The old man hastily spoke, “Sir, I was walking down the street when this young man suddenly ran into me and broke my leg. I can hardly stand now. I just asked him for some medical expenses, but he tried to run away…”
He staggered and almost fell, prompting the people nearby to rush to steady him.
Liu Feng immediately protested, “Sir, I really didn’t bump into him. I just helped him up.”
The crowd jeered, “If you didn’t bump into him, why did you help him?”
Liu Feng’s face turned pale.
The officer frowned, his voice calm as he asked, “Where are you from?”
Liu Feng, desperate, answered, “Sir, I am a merchant from the Ming Dynasty.”
Turning to the old man, the officer inquired, “And where are you from, elder?”
The old man quickly responded, “I am from the Song Dynasty.”
Suddenly, another voice interrupted.
The crowd turned in surprise as a group of young men approached. The leader stepped forward and bowed to the officer.
“Wei Hong, a merchant from the Han Dynasty, greets you, sir.”
The officer nodded slightly. “What do you wish to say?”
Wei Hong, who was actually Wei Qing in disguise, offered a faint smile, his gaze sharp.
“Just now, my friends and I were having tea at the teahouse. We happened to see this old man fall to the ground by himself, and this gentleman ran over to help him up.
“We saw it clearly; it wasn’t that gentleman who knocked him down.”
Liu Feng’s eyes welled up. Finally, someone is standing up for me.
The crowd erupted in whispers, their skeptical eyes now fixed on the old man. The young man speaking was from the Han Kingdom and had no connection to Liu Feng, making bias unlikely.
The officer, looking taken aback, paused to think.
Wei Qing, still in disguise, gestured toward a nearby tavern and teahouse.
“We were seated at the window and witnessed the entire scene. I believe we weren’t the only ones who saw it. Sir, you can ask around the area for more witnesses.
“Besides, didn’t that old man claim that his leg was broken?” Wei Qing’s voice grew firm.
“Wei Hong is willing to pay for a doctor to examine him. Let’s see if his leg is truly injured. If not, wouldn’t that mean he is slandering an innocent man?”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
“Yes, that’s an easy solution.”
“Right, right, just get someone to check it out and we’ll know.”
“Bring a doctor and everything will be clear.”
“I see the old man moving around quite lively; it doesn’t look like his leg is broken.”
The officer, convinced, turned to the old man. “Elder, what do you think? Now that someone is willing to pay for a doctor.
“If it’s as you say, this Ming merchant will compensate and apologize. But if you slandered him, I will have to take you to the yamen for a few days.”
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the old man’s expression changed. He hesitated, his discomfort obvious.
The murmurs intensified.
“The old man’s face doesn’t look right.”
“Sir, I was just eating in the tavern and saw that it was the old man himself who had fallen to the ground.”
A burly man stepped forward, his deep voice commanding attention. The crowd gasped in recognition.
“It’s General Heichi Changzhi!”
“The same General Heichi Changzhi who defeated the Qing Dynasty!”
“With General Heichi here, the truth will come out!”
“Yes, General Heichi would never slander anyone!”
As a renowned general of the Great Zhou, Heichi Changzhi’s integrity and achievements were well known. Many of the city’s residents had witnessed his triumphant return. Recognizing him now, they trusted that he would speak only the truth.
The officer quickly greeted him,
“Greetings, General Heichi.”
General Heichi waved a hand, his expression amiable.
“Everyone has their duties; this is your jurisdiction. You make the judgment.”
The officer nodded before turning back to the old man, his expression stern.
“Well, several witnesses have seen you fall alone. I will call a doctor to examine your injuries. If you—”
Before he could finish, the old man’s face turned ashen. He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
“Spare me, sir! I was just a little greedy. I owe a lot of money from my business in the Song Kingdom, and that’s why I had the evil idea to slander this young man. Please spare me!”
The crowd erupted in shock.
“Yes, this old man played on our sympathy and almost slandered this gentleman!”
“Scoundrel! That old man is truly despicable!”
A booming voice interrupted, dripping with disdain.
“Despicable old man from the Song Dynasty, how dare you deceive me, Xu Zhu… no, Xu Wei! What a scoundrel!”
“I was also tricked by someone from the Song Dynasty recently. Are all Song people so shameless?”
His words immediately sparked more outrage.
“Yes, yes, I was also tricked by someone from the Song Dynasty…”
“That’s right, Song people are just that shameless. Let me tell you, I was cheated by a Song merchant last year!”
“Don’t get me started. Do you know how bad it was for me? My wife ran off with a Song man!”
“Song people are sneaky; they like to cheat in business. They’re just scoundrels!”
The crowd’s anger swelled, directed at the old man and, by extension, the Song Dynasty.
In the distance, a young man stood by a window, quietly observing the scene with a faint smile.
The burly man from earlier sidled up to him, fawning.
“Prime Minister, how did I do just now?”
Yang Yi glanced at Xu Zhu with a sigh.
“Your performance was too exaggerated, not as good as Wei Qing’s.”
Xu Zhu’s eyes widened. “Not as good as him?”
Yang Yi glared. “You almost blurted out your real name.”
Xu Zhu chuckled sheepishly.
Three days later, the incident was reported in the Great Zhou Bao, subtly prompted by Yang Yi.
The phrase “If you didn’t knock him down, why did you help him?” spread across the country, becoming widely known.
The old man’s identity as a Song merchant from Bianjing was revealed, and the term “Song people” began to carry a certain stigma.