Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 112 Panic
As the two brothers were talking, He Tan finally caught up.

Looking at Wang Yan, He Tan couldn't help but shake his head. He had kept it well hidden. When did he develop such horsemanship skills? Was he still thinking about those things in the army?

If the elders and aunts in the capital find out, they will inevitably worry again.

Only swordsmen practice swordsmanship all day long, right?

Just as He Tan was about to speak with Wang Yan, he noticed Xiao Wang Zheng standing in front of the carriage.

"Brother He." Wang Zheng greeted He Tan as if he had found a savior.

"What's wrong?" Wang Zheng usually chased after his older brother, only hiding behind him when he made a mistake.

Wang Zheng said, "Nothing much." Then he lowered his voice and recounted what had happened in Daming Prefecture in recent days.

Upon hearing about Madam Xie's business dealings with the three merchants, He Tan raised an eyebrow: "No wonder she felt wronged; she's been cheated, hasn't she?"

“No,” Wang Zheng immediately denied, “it was a spur-of-the-moment decision by three merchants, and had nothing to do with Madam.”

It turns out that even now, he hasn't fully figured it out and is still wholeheartedly protecting Madam Xie.

He Tan sighed. It seems that he should keep his younger brother away from Madam Xie in the future, lest he be sold out and then have to help her count the money.

He dismounted and patted Wang Zheng on the shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

He Tan said, "Thinking about it, it's a win-win situation for everyone."

Wang Zheng nodded: "My brother thinks so too. Anyway, their broken coal is useless to keep."

In Wang Zheng's mind, she was just a piece of charcoal, but he never imagined that she had already extended her reach to Daming Prefecture.

Just selling lotus root charcoal?
This is just the beginning.

Wang Yan did not pursue the matter further. Neither Wang Zheng nor He Tan were familiar with her methods and thoughts, so it would be useless for him to speak.

Wang Yan asked, "Where is she now?"

“Sanhe Village,” Wang Zheng said, “is also where the Salt and Iron Bureau is located.”

He Tan couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Why did the Salt and Iron Bureau get involved?"

Wang Zheng said, "It was those blacksmiths who figured out a good method for smelting iron and reported it to the Salt and Iron Bureau."

He Tan looked at Wang Yan: "She really did mobilize troops." However, it was not as he thought, that she would directly use her waist token to ask for help. It seemed as if she used the Wang family's connections, but it also seemed as if she didn't.

"Do you think she'll remember all the good things you've done for her?"

Wang Yan said nothing, turned his horse around, and headed into the city.

He Tan stretched out his arms and looked at Wang Zheng with a smile: "We just happened to be there, let's go and join in the fun."

……

North City.

Xie Chongjun stood at the entrance of the mine and looked down.

Zhou Hu had been down there for a long time but hadn't come back up. He couldn't help but grit his teeth. Zhou Hu, relying on the protection of the west, didn't take him seriously. In truth, this man should have been executed by the court long ago. How could he be so arrogant? When he turned the tables, he would definitely trample these people under his feet.

"how's it going?"

Xie Chongjun urged him again.

"hold on."

Zhou Hu shouted from below the mine pit, but instead of searching for coal ore nearby, he picked up a bamboo pole to investigate. This pit had also been dug beforehand, though the entrance was quite small. To save time, Zhou Hu had his men widen the pit along the marked lines.

But the more he dug, the more interesting it became.

How can a small pit extend so deep?

Before this, he had never seen anyone dig a vertical shaft like this. He vaguely sensed that Xie Yuyan and his men were using a new method. Zhou Hu wanted to find out, so he ignored Xie Chongjun's shouts and ordered all the servants of the Xie family to stop, and he cleaned it up himself.

He dug a few more inches, but the small hole still hadn't disappeared, and Zhou Hu couldn't figure out why.

"Master Zhou," the Xie family servant couldn't help but urge again.

Zhou Hu's face showed impatience.

This is really troublesome. If it were in the west, he would have just killed the person and gotten away with it. But now he has to be restrained.

Unable to discern any secrets, Zhou Hu had no choice but to give up and began surveying the mineral deposits on both sides.

"Dig here."

Upon hearing Zhou Hu's instructions again, the Xie family servants hurriedly began to work.

A moment later, the jet-black coal mine appeared before them.

"We found it! We found it!"

Hearing cheers from below the mine, Xie Chongjun breathed a sigh of relief and ordered, "Quickly, hoist some up to take a look."

He was really messed up by Xie Yuyan, and he still feels there's something wrong with him.

The manager personally helped carry the baskets up.

The glossy black coal was pleasing to the eye, and the steward presented it to Xie Chongjun as if it were a precious treasure: "Master, look, there's no mistake, this coal is exceptionally good."

After rinsing off the surface dirt, it really is shiny black.

The land cost a lot of money, and at least there was a coal mine. Xie Chongjun took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. With these things, at least he wouldn't be ridiculed.

Just as they were about to call Zhou Hu up, they saw a servant hurrying over, followed by a group of soldiers in armor.

