Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 219 Separation
The villagers of Chenyao Village naturally did not want to separate, so they sat together without speaking for a long time.

However, the question facing them was not whether to stay or leave, but that someone had to survive to testify for the entire village and for Han Tong and his people.

Grandma Chen said, "Don't hesitate any longer, hurry up and choose the people. Those who went out with Madam Xie shouldn't think they've gotten an advantage. Without Wang Shitian's protection, what if they encounter Prefect Liu's men down the mountain? Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?"

"I understand what you mean, Madam Xie. If we all gather together, Prefect Liu and his ilk will be very happy. Once they storm the mountain, they can capture us all, and then who will be able to tell anyone what they've done?"

"We'll split up. If someone manages to escape, those others won't have an easy time."

Grandma Chen's words moved everyone.

Madam Zheng nodded and said, "Grandma is right, we should separate."

After a moment of silence, the villagers finally nodded in agreement. Although they understood this, they also faced separation. The younger, stronger women had to leave their parents and children behind.

The three boys, who were only a little over ten years old, could also go with her, but they also had to be separated from their grandmother.

People said goodbye to their loved ones, knowing that they might never see each other again, and many shed tears.

When Xie Yuyan walked over, more than a dozen people were already standing aside waiting.

Xie Yuyan glanced at Chen Ping. Chen Ping was still too young to handle the hardships, so he chose to stay on the mountain, but Madam Zheng wanted to go with her.

Xie Yuyan couldn't help but think of Yang Qin.

“Madam,” Chen Ping handed the cloth bundle he was carrying to Xie Yuyan, “this contains the scriptures that Qin’er and I copied together. Could you… take it to him?”

Xie Yuyan nodded, slung the cloth bag over her shoulder, and said she would give it to Yang Qin if she could get out of there.

Before leaving, Chen Ping waved to Zheng Shi and Xie Yuyan, his small figure looking particularly frail.

Wang Yan was about to leave with them, but after thinking for a moment, he came back and said, “We’ll head north. In about half an hour, we’ll encounter the soldiers who have laid an ambush. After we fight the soldiers, the Inspector Zheng Ming will move his troops over there. At that time, the defenses around the area will be at their weakest, and you can take the opportunity to go down the mountain.”

Xie Yuyan nodded.

Wang Yan continued, "Sang Dian will protect you until you reach the foot of the mountain."

"be careful."

After saying this, he turned and walked away quickly.

As Xie Yuyan watched Wang Yan's figure disappear into the darkness, a similar scene flashed through his mind for some reason.

"Madam, let's go." Sang Dian led the way. Under the cover of darkness, they hid at the foot of a hillside. Once the soldiers left, they would continue westward.

Just as everyone had hidden themselves, they heard a flurry of footsteps around them. After a moment, the sounds faded into the distance. Sang Dian cautiously went to check the situation and, finding that no one was around, then escorted Xie Yuyan and the others out.

In the distance, the faint sounds of weapons clashing could be heard, occasionally punctuated by a scream.

Everyone looked north, and the young men of Chenyao Village clenched their fists.

"Let's go." Xie Yuyan made the decision immediately.

Dawn is approaching, and we must leave this place before then.

That's why it's important to choose someone with a fast pace to travel with. If you bring the elderly and children along, even if Wang Yan temporarily distracts the soldiers, they won't be able to escape.

The journey went smoothly, and everyone moved forward in silence. They all knew that the better their situation was, the more critical the situation would be for Wang Yan and the others.

Before dawn, the group had reached the foot of the mountain. Sang Dian pointed out the way out: "Madam, if you go through that forest, you can go back into the mountain before dawn. There are few of you now, and you should be able to hide from the trees and leaves in the mountains."

At this point, he bowed and said, "I am worried about my husband, so I will go back to find them now."

If Wang Yan hadn't made the decision, Sang Dian would never have left her husband at this time. Xie Yuyan said, "Be careful on the road."

As they descended the mountain, they noticed that soldiers were still making their way into the mountains. If it weren't for the fear of Xie Yuyan and his men being discovered, Sang Dian would have definitely launched a sneak attack.

Fewer people will go up, and the young master will be in less danger. This time, when Sang Dian returns, he won't have to worry about these things; he'll surely kill many lone soldiers along the way.

"Let's go." Xie Yuyan led the villagers through the forest, and sure enough, they entered the mountains again before dawn.

This time they are heading all the way to Mingzhou.

It wasn't until noon that everyone stopped to rest.

Drinking water from their water pouches and eating flatbread, no one spoke, afraid to think about what had happened to those left behind. However… they generally understood that even with Wang Yan's best arrangements, it was impossible to avoid casualties.

Zheng patted the boy next to her: "Eat more, we won't stop until dark."

Zheng also left Chen Ping behind. When she left, she didn't dare to look at Ping-ge'er's appearance, but she was afraid that she would never see him again, so she stared at him for a moment.

As long as the family is together, they can endure any hardship, but those people still separated them.

The current emperor has a reputation for being a benevolent ruler, yet the common people still live such lives. Sometimes, Madam Zheng truly cannot understand how those people could be so greedy, leaving no way for ordinary people to survive. This is why they want to expose the actions of Prefect Liu and his ilk to the world.

When it got dark, they had walked far enough to finally rest.

The boys who went out to patrol also brought back good news: "There's no one around."

Zheng Ming and his men saw Wang Yan and immediately understood that Wang Yan was the key to the whole affair. Without taking down Wang Yan, the crisis in Daming Prefecture would remain unresolved.

Zheng asked, "I wonder how Wang Shitian is doing. Are they able to escape?"

“No,” Xie Yuyan said. “There are troops all around. It will be difficult to find a way out without external help, unless we hold out until reinforcements arrive.”

Madam Zheng lowered her head, saying, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't told everyone to leave the village, none of this would have happened." Wang Tianshi and Madam Xie would have been able to leave Daming Prefecture smoothly with the evidence, instead of being stuck on the mountain.

Xie Yuyan looked at Zheng Shi: "There is still a way to make amends." She didn't know how to comfort Zheng Shi. Zheng Shi had indeed not thought things through, but perhaps her mistake could still be rectified.

Zheng seemed to have found a glimmer of hope and stared intently at Xie Yuyan.

“Sending the evidence out of Daming Prefecture is one example.” Zheng and the others are the best witnesses.

Madam Zheng couldn't help but show a look of disappointment. She knew this, which was why she followed him down the mountain. Otherwise, why would she have been separated from Ping-ge'er? Just now, she thought that Madam Xie had other good ideas.

Xie Yuyan said, "What I mean is, you take people and send the evidence to Mingzhou."

Madam Zheng was taken aback at first, then seemed to realize something: "Madam...you're not going to Mingzhou?"

Xie Yuyan nodded: "I've brought you here; the rest of the way is up to you."

"You want to..." Madam Zheng gasped, "You want to go back?"

Before Xie Yuyan could respond, Madam Zheng immediately grabbed Xie Yuyan's hand: "No, you can't go. It's too dangerous. Those people have your portrait and are looking for you everywhere."

Xie Yuyan shook his head: "Of course I won't go back alone, unless... I can find someone to help me."

Where else can we find manpower? Wang Tianshi naturally thought of all the people who could be mobilized. If Madam Xie went back to Daming Prefecture to find the Yang family, she would be captured by the people guarding there.

Besides, the Yang family couldn't even leave Daming Prefecture.

Which path could possibly be successful? At least Zheng couldn't have imagined it.