Chapter 59: When You Lose, You Must Accept It!

Whether it was a coincidence or not was a separate matter. But anyone with even a shred of intelligence would never admit to such a thing!

Flushing with embarrassment and anger, Liu Qi cast a sidelong glance at Cheng An and said, his breath hishing, "Let him in!"

A moment later.

Dong Dakang walked in with his head bowed and executed a respectful bow.

"This humble person greets Master Liu!"

"What is the business?"

Cold amusement flickered in Liu Qi's eyes.

It had only been a few days.

That once arrogant and overbearing Dong Dakang now looked several circles thinner, his hair disheveled and unkempt, haggard like a fallen aristocrat.

He raised his head, just about to speak.

When he caught sight of Cheng An standing beside Liu Qi, his gaze instantly turned razor-sharp, the murderous intent in his eyes seemingly able to pierce through flesh.

Yet, a moment later...

He slowly lowered his head again, gritting his teeth as he said, "This humble person is here to report a crime."

"You? Reporting a crime?"

Let alone Liu Qi, even the bailiffs at the door couldn't help but scoff with amusement.

Ever since the Dong family rose to prominence...

It had always been others coming to them to seek redress; when had the esteemed Master Dong ever lowered his head?

How satisfying!

People were always like this—when matters did not concern them, they relished taking pleasure in others' misfortunes. Especially with a plot twist carrying such a stark contrast, it naturally aroused the greatest curiosity!

"Yes..."

Dong Dakang forcefully suppressed his blazing fury and pleaded, "My unworthy son was seized by bandits yesterday. I beg your honor to submit this to the county magistrate and uphold justice for this humble commoner!"

"Ha!"

Liu Qi let out a cold chuckle of exasperation, casting a sideways look of displeasure at Cheng An.

Yet, beneath his anger...

A trace of genuine admiration stirred within his heart.

What a brilliant scheme!

The timing, the boundaries, and the target had all been handled with absolute precision!

Why didn't Dong Dakang dare to bite back?

With no proof whatsoever, what good would it do him to accuse Cheng An? Moreover, given that he had already offended Wang Shan previously over the matter of suppressing bandits, to retaliate now...

Wasn't that simply asking to be tormented?

Therefore, if he wanted to save his son, he had only one path left—to sacrifice the greater to preserve the lesser!

"Bandits?"

Liu Qi feigned bafflement. "Our Pinggu County is known for its pure customs and honest folk. Where on earth would bandits come from? Has Master Dong lost his mind from sleeping too much?"

"Your Honor..."

"This humble person wouldn't dare lie. They are truly bandits!"

Dong Dakang was choked with frustration, his weathered face flushing crimson as his cheeks twitched uncontrollably.

Just a few days ago.

It was precisely because of those very words—"pure customs and honest folk"—spoken by Zhou Heng that he had managed to extricate himself.

Never did he expect retribution to arrive so swiftly.

"Ha!"

Liu Qi felt an overwhelming wave of satisfaction wash over him. He said coldly, "Do you realize you must take responsibility for such words?"

"Yes..."

"This humble person knows!"

Dong Dakang slowly sank to his knees, resigning himself to his fate. "This humble person is willing to give testimony, only begging your honor to spare my son's life!"

"That is not enough!"

"..."

Everyone kept their eyes lowered in silence, their gazes converging on Cheng An's face.

Little bastard!

Dong Dakang glared at him through gritted teeth, his body trembling slightly.

As if turning a deaf ear, Cheng An said indifferently, "There are no bandits in Pinggu County; the county magistrate himself said so in the past! Does Master Dong believe a mere testimony will suffice?"

"Then what do you want?"

Dong Dakang felt as though he might grind his teeth to dust.

And he regretted even more that he hadn't seen through this young pup's methods sooner!

Yet, amidst his fury.

He desperately wanted to ask Cheng An one question: "Just how deep is this grudge between us?"

In the beginning...

The Hundred Flavors Restaurant introduced stir-fried dishes and instantly became an overnight sensation!

As a competitor, Dong Dakang admitted his own methods hadn't been entirely honorable.

Yet, in the end, he hadn't gained any advantage either!

Cheng An had turned Wu Ji and Guo Jing against him on the spot, causing him to lose immense face in front of the entire town.

Logically speaking, the matter should have ended right there.

Even in a game of landlord, it ought to have been the Dong family's turn to play their hand, shouldn't it?

Yet, immediately following that, this little pup had orchestrated another scheme, thoroughly ruining Julai Xiang in one fell swoop!

Let's put it this way...

Did the other party have every right to retaliate against him?

Still, since ancient times, history has been written by the victors!

