Chapter Nine: Fools! Fools!
Yingning? The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he’d heard it before, so Liu Ping let the thought go. Yingning smiled and nodded, her charm growing even more alluring. At her side, Wang Hong became so excited he nearly leapt to his feet, all traces of his earlier indignation gone. He hurriedly said, “Miss Yingning, you must have been frightened today. When I return, I’ll make sure that fellow pays for it. There’s a pavilion here, I’ve prepared some pastries and tea—why not have some to calm your nerves? What do you think?”
Yingning glanced at Liu Ping, then replied, “Then I must trouble you.”
Liu Ping, meanwhile, didn’t notice Yingning’s gaze. He was holding Bai Zhi’s little hand, walking behind, and softly asked, “How did you become like this? Why haven’t I seen you lately?”
Bai Zhi answered, “These days I’ve been working hard to take human form, cultivating diligently. Naturally, I haven’t had time to play. Besides, Young Master has been busy studying, aiming to pass the exam for scholar, right? It all happened so quickly, I didn’t get the chance to tell you. I just transformed, so I asked Sister to take me out for fun, but I didn’t expect to run into bad people.”
Liu Ping nodded. “So that’s how it is.”
Bai Zhi gave a coquettish smile, teasing, “Is it that Young Master missed me?”
Liu Ping laughed. “Yes, of course I missed you.”
Bai Zhi said, “I missed Young Master too. I never thought we’d meet by chance like this—it must be fate?”
“Fate brings together those destined, no matter the distance,” Liu Ping replied.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly it!” Bai Zhi clapped her hands, grinning brightly.
Liu Ping’s expression turned a little odd. Though the original owner of his body was only thirteen, speaking like this with a girl who looked about seven or eight felt somehow inappropriate. Looking at the petite, doll-like Bai Zhi, he suddenly remembered their conversation not long ago.
“Will you turn into a beautiful young lady and marry me?”
“No.”
“Uh…”
“I’m still little, I haven’t grown up yet.”
She really was still a child. How long would it take for her to grow up? Liu Ping wondered, patting Bai Zhi’s head. She was so small—even if he were depraved, he couldn’t possibly do anything; it would leave him with psychological trauma…
※※※※※※
Utter disgrace! Unprecedented humiliation!
Wang Ke’s heart burned with fury. He usually led his men to bully and oppress others with impunity, resolving any trouble with money. The lowly folk—give them silver and the problem vanished. No one had ever dared defy him.
In Qingshui County, the Wang family was known for strict discipline. The two sons, Wang Li and Wang Hong, were honest and upright, never frequenting brothels or pleasure quarters. To the elders, this signaled virtue and promise. But to Wang Ke, they were merely spineless chicks, lacking any backbone.
He was often lectured by the elders, told to learn from Wang Li and Wang Hong, fueling his resentment for some time.
This time, his family had come to Qingshui County to discuss overseas business with the local Wang clan, and he’d tagged along for leisure. He couldn’t get along with Wang Hong and Wang Li, so they quickly fell out. Now, they’d even joined forces with an outsider against him—unforgivable!
“Who was that person? I’ll investigate thoroughly when I get back. Daring to offend me like this—I’ll make him wish he were dead!” Wang Ke’s face twisted with malice, clutching his cheek, seething with hatred. “Just wait—I’ll make you all pay!”
His injured men followed him, hobbling along slowly. Seeing their pathetic state only increased Wang Ke’s rage. Useless fools—three against one and still beaten!
“Worthless!” he snapped. “And those two who dared abandon me—traitors, the lot of them…” His voice turned sinister, ending in a cold laugh that chilled the three men beside him. They were angry but dared not show it.
Fortunately, Wang Ke, though arrogant, knew not to push too far and didn’t blame his men excessively.
Page 1/3
Suddenly, Wang Ke froze. In the distance, a procession approached, guarded by soldiers. At its center strode a middle-aged man in plain robes, impassive, surrounded by important figures. Among those fawning over him was none other than the magistrate of Qingshui County.
“Who’s that dignitary? Could he be the prefect? Judging by his demeanor… it must be!” Wang Ke murmured in shock.
A cunning plan sprang to his mind and he couldn’t help but laugh quietly. “No need to wait—there’s a way to deal with that wretch right now.”
“You three, go kneel before the prefect and file a complaint against Wang Hong and the one who hit you,” Wang Ke ordered his henchmen.
He himself would not go—though he’d been beaten, it wouldn’t do to appear at fault. Even his skill at twisting facts would fail here; the prefect might form a poor impression of him. Sending his men to lodge the complaint would be better. Even if their case was weak, the fact remained: Liu Ping had injured them, and that could not be denied. Whatever the reason, assault was assault. The prefect would surely notice.
Perhaps the prefect would be magnanimous, but the accompanying officials, eager to curry favor, might spread rumors in the bureaucracy. Then—heh—want to pass the scholar's exam? It would be harder than climbing to the heavens!
“But…” The men hesitated, anxious.
“There’s nothing to hesitate about! You were beaten—don’t you have any pride?” Wang Ke barked, then softened his tone, “If you succeed, two hundred taels of silver each!”
A mix of threats and rewards—Wang Ke was shrewd.
His words prompted the three to exchange glances, then respond, “Yes!”
As they prepared to leave, Wang Ke paused and added, “Wait—say that Wang Hong was merely an accomplice. Put all the blame on that madman.”
※※※※※※
Liu Ping and his companions sat in the pavilion, enjoying the maple leaves, laughing and chatting. Suddenly, a large group approached.
