"Wait, isn't there one last place we haven't searched?" someone from the merchant caravan yelled out.
Everyone present knew exactly where he meant.
"An official's wife wouldn't care for your meager belongings!" a villager immediately jumped out in her defense. The fact that the officials hadn't used their status to oppress them was already a show of goodwill toward the commoners.
"Exactly. They have so many carriages, almost half as many as all of yours combined. How do you have the nerve to try and drag them into this mess?"
The County Magistrate's face darkened. "What, do you intend to search an official family?"
The social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants wasn't just for show. These mere merchants actually dared to harbor such thoughts.
"Your Excellency is mistaken. If we are to treat everyone equally without discrimination, then everyone should be treated the same." Braving everyone's stares, a merchant stepped forward.
