After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

……

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Wang Erniu got out of bed. Afraid of waking his mother, he tiptoed out of bed, but his mother still woke up and reminded him, "Don't forget to bring the wine."

Wang Erniu said, "I'll get down first."

There was not a single ray of light in the sky.

After carrying the load on my shoulders for a long time, tidying up the fields, I finally made it back when the sky was just beginning to lighten.

His mother gave him an egg and said, "You should be mindful of your manners."

"Know."

He changed into the clothes his father had worn when he was young. His mother smiled and patted the faded blue satin, saying, "It looks better than your father's." He grinned back.

"Then I'm going out." He took the large gourd from his mother, who nodded.

Wang Erniu carried the large gourd on his back; inside was the wine his mother had bought from Hangezhuang the day before.

Lingjie said that her cousin likes to drink.

Nianggu's is the best yellow wine from Hangezhuang.

Chrysanthemums are in full bloom along the roadside.

Wang Erniu noticed cow dung on his straw sandals, so he stomped on them for a long time until he finally cleaned them off.

Wangjia Village and Lijia Village are separated by Yaoshan Mountain.

He was wearing straw sandals when he arrived at Lijia Village, just as the thin mist over the Erhu River was beginning to dissipate.

He kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with the villagers from Lijia Village who were passing by.

They walked for quite a while.

We finally arrived at Lingjie's house.

"Uncle Ge," Wang Erniu said, his face slightly flushed, to the limping man sitting outside the door weaving baskets, "has Lingjie's cousin arrived?"

The man glanced at him, then gave him a simple, honest smile and said, "Here you are, here you are, Ningwa is here." The limping man gestured with his chin towards the inside, "Ningwa is waiting for you inside."

Wang Erniu swallowed hard, glanced at Ling Jie'er's open door, and felt his mouth go dry.

Uncle Ge is a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family, so he has no say in the household affairs.

Lingjie has no brothers and her surname is Ge, not Li. Grandpa Li's brothers and nephews once said, "Uncle Baoxin's land cannot be given to outsiders!" Lingjie's mother even hit them with a stick.

Fortunately, Madam Ning, a prominent figure in Li Family Village, remembered that Grandpa Li had helped her family and became sworn sisters with Ling'er's mother. Only then did Grandpa Li's brothers and nephews dare not gossip.

Lingjie gained an aunt and a cousin surnamed Ning.

Grandpa Li's brothers and nephews were naturally not afraid of the kind and polite Madam Ning.

What I fear most is Lingjie's cousin.

Not to mention that Grandpa Li's brothers and nephews are afraid of him.

The entire Li Family Village, the entire Wang Family Village, and even the entire surrounding area feared him... They feared Ning Nan, the Demon King, who had killed countless people and tasted countless hearts and livers in Shili Gorge and Yunhu!

……

……

"Cousin, cousin, Brother Ning," Wang Erniu said, swallowing hard, "this is the wine my mother bought for you in Hangezhuang."

Ning Nan sat in the chair, took the large gourd from the other person, pulled out the stopper and sniffed it. "Heh," he chuckled, "cheap wine from Han Ge Zhuang." He put the stopper back on the table, rested his hand on the table, and said nothing.

"Brother Ning," Wang Erniu said, "I'll kowtow to you." Without hesitation, he knelt down and kowtowed three times. After kowtowing, Wang Erniu saw that the other party still didn't speak and didn't know whether he should stand up. His face was dark red. Remembering his mother's words about "etiquette," he knelt straight down.

Ning Nan glanced casually at the honest boy kneeling on the ground, then turned his head, picked up a piece of paper from the table, and handed it to him. "Take a look." Wang Erniu hurriedly took it with both hands.

He looked embarrassed and said, holding the paper, "Brother Ning, I...I...I can't read."

Ning Nan pushed the red inkpad to the edge of the table and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter if you can't read, just sign your name."

Wang Erniu nodded honestly, stood up, and dipped his right thumb in the ink.

Just as he was about to sign, his expression turned troubled, and he finally asked, "Brother Ning..."

Ning Nan laughed and said, "Don't worry, it won't do you any harm. If you don't believe me, you can go back and see the people in your village first, and then come back and sign it."

Wang Erniu shook his head like a rattle-drum and said, "I definitely believe Brother Ning." Snap, he signed the document.

