Chapter 586

This cunning, vicious woman!

Chun'er's family glared at Li Qingluo with fierce hatred; even though she is a formidable businesswoman, she is still just a woman!

She is still a woman who now even shows her face without covering it, shameless!

On this matter, they will absolutely not stop here.

Chun'er's father slapped Chun'er's mother.

"Foolish woman!"

"The master promised fifty taels, yet we were fooled by these lackeys under the master."

"Is that so, the young master of Wangzhen Hall?"

"Otherwise, would thirty taels be enough to buy the life of our Chun'er?"

"Then our family would rather forgo the thirty taels and take Chun'er."

"We demand justice; the world cannot keep our mouths shut, forbidding us from crying out in pain and grievance, can it?"

The speaker is Chun'er's father.

He raised his voice to stir the onlookers' sympathy.

Indeed, some people believed his nonsense.

"It seems they are sincere about their daughter. They would rather have a child than this money; what a sin indeed."

"Exactly, no amount of money can compensate for the daughter's return to life; Wangzhen Hall should give them justice."

"Justice!"

"Justice!"

Li Qingluo confirmed again in her heart that this family definitely has someone behind them directing.

Otherwise they couldn't utter words like "scavenger dog" or "cover one's mouth" at all.

Being able to stir the common folk's emotions as well, they are indeed prepared.

Que'er was so angry she almost rushed forward to give them a lesson herself.

"You—"

"You are causing such unreasonable trouble—"

Li Qingluo reached out and stopped Que'er.

She stared at Chun'er's father, narrowing her eyes deeply.

"Fifty taels."

"I give you fifty taels; does that mean you will stop the trouble?"

"You really have the nerve to open your mouth like a roaring lion!"

"Just don't know— I give, would you dare to take?"

Chun'er's father and mother's eyes instantly brightened severalfold upon hearing this.

It seems they really can get it, huh?

Why not just take it? Why not dare?

And with this one, the next time, the time after that, every few days they'll come to cause trouble again, not fearing that this businesswoman, now with a lever, will refuse!

From now on, their family will never have to worry about food, drink, or silver again.

Chun'er's father quickly gave a light cough.

And his face swiftly showed a pained expression: "We are not an unreasonable family either."

"It's just that our Chun'er was innocently implicated and died so pitifully; as her father, I would truly rather have my daughter return than let you use that silver to silence us…"

These words naturally drew more sympathy from the crowd.

Que'er rolled her eyes to the heavens.

Are all these people who enjoy the spectacle but dislike trouble really pig‑brained?

Li Qingluo quietly watched him perform.

When his lamenting was nearly over, she calmly said, "Great Chu law is written in black and white, crystal clear: if a worker dies from a work injury, compensation is twenty times the monthly wage."

"Chun'er is a tea‑serving maid, whose monthly wage at my Wangzhen Hall is five hundred qian."

"According to the law, giving you ten taels of silver as compensation is already lawful."

"Yesterday this matter was handled personally by my close steward Granny, and because your family caused such a ruckus, seeing your genuine grief, we shared your sorrow, so Granny gave thirty taels of silver."

"That adds up to about sixty times the monthly wage, right?"

"Your family lost a daughter; I am deeply grieved as well. So giving this sixtyfold, I think it is reasonable."

"That, then, counts as Wangzhen Hall's benevolence, right?"

"But you keep coming back again and again to cause trouble, treating Wangzhen Hall as a money‑tree, taking money whenever you wish, right?!"

She let out a fierce shout, her aura flaring instantly, startling Chun'er's father so his leg trembled.

The two old men pressed onto the bench nearly collapsed from weakness.

The surrounding murmurs rose again in an instant.

"So much? Five hundred qian!? This maid's wages are quite high."

"Indeed, five hundred qian; such a wage is hard to find in Nan'an."

"Er Shuanzi's father works at the dock moving cargo, earning only ten copper coins a day."

"This maid's job is just serving tea and water, and I heard at their Wangzhen Hall they even provide meals—big fish and meat. Yet she still earns five hundred qian a month? No wonder Er Shuanzi's father can't even match a little maid."

"How come we never get such work? Even death is compensated so much; who wouldn't want it?"

"In that case, giving thirty taels is truly generous. Even if they sold this maid—if she were exceptionally beautiful and well‑shaped—they could sell her for ten taels and that would be a fortune."

"Now with thirty taels, they still aren't satisfied!"

"Exactly. Wang San's younger brother died while moving goods last year and only received a compensation of two taels of silver. What else can be done? If they go to sue the authorities, that would also be in accordance with the laws of Great Chu."

"At first hearing, it seemed their family didn't care about thirty taels, but indeed it seemed they were still unsatisfied and wanted more, right?"

"It's just that the eastern household is generous, yet they still want to get even more."

"Pah! Shameless. Such a good thing has come to you, and you're still dissatisfied?"

"Exactly, the people are dead, what justice do you still want? Go find the arsonist. It's not as if Wangzhen Lou deliberately caused your daughter's death."

