Chapter 43

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Wang Xian's voice thundered like a spring thunder, the word 'get lost' spewed out. Li Sheng, caught off guard, was stunned and fell on his buttocks to the ground, his ears ringing, and he stared at him in shock.

"You, you..." After a moment of shock, Li Sheng suddenly realized: "You were faking it!"

Wang Xian just sneered, clearly acknowledging it.

"So you were playing me!" Li Sheng's anger flared up, and he sprang up from the ground, waving his hands as if to strangle Wang Xian.

He clearly hadn't seen how Mr. He had once fallen backward in a graceful manner...

Wang Xian crossed his arms, curled his legs, and with a sudden kick, hit Li Sheng's abdomen.

With a cry, Li Sheng flew backward. The room was narrow, and before he could fully extend his body, his back hit the wall, and he fell to the ground in a sorry state, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Li Sheng's eyes were filled with stars, and he was in excruciating pain. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he glared viciously and said, "Kid, I won't let you off!"

"Ha ha ha..." Li Sheng lay on the bed like a sleeping Buddha, smiling brightly, "Do you think my father will let you off?"

"..." The image of Wang Xingye's smiling face flashed in Li Sheng's mind, and he shuddered, not even daring to utter a threat...

Leaving the office building as if in a daze, Li Sheng rushed to the clerk's room to request an audience with Wang Ziyao. Liu Yuan said the clerk was not there, but he didn't believe it and barged into the inner room. Sure enough, he saw Wang Ziyao leisurely drinking gongfu tea.

"Sir, I couldn't stop him..." Liu Yuan whispered anxiously.

Wang Ziyao waved his hand, signaling him to leave, and then said to Li Sheng, "Sit down and have some tea."

Li Sheng shook his head. His official cap was long gone, his hair was disheveled, and his blue robe was dirty and disheveled, making him look extremely wretched.

"Ah..." Seeing him like this, Wang Ziyao sighed, "If only you had thought of this earlier."

"Wang Brother! Sir!" Hearing this, Li Sheng burst into tears, his knees buckling as he knelt on the ground, sobbing, "For the sake of our long-standing friendship, please help me..."

"Get up, what a sight you are." Wang Ziyao frowned.

"I won't get up until you agree..."

"Then kneel there." Wang Ziyao pretended to get up, "I'm leaving."

"Don't..." Li Sheng had no choice but to stand up and sit on the stool.

"Haven't you realized yet? You've offended the magistrate so much that he's determined to remove you," Wang Ziyao poured him a small cup of tea, "Even the third magistrate's plea won't help. What can I do for you?"

"I know Brother Wang has strong connections in the province. Please try to get the higher-ups to intervene and let the magistrate spare me!" Li Sheng hurriedly said, "I'm willing to bankrupt myself to get Brother to handle this!"

"..." Wang Ziyao's face remained calm, but he was inwardly delighted. He knew that Li Sheng had amassed a fortune through corruption over the years. As the head of the clerks, he was just a figurehead, and his benefits were far less than Li Sheng's... This was a rare opportunity to extort a wealthy man, and he couldn't let it slip away without getting everything he could.

Although he thought this, he feigned concern, "You've made enough money. Why not buy land and live a comfortable life instead of toiling in the government office?"

"I would if I could, but without this position, I can't protect my wealth!" Li Sheng gritted his teeth, "If I leave the county office, Wang Xingye will definitely ruin me! Brother, you can't abandon me!"

"That's true." Wang Ziyao nodded, "You gave He Chang the idea to sue, which was very underhanded. No wonder Wang Xingye hates you so much."

"About that..." This seemingly casual remark hit Li Sheng's heart, and his face, which had just regained some color, turned deathly pale.

"Do you think everyone else is a fool?" Wang Ziyao shook his head, "Wang Xingye couldn't understand how a country bumpkin like He Chang would know that the inspector would take advantage of the situation. He long suspected someone was behind it, and that person was most likely you."

"..." Li Sheng's forehead was drenched in sweat, and he trembled, "How could that be?"

"How couldn't it be?" Wang Ziyao sneered, "He was the grain commissioner, and you were the grain clerk. You two had a long-standing friendship. You also had a grudge against Wang Xingye, so he naturally suspected you first! Later, when He Chang was imprisoned, Wang Xingye had Li Guan torture him, and he quickly found out it was you!"

"Ah..." Li Sheng's eyes were filled with terror.

Wang Ziyao was right. Back then, He Chang was able to sue when the inspector arrived because Li Sheng had given him the idea. But after Wang Xingye's comeback, Li Xian was terrified, which led to his extreme behavior toward Wang Xian—seeing Wang Xingye's son around made him nervous.

He originally thought that Wang Xingye would only seek revenge for bullying Wang Xian, and that he could avoid disaster by paying a fine. But now that Wang Xingye knew that he had almost ruined his family, he would definitely try to kill him...

