Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 414 Road Guide
Although the news that the people sent out had run into trouble with Hu Yucheng might not be known to everyone in the household, the somber atmosphere emanating from the main room early in the morning still infected everyone along with the autumn wind.

When the illegitimate sons, who had shared the household chores, brought back the news that the Yan family had been accused again, the inner quarters were filled with even more anxiety.

Everyone who enters this mansion seeks peace and wealth. If peace and wealth become nothing but a mirage, who can remain calm?
Unable to find Yan Liang, the women in charge relayed the message to Yan Qu.

How could Yan Qu be a virtuous person?
He stormed into the inner quarters with a long sword, stabbing two maids in succession, causing the women to scream in terror, which only made the crying incessant.

After Yan Liang's men found him, they dragged him to the eldest son's house.

Yan Qu had guessed that his outburst would not end well, so he knelt down as soon as he entered. But Yan Liang simply had someone pick up his sword, took out his usual snow-white handkerchief, and while wiping it, said to him, "Select two groups of men from your guards, one group of at least thirty and the other of ten."

"After dark, the larger group exits from the south gate, and the smaller group exits from the north gate."

"Then you will wear my clothes, ride in my carriage, and follow the smaller group of guards out of the north gate."

Yan Qu was stunned: "What is Brother planning?"

"Don't ask." Yan Liang placed the cleaned sword on the table. "No matter who you meet along the way, just keep heading south."

"Do not show your face unless absolutely necessary."

"Should I come back?"

"Of course I'll come back!" Yan Liang's gaze was like a knife hidden beneath the surface of a lake. "Come back after you show yourself. If you encounter any unexpected situations on the way, just look at this brocade pouch."

A brocade pouch was tossed into Yan Qu's arms.

He wanted to ask more, but Yan Liang had already left.

……

After Shen Qingzhou and Yang Bonong completed the task assigned by Lu Jie overnight, a huge uproar indeed broke out in the court.

Everyone was watching how the Yan family would respond, or perhaps they were wondering which of the two opposing forces in the current court would prevail.
Lu Jie arrived at the cabinet a little late today.

As soon as he entered, a yamen runner rushed over: "Sir, His Majesty sent someone early this morning with an imperial edict, requesting that you count all the embezzled silver involved in Zhou Sheng's case within three days, according to the amount recorded in the register, and deposit it into the national treasury!"

"Three days?"

Lu Jie immediately stopped at the threshold. "Who delivered the decree?"

"It is Liu Yi, the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate."

Lu Jie's eyes flashed, and he turned to look at the pile of books on his desk. After a long while, he said, "I understand."

Inside the Grand Commandant's residence, Lu Jia had been listening to the news from the streets all morning.

Yin Liu and his men kept coming to report on how many people had placed bets in the restaurants and teahouses. The guards who had been sent to the streets and alleys to find out the reactions of various officials also returned excitedly to tell those opportunists which side they were planning to side with.

Only Lu Jia, who had witnessed the Yan family's desperate struggle for survival in her previous life, would not feel at ease until she saw the guillotine fall.

When Qiu Niang came to visit her, Lu Jia decided to let her stay, saying, "I don't know what the Yan family will do, so you should stay for a while before going back."

Qiu Niang panicked: "I even raised a few medicinal chickens specifically to nourish my son-in-law's body..."

“Take the chicken too.”

Qiu Niang was speechless.

At this moment, Fuxiao walked in: "Lord Lu sent Mr. Yang to deliver a message, saying that he was tied up with official business today and probably has no time to spare. The matter discussed last night will probably require the eldest son and young mistress to keep an eye on it."

Lu Jia's expression turned serious: "Where is Mr. Yang?"

“Mr. Yang was in a hurry to return to the Lu family to meet the Second and Third Masters. He left only a message and then left. He said that Lord Lu was ordered to inventory all the stolen money involved in Zhou Sheng’s suspected case within three days. This should have taken half a month to complete, but now he has to do his best.” Lu Jia’s expression became even more restrained.

She turned to look at Qiu Niang: "Look, even Father is being watched by the Yan family so closely that he can't get away. Are we still going to stay here?"

Qiu Niang shut up completely.

Lu Jia remained silent.

Given Lu Jie's abilities, he shouldn't be unable to handle the affairs of the cabinet. The only possibility for the emperor to suddenly issue this bizarre decree is that the Yan family has once again used some underhanded tricks to whisper in Lu Jie's ear and entangle him.

Having served the emperor for many years, Yan Song still had some methods.

There was obviously another purpose behind keeping Lu Jie occupied.

Yang Bonong didn't even have time to go into the mansion to say a word before rushing back to find his second uncle Lu Ling and third uncle Lu Ruan. The situation must be even more complicated than he had described.

However, this shows that the Yan family was indeed unwilling to wait for death.

Qiu Niang asked, "Do you want to go find your son-in-law?"

Lu Jia said, "No need, he naturally knows the news. He will arrange things outside, we just need to listen."

Worried that she might still be thinking about the chickens, he added, "I'll send someone to fetch them."

Qiu Niang felt it was unnecessary, but Lu Jia had already sent the person away.

Thinking about it, he glanced at her belly and said, "If I have a child soon, I won't have to worry about raising chickens."

"..."

The guard who brought the chicken returned half an hour later.

When he returned, he also brought Liang Mi with him. Liang Mi was the grandson of Liang Jun, an imperial censor who was imprisoned because of Yang Tingfang's case and was later rescued by Lu Jia.

After Liang Jun was released from prison, he stayed at the Xie family's house in Yanzi Hutong for a few months. Once Liang Jun had recovered somewhat, he was introduced by Cheng Wenhui to teach at the Cheng family's private school. Not long after, Liang Jun passed the county-level imperial examination and is now preparing for the provincial-level examination. In addition, he was recommended by Cheng Yan to work as an accountant in the family's writing and ink shop. He can study and earn money at the same time, and his situation has greatly improved.

Even Liang Mi's younger sister, Qiu Niang, has been arranged a marriage for her; she will be marrying a scholar into the Lin family next month.

Lu Jia would occasionally meet with them.

"When I went to Yanzi Hutong, I happened to meet Young Master Liang who was in a hurry to find his wife. I told him that his wife was at the Grand Commandant’s mansion. Young Master Liang said that it would be better to see the young mistress, so we came together."

Lu Jia had someone bring seats and tea and refreshments, but Liang Mi was in a hurry to speak: "There is some important news that I must tell the young mistress first."

"The Assistant Magistrate in Tongzhou Prefecture is my father's former colleague, and he knows everything about the Liang family."

“He suddenly came to see my father in the middle of the night yesterday, saying that a few days ago someone went to the Tongzhou government office to apply for travel permits to go south, and issued several permits at once.”

"But my uncle recognized one of them as a servant of the Yan family!"

"The Yan family?" Lu Jia narrowed her eyes, then straightened her back. "Are they trying to escape?"

Liang Mi took out a piece of paper from her bosom: "This is the name that this uncle risked his life to copy down. I thought the young mistress might need it. I was going to find Aunt Qiu, but it's even better to know that she's here!"

Lu Jia looked at the names and saw that there were eight people in total: six adults and two children, one boy and one girl.

"The eldest grandson of the Yan family has a son and a daughter, who are about the same age. It seems that this is to let Yan Liang's branch of the family escape? But Yan Liang shouldn't do this. It must be the old thief Yan's idea!"

"So you're already holding back? You wish, you old scoundrel!"

She handed the paper to the guard: "Give it to the eldest young master immediately!"