Chapter 22: I am the descendant of loyal and good people, what are you?

  As the situation seemed to be getting out of control, County Magistrate Su felt that this case was tricky and became angry and humiliated.

  The case is actually very clear, according to Xu Qian's words, it was the young master of the Zhang family who brought people to the Zhang family, and three adults claimed to have been beaten by a weak and young boy, which is somewhat ridiculous. Both emotionally and rationally, Xu Qian has the upper hand. But now the biggest problem lies in the fact that County Magistrate Su does not want to reason, he is an outsider who needs the support of local gentry, on one side are the humble father and son, on the other side is the renowned Zhang family of Qiantang, how can he not weigh the pros and cons?

  But to directly not ask about right or wrong and accept this pair of Xu family father and son is too blatant, Su County Magistrate is old and worldly, decides to take action from another place. He heavily slaps the shock wood, sternly saying: "How dare you, defendant Xu Qian, I have long heard that you disregard discipline, today seeing you, indeed hearing your name is not as good as meeting you in person, you dare to be so presumptuous and shout loudly in this high hall?"

  Xu Qian remained calm from start to finish, which was quite inconsistent with his age. Moreover, he spoke reasonably and cited classics, so if it weren't for the Zhang family's affair, Su County Magistrate couldn't help but have some admiration for him.

  It's hard to get off the tiger's back now, and can't take care of many things anymore.

  Xu Qianzheng said: "Your Honor, I indeed have the suspicion of shouting in the court, but this was also provoked by Zhang's family first. He scolded me as a lowly servant, and I couldn't help but retort just now. If Your Honor thinks it's not proper, I'm willing to accept punishment, please forgive me."

  Xu Qian's words left County Magistrate Su staring in astonishment, and he even wondered if this young man was really still in his tender years, yet spoke with more propriety than the old veterans of the officialdom.

  Speaking is an art, Xu Qianfang's response was very artistic. First, he explained that Zhang Taigong scolded people first, and he just counterattacked. Then, he took a step back, admitted his mistake, and asked the adult to punish him.

  If he was stubborn at this time, the county magistrate of Su would not mind pursuing and beating him severely, punishing him for a crime of shouting in public. But this kid sincerely confessed his guilt and expressed his willingness to accept punishment. However, there was one condition: if he wanted to scold, it had to be Zhang Taigong who scolded first. Xu Qian was willing to confess and accept punishment, but the county magistrate of Su couldn't just punish him while letting Zhang Taigong off scot-free. If the county magistrate of Su wanted to bully him with force, he would inevitably be criticized for colluding with local tyrants to oppress ordinary people.

  The Magistrate of Su was a jinshi by origin and had also observed politics in the capital for half a year before being demoted to Qiantang. Although he hadn't developed a belly full of city administration, he had still honed an air of experience. At this time, upon hearing Xu Qian's words, he couldn't help but size him up with surprise. This young man who was barely out of his teenage years had given him too much of a shock - not only was his tongue sharp, but also his mind was deep and profound. The Magistrate of Su couldn't help but take a deep breath, deciding to muster all his energy and use every trick in the book.

  He didn't show any emotion, but gave a cold smile and said: "Although Zhang's words were rough, they weren't exactly insulting you. You're of low birth anyway, so calling you 'lowly servant' doesn't seem out of place. On the other hand, as a younger generation, your words are improper, yet now you're being stubborn and argumentative, which is truly detestable."

  The county magistrate immediately grasped Xu Qian's weakness, and as long as Xu Qian couldn't answer this time, the rest would follow naturally. At most, he would be taken down and beaten with a board before being released.

  The onlookers outside the hall were also discussing it, thinking that this time Ren Nuo and Xu Qian had three inches of unrotten tongue, but they might not be able to help. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that the other party was determined to deal with him. In this era, officials and civilians were different, and even if you had a silver tongue, it would be useless if an official wanted to deal with you.

  Zhang Taigong stroked his long beard with a pleased smile, revealing a few triumphant grins. He had already hated this father and son to the bone, only regretting that he couldn't immediately see their miserable appearance.

  He never thought that Xu Qian's eyes would inadvertently shine, he had waited too long, just waiting for Su County Lord to say this.

  Xu Qian looked up and stared straight at County Magistrate Su, saying solemnly: "You are wrong, sir!"

  These four words were bold to the extreme, a humble servant dared to speak out that the county magistrate's parents were wrong, even County Magistrate Su couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment, and then said coldly: "Oh? This county would like to hear your brilliant opinion."

  Xu Qian said with a smile: "A small person is not a lowly servant!"

