"Report to Lord Han, Shangguan Jian and I passed through this market and found that the grain shop here was hoarding, attempting to make a massive profit. We caught them in the act, but then these garrison troops rushed out, intending to arrest us," Ye Shikai explained.
"This is outrageous! There are two Military Marquis and a few Five Hundred Masters here, and you dare to arrest them? Are you seeking death?" Han Hao shouted angrily, "n, drag them out and execute them on the spot."
"Please...spare my life, my lord. I didn’t know you distinguished gentlen were here. I’ve offended you all, please forgive ," the officer was instantly terrified by the threat, and the soldiers behind him trembled in fear, terrified that their lives might be forfeit.
"It’s not impossible to spare your life, but you must explain to whether you have any collusion with this grain shop," Ye Shikai had already realized that this grain shop was unusual, ard with guards for protection. Moreover, when he was about to confiscate the shop’s property, so many garrison troops appeared suddenly. It must have been the shopkeeper informing them, only he did not anticipate that Ye Shikai and Shangguan Jian held such high military positions and had so many troops.
"What... there’s no collusion. I just heard that there were soldiers causing trouble in the market, so I brought my team to inspect, purely my oversight. I hope for your lordship’s magnanimity, don’t hold it against , spare ," he said.
"At this point, you’re still lying, it seems you truly do not value your life," Ye Shikai shouted angrily, "Admit it or not, it doesn’t matter. If I find out, I will prosecute you either way."
If Ye Shikai’s suspicions were correct, the shopkeeper wasn’t the real boss. Earlier, so citizens had ntioned that all the grain shops in the county were owned by one person. In other words, in such a large county, one person’s monopolizing the entire county’s food supply, hoarding, and selling at high prices, essentially "sucking" the blood of the entire county’s populace.
"The County Magistrate is here." Suddenly, the crowd burst into uproar, the soldiers spread out, clearing a path, revealing a person in official attire walking over.
"Gentlen of the military, I am the County Magistrate of Yang County, Cao Wenzuo. Your army has entered Yang County, if there are any conflicts, I humbly request your rcy," a middle-aged man approached Han Hao, bowing respectfully.
As the saying goes, "you don’t strike a smiling man," with County Magistrate Cao saying this, Han Hao naturally dropped his intent to kill. Luckily, they arrived in ti, otherwise, if Ye Shikai or Shangguan Jian were injured, even if County Magistrate Cao knelt down begging, it might have been difficult for the garrison officer to escape death.
"Yan Bai, you’re really tired of living, daring to confront these gentlen of the military, beg for forgiveness now," Cao Wenzuo walked up to the officer, slapping him hard and scolding.
"Yes, yes, it’s all my oversight, offending you gentlen, I’m willing to atone, please forgive ."
"I ask you military gentlen to be magnanimous, spare this person, I’m willing to host a banquet to properly entertain your esteed army," County Magistrate Cao said many kind words, so naturally, Han Hao was unwilling to be overbearing.
"Deputy General, release them."
"Yes."
Han Hao ordered the soldiers to withdraw, sparing their lives.
"County Magistrate Cao, the conflict between my subordinates and the local garrison was completely due to this grain shop. They hoarded supplies, which according to Qin Law is a capital offense. I wonder if County Magistrate Cao is aware of this matter," Ye Shikai was most concerned about this grain shop, being least fond of unscrupulous rchants.
"This... I will certainly conduct a thorough investigation."
"Is that so? I hope that County Magistrate Cao can make a decision in front of all the county’s citizens," Ye Shikai noticed Cao Wenzuo’s expression, seeming to understand sothing more, hoarding for such a long ti, the County Magistrate should have known but never managed. Why is that?
"Ye, we’re not the local garrison, it’s not suitable for us to ddle too much in this matter, otherwise it would be a case of overstepping our bounds," Han Hao spoke softly to Ye Shikai. After all, this was Yang County, and Han Hao’s army was just passing through. He heard that Ye Shikai and Shangguan Jian were in danger, so he brought troops into the city. But the local grain shop’s violation of Qin Law was not within their jurisdiction.
"If the lord thinks so, I have nothing to say. But the next matter I want to address does concern us," Ye Shikai had everyone enter the abandoned shop, pointing to the tunnel.
"This tunnel inside hides much grain, and earlier, I asked the shopkeeper, this abandoned shop isn’t his, correct?" Ye Shikai retorted.
"This..." The shopkeeper was left speechless. Earlier, he had sworn in front of everyone that the shop had nothing to do with him.
"County Magistrate Cao, I want to ask if this shop, including this grain, is not registered, correct?"
"Indeed, within governntal records... there is no record of this batch of grain here."
"So it ans, this grain has no owner, is that right?"
"This... indeed it is."
"Now, since I’m the first one to discover this ’ownerless’ grain, according to Qin Law, it belongs to ," Ye Shikai’s words were shocking, but indeed accurate. This grain had no claimants, and was neither discovered nor registered in governnt records, so naturally, it belonged to the first person to find it—Ye Shikai.
Even Han Hao was shocked—so much grain beneath ground, was miraculously "picked up" by Ye Shikai, an unbelievable event.
"n, go down and move all the grain out," Ye Shikai ordered, and dozens of soldiers went down into the tunnel quickly, carrying out the grain till the shop was filled, and this was just the "tip of the iceberg." Qin Law stipulates that grain numbers must be registered, whether public grain or privately sold "market grain," otherwise it’s "black grain," akin to grain sold in black markets but these were even more "special"; they were undetected and unclaid, seemingly like a piece of "gold" lying on the ground for anyone lucky enough to "pick up."
In fact, Ye Shikai certainly didn’t think so. This grain clearly appeared to be new; if truly unclaid, it would have rotted long ago. Since it’s new grain, it indicates soone recently placed it here. And to be able to possess this much grain in Yang County, it surely must be the unscrupulous rchant monopolizing the grain business. As for why he didn’t dare to claim it, the reason is simple: admitting it would an confessing to the heinous cri of hoarding, thus he would assuredly choose to "never admit."
User Comments
0 comments from readers