TGCFNM -Chapter 224 This Is a Conspiracy

Chu Ling was so angry she laughed, her voice dark and chilling.

“You didn’t intend to do anything?”

Qin Changfeng lowered his head in fear and stammered dryly, “N-no, we didn’t do anything.”

Chu Ling flung the sorted evidence in her hand and looked at Qin Changfeng, who was kneeling below. “What exactly you were trying to do—I’ve already investigated it thoroughly!”

Qin Changfeng raised his trembling head.

With a sweeping motion of her hand, Chu Ling barked coldly, “Bring in the criminal—Zhang Sanma!”

A constable quickly went to fetch him. By the time Zhang Sanma was escorted into the yamen, Qin Changfeng’s legs had already gone numb from kneeling, and he failed to notice the look Zhang Sanma shot him.

Chu Ling gave the constable a glance. The constable immediately forced Zhang Sanma to kneel and positioned himself between him and Qin Changfeng.

Chu Ling slammed the gavel. “Zhang Sanma, the accused before the court—do you acknowledge your crimes?”

Zhang Sanma’s eyes darted about. He bowed his head and kowtowed. “My lord, this commoner… this commoner does not know what crime he has committed.”

“Oh? You don’t know?” Chu Ling let out a mocking snort. “How many loans have passed through your hands? Are you pretending not to know, or are there simply too many for you to remember?”

“My lord, my lord, when someone is in difficulty and needs to borrow money, how could our money house refuse?” Zhang Sanma said, sneaking a glance at Chu Ling.

Chu Ling looked down at him. “So you’re saying that whenever someone wants to borrow money, you always lend it?”

“Y-yes, my lord. That’s right.” Zhang Sanma steadied himself, his heart calming. “My lord, borrowing and repaying money is only natural and proper. This commoner does not know where the crime lies.”

“You set the interest rates far too high,” Chu Ling said coldly.

Hearing this, Zhang Sanma relaxed considerably. “My lord, it was all written clearly in black and white. If they were unwilling, they needn’t have borrowed. Since they borrowed, they ought to repay, shouldn’t they?”

“But once someone fails to repay, they lose their life. Wasn’t Liu Fu driven to death this way?” Chu Ling asked, frowning.

Zhang Sanma’s eyes shifted, and the corners of his lips curled into a fawning smile. “My lord, but wasn’t Liu Fu’s debt written off entirely? I heard it was Your Excellency who ruled on it. That matter was already settled.”

Chu Ling tilted her head and looked at him. “Who is the real master behind your money house?”

“My lord, naturally our owner stands behind it. Our owner’s surname is Zhang—he is my own paternal uncle,” Zhang Sanma replied respectfully.

“Is that so?” Chu Ling looked at him meaningfully. Then she took out the compiled evidence and began reading it aloud in front of him.

“In Dongle City, there are thirteen households engaged in moneylending. Aside from Master Qi, who relied on his reputation to lend money, the others are merchants similar to the Lin family. Furthermore, these thirteen households do not personally handle the lending. There are intermediaries acting as guarantors—people like you, the manager of Wantong Money House, and shopkeepers such as Qin Changfeng of Jixiang Restaurant.”

By now, Zhang Sanma was no longer worried at all. He knelt there respectfully, unmoved and impervious, not uttering an extra word.

Chu Ling let out a low, cold snort. Looking toward the commoners gathered outside, she continued:

“These intermediaries can help the thirteen households issue loans, collect debts, and even resort to forceful threats. One could say they allow the lenders to act without fear of consequences. But not just anyone can serve as a guarantor. They bear the risks as well—if something goes wrong, they are the first to face the consequences.”

“Of course, no one acts without profit. As guarantors, they receive thirty percent of the repayment. In other words, Lin Zhu lent Liu Fu thirty taels. Because Liu Fu failed to repay on time, he was required to return three hundred taels. Of those three hundred taels, thirty percent—one hundred taels—was to be paid to Qin Changfeng, Shopkeeper Qin of Jixiang Restaurant.”

Qin Changfeng’s pupils contracted. He swallowed nervously and looked at Chu Ling. “Yes, my lord. After all, bearing such risk carries… carries great danger…”

“So,” Chu Ling’s voice rose slightly as she laid out the evidence piece by piece, “why take on such a great risk? Risk and profit go hand in hand. If the profit is high enough, you might be willing to bear the risk. But you’re merely the manager of a tavern. Why would you shoulder such enormous risk? And why would both the lender and the borrower trust you so completely?”

Qin Changfeng’s breathing faltered. Trembling, he said in a low voice, “Your Excellency, I have been a shopkeeper for many years and have built up some credibility. That is why they trust me.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Chu Ling curled her lips, her eyes turning cold. “Isn’t it because you have someone backing you? The one they truly trust is the person behind you, isn’t it?”

Qin Changfeng’s eyes widened in shock. Flustered, he hurriedly explained, “Your Excellency, the Auspicious Tavern has been passed down from my grandfather. There… there is no one else behind me.”

“You are lying!” Chu Ling barked coldly.

Qin Changfeng quickly kowtowed several times. “Your Excellency, I am not lying! I truly am not!”

Chu Ling slammed the sounding block and rebuked him, “Fine. I will assume you are not lying. Then answer me this: why act as a guarantor? Why help the lenders impose such exorbitant interest? Why harm the common people who borrow money?”

“Speak! Why!”

Qin Changfeng swallowed nervously. “Your Excellency, this… this was done with mutual consent. I did not… I did not harm anyone…”

“That’s not it! This is a conspiracy of Great Yuan!” Chu Ling suddenly shouted.

The onlooking townspeople erupted into an uproar.

A conspiracy of Great Yuan?

The neighboring state of Great Yuan? What conspiracy?

Even Qin Changfeng was stunned. What did this have to do with Great Yuan?

Zhang Sanma looked baffled as well. How had simple lending and borrowing suddenly been dragged into matters involving Great Yuan?

Chu Ling suppressed her laughter as she surveyed the shocked faces below, then glanced at the utterly bewildered Fu Qingyu. She gave a light cough to draw everyone’s attention back.

“What I say is by no means baseless!”

“On the contrary, I already possess solid evidence!”

The townspeople’s eyes widened. They looked at one another, unease creeping into their hearts.

“A conspiracy by Great Yuan?”

“What does Great Yuan want?”

“If they oppress the common people and stir up public resentment, then when the time comes…”

The man hurriedly covered his mouth, not daring to finish his sentence.

But everyone understood what he meant. Faces pale, they looked toward Chu Ling seated upright in the main hall, waiting for her explanation.

Chu Ling lifted her chin slightly. Her gaze, deep and heavy, fell upon Qin Changfeng and Zhang Sanma. Her voice was as cold as an ice cellar, sending chills through the room.

“Lending has existed among the people since ancient times. But such exorbitant lending has never been seen before. Even in all my years as an official, this is the first time I have heard of such a method here in Dongle City. This is clearly something new—something deliberately devised.”

“From the very beginning, this kind of loan is designed so that no matter how you repay it, you can never clear the debt. Tell me—our Great Zhou has always been known for its simple and honest folkways. Who here would conceive of such a vicious scheme? At a glance, it is obvious that the neighboring Great Yuan deliberately introduced this to infiltrate Great Zhou. By using lending as a tool, they drive the people into fury and resentment, making them despise the court for failing to stop such a heartless practice. When Great Yuan eventually invades, the people will surely turn against us!”

“What a vicious scheme! This is collusion with the enemy—treason against the nation!”

Zhang Sanma and Qin Changfeng stared at Chu Ling in utter disbelief. In an instant, their faces drained of all color, turning deathly pale.