The Archivist of Fushui didnāt believe it, thinking that Ye Ziāan was just bluffing in his death throes.
"Ye Ziāan, we wonāt believe you," Peng Lide said as he got up.
Ye Er looked at the crowd and couldnāt help but lean his head back and cover his face; these people were shamelessly brazen, not only shameless but also cruel and stupid.
Ye Wu was the same; he had a fierce temper. With a turn of his head, he dragged out the bailiff who had seen them three days before.
"You, you, you, just you, tell your Lord, did we not have one less person here?"
"This subordinate... this subordinate doesnāt know," the bailiff genuinely didnāt know; he hadnāt paid attention to how many people had come at that time.
Ye Ziāan gestured with his hand, signaling Ye Wu to step back. "Peng Lide, didnāt the innkeeper report anything to you?"
Upon hearing this, Peng Lide suddenly remembered a few words that the innkeeperās messenger had told him that morning, which he hadnāt taken seriously at the time.
Thinking about it now, this group had come prepared.
Seeing Peng Lideās expression, everyone knew that the words were not false.
"Peng Lide, now you only have one way out. I donāt care if you moved the money from the governmental office or if you people dig into your own pockets, but bring out the thirty-three thousand and five hundred taels of silver. Otherwise... I believe the prefectureās jail would be very welcoming to all of you."
By now, everyone knew that excuses were futile. No one knew better than them whether the documents were genuine. Back then, they even had someone from the prefecture vouch for them, even though that person had been bribed, but the prefecture wasnāt ruled by just that one person.
"Lord Ye, letās talk this over. Weāve all met and are colleagues; why be so aggressive?" Peng Lide finally recognized the reality, and his sycophantic face began to change.
"Peng Lide, stop playing tricks in front of me. You and your people here, nothing you say will matter."
Ye Ziāan cast a cool glance around the room. "Iām pressed for time. Within two hours, I want to see the thirty-three thousand and five hundred taels of silver. Oh no, you have to add another five hundred, since it seems your wife from Peng Lideās family was the one who broke the vase that cost Mianyang Countyās Stone Village to pay out five hundred taels in compensation."
"Taking Mianyang Countyās silver and bullying Mianyang Countyās people, where did you get the audacity?"
As he finished speaking, Ye Ziāan flung a cup to the ground near Peng Lideās feet, the water from the cup wetting Peng Lideās official robe.
But the Principal Clerk of Fushui spoke, "Lord Ye, when you first gave Fushui County the silver, it was for excavating a channel to connect with the great river of Fushui. Youāre definitely going to dig that channel, and youāre bound to give our people of Fushui County the silver. Now you want the silver back, are you planning to abandon the channel excavation?"
The Archivist of Fushui also said, "Right, Lord Ye, since you need to pass through our county, you have to pay our county the silver. Whether we give it to the villagers or not, thatās our matter. You just dig your channel, wonāt that do?"
"Pfft, you think Mianyang is a fool? If we give the silver to your county office and you donāt distribute it to the people, then the people wonāt dig the channel for us. If the villagers start a commotion with Mianyang County while your county office sits back with the silver, turning a blind eye?"
Ye Ziāan was no longer interested in wasting words with this bunch. He had his own plans for how this matter would end, "Cut the crap, with your countyās attitude in this cooperation, I need to reconsider whether my channel should pass through your county at all. So Iāll wait here for the thirty-three thousand and five hundred taels of silver in two hours."