Fang Yuchun called a few subordinate officials to go out and persuade them.
It wouldn't do to not persuade them.
Leaving people to languish in front of the prefectural yamen was unacceptable. A single spit from each of the onlookers could drown the Shun Tian Prefecture. What if Old Master Hao was so provoked today that he lost his mind and led his entire family to die in front of the Shun Tian Prefecture yamen...
Fang Yuchun felt it wouldn't come to that, but he shouldn't scare himself.
However, such things had happened before.
On his way out of the prison, Fang Yuchun had mentally cursed the eighteen generations of ancestors of the Lan Yong Xie clan. What was the meaning of the Xie clan sending such a demon king to Da Yu? Did they think the capital was too densely populated and unsuitable for habitation?
The Hao family members all wore expressions of tragic resolve. No matter how earnestly Fang Yuchun and the Shun Tian Prefecture officials tried to persuade them, they all kept their heads down and remained silent.
The female members of the family were even harder to persuade. Every word they spoke caused the women's wails to rise in pitch.
The crying made one's head buzz.
Anyone who didn't know would think they had come to mourn at the Shun Tian Prefecture.
The most difficult to handle was Old Master Hao. He kept his eyes closed as if asleep, showing no reaction to any persuasion.
If Old Master Hao's head hadn't been so bald, Magistrate Huo might have asked if the old man had entered nirvana.
Fang Yuchun's temples throbbed, and his temper flared.
The crowd of onlookers, converging from all directions, grew larger. The Shun Tian Prefecture had to dispatch more soldiers to maintain order.
Dispersing them was impossible. As long as there was excitement to witness, there would always be onlookers.
Moreover, this was precisely the situation the Hao family wanted.
However, the topics of discussion among the onlookers gradually became more varied. It shifted from Xie Jiang's rampant arrogance, disregard for the law, and malicious humiliation of a court official and his entire family, to the Hao family, who, under the guise of a scholarly lineage, lacked virtue.
First, there was Hao Ming, who married a princess but had no real marital status, becoming the famous cuckolded prince consort of Da Yu. Then there was Hao Wei, who lost money gambling to the Marquis of the South Sea, and, failing to snatch the courtesan of Qunfang Pavilion, in a fit of rage, attempted to assassinate the Marquis of the South Sea...
Whether he attempted assassination or not was of little interest to the crowd. It was merely an assassination attempt on a marquis, not the Emperor. Da Yu was never short of marquises and earls...
It was the gossip about romance that truly excited people.
Had Hao Ming entered Princess Gu'an's manor this month?
No.
Not this month, not last month, never...
It was rumored that to prove his virility, Hao Ming kept a courtyard full of concubines and had several other women outside the marriage?
Hao Ming's father also kept a mistress.
Hao Ming's father's mistress lived in Cai Xia Alley, and coincidentally, Hao Ming also had a mistress in Cai Xia Alley.
One time, father and son ran into each other in Cai Xia Alley!
Guess what happened?
Hao Ming had too many mistresses and couldn't find his own, so he entered the neighboring house and caught his father in bed with his mistress...
Excited exclamations erupted from the crowd.
Some of the more lewd individuals began to indulge in vivid fantasies.
It was a pity that Hao Ming's father had died too early. If Hao Ming's father had lived a little longer, wouldn't it have been Hao Ming... and his mistress... caught in bed?
The crowd was ignited once more.
Scholarly families usually valued their reputation, and such matters were done in secret, rarely revealed to others.
However, it was not difficult for Ruan Ziji to inquire about the Hao family's private affairs.
Xie Jiang had asked him to deal with the Hao family using ruffians and thugs, clearly intending to make the Hao family uncomfortable. Since Xie Jiang had rarely asked for his help in doing something, how could Ruan Ziji not prepare more thoroughly?
This was the perfect opportunity to put it to use.
The Hao family dared to deceive the public and slander Young Master Xie!
Then they would strip the Hao family bare!
Xu Hengyi and the young dandies, along with their respective retinues, occupied various positions, passionately exposing the Hao family's various scandalous secrets.
There were other secrets as well, but the scandals were more appealing, so they focused on the scandals.
Initially, the onlookers had felt great sympathy for the Hao family, seeing a respectable official family bullied to such an extent. Now, fed a full mouth of gossip, their gazes towards the Hao family members changed.
Many pointed fingers at the Hao family members sitting collectively in the open space in front of the prefectural yamen.
Although the crowd was noisy and chaotic, some unspeakable words still reached the Hao family's ears.
Old Master Hao even heard more than one person discussing his private affairs!
His face contorted as he slowly looked around.
He felt it must be Xie Jiang's doing! Unexpectedly, his gaze met Ruan Ziji's insidious and wicked eyes, and Old Master Hao felt his suspicion confirmed!
It was that little beast Xie!
Everyone knew that the Xie surname little beast was always hanging out with these dandies!
The noisy crowd suddenly parted from the outside inwards, creating a path.
Twenty to thirty people in official attire hurried over. The young official leading them bore a striking resemblance to Old Master Hao.
The retinues of the young dandies, who were mixed in the crowd, were quick-witted and immediately pointed out the leading young official to everyone.
That was the rumored cuckolded prince consort!
The gossip-loving crowd quietly commented on Hao Ming.
Hao Ming had no time to pay attention to certain strange glances; perhaps he had grown accustomed to it over the years, able to suppress his emotions without a trace.
Hao Ming, leading those twenty to thirty officials, bypassed the Hao family members sitting on the ground and approached Fang Yuchun at the front.
Fang Yuchun and his subordinates silently cursed the eighteen generations of the Hao family's ancestors in their hearts.
But they showed no outward reaction.
They still had to put on a show of being overwhelmed and helpless.
Upon seeing the miserable state of the entire Hao family, especially the haggard and increasingly aged Old Master and Mistress Hao, the officials couldn't help but feel righteous indignation. They vehemently condemned Xie Jiang's wicked deeds and demanded that the Shun Tian Prefecture punish Xie Jiang severely.
Xu Hengyi and the young dandies were furious.
Those civil officials were truly worthy of being called civil officials; their tongues were sharp. In their words, Xie Jiang was utterly wicked and deserving of death.
And the Hao family was portrayed as simple, honest people who had committed no fault in this matter.
If they had to point out any fault, it was that the Hao family was too honest.
Look how the honest people were bullied!
Where was the justice!
Hao Wei's attempted assassination was also twisted by their glib tongues into a mere ordinary conflict.
The young dandies could no longer bear it and rushed forward, roaring!
They wanted to smash these people's mouths! Rip out their gossiping tongues!
Xu Hengyi was stunned.
Did they really fight court officials just like that?
It was all thanks to Xie Jiang setting such a precedent!
Although Hao Ming's accompanying officials were not of high rank, there were twenty to thirty of them.
Xu Hengyi hesitated, wondering if he should join in? Otherwise, the young dandies might boast to Xie Jiang later, leaving him only to bow his head in silence.
Fang Yuchun quietly retreated to a safe zone and watched for a while before suddenly seeming to realize.
"What are you doing! What are you doing! Speak properly if you have something to say! How can you simply lay hands on people! You dare to fight in front of the Shun Tian Prefecture, do you take me, the Prefect of Shun Tian, for dead! Stop! Do you hear me! All of you, stop!"
How could the young dandies listen to Fang Yuchun?
Since the young dandies dared to act, they truly considered Fang Yuchun dead.
The more sternly and loudly Fang Yuchun shouted, the darker and more viciously they struck.