Xie Chongjun was taken aback, then remembered Xie Yuyan's case. It was he who had sued Xie Yuyan, so naturally the court officials would come to inquire about what had happened. His earlier panic vanished completely, and Xie Chongjun straightened his robes and went to greet them.

"Sir, I am..."

Before Xie Chongjun could finish speaking, he was pushed aside by soldiers, and two men dressed as military officers walked straight over and took the coal from the steward's hands.

"Did you collect these?"

Xie Chongjun caught up a few steps and said, "It came from this mine."

Ding Peng ignored Xie Chongjun and handed the coal to the blacksmith beside him: "How is it?"

The blacksmith examined it for a moment and said, "It's the same as the one that Madam Xie sent."

That's a good thing.

Upon hearing this, Xie Chongjun intentionally explained, "I have now bought this land, and it has nothing to do with Xie Yuyan."

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed that the general in front of him had a knowing look on his face.

Then a deep voice came from the general: "Join forces with the Yang clan to force Madam Xie to sell the land to you."

Xie Chongjun was taken aback for a moment, then immediately came to his senses: "The general may have made a mistake... I..."

Ding Peng ignored Xie Chongjun's words and continued, "Was it you who accused Sanhe Village of having an underground copper mine?"

Xie Chongjun's expression was complicated. What exactly was going on? Could it be...?

"No copper ore was found in Sanhe Village?"

Ding Peng sneered, "Found it."

Xie Chongjun should have breathed a sigh of relief, but the situation before him was indeed rather strange.

"I ask you, are you the one who told us there's a copper mine underground in Sanhe Village?"

Ding Peng repeated it again.

Xie Chongjun figured it out. After Xie Yuyan was arrested, he would definitely deny everything and even frame him. As long as he explained everything clearly, the truth would come out.

Xie Chongjun said, "That's right. When I learned of this matter, I knew it was no small thing. I quickly took the copper ore to the county magistrate for inspection. Only then was the county magistrate able to lead his men to Sanhe Village. Everything I said is true. I even left a document at the yamen."

Should this be okay now?

As Xie Chongjun was thinking, he heard the general shout, "Take him down!"

Xie Chongjun was clueless and didn't know who the general was going to capture. He subconsciously looked down into the mine, wondering if Zhou Hu's whereabouts had been exposed.
Before he could figure it out, he felt a weight on his shoulders, his arms were twisted forcefully, and his body tilted forward.

Pain and humiliation overwhelmed him, and Xie Chongjun was surprised to discover that Ding Peng wanted to take him down.

why?
He was clearly the one who reported Xie Yuyan.

"Search this place thoroughly and arrest anyone suspicious," Ding Peng said, already heading towards the mine. Xie Chongjun's tense expression was too obvious just now; if he guessed correctly, there were people in the mine.

Drawing his long sword from his waist, Ding Peng shouted down into the pit, "Those down there, come up immediately!"

Xie Chongjun's eyes widened. Zhou Hu was trapped inside, like a turtle in a jar; how could he possibly escape? A criminal being pursued by the imperial court was in his home—there was no way to explain this.

"Sir, those are all the hired workers I found down there, I..."

Before Xie Chongjun could finish speaking, he felt a sharp pain in his leg and knelt on the ground, cold sweat rolling down his face.

The next moment, Xie Chongjun heard Zhou Hu's low growl, the scream of a cornered beast fighting desperately.

……

Xie Yuyan saw the copper ore in front of him with his own eyes.

The county magistrate was unusually polite this time: "There are only a few pieces of copper ore in the mine, and they are not integrated with the surrounding soil. They were deliberately placed there."

The county magistrate was at a loss for words; after all that fuss, it turned out to be a lie…

Master Xie is truly a troublemaker; now they're in a real mess.

“Madam should have informed you sooner…” the county magistrate couldn’t help but say.

"Having your mine inspected twice and being watched constantly, wouldn't you be scared?"

A voice came.

Xie Yuyan and the county magistrate both turned around and saw He Tan striding towards them.

Xie Yuyan turned her gaze to Wang Yan and Wang Zheng, who were standing behind He Tan.

Wang Zheng glanced at Xie Yuyan quickly before lowering his head.

Wang Yan's gaze remained undisguised as he stared intently at her, only more profound than usual.

The bell rang.

The raccoon dog, which was frolicking in Sanhe Village, suddenly appeared and stood in front of Xie Yuyan. It meowed twice at Wang Yan and then jumped into Xie Yuyan's arms, as if it was afraid that its master would suffer a loss and came to cheer him on.

Who is actually at a disadvantage?

Wang Yan almost burst out laughing from anger at the cat.

Xie Yuyan sighed inwardly. This was bullying the younger one, and now the older one had returned. Did these two brothers think they could get an explanation from her?
It's a pity that Empress Dowager Xie never shirks her responsibilities, but she also never makes amends for what she has done.

Who told Wang Yan to give her this opportunity?

Thinking of this, Xie Yuyan's lips curved into a smile.

(End of this chapter)