"Have you prepared the betrothal gifts?" After the other party finished signing the document, Ning Nan put away the paper, folded it, and asked.

Wang Erniu's face lit up with joy, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "It's all ready, Brother Ning. I've prepared a calf and three bolts of silk..."

Wang Erniu's eyes narrowed.

He knew that this dowry was not enough to marry Ling Jie'er, but it was all the wealth his family could offer... His family didn't even own land; they were tenant farmers, renting ten acres of land from Master Wang's family.

He didn't know what the other person would do to him if they were unhappy.

Ning Nan nodded and smiled, "Very good, go home and get ready to marry Ge Ling."

Wang Erniu was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Brother Ning, you really agreed?!"

Yesterday, after hearing that the other party was coming today to preside over the matter and to meet him, he and Lingjie were both happy and worried all day.

The good thing is that if this cousin agrees, then no one can object.

My worry is... if this cousin doesn't agree... I don't know if my whole family will survive...

Ning Nan waved the paper in his hand and laughed, "Ling'er is a woman who follows her husband after marriage. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; you've already signed it, so why would I disagree?"

Wang Erniu was taken aback, somewhat confused about what the other party meant.

Ning Nan looked at the farm boy and smiled, "This letter isn't anything special; it's just a letter severing all ties between you and Li Yi's family."

Severing all ties... Wang Erniu was stunned: "Brother Ning... what does this mean?"

"Don't worry, I'm doing this for your own good. I'm afraid you won't marry a jinx like Ge Ling... Just focus on marrying Ling-jie and bringing her home. I'm kicking her parents out tomorrow, and they'll be none of your business from now on."

Ning Nan gestured around and laughed:

"Starting tomorrow, this house belonging to Li Baoxin will be mine, and I've sent someone to measure Li Baoxin's land; that land will also be mine tomorrow..."

Wang Erniu was illiterate and didn't understand much about reason, so he couldn't quite understand some of what was being said. However, he did understand that Lingjie's mother and father were going to be kicked out by the other party.

"Brother Ning!" Wang Erniu knelt down with a thud! Tears immediately streamed down his face. "Is it because I married Ling Jie'er... no, no, I'm not happy...?"

Hearing his incoherent words, Ning Nan laughed and said, "No, that's not it. I'm not upset at all. Well, to tell you the truth, I organized Li Baoxin's funeral. It was a grand funeral. Do you know how much silver that tomb cost?"

Wang Erniu was furious and completely lost his composure.

Ning Nan laughed and said, "Li Baoxin didn't have much money left to begin with. This house was built with money borrowed from the Li clan, just so his daughter could have something to rely on... Why do you think the Li family isn't bothering her anymore... It's because I helped Li Yi pay off all their debts..."

Wang Erniu couldn't speak either, so he hurriedly kowtowed while crying, saying, "Brother Ning, Erniu thanks you, Erniu kowtows to you..."

Bang Bang Bang!

His forehead was red and swollen.

Ning Nan, however, remained unmoved, her expression turning calm as she said, "Do you know why I made my mother and Li Yi become sworn sisters? Why I helped their family pay off their debts?"

Wang Erniu shook his head, crying.

Ning Nan's face turned pale, and his aura suddenly changed! He abruptly waved his hand and roared in fury:

"That's because Ge Ling is engaged to Li Yanting! That's because I want to climb the social ladder by marrying a scholar! Do you know how many imperial examinations there are this year? If Li Yanting passes and becomes a Juren, I'll have won back a thousand times over! If he becomes a Jinshi, I'll have won back a million times over! But you guys! And Ge Ling... damn it! Damn it!"

Wang Erniu's eyes widened in surprise, and he suddenly understood many things, feeling a chill run through his body.

Ning Nan waved his hand listlessly and said, "Anyway, since Ge Ling won't marry the scholar, then so be it. You should marry her as soon as possible... If she doesn't marry, according to the laws of Liang..."

He casually made up a story, "If there are girls under seventeen of marriageable age in the family, you can't kick them out. If you don't marry them, I'll have to wait a few more months. I'll have to trouble you to do me this favor!"

Wang Erniu was breathing heavily and covered in sweat. He then rolled on the ground, pleading repeatedly, "I won't marry her, I won't marry her, Brother Ning, I won't marry Ling'er..."

