FID – Chapter 1036

Chapter 1036: He Became an Official, First and Foremost for His Family

But Liu Zhixia was only surprised for a moment, then let the astonishment fade. No matter what Madam Ding’s background was, however much he could make her suffer, he would.

His grandparents wanted him to be a good official, and he would not disappoint them.

Yet he always remembered why he had originally chosen the path of government service. It was not to fight for the people or carve out justice in this chaotic world. From the very beginning, he became an official for his family. He did not possess a purely upright or impartial heart; on the contrary, he was fiercely vengeful.

They say a dragon has a reverse scale—touch it, and you die. And now, it was just so.

When the Ding family left, Ding Wenxuan asked, “Prefect Liu, may I see Madam?”

“She is resting in the backyard with the child and it’s inconvenient. Madam Ning, perhaps another day,” Liu Zhixia said lightly, dismissing her.

Although this matter had nothing to do with Ding Wenxuan, she was still part of the Ding family.

The reason Fu Yuzheng refused to see her was deliberate. It was not just a message for the Dings, but a display for everyone in Yunzhou as well.

Anyone who dared bully the Liu family, no matter how good the past relationship, would not be forgiven, and no sentiment would be shown.

So, in the future, anyone acting in public would need to weigh their actions carefully. They would not only have to remember the names of the Liu family, but also their faces.

This was how the couple protected their family.

Back in the backyard, Fu Yuzheng played with Maodou on the couch. Seeing him come in, she asked, “Are they gone?”

“Mm.”

“How did it go?”

Liu Zhixia briefly recounted what the Ding family had said. “Later, I’ll have someone ‘invite’ Madam Ding into the prefectural jail. As for evidence of her crimes, the Ding family will soon personally deliver it to me.”

To absolve their family, Ding Jiahua and Ding Jianian would gather evidence of Madam Ding’s wrongdoings over the years. So once Madam Ding was imprisoned, it was unlikely she would ever return.

“Though Lord Yuan and Madam Ding are only distant relatives, the fact that he could provide her with a personal guard indicates their closeness. Lord Yuan is unlikely to remain a bystander. At the very least, the charge of privately harboring guards will not be enough to convict Madam Ding,” Fu Yuzheng said.

As for her other crimes—if Lord Yuan intervened, it would not be impossible for the Ding family to cover up or even alter the evidence against Madam Ding in order to protect themselves and to curry favor with him.

In that case, it was very likely that Madam Ding would swagger out of the yamen unscathed.

Liu Zhixia smiled faintly. “The outcome will depend on whether Lord Yuan is truly as upright as the rumors say.”

As a veteran minister who had served three reigns, it was understandable for him to have his own guards. That he could transfer them to a junior family member also demonstrated his favor toward that person.

But whether that favor was strong enough for Lord Yuan to risk sullying his own reputation was another matter entirely.

At noon that day, the county officials and guards set out for the Ding residence in full force. The commotion along the way drew countless onlookers.

Even a day later, the events of yesterday were still vividly remembered by the townspeople. Everyone in Yunzhou knew the character of Madam Ding over the years.

No one dared provoke her, and they could only avoid her. That was why, during Liu Zhixia’s two years as prefect, nothing major had occurred in the city.

Who would have thought that Madam Ding, in her arrogance, would collide head-on with Elder Madam Liu—and, even worse, it happened right in the presence of the Empress Dowager. Wasn’t that asking for death?

As a result, after yesterday’s incident, everyone knew the matter was far from over. Once the prefect returned to the city, it was bound to stir up a huge commotion.

Sure enough, today the officials and guards came to arrest her, much to the delight of the townspeople.

Madam Liu was like a great tiger in Yunzhou City. No one could provoke her or get in her way. Now that the prefect had begun to take action, everyone secretly felt a sense of satisfaction.

Thus, when the guards arrived at the Ding residence, the commoners all gathered nearby to watch the spectacle. Even members of other prominent families hid within the crowd, eager to see Madam Ding’s comeuppance.

At that time, the Ding family members were huddled together in the manor’s main hall, looking worried.

Madam Ding herself sat in the head seat, her face still swollen and bruised from the previous slapping, blood seeping from her cheeks in a shocking sight.

When she saw the guards entering, panic immediately set in. She quickly looked at the Ding family members around her and shouted, “The Ding family is one of Yunzhou’s prestigious households! You say nothing while the guards come to arrest me. Are you really going to let them drag me into the county office? You ungrateful wretches! Have you forgotten how your family produced a fourth-rank official in the capital? How did the Ding family climb from a minor household to the top of Yunzhou’s four major families? And now, seeing that we’ve offended someone, you let them bully and humiliate me?!”

Everyone in the Ding family kept their heads lowered, eyes averted, remaining silent. They gave no response to her accusations. In the past, whenever she flew into a rage, no one dared utter a word in her presence. Today was simply a continuation of that old habit.

Madam Ding then looked toward Ding Jiahua. They say that even a single night as husband and wife creates a bond of a hundred days. She had married into the Ding family for so many years. If she had no achievements, she at least had endured hardships. She couldn’t believe that even Ding Jiahua would forsake her, but the guilt in his eyes chilled her completely.

“No, you can’t do this to me. I’m the reason the Ding family has what it has today! You can’t treat me like this. My grand-uncle will never let you off!”

Her only answer was the same silence filling the entire room.

Dragged out by the officers, Madam Ding finally could no longer maintain her lofty arrogance. She kicked and struggled wildly like someone who had gone mad.

“Let go of me! Let go! You pack of dogs—do you even know who I am? My grand‑uncle is a veteran minister who has served three reigns, the oldest member of the cabinet! Even the emperor shows him respect. What are you, how dare you lay hands on me?!”

“Get away! All of you, get away from me!”

“Ding Jiahua! You heartless, ungrateful beast! I married into your family, and your prestige today is because of me! You think the Ding family can stay glorious without me? Dream on! My grand‑uncle will never forgive you! You’ll all suffer retribution from treating me like this!”

The Ding family remained silent the entire time. Not a single person, even her own children, spoke up for her.

On the way to the yamen, the officers were constantly followed by villagers, pointing fingers and whispering, occasionally bursting into laughter. The laughter was filled with schadenfreude, mockery, and derision. How Madam Ding felt about this—no one cared.

After throwing her into the prison, Liu Zhixia did not immediately interrogate her. He simply left her there, ignoring her entirely. No one could guess what he was thinking, and no one dared to ask.

Fearing retaliation from the Liu family, no one from the Ding family came forward after Madam Ding was imprisoned. No one dared to visit her. Their cold-heartedness and lack of loyalty were evident for all to see.