TSWPF -Chapter 339 Anger

After hearing this, Wang Yang’s expression turned dark and inscrutable. He slammed his fist hard against the table. Damn it—this time, Liu Zhimou had managed to slip through again.

After this incident, he would have to lie low for a while. He couldn’t continue any further; otherwise, Liu Zhimou would seize hold of his weakness.

“Go back and keep a close watch on the people of Wutong Village. Don’t let anything go wrong there, understand?”

Bitterness filled Bald Lai’s heart. He didn’t dare refuse and nodded, responding with a “Yes,” before respectfully retreating.

He needed to go back and think of a way to appease the villagers of Wutong Village.

“You too—get out of here and keep a close eye on the county magistrate’s residence. If anything goes wrong again, you can get lost,” Wang Yang warned the middle‑aged man viciously, his eyes fixed on him.

The middle‑aged man bent slightly at the waist, responded with a quiet acknowledgment, then turned and left.

Wang Yang took a deep breath, stood up, and kicked a stool hard. Missing such a perfect opportunity made his chest feel stifled.

Who knew when he’d get another chance to bring Liu Zhimou down?

Most importantly, Liu Zhimou had guards protecting him. This time, they’d alerted the enemy—he would surely be even more cautious from now on.

“To hell with it!” Unable to suppress the rage in his heart, Wang Yang grabbed a stool and smashed it hard onto the ground. With a loud crash, the stool shattered into pieces, showing just how much force he had used.

“Mas… Master…” The steward, who hadn’t been gone long, appeared at the doorway again, calling out to Wang Yang in a trembling voice.

Wang Yang lifted his bloodshot eyes and looked at him. “What is it?”

Suppressing his fear with great effort, the steward said that Master He had arrived.

Hearing that He Fourth Uncle had come, Wang Yang glanced at the mess on the floor. He took a deep breath, ordered someone to clean up the room, and only then had the steward bring He Fourth Uncle in.

“What brings you here today?” Wang Yang asked He Fourth Uncle with a smile.

That smiling face made it seem as though the person who’d been raging moments ago wasn’t him at all.

He Fourth Uncle gave him a cool look, sat down on a chair to the side, and asked directly whether he had made a move against Liu Zhimou.

Wang Yang raised his brows and laughed loudly. “He Tao, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“Wang Yang, I told you long ago to endure it and not act rashly,” He Fourth Uncle said, not believing Wang Yang’s nonsense for a second. If he weren’t certain, how could he have come here in person? “Now you’ve startled the enemy. It won’t be so easy to make a move next time.”

Wang Yang’s action had completely disrupted his plans.

When he first heard the news, he was furious. After thinking it over for a long time, he finally decided to come and confront Wang Yang.

If he didn’t warn him, he feared Wang Yang would act recklessly again next time.

Useless when it comes to accomplishing things—yet excellent at ruining them.

If not for the fact that they were all in the same boat, he wouldn’t care whether Wang Yang lived or died.

Wang Yang glanced at He Fourth Uncle and knew that arguing further would be meaningless.

He curled his lips and let out a cold laugh. “You all hide like turtles in their shells, too afraid to deal with Liu Zhimou. So I could only probe his background myself. Just thinking about some green little brat pressing down on me makes my blood boil. I didn’t really do anything to him—I just wanted to ruin his reputation.”

He had been careful about this. He wouldn’t let the Wang family fall into danger.

It was just a pity that things went poorly, allowing Liu Zhimou to escape this calamity.

Hearing this, even the usually composed He Fourth Uncle couldn’t suppress his anger anymore. He shouted, “Wang Yang—!” His face darkened as he stared at Wang Yang so intensely that it made Wang Yang’s heart tremble. Only then did he speak coldly, “Then did you succeed in ruining his reputation? Huh? Not only did you fail, you actually made him famous. Now, who in Ninghua County doesn’t say that the new county magistrate is a devoted lover, a man of deep feeling and loyalty?”

Even his own wife had been praising the county magistrate between the lines, saying that a man ought to be like him—devoted to only one woman.

Everyone knew that matters of the inner household had a huge impact on the front court. If the inner household was unstable, could a man truly focus on his work?

This time, Wang Yang had really dragged them into a mess.

“Wang Yang, I’m warning you—if you take it upon yourself again to go after Liu Zhimou, we’re done. If you want to die, don’t drag my He family down with you.”

In an instant, Wang Yang’s face turned extremely ugly. He frowned and asked what He Fourth Uncle meant by that.

He Fourth Uncle’s expression wasn’t any better. He said coldly, “Exactly what it sounds like. Don’t you understand?”

