Chapter 12: Inciting the Wrath of the Masses
Just as the hounds were about to pounce on Yunniang, a figure flashed into view and kicked one of the slender dogs flying. With a whimper, the hound crashed violently against the wall. The figure moved with seamless grace; with a forward kick, the left hand seized the neck of another hound while the right fist struck out with sudden force. All present heard the sound of bones shattering. The dog had no time to cry out before its life was extinguished.
Li Yi tossed aside the corpse without a word, but before he could speak, Yunniang suddenly flung herself into his arms.
“Brother Yi…”
Sensing the lingering terror in her heart, Li Yi felt a pang of pity. He gently stroked her hair and spoke softly, “It’s all right. I’m here; nothing will happen to you.”
His gesture was tender, even intimate, and it calmed Yunniang’s anxious heart considerably.
The neighbors, too, rushed in from outside the courtyard, each glaring menacingly at Ai Wanhua and his companions.
Li Yi’s aunt, her voice brimming with anger, rebuked, “In broad daylight, the Ai family dares to come here and act like bullies? Is there no law anymore? If Wang Sanniang hadn’t sent me to find Brother Yi, Yunniang would’ve been mauled to death by those vicious dogs!”
Wang Sanniang, glancing fearfully at Ai Wanhua, murmured, “As soon as I saw the Ai family arrive, I knew no good would come of it. That’s why I discussed things with the Li family sister.”
A villager shouted, “Brother Yi grew up before our eyes. We can’t let the Ai family ruin him!”
“That’s right! We’ll stand guard here. Surely Ai Wanhua won’t dare act wantonly.”
The villagers raised their voices, both to intimidate Ai Wanhua and to bolster their own courage.
Unfortunately, Ai Wanhua paid them no heed, casting a cold glance at the crowd.
“Li Yi, so you’re still alive?” Ai Wanhua looked him up and down, then sneered, “So Liu Mazi and his band of murderers really did run off to join the bandits. That’s the only reason you’re still breathing.”
“Ai Wanhua, you’re courting death,” Li Yi said, suppressing his fury. Had he not acted in time, Yunniang would have been gravely injured, if not killed. And if she caught rabies, it would be a death sentence.
Ai Wanhua remained indifferent, his false smile never reaching his eyes. “Don’t blame me for this. I thought the last lesson would make that wretch see reason. Who’d have guessed she’d force me to play the villain?”
Feigning helplessness, Ai Wanhua produced a document and said sternly, “Yunniang, when Li Yi assaulted me before, I let it go out of the kindness of my heart, only asking for five taels of silver in compensation. Here is the document you signed.”
At the sight of the paper, Yunniang’s face went deathly pale. She looked at Li Yi in panic.
Li Yi, unaware of this matter, held the trembling Yunniang and gazed at her questioningly.
Tears glimmered in Yunniang’s eyes. Voice quivering with fear, she explained, “Back then, while saving me, you accidentally knocked Ai Wanhua down. He threatened to report us to the authorities, so I had no choice but to sign.”
Li Yi gently patted her hand, reassuring her not to be afraid.
In Mizhi County, the Ai family wielded overwhelming influence—even the authorities deferred to them. Though he himself had nearly been beaten to death, Ai Wanhua could twist the facts and shift blame as he pleased, sure that no one could touch him.
Now, Ai Wanhua proclaimed in triumph, “Five taels of silver—black on white, in writing. Will you acknowledge the debt or not?”
Li Yi scoffed, “And what if I do? What if I don’t?”
Ai Wanhua flicked open his folding fan and retorted, “If not, we’ll go see the magistrate. You’ll be flogged and left to rot in jail. If you admit it, then hand over the silver.”
He fixed Li Yi with a mocking gaze. “But could you even come up with five taels? I doubt it…”
Li Yi sneered. He had ten taels on hand, but he would never let Ai Wanhua extort him.
Yet the villagers began to shout:
“I’ll put in one hundred coins! We can’t let the Ai family bully Brother Yi to death!”
“I’ll put in a hundred coins!”
“I’ll give fifty!”
“I’ll offer two taels of silver!”
