Chapter 82

Outside the Zhen residence, hundreds of commoners had already gathered, their faces haggard, staring intently at the tightly closed gates of the Zhen residence.

With a creak, the main gate opened wide, and Qin Feng and his companions supported three elderly men as they walked out.

The eldest of the three, visibly moved, suddenly became more agile, and with a thud, thud, thud, he descended the steps, approached the crowd, and raised his arm, shouting, "Fellow villagers, General Qin has agreed to stand up for us. Just as the rumors say, he is truly a reincarnation of the Duke of Zhou!"

The commoners, overjoyed to the point of tears, fell to their knees in a sea of hundreds.

"General, you are righteous..."

"Even if we work as oxen and horses, we cannot repay your great kindness and virtue."

"Such behavior is not acceptable!" Qin Feng hurriedly rushed forward, doing his best to help each person who was bowing to him.

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao exchanged a glance, their expressions rather unfriendly, thinking: Well, we've also stepped forward, but all the benefits have gone to Qin Zijin.

Liu Bei watched as Qin Feng picked up a dirty little boy and kissed his cheek, and he suddenly shuddered all over. He didn't believe there could be such an official in the world, "Too despicable, too shameless, too good at winning the hearts of the people." Liu Bei felt that he still had a lot to learn.

Qin Feng's natural demeanor was like that of a great leader of a later era, genuinely caring for the people. The commoners of this era had never seen such a kind and approachable official. From then on, the reputation of the righteous and unparalleled Qin Zijin began to spread throughout the land.

Liu Bei, feeling the need to learn more, also plunged into the crowd of commoners, asking about their well-being, and even picked up a child to "kiss" him.

"Lord of the Imperial Auxiliary Army, you are righteous..."

Liu Bei, hearing this, was overjoyed, thinking: Although I am not as good as Qin Zijin now, I can learn and eventually catch up, so that the world will know that there is not only Qin Zijin but also the righteous Liu Xuande!"

Qin Feng, on the other hand, was "scared" to the point of trembling all over, thinking: Truly, he is worthy of his reputation, he will surely "promote" the Imperial Auxiliary Army to new heights.

Cao Cao and Yuan Shao exchanged a glance, and with a stiff face, they walked over. When the "dirty" commoners surrounded them, they stiffened, their faces showing a clear rejection.

Although they would do things for the commoners, they did so from a high and mighty position. Their noble birth and the arrogance of the nobility made it impossible for them to immerse themselves in the crowd like Qin Feng. Even now, standing among the commoners, they maintained a high and mighty stance.

Therefore, the commoners, feeling fear in their presence, quickly moved away. This fear came from the authority of their position. But the commoners found it strange that, although Qin Feng was also a person of high status, being near him felt different, with a sense of genuine closeness.

Thus, the scene became somewhat peculiar: Qin Feng was surrounded by a crowd, Liu Bei by a smaller group, and Cao Cao and Yuan Shao by no one at all. They split into three groups and headed toward the Cui residence.

At this moment, Ma Richeng had already arrived at the Cui residence.

"Cui steward, something has happened, something has happened. It's like this... I think General Qin will definitely intervene in this matter." Ma Richeng added, "To be on the safe side, you should quickly inform Lord Cui."

Cui Shirong, the steward of the Cui residence, with a long, thin face and a mustache, pinched the right side of his mustache and said disdainfully, "What kind of nonsense is this Qin Zijin? Just because he's a commandant, he thinks he's something special? My lord is of such high status, he will soon be one of the Three Excellencies!"

Ma Richeng, though not a corrupt official, had turned a blind eye to the Cui family's actions due to the current environment. But now that Qin Feng was getting involved, he urgently added, "It's best to inform Lord Cui immediately."

Cui Shirong's face twitched, and he said, "Coincidentally, my lord has just returned home. Lord Ma, please come with me to pay our respects."

After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, many people had fled to the capital for refuge. When news of the great victory at Changshe reached the capital, the court breathed a sigh of relief, and many people, including Cui Lie, couldn't resist going home to take a look.

In the meeting hall, an elderly man sat on a high seat, exuding dignity and authority.

This man was none other than Cui Lie, one of the Nine Ministers.

As the Chief Justice of the Eastern Han, Cui Lie combined the roles of the Chief Justice and the Chief Prosecutor.

Upon learning of the matter, he frowned slightly. For the aristocracy, the commoners were mere grass, and any action taken against them was not excessive. Therefore, Cui Lie was not concerned about the incident at his residence but was rather dissatisfied with Qin Feng, saying, "This man has just been promoted, and he already acts so arrogantly? If this continues, what will become of us?"

Ma Richeng reminded him, "As the saying goes, when scholars meet soldiers, reason cannot be reasoned. My lord, it's best to prepare in advance..."

Cui Lie was furious, "Prepare? I am one of the Nine Ministers of the court. Does he, Qin Zijin, dare to rebel?"

Some things were tacitly understood. Although the aristocracy constantly exploited the commoners, they all wanted a good reputation. Ma Richeng said, "My lord, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao are also here."

"Oh? They are here too." Cui Lie was taken aback. The backgrounds of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were too significant, and Cui Lie feared the repercussions if the news spread. He glared at the steward, "This is all your doing!"

Cui Shirong was terrified and immediately knelt down.

Cui Lie waved his hand, and Ma Richeng, understanding the hint, took his leave.

With no outsiders around, Cui Shirong, fearing that Cui Lie would make him the scapegoat, hurriedly said, "My lord, I have always followed your instructions and taken care of everything at home after you left. I thought about taking in some refugees and cultivating more land..." He added, with a look of pride and joy, "My lord, next year, the money for the Three Excellencies will be enough."

Cui Lie's face lit up with pleasure. For a man like him, the ultimate goal was to become one of the Three Excellencies. In the past, there was little chance, but now it was different. He could buy the position, and as long as he had enough money, he would definitely become one of the Three Excellencies. However, the problem was that while the aristocratic families were not short of money, not all of them were as wealthy as a city.

Unfortunately, the Cui family did not understand business, and they were not as wealthy as a city. But Cui Lie had a "good steward" who, though not a businessman, understood other ways. To become one of the Three Excellencies, Cui Lie had tacitly approved of Cui Shirong's actions, which led to increased exploitation of the commoners, both to enrich Cui Lie and himself.

"My lord, I did all this for you, for our Cui family." Cui Shirong, seeing that Cui Lie was silent, felt guilty and forced out a few tears.

At this moment, a panicked voice came from outside the door, "My lord, something terrible has happened. A group of soldiers is bringing many commoners here!"

Cui Shirong quickly said, "My lord, you are the Chief Justice of the court and will soon be one of the Three Excellencies. What is Qin Zijin, to dare bring soldiers to our residence and cause trouble? If this news spreads..."

How could he still have the face to be one of the Three Excellencies?

Cui Lie's long beard trembled, but when he recalled Ma Richeng's words, he calmed down. He then ordered someone to bring a wooden board, wrote seven characters on it, and handed it to Cui Shirong, "Do this... and then bring Ma Richeng in, I will give him instructions."

"This is a battle of wits..." Cui Lie's face darkened, "I will go to the emperor and file a complaint. I will not let this Qin Zijin off until he is demoted, or others will think our Cui family is easy to bully!"

Cui Shirong, holding the wooden board, was overjoyed, thinking: Truly, our lord is wise. These few words, once displayed, will leave Qin Zijin speechless.

[Note: The original text includes a link to a mobile version of a website, which has been omitted in the translation.]