Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 426 Be a kind person like your grandfather

Yan Liang's fingers stopped on the page, and the next moment he looked up.

The butler walked hurriedly, looking parched: "The people we sent out to make contact with them have returned. They couldn't get in touch with anyone, and instead encountered the Qin family leaving the city!"

Yan Liang paused for three more breaths, then closed the book and stood up: "Where is he?"

"Wait in the front yard!"

Yan Liang walked out.

Yan Qu rushed over and said, "Brother, something has happened in the palace! Grandfather is in trouble! The emperor is not dead, the crown prince is not dead, and all the officials who entered the palace with grandfather have been taken out by the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"He Ping has already gone to the Imperial City Garrison to gather troops!"

Yan Liang missed a step and stumbled at the threshold.

Just as Yan Qu helped him up, several stewards came running from the front: "Young Master! The Second Young Master has heard a rumor from somewhere that the Old Master has been arrested! They also say that our mansion is going to be raided, and now the inner quarters are in chaos, with everyone clamoring to pack their valuables and prepare to leave the mansion!"

Yan Liang gritted his teeth: "Guard all four sides of the mansion gates. No one is allowed to leave! Not even a chicken or a dog is allowed to get out!"

Yan Qu stopped him, saying, "Brother! Even the illegitimate sons have heard the news. Let's hurry up and leave! As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback!"

Yan Liang shook him off: "If the court wanted to investigate and confiscate, how could they have leaked the news before the people even arrived? Don't you think it might be that the Shen family deliberately released them to confuse the public?"
"Your grandfather is still in the palace. If you dare to escape, I'll cripple you first!"

Yan Qu gritted his teeth, but dared not utter another sound.

After he left, Yan Liang rushed back to his room, took his sword from the wall, and ran towards the backyard!

The inner courtyard was filled with panicked maids and servants. The seven or eight concubines and more than a dozen illegitimate children who had entered Yan Shusheng's household before his death were either already packed up and leaving the courtyard or were still packing up.

Yan Liang stood guard under the hanging flower gate and with a single stroke of his sword severed the leg of a maid who was running towards him and hadn't even had time to stop!

The maid fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere!

The concubine who followed was splattered with blood and immediately screamed, clutching her head!

Without saying a word, Yan Liang raised his sword and stabbed the concubine through the chest!

"Who wants to die? Bring it on! Father hasn't been buried yet, I don't mind dragging you all down with him!"

The screams stopped abruptly.

Yan Liang brandished his blood-dripping sword, his face as cold as ice: "Once you enter the gates of my Yan family, as children of my Yan family, you should stand with my Yan family through thick and thin!"

"Want to leave?
"The Yan family has allowed you to enjoy so many years of good fortune, helped each of your maternal families to prosper, and raised your children to become successful. Now, at the slightest sign of trouble, they're already thinking about making plans for themselves."
"Today, anyone who dares to step out of this door will suffer the same fate as her!"

Blood from the sword dripped onto the concubine's corpse.

The corpse was clutching a large bag of jewelry, its eyes wide open, staring into the distance, never to close again.

"Master!"

The person arrived with a sob in their voice: "The Imperial Guards and garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have arrived outside the gate and have completely surrounded the mansion!"

Yan Liang suddenly turned around: "Who led the team?"

"The leader hasn't arrived yet, and we don't know who it is. They've just surrounded the mansion! The last person to enter said that three streets outside our mansion are surrounded!"
"Even those who left the manor have been brought back!"

Yan Liang's sword swayed slightly.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, then burst into tears again.

Yan Liang turned around and ran towards the foot of the mansion wall.

Through the window—no, before even reaching the wall—I could already see a dense mass of figures outside. —How could this be?
Isn't everything perfectly flawless?
They even left themselves plenty of options, so how could they fail?
You should know that Yan Song is the person in the world who understands the emperor best!
How could he fail?
Yan Liang stopped at the foot of the steps, staring blankly at the figure outside the wall, a breath stuck in his throat, requiring great effort to swallow.

He took two steps back, turned around in the porch, and strode towards the eldest son's house.

The servants in the room were so startled that they couldn't dodge in time and were all knocked away.

All the hidden compartments in the room where he kept confidential documents were opened, and the contents were taken out one by one.

He lit a tinderbox and brought it close to burn.

He tried to rub it twice but it didn't catch fire, so his hand stopped in mid-air and then fell down.

"Master!"

The old servant looked at him with worry.

He slowly raised his head: "Is it beyond saving?"

The old servant was in so much pain that he couldn't speak.

Yan Liang stared at the table: "Things have come to this point, so whether we burn it or not makes no difference. Uncle He, you've been with me since I was born, and now you're going to die because of this too."

The old servant burst into tears: "Young master, why do you say such things? I have been working in this mansion since it was built, and I even contributed to the construction of the back garden!"

“I know that there used to be a cellar under there. Because it was close to the alley next door, it was later dug through and connected to the other end of the alley!”
"Young Master, why don't you take Rong-ge'er and Shan-jie'er with you and go together?"

"Yes, Rong-ge'er!"

Yan Liang suddenly straightened up.

He walked quickly to the door, paused for a moment, then immediately returned, grabbed a pen and paper, and quickly wrote a few lines.

He then rummaged through the hidden compartment and found a few more items, stuffing them all into a large purse.

Then, sword in hand, he swept past the servants and headed towards Yangxinzhai.

The two children were clearly frightened, and the wet nurses were holding them and comforting them.

Upon seeing Yan Liang arrive, they pushed aside the wet nurse: "Father, why are they all arguing? Where did the old master go? Is he coming back?"

Yan Liang squatted down and hugged them, one in each arm: "Of course I'll come back. Grandpa loves you the most, he'll definitely come back to teach you to write."

"But the old man is getting old and can't stay with you for much longer."

"You must remember his words, study hard, and bring glory to your family."

"And you must always remember what your father told you—"

"I know!" Four-year-old Shan Jie raised her hand and said in her childish voice, "Father said that at the beginning of life, people are inherently good. He also said that a virtuous person establishes good thoughts by starting with himself."

"We want to be kind people like our great-grandfather, grandfather, and father."

Yan Liang was slapped, and his face stung.

He stood up, grabbed a handful of silver notes and stuffed them into the old servant behind him, then took out a purse full of loose silver: "This is your travel expenses. After you take them and the wet nurse out as you said, head south!"
"Your travel permits are inside!"

"The Yan family's seal is also inside!"

"Grandfather said he had already arranged a place for us to stay in Hangzhou. Once we arrive, just do as I write on the paper!"

"Uncle He, I entrust my two children to you, and the future of the Yan family is also entrusted to you. Please be sure to act carefully!"