Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Tian Cao's eyes widened as he pointed at his wife and shouted, "Look at yourself! How can you even remotely resemble a scholar's wife? All day long you're either flirting or wearing heavy makeup. You're completely shameless! Are you trying to compete with that Yunzhou courtesan?!"

Hearing this, the wife trembled with anger. Her eyes widened and she retorted, "Don't talk nonsense here! Mother runs a rouge shop. I just used a little rouge and powder. What's the big deal? Besides, didn't Mother ever put on any rouge?"

Tian Cao was momentarily speechless at his wife's words, but soon he grew furious. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped his wife hard across the face, roaring, "You ungrateful, filthy woman! How dare you talk back at me like that? I see you won't learn your lesson unless I teach you a lesson!" Then, like a mad beast, he pounced on his wife, beating her mercilessly with his fists and feet.

Poor wife, she tried to resist at first, but as Tian Cao's violence escalated, she could only curl up in the corner with her head in her hands, uttering miserable wails: "Ah! Husband, I know I was wrong, please stop! Don't hit me anymore! Ah..." But Tian Cao had already lost his mind at this time, and could not hear his wife's pleas for mercy at all. He continued to punch and kick her, leaving her covered with bruises.

After venting his anger, Tian Cao stumbled out of the room. When he was about to reach the table, he straightened his clothes and the square hat on his head that symbolized a scholar.

The county instructor walked up to Tian Cao with a smile on his face, bowed, and said, "Mr. Tian! Congratulations! This year, our county has only produced a scholar like you, and you're a Yunzhou government alumnus. You have a bright future! You will surely rise to prominence in the future!"

Tian Cao quickly returned the greeting, smiling modestly, "Thank you so much! I owe all my achievements today to the guidance of my teachers and the support of my fellow villagers."

At this time, a relative and elder in the crowd stepped forward and respectfully said to Tian Cao, "Master Scholar, I would like to ask you to help me choose a name for my child. I hope you will be generous with your advice and give me a good name so that my child can also be influenced by your elegance and joy."

Tian Cao smiled and politely replied, "Of course, of course. But let's sit down and eat first. We can discuss the name after we've had enough food and wine."

At this moment, the owner of the restaurant also walked over quickly and said enthusiastically: "Mr. Tian, ​​I heard that you passed the imperial examination, so I specially left a piece of top-quality pork for you, which weighs ten pounds! This small gift is not only a token of my respect, but I hope you will accept it!" As he said that, he handed the piece of pork to Tian Cao.

Tian Cao hurriedly bowed and thanked him, "Master, you are so thoughtful! I feel truly unworthy of such a generous gift. However, I cannot refuse such a generous gesture, and I will definitely remember this friendship in my heart."

Not far away, a lady in gorgeous clothes was chatting with Tian's mother. She congratulated Tian's mother with envy on her face: "Mother of Cao'er, you are so lucky! Your family actually has a scholar. In the future, Cao'er will definitely become an official! Then your family will all live a prosperous and happy life!"

After hearing this, Tian's mother laughed so hard that she couldn't stop, but she still responded modestly: "Ah, Auntie, you really like to joke. Even if our Cao'er really can become an official, it is thanks to the blessing of our ancestors and the result of everyone's concerted efforts. If such a day really comes, it will be a blessing for everyone."

Another lady nearby came over and agreed, "That's right, Mrs. Tian is absolutely right. When Cao'er becomes a high-ranking official in the future, we neighbors will also benefit from it!" For a moment, laughter and joy rang out one after another, and the whole scene was filled with a festive and harmonious atmosphere.

It was getting dark. After having a good meal and a good drink, Tian Cao stumbled into his room. There was no light in the room, so he groped his way to the bed, took off his shoes, and lay down on the bed with his legs spread out.

Tian Cao's face flushed slightly, and he closed his eyes tightly, muttering, "Xier... come and undress me!" However, as time passed, there was still dead silence all around, and no response came.

Tian Cao was getting a little impatient waiting, and suddenly opened his eyes and started cursing: "You stupid ass, are you deaf? How dare you not answer me! Did I give you face?"

He cursed and struggled to sit up, but because he had drunk too much, his body was completely unresponsive.

A long while passed, and still no one responded. Tian Cao's fury was now ignited. Despite being heavily intoxicated, he struggled to prop himself up and staggered to his feet. "Well, you bitch, you dare to keep quiet! I'll beat you to death when I find you!" He stumbled towards the drawer, groping around inside with his trembling hands.

Finally, after some effort, Tian Cao succeeded in pulling out a tinder. He blew gently, and a faint flame emerged from the tinder. Using the flame's light, Tian Cao finally found the oil lamp on the table and lit it. In an instant, dim light filled the room.

At this moment, something unexpected happened: two figures in black night clothes suddenly appeared before Tian Cao like ghosts. Tian Cao was so frightened that his whole body trembled. Just as he opened his mouth to call for help, one of the men in black stepped forward quickly and covered his mouth, making him unable to make a sound.

The two men in black worked in perfect harmony, their movements exceptionally swift. In a blink of an eye, they had Tian Cao tightly bound with ropes, rendering him unable to move. One of the men, looking at Tian Cao, who was tied up like a dumpling, sneered and mocked him, "Humph, what a piece of shit scholar! He acts like a decent person outside, but once he's inside, he really acts like an emperor!"

Another man in black urged in a low voice: "Don't dawdle, hurry up and leave! The master has told us that we must not reveal our whereabouts!" After that, the two men carried Tian Cao and disappeared into the night.

……

Yunzhou, Marquis' Mansion.

Wang Ergou hurriedly came to Zhang Jingwei and said in a low voice, "Young Master..."

Wang Ergou spent more than ten minutes reporting to him what happened in the Tian family in Hunyuan County.

Zhang Jingwei frowned slightly and motioned for him to continue.

Zhang Jingwei was shocked when he heard this and blurted out, "A student from Yunzhou Academy is actually a domestic violence man?"

Wang Ergou nodded and replied, "That's probably it."

Zhang Jingwei frowned even more and asked in confusion, "Don't the government care about things like this?"

Wang Ergou sighed and explained, "Young Master, you don't understand. As the saying goes, even a judge can hardly judge family disputes. Local officials usually just give a warning in such cases. If the perpetrator admits his mistakes and repents, it's fine. But if he refuses to change, the only option left is a divorce. However, after a divorce, it's extremely difficult for a woman to find a good husband and remarry."