"I heard Wangzhen Lou lost over ten thousand taels of jewelry; aren't they even worse off?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Chun'er's father, you shouldn't be so greedy. Be careful not to overindulge and burst your own belly, or it'll be a loss you can't repay."

In an instant the situation turned around.

It seemed everyone had seen through Chun'er's family's tricks, becoming so clear‑headed that even Que'er was a bit shocked.

Chun'er's family never expected it would turn out like this.

One by one, urgency finally appeared on their faces.

"No, we just want Chun'er. We only want our own daughter; we don't want silver."

"We just want justice; you've misunderstood us."

Someone who heard this laughed in anger and spat fiercely on Chun'er's mother's face.

"Do you have any shame? You only want justice. Yesterday I personally saw you leave here and then go to the market to buy meat to take back."

"I also saw them buying new cloth."

"All that money has already been spent, and you still want the daughter? They have no power to resurrect the dead; you know the person won't return, so isn't this pointless meddling?"

"Clearly you just want more money!"

Jealousy ultimately reddens the eyes.

Thirty taels isn't important.

But a monthly stipend of five hundred qian can make people drool with envy and feel unfairness.

One by one, when they spoke, they were naturally filled with a sense of justice.

Li Qingluo, seeing this, then spoke again: "Thank you all for speaking justice on our behalf."

"However, we are a business that opens its doors."

"Their crying and causing a ruckus has seriously affected our restaurant's business. Not only have they driven away our patrons, but they have also left a bad impression of our restaurant and silver shop on the customers."

"Moreover, in the future any of our shops hiring new workers or assistants will no longer dare to easily employ ordinary townsfolk's girls and boys."

"Who knows if they might become the next greedy ones?"

When everyone heard this, they became even more urgent.

If we still need to hire new staff later, won't everyone have a chance to get this five‑hundred‑qian job?

If we don't hire, how can we proceed?

So everyone rose up in anger and began hurling insults at Chun'er's family.

Some even started throwing and smashing blue cabbage leaves and rotten eggs.

Soon, Chun'er's family was attacked into a disheveled state, unable to escape.

"Everyone, listen to our explanation…"

"Everyone, don't be fooled by this merchant lady!!"

Li Qingluo, with a cold heart, watched their fate.

Suddenly, she seemed to recall something.

"Right. You're correct; I'm just a merchant woman of a certain status. Regarding this loss, should you also reckon with us on how to compensate?"

Chun'er's family, upon hearing this, were shocked and their faces changed dramatically.

"What!?"

"You want us to compensate? On what grounds?"

A coquettish voice cut through the crowd: "Just because this Flower Pavilion Restaurant isn't the place where you caused the disturbance!"

"Just because Lady Nanguo is no longer a low‑status merchant woman to be trampled upon, but a dignified Princess of the Yue Kingdom!"

"You rebellious commoners, whoever offended her today, this palace will not be lenient!"

The crowd looked up in all directions.

The arriving carriage bore the gilded‑jade Seventh Princess.

The commoners all knelt on the ground.

"May I have an audience with the Princess."

Zongzheng Xingyao stared coldly at the crowd on the ground and let out a cold snort.

"What audacity!"

"How dare you cause trouble here; I think you're living with no patience!"

The royal anger made the commoners tremble in fear.

Just now the Princess said that Lady Nanguo is actually what—a Princess of the Yue Kingdom?

What's going on?

Everyone's hearts were pounding with tension, but the Seventh Princess didn't continue that line; instead she angrily asked: "Do you know who set fire to that Wangzhen Lou and why?"

"It was the Sixth Prince Zongzheng Wuheng, already declared a rebel by the Emperor himself!"

"If it weren't for rescuing the Holy Majesty and escorting the Emperor back to the palace, Wangzhen Lou would not have been set ablaze. Not only were lives lost, but also a great loss of property."

"Even our royal court has not yet taken a stance on compensating her."

"Yet they first pinned these vermin onto you."

"Since you have such capability and are not satisfied with her sincere compensation for Wangzhen Lou, go and sue at the Nanan Prefecture Yamen!"

"If we don't arrest each and every greedy ghost and throw them in jail to think it over, we won't know whether that Southern Palace Maiden is really the one who ought to give you justice!"

"Want justice?"

"In my view, it's just that she's too kind-hearted, which is why she's fed each of your appetites until they're bigger than a glutton's!"

"Come on, arrest these troublemakers already!"

"Send them to the government office for a thorough investigation to see what they're really up to!"

"With the princess's order, the guards quickly stepped forward to seize the people."

"Naturally, Chun'er's family burst into another round of wailing and lamenting."

"But the royal guards aren't the type to stand on ceremony; in a few moves they had everyone bound and their mouths gagged."

"Li Qingluo looked at Zongzheng Xingyao, full of helplessness."

"After the two entered the restaurant, Zongzheng Xingyao, eager to please, stepped forward and asked: 'How was it? Did I do well just now?'"

"I've got your back, after all. Isn't there anyone more formidable than your husband?"