TSWPF -Chapter 316 Local Tyrant

After casually flipping through the case files, Liu Zhimou quickly discovered many problems. His expression darkened as he put the files back and turned to ask Magistrate Ma whether torture had been used during the investigations.

Cold sweat immediately beaded on Magistrate Ma’s forehead. He didn’t dare give a definite answer and only said that some cases involved torture, while others did not.

This made him even more certain that Liu Zhimou would not be easy to fool. Unlike the previous magistrates—who would change their stance once threatened or bribed—this one clearly had his own mind.

Over the past few years, how many wrongful cases had he seen?

But before he fully understood Liu Zhimou, he wouldn’t dare act rashly. Otherwise, once He Dianshi caught wind of it, not only he himself but even his family would be in danger.

Even if not for himself, he had to think of his family.

Liu Zhimou gave Magistrate Ma a long, meaningful look. With a sharp turn, he put the files back in place and didn’t press the matter further. Turning around, he walked out.

He wasn’t in a hurry. Once he had firmly established himself, he would settle the accounts one by one.

He only hoped that not too many innocent people had been wronged—otherwise…

Magistrate Ma wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and followed a few steps behind Liu Zhimou out of the yamen.

Liu Zhimou told him he didn’t need to follow anymore and should go attend to his own duties.

Magistrate Ma acknowledged it. Only after Liu Zhimou had walked far away did he let out a long sigh. He was troubled about how to convey Liu Zhimou’s attitude to He Dianshi.

But judging from the situation, even if he didn’t say anything, He Dianshi had probably already heard the news.

And indeed, his guess was correct.

He Dianshi had already gotten word. He was reclining on his couch, opening his mouth to bite into a grape fed to him by a maid, his face full of enjoyment as he looked at the yamen runner who had rushed over to tip him off.

“Oh? So that wet-behind-the-ears magistrate actually has some skills?” When he first learned that the new magistrate was only a teenager, he had laughed out loud three times. Just a child—he hadn’t taken him seriously at all.

Ninghua County was his territory. Whoever came had to obediently follow his lead.

Anyone who didn’t stand on the same side as him—well, they couldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

After hearing the runner’s report, he felt that the new magistrate simply hadn’t had his sharp edges ground down yet. Once those edges were smoothed, he’d naturally learn who he should listen to.

“In my view, he’s nothing but a paper tiger—just bluffing. How could he compare to you, Lord He?” The runner eagerly flattered him. He knew that sticking close to He Dianshi meant good food and benefits.

Besides, he had only been able to enter the yamen as a runner thanks to He Dianshi. If he didn’t help He Dianshi, who else would he help?

He Dianshi laughed heartily, slapping the bed. He also believed the new magistrate was merely putting on a show. He was curious to see whether this so-called “three fires of a newly appointed official” could really burn.

He planned to go to the yamen in a couple of days to properly take down the new magistrate’s arrogance—to let him know what he should and shouldn’t do, and more importantly, who the real boss of this territory was.

Seeing He Dianshi in such high spirits, the runner seized the chance to flatter him a few more times. He praised him until He Dianshi was grinning from ear to ear, then ordered the maid to give the runner two boxes of pastries and told him to keep a close watch on the new magistrate and report any news immediately.

The runner nodded repeatedly, saying he understood. Sensible enough not to linger, he left happily with the pastries.

Not long after the runner left, a servant came to report that Magistrate Ma had arrived.

What was that fellow here for?

He Dianshi waved at the maids, telling them to take everything away. He then put on a sickly expression and lay back down on the bed.

Once he felt his act was convincing enough, he instructed the servant to bring Magistrate Ma in.

“Cough, cough, cough… Ma… Magistrate Ma, what brings you here? Shouldn’t you be attending to the magistrate?” he said weakly.

Seeing He Dianshi’s ruddy complexion, Magistrate Ma couldn’t help but think that he looked nothing like a sick man.

The corner of his mouth twitched. After He Dianshi finished coughing, he politely asked how he was feeling and whether his condition had improved.

Even though he knew He Dianshi was faking it, he couldn’t expose him—he had to play along.

How stifling.

He Dianshi coughed a few more times for show, then thumped his chest. “I won’t die.”

“Lord He should take good care of your health,” Magistrate Ma said. “Lord Liu heard that you were ill and was very concerned. He asked me to pass on the message that you may go see him after you’ve recovered.”

If not for Lord Liu sending him on this errand, he would rather die than come see He Dianshi.

“Pl… please help me thank Lord Liu for his concern,” He Dianshi replied, uncertain of Liu Zhimou’s attitude. I deliberately gave him the cold shoulder—shouldn’t he be angry? “Once I’m better, I’ll go pay my respects.”

Magistrate Ma nodded, saying he would convey the message. He told him to rest well, then stood up and left.

