How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Because everything they said was true...

The law is meant to protect the people.

This is the sacred doctrine laid out on the table.

But the truth is, the laws he carefully upheld, the laws he maintained his whole life, did not protect the people of Qishan.

On the contrary, it was his son's outrageous act of completely violating the law that made the people regard him as a living Buddha to all families...

"Your Majesty, please be clear!"

With a thud, more than a dozen people knelt down at the same time.

"Your Majesty, please be clear!"

The rest of the people knelt down at the same time.

Faced with a prefect who was six ranks higher than the county magistrate, these villagers spoke with their guns.

I'll beat you up without hesitation.

But when faced with this county magistrate, they all knelt down.

Is this person kneeling just a county magistrate?

He was kneeling not only for his integrity as an official, but also for his own father, the son of the Zhou family!

"Fellow villagers!" Zhou Liang took a long breath: "Since I entered Qishan, I have sworn an oath to speak up for the 300,000 elders of Qishan, no matter what the cost, I will not hesitate. However, this should not be the case, this should not be the case..."

This sigh was filled with despair and helplessness...

A voice drifted over: "Father, you said you would pay any price for the 300,000 people of Qishan. Is this the truth, or just bureaucratic platitudes?"

Zhou Wenju!

He finally spoke!

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liangsheng flew into a rage: "You unfilial son, are you saying that I am merely seeking fame and fortune?"

Zhou Wenju said, "Father knows perfectly well that once the He and Li families are destroyed, the 300,000 people of Qishan will have their chance to turn their lives around. The only price is that my life will be in danger, and Father's reputation will be ruined. If Father is truly determined to pay any price, why should he care about the consequences?"

This statement definitely did not directly accuse Zhou Liangsheng of seeking fame and fortune.

But does the lack of a clear focus mean he's just seeking fame and fortune?

You spoke passionately earlier, saying you would spare no expense for the sake of the 300,000 people of Qishan.

But now 300,000 people have glimpsed the blue sky above them, they have seen hope. The only ones who need to pay the price are the Zhou family father and son, while you are filled with boundless rage...

Isn't it because you can't bear to lose your reputation in officialdom, and you can't bear to lose the lives of your Zhou family?

If you can't bear to part with it, then don't talk about paying any price!

Saying you're willing to pay any price, but then being willing to pay any price when it comes down to it—isn't that just seeking fame and fortune?

Zhou Liangsheng was furious, his anger churning endlessly. He really wanted to ask his wife if this unfilial son was truly a descendant of the Zhou family.

However, at this moment and in this place, a hundred people knelt down.

Old Qi next to me keeps his eyes down, his nose down, and his mind at ease...

Everyone, like summer insects, cannot discuss ice...

"Old Qi!" Zhou Liangsheng ordered.

"Here!" Old Qi couldn't avoid it any longer and stepped forward.

"Take this rebellious son back to my residence. If he runs away again this time, you don't need to come back!" Zhou Liangsheng turned around and strode away.

Old Qi turned his gaze to Zhou Wenju: "Young master, did you hear that? You really can't have any more wicked thoughts."

"Old Qi, please don't wrong me. I've been wronged a lot lately..." Zhou Wenju sighed softly. "The prison break during the day was not my wish. It was my lawless sister, Zhou Shuang, who knocked me unconscious and forcibly took me away. I didn't wake up until I got to Jingtian Nunnery."

"Yes, yes, Officer Qi!" Zhang San said, "I can testify to that."

Xu Hai added, "Young Master was indeed knocked unconscious and kidnapped by a female bandit. I almost touched a gun. If Third Brother hadn't noticed something was wrong, I might have already killed Miss Zhou..."

"You guys..." Old Qi was speechless. "Just help him and see if you end up helping him or hurting him..."

With a swift movement, he grabbed Zhou Wenju.

Footsteps echoed as they returned to the county government office.

