Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 127 Concealment
The door opened, sending in a gust of cold wind.

Wang Yancai snapped out of his thoughts.

He Tan brushed the snowflakes off his clothes, took a deep breath, and felt the warmth in the room. The prison was damp and cold, and sitting there all day was really uncomfortable.

That old magistrate, seeing that things had gotten out of hand, was afraid of offending anyone. He dragged everyone away when interrogating them, and if anyone tried to bribe him, he could be pushed out to defend them. He was utterly useless.

And yet, they still dream of returning to be officials in the capital? They shirk their responsibilities when it comes to government affairs, but they're all fired up in factional struggles, determined to fight to the death.

And Wang Yan...

He Tan looked at his cousin and said, "I asked you to come to Daming Prefecture to help out, but I feel like I've gotten busier and busier since you arrived."

This was obviously meant to tease him.

“He wouldn’t even look at the documents, nor would he come to the prison with me. Instead, he ran off to Baode Temple.”

"What? You don't like Baode Temple, so you burned down the main hall?"

“I was interrogating Xie Chongjun when I was told that Baode Temple was on fire and that you were in the temple. I was so scared that I rushed out of the prison and was already on my horse when I was called down and told that you and the young lady of the Xie family were both safe.”

He Tan looked at Wang Yan meaningfully: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Wang Yan put down the official document in his hand and met He Tan's gaze: "With my official position, it is not appropriate for me to inspect the prison."

He Tan wanted to curse.

When they want to go, they don't care about anything else and just use their official position as an excuse.

"You came to Daming Prefecture not to help me, but because you wanted to figure out the situation in the Northwest yourself. What? You've got a clue, so you're kicking your brother aside?"

He Tan felt that what he said was right, but something seemed a little off.

Wang Hechun's motives weren't limited to these, were they? Was there some other hidden agenda?
Just as Wang Zheng had said, they sent him a cat, had Sang Dian accompany him, and even wrote some notes for the tabloids. The two of them even ran off to the temple when he wasn't looking.

He Tanyue felt something was amiss.

“Didn’t you say,” He Tan said in a low voice, “that you wanted my mother to come and meet Lady Xie? She’s so intelligent, and I think she’s quite good too. Why don’t we settle on this? After New Year’s Day, I will…”

He Tan's voice stopped abruptly, and Wang Yan's eyes suddenly darkened, becoming exceptionally deep.

“I advise my brother not to have such thoughts,” Wang Yan said calmly. “No matter what the outcome, I’m afraid it will be unbearable.”

Wang Yan's solemn expression startled He Tan.

"Is it that serious?" He Tan said. "I thought that young lady was pretty and intelligent. How come she's described as so terrible?"

Wang Yan's gaze drifted into the distance; he had pondered the same thing back then.

"By the time my brother realizes how terrible it is, it will be too late."

The more you try to understand something, the deeper you get entangled, and no matter how smart you are, you can't untangle the knot.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. If she doesn't reappear, he might have to worry about her for another ten years.

Only when all the secrets are revealed can he finally let go of that "encounter with the immortals" from back then.

Wang Yan changed the subject: "Has Xie Chongjun confessed?"

He Tan shook his head: "He's quite stubborn. Even after being tortured, he still insisted that he didn't order anyone to put the copper ore in there."

The county magistrate and the county assistant may not understand why Xie Chongjun insisted on persisting when the evidence was conclusive.
Only he knew that Xie Chongjun wasn't just being stubborn; he genuinely felt wronged.

He Tan continued, "However, it won't be long before Xie Chongjun has to confess his guilt."

“We caught a wanted spy from him. If this case drags on, it will be bad for him. In the end, he will probably admit that he bribed Zhou Hu to deal with Xie Xiaoniangzi, and he will also try to shift the blame onto his own servants.”

"The Xie family sent in two servants. I've been having them observe the interrogation of Xie Chongjun lately."

"Let them see the miserable state of their master."

Discovering that Xie Chongjun could also be so frightened he wet his pants, their usual authority would naturally erode. Since the Xie family couldn't rescue Xie Chongjun, the two of them had even less chance of escaping.

It doesn't matter if we can't get Xie Chongjun to talk; we can still work on those two servants.

Wang Yan said, "If the Xie family's servants can reveal the Liu family's background, we can protect them."

He Tan pondered, "Are we going to confront the Liu family now? Shouldn't we investigate first?" Wang Yan is always meticulous in his work; he wouldn't be so certain unless he had real evidence.

Wang Yan recalled the fierce glint in Xie Yuyan's eyes when he mentioned the Liu family at the temple...

It was clearly not unexpected that this matter fell to the Liu family.

His reason for coming to Daming Prefecture was because of Prefect Liu, and now his guess has been confirmed.

It seems I've guessed something.

He Tan asked, "Could it be that Miss Xie said something?"

Wang Yan remained silent, while He Tan looked surprised: "It really is?"

“It’s not what you think,” Wang Yan said. “There are some things that you don’t know, brother.”

He Tan pushed aside the official documents and suddenly leaned forward: "Then explain it clearly and I won't..."

“She knows some inside information that others don’t,” Wang Yan said, his eyes narrowing. “We can use her to get the results we want.”

He Tan was somewhat disappointed: "That's it?"

Wang Yan asked calmly, "What else does my brother want?"

He Tan's eyes flickered: "As your older brother, I have to remind you that if you know something about her but still help her cover it up... then you'll be in big trouble."

They grew up together as brothers and were open about political affairs without any reservations. If you think about it, the only thing Wang Yan could hide from him was a private matter that couldn't be told to outsiders.

Something flashed in Wang Yan's eyes, a glimmer of light that quickly dimmed, so fast that even he himself couldn't fathom it: "Nothing."

……

Daming Prefecture, Liu Mansion.

Guests began arriving at the Liu residence a month ago.

Some were persuaded to leave by their superiors, while others were invited into the homes of the officials. Those who were allowed to enter drew envious glances from onlookers.

Even after entering the Liu residence, one usually doesn't see Prefect Liu; instead, the two sons of the Liu family take turns entertaining guests.

Some couldn't even see the two young men and were simply dismissed by the steward.

Yesterday, Prefect Liu suddenly gave the order that he would not receive any guests for the time being. A large crowd gathered at the Liu family's gate, and all their kind words were of no use. Some had traveled hundreds of miles, only to have to turn back, unsure how to explain this to the family.

A perceptive person would know that something must have affected the Liu family.

But they weren't worried. It's common for tall trees to attract the wind. Prefect Liu had more than a dozen military officers under his command who often acted under the Liu family's name, inevitably bringing trouble to the Liu family.

Inside the Liu family residence.

Liu Erniang stood in the west warehouse, frowning as she looked at the porcelain in front of her.

"Are there really no clay stoves like the ones the Liu family saw?"

The head housekeeper shook her head: "Second Miss, you should go back quickly. It's cold here, be careful not to catch a cold."

Liu Erniang frowned: "From now on, we will not accept anything from the Xie family. Every year they send us these useless things." Not only that, but now the house is no longer receiving guests, which seems to be the trouble caused by the Xie family.

These merchant families are not only useless, but they also tarnish the Liu family's reputation. The silver fox she wanted was kept out of the door, which really angered her.

However, during the banquet at the Liu family's residence, she told everyone that once she brought the silver fox, she would host a feast at her home so that everyone could see it. Wasn't this silver fox even more beautiful than last year's?

(End of this chapter)