ebook Chapter 154 Sure enough, it’s all fake
Chapter 154 Sure enough, it’s all fake
Yan Wanwan walked towards Grand Tutor Zhou with graceful steps, her lotus steps light and graceful, and she bowed slightly and saluted at the right time. Her voice was clear and pleasant: "Greetings, Grand Tutor Zhou!"
Grand Tutor Zhou's eyes, sharp as an eagle's, slowly swept over everyone. He then spoke softly, his tone tinged with concern, "There was a tremor on the ground just now. Are you all okay?"
Yan Wanwan's expression remained calm, her voice clear and resounding as she spoke, "Grand Tutor Zhou has the world at heart and is always concerned about the safety of the people. With Grand Tutor's protection, we will be safe. Even if the earth shakes and the mountains tremble, I can protect myself, so there's no need for Grand Tutor to worry too much!"
"That's good." Grand Tutor Zhou nodded slightly, then turned his gaze towards the merchants, his expression becoming grave. "But, what were you guys arguing about just now?"
Before Yan Wanwan could even open her mouth, the merchants were like ants on a hot pan, clamoring anxiously, "Grandmaster Zhou, please help us!"
"Make the decision?" Grand Tutor Zhou raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Yan Wanwan meaningfully. "Does County Master Yan know what this is about?"
Yan Wanwan's eyes were determined. She took a step forward and spoke in a resounding voice, "Of course I know! These people are extorting money and disregarding the law. They are so audacious to run wild on my land! Today, I hope that you, the Grand Tutor, will see through this and uphold justice for me and severely punish these lawless criminals!"
"Oh? Is there such a thing?"
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Zhou turned abruptly, his gaze piercing those men like a knife. His face was filled with gloom, and he exuded a chilling aura. He demanded angrily, "What on earth did you do? Confess everything now!"
Those people were so frightened by the sudden anger that their legs went weak and they dared not breathe. Knowing that they could not hide anything, they could only tremblingly recount the tragic scene from beginning to end: the earthquake that had just occurred, the houses that collapsed, and the shops that were crushed to pieces.
"Master Zhou, you don't know that all the goods in our shop are buried under the rubble. Even if we try our best to dig them out, they are smashed beyond recognition and become a pile of defective products. Our small business is completely ruined now. Isn't it only natural to ask County Lady Yan for an explanation and some compensation?" One of the thin middle-aged men said with a sad face and a crying voice.
After hearing this, Grand Tutor Zhou nodded subconsciously and responded without hesitation, "Yes, you are right. After all, this is the commercial district under the jurisdiction of County Master Yan. When such a big thing happens, it is natural for us merchants to take responsibility."
Yan Wanwan saw that the situation was not good. Without waiting for Grand Tutor Zhou to finish his words, he immediately stepped forward, his expression calm, and said in a tone neither humble nor arrogant: "Grand Tutor Zhou, wait for a moment to make a conclusion. Why don't you take a look at these first?"
As she spoke, she gracefully yet decisively placed the contracts, documents and other items neatly on the table in front of Grand Tutor Zhou.
Grand Tutor Zhou frowned slightly, with a hint of suspicion, and slowly picked up the documents to look through them carefully.
As he read deeper, his expression became more and more solemn. In the end, his lips moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a word.
But when he raised his eyes and secretly looked at those merchants, his eyes were full of a complex expression of disappointment, as if he was blaming them for being foolish and leaving such a handle, so how could he hold them accountable?
He coughed twice, his expression calm, and he spoke slowly, "County Master Yan, I think it's better to do this. No matter what, their goods went wrong in your territory, so you have to bear some responsibility."
Yan Wanwan raised her eyebrows, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and a hint of sarcasm curved the corners of her mouth. She sneered without hesitation, her voice as loud as a bell, every word resounding with force: "Grand Tutor Zhou, what you say is truly novel! According to your logic, every inch of land in the Great Xia Kingdom belongs to the king. If the earth dragon turns over, the mountains and rivers shake, and the people are displaced, does it mean that the emperor must personally step in and cover the losses caused by this unforeseen disaster? Such a ridiculous statement, Grand Tutor, you dare to say it out loud. Could it be that you have been in the court for so long that you can no longer distinguish between basic right and wrong?"
Grand Tutor Zhou's face instantly darkened, and he thought to himself, this Yan Wanwan has no restraint on her words, she dares to say anything, and even dares to push the responsibility onto the emperor. Does she want to drag everyone down with her and skin them alive?
Grand Tutor Zhou suppressed his anger, but maintained a dignified expression on his face. He said in a deep voice, "County Lady Yan, stop talking nonsense! The Emperor is busy with countless affairs, how can you get involved so casually? The affairs of the commercial district cannot be compared with the affairs of the imperial court."
Yan Wanwan was not intimidated by Grand Tutor Zhou's aura. She straightened her back, looked him straight in the eye, and responded sharply, "Grand Tutor Zhou, since the affairs of this commercial district are different from the affairs of the imperial court, why should I be held responsible for this force majeure natural disaster? These contract documents clearly state in black and white that we are only responsible for providing the venue, and losses caused by natural disasters or man-made disasters are not our responsibility. Since the merchants have signed, they should abide by the agreement. Now that something has happened, instead of thinking about how to save themselves, they are blackmailing me. If Grand Tutor makes a rash judgment, I am afraid that this commercial district will never be peaceful again. Who would dare to do business here?"
After hearing what Yan Wanwan said, the merchants felt unwilling, but they also knew they were in the wrong, but they were still unwilling to accept it.
One of the older merchants bravely said, "Master Zhou, even so, we have suffered heavy losses. Should we just accept our bad luck?"
Grand Tutor Zhou was in a dilemma at this moment. He didn't want to lose face in front of everyone, but he also knew that what Yan Wanwan said was not unreasonable.
After a moment's contemplation, he slowly said, "Well, this matter can't be entirely blamed on you. County Master Yan, although you have no obligation to compensate, considering the merchants' huge losses, you might as well provide some assistance in other ways, such as reducing or waiving the rent for a period of time. This would be considered as fulfilling the landlord's duty."
Yan Wanwan sneered in her heart, but her face remained calm. She spoke slowly and unhurriedly, "So I compensated them with ten taels of silver!"
"You...you are simply going too far!" The merchant was so angry that his face turned pale and he almost fainted.
"I'm cheating?"
Yan Wanwan couldn't help but burst out laughing, her eyes full of mockery. "With all these counterfeit goods you guys are selling, ten taels of silver is too much for me. Grand Tutor Zhou, if you don't believe me, why not go and see for yourself to see if the goods they sell are fakes?"
"Now the shops are in ruins, there is really no need to investigate." Grand Tutor Zhou frowned slightly, trying to smooth things over.
"How can it be unnecessary? Even if only residues are left, the authenticity can be verified. Grand Tutor Zhou, don't you dare? Or do you want to go along with these unscrupulous businessmen?" Yan Wanwan pressed on step by step, with no mercy in his words.
As soon as these words were spoken, Grand Tutor Zhou was instantly caught in a dilemma, unable to back down. In desperation, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to check and identify the item.
As expected, the identification results were clear at a glance - they were all fakes.