He didn’t need a partner who dragged him down. If Wang Yang continued acting on his own, he would definitely kick him off this boat.

“You—”

“I agree with He Tao.”

“I agree too.”

Before Wang Yang could finish speaking, two voices cut him off. The heads of the Zhao and Lin families appeared at the doorway, glaring angrily at Wang Yang.

“Wang Yang, why didn’t you discuss such a decision with us first?” Zhao He spoke up in dissatisfaction, rebuking him. “Do you even have us in your eyes?” Making such an important decision on your own—clearly, you don’t respect us at all.

“Wang Yang, this time you suffered a total loss,” Lin Sen added. “Not only did you fail to do anything to Liu Zhimou, you even helped spread his good reputation. You should know—we four families are grasshoppers tied to the same rope. A single tug affects the whole line. If things go badly on your end, it’ll drag us down too.”

He was also furious at Wang Yang’s unilateral actions, which had put them all in such a passive position.

Wang Yang clenched his fists tightly. The pain in his palms helped him calm down a little. He forced a smile at He Fourth Uncle and the others and apologized sincerely, saying that he’d acted impulsively this time and hadn’t consulted them. In the future, he promised to discuss things with them before taking action.

He couldn’t afford to fall out with the three families. Once that happened, he’d be ostracized in Ninghua County, and his businesses would suffer greatly. For the sake of his family, he had to swallow his pride and admit his mistake.

He had to find a way to surpass He Tao. Once he did, he would have the final say.

After all, they were in the same boat. He Fourth Uncle and the others knew they couldn’t push things too far—giving a warning was enough.

“If it’s good for you and good for me, it’s good for everyone. Only by working together can the four of us go further,” He Fourth Uncle said earnestly, smiling as he reached out and lightly patted Wang Yang’s shoulder.

“Yes, Wang Yang, there’s no need to rush. As long as the four of us stand united, one day we’ll bring Liu Zhimou down,” Lin Sen added in consolation.

Then Zhao He chimed in, “A strong dragon can’t suppress a local snake. Let’s see what abilities Liu Zhimou really has to stir things up in Ninghua County. Haste makes waste—only by clearly probing the enemy’s background can we strike with precision.”

Wang Yang restrained the smile on his face and nodded solemnly, saying he understood and wouldn’t act impulsively again.

After analyzing the situation in detail for a while longer, He Fourth Uncle and the other two finally left the Wang residence.

As soon as they left, Liu Zhimou received the news.

Putting down his brush, Liu Zhimou let out a cold smile. He was waiting for them to make their move.

When the time came, he’d show them exactly how he would return the favor.

He picked up the xuan paper and gently blew on it. Once he was sure the ink had dried, he placed it into an envelope and instructed the guard to rush it to the capital, straight into his grandfather’s hands.

After taking care of this matter, he exhaled softly, stood up, stretched, and left the study, heading back to the bedroom to get some sleep.

“Finished with your work?” Seeing Liu Zhimou return, Li Qingling quickly put down her needlework and greeted him with a smile.

Liu Zhimou wrapped an arm around her waist, rested his head on her shoulder, and said in a spoiled tone that he was very tired and wanted to sleep.

Li Qingling tenderly patted his head. “Then go to sleep.” He must not have slept at all last night, and after coming back, he’d handled so many matters—it was no wonder he was exhausted.

“Stay with me.”

“…Alright.” Li Qingling smiled and nodded. Since he was rarely so clingy, she decided to indulge him this once.

Liu Zhimou lifted his head and kissed her, then happily pulled her over to the bed.

Lying there with her in his arms, he sighed contentedly and said how wonderful it was to have his wife by his side.

Li Qingling gently patted his back, coaxing him to sleep.

He murmured a low response. Before long, she heard his breathing become steady and even.

She lifted her head slightly and noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes. Feeling distressed, she kissed his chin softly, nestled into his embrace, and soon fell asleep as well.

Neither of them expected that today’s events would spread all the way to the capital, stirring it into an uproar.

When the emperor heard what Liu Zhimou had said, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. So having three palaces and six courts made him a useless man?

Come to think of it… he was actually a little envious of Liu Zhimou. To win one person’s heart and grow old together without parting—that must be a kind of happiness, right?

He… would never be able to experience that in this lifetime.

Thinking of the chaos in the harem only made him more irritated.

That brat’s words might not have sounded pleasant, but they did make sense.

As expected of Junior Brother’s offspring—he had completely inherited Junior Brother’s devotion.

But as for Ninghua County’s situation…

Forget it. Let Liu Zhimou handle it himself. If he couldn’t resolve the issue with those four families, the emperor wouldn’t feel at ease entrusting him with an important position in the future.