Besides, the Dong family had committed countless atrocities over the years; they were hardly worthy of sympathy!

"There is no why..."

Cheng An looked at him with unrippled calm. "You lost, so you must accept it!"

"..."

Dong Dakang could not utter another half-word.

Yet, he would probably never realize until the day he died that the true reason for the Dong family's downfall stemmed from a mere marriage proposal!

...

A few days later.

The bailiffs of Pinggu County arrived, and what's more, Wang Shan led the expedition in person!

"Hahahaha!"

"Refreshingly satisfying..."

He strode into the Qingshui Town official yamen, and without waiting for anyone to offer formal greetings, he walked straight up to Cheng An.

"Good lad!"

*Slap!*

Wang Shan brought a heavy hand down on his shoulder.

"Old me truly didn't misjudge you..."

Cheng An let out a sharp gasp, his legs turning to jelly as he nearly dropped to his knees.

"Ha!"

"My hand slipped, my hand slipped..."

Wang Shan offered an awkward laugh as he steadied him, though the excitement on his face could not be contained no matter what!

"You fellows didn't see it..."

"After Dong Dakang confessed his crimes, the expression on our county magistrate's face—magnificent!"

He had every reason to rejoice.

His primary political rival had suffered such a massive loss of face; was there anything more gratifying than this?

"Your Honor..."

Sensing that Wang Shan was growing a bit too full of himself, Cheng An steered the conversation elsewhere. "Has the magistrate agreed to suppress the bandits?"

"Would he dare disagree?"

Wang Shan held his head high with a cold smirk, exuding a spirited and triumphant air.

By now, everyone in the county knew of the matter, and people gathered outside the county yamen every single day to hurl insults! Denouncing Zhou Heng as a "parasite who draws a salary while contributing nothing" and "fat-headed and incompetent"...

The combined force of public opinion could melt even metal!

If Zhou Heng refused to bow his head now, he wouldn't even need the imperial court to punish him; the common folk would rise in rebellion first.

To harbor bandits and refuse to suppress them, treating human lives as mere blades of grass!

If such a county magistrate wasn't resisted, who would be the next victim? Could the common people expect any sense of safety?

Outside the yamen.

"Suppress the bandits!"

Wang Shan swept his hand downward in a grand gesture.

The townspeople who had rushed over to watch the spectacle immediately broke into cheers and applause.

They didn't care what official rank a man held.

As long as he was willing to look out for the common people, he was worthy of praise!

In an instant...

The cries of "Upright official like a clear sky!" resounded through the heavens.

Even Liu Qi, standing toward the back, found himself subconsciously carried away by the moment!

What was the will of the people?

Those who served as officials sought either fame and fortune or wealth!

Yet, regardless of what kind of official they were, deep down, every single one of them hoped to win the approval of the common folk!

Setting aside those empty titles...

Just listening to that wave upon wave of acclaim—this was political achievement! Furthermore, it was something that could neither be bought with money nor contrived through effort.

...

The two squads of bailiffs had already prepared their gear.

Seventy or eighty men stood in a grand, imposing formation outside the yamen, instantly creating an aura of formidable momentum!

The surrounding townspeople were cheering wildly.

Yet, Cheng An couldn't help but frown.

"Your Honor..."

He stepped up beside Wang Shan and lowered his voice. "With just this handful of men, I'm afraid we won't be able to take down that band of bandits!"

The outlaws entrenched on Qingliang Mountain had been entrenched there for a long time.

Cheng An had roughly calculated beforehand that there were at least forty or fifty of them!

Their numbers might seem slightly superior.

Can bailiffs and bandits be mentioned in the same breath?

On one side were desperate men who faced certain death with no burial ground if they didn't fight to the last; on the other side was a group of "distinguished gentlemen" who sat in offices drawing a regular paycheck...

Would they risk their lives?

Very well!

Even if they were willing to risk their lives in mortal combat with the bandits, once the casualties became too heavy, who would bear the responsibility for those losses?

By then, not only would Wang Shan lose all his merit, but he might even be slapped with the charge of "seeking grand achievements recklessly"!

"No matter!"

"This official has long since made up his mind..."

Wang Shan cast an approving look at Cheng An, suddenly overcome with the blissful sentiment that "this child wasn't raised in vain."

Perhaps touched by Cheng An's sincerity...

He chuckled softly, "Having served as a prefecture assistant judge for thirteen years, how could I not know the dangers involved? But the opportunity right now is simply too rare!"

"Yet—"

"Rest easy!"

He patted Cheng An lightly on the shoulder with a smile. "Suppressing the bandits is merely a pretext; as long as we carry out this action, we have already succeeded!"