TSWPF -Chapter 338 Failure

Liu Zhimou glanced once more at the crowd and, without saying another word, took Li Qingling back to the mansion.

Li Qingling looked at him and asked, “When did you come back?”

Knowing that she was worried about him, he reached out and held her hand firmly, smiling as he asked, “Shouldn’t you be asking why I didn’t return all night instead?” His wife was indeed a little different from others.

Li Qingling shook his hand vigorously and whispered for him to let go. In front of everyone, how could he dare hold her hand?

Sometimes she felt as if he were a man from a thousand years later, doing whatever he pleased, fearless of gossip.

Meanwhile, she was always restrained, worried about appearances, constantly reminding him to be careful about his image.

“I won’t let go. Not in this lifetime,” he murmured in her ear, drawing close.

His warm breath brushed against her ear, making her instinctively shrink back. She glanced up at him, slightly annoyed, thinking that this man was getting more and more formidable—sweet words came from him as easily as breathing.

“Where did you go last night? Did something troublesome happen?” Li Qingling changed the subject, frowning.

Liu Zhimou smiled and teased her, “Wife, are you blaming your husband for leaving you alone in the empty room last night?”

“…“ How could such a serious matter change tone the moment it left his mouth? She really should let the outside world see what Liu Zhimou was like in private.

“Liu Zhimou…”

Hearing Li Qingling call his full name, he dared not tease her further and hurriedly promised to explain everything back in the flower hall.

“Hmph…” Li Qingling gave him a sidelong glance. Little brat, let’s see if I can put you in your place.

“See, the master only smiles so gently in front of the lady,” Nian Xia whispered to Xichun, linking arms with her. “Whenever I see the master’s cold face, my legs tremble with fear.” When he was stern, his presence was terrifying, and ordinary people like them couldn’t resist.

Xichun tapped Nian Xia’s head. “Do you really want the master to smile gently at you?” She thought his current approach was perfect. If he were always smiling, other women would flock to him endlessly, and the lady would be overwhelmed.

Nian Xia shivered just imagining it and shook her head vigorously. No, she did not want that.

The master’s cold expression was definitely better.

Xichun grinned mischievously at Nian Xia’s frightened reaction. Good, she should be scared of him.

Back in the flower hall, Mr. Luo set down his teacup and asked, “Was it resolved?”

Liu Zhimou nodded. “It’s resolved.”

He felt relieved again that he had returned in time, ensuring that his wife hadn’t been harmed. Otherwise, he would never forgive himself.

Mr. Luo nodded and then asked, “Where did you go last night? If you couldn’t come back, why didn’t you send someone to inform her? Xiao Ling was worried all night.”

Liu Zhimou gently rubbed the back of Li Qingling’s hand with his fingers. “Sorry for making you worry.” He had not been thorough enough in his planning, causing his family concern.

Li Qingling shook her head lightly. “As long as you came back safely, that’s enough.”

Hearing this, he was moved and squeezed her hand tightly again before beginning to explain.

Yesterday, he had gone with Magistrate Ma to the villages surrounding Ninghua County to survey conditions and plan how to start the terraced field project.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived at Wutong Village, the villagers surrounded them. Even when he revealed that he was the county magistrate, visiting incognito, they did not believe him.

Not only did they not believe him—they thought he was a fraud and forcibly locked him in a wood shed.

Though he had guards nearby and could have resisted, he refrained from conflict to avoid escalating the situation.

By dawn, the guards waited until the villagers fell asleep, then managed to open the door and find help to rescue them.

When the head guard arrived with official robes and the seal, the villagers finally believed that he was truly the new magistrate.

After calming the anxious villagers, he hurried back. Near the city gate, he met the guards who had come looking for him and, after hearing their report, decided to return to the mansion through the back gate—leading to the scene that followed.

After hearing the story, Mr. Luo frowned. “A clumsy plot. They just wanted to tarnish your reputation so you couldn’t assert authority. Do you know whose fields the villagers of Wutong are renting?”

“The Wang family’s,” Liu Zhimou said, his face dark as ink. “I considered this, but there’s no evidence.” Without proof, Wang Yang could not be punished.

During the last meal with the He, Zhao, Wang, and Lin families, he had keenly sensed that Wang Yang was the most unwilling to have him overshadow him. That he would act against him was not surprising.

Mr. Luo frowned, advising Liu Zhimou to be careful, not to go out alone, and not to give anyone a chance to harm him.