At the foot of Xiemapo, the villagers hurriedly dug a pit to bury the body...

Xu Hai whispered in Zhang San's ear, "Third Brother, judging from the situation... the magistrate hasn't been persuaded by the young master yet."

"Persuade my ass! This time, young master, you can't escape this family discipline."

"So, that matter that young master arranged... are we still going to do it?"

"The young master has already made the arrangements, and there's no indication that they've been cancelled, so they must be carried out!"

"The oil in the pan is already boiling. If we get back to that matter, Lord Zhou and Young Master Zhou won't just have a verbal dispute; they might actually come to blows..." Xu Hai shook his head and sighed softly...

On the mountain path, Zhou Liangsheng strode ahead.

Never look back.

Zhou Wenju and Lao Qi were several dozen meters behind.

"Old Qi, what was my dad's state like during the day?" Zhou Wenju asked.

"You finally brought up this topic, how terrifying!" Old Qi lowered his voice: "The master locked himself in his study, wrote three memorials, tore them up three times, and even tied a hemp rope to the beam..."

"Holy crap! Hanging himself?"

"It probably wasn't hanging. They probably intended to hang the magistrate's seal from the beam, since the rope wasn't very big..." Old Qi analyzed.

"So in the end, nothing was done?"

"Isn't that obvious? If he were dead, would he still be walking so smugly ahead?" Old Qi glanced at the figure in front of him.

"Haha..." Zhou Wenju laughed twice, then quickly covered his mouth.

She was afraid that the sound would reach her father.

In fact, the sound couldn't travel there...

Old Qi glared at him fiercely: "You...you can still laugh?"

"Old Qi, you need to learn one thing: life is like rape. If you really can't resist, then clear your mind and enjoy it..."

Old Qi's expression was unreadable: "Young master, you also need to learn one thing: to be able to see the hidden turbulent waves beneath the calm surface."

We arrived in the county town.

Zhou Liangsheng quickened his pace and returned to the county government office first.

Old Qi and Zhou Wenju quickened their pace and entered the county government office.

The lady came out of the room: "Wen'er, weren't you put in solitary confinement by your father? How dare you run away? Look how angry your father is..."

"Mother, it's really not my fault. It's my sister. She's lawless. She knocked me unconscious, took down the window, and ran away with me. You really need to discipline this girl. How will she ever get married if she acts like this?" Zhou Wenju said.

The mother's face was filled with conflict: "Even your father can't control you, how can I..."

"Alright, I'll take better care of things from now on, I'll manage it!" Zhou Wenju said, "I'm going to see Father."

The mother nodded: "Alright, you two are both scholars, speak properly and don't make your father angry."

"Yes!" Zhou Wenju pushed open the door to the main room in the backyard.

He entered the house at the same time as Lao Qi.

Old Qi turned around and closed the door.

Inside, Zhou Liangsheng sat by the window, his face flickering in and out of the light of the oil lamp.

But whether it's overt or covert, there's no way they'll be happy.

Zhou Wenju stepped forward.

Zhou Liangsheng didn't look at him; he looked at the void.

Zhou Wenju stopped: "Father!"

Zhou Liangsheng took a deep breath, and his gaze finally slowly moved to his face.

I watched him quietly for a very long time.

Zhou Wenju felt a chill run down his spine. That look, that expression—it didn't seem like the prelude to a flash flood, nor the prelude to a volcanic eruption. This wasn't scientifically possible…

Zhou Liangsheng took a deep breath and calmly uttered two words: "Let's go!"

Two words: very peaceful.

Zhou Wenju was slightly taken aback...

Zhou Liangsheng's gaze slowly moved to his face: "Take your mother and your sister, disguise yourself and leave Lingnan. Don't go north, go south, keep going south, enter the Southern Chu Kingdom, and find someone, Ding Liwen, a great Confucian scholar of Southern Chu. This person and your father were the same Jinshi in the same year and also corresponded with each other."