“What’s going on?” Wang Hong wondered aloud, seeing the county magistrate flanking the central figure. He was stunned: “Who is that person? He looks familiar… Could it be the prefect?”
Soon, the group reached the pavilion. The accompanying soldiers moved away, forming a protective ring around it.
Liu Ping and the others knelt: “Student Liu Ping (Wang Hong) greets Your Excellency.”
Only Bai Zhi, unfamiliar with the etiquette, remained silent, but she knelt as well, being young, and no one blamed her. In truth, the act of kneeling made Liu Ping, a modern man, uncomfortable. Kneeling to the emperor was one thing, but to mere officials? Only after passing the scholar’s exam would he be exempt from kneeling.
In this world, once you earned scholarly honors, you were no longer required to bow to officials—except to imperial envoys.
“Rise and speak,” the prefect said coolly.
Upon standing, Liu Ping saw several familiar faces—one was his father’s friend, the scholar Bai, who was half a mentor to Liu Ping. The other three were the men he’d just fought.
Seeing them, Liu Ping’s heart sank; trouble was brewing. Had they accused him and Wang Hong before the prefect? This could be bad.
He exchanged a furtive glance with Wang Hong, who looked furious, clearly guessing the situation.
As expected, the prefect asked, “Wang Hong, Liu Ping? These three have accused you of assault. Is it true?”
“It’s not like that…” Wang Hong started to explain, but the magistrate cut him off, “Just answer. The prefect will judge. No need for explanations.”
Wang Hong’s status as the Wang family’s second son meant the magistrate usually addressed him with warmth, but with the prefect present and such a scandalous incident unfolding, the magistrate’s tone turned cold and rude.
Page 2/3
Hearing this, Wang Hong and Liu Ping’s expressions shifted, and Yingning, who kept her head lowered, also paled. Bai Zhi clenched her fists in anger. This official was corrupt!
“Yes!” Wang Hong and Liu Ping replied.
“For what reason? Answer truthfully,” the prefect pressed, his voice commanding and suffocating—a presence forged through years of authority.
Liu Ping stepped aside to let the prefect see Yingning, who was hiding behind him. He answered, “These three attempted to abduct a young woman; I acted to punish them.”
The men’s eyes lit up briefly upon seeing Yingning’s beauty, but they quickly regained composure, secretly admiring her.
“Abduct a young woman? In broad daylight? That’s exaggeration!” The county magistrate, sensing trouble and wanting to protect his jurisdiction’s reputation, interjected, “Speak frankly.”
“Even if that happened, the authorities handle such matters. Why take justice into your own hands? Are you trying to emulate wandering heroes? Even if you acted, a minor punishment would suffice. I just examined their injuries—they won’t heal for half a year, and may have lasting effects.” The deputy magistrate shook his head. “You study the classics—how can you be so reckless? So young, yet so ruthless? Liu Ping, you have no sense of propriety!”
The three men wailed pitifully, crying, “There was no such thing! We merely glanced at the young woman, and Liu Ping beat us so badly—he’s too arrogant! We’re innocent! Please, Your Excellency, give us justice!”
“Your Excellency, Liu Ping was once my pupil. I know his character—he would never harm others without cause.” The cultured middle-aged man, Scholar Bai, interjected, hoping to defend Liu Ping.
Hearing this, Liu Ping felt quietly moved.
But the prefect, unmoved, shook his head and said coolly, “Unprovoked assault is wrong, but even if there’s cause, can you harm others at will? Where are the virtues you’ve learned from the sages? Where is your benevolence?”
Hearing this, Wang Hong and Liu Ping felt as if plunged into icy water, their mouths bitter. This was a disaster.
Though the Wang family had some wealth, even if Wang Hong’s father arrived, he’d be nothing but a rich commoner compared to the prefect. Only century-old merchant families would command the prefect’s respect, but this nouveau riche had no such influence, perhaps affecting only the county magistrate. So, facing such accusations, Wang Hong dared not retort, nor did Liu Ping, lacking wealth or power.
Yet Bai Zhi, though young, knew right from wrong. She was furious, her eyes wide. Unable to endure, she shouted, “Fool! Fool! I’m so angry! How can you twist reason like this? You’re punishing the good and rewarding the evil!”
Her outburst shocked everyone—how could anyone dare address the prefect so?
Wang Hong, already distressed, turned pale as paper, nearly collapsing. His side was in the right, but such words would ruin their case, even if justified. What now?
Scholar Bai was terrified, his scalp tingling, nearly fainting. He hurriedly knelt, pleading, “She’s just a child, ignorant and disrespectful. Please forgive her!”
“How dare you! Speaking to the prefect like that!” an official barked, pointing at the kneeling elder. “Are you trying to shield them?”
The prefect did not grow angry, but was startled. He then asked, “Is learning the classics merely about fighting? Is that virtue? How can you rule by virtue? Regardless of age, repay wrongs with virtue—teach them right from wrong. That is the root of resolving problems.”
Liu Ping sighed inwardly. Since things had come to this, he might as well go all out and seek some freedom. He straightened, pulled Bai Zhi to his side, and looked at the prefect, asking each word distinctly, “If one repays wrongs with virtue, how then should one repay virtue?”
――――――
Ps: Second update delivered. A chapter of 3,700 words! Another update will come at midnight—then it’ll be Monday, and I hope everyone will support me: recommend, bookmark, click, you can never do too much… Heh. Also, please bookmark! If by the third update bookmarks break three hundred, I’ll add another update—four in total! I won’t go back on my word!
Page 3/3