In a chaotic and famine-stricken era, I picked up an empress to be my wife.

"Xiao Qi, don't act so impulsively. No matter what, Liu Wenyuan is the county magistrate," Dugu Meng said.

"What should we do then? We can't just watch him scheme against my brother, can we?" Shen Xiaoqi protested.

"Then grab him and question him!" Shen An's eyes turned cold.

"Is this a good idea for Shen An?" Dugu Meng frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with it. I was just as hesitant as you before, but Liu Wenyuan doesn't actually have much power in Qingyang County. So what if he's the county magistrate? If he has any intention of harming me, then he's my enemy! There's no need to be polite to him!"

After Shen An finished speaking, he gathered his men and rode off in pursuit.

Liu Wenyuan was in a great mood at the moment.

If Shen An agrees to go and celebrate Zhu Shigui's birthday, then he will definitely be ambushed by Zhang Meng.

When the two sides fight, it will be a good thing for Liu Wenyuan no matter who wins.

Zhang Meng won, which will force Shen An to cooperate with him.

If Shen An wins, he can also teach Zhang Meng and his ilk a lesson.

No matter what, he's going to win!

But before he could enjoy his joy for long, he heard a series of rapid hoofbeats behind him.

Looking back, they saw Shen An leading a group of men on horseback in pursuit.

Liu Wenyuan was very arrogant. He thought that Shen An had been fooled by him and never imagined that Shen An had come to cause him trouble.

He even wanted to find out what Shen An was up to.

He always felt that Shen An had many secrets.

Instead of running, he stopped and waited for Shen An.

"Hey, Officer Shen, what are you doing with so many people? Tell me, maybe I can help you out!" Liu Wenyuan said enthusiastically.

Shen An's lips curled into a slight smile: "County Magistrate Liu, I happen to have something to discuss with you. Please dismount, and we can talk in detail!"

Even though he said he needed to talk to him about something, Liu Wenyuan never imagined that he was there to cause trouble.

He dismounted with great enthusiasm and came to Shen An.

But the next moment, Shen An's knife was at his neck.

Liu Wenyuan frowned: "Officer Shen, what do you mean by this?"

"County Magistrate Liu, you're asking a question you already know the answer to. Do you think I don't know what you've been doing behind my back?" Shen An retorted.

"I didn't do anything!" Liu Wenyuan wasn't buying Shen An's act at all.

"I was so stupid. Trying to trick you at your level is completely useless." Shen An yawned. "There's only one way to get you to talk."

"Hmph, nothing we do will work. I haven't done anything wrong. It's Officer Shen who's hurting our brotherhood by doing this! I hope you'll pull back from the brink!" Liu Wenyuan looked disappointed. "I originally thought you were a wise man, but who would have thought you'd turn out like this..."

"Liu Wenyuan isn't really good at acting, but it's a pity that no matter how he acts, it's useless. You don't say it, but you must have been beaten before. I've beaten Zhang Meng and his gang, so I don't care about you!" Shen An sneered.

"How can I be compared to Zhang Meng? I am a dignified county magistrate. If you dare to hit me, that is insubordination, a serious crime!" Liu Wenyuan tried his best to make his voice sound domineering, but the more he did so, the more Shen An could see his guilty conscience.

"So what? Even if we beat you up, who in Qingyang County will stand up for you?" Shen An retorted.

Liu Wenyuan couldn't answer, and Zhu Shigui and the others wished he would be beaten.

The other officials were all from Zhu Shigui's faction.

Nobody cared whether he lived or died!

And what about Shen An? Zhu Shigui was indeed making him a scapegoat.

But! Before this scapegoat is used, Zhu Shigui will still protect Shen An.

Now that Shen An has hit him, no one will stand up for him!

Thinking of this.

Liu Wenyuan didn't want to suffer a loss, so he deliberately shook his head and said, "Shen An, you still found out about that matter. I did have a deal with Li Laoqi, whom I introduced to you. I told him that if you give him thirty coins a pound, you must give me ten coins as a kickback. You should know that I'm penniless and have no money at all."

That's why he took this opportunity to try and make some money.

"Liu Wenyuan, you're still pretending. Since that's the case, I have no choice but to take action!" Shen An didn't give Liu Wenyuan any more chances to argue. He kicked Liu Wenyuan to the ground, tied him to a tree, and started whipping him.

Liu Wenyuan initially refused to say anything, but he overestimated his own ability to handle the situation.

After being whipped more than a dozen times, Liu Wenyuan confessed honestly.

Upon learning that Liu Wenyuan had instigated Zhang Meng to deal with him, Shen An was truly amazed. He realized that he had overestimated his understanding of human nature.

"Weren't you trying to win me over all along? Why are you doing this now?"

"Since you're unwilling to cooperate with me, I can only put you in a desperate situation, forcing you to cooperate with me!" Liu Wenyuan's head was now swelled with pride. "Shen An, I don't think there's anything wrong with what I'm doing. Everything I've done is simply to kill the corrupt officials, restore order to Qingyang County, and ensure that the people are no longer exploited by Zhu Shigui and can live a good life!"

"Snapped!"

Shen An slapped him again, making Liu Wenyuan dizzy and disoriented.

"Why did you hit me? I'm doing things for the people, and that deserves praise!"

"You damn idiot! You claim to be helping people live a good life, but you're targeting me and putting me in a disadvantageous position? Why don't you put yourself in that situation too?!" Shen An slapped Liu Wenyuan twice more as he spoke.

Liu Wenyuan's mouth was bleeding from the beating, but he showed no remorse whatsoever: "That's because you're unwilling to cooperate with me. If you were willing to cooperate with me, none of this would have happened. In the end, it's still because you're unwilling to cooperate with me!"

Furthermore, if sacrificing my own interests can benefit the people in this region, I would certainly be willing!

"Heh, is that so? Fine, if you commit suicide now, I guarantee I'll kill Zhu Shigui in the future! I'll even warn the people of Qingyang County that it was your sacrifice that brought them good!" Shen An sneered, "So, are you going to die or not?!"

"You need to convince me. As long as you can make me feel that you truly have the ability to kill Zhu Shigui, what do I have to fear if I die?" Liu Wenyuan looked fearless. "Speak, I hope your reasons can convince me!"

Shen An felt that Liu Wenyuan was just being stubborn, and he guessed that no matter what he said, Liu Wenyuan would say that he couldn't be convinced!

Shen An changed his terms again: "You want me to convince you? How about this, you cut off one of your arms first, then I'll give you an answer! Otherwise, I absolutely won't tell you!"

After saying that, Shen An tossed Liu Wenyuan a knife and untied him: "Make your choice!"