"You won't marry him?" Ning Nan sneered. "Do you think Li Yanting will still want him?"

"I, I, I," Wang Erniu stammered, his face pale.

Ning Nan laughed, "If you won't marry him, I'll just marry someone else. In short, I'm taking Li Baoxin's house and land... So much money... Did I just waste it? Those two old hags, Li Yi and Old Man Ge, they won't be able to pay it back even in their next life..."

"I'll give it back!" Wang Erniu cried. "I'll give it back, I'll give it back..." He kowtowed and crawled on his knees to Ning Nan's feet, sobbing, "Brother Ning, please don't take Auntie and Uncle Ge's house and land. Uncle Ge's legs aren't good... Auntie is old too..."

"You'll pay me back?" Ning Nan sneered. "What will you use to pay me back?"

"I...I..." Wang Erniu cried, "The calf, the silk, Brother Ning, I'll give all of these to you..."

Ning Nan frowned. "This amount of money is not enough."

Wang Erniu kowtowed violently, crying, "Brother Ning, I'll do the work, I'll pay it back, I'll pay it back... After I take care of my old mother until she passes away, you can even rip out my heart and liver..."

Ning Nan's face darkened... After a moment, he took a deep breath and said, "That's fine, Ling'er can come with you, the two of you can work every day..."

"I don't want Ling'er, I don't want Ling'er," Wang Erniu cried. "I don't want Ling'er, I won't marry Ling'er, it's my fault, it's my fault... Don't tell her, don't tell Aunt Li, don't tell Uncle Ge... Let her marry into a good family..."

Bang Bang Bang!

"I kowtow to you, I kowtow to you, I kowtow to you..." Wang Erniu kept kowtowing.

state!

Just as Wang Erniu was kowtowing again, tears dripping onto the ground, he suddenly froze... A soft hand rested between him and the bluestone ground...

Ning Nan squatted down and pulled out the hand that was blocking Wang Erniu from kowtowing.

He sighed deeply, turned his head helplessly inside, and said:

"Hey! Isn't that enough? Still not venting your anger?"

"snort!"

At that moment, the curtain to the inner room was lifted, and a tall, slender figure walked out, letting out a snort.

Wang Erniu, his eyes brimming with tears and his forehead swollen, was speechless with surprise upon seeing this person emerge. "Brother Yan... Brother Yanting?"

Li Yanting glanced at him, pulled a red envelope from his pocket, threw it on the ground, and snorted coldly:

"First, take good care of Ling-jie, Aunt Li, and Uncle Ge; second, Li Yanting will definitely not attend your wedding!"

He kicked the red envelope to the other person, saying, "There are ten taels of silver inside... to congratulate you on your new marriage..."

He finished speaking.

The seeds of education in Lijia Village strode out, never to look back!

"Brother Erniu!"

A heart-wrenching scream came from the inner room, and a beautiful figure rushed out and threw herself into Wang Erniu's arms...

Ning Nan couldn't bear to watch, so she quickly stepped forward.

My mother and Li Yi also came out from inside, crying uncontrollably.

Feeling he had accomplished his mission, Ning Nan decided to retire gracefully and got up to leave... but his mother grabbed him by the collar... because of his impolite words... and ordered him to kowtow three times to Li Yi as an apology... and then ordered him to kowtow three more times to the lame Uncle Ge as an apology... Ning Nan cried out in pain...

The sun is westward.

When he returned from Lijia Village with a swollen forehead and gritted his teeth, he happened to see Qin Yuanyao by the roadside.

"Greetings, Vice Minister Qin." He greeted him with a smile, rubbing his forehead.

"Greetings, Young Master Ning."

Qin Yuanyao glanced at her and gave a perfunctory greeting.

The two passed each other.

The carriage rumbled away into the distance.

Qin Yuanyao withdrew her gaze, pressed her hand on the embroidered spring knife at her waist, her eyes darkened, and she strode into the Lingyun Wine Shop in front of her.

The moment my left foot stepped through the door.

The stench of blood was overwhelming.

Qin Yuanyao frowned.

What came into view were twelve corpses lying haphazardly.

Qian Sijin stepped forward, his face grave, and said, "Lord Qin... we're still a step too late. The people at Lingyun Wine Shop... are all dead."