As for Zheng Yanming’s questioning, Lin Yuanzhi smiled mysteriously, standing up slowly and saying softly:
“Act according to your conscience, and there won't be much error. When one reaches a certain position, they must remain clear-headed; otherwise…”
Lin Yuanzhi didn’t continue, shaking his head before calmly leaving the room. Zheng Yanming cursed under his breath, calling him an old fox.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped at the door, his cold voice resounding:
“Lord Wei, our debt is now settled, and we owe each other nothing. Lord Wei, take care of yourself from here on.”
With those words, Zheng Yanming left without hesitation, leaving Wei Zhentang in the room, shaken to his core.
If what had happened earlier made Zheng Yanming uneasy, Wei Zhentang was utterly disoriented.
After what seed like half an hour, Wei Zhentang finally staggered to his feet, trembling, and leaned back against his chair. His hands shook as he drank tea.
At that mont, Wei Yun, creeping cautiously, entered the room.
Wei Yun had been watching outside and saw the interactions between the three n—Fang Jingzhi, Xie Cang, and Zheng Yanming. The news that Su Qian'an had the backing of a county lord took him by surprise.
However, the Wei family was strong as well. No matter how powerful the county lord was, it wouldn’t change much. Moreover, this ti the chief examiner was the respected Zheng Dashi.
With his uncle’s support, even Xie Cang couldn’t cause too much trouble.
Though he thought this way, Wei Yun was still a little concerned, not having seen the outco with his own eyes. He waited until after Fang Jingzhi, Xie Cang, Zheng Yanming, and Lin Yuanzhi had left, before sneaking in.
As soon as he entered, he saw Wei Zhentang in a dazed state. Wei Yun hurried over, asking urgently, “Uncle, are you alright? What happened? What did you discuss? Was there so change?”
Wei Zhentang nodded, his voice faint as he muttered, “Yes, after our discussions, we decided to add an additional na to the list of candidates. That person is Su Qian'an. Xie Cang and Fang Xianling have already taken the news and left. It should spread throughout Lingbei County soon.”
Hearing this, Wei Yun’s face changed dramatically. He anxiously exclaid, “Uncle, how can this be? The list was already public! Suddenly adding soone else, especially soone like Su Qian’an—this hasn’t happened in over ten years in Chuan Du County!”
“If this gets out, not only will Su Qian’an’s reputation rise, but it will also deal a blow to our Wei family. Didn’t we have Zheng Dashi supporting us? How can things change just like that?”
“We still have ti to turn things around, don’t we? If possible, we must stop this and ensure Su Qian’an doesn’t pass.”
Wei Yun’s words were full of anxiety, and as he spoke, he didn’t notice Wei Zhentang’s face growing more serious.
Wei Zhentang’s hand trembled as he slapped his nephew across the face with a loud smack, sending Wei Yun flying across the room. He lay on the ground, holding his swollen face, muttering in disbelief, his eyes filled with confusion.
Wei Zhentang walked over swiftly, grabbed Wei Yun, and dragged him to his feet, his voice filled with intense anger. “You fool! You didn’t even understand the power behind Su Qian’an, and you wanted to go after him? Do you realize how close you ca to ruining the Wei family?”
“Do you know who Su Qian’an is associated with? He—”
As Wei Zhentang was about to reveal more, an unexpected mont of clarity took over, and he quickly stopped himself. His voice beca softer, and he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.
The person behind Su Qian’an was far too important, and his nephew wasn’t ready to hear it. So things were too dangerous for Wei Yun to know, especially at his current level. The more he knew, the more harm it would do to him.
Wei Zhentang panted heavily, trying to suppress his rising emotions. Finally, he spoke again, his voice filled with exhaustion.
“You need to stop this madness. If Su Qian’an were just a regular scholar, it would be easy to crush him, but he is no ordinary person. He is soone you cannot touch, not now, not ever.”
“This matter ends here. For now, let’s let it go. From now on, avoid conflict with him. Once you have your official title and the Wei family becos the true power in Chuan Du County, then we can think about what to do.”
Wei Zhentang’s tone was heavy with fatigue. It was as if the weight of the situation had drained him completely.
Wei Yun, shocked and confused, nodded reluctantly. He finally realized the gravity of the situation.
He had no choice but to let this matter go—for now. No matter how much he wanted to go after Su Qian’an, it was clear that he was not capable of handling such a powerful adversary.
The Wei family needed to bide its ti.
He cald himself and nodded, speaking softly, “Uncle, I understand.”
But then, a doubt arose in his mind. “But what if Su Qian’an wants to go after us? Are we supposed to just stand by and watch?”
Wei Yun hesitated, but the question was too important not to ask.
Wei Zhentang, now fully recovered, shook his head, his voice cold. “If Su Qian’an cos after us, we will make him regret it. Even if he has powerful people backing him, we will make him pay the price.”
This was not arrogance; it was confidence in their strength.
If Su Qian’an made a move, the Wei family would stand their ground and not let him walk all over them.
Though Su Qian’an had powerful backing, if he acted recklessly, he would find that the Wei family was not an easy target.
Wei Zhentang’s thoughts were already turning toward the future. He waited patiently for the right mont.
anwhile, hundreds of miles away, on a road heading toward Dongshan Village, Su Qian’an was riding his donkey cart, hurrying toward the village.
Although he didn’t care much about his failure in the county exam, he had still hoped for sothing better. After all, he had put effort into the exam, contributing his strategies for governing the country. While so parts might have been a little intense in wording, the overall ideas were solid.
He didn’t expect to co in the top ranks, but even a consolation position would have been comforting. However, being rejected outright still left a bitter feeling inside.
But Su Qian’an wasn’t one to dwell on such things. After taking so ti to recover his mood, he decided to head out for a walk and inform Ye Chong and Qin Huai about the situation.
Before he could leave, Iron Bull and Shui Sheng appeared before him, and Su Qian’an imdiately realized that sothing was wrong. According to his instructions, if there was no urgent situation, they should not have sought him out.
It turned out that Dongshan Village had been attacked by bandits from Dongzishan.
Upon hearing this, Su Qian’an didn’t hesitate and imdiately left with them. He inford the thin monkey about the situation before rushing toward Dongshan Village.
As he rode quickly toward the village, he learned that this wasn’t just a random raid. The bandits had specifically targeted Dongshan Village, making it clear that the situation was more complicated than he had expected.
By the ti they reached Dongshan, the village was eerily silent, but Su Qian’an could see the movent of bandits in the surrounding areas. The black flags flying in the wind were unmistakable—the bandits of Dongzishan were here.
This wasn’t just a raid. It was a planned attack, and it was happening right at the mont when Su Qian’an had just failed his exam.
As the bandits surrounded the village, Su Qian’an knew the stakes were high.
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