Shipin Dalizheng

Chapter 206 Disputes

He glanced at the villagers, and they were also looking at him, obviously at a loss.

Finally, someone spoke up, "Prince Rong, Scholar Hong is a man of honor. If our village insists on filing a complaint, can you... can you kill everyone in our village?"

He was really using the harshest tone to say the most cowardly words. Rong Tang snorted coldly, "I don't think you're here to seek justice for Mr. Hong. You're here to ask for favors, right? If you have something to say, come on."

Village Chief Hong blushed and coughed. "Prince Rong, I heard that you and six other villages have signed sorghum planting contracts, and each village has been given three water dragon carts. Why don't you sign with our Dahong Village?"

"I'll sign with whoever I want to, it's none of your business. Just tell me and get out of here."

Village Chief Hong opened his mouth several times and said, "Our village will also plant sorghum next year, and we will also need water dragon carts. Whatever other villages have, we want too."

However, one villager was indignant and said, "How can this be? The sorghum and the water dragon carts were originally supposed to be given to us. In addition to these, they still have to compensate our village for the loss of 1,000 taels of silver."

Rong Tang was so angry that he laughed. This person was trying to blackmail him and owed them three water cannon trucks.

The villagers of Rongjia Village cursed, "Shameless bastards, who deserves you? Other villages also pay silver when they want water dragon carts. What's wrong with you, Dahong Village, being so shameless? You still want to lose a thousand taels, what do you lose?"

Villager Hong said, "Mr. Hong is the most capable person in our village. He might become the top scholar in the imperial examination and bring honor to the village. Asking you to pay a thousand taels is too little."

Rong An said in a deep voice: "Mr. Hong is just a last-place scholar. He has been studying for so many years that his hair has turned white, but he has not achieved anything. Don't make me laugh to death."

Gousheng said, "That's right. Our uncle Hanzi is very strong and might become a great general in the future. But you guys beat him up. If we have to pay, you should compensate us."

"Yeah."

The villagers of Rongjia Village were unprecedentedly united, making a lot of noise and joking around, leaving the people of Dahong Village speechless.

Just as the argument was getting intense, Mayor Gao arrived to deliver the red deed. Seeing that things were not going well, he shouted, "What are you doing? Whoever dares to make a move will be arrested immediately."

With his joining, the village chief of Dahong Village breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly pulled Mayor Gao aside and told him what happened last night.

Rong Dajiang also talked about the personal grudge between Dahanzi and Hong Xiuquan afterwards. At the moment, both sides were at fault. If you look into it carefully, Hong Xiucai had a life on his hands and was more responsible.

In the past, Rongjia Village was in decline and was forced to have nowhere to turn to for help by a scholar. No one spoke up for Rong Xueyan. But now we have Prince Rong!

Mayor Gao said, "What's so trivial about this that it's causing a brawl between the two villages? This is a personal feud between Hong Xiucai and Rong Dahanzi, and it has nothing to do with the other villagers, nor with Rong Shizi. Village Chief Hong, blackmailing Rong Shizi is a shameful act, and you should be ashamed of yourself. Why are you so confident? Come on, take Rong Dahanzi away, and then go to Dahong Village to arrest Hong Xiucai and hold him accountable for the murder."

Village Chief Hong panicked, "Chief Gao, you can't arrest Mr. Hong. He is the victim, and we are the plaintiffs."

Mayor Gao said, "Let's put it this way. Rong Dahanzi injured Hong Xiucai, and you are the plaintiffs. Hong Xiucai killed Li Zongbao, and the villagers of Rongjia Village are the plaintiffs. Who from your village will go with me to the county and fill in the complaint?"

This really means that they have to take the matter to the government. The villagers of Rongjia Village are very panicked, and Village Chief Hong is even more panicked. Mr. Hong cannot go to court, otherwise it will be the end of him.

"Chief Gao, we don't want any other compensation. We just want a few water hoses. Prince Rong must give us a few. The fields are running out of water, and the villagers are carrying water day and night, but it's not enough."

