TSWPF -Chapter 210 Bad Luck

The carriage driver looked at the city gate just ahead and grinned. “Master, we’ve reached the city gate. There are quite a few people, so we’ll need to line up to enter.” Once he handed those two scoundrels over to the authorities, he could finally breathe easy.

Hearing the driver, Li Qingling lifted the carriage curtain and peeked outside. Seeing the line of people, she exhaled lightly. They were almost there. She had been on edge the entire way, escorting the two ruffians, worried that something might go wrong.

“Zhimou, can you check on those two men?” she asked. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Zeng Tietou, but having never seen the two men before, she still felt uneasy.

Li Zhimou glanced at her, nodded, and got out of the carriage, heading toward the carriage where Zeng Tietou and his group were seated.

He gave a nod to the driver, lifted the curtain, and immediately noticed Zeng Tietou and Madam Zhong asleep. His brow furrowed as his gaze shifted further inside, spotting the tall man and Third Brother leaning against each other.

He didn’t miss the tension on Third Brother’s face—there was something wrong with these two.

“Uncle Zeng, wake up…” Li Zhimou reached out and nudged Zeng Tietou. He wasn’t angry that Zeng had fallen asleep at such a crucial moment, but he was silently reassessing him. Some matters needed reconsideration.

Zeng Tietou’s eyes fluttered open, and seeing Liu Zhimou’s furrowed brow, he jolted upright, instantly awake.

“Ma… Master, what are you doing here?” He glanced at his wife, who was sleeping soundly with drool at the corner of her mouth, and his face fell.

Liu Zhimou’s voice was calm. “Those two men are suspicious. Check the ropes on their hands—are they still secure?” The two were pressed tightly together, which could only mean one thing: they were trying to free themselves.

The tall man and Third Brother’s faces changed drastically. They had nearly untied themselves, only to be stopped at the last moment.

Zeng Tietou quickly nodded and crawled over, pulling Third Brother close. Seeing the ropes on his hands still intact, he relaxed slightly.

But when he noticed the rope on the tall man loosening, his face went pale. If Master hadn’t come, these two scoundrels could have escaped—and might have killed both him and his wife. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He hastily tightened the rope on the tall man’s hands and slapped him across the face. “Damn it, stop fooling around!”

The tall man shot him a murderous glare. If looks could kill, Zeng Tietou would have been dead a thousand times over.

Annoyed, Zeng Tietou slapped the other side of the tall man’s face as well, making it symmetrical.

“Try any more tricks, and I’ll cripple you.”

“Waaah…” Seeing the tall man hit, Third Brother started crying.

This angered Zeng Tietou further. He turned and slapped Third Brother twice with all his strength, leaving two red handprints on his face.

“That’s enough. Watch them carefully and hand them over to the authorities later,” Li Zhimou said, glancing at Zeng Tietou before turning to leave.

Once Li Zhimou left, a now-awake Madam Zhong dared to breathe. She patted her chest and whispered, “Master Zhimou is so frightening.” The sheer aura of him left her speechless.

Zeng Tietou grumbled, “I told you to watch them, and you fell asleep? If Master Zhimou hadn’t arrived, these two scoundrels would have escaped—and we might not even be alive.”

Madam Zhong bit her lip, speaking softly, “I… I was just so tired. I thought, since they were tied up, they couldn’t escape, so I… dozed off for a moment. Who could’ve known…” She didn’t do it on purpose. “Is Master Zhimou angry?”

“Of course.” Zeng Tietou wanted to scold her, but realizing it wasn’t entirely her fault, he swallowed his words. But he worried—these two incidents hadn’t gone well. Would Master Zhimou think less of him? “From now on, be careful and responsible. Don’t speak recklessly, understand?” He needed to restore his image in Master Zhimou’s eyes; otherwise, he wouldn’t be valued as before.

He had grown a little complacent, thinking that because Master Zhimou valued him enough to bring the whole family to the capital, he could be a little careless.

This incident reminded him that one must always act cautiously. Pride leads to downfall.

