Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 195 Help
The county magistrate looked at the people around him.

Judge Hu truly kept his word, sending his generals and soldiers to accompany him to the Yang family early in the morning.

It's just taking Yang Mingjing to the county government for questioning, why make such a fuss?

The soldiers under Magistrate Hu looked around. Their sudden arrival didn't seem to have caused any panic among the Yang family. He said calmly, "This family does have some confidence; they're not even afraid of soldiers entering their home."

The county magistrate said, "Perhaps it's because we've been here twice before, arrested several people and imprisoned them, and we've seen it all, so we naturally know how to deal with it."

The general chuckled, "In that case, it would be better to just arrest them all at once, so we don't have to make an extra trip."

The county magistrate frowned slightly. The general's words carried a hint of contempt, as if he couldn't wait to get rid of this trouble immediately.

The general raised his eyebrows slightly. The fact that Prefect Liu had ordered the arrest showed that this family's good days were over. He said this to give the county magistrate a warning. If the county magistrate and the county magistrate were willing to do their job, they should have taken Xie Yuyan away this time, so that everyone wouldn't have to go through all that trouble. Some people just don't know when to stop.

A moment later, Yang Mingjing rushed over.

The county magistrate raised his eyes and saw that Yang Mingjing had become much thinner than before. He was wearing a worn-out robe and his back was hunched. He had long lost the prestige of being the head of the household.

Yang Mingjing bowed to the two men, his face showing a mixture of worry and fear.

Before the county magistrate could speak, the military officer said, "Come with us to the yamen. We have some questions for you. As long as you explain clearly, the court will not make things difficult for you."

As if afraid that Yang Mingjing might not understand, the general's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of frivolity: "I heard that the head of your Yang family is now a woman?"

"No wonder your Yang family..."

Yang Mingjing swallowed, unsure how to respond.

"Empress Zhangxian Mingsu was also a woman. When the late emperor passed away, she held regency and assisted the current emperor. What's wrong with a woman?"

As the sound rang out, a woman walked out from the inner courtyard.

Despite having the most youthful face, he walked at the very front, with the Yang clan members following closely behind, none of them daring to overstep their bounds.

This is what it feels like to be a county magistrate.

There's no need to show excessive respect, but let them know that the entire Yang family is acting in accordance with Xie Yuyan's wishes.

"The general hasn't finished speaking yet," Xie Yuyan looked over, "How about the Yang family, where women are in charge?"

With Empress Zhangxian Mingsu mentioned earlier as a prelude, who would dare to say anything else? The general said coldly, "You audacious commoner, how dare you mention the late empress?"

"Why not?" Xie Yuyan said, "The late Empress loved the people so much, shouldn't she be praised by them?"

The general was speechless.

The county magistrate almost laughed out loud. He had expected this outcome. How could Madam Xie be so easily bullied?

“Since women running the household does not violate the laws of Liang, I am also innocent,” Xie Yuyan said. “May I ask why you took Yang Mingjing away?”

The general remained silent with a sullen face, while the county magistrate coughed and asked, "Does Madam know Xie Zishao?"

Xie Yuyan replied, "It was Seventh Master Xie who sent my coffin to the Yang family to arrange this ghost marriage."

The county magistrate said in a low voice, "Something happened to Master Xie last night, and the yamen has summoned relevant people for questioning."

Upon hearing this, Yang Mingjing immediately said, "Are you referring to Xie Qi's murder, sir? What does that have to do with me? I was perfectly fine at home last night and didn't step out of the house once."

The general said coldly, "How do you know Xie Qi was killed?" Yang Mingjing pursed his lips and said, "I heard it from someone when I went out to empty the chamber pot." Now Yang Mingjing empties the chamber pot for the entire Yang clan and goes out early every day, so he will hear some news beforehand.

“Killing doesn’t necessarily involve personal involvement,” the general said, sweeping his gaze across the entire Yang family ancestral home. “Even the servants and guards around you can carry out the killing. Now that the market is open and there’s no one to watch over things, who knows if you’ve gone out at night?”

Xie Yuyan asked the county magistrate, "How does the yamen intend to investigate?"

The county magistrate said, "Checkpoints have been set up at the city gates, and the patrol officers will also come to inquire about each neighborhood."

Xie Yuyan looked at Yang Mingjing: "If Second Uncle has nothing to do with this matter, will he be able to return home soon?"

"That's natural," the county magistrate said.

Upon hearing this, Yang Mingjing's face remained filled with shock, and he kept muttering, "It has nothing to do with me, I'm not going... I'm not going... What... are you going to do?"

As the constables stepped forward, Yang Mingjing struggled even more fiercely: "I need to see the neighborhood head... Sixth Brother's daughter-in-law, save me!"

Yang Mingjing was taken away, and the county magistrate did not linger. However, the military officer glanced at Xie Yuyan again, with a hint of intimidation, before finally giving a meaningful smile.

After walking out of the Yang family's gate with the county magistrate, the general whispered, "Once we capture that woman, the county magistrate must inform us to interrogate the criminal... I do have some ideas."

The county magistrate, not wanting to say more, mounted his horse.

As soon as the group left Yong'anfang, Fangfangzheng rushed over.

"What's going on?" Fang Fang asked, looking at Xie Yuyan.

This old woman was sending people to jail every few days. Because of this, he dared not come to the Yang clan, for fear of being tainted by their bad luck.

Hearing that Yang Mingjing had also been taken away, he felt a sense of shared sorrow, since Yang Mingjing had helped him manage affairs in the neighborhood.

Xie Yuyan remained silent, her expression more solemn than usual. She stared intently at Fang Fangzheng, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Fang Fangzheng's voice trembled slightly: "What's wrong?"

Xie Yuyan looked at Madam Yu: "Clean up the study. Fang Fang and I are going over there to talk."

To give advance notice for preparations means to send everyone away.

Fang Fang's white beard trembled as he followed Xie Yuyan into the house, trembling with fear. Only after Mama Yu closed the door did Xie Yuyan say, "Something big is about to happen in Yong'an Ward."

Fang Fangzheng nearly slid off his chair: "What does this have to do with our Yong'an Ward? Isn't it just that Xie Zishao was murdered and the imperial court is arresting the culprits everywhere?"

"As expected, the Prefect knew," Xie Yuyan said calmly. "So, the Prefect deliberately didn't come just now."

Having inadvertently let slip, Fang Fangzheng had no choice but to admit, "I had heard some rumors, but I didn't know they would kidnap Yang Mingjing."

Xie Yuyan asked, "Did the warden see who came from the government office?"

Fang Fangzheng knew that Xie Yuyan was not easily fooled, so he had no choice but to honestly say, "You have met the county magistrate, and there is another person... Ding Junjiang, who is under the command of the prefectural magistrate of Daming Prefecture."

"The county magistrate said that he only wanted to summon my second uncle for questioning. In principle, he should have just ordered the yamen runners to come. Why did the prefectural government have to be involved? It didn't seem like they wanted to take my second uncle away, but rather they wanted to take away everyone in Yong'an Ward."

Fang Fang's eyes widened, as if he were suddenly enveloped in fear. He nervously looked out the window, afraid that those people might return.

"Who do you think they're going to arrest?"

(End of this chapter)