Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 17 Implicated
Yang Qin had heard from his clansmen what kind of person Xie Qiye was. He was a dissolute and uneducated man, and in short, he had no good reputation in Daming Prefecture. His mother was Xie Qiye's most beloved concubine. She gave birth to him, her only son, when she was over thirty years old. However, she fell ill due to childbirth and passed away in less than a year.

So even though Master Xie was an illegitimate son, he was especially favored by Master Xie and was registered under the name of the principal wife from a young age.

If it weren't for this Xie Qiye's incompetence, starting to cause trouble at the age of eleven or twelve, most of the Xie family's business might have fallen into his hands.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Master Xie's eyes crinkled with laughter as he looked at Yang Qin.

Yang Qin frowned and dodged the fan that Xie Qiye had placed on his chin: "You all know what exactly happened."

Master Xie leaned back in the carriage, his eyes slightly narrowed: "You mean you bought a corpse to replace my own sister?"

Yang Qin remained silent, knowing that the Xie family, like the second branch of the family, were no good people.

Master Xie wasn't angry: "If we don't buy it, the kidnappers might just bury her on the spot. How could she possibly 'come back to life'? Isn't this also a kind of fate between our Xie family and her? I called you here so that you could help me pass on a message to my tenth sister."

"The Xie family can make her the real Xie Shiniang. If she agrees, let her go back to her parents' home in two days so we can introduce her to her relatives."

Master Xie reached for the wine cup on the low table, took a sip, and his smile deepened. He then said, "Putting everything else aside, in Daming Prefecture, Xie family daughters will never be bullied. The same goes for you. Once you become in-laws of the Xie family, you can come to the Xie family for help if you need anything."

Before Xie Qiye arrived, he had carefully considered the situation. He believed that with the Xie family offering such terms, the woman and the Yang family would happily agree.

Yang Mingjing came to the Xie family to deliver a message saying that the woman wanted to write a lawsuit against the Xie family, and the Yang family could not stop her no matter what they did. They also asked the Xie family to find a way to deal with the situation.

The lawsuit against the Xie family is simply a ploy to gain some benefits.

Is being a true Xie Shiniang enough?

After Master Xie finished speaking, Yang Qin did not hesitate and took a few steps forward to get closer to Master Xie.

Master Xie was surprised that the Yang family child would come to his side, but after a slight pause, his carefree smile returned to his face.

Yang Qin lowered his head, said something, and without waiting for Xie Qiye's response, turned around and ran off the carriage.

As Xie Qiye watched the small figure disappear before his eyes, Yang Qin's words seemed to still echo in his ears.

“My sister-in-law said that if any members of the Xie family come to me asking for information,” Yang Qin said, “I should not believe anything, because he is just a helpless bastard who can’t make decisions.”

It sounds like an insult, but upon closer inspection...

Suddenly, Master Xie laughed, and the sound of his laughter echoed from the carriage.

Seeing that the man had run into the patrol office, the servants outside knew they couldn't go inside to arrest him, so they ordered the carriage to leave.

Inside the carriage, Master Xie swirled the wine glass in his hand, while the maid beside him whispered, "Those people don't know what's good for them, Master Xie, please don't be angry."

Seventh Master Xie's smile deepened, and after a long while he seemed to be talking to himself: "But she wasn't wrong."

After this incident, the family discussed it and decided to send him to persuade the woman. Since he had no business dealings with the Xie family, any mistakes could be blamed on him.

He had initially only intended to get rid of the woman, but now he was genuinely curious and wanted to meet her.

……

Yang Qin was led into the second hall of the government office, where he soon met the registrar, Wang. Wang was sitting at his desk dealing with documents, surrounded by several clerks who were constantly running back and forth. Some of them even left the government office and rode away on horseback.

How could the patrol and inspection office have so many urgent official matters?

Yang Qin just watched, not daring to approach. Every time he saw this Registrar Wang, he felt that something was different. He was clearly a scholar, but he was different from the other scholars he had ever met. His demeanor was no less than that of Inspector He.

Finally, the documents on the table were gone. Registrar Wang put down his pen, waved his hand to dismiss everyone, and then looked at Yang Qin. Yang Qin immediately bowed and saluted.

Although Yang Qin was still wearing thin clothes, his eyes shone with a certain light, and he looked completely different from yesterday.

