Chapter 39: Whose Face Was Slapped?

Cheng Dahai could not be found. The yamen runners had no choice but to return empty-handed.

"Don't, don't leave!" Qin Dongzhi suddenly snapped back to reality. She grabbed hold of one of the runners and cried, "They are trying to drive me out of Hexi Village! You must do something about this! I am a member of Hexi Village too, by what right should I have to leave?"

Although she had been shouting fiercely just moments ago, she was well aware of Wang Defu’s methods. Especially after the words "conclusive evidence" were uttered, all of Qin Dongzhi’s illusions were shattered. She knew all too well what her fate would be if she stayed.

"Get lost!"

"Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me!" The runner sneered and kicked her away.

This time, the blow was even more brutal. Qin Dongzhi slid backward, clutching her stomach, nearly fainting from the pain. Yet, her instincts remained sharp. She scrambled to her feet, bolted into the house, and locked the door from the inside.

The entire village had been led on a wild goose chase. Wang Defu’s face twitched in irritation. "Damn it! Someone, get a few men and drag that wretched woman out! If she resists, beat her to death on the spot!"

*Bang! Bang-bang!*

Several men began tearing down the door.

Old Madam Han had lost all her previous bravado. Her eyes were filled with deep panic. In a daze, she grabbed Cheng Dashan’s arm and wailed incessantly, "You can't do this, Third Son! Even if your eldest brother truly did something wrong, he didn't mean it! And your sister-in-law… what will become of Xiao Yuan?"

*Didn't mean it?* Cheng An laughed in disbelief. Even the surrounding villagers could no longer stomach it. Was this really his own grandmother? The eldest son was a golden treasure, while the third son was treated like a stepchild? There was no shortage of domestic drama in the countryside, but a mother-in-law as biased and ruthless as Old Madam Han was a first for the entire region.

Seeing her son remain unmoved, a flash of malice crossed Old Madam Han’s eyes. Hardening her heart, she dropped to her knees before Cheng Dashan and his wife.

"Mother!"

"You..." Cheng Dashan and Liu Cuiyun retreated simultaneously. Filial piety was paramount; there was no reason under heaven for a mother to kneel to her son! Was she trying to force them to their deaths? Cheng An could barely restrain himself from stepping in.

"I beg you, Dashan!" Before the eyes of hundreds of villagers, Old Madam Han knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face. "Isn't our little six doing just fine? Why can't you just let it go? If you are truly angry, I will take the blame for you, won't that do?" As she spoke, she gestured as if to kowtow.

"Mother!" Cheng Dashan turned his head, trembling with rage. He gritted his teeth and said, "I always thought you were just biased, but now I realize you have no heart at all!"

She knew exactly what her eldest son had done, yet she shielded him at every turn. Even now, with the evidence set in stone, she still dared to try and protect his family. By kneeling like this, she had trapped Cheng Dashan; even if he had ten thousand reasons, he would forever be branded with the stigma of forcing his mother to kneel.

Cheng An’s anger boiled over. "Grandmother!" He shoved his father aside and stared coldly at her. "Do you think forcing us like this will work? My uncle hired someone to kill me, but I am not the only victim! There is also Mr. Du and the two young ladies of the Gu family!"

That was true! The villagers nodded in succession. Even if Cheng An could bring himself to forgive, could the Gu family and Du Xiu?

"Furthermore!" Cheng An sneered. "My aunt has incited public outrage; the village driving her away is the least of her worries! If you continue to obstruct justice, I fear Brother Xiaoyuan will be implicated as well."

*You are biased, aren't you? Then choose! Do you want your daughter-in-law, or do you want your grandson?*

"No! Xiaoyuan must not be harmed..." Old Madam Han scrambled to her feet, grabbed Cheng Xiaoyuan, and fled in a disheveled panic.

Without her protection, Qin Dongzhi’s fate was sealed. Before she could even resist, a dozen brawny village women rushed forward, beat her until she was covered in bruises, and then dragged her out of Hexi Village.

...

Back home, Liu’s anger had yet to subside. "Is driving her away enough?" She held her son tightly, her eyes full of lingering fear. "Our son was quick-witted this time, but what about next time? If that beast is still at large, what if he harbors evil intentions again?"

"Mother..." Cheng An was about to comfort her when someone knocked at the door.

"Is anyone home?"

"Who is it?" Cheng Dashan went to open the door.

Standing outside were two middle-aged men. The leader had a gentle smile; though his gray cloth robe was plain, his demeanor carried a sense of nobility and authority. Cheng Dashan’s confidence wavered. "May I ask who you are looking for, honored guests?"

"Cheng An." The middle-aged man’s tone was authoritative.

"Looking for our little six?" Cheng Dashan subconsciously assumed something terrible had happened.

However, Du Xiu stepped forward quickly and bowed to one of the men. "Clerk Liu, why are you here?"

"Mr. Du is here as well?" The man was not surprised to see Du Xiu. He smiled and said, "That is perfect; it saves me the trouble of sending someone to find you. Let me introduce you... this is the Assistant Magistrate of Pinggu County, Lord Wang Shan!"

"Who?" The entire Cheng family was shocked. Cheng Dashan retreated several steps in fear. In Pinggu County, the Assistant Magistrate was second only to the County Magistrate—a ninth-rank official! And while Clerk Liu held no official rank, he was the administrator of Qingshui Town; in the vicinity of Hexi Village, his authority was even more immediate than Wang Shan’s.

"We... we pay our respects to the two officials."

*Thud!* The couple hurriedly pulled their son down to kowtow.

"Eh? Everyone, please, there is no need for such formalities!" Wang Shan’s smile was kind. He even disregarded his status to help the family of three to their feet. "You must be Cheng An, right?"

"Yes." Cheng An looked at Wang Shan with a hint of timidity. It was the natural reaction of an eight-year-old child meeting a high official; had he acted too casually, it would have been off-putting and suggested the family lacked manners.

"Do not be afraid. I have come here today specifically to seek justice for you."

*Seeking justice?* The couple looked at their son in confusion.

"Brother Dashan, sister-in-law, you may not know..." Du Xiu hurriedly explained.

"That is correct," Wang Shan added. "This matter was indeed a failure of the Pinggu County Yamen. I have come here personally to make amends for that oversight, and I hope..."

As an Assistant Magistrate, Wang Shan was so courteous it was unsettling. Cheng An felt a sense of bewilderment—was this man a friend or a foe?

"I have already petitioned the prefecture to allow you to take a make-up exam!"

"You can take a make-up exam for the Imperial Examination?" Not only Cheng An, but even Du Xiu’s jaw dropped in surprise. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Imperial Examination had been the emperor’s top priority, with a level of rigor far exceeding that of any other test.

"The Imperial Examination, naturally, does not allow it. However..." Wang Shan smiled meaningfully. "If you can live up to expectations, I have my own ways of silencing those who would object!"

"Me?" Cheng An looked up, lost.

"Were those three poems you composed that day truly improvised?"

"Yes!" The rule of the examination hall was that if you weren't caught, it wasn't cheating. Cheng An answered with complete confidence.

Wang Shan’s smile widened, and his tone grew gentle. "Then, could you compose another poem on the spot that is just as excellent as those from that day? If you can, I guarantee that you will become famous throughout Yaozhou!"

It all came down to the same thing—officials needed political achievements! Yet, because of his personal feud with Du Xiu, Zhou Heng had missed his chance for nothing and had dug a massive pit for himself in the process.