Since the Wang family had already acted, would the other three families also move?

Better to be cautious in all matters.

“I understand,” Liu Zhimou replied. “You all must be careful too. I worry they might target you. If they dare to act against me, they would certainly act against my family as well.”

He furrowed his brow, his gaze icy. He would find a way to bring down the He, Zhao, Wang, and Lin families. Their arrogance must end.

Mr. Luo and Li Qingling reassured him not to worry—they knew their limits.

At that moment, the guard who had been tracking the middle-aged man returned, entering the flower hall respectfully. “I saw the middle-aged man enter the Wang residence.”

Liu Zhimou nodded knowingly. Their suspicion was correct—Wang Yang was indeed behind this.

So he would pay Wang Yang a proper visit. Otherwise, he would think Liu Zhimou was easy to bully.

“Mo’er, what do you think?” Mr. Luo asked, looking for his plan.

Liu Zhimou smirked and outlined the plan forming in his mind.

Mr. Luo considered it, then suggested a few refinements to make it more complete. He also pondered whether to write to Old Master Liu, asking him to send some household guards.

Forget face—safety comes first. Without life, what’s the point of face?

“Mo’er, shall we have your grandfather send some Liu family guards?” Mr. Luo proposed. “The children are still young; their safety must be guaranteed.”

The family’s children were his treasures. He would not allow anyone to harm them.

Liu Zhimou agreed, promising to personally write to his grandfather, asking him to secretly send a few guards.

The Liu household guards were highly skilled fighters, capable of taking on ten men at once. Enough to protect the children.

With his family’s safety ensured, he could act freely.

This time, Wang Yang’s actions had thoroughly angered him.

If he didn’t bring down that vampire Wang Yang, he would abandon his official post.

Meanwhile, Wang Yang frowned at the middle-aged man, shouting angrily, “What did you say? Say it again!” Did he mishear?

The middle-aged man swallowed and bent even lower. “Master, the plan… failed.”

Failed?

How could it fail?

Wang Yang ground his teeth and demanded the man explain everything from start to finish. How could such a well-laid plan fail?

“Master, the county magistrate is at home.”

“Impossible! How could he be at home? Wasn’t he locked in Wutong Village?”

He had feared killing Liu Zhimou might attract the emperor’s attention, so he only tried to ruin his reputation to prevent him from establishing authority in Ninghua County.

Last night, news came back that Liu Zhimou had been locked in the village head’s wood shed. How could he possibly be home? What had happened?

The middle-aged man wiped the cold sweat from his brow and recounted in detail what had occurred at the magistrate’s mansion.

If Liu Zhimou hadn’t appeared at the critical moment, their plan would have succeeded.

But unfortunately…

Bang! Bang! Bang! Wang Yang smashed the cups on the table in a rage, trembling as he pointed at the man, shouting, “Useless! Useless!”

Can’t even handle such a small matter—what kind of fool is this?

“Why are you standing here? Do I need to teach you? Go and ask what happened in Wutong Village! How did Liu Zhimou escape?”

It infuriated him… absolutely infuriated him…

“Yes, sir,” the man replied and turned to leave. At the door, he collided with the rushing steward.

“Ouch!” Both cried out in pain simultaneously.

“Useless…” Seeing the two on the ground, Wang Yang squeezed his eyes shut. He could not admit he had such incompetent subordinates.

The steward hurriedly rose, respectfully reporting to Wang Yang that Lai Guangtou had arrived from Wutong Village.

“Let him in.”

“Yes…”

Soon after, an honest-looking elderly man entered, respectfully greeting Wang Yang.

Wang Yang cut straight to the point. “What happened?”

Lai Guangtou lowered his head and explained the situation.

“Dammit! He said he was the county magistrate, and you believed him? You wouldn’t dare resist, right?” Wang Yang couldn’t believe Liu Zhimou dared confront the villagers directly.

The law doesn’t punish the crowd. Even if the emperor knew, he couldn’t punish so many villagers. That was the flaw Wang Yang had counted on in his plan.

“Master, the guard carried the imperial seal. We… we couldn’t refuse.” Though he had incited the village chief to have the villagers seize the magistrate last night, this morning, the magistrate appeared in official robes with the seal, and the village chief could not disobey.

With the guard carrying the imperial seal, it was impossible to stop him.

After this, he probably wouldn’t be able to assert himself in Wutong Village again.