The image of Xie Yuyan flashed through Wang Hechun's mind. In just one day, she could bring about such a change in a person, which showed her ability.

To understand a person, you don't need to stare at them closely; what they do will leave traces around you.

Before the two could speak, He Tan lifted the curtain and entered the room. Upon seeing Yang Qin, he immediately said, "You're out of the house so early?"

Yang Qin laughed: "Even earlier, I went to get medicine for my sister-in-law first, then went to the market, and just now I was taken in for questioning by the Xie family at the entrance of the government office." "That Xie Seventh Master."

Yang Qin then naturally dragged the Xie family out.

He Tan frowned: "What did the Xie family ask?"

Yang Qin recounted to He Tan and Wang Hechun every single word that Xie Qiye had said in the carriage.

Yang Qin said, "After returning home, my sister-in-law told my second uncle that she was determined to sue the Xie family. The Xie family wanted to bribe her, but how could my sister-in-law agree? My sister-in-law was almost harmed and even forgot her own background, but she still accepted the marriage and wanted to protect my mother and me. Such character is hard to find among ordinary people."

"What my sister-in-law wants is not money, but to expose those shady dealings to the world. How could a family like the Xie's understand that?"

Looking at Yang Qin's indignant expression, Wang Hechun wondered if the woman knew how much Yang Qin was protecting her reputation. He also wondered how long this protection could last.

Wang Hechun stood up: "Let's go, I'll take you to see that gentleman."

He Tan looked at Wang Hechun with some surprise. He thought Wang Hechun would instruct his people to send Yang Qin there, but he didn't expect him to go in person.

Wang Hechun mounted his horse and then extended his hand to Yang Qin.

Yang Qin was precocious, but not very tall. Just as he was figuring out where to put his foot down for leverage, he felt a lightness on his body and was on the saddle in the blink of an eye.

Yang Qin was surprised. Wang Zhubu looked like a scholar, but what he had just done made him feel that Wang Zhubu also had the abilities of those military generals.

"Sit tight," Wang Hechun instructed, then urged his horse forward.

What books do you usually read?

Yang Qin sat up straight: "I've read 'Narrative of Ancient Texts' and 'Prodigy Poems'."

Upon hearing the poem about child prodigies, the attendant riding alongside couldn't help but glance at his master.

Wang Hechun said, "When you meet that gentleman later, don't mention 'Prodigy Poems'."

Yang Qin couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

“Poetry and prose are useless,” Wang Hechun said. “It is better to study the Analects and Mencius more.”

Yang Qin blinked. Was it because this Registrar Wang disliked poetry that he failed the imperial examination?

The group arrived at the northern part of the city, turned into a narrow alley, and came upon a few inconspicuous houses. As soon as Yang Qin was unmounted, he saw someone open the door, and then three children, around ten years old, came out. Each of them carried a small wooden box, which probably contained paper, pens, and other items.

Yang Qin had always hoped to formally become an apprentice and learn calligraphy. Upon seeing these children, he couldn't care less about anything else and his gaze kept lingering on them.

"Go in!" Wang Hechun walked forward, and Yang Qin suddenly came to his senses.

“Mr. Wang…” An old servant was already waiting at the door and immediately bowed when he saw Wang Hechun.

No sooner had the old servant finished speaking than a middle-aged scholar hurriedly came out to greet him.

The disciples following behind the scholar looked astonished, as if they had never seen their teacher like this before.

Yang Qin wondered if he had misread it, but when the scholar approached Wang, the registrar, he seemed about to bow down, but then, for some reason, he changed to a middle bow, a gesture of respect between equals.

Even in the middle bow, the scholar bowed first, which shows the respect for Chief Clerk Wang.

Yang Qin blinked, and looking at Wang Zhubu's back now, he felt that he was even taller than before.

“Nothing else,” Wang Hechun said, “I’m just sending a disciple to Brother Tong. If Brother Tong thinks he’s a promising talent, then keep him.”

Mr. Tong then turned his gaze to Yang Qin. He looked Yang Qin up and down repeatedly, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Wang Hechun never does such a thing, but now he suddenly sends over a child."

Looking at the child's age, and considering Wang Hechun's seclusion, feigning illness in the capital but suddenly appearing in Daming Prefecture, he must be doing something secretive.

Could it be that this child has some other connection with Wang Hechun?
Could it be that they've been secretly having children for the Wang family behind the backs of the elders in the capital?
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(End of this chapter)