"Brother, save me..." Li Sheng's knees buckled, and he slid off the stool, kneeling on the ground again.

"It's not that I won't help you." This time, Wang Ziyao didn't make him stand up but said sternly, "If I help you, I might offend Wang Xingye... I heard the Ministry of Personnel is appointing him as the magistrate of Renhe County, which means he will be an official in the province. Should I befriend him or offend him?"

The difference between a magistrate and a clerk is significant. A magistrate is like a county police chief, responsible for the county's prison and security. Though a minor official, the position carries considerable power, especially when held by someone like Wang Xingye, who would surely excel.

"Brother, please rest assured. I'll do whatever it takes, even if I have to sell everything!" Li Sheng felt relieved because Wang Ziyao's words clearly indicated he wanted money.

"Your words make it sound like I'm asking for money." Wang Ziyao feigned righteousness, "Apart from the necessary expenses, you don't need to pay me anything extra."

"Then, how about a thousand taels of silver?" The more he said this, the less Li Sheng dared to be stingy, and he gritted his teeth.

"A thousand taels..." Wang Ziyao sipped his tea, "Let's see how it goes. If it's not enough, we'll talk again."

"No problem, thank you, Brother." Li Sheng gratefully got up, made more promises, and then left the clerk's room.

After he left, Wang Ziyao poured the tea he had given Li Sheng on the ground, thought for a moment, threw the teacup into the wastebasket, and spat, "Bad luck!"

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When Li Sheng returned to the household office, he found the door locked. It turned out that once the office hours were over, the clerks locked the door and dispersed... completely ignoring that Li Sheng's civilian clothes and bag were still inside.

Seeing that the tea was already cold, Li Sheng felt a deep sense of sorrow and shed a few tears as he looked at a withered chrysanthemum by the door.

He returned home in a wretched state. Li Sheng did not live in the county office but in an alley two streets away from the government compound. Pushing open the slightly ajar gate, he stepped in, thinking he was finally home and no longer had to endure the humiliation...

But before he could take another step, his long-term servant came out with a stick, shouting, "You beggar, get out of here!" and was about to hit him.

"It's me, Er Dan..." Li Sheng narrowly avoided being hit and dodged awkwardly.

"Ah..." The servant was stunned, "Master, what happened to you? Did you fall into a ditch?"

"Nothing." Li Sheng's face was ashen as he brushed his sleeves and entered the courtyard. From the outside, his house looked ordinary, but inside, it was surprisingly spacious and exquisite. There were layers of corridors, pavilions, and buildings, and even a garden with artificial hills and flower beds, a true hidden paradise!

He had bought two adjacent three-story houses and connected them. One was for his family, and the other was demolished to build a garden. This way, he enjoyed the comfort of a garden without drawing attention, clearly a well-thought-out plan.

The interior was even more luxurious than the He family's, and you wouldn't believe it was a small official's residence if you hadn't seen it.

At that moment, his wife, four concubines, and two children were sitting in the brightly lit dining room, chatting and laughing as they ate. Since Li Sheng often socialized outside, they didn't wait for him if he didn't return by this time, assuming he was out enjoying himself.

But as they were eating, a disheveled, dirty man burst in.

Seeing him, his six-year-old son screamed, "Ghost!"

His fourth concubine angrily said, "Where are Er Dan and the others? How could they let a beggar in!"

"You're the beggar!" Li Sheng, who had been holding in his anger, finally exploded, roaring like a mad dog at the fourth concubine.

The fourth concubine was stunned and covered her mouth, "Master, what happened to you?"

"What happened to me..." Li Sheng looked at the leftover food on the table, his eyes bloodshot, and roared, "Even you don't respect me, making me eat leftovers? I'll make you eat them, I'll make you eat them!" He grabbed a stool and smashed the table, shattering cups and dishes and splashing soup everywhere...

The whole family was terrified, and the two children cried loudly. Li Sheng cackled maniacally, "Cry, cry more, and I'll strangle you both! We'll all die together!" He swung the stool, smashing everything in sight, as if trying to vent all his pent-up resentment.

His second concubine, who was more perceptive, called a few servants to come in. They took advantage of his distraction, tied him up, and carried him to the bed. Seeing him still struggling, she quickly sent for Doctor Wu and the Daoist priest.

Fortunately, Doctor Wu arrived first and, after examining him, said he wasn't possessed but had a mental block.

"What should we do?" Li Sheng's wives asked.

"Like this." Doctor Wu grabbed the struggling Li Sheng and slapped him hard, then hit him again from the other side!

In the shocked gaze of the Li family, Doctor Wu slapped him eighteen times, turning Li Sheng's face into a swollen pig's head, and he finally fainted...

"Done!" Doctor Wu rubbed his sore hand, "Wake him up and see."

Li Sheng's wives rushed forward, massaging his chest and back. After a while, he gradually regained consciousness, tears streaming from his eyes, but he was no longer mad.

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