~ THE END OF TAN BAWANG ~
“Lord Zhao is wise!”
“Leave it to Lord Zhao. We can rest assured.”
Mu Yunyao stepped forward and bowed. “This humble one thanks Lord Zhao on behalf of Ming Yin.”
“Miss Mu, you are too polite. It is my duty and responsibility. Please wait for the good news.” County Magistrate Zhao ordered the officials under his command, “Take Tan Bawang and his attendant back to the County Government Office. Bring the teacups and other evidence along with them.”
“I’m sending you off, Lord Zhao.” Mu Yunyao stood up, turned around, and bowed to the guests who had helped her testify. “Thank you for your righteous words. Today, you all can have free tea in Bu Xian Luo. It’s a form of apology to the guests for disturbing everyone.”
“Miss Mu does not need to be so courteous. How can we watch you and Miss Ming Yin bullied by them?”
“Yeah, I still have to pay for the tea.”
Mu Yunyao smiled as she shook her head. “When everyone clearly knows that Cai Yue Pavilion is like the sun in the sky, and you can still stand up and testify for Bu Xian Luo. My heart is full of gratitude. Naturally, I have to reward this kind-hearted and righteousness. I have already felt so thin just by exempting one day’s tea money.”
When the words left Mu Yunyao’s mouth, they carried a sincere tone. Everyone felt a burst of comfort in their hearts as if they had done an extraordinary thing: “Alright. Many thanks, Miss Mu.”
Mu Yunyao supported Ming Yin back to the backyard to rest. After avoiding everyone’s gaze, Ming Yin stood up, curtsied, and said, “I’ve made Miss Mu and Shopkeeper Qin worry.”
Steward Qin shook his head helplessly: “Although you have lost some sense of courtesy in doing things, you have achieved remarkable results. I will give you two months of your wages. During this time, you can have a good rest and take care of the wound on your hands.”
Mu Yunyao also knew about Ming Yin. It said that her original name was Ming Yin (冥音) instead of Ming Yin (铭音). She learned assassination techniques, and she was the most outstanding among the people trained in that batch. If it wasn’t for Shopkeeper Qin’s request to not cause trouble in the building, Tan Bawang and his attendant had already been decapitated long ago.
After arranging someone to take care of Ming Yin, Mu Yunyao and Steward Qin walked out. “Shopkeeper Qin, when the guests who have testified for us leave, each person will be wrapped with two taels of tea as a gift. We can’t just let them be frightened for no reason.”
“Alright, we’ll follow Miss Mu’s arrangements.”
When she returned home, Su Qing hurriedly came out to welcome her. When she saw Mu Yunyao, she quickly pulled her up and down to examine her. “Yao’er, are you alright?” If it wasn’t for Si Qin stopping her, she had already rushed to Jin Xiu Garden.
Mu Yunyao quickly held Su Qing’s hand. “Mother, don’t worry. I’m fine. It’s just that Ming Yin was injured. But after recuperating for a while, she’ll be fine.”
“How come that Tan Bawang is always haunting us like a ghost. Tan Lin is also an ungrateful person. After learning the embroidery needle technique from us, he only cares about getting credit and fame for himself. He really is ungrateful!”
“Mother, didn’t we both talk about it long ago? Why are you so angry today?” Tan Lin turned his face ruthlessly was within her expectations. It would be strange if he didn’t.
“I don’t think it’s worth it. Tan Lin is truly ungrateful.” Even though she had guessed it, she still felt so depressed when facing it.
Mu Yunyao pulled her to sit down, “Don’t think about this matter anymore. In two days, everything will be peaceful and quiet.” The reputation of Cai Yue Pavilion was out, and there were quite a few people who could not sit still. It would not be long before Cai Yue Pavilion would follow the example of the Spring Embroidery Workshop (Chun Xiu Fang).
Within two days, County Magistrate Zhao convicted Tan Bawang and sentenced him to the crime. He framed the reputation of Bu Xian Luo by poisoning his tea and assaulting a woman, so he hit with a wooden plank. After 50 rounds, Tan Bawang had sent into exile as punishment. Tan Lin came to deal with him several times but failed to bring down Tan Bawang’s charge.
When Tan Bawang took out of the city, many people came to watch. It had said that a lot of people threw stones at him, smashing his head until it bled profusely. “Miss, you didn’t see that County Magistrate Zhao didn’t show the slightest mercy. The fifty planks almost took half of Tan Bawang’s life. After that, he didn’t even have time to rest but directly let the officers take him away. Along the way, there were even some people throwing things at him. When he left the city, he almost crawled out of the city. It seems to be able to relieve the hatred.”
Mu Yunyao smiled and did not take it to heart. “The reason he has his fate today is also that he has committed too many evil deeds in the past. Rumor said that Cai Yue Pavilion has a powerful influence in Huai’an City, and Tan Bawang has often bullied men and women. He was forcing people to die. I don’t even know how many were there. If you count it seriously, he should be beheading. It’s not enough to pay with ten times of cutting him off, and it’s a cheap thing for him to leave life.”
Jin Qiao nodded her head heavily: “Yes.”
In the afternoon, when Mu Yunyao had just gotten her afternoon nap, Liu Liang came over to ask for an audience, “Mistress, we’ve already investigated some of the things you want. There are many salt merchants in Jiangnan, but only the three that can be called giants. They are Wu, Cao, and Wei. Among them, Wu Minzhi of the Wu family is the leader of the salt merchants and has great influence.”
“Is there any way to find out what Wu Minzhi’s preferences are?” Mu Yunyao carefully thought about it, and her mind turned quickly.
“There are rumors that he likes to collect porcelain, and there are also rumors that he loves tea. However, he should have a mediocre preference for these two items. On the contrary, he is quite pleased with flowers and plants. He once spent a lot of money to buy two pots of Peony Blossom King in Luoyang and collected many precious orchids.”
Mu Yunyao’s eyes moved, “You think of a way to check and confirm if he really likes flowers and plants. Also, keep an eye on the movements of the salt merchants. After a while, the order for the imperial court to check the salt tax should come down. They will not start their work until they are in a burning situation. There must be arrangements in advance. We must seize the opportunity.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
When Liu Liang left, Mu Yunyao smiled lightly. “If you really like exotic flowers and strange plants, then it would be easier to handle.” There was a greenhouse in the backyard of Jin Xiu Garden. But due to the lack of people to manage it, people do not use it. She could borrow some and use them. Since she wants to intervene in the salt tax, she naturally has to get on good terms with the salt merchant leaders.
Mu Yunyao went to take a look at the greenhouse in Jin Xiu Garden. She had ordered some people to find a craftsman to repair and clean up the greenhouse. It always maintained pretty well, so it didn’t take too long. In just five or six days, it would be ready. During this time, people can search for some flowers and plants.
After busying herself for an entire afternoon, Mu Yunyao went to bed to rest early. In the middle of the night, when she was fast asleep, a knock on the door suddenly rang. She had just put on her clothes when Jin Lan hurriedly ran in: “Miss, Miss Yin Hong has come to deliver a message that Lady Jin is about to give birth. It has already started. Please go there quickly.”
Mu Yunyao frowned, put on clothes quickly, and said: “Isn’t it going to take another half a month?”
“This servant is also not clear. But Miss Yin Hong’s expression was extremely terrible.”
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