Madam Zhong saw the grim look on Zeng Tietou’s face and dared not ask further, simply nodding. She would stick close to Master Zhimou and make sure he didn’t send them away.

Back in the carriage, Li Qingling noticed Liu Zhimou’s tense expression and asked what was wrong.

Seeing that Zeng Tietou’s children were all present, he shook his head. “Nothing.”

Li Qingling didn’t press further, deciding to ask privately later what had happened.

The group entered the city and headed straight for the authorities. At the gate, before Li Qingling and the children could step out, a constable approached sternly. “Move along! No stopping here.”

Li Zhimou told Li Qingling to stay in the carriage with the children while he got out.

Li Qingling nodded, watching him step down. Moments later, she heard him speaking to the constable.

“Brother Constable, apologies. We had urgent business and had no choice but to stop here,” Li Zhimou said with a polite smile. Before the constable could respond, he continued, “On the way here, we encountered some criminals. We were lucky to capture two of them and wish to hand them over for proper punishment.”

The constable studied Liu Zhimou. Though dressed simply, his aura marked him as a person of high status. He dared not be careless. His expression softened. “Is that so? Where are the criminals?”

Li Zhimou asked him to wait and called Zeng Tietou to bring the two men down.

Seeing the two men bound and gagged, the constable’s mouth twitched, and he ordered help to bring them inside.

“Young master, you’ll need to go inside and explain the situation to the Prefect.”

“Understood…” Li Zhimou nodded, spoke briefly to Li Qingling, and followed the constable inside, with Zeng Tietou accompanying him to assist if needed.

The Prefect, Yang Yuan, had learned of the matter from the constable. Sitting at his desk, he glanced at the tall man and Third Brother, gagged and tied. He ordered the gag removed.

Unexpectedly, once removed, Third Brother shouted in protest.

Yang Yuan struck the judge’s block and commanded silence. His eyes brightened as they fell on Li Zhimou entering. “Liu Juren? What brings you here? Explain the situation.”

As a scholar, Li Zhimou didn’t need to kneel. He gave a polite nod and said calmly, “Your Honor, I was traveling to the capital for exams when heavy rain forced me to stop at a temple last night. There, we encountered three criminals attempting to kidnap me and my family to sell to traffickers. I was fortunate to capture two; the third escaped. I hope Your Honor will take action on our behalf.”

Yang Yuan naturally believed him. He turned to the two men and struck the block again. “Any words?” Their audacity in targeting a scholar with official ambitions warranted strict punishment.

The tall man and Third Brother were terrified. Their intended victims were scholars! Bribery would not work this time.

“Your Honor, it’s a misunderstanding!” Third Brother knelt, banging his head on the ground. “We only meant to steal money, never to harm them!” Stealing was less serious than trafficking.

Li Zhimou shot Third Brother a cold glance. “Are you implying I’m lying?” Did they think they could excuse themselves as petty thieves? Without their capture, who knows where they would have ended up?

Third Brother’s eyes flickered with malice, but he continued, “Young master, we had no intent to traffic anyone. Please believe us.” No matter what, they couldn’t allow the accusation to stick, or they’d face dire consequences.

“Everything I’ve stated is true,” Li Zhimou said to Yang Yuan, bowing once more, and recounted the tall man’s prior attempt to steal from his home. “These are habitual criminals and must not be shown leniency.”

Yang Yuan’s expression darkened. He waved to the constables to beat the two men. When they began, the men screamed, but by the tenth strike, they couldn’t endure and confessed.

Yang Yuan signaled for the beating to stop. “Confess honestly and leniency may follow. Resist and suffer the consequences.” The unspoken threat sent shivers down their spines.

Better to sit in jail than die from the blows.

Thus, they confessed truthfully.

Yang Yuan angrily struck the block again, announced their crimes, and ordered them imprisoned.

“Young master Liu, would you care to visit my home?” he offered. A young scholar like him had a bright future.

“Apologies, Your Honor. I must continue my journey to the capital. Perhaps another time.”

“Very well. We shall meet again upon your success. Safe travels, Young Master Liu.”

Li Zhimou smiled, bowed politely, and left the prefecture with Zeng Tietou.