Li Zijing approached with the great-grandfather and two other elders, concern etched on their faces. Seeing Li Yi unharmed, he finally relaxed. It was he who’d just pledged two taels.
The clan elder spoke gravely, “Second Young Master Ai, our village has always shown respect to the Ai family. Now that we’ve gathered five taels, can we let the matter rest?”
Ai Wanhua smirked, his face darkening, eyes sharp and vicious. “Five taels? Do you take me for a beggar? So many days have passed—of course you must pay interest! With principal and interest, I want twenty taels. Li Yi, I don’t believe you can manage that.”
“Three days have barely passed! How can five taels quadruple so quickly? Where in the world are interest rates so high?” Li Zijing protested angrily.
Ai Wanhua snorted, “Other families are none of my concern. In the Ai family, that’s how we do things.”
The great-grandfather stated, “Second Young Master Ai, even loan sharks have rules. No matter how domineering the Ai family, you can’t just set the interest as you please.”
Ai Wanhua turned to the three elders, mocking them. “Rules? I am the rules. Anger me, and every loan in the village will bear this rate. Miss a single coin, and I’ll have your hide!”
The old men trembled with rage. The villagers, seeing their elders insulted, glared furiously at Ai Wanhua.
“Ai Wanhua, how dare you act so brazenly in our village?”
“Everyone, let’s drive out this pack of scoundrels!”
The villagers shouted, brandishing their farm tools, ready to advance.
“Out of my way! I’d like to see who dares lay a hand on me!” Ai Wanhua’s narrow eyes swept over them with venom. His tone was chilling. “You want to oppose the Ai family? Tired of living, are you?”
The villagers faltered, hesitating.
With a cold laugh, Ai Wanhua continued, “It’s the dead of winter, and the authorities are preparing to draft laborers. Suiyuan is plagued by bandits and needs men to transport provisions. Since you villagers are so bold, I’ll visit the county office tomorrow and have you all conscripted for corvée.”
In these times, conscription meant bringing your own food, sleeping in the cold and under the open sky. Add to that the extortion of the yamen runners, and it was a journey few survived.
The villagers’ faces turned ashen. The bold glared at Ai Wanhua; the timid hung their heads.
Ai Wanhua burst into laughter, pointing his fan at Li Yi. “Li the Simpleton, if you can’t come up with twenty taels today, I’ll take Yunniang as payment. When I tire of her, I’ll sell her back to you for ten taels. If you don’t have ten taels, I’ll send her to the brothel. After a year or so, she’ll be ruined, reeking and diseased. I’ll sell her for five hundred coins. No five hundred? Fifty, five—whatever you can muster. You think you’re fit to challenge me?”
He turned to Yunniang. “Wretch, if you won’t be my woman, you’ll be a whore for all men.”
Yunniang’s face was drained of color, her eyes devoid of hope.
“What a family—the Ai clan, running roughshod over the law. Today, I’ve truly seen it with my own eyes,” Li Yi said, steadying Yunniang before turning to face Ai Wanhua, his voice cold. “I will not give you those twenty taels. Nor do I wish to.”
Ai Wanhua’s expression darkened. “What do you mean by that?”
Li Yi grinned. “Today, let me teach you a little law. The Emperor Taizu himself decreed in his sacred instructions that interest on loans may not exceed two or three percent. The Great Ming Code states: for private loans and pawning of goods, the monthly interest must not exceed three percent. Any violation is punishable by forty strokes of the cane, and the excess interest is considered stolen goods—punishable as a crime if severe. Under the bright heavens, the Ai family claims to revere learning and serve the emperor loyally. Do you dare ignore the laws of Emperor Taizu and the Great Ming?”
Ai Wanhua was left speechless.
Li Yi had invoked the name of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang himself. If news got out that Ai Wanhua publicly defied imperial law, it would bring disaster upon the entire Ai family.
The villagers, seeing Li Yi subdue Ai Wanhua, erupted in joyous cheers.
Someone even shouted, “Well said, Brother Yi!”
Ai Wanhua’s face went from red to green, twisted with fury.
How did Li Yi know about the Great Ming Code? How did he know of the imperial instructions?