Mayor Gao glared at him and said, "Damn it! I already told you that Prince Rong doesn't owe you anything. If you want a water dragon cart, go buy it yourself."

Village Chief Hong was miserable. If they could buy it, they would have bought it long ago. Yesterday, they heard that other villages had signed contracts with Prince Rong, but not theirs. Village Chief Hong was still a little unconvinced, so he dragged Scholar Hong into the capital to buy a water dragon cart.

Who knew that when they approached the Ministry of Industry workshop and asked, they were told that the water dragon vehicles were on limited sale. They couldn't even fulfill the orders from high-ranking officials, and the orders for ordinary people were already three years away. If they wanted to add a machine, they needed a written approval from an official at least above the level of a minister.

At this time, Mr. Hong’s reputation was nothing. Only then did they realize how thick Rong Shizi’s legs were.

Village Chief Hong's lips trembled a few times, and he said with difficulty: "We will buy it from Prince Rong."

Mayor Gao repeated Village Chief Hong's words verbatim, and Rong Tang's lips curled up, "One hundred taels a frame, not a penny less."

The people of Dahong Village were in an uproar when they heard this. "Isn't this bullying? Three racks from other villages only cost one hundred taels."

Mayor Gao raised his voice and said, "What are you trying to compare yourself to with other villages? They're seven villages united, and they have one headman. They're one family. Besides, it's a fair trade, and there's no coercion. If you want to buy, go home and get the money. If you don't want to buy, get out. And as for this lawsuit, do you still want to fight it? If you do, come back to the county office with me. If you don't want to, sign a written agreement. If anyone nags me about this again, I'll punish them."

After a round of threats and intimidation, Village Chief Hong's face turned red and white, and he finally had to compromise and signed the agreement.

"We don't have that much silver right now. We have to go back and collect some. We'll give you an answer tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

Rong Tang pinched the letter of agreement between two fingers and yawned, "No rush. The water dragon carts will still take two days to arrive, but you have to hurry. This prince has only ordered thirty. The other six villages need eighteen, and Fuxinzhuang needs five. That leaves only..."

Mayor Gao said hurriedly, "Someone asked me to buy three."

Rong Shi respectfully presented a hundred taels of silver, and he did not think it was too little, so he gestured to Rong An to accept it.

"There are only four left. I don't know what's left in other villages..."

Village Chief Hong said hurriedly, "We want two, and we'll send the money in the afternoon."

Rong Tang said slowly, "Actually, this prince has no problem with most people in Dahong Village. After all, there are more than just the Hong family in Dahong Village. The main problem is that the families of Hong Xiucai and Hong Tongsheng are of low character and are looked down upon. If Dahong Village is willing to drive these two families out of the village, three water dragon carts and one hundred taels of silver would not be a problem."

Village Chief Hong felt a sinking feeling in his heart when he heard this. It was over, these two families were finished.

He had no money, and there was no money in the village public account. He would have to mobilize every household to contribute money when he returned. It was so expensive that the villagers would surely complain.

If we drive away the families of Hong Xiucai and Hong Tongsheng, we can save two hundred taels of silver. It is hard not to be tempted.

Even if the villagers did not drive away these two families in the end, other people would think that the village had spent a lot of extra money because of them and would feel dissatisfied.

After all, there were close relatives of these two families, and they said indignantly, "Why are you trying to kill them all? There are also girls from your Rong Village who married into our Dahong Village. Don't you want them to have a better life?"

Rong Tang's originally calm expression flashed with anger. "Are you trying to threaten me with my wife? The price of the water dragon cart has increased. Two hundred taels."

The man's face changed, "You are really not afraid... not afraid..."

He looked at the other villagers of Rongjia Village and asked, "Don't you care?"

Rong Dajiang was furious. "You shameless bastard! Didn't the girls from Dahong Village marry into Rongjia Village? You want to threaten our prince for such a trivial matter? Come on, who's afraid of who?"

Mayor Gao saw that the situation was escalating to the point where they were threatening each other with their daughters. He knew that chaos was about to break out, so he hurriedly called for an end to the situation.