Under Lord Wang Da's guidance, Wang Da and his son successfully simmered a delicious mutton soup and baked glossy, oil-sheened flatbreads.
There were more than three hundred people in the yamen altogether. Whether they were registered officials or unregistered hangers-on and lackeys, each held a large bowl and slurped away, eating and drinking until they were sweating profusely.
The seven commoners, young and old, who had been brought in were also nervously holding their bowls as they quickly ate the flatbread and drank the mutton soup. Once they had finished, they obediently squatted there.
Wang Yan picked at a mutton bone and tossed it at a hanger-on squatting not far from the commoners.
"Have you got no sense at all? Can't you see that the victims and witnesses have finished eating?"
Seeing the hanger-on rise to refill their soup and fetch them flatbread, the gaunt victim hurriedly said, "My lord, we're full. We've all had enough."
"If I tell you to eat, then eat. You haven't eaten meat in a long time, so naturally you can't eat too much, but another bowl of broth won't hurt you. Eat at ease. I'm the dignified magistrate of Great Prosperity County—would I harm you?"
Wang Yan waved a hand. The hanger-on got up and refilled their mutton soup, bringing them more flatbread. The commoners who had claimed not to be hungry began taking big bites again, savoring every mouthful.
At that moment, two eunuchs entered first. Then, under everyone's gaze, Lu Fang walked in with his hands behind his back.
By then, Wang Yan had already leaped up from his stool and gone straight over to greet him. "Oh my, Eunuch Lu, what brings you here? Have you had lunch? The mutton soup was just made—it's excellent for nourishing the body and warming