Chapter 38: A Low-Ranking Petty Official, Daring to Bully the Gentry?

Simple clothes, no jade pendant on his body, didn't ride an ox cart when he came, had no pickiness about food, and ate a few small dishes with relish...

These details had long been seen in Liu Zhao's eyes.

So before Wang Yang borrowed three thousand coins, Liu Zhao concluded that Wang Yang's family assets were very small, so after Wang Yang first revealed the meaning of borrowing money last night, he borrowed it without any hesitation, just hoping to help this genius young man.

But now only one night has passed, and Wang Yang said he was in debt again, and this time the amount was even larger, actually as much as thirteen thousand two hundred coins!

He valued and even admired Wang Yang's talent very much, so he worried whether Wang Yang had contracted any bad habits.

The so-called dice gambling was a kind of gambling at that time, which was very popular from public ministers to commoners. Playing a few games is not a big deal, but there is a big difference between playing occasionally for pleasure and being addicted.

Wang Yang hurriedly said: "Of course not."

Liu Zhao's expression was even more solemn: "Then are you addicted to female prostitutes and prostitution?"

"Where—no! When? I haven't even seen it!"

"Could it be that you take Five-Stone Powder, or study the art of alchemy?"

At that time, alchemy and taking medicine were very "expensive" hobbies, and some people even exhausted their family property for this.

"Five-Stone Powder? Even if you give it to me for free, I won't eat it!" Seeing Liu Zhao guessing more and more outrageously, Wang Yang simply confessed: "This money is not borrowed by me, I am also helping a friend."

Seeing that Wang Yang's expression did not look like a fake, Liu Zhao felt relieved and said: "Good, then I will pay this money!"

Wang Yang was overjoyed: "This money must still be borrowed from you! I will definitely return it to you in the future!"

"No need! As long as you can finish writing *Pointing Out Flaws*, what is one hundred thousand coins?!"

Wang Yang bowed deeply to Liu Zhao: "I must return the money! I thank Mr. for saving the life of my friend's family!"

Liu Zhao also bowed deeply to Wang Yang: "Money is a small matter, learning is a big matter. I thank Zhiyan for writing this passed-down work on behalf of scholars all over the world!"

An old man and a young man bowed to each other, respecting and admiring each other, only feeling that it was a great fortune to be able to know each other.

Liu Zhao said: "Come, let's continue, strive to finish the manuscript as soon as possible."

Logically speaking, Wang Yang had no reason to shirk at this time.

The repayment date set by Du Sanye was three days later, which meant that Wang Yang still had half a day today and a whole day tomorrow. Since Liu Zhao had already agreed to borrow money, there was no need to rush.

But Wang Yang acted steadily. Firstly, with money in hand, he was not panicked. Secondly, the strong man and Ah Wu were at home, still in a state of anxious waiting, so it was better to take the money back early to let the father and daughter feel at ease. Thirdly, the book could be written at any time, and it didn't matter for a day or half a day, but repayment had a time limit. What if there were any twists and turns in the middle?

So Wang Yang apologetically rejected Liu Zhao's proposal, proposing to send the money first and then write after coming back.

Liu Zhao had to suppress his urgent mood and asked Yu Yuling to take the money for Wang Yang. Yu Yuling had long wanted to ask Wang Yang for advice on learning, but suffered from no opportunity. Now hearing that Wang Yang was going out of the city to handle affairs, he volunteered to follow.

Liu Zhao agreed as soon as he heard it. It was not that he was afraid that Wang Yang would run away with the money, but that he wanted Yu Yuling to urge Wang Yang to come back quickly. And he arranged his own ox cart for Wang Yang to ride.

The ox cart is a characteristic sign of that era.

The gentry of the Six Dynasties liked to ride ox carts, thinking that their progress was calm, stable and slow, and the style was higher than that of horse-drawn carriages.

Wang Yang sat in the ox cart while discussing learning with Yu Yuling, and by the way asked about the general situation of the gentry in Jingzhou and the local customs, only feeling that the ancient interest was natural, as if traveling.

