Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 8 Testing
Chen Ju was a straightforward person. He agreed to Zhang's request and went to see He Tan immediately without delay.

“That young lady is so pitiful,” Chen Ju said. “Not only was she tied up here, but she was almost suffocated in the coffin. If we had caught Jiao Da and found out about her background, we could have sent her home. Now the clues have been cut off, and we don’t know where she can stay.”

"Besides..."

Chen Ju continued, "You've seen what the Yang clan is like. We have to save them to the end. If we just let them go back like this, who knows how they'll be bullied in the future."

The Yang family, along with Yang Mingshan and his wife, were brought to the yamen for questioning. The two were only guilty of failing to report what they knew, and at most they would be fined copper coins and given a beating. It was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't hold a grudge.

He Tan looked at Chen Ju, and it was rare for this soldier to be so eloquent, and it was all for someone else's sake.

“In that case, call that young lady over,” He Tan said. “I’ll ask her for clarification.”

Chen Ju grinned sheepishly, as if he had gotten a great deal. He immediately went out to bring Xie Yuyan over, whispering instructions along the way.

"My master looks serious, so don't be afraid. There's also a gentleman here who's very gentle. Just say whatever you think in a moment."

Xie Yuyan bowed to Chen Ju to express his gratitude before lifting the curtain and entering the room.

Sitting at the table was Inspector He, whom Xie Yuyan had met at the Yang family's residence. A person was standing not far from him, and Xie Yuyan naturally looked over.

The person's face came into view.

Xie Yuyan's gaze froze for a moment.

That is……

Although he was only wearing a simple robe and dressed as an ordinary scholar, carefully concealing his sharp edge, he was still quite conspicuous in her eyes.

Even though she had never seen what he looked like when he was young, her ability to judge people was good enough, coupled with his reputation in Daliang and his exceptionally handsome features, Xie Yuyan was simply impossible to ignore...

I never expected to run into him here.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Yuyan's expression returned to normal, but this momentary change caught the man's attention.

Having spent many years in the palace, Xie Yuyan had long since become adept at concealing his emotions. He wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't suddenly encountered someone unexpected here.

But her ability to conceal herself was unmatched by others, and ordinary people could not detect it at all.

However, his gaze shifted from a natural eye contact to an undisguised stare, indicating that he had seen and caught her making those little movements.

It was this response that convinced Xie Yuyan that she had not mistaken the person for someone else.

Xie Yuyan was not worried about being seen through.

There are many reasons to look at a person, but fortunately, he was exceptionally good-looking, with a flawless and exquisite face, which inevitably attracted special attention.

He Tan reached out and turned on the light. Xie Yuyan and Wang Hechun's elongated shadows shrank back to their feet, as if a silent test had ended.

"I heard from Chen Ju that you want to stay in the Yang family?" He Tan said, "Can you tell me why? If you get married but lose your husband, your future will be very difficult. I can decide to dissolve this marriage so that your reputation won't be affected."

He Tan believes that most people would make the same choice in the same situation.

Xie Yuyan paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant, before quickly making up his mind: "The people I saw after I woke up were Qin Ge'er and Third Sister. It was thanks to their efforts that I was able to survive."

“I don’t remember what happened before, but I know in my heart who is good to me now, so I want to stay in the Yang family, not for Yang Liu Ge, but for San Niang Zi and Qin Ge’er, compared to the deceased Yang Liu Ge…”

Xie Yuyan put it another way: "The living are more reliable than the dead."

There's no grand sense of justice involved; it's just a choice based on facts. This sounds very sincere.

He Tan continued, "If you find your parents and family, will you leave the Yang family?"

Xie Yuyan pursed her lips: "Is it really possible to find my family?"

These words silenced He Tan. The young woman before him seemed to be much more insightful than he had imagined. He suddenly wanted to find out whether she had stumbled upon this by accident or had truly understood her situation.

He Tan said, "Why not?"

Xie Yuyan stretched out her hands, which had never been through hard work: "Although I don't remember the past, I still know some principles."

