At this moment.
A middle-aged man in the crowd asked nervously, "Constable Chen, I'm uneducated. May I be so bold as to ask, what does 'the law does not punish the multitude' mean?"
Chen Nan almost burst out laughing.
What a marvel.
Why are the people of the underworld so cooperative?
If one didn't know better, they'd think I'd hired them.
He cleared his throat and said seriously, "The meaning of 'the law does not punish the multitude' is very simple. It means that even if a certain behavior should be punished by law, if many people do it, it becomes difficult to punish them."
"For example, for example."
"It means if a group of you smashes the First Family's restaurant."
"And robs their bank."
"Or pawn shop."
"Even leveling the First Family's estate, but because so many people are involved, it's very difficult for the authorities to convict you."
"Do you understand now?"
As soon as he said this.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Brothers, since that's the case, what are we waiting for?"
"Right! Smash the First Family's restaurant!"
"Rob their bank and pawn shop."
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
In an instant, the surging crowd retreated like a tide.
Tens of thousands of people rushed towards the First Family's businesses.
They wanted to teach the First Family a lesson.
The patriarchs of the four great families turned pale.
No one expected Chen Nan to be so devious.
With just a few words, he had incited the common people's hatred for the First Family.
He even sent them to cause trouble for the First Family.
Although he had repeatedly emphasized that they couldn't act with impunity just because the law didn't punish the multitude.
But anyone with a brain could see.
That he intended to use the people's anger to target the First Family.
This time.
The First Family was likely finished.
Han Zongyuan looked at Chen Nan with admiration in his eyes.
Fifth Brother was truly Fifth Brother.
Mighty and domineering, incredibly awesome.
His skill in setting traps was even better than before.
To be by the side of such a trickster.
How could the Rebel Sky Cult not become strong?
How could they not overthrow the rule of the underworld?
------
The First Family.
Patriarch Di Yi Jingyun said to his son Di Yi Xun, "I just received news from Fengdu City. We can forgo the black gold mine, but we must secure the shipping rights."
Black gold was indeed valuable.
But everyone knew that the yield of black gold was extremely low.
It was a limited resource.
However, shipping was unlimited. As long as they secured the shipping rights.
From then on, the First Family could make money lying down.
After all, Guangling Prefecture was over four hundred li away from Tongcheng.
If it were transported by land, it would not only be expensive.
It would also take a long time.
But with shipping, the time could be halved at least.
And the capacity of large ships was incomparable to ordinary horse-drawn carts.
"Father, don't worry. When the yamen officials come again, I will tell them our conditions." Di Yi Xun said, "As long as the yamen wants to overcome this flood crisis, they will definitely agree to the First Family's terms."
"My lord, this is bad!"
A servant ran in in a panic, panting, "Just now... just now, people from the four great families went to the yamen and each donated several million taels of silver."
As soon as he said this.
Di Yi Jingyun and Di Yi Xun's eyes widened in disbelief.
They seemed not to have expected the four great families to donate such a colossal sum.
After recovering their senses.
A hint of disdain flickered in Di Yi Jingyun's eyes: "A bunch of foolish people. Now that Tongcheng is facing a flood unseen in a thousand years, they not only failed to seize the opportunity to get rich but also donated millions of taels of silver."
"I really don't know how to describe them."
"It seems our First Family is destined to get rich!"
He said, laughing heartily.
Di Yi Xun also smiled, "Father, they surely don't want to donate money. They're doing this merely to gain a good reputation!"
Di Yi Jingyun nodded in agreement.
If the noble person from the Fifth Family had not risen to prominence.
Their First Family would not have dared to bargain with the county yamen.
In the final analysis.
It was because the other four great families had no backing.
Suddenly.
A hint of worry appeared in Di Yi Xun's eyes: "Father, I'm not worried that the county yamen will dare to cause trouble for us. I'm afraid this matter will arouse the people's dissatisfaction with our First Family."
Di Yi Jingyun scoffed, "They are just ordinary folks. Even if you gave them the guts, would they dare to cause trouble for my First Family?"
"Would they dare?"
At this moment.
A middle-aged man with a bloody head ran in in a panic, his face swollen like a pig's head, "My lord, it's bad, it's bad! Our restaurant has been smashed by a mob!"
"What?" Di Yi Jingyun roared with rage, "They dare to smash my First Family's property? Have they eaten the heart of a leopard?"
Di Yi Xun's face turned ashen.
What he feared had come to pass.
The most feared thing had happened.
The middle-aged man sobbed, "They said our First Family wants to profit from disaster, and they won't allow the First Family to establish themselves in Tongcheng, let alone earn money from the people of Tongcheng."
"How did they know the First Family wanted to profit from disaster?" Di Yi Jingyun's face was grim.
The middle-aged man said nervously, "That Constable surnamed Chen mentioned the matter of borrowing money, and the common people became extremely angry upon hearing it."
Di Yi Jingyun roared, "So, it was that Constable surnamed Chen who incited the people to cause trouble for my First Family?"
The middle-aged man said, "No, no, no. Constable Chen repeatedly emphasized that even if the law doesn't punish the multitude, we shouldn't let the common people cause trouble for us."
Di Yi Jingyun's eyes were filled with almost palpable rage.
He hadn't expected the common people to be so bold.
However, the situation had come to this.
The First Family absolutely could not send experts to suppress them.
Otherwise, the situation would escalate.
They had to give the common people a chance to vent their emotions.
Otherwise.
The First Family's situation would be very dire.
"My lord, our pawn shop has been robbed!"
"Countless people swarmed in and looted everything in the pawn shop."
At this moment.
The manager of the pawn shop also ran back to the First Family.
"This is too much, too much! Did our First Family really have to refuse the county yamen's request to borrow money for them to do this?" Di Yi Jingyun clenched his fists, his ferocious features devoid of any color.
The First Family had been established in Tongcheng for nearly a thousand years. When had they ever suffered such humiliation?
"My lord, it's bad, our bank has also been robbed!" The manager of the bank also returned to the First Family immediately, his horse galloping and his face still pale with shock.
"This is too much of an insult!" Di Yi Jingyun's blood pressure soared, and he felt his head spin. If he hadn't quickly grabbed onto a nearby table, he would have fallen to the ground.
Di Yi Xun, standing beside him, felt his scalp tingle.
The restaurant, pawn shop, and bank were the income sources of the First Family.
Now that rioters in the city were smashing all their businesses, it was undoubtedly a huge loss for the First Family.
At this moment.
The family's butler ran over, panicked and uneasy, "My lord, something has happened!"
Di Yi Jingyun exploded in rage, gritting his teeth and roaring, "The restaurant was smashed, and the pawn shop and bank were robbed. In such a situation, what else could possibly happen?"
The butler swallowed nervously, his eyes filled with fear, "Countless people are gathered at the entrance and are dismantling the walls. Does that count as something big?"