Guagua: [Who knows?]
Seeing Song Yaoyao accept the banknote, Master Hu said quietly:
"Your Honor, this was all a misunderstanding. Could we perhaps let the matter drop?"
Song Yaoyao glanced at Master Hu without a word, then turned and walked back to the crowd. Raising the money pouch, she said:
"Brothers, Master Hu wants to treat us to tea!"
Someone asked:
"Your Honor, does this count as bribery?"
Song Yaoyao nodded:
"Of course it does.
Tell me, everyone, what punishment does openly bribing an official carry in our Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom?"
Master Hu had never expected the official before him to throw convention to the wind and brazenly display the money pouch he had given her.
Terrified, Master Hu immediately dropped to his knees and said:
"Your Honor, this humble commoner was wrong! I won't dare do it again!"
Song Yaoyao glanced at Master Hu, then looked away. She opened the money pouch and took out the banknote.
Unfolding it to check the amount, she put on an astonished expression and said:
"Wow!
One hundred taels! This is a banknote worth one hundred taels!
How generous of you, Master Hu!"
Master Hu's back was already soaked in cold sweat:
"I was wrong, Your Honor! I know I was wrong. Please spare me!"
Only then did Song Yaoyao return to the matter at hand:
"Let's discuss Zhang Fangtian and the others first.
Master Hu, do you have anything to say about this?"
On his way there, Master Hu had already heard the whole story from a servant.
He silently cursed Hu Qi for being such an incompetent fool. How had he managed to bring the officers here?
"Your Honor, I entrusted this matter to my steward, Hu Qi. I knew nothing about it.
It was my failure to discipline my servants