I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Li Yan led his men to the door and stopped in his tracks.

There was already someone standing at the door...

It was Zheng Youde.

He was wearing a not-so-new official robe, with a waist tag hanging from his waist.

Li Yan was slightly taken aback. "Uncle Zheng, what brings you here?"

Zheng Youde glanced at the people behind him, then at Li Yan's face, which showed a hint of surprise.

"Catching someone for dereliction of duty is naturally my job. Zhou Shi'an was on duty tonight but left his post without permission; according to the law, this should be handled by my registrar's office. You don't actually think this kind of thing needs to involve the county magistrate, do you?"

He added another sentence.

"Besides, Zhou Shi'an has been with the Chen family for so long, I naturally can't let them get too cocky."

Li Yan understood the meaning behind his words, so she didn't ask any more questions and stepped aside to make way for him.

"Then I'll trouble Uncle Zheng to go ahead."

……

……

The group walked in a grand procession toward the wine shop.

The back door of the liquor store was unlocked, and dim light shone through the crack in the door.

Zheng Youde pushed open the door and rushed in with his men.

An oil lamp was lit inside the room, and under the lamp was a worn-out mattress, with two piles of clothes haphazardly stacked.

Zhou Shi'an was sitting on the edge of the bed, his trousers hanging loosely around his waist, his upper body bare.

The widow before me was dressed similarly, still charming, with shimmering white hair and disheveled locks.

The widow was still saying, "Why did it go so fast today? Don't come next time you're drinking. You always rush things when you're drunk, and other people haven't even had a chance to enjoy themselves yet."

Before he could finish speaking, people outside burst in.

Zhou Shi'an suddenly looked up, and the glass of water he hadn't had time to drink fell to the ground with a "clang".

The smell of alcohol on his face was instantly dispelled by most of it.

Zheng Youde stood at the door, his gaze sweeping from the clothes on the bed to Zhou Shi'an's pale face.

"Someone reported an affair. Who could it be? It's you!"

He took two steps closer and looked down at Zhou Shi'an.

"Shouldn't you be on duty in the workshop at this time? The magistrate has repeatedly ordered that those on duty at the yamen must not leave without permission. Are you ignoring the magistrate's words?"

Zhou Shi'an's lips trembled as he tried to explain, but Zheng Youde didn't give him a chance to speak.

"You've abandoned your post and committed adultery; you can forget about your position in this government office. According to the law, you're dismissed and will never be reappointed. If there are any other crimes, and further investigation is conducted, you'll be exiled three thousand li."

Zhou Shi'an's legs went weak, and he rolled off the edge of the bed.

His knees slammed into the ground with a heavy thud.

He clutched his throbbing knee, tilting his head back as if to explain.

But whether from nervousness or fear, he couldn't utter a single word.

Zheng Youde glanced at him, waved his hand, and said, "Take him away!"

.........

Zhou Shi'an was taken to prison, his trousers hanging halfway down his waist, and one of his shoes was missing; he hadn't even had time to put it back on.

He was barefoot and was shoved into a solitary cell.

The chains on the cell had just been fastened when a strange noise, the source of which was impossible to discern, came from next door.

He subconsciously turned his head to look, and his stomach churned instantly.

A person was curled up on the floor of the next cell, his clothes were tattered, his body was covered in sores, and he was emitting a putrid stench.

The person was making some kind of noise, and with each noise, a stream of yellow fluid would flow out.

His face was mostly rotten, and there were several black ulcers on his lips. Yellowish pus was also oozing from the corners of his eyes, and he no longer looked like a living person.

Zhou Shi'an's face quickly turned green, his mouth opened slightly, and then he vomited out with a "whoosh".

He leaned against the railing and dry heaved for a while. Then he looked up at the next room again, and suddenly slammed his hand on the railing.

"Let me out! I need to see people! I need to see Xiao Lanzhi!"

The jailer strolled over, glanced at him through the bars, and spoke unhurriedly.

"What are you shouting for? Just wait!"

Then he turned around and left.

Xiao Mingyuan was already waiting outside the cell. He sat on a bench with a stack of papers in his hand.

He only stood up when he saw the jailer come out and nod at him.

Xiao Mingyuan did not rush inside, but deliberately waited for the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn.

After Zhou Shi'an had been banging on the railing and shouting for a long time inside, he finally swayed his fat body and slowly walked over.

"Hey Zhou, what do you want?" Xiao Mingyuan asked in a deliberately lazy tone.

As soon as Zhou Shi'an saw him, he rushed to the railing, shaking the iron bars with both hands, his anxious voice becoming hoarse.

"Mingyuan, tell your sister that I'll agree to anything as long as she doesn't report me! I'll agree to anything!"

Xiao Mingyuan looked down at his pale face, which looked like he was terrified.

"What? Now you're scared? Too late! What do you think you have left to use as leverage in negotiations?"

Zhou Shi'an's voice was choked with sobs as he answered with great effort, panting heavily.

"You...you don't want the two children to know about our affairs, do you..."

"I...I am, after all, the father of two children. If you...if you really drive me to my death, and they find out that it was your Xiao family that drove their own father to his death, how will your sister get away with it?"

Xiao Mingyuan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Are you threatening me?"

Zhou Shi'an quickly looked up, his voice filled with humble flattery.

"No...no...no. I didn't threaten you, and I wouldn't dare to threaten you. I'm just stating a fact: as long as your sister doesn't report me for hitting her and the child, I'll sign the divorce papers right now, and I won't fight for the child; she can have them all."

Xiao Mingyuan stared at him for a while, then let out a cold laugh.

"What's wrong? Have you suddenly had a change of heart?"

Zhou Shi'an nodded hurriedly.

Xiao Mingyuan shook his head. "I don't think you've had a change of heart. You're scared. You're afraid that the Chen family will treat you like they treated Sun Decai, and give you a cup of poisoned wine too."

Zhou Shi'an suddenly shrank his neck, covered his ears with both hands, and his voice became shrill.

"If you already know what I'm thinking, then don't say it. I don't want to end up like Sun Decai, unable to even be a decent human being. As long as your sister doesn't report me, the worst I'll get is a dismissal and a beating. Once I'm out, I'll leave immediately, and I won't take a single penny from your Xiao family."

Xiao Mingyuan then pulled out the stack of prepared divorce papers from his sleeve and handed them over through the railing.

"You said it all, so sign it."

Zhou Shi'an took the pen, and although his hands were shaking like a leaf, he still gritted his teeth and finished signing the document, and then pressed his fingerprint on it.

Xiao Mingyuan took the divorce papers, took out a silver note from his pocket, and handed it over through the railing.

"Here is one hundred taels. Remember what you just said: leave Hengyang immediately after you are released. If the Chen family discovers you later, you will be sent to deal with the Xiao family."

He glanced at the cell next door.

"Then you can go and keep Sun Decai company."

Zhou Shi'an took the silver note and nodded repeatedly, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare even if you killed me. I don't want that inhuman, ghostly appearance."

Xiao Mingyuan ignored him and turned to walk out of the prison.

When he returned to the ground, he let out a long breath, then quickly walked up to Zheng Youde and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Uncle Zheng, I've found out. The Chen family only sent him to disrupt my sister's relationship with the family and create difficulties for the Xiao family. There's no other conspiracy involved. I'm sorry you had to make this trip for nothing."

Zheng Youde waved his hand, his tone surprisingly light...