My father is a white-faced person, and my son is a red-faced person. Do you really think he doesn’t know who imprisoned him in the first place?
This Li Shanchang is simply treating him like a fool.
Moreover, Hu Changan is really not guilty now. As long as the Jinyi Guards continue to investigate, they can finally clear his name.
If you believe Li Qi's lies, then Hu Changan will become guilty this time, even though he is not guilty.
After all, only those with a guilty conscience would hurriedly find someone to build relationships with before the investigation results are out.
After listening to Li Qi's words, Hu Changan said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "Master Li, please come back. I, Hu Changan, have done nothing wrong at all, so how can I get away with it?"
When Li Qi saw Hu Changan's desperate look, he was so angry that he said, "Boy, you have to think carefully. If you pass this village today, there won't be this store."
"Even your former prime minister father has to surrender to our Li family. He will do whatever we say. Who do you think you are?"
However, Hu Changan looked at the emotional Li Qi and just closed his eyes and remained silent.
Seeing that Hu Changan was completely unwilling to compromise, Li Qi had no choice but to wave his sleeves and leave angrily.
...
Today, rumors are rampant in Yingtian City.
"Hey, have you heard? The Hu Mansion was thoroughly investigated a few days ago!"
"What Hu Mansion?"
"Which one else? It's the residence of former Prime Minister Hu Weiyong! It is said that his son Hu Changan brought private goods while fighting the epidemic, and was discovered by the current emperor!"
"This Hu Chang'an is so audacious. He actually falsely called the soap he produced as a holy stone to fool the people in the epidemic area!"
"What?! This Hu Changan is so abominable. Well done, Your Majesty!"
With the help of Li Shanchang and others, the rumors spread quickly.
After a while, almost all the people in Yingtian City knew about Hu Changan's "feat".
Everyone hated Hu Changan deeply and scolded him in the back.
The reputation of Hu Mansion has returned to its old state.
But these rumors were very harsh to the ears of the people in Jiangning County.
"What's going on outside is nonsense. My life, Li Goudan, was saved by Mr. Hu! If it weren't for Mr. Hu's free food and free medicine, I would have gone down to see the King of Hell!"
"Even if Mr. Hu really carries private goods, it is for our own good! From the beginning to the end, Mr. Hu has never taken a penny from us!"
"If it weren't for Mr. Hu, our village would have been wiped out by such a serious epidemic! These people outside are really like dogs and mice, and they are so idle that it hurts."
Even the wife of Lan Yu's adjutant Wei Yun, who had just given birth, wanted to get out of bed and fight for three hundred rounds with those who scolded Hu Chang'an outside.
The people outside were filled with indignation, and Jiangning County Magistrate Feng Qing, who was sitting in the county government office, was also furious.
Hu Changan is such a good person!
During the fight against the epidemic, not only did they brave the dangers and rush to the front line of the fight against the epidemic, but they even provided the anti-epidemic supplies with their own money.
Calculated according to the market price, so many things are still a lot of money!
Such a good person must not be framed!
Thinking of this, Feng Qing hesitated again and again, and finally picked up the pen.
Even if he puts his career aside, he must seek justice for Hu Changan!
However, Feng Qing had just started writing a few words when a burst of noise came from outside the door.
A servant hurriedly stepped into the hall and reported to Feng Qing: "Mr. Feng, it's bad, there's a commotion outside! The villagers heard that Mr. Hu was arrested, and they all clamored to write a love letter to you.
Hand it over!"
Feng Qing walked quickly to the door and saw that there was indeed a sea of people outside.
Those who had been helped by Hu Changan were all flushed and excited.
Seeing Feng Qing come out, everyone was clamoring to give Hu Changan justice.
"Your Excellency, County Magistrate, you have worked with Mr. Hu for so long, don't you still know what kind of person he is? He was wrongly accused, and we want to save him!"
"Lord County Magistrate, although we are all rough people who cannot read a single word, we would never be able to do such a thing as seeing our benefactor die!"
"Lord County Magistrate, please promise us to write a love letter for us! All the people of Jiangning County are grateful!"
Facing so many indignant people, Feng Qing couldn't help but shed tears in his eyes.
Although these common people are illiterate, their hearts are first-rate.
They know who is good for them, and they also know how to stand up for their benefactors when they are in trouble!
Isn't this better than the rich and powerful people in Yingtian City who talk sweetly and have swords?
Feng Qing swallowed and said loudly: "Folks, I know what you think! Just wait at the door, and I will be here to help you draft a petition!"
...
It was another sunny day, nothing happened in Yingtian City.
In the morning, the ministers casually said a few words, but then they had nothing to say.
Zhu Yuanzhang yawned a little and was about to announce his resignation, but Feng Qing, the magistrate of Jiangning County, stood up and said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, I have a petition from the people that I want to submit to your Majesty."
"Oh, really, bring it up!" Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's back immediately sat upright.
As the only emperor with a peasant background, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally paid great attention to public opinion and sentiment.
Zhu Yuanzhang actively listened to public opinions and encouraged people to petition.
In order to give the people a place to redress their grievances, Zhu Yuanzhang specially set up a Denwen drum outside the Meridian Gate of Yingtian City and sent a special person to guard it.
Once a common person beats the Dengwen drum, he can go directly to Tianting, and the emperor will personally accept his case.
What Zhu Yuanzhang did was more than that.
In the Ming Dynasty, people could even directly escort corrupt officials to the capital for punishment.
This situation could be called an incredible thing in the previous dynasty.
But with Zhu Yuanzhang, everything seemed natural.
After all, how can the life of a corrupt official be compared with the happy life of the common people?
This love letter from all the people can also be said to be a way for people to petition.
It is even said that it is more important than beating the Denwen drum.
After all, what Wan Min's Love Letter represents is the public opinion of a village or even a county.
Public opinion was overwhelming, and Zhu Yuanzhang took it very seriously.
After receiving Wanmin's love letter from Feng Qing, Zhu Yuanzhang studied it carefully.
Zhu Yuanzhang originally thought that this was another incident of reporting corrupt officials, but he did not expect that what Wanmin's love letter was talking about was actually about Hu Changan!
In the love letter, Feng Qing wrote down everything Hu Changan did in Jiangning County in detail and fairly.
At the end of the love letter, all the villagers in the villages affected by the epidemic solemnly signed it.