“The wealthier the family, the more they care about the reputation of the women in the family. If a woman is abducted, they would probably rather die than have her return home. Besides, the person who abducted me is dead, so it is not easy to find out the truth. If we take this as a glimmer of hope, life will only become more and more unbearable.”

“It is hard to find people as kind-hearted as Third Sister and Qin Ge’er in the world. I am willing to stay in the Yang family and help Third Sister raise Qin Ge’er to adulthood, to repay her kindness and also to find a place for myself.”

He Tan nodded, and his gaze toward Xie Yuyan changed from before. He couldn't help but admire her from the bottom of his heart; this girl was indeed clever.

“I will vouch for you,” He Tan said, “and send you back to the Yang family.”

Xie Yuyan bowed to He Tan again. “Go and make preparations,” He Tan said. “Once I finish dealing with the matters at hand, I will accompany you.”

Xie Yuyan left the second hall, and Wang Hechun picked up the tea on the table and brought it to his lips.

"She seemed to recognize me."

He Tan stared at Wang Hechun in surprise: "Where have you seen her before?"

Wang Hechun shook his head: "Never." He found it hard to forget people he had met, especially women of her age; he rarely had any interaction with her.

But her gaze just now clearly indicated that she knew who he was, although she concealed it very well, giving him the illusion that he had misjudged her.

Either you really misread it.

Either she's exceptionally clever and has covered it up very well.

Tell He Tan what just happened.

He Tan was completely unaware that, right under his nose, two other people had such an interaction.

"Perhaps you've misunderstood."

Wang Hechun thought of her calm gaze, as if she hadn't taken it to heart at all.

"how?"

Wang Hechun suddenly smiled: "That's what she thought too, which made me think I was mistaken."

"I may not know her, but I know myself."

He Tan asked silently.

Wang Hechun said, "My eyes are perfectly healthy, how could I have misjudged?"

He Tan frowned: "Is that so? That young lady..."

Wang Hechun remained calm: "Brother, there's no need to worry. Let's see what she's up to. Even if she has ulterior motives, it's still unknown who will suffer the consequences."

Since he's on guard, he won't fall for it, unless he's an idiot.

……

Yong'anfang, Yang Family.

The old lady from the second wife looked at the table full of food, but waved her hand listlessly, signaling it to be taken away.

With Yang Mingshan and Zou Shi still detained at the yamen, how could she possibly eat? Compared to her prudent eldest son and her younger son who was often away from home, Yang Mingshan was clearly more considerate. Otherwise, she wouldn't have constantly nagged the old man to find a good future for Mingshan's eldest son and to have Zou Shi help manage the household.

Her favoritism was obvious; she wanted to make things easier for Yang Mingshan's family under her protection, but who knew this would happen?

"That woman sent by the Xie family must be a wicked spirit. She's only been brought into my house and she's already caused all this trouble. And what about those three wives..."

The two old ladies breathed a sigh of relief, and the head housekeeper hurriedly stepped forward to comfort them: "Don't be too upset, this family still depends on you. This matter has nothing to do with us, let the authorities investigate, they will still send the person back safely. Besides, as for that 'Xie Shi', now that she's alive, she can't possibly enter the Yang family again."

The two old ladies raised their eyebrows: "She may wish, but as long as I live, I will never agree."

"I misspoke," the head maid slapped her face. "She doesn't have that kind of good fortune."

The old lady closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. She knew that the fourth son's family would be safe and sound, but she still felt a surge of anger in her chest. She thought of Zhang Shi and Yang Qin from the third branch of the family.

She had to find a way to drive the mother and child out of the Yang family, so they wouldn't get a single penny of the Yang family's property.

It's best to be driven to desperation and die.

Only by ending up like this could she finally vent her anger.

"Back, back."

A servant from the Yang family ran into the courtyard to deliver the message: "A carriage has come out of the government office, it should be..."

"Mingshan," the second old lady interrupted the servant, immediately ordering, "Quickly, open the door, have the kitchen prepare fresh food, and go fetch a doctor..."

"I..." The second old lady gestured to the servants, "Help me to go and greet the fourth son."

Thank you for the unexpected 10000 points reward, and thank you to Jiangmofuyao and Yanzhihu for your support.

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(End of this chapter)