Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 205 Flip
The way scholars cause trouble is different from that of ordinary people.

They were scholars, and scholars could become officials in the Great Liang through the imperial examinations. No one could easily offend them, especially since these scholars all had mentors behind them. If they were suppressed too much, even without their teachers taking action, it would be difficult to deal with just their fellow students jumping out.

Prefect Liu frowned slightly and looked up at Liu Shizhang.

Liu Shizhang immediately stood up: "I'll go check on the situation right away."

Prefect Liu was a military man by origin, and in the Great Liang Dynasty, the status of civil officials was far higher than that of military men. This was usually not mentioned, but if he neglected scholars under his jurisdiction...

Scholars from all over the world will stand together at this time.

Those civil officials will naturally take action as well.

When a military officer is compared to a civil official, regardless of right or wrong, he is naturally at a disadvantage.

"It's probably that tabloid that caused this trouble," Liu Erniang said at this moment. She wanted to remind her father and brothers, but her father gave her a blank glance.

Liu Erniang's heart sank. She suddenly realized that she had said the wrong thing.

Doesn't Father understand this principle? Does he need her to remind him?

Liu Erniang bowed to Prefect Liu and said, "Your daughter will take her leave now."

"Don't cause trouble," Prefect Liu said calmly. "You're just a daughter; help your mother manage the household affairs. What happens outside is none of your business."

It carried a hint of resentment.

Liu Erniang's face was grim. She had expected to see Xie Yuyan make a fool of himself, but instead, she was scolded by her father. At this moment, she dared not argue and could only hope that this mess would subside soon.

Liu Shizhang changed his clothes and hurriedly went out. Before he even reached the entrance of the yamen, he heard someone shouting.

"What constitutes a fugitive? Has Madam Xie been convicted by the imperial court?"

"Since there's no conviction, why talk about fleeing?"

"I think it's Madam Xie who offended the wealthy merchants and powerful figures."

While they were talking, some scholars gathered together and discussed something.

Liu Shizhang didn't want to go up and listen, so he sent his servant to find out.

The servant returned a moment later and said, "Those people are discussing the article for tomorrow's tabloid, saying they want to raise several questions in it."

Liu Shizhang listened attentively.

The servant said, "They said, why would the thugs choose a place like a pleasure boat to assassinate Master Xie? It's as if they're afraid of not being discovered, with so many eyes watching."

"Furthermore, the thug arrested by the yamen is also very problematic. He is a notorious rogue in Xiangzhou. Some people from Xiangzhou know him and say that he contracted a lung disease before the new year and consulted several doctors, who all said that his lungs were so congested that he was coughing up blood and that medicine was no longer effective."

"It seems reasonable for a dying person to become a murderer. But just as... such a person can also falsely accuse others."

The servant lowered his voice as he spoke.

"It seems that those scholars received a message saying that... Xie Qi's birth mother was delivered by a midwife from Xiangzhou, whose ancestral home was Xiangzhou."

"Master Xie's stepmother, Madam Zhao, came from Xiangzhou."

Liu Shizhang frowned. Someone was secretly manipulating public opinion, trying to shift suspicion from Xie Yuyan to Xie Qi's birth mother.

"Dong," "Dong," "Dong," the large drum at the entrance of the government office was suddenly struck.

A woman dressed as a maid knelt at the entrance of the county government office.

"My lord, I am accusing the Zhao family of harming my illegitimate son."

The local people, hearing the commotion, all gathered at the entrance of the county government office. The woman was surrounded by several scholars, and no one else could get close until a clerk came out of the county government office. Only then did the scholars make way for the woman to step forward.

The clerk looked at the woman and asked, "Who are you?"

Zi Yun replied, "I am a servant of the Xie family." The clerk asked, "Do you have any evidence to support your claim that Xie Zhao harmed her illegitimate son?"

Zi Yun took out a letter from her bosom: "There is a letter from my seventh master that I wrote to him in advance as proof. Half a month ago, the seventh master suspected that the Xie family would target him, so he specially wrote me a letter, instructing me that if anything happened to him, I should take this letter to the yamen to seek justice."

The clerk was shocked. He never expected that Xie Qi, who had been assassinated by the thugs, would have left behind a letter.

The clerk took the letter, but didn't dare open it himself; he wanted to hand this evidence over to the magistrate. He looked at Ziyun: "Come with me."

Ziyun followed the clerk into the government office.

The common people, naturally unable to go inside together, could only whisper among themselves outside. Upon seeing a few scholars, one of them asked, "Scholar, have you seen that evidence?"

The leader was Zuo Shangying, who said to the crowd, "The magistrate will make a decision after he has finished reading it."

"So the scholar has already met him?"

Zuo Shangying shook his head: "I only heard a few words from that maid."

"Scholar, please tell us quickly."

Zuo Shangying said, "I don't know if it's true or not, so how can I spread rumors like this?"

"Just say it. Everyone is just guessing. Even if you're wrong, no one will blame you, scholar."

Zuo Shangying shook his head again: "This concerns Xie Zishao's case, so I can't say anything carelessly. However... there is one thing I can say without worry."

The people urged Zuo Shangying to speak.

Zuo Shangying said, "That maid said that the Xie family mistreated Xie Zishao, and that it was all a lie to say that he was favored by Master Xie. Her mother was also targeted by the Xie family for taking care of Xie Zishao, and was beaten at every turn. In the end, she was tortured to death. Xie Zishao secretly taught her to read, wanting to obtain her indenture so that he could take her away from the Xie family."

"Is there such a thing?"

Zuo Shangying hesitated at this point, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

"What? Scholar, do you have some other secrets?"

Zuo Shangying remained silent, but another scholar beside him said, "The Xie family even made Xie Zishao take the blame for his brother."

No sooner had the scholar finished speaking than a woman emerged from the crowd; she was a courtesan from the Plum Blossom Pavilion.

“I can testify that the person who fought with someone at the Plum Blossom Pavilion was Xie Zizhang, not Xie Zishao. It was the eldest master of the Xie family who forced his illegitimate son to admit it.”

“They gave me a lot of money at the time,” the prostitute said with a sigh. “How could that illegitimate son and I possibly stand up to the Xie family patriarch? We had no choice but to agree.”

Everyone knows that prostitutes are after money, so saying this is just an excuse for themselves.

The prostitute continued, "I heard that Xie Zishao was murdered. I know this can't be kept secret any longer, so I came to the yamen to clarify things. I heard that Xie Zizhang has been imprisoned. Whether what I said is true or not, the yamen will find out after an interrogation."

The prostitute followed the constable inside.

"Perhaps he killed his own illegitimate son and framed the eldest daughter-in-law of the Yang family."

Someone shouted something, and everyone seemed to suddenly realize what was going on.

"The Xie family's clay stove had an accident a while ago, so the Xie family must hate the eldest daughter-in-law of the Yang family to the core, which is why they came up with this idea."

"If Madam Yang is arrested, the Yang family's clay stove business will collapse. Who will be able to compete with the Xie family for business then?"

"Since people can't buy good clay stoves, they can only use the Xie family's."

The government office has not yet heard the case, but the people have already decided in their hearts.

Liu Shizhang frowned. If what happened at the yamen today were printed in the tabloids, everyone would probably think that Yang Xieshi was wronged.

Even if the Liu family secretly instructs the county magistrate and county assistant to target the Yang Xie family, they probably won't obey.