Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 66 Tracking
As Wang Yan walked out of the house, he happened to meet Yang Mingjing, who had come to see him off. Yang Mingjing did not know what Wang Zhubu had said in the third room, but he felt that Wang Yan was different from when he came, and there was less gloom in his eyes.

After mounting his horse at the gate, Wang Yan headed straight for the government office.

“Young master,” Sang Dian finally found a chance to speak after entering the yamen, “didn’t you ask the Yang family for that cat?”

The cat clearly went to see the young master. If the young master explains the matter, wouldn't it be possible to get the cat back?
What exactly is the young master going around in circles with? Those who don't know might think he's just using this as an excuse to come to the Yang family.

“Let it stay there,” Wang Yan said. “We’ll send it some of its favorite jerky tonight.”

Sang Dian's eyes widened.

Not only did they lose the cat, but they also have to send something over? What kind of logic is that? How could her husband do something so disadvantageous?
Sang Dian responded, pondering how to persuade them, when he heard Wang Yan say again: "Arrange for people to go to the water shop owned by the Xie family to pay the deposit, and have them prepare to carry water out to sell in two days."

Sang Dian was even more taken aback.

What? We need to add more people?

As Sang Dian was thinking, he saw Wang Yan's gaze sweep over him, and immediately straightened his back and replied, "If the young master asks me to do it, I will naturally have no objection. It's just that... whatever the young master has decided is fine."

"That Yang family is no good place; so many people come and go there." He was afraid that if he went there, he would end up like that cat and never come back.

Wang Yan frowned, and Sang Dian quickly slipped away...

Wang Yan entered the second hall and found a map of the northwest unfolded before him.

When He Tan entered the room, he saw Wang Yan's gaze fixed on the map, seemingly deep in thought.

"What are you looking at?" He Tan asked.

The map of the Northwest should have been etched into Wang Yan's mind long ago. The way he's looking at it like this, he must be thinking about things related to the Northwest.

Wang Yan's eyes were lowered, yet a hint of murderous intent could still be found in his cold and stern face.

“Hechun,” He Tan couldn’t help but say, “You mustn’t think of anything else. I promised the old master and my aunt that I wouldn’t let you…”

Wang Yan did not respond, but instead asked, "Is there any news about Da Shun City?"

He Tan and Wang Yan had many spies outside, and various messages were sent to Daming Prefecture every day, especially news from the Northwest garrison, which He Tan checked every day.

“News has come from the west, but it didn’t specifically mention Da Shun City,” He Tan said. “They’re quite peaceful there now, mainly because…”

He Tan couldn't help but laugh when he mentioned this: "The affair between the King of Western Xia and his uncle's daughter-in-law is making headlines. Right now, maintaining political stability is the priority, and we can't worry about anything else. I think the passes should be safe this year."

"This king is really strange. He obtained his throne through his uncle, and the first thing he did after securing the throne was to do such a crazy thing."

"However, his family is of the same lineage. His mother had an affair with his father, and after being caught in the act, she had no choice but to hide in a temple. These people like to steal other people's wives and don't care about propriety or shame at all... And yet they still wanted to marry our Liang princess. After being rejected by the imperial family, they wanted to marry a daughter of a noble family in Liang."

He Tan sneered: "It caused quite a stir at the time. Some people in the court suspected that a certain noble family in Liang was having an affair with Xixia. After all, it was always the princesses who were asked to marry, and this was the first time they had asked a noble family's daughter to do so."

Wang Yan's mind was clearly not on these secrets.

"Send more people to Dashun City to make some preparations."

He Tan was taken aback. There was clearly nothing going on in the Northwest, so why did He Chun still want him to send someone there?

"What's wrong with you...?" He Tan asked, puzzled. "What have you heard?"

Wang Yan said solemnly, "Send as many people as possible from the Northwest to Da Shun City first, and send out scouts to gather information. Do not be careless."

Seeing Wang Yan's expression, He Tan didn't press further: "I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

Wang Yan looked away from the map, and the image of Xie Yuyan's expression when he heard that there was war in Western Xia resurfaced in his mind, showing a mixture of surprise and anger.

An ordinary person would be worried. Only those in positions of power would be angry about a defeat in war.

Who exactly is she? And what has she been through?
Wang Yan went into the inner room, picked up a piece of paper and began to write a letter. He had never thought of wasting his time on Lady Xie before, so he had never inquired about her background. But now it was different... If she was the person he met ten years ago, then who was she now?

She herself may not even know it.

Finding out these things will definitely be useful in the future.

……

The third branch of the Yang family.

Zhang was still somewhat worried, especially about what the registrar Wang said before he left, which she couldn't understand at all.

What did he mean by "Da Shun City"?

Wang, the registrar, said that Xie Yuyan mentioned it, but she was right next to him and clearly didn't hear it.

"Does that Registrar Wang have ulterior motives?" Madam Zhang frowned. "He's deliberately trying to frame you. If that's really the case, don't be afraid. I can testify for you in court."

Xie Yuyan couldn't help but smile: "Mother, don't worry, that's just what Registrar Wang said. I didn't say anything; he's just making wild guesses."

No matter where she goes, she won't admit it.

She was just trying to figure out where she had given him a clue that made him guess what she was going to say.

In January of the eighth year of the Zhiping era, the King of Western Xia led his infantry and cavalry to besiege Da Shun City, inflicting a major defeat on the Liang Dynasty. Afterwards, Western Xia repeatedly invaded the border, and the Liang Dynasty repeatedly yielded. So much so that later, when she held court, seeing reports from Western Xia would ignite a surge of anger.

Habits are hard to change, and it was around that moment that Wang Yan realized it.

She hadn't intended to reveal these things to Wang Yan; things that hadn't happened could easily arouse suspicion. But... this might be for the best; perhaps it could turn the situation around.

That depends on Wang Yan's abilities.

This battle is a minor matter; the political situation in Liang will only change when the current emperor passes away next April.

Just as she had told Zhang, it was all Wang Yan's speculation, without any concrete evidence, so she didn't need to worry. Wang Yan was far more knowledgeable about prophecy than she was; hearing it from others, she preferred to believe that Wang Yan was the one who had foreseen everything, after all, everyone knew that Wang Yan had encountered a celestial being in his youth.

Xie Yuyan yawned, suddenly feeling tired, and Yang Qin's voice came from outside the door.

"Mother, sister-in-law, I'm back."

……

For the first three days after Xie Niangzi opened her water shop, it was always busy. In the last two days, more and more people came to buy water, but compared to the new shops in the market, it was still a bit shabby.

Furthermore, hot water is not valuable to begin with, so even if there are many people crowding at the door, you won't make much money in the end.

What outsiders don't know is that the accounts for the deposits paid by the water shop are a thick stack.

Even Zheng didn't know the exact amount; she had only heard that someone had paid three deposits at once.

how can that be possible?
Zheng couldn't understand it at all. Wasn't one deposit enough for them?

It wasn't until Dong Sansao also stepped into the water shop with three strings of cash that Zheng realized it was true.

Not only that, before closing last night, Sister-in-law Dong came to the shop and asked her when the first pot of hot water would be ready. She had placed a wooden bucket at home in the shop and asked if she could boil some water and give it to her first.

After Sister-in-law Dong left, five or six more people came one after another, asking the same question.

The first pot of water was used up just like that.

Therefore, she made a point of arriving half an hour early today, just in case something went wrong.

Second update! Please leave comments, and if you can turn on auto-subscription, please do so for the leader. Thank you everyone!
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(End of this chapter)