One Word: Public (Part 1)

Qi Hongxin was led by Su Ziji onto a bullock cart that had long been prepared. The two said nothing along the way. Only when Su Ziji said, "My lord, we have arrived," did Qi Hongxin open his eyes and rouse himself from his exhaustion.

"Arrived?" He lifted the carriage curtain and glanced outside. That one look gave him a fright.

He had originally thought Su Ziji was taking him to a private room in a restaurant, a temporary lodging, or perhaps the government office. Instead, he had brought him to the largest square in the prefectural city.

And the entire square was packed solid with people. At a rough count, there were at least a thousand of them.

All at once, Qi Hongxin no longer felt the slightest fatigue. He widened his eyes and carefully examined who these people were, afraid that some new trouble had broken out while he had been kept in the dark.

But this closer look shocked Qi Hongxin even more.

"These people... aren't they the proprietors of several restaurants in the prefectural city? And those over there, they seem to be owners of silk shops?" The people he recognized had all attended the welcoming banquet when Qi Hongxin first arrived in Shunan Prefecture. He had an excellent memory; having seen them only once, he had already remembered them. That was why he was so startled now.

And apart from those he knew, the rest were also dressed in silk and satin. At a glance, none appeared to be ordinary commoners. At the very least, they were landlords and Shang merchants.

"Lord Su, what is going on?" Qi Hongxin stood stunned for a moment before hurriedly turning to ask.

Su Ziji smiled. "Lord Qi, these landlords and Shang merchants have come to participate in a