The 18th year of the Da Yong reign: The beginning of the story involves rescuing revolutionaries.

Wang Zhi looked at Magistrate Hu, whose eyes were red and who looked full of regret, but he felt no emotion. He could only sigh and think that officials were better actors than actors who had practiced for ten years.

He said softly, "It won't hurt to take a look. I've done nothing wrong, so let's see what the magistrate has said about the charges he brought."

After saying that, Wang Zhi took the stack of things from Lord Ji's hands.

Lord Ji remained silent, waiting quietly for Chief Wang to finish reading.

No one in the room cared about Magistrate Hu kneeling on the ground.

Zhou An didn't even know when he had knelt down on the ground, right by the door, his knees as weak as noodles, his calves trembling inside his pants.

It seemed that kneeling could soothe his restless soul.

Wang Zhi read through the documents one by one. In addition to the mention of colluding with rebels, the documents also mentioned that their Daxing Gang had bullied the people and merchants in the county town. Of course, compared with the matter of colluding with rebels, these were insignificant.

The confession was obviously drafted and fabricated by the clerk, and the handprint was probably put on by someone else.

This stack of things is light yet heavy.

The room was so quiet that you could hear Magistrate Hu breathing. He knelt there, silently waiting for Wang Luoyun to finish reading. He felt as if each day was an eternity. Despite the crisp autumn air, his back was already soaked with sweat.

"Lord Ji, these are all pure slander. My Daxing Gang are subjects of Dayong, and we would never do anything to collude with rebels," Wang Zhi said with utmost composure.

Ji Dinggang reached out and took it: "I think so too. I had already read all of these before you came, and they are all nonsense."

As he spoke, he slowly placed the stack of flimsy accusations on the candlestick: "Since it's all nonsense, let's just burn it all."

"After I return to the provincial capital, I will not say a word to Judicial Commissioner Zhang, and when I visit the Duke at his residence, I will not mention what happened in the study today. What do you think, my good brother?"

Wang Zhi understood that Lord Ji was asking him for a favor, and this favor was something he absolutely had to owe. The Daxing Gang couldn't afford to be accused of colluding with rebels, at least not the current Daxing Gang.

So he clasped his hands and said, "Of course, I know nothing about these official matters, so I'll leave it all to Brother Ji. When I get to your residence, please give my regards to my godfather."

"No problem." Lord Ji laughed heartily, watching the paper turn to ashes in the flames, and then squeezing out the last spark in his palm.

"It's good to burn it, it's good to burn it!" Magistrate Hu said, still kneeling.

Ji Dinggang lowered his head and looked at Magistrate Hu, as if he had just noticed him: "Hu Cangyao."

Lord Jue had secretly informed him of this trip to Liuzhou, asking him to look after him. He never expected that Magistrate Hu would actually give him such a pleasant surprise.

I originally thought this trip would be fruitless and I would have to return empty-handed.

With Magistrate Hu's framing, we've inadvertently gained a favor from the adopted son of Marquis Wuyi. It was this magistrate Hu who offended us, but he accepted the favor. This deal is a win-win situation.

However, although the "crime" was burned, the matter was clearly not over yet.

"Yes, Your Excellency is here," Magistrate Hu replied.

"If you fail to uncover any rebels within the specified timeframe, I will report the facts truthfully."

"Yes, it was my dereliction of duty," Magistrate Hu dared not refute.

He still ended up taking the blame for the rebels, and even worse, he offended the general's adopted son.

This plan truly backfired spectacularly, leaving Hu Cangyao feeling utterly mortified.

With that matter considered closed, Ji Dinggang changed the subject and said, "However, those two villains who attacked me are most likely still in Liuzhou. Magistrate Hu, this is a good opportunity for you to redeem yourself."

"Your humble servant will certainly not fail in your trust, sir," Magistrate Hu hurriedly replied.

It was as if a drowning person had grasped at the last straw.

"Alright, hurry up and oversee the work. Report back immediately if there is any news. I will stay in Liuzhou for a few more days to recover from my injuries before returning home." Ji Dinggang said, then waved the men away.

The magistrate and Zhou An, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly scrambled out of the study. Of course, Zhang Zhu also left, understanding that his master had something to say to Chief Wang privately.

Leaving the study, Magistrate Hu walked briskly out of the courtyard without stopping, and only after he was out of Zhang Zhu's sight did he let out a long breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Your Excellency, what are we going to do now? We've offended the Duke, are we all going to have to go back to farming?" Zhou An asked, his legs still twitching, as he leaned against a pillar.

"What should we do?" Magistrate Hu narrowed his eyes, looking at a corner of the eaves. The sun was setting, and a few rays of light shone down, casting slanted shadows on the blue bricks. He slowly spoke: "I am a seventh-rank magistrate. If you want to dismiss me, you need the governor to impeach me, then the cabinet's selection bureau to review it, and finally the Grand Council to approve it. The circuit intendant, the Marquis of Wuyi, is a military officer and does not have the authority to dismiss me."

"Besides, I haven't been a county magistrate for nothing all these years, and I'm not the only one in the entire province who knows me, Circuit Intendant Ji."

After much thought, Hu Cangyao remembered the promise that Shen Lingyu, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, had made to him regarding the friendship between the Shen family and Shen Lingyu.

Hearing this, Zhou An felt a little more at ease. It seemed to make sense, and as long as the county magistrate didn't fall from power, he could still make a living.

However, Hu Cangyao didn't say anything. He had painstakingly cultivated his career for many years, hoping to secure an upward official position. Now, his hopes for promotion were dashed, and all the connections he had built up would have to be used to fill this hole. He was furious and had nowhere to vent his anger.

He said, "Director Zhou, you must immediately take command of all personnel, including the militia, to guard all key roads, especially the clinics and pharmacies. Have people keep a close watch on them and force those two villains who dared to attack Lord Ji to come out!"

"Yes," Zhou An replied and left immediately.

Inside the study, only Ji Dinggang and Wang Zhi remained, sitting opposite each other.

"Brother Ji, how are your injuries? I wonder who those two villains are, that they could hurt you so badly?" Wang Zhi asked with concern.

He knew that Lord Ji was a fourth-level martial artist, and anyone who could knock him unconscious must also be at least a fourth-level martial artist.

"To be honest, my brother, they are two inner disciples of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion," Ji Dinggang said frankly.

"Heavenly Sword Pavilion?" Wang Zhi was surprised, never expecting that the two thugs wielding swords were disciples of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion.

These reclusive high-ranking officials are becoming increasingly active.

The same was true at the end of the previous Dali Dynasty.

In the original storyline, it was impossible for the disciples of Tianjian Pavilion to encounter Lord Ji and fight him, because the rebels had been escorted away, and Ji Dinggang would never have come to Liuzhou.

So Wang Zhi asked again, puzzled, "To be able to injure Brother Ji, one must not be an unknown figure in the Heavenly Sword Pavilion. Does Brother Ji recognize him?"

Ji Dinggang shook his head: "These sects have always been secretive, but the leading male disciple practices 'Cicada Movement,' one of the six unique skills of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion. I've heard that very few people in the Heavenly Sword Pavilion practice this skill."