When he arrived at the entrance of Baying Village, Wang Yang asked Yu Yuling to wait in the cart, and he walked to the strong man's house with the money bag. Before he entered the door, he found something wrong. The thatched cottage door was wide open, and the screams of the father and daughter came from the house.

"Let go of my daughter! Let go of my daughter!"

"You bad guys! The young master will be here soon! I'll make you look good!"

"Young master? Good, let him come! You don't say, I really miss him."

"Who misses me?" Wang Yang walked into the house and saw the strong man being pressed to the ground by three people, his veins bulging, his face blood red, struggling and shouting: "Young Master! Save Ah Wu quickly!"

Little Ah Wu was lifted into the air by a big man, her little hands grabbing wildly, her little feet kicking wildly. She was originally very "brave," but when she saw Wang Yang, she burst into tears.

Wang Yang said coldly: "Let go."

These four men who caught people all came with Du Sanye. They were very afraid of Wang Yang last time, but this time they turned a deaf ear to Wang Yang's words, looking at Wang Yang with eyes full of provocation.

Du Sanye sat in the hall and smiled: "People, they are just not allowed to miss, I just want to see you, I didn't expect you to send yourself to the door."

Wang Yang looked at Du Sanye and mocked: "Du San'er, you came to the door before the agreed time, your character is problematic."

Du Sanye was furious when he heard Wang Yang call him Du San'er:

"You are about to die, and you still dare to pretend to be garlic here! Tell you the truth, I have already found someone to check, the Langya Wang clan in Jingzhou, except for Wang Tai, there is no second person at all! Wait for you to go to jail, and I will play with you slowly!"

Saying that, he shouted loudly to the outside: "Tong Luozhu, catch the man!"

Three soap-clothed government runners rushed in. Seeing Wang Yang in a horn cap and white clothes, standing tall and upright, they couldn't help but be stunned, thinking that this person's dress was that of a scholar, which was different from what Du Sanye said!

Du Sanye was experienced, guessed the runners' thoughts, and said: "This liar changed his clothes, bluffing, it's him!"

The leader calmed down and said: "I am the village security chief of the Yinghu Village of Jiangling County. Someone reported that you are impersonating a gentry, swindling and bluffing, come with us."

Village security chief is a security runner at the village level in the Southern Dynasty, belonging to the County Magistrate, responsible for maintaining security in peacetime, and conscripting able-bodied men in wartime. Although he is not a big official, he also has some real power in his hands.

Tong Luozhu's original preparation was actually "immediate locking," and the two on the left and right even prepared the locks. But seeing Wang Yang's dress and temperament, he changed his tone unconsciously.

It's time to show acting skills again!

Wang Yang looked at Tong Luozhu, smiled bit by bit, and finally laughed out loud, as if he had seen something very funny.

Everyone was a little confused, especially Tong Luozhu, who was laughed at and felt a little empty in his heart,

But if he knew,

The person laughing at this time was even emptier than him, then I don't know what he would think.

Little Ah Wu had a flash of inspiration and shouted: "Don't you understand yet? My young master is laughing at you for being stupid!"

Tong Luozhu felt even more suspicious when he heard this.

"What are you dawdling for? Catch the man!" Du Sanye was very impatient, and didn't care about Tong Luozhu's face, directly issuing orders.

Tong Luozhu didn't dare to disobey Du Sanye, gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and two runners forced Wang Yang.

Wang Yang saw that there was no time to pave the way, and shouted loudly: "I am a child of the Langya Wang clan! You low-ranking petty officials, daring to bully the gentry, really don't want your lives?!"

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Note: The reason why ox carts were popular among the gentry in the Six Dynasties is very complicated, involving institutional and economic origins, and also related to cultural consciousness. Liu Zenggui discussed the spiritual symbol of "clear" represented by ox carts and the clear stream of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This statement is very true, but it is often ignored by commentators. See Liu Zenggui's "Vehicle System between Han and Sui" and Sun Zhengjun's "Manufacturing Scholar-Emperor—Ox Cart, White Gauze Hat and Jinxian Crown." ===== CHAPTER 39 =====