  Zhang Taigong couldn't help but burst out laughing and said venomously, "You're not a lowly servant, who is? Your father was a lowly servant, you are a lowly servant, your Xu family has been lowly servants for generations!"

  Xu Qian stood up at this time, and just now he had been kneeling for too long and felt very uncomfortable. Now standing up and looking straight at County Magistrate Su and Zhang Taigong, he suddenly felt that it was not necessary to look up at people with his head raised, nor did he need to be humble and courteous to others, which made him feel comfortable. At this time, he suddenly understood the old man, who would rather ruin his own career than go to read books and seek honors himself. If one had not experienced these things, who could understand the difference between nobility and humility?

  Xu Qian's bold move caused the county magistrate of Su to furrow his brow, raise the wooden mallet and shout: "You dare! What do you want to do?"

  "Your Honor, I've said it before - this man is reckless and arrogant. Not only did he injure my son, but now he's also shouting in the courtroom and showing disrespect to the authorities. If Your Honor doesn't severely punish him, won't the laws and rules of our country be undermined?"

  Xu Qian loudly said: "I stand up to tell the adults, and also to tell you, Zhang, that I, Xu Qian, am not a lowly servant. My ancestors were Xu Wendao, Xu Xianggong, who was a second-class scholar in the Tian Shun year, and served as a secretary in the Ministry of War. During the Tumu Crisis, he followed orders to defend the capital, and my ancestor also made great contributions. However, afterwards, Yu Shaobao was harmed by treacherous people, and my ancestor, who had spoken out for justice, also met with disaster. Unfortunately, all the old and young in our clan were implicated, and we were subsequently punished and demoted to a lowly status, losing our glory. But during the Hongzhi and Zhengde eras, the court repeatedly rehabilitated Yu Shaobao and my ancestor, and recently, the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue verified the identity of the Xu family from Qiantang, issued a document, and removed the lowly status from the Xu family."

  Xu Qian said, "I am a descendant of a loyal and honest family. However, today in this hall, the Zhang family has repeatedly humiliated me. My ancestors may have been minor officials, but they had integrity and could stand up for themselves without fear of evil or bullying. If I were to be subservient today, would it not bring shame to my family?" He glared fiercely at Zhang Taigong, who looked shocked and unsure of what to do. Xu Qian continued, "What are you, anyway? Even if your family has a few scholars, they rely on the residual influence of their ancestors to act tyrannically in Hangzhou. If I am a lowly official, then you are not even worthy of being one. A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Xu Qian may have nothing else, but he has integrity. You have repeatedly humiliated me; how will this account be settled?"

  Zhang Taigong was tongue-tied and momentarily forgot to counterattack.

  He has realized that he seems to have fallen into a trap and been led astray.

  What was even more astonishing was County Magistrate Su, who had been completely stunned into silence.

  Zhong Liang's descendant? Still his mother's family is related to Yu Shao Bao?

  Magistrate Su's keen political sense quickly realized that something was amiss, although Xu Qian's ancestors were several generations ago, even if there was a blood relationship, it had already become diluted by now. The problem is that Magistrate Su wants to achieve political success, he must have the support of the gentry, but in order to gain fame, he must also have the approval of the scholars' clear discussions.

  What kind of person is Yu Shao, and what about those ancestors of the Xu family? To put it bluntly, in the eyes of scholars, these people are all worthy of being revered as loyal and virtuous ministers. If Su County Magistrate were to indiscriminately arrest Xu Qian here today, once news gets out, he would certainly incur the wrath of countless scholars and officials from various departments would rush to take him down.

  After being called a loyal and honest person... this thing can't be eaten, nor does it have any benefits, but it has a great deterrent effect on the Magistrate of Su County. The current problem is that after Zhang Taigong scolded someone as a humble servant for generations, he actually gave his support to himself, and Xu Shangong's later generations were scolded as humble servants for generations. Although it can be said that those who don't know won't blame him, but the impact on the official reputation of Su County is also not small.

  He was stunned, his head buzzing, and he really didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He had thought it was a straightforward case, just a simple matter of helping the wealthy gentleman collect a small debt from a commoner. But first, he had been suppressed by the young man's words everywhere, and now he had stirred up such a hornet's nest.

  Could it be that he's having a bad year and encountered evil spirits today?

  ………………

  A new book has started, drawing on the experience and shortcomings of "The Wife is Like a Cloud" and "Good Husband in Ming Dynasty". The old author has not slept well for many days, thinking every day about how to improve himself. However, the support from old readers seems to be insufficient, so that the new book starts with a disadvantage everywhere. Sighing, complaining for two sentences, I can only continue writing books with peace of mind.