He had no desire to see He Dianshi at all. A scum like him—he sincerely hoped the newly appointed Lord Liu would deal with him properly and teach him that there was always someone stronger, always a sky beyond the sky.

He Dianshi snorted coldly, then nimbly jumped out of bed. Where was the deathly illness he’d just shown?

He needed to go talk to his fourth uncle—to warn him to stay alert and not let the new magistrate catch any small handle on them.

In Ninghua County, the wealthy families were the He, Zhao, Lin, and Wang clans. Although they usually competed with and undermined one another, when facing a magistrate, the four families were unprecedentedly united. Together, they suppressed the magistrate so thoroughly that he couldn’t make a move against them.

If not for the joint power of these four families, the previous magistrates wouldn’t have been forced into such miserable positions, constantly restrained by them.

After He Dianshi explained the situation to his fourth uncle, the latter pondered for a moment, then instructed a servant to invite the heads of the other three families over. He needed to discuss this matter with them—they had to resist the new magistrate and make sure he couldn’t function in Ninghua County, forcing him to obediently do their bidding.

This was exactly how they had handled the previous magistrates, making them completely compliant. With this wet-behind-the-ears magistrate, they could surely do the same.

Before long, the heads of the other three families hurried to the He residence and immediately asked what was going on.

If it weren’t urgent, the He family wouldn’t summon them like this.

Fourth Uncle He leisurely took a sip of tea, swept his gaze over the three men, and asked what they thought of the newly arrived magistrate.

He wasn’t foolish enough to be the one to stick his neck out.

If he wouldn’t do it himself, he might as well let these three speak first.

The three family heads exchanged looks and shook their heads, saying they didn’t know much—only that the new magistrate was a very young boy.

Young was good. That meant he could be easily suppressed.

He Dianshi snorted inwardly and smugly recounted everything he knew. After hearing him out, the three men looked stunned.

They all pressed him to confirm whether it was true.

He Dianshi nodded. “It’s true. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

The three pondered briefly, then said with disdain that he was just a wet-behind-the-ears brat—what was there to fear?

They hadn’t feared the previous magistrates; this one was even less worth fearing.

After all, even a powerful dragon couldn’t suppress a local snake. They were curious to see what ability that boy had to deal with them.

Fourth Uncle He also didn’t take Liu Zhimou seriously. He glanced at He Dianshi and told him to carry on as usual and not worry about anything else.

With their backing, that was enough.

He Dianshi nodded, saying he knew what to do.

As for why the four families had no desire to leave backward Ninghua County—

As the saying went, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. The emperor had no control over this place. Being a local tyrant here was far better than going elsewhere and being suppressed at every turn.

“Alright, it’s just a newly arrived magistrate. No need to take him to heart,” Fourth Uncle He said, clapping his hands. “It’s rare for us to gather—let’s have a good drink today.”

The other three had no objections. They completely threw Liu Zhimou to the back of their minds, raised their cups, and drank merrily.

Meanwhile, on Liu Zhimou’s side, as soon as he returned home, he went to see Master Luo and told him everything he had observed.

Master Luo stroked his beard, frowning. “It seems the situation in Ninghua County is even more serious than we thought.”

They had previously investigated Ninghua County and knew that the He, Zhao, Lin, and Wang families were its wealthy households. The common people mainly rented land from them to farm, and the county was essentially under their control—but they hadn’t realized it was this bad.

It seemed this time, they would be in for a prolonged battle with those four families.

“Putting everything else aside, the first priority is to get full control of the yamen,” Master Luo said. “Only after securing the yamen can you start dealing with the four families. If you can’t even control your own ground, don’t talk about anywhere else.”

Liu Zhimou nodded. He understood. He planned to start with the yamen.

All the runners would have to be replaced, and his own people installed. Then his earlier ideas could be put into practice—selecting two or three men from Niutou Village and cultivating them as trusted aides.

“Before that, the four families need to be re-investigated,” Master Luo continued, tapping the table. “We need to see how much we missed before. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you’ll never be defeated. Without proper preparation, how can you wage war?”

“This matter you don’t need to handle. I’ll have people investigate it, and once it’s done, I’ll inform you.” With so many guards at his disposal, it would be a waste not to use them.

“Alright. Thank you, Grandmaster,” Liu Zhimou said gratefully. With his help, things wouldn’t be so chaotic, and he could proceed step by step. “I plan to re-examine the previous cases. We absolutely cannot wrong the innocent or let the guilty roam free.”

He truly didn’t know how the previous magistrates had done their jobs. Had their consciences been eaten by dogs?

Master Luo hummed in agreement and asked Liu Zhimou to explain his plan.

If there were wrongful cases, they had to be corrected. Otherwise, coming to Ninghua County would have no meaning at all.

After listening, Master Luo pondered for a moment. “Put this matter on hold for now. First, settle the yamen and observe the reactions of the four families before making a decision.”

Liu Zhimou acknowledged it. He knew this couldn’t be rushed.