Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 304 Another Secret

Yang Xiaoshan left Daming Prefecture first. He traveled day and night to get to Bianjing as soon as possible, as he had many things to do.

First, we must escort the money to Bianjing with guards, because we need money when the lady arrives.

We also need to find a courtyard and clean it up.

The eldest daughter-in-law's idea was that it would be best to buy it, but if that wasn't possible, they should rent a place first. It should have at least six rooms: one for discussing matters, three for the eldest daughter-in-law, Jiulang, Zhang Niangzi, and Yu Mama to live in, another for the eldest daughter-in-law's study, and the last one for Yang Xiaoshan and the others.

This was the first time Yang Xiaoshan had been so far from home, and also the first time he had come to a place like Bianjing.

Upon entering the city, Yang Xiaoshan was immediately captivated by the bustling scene of Bianjing. The towering city walls, the countless taverns and teahouses, and the most lively one even had a decorated gate with colorful decorations, making the entire tavern as tall as three stories.

Even the street vendors all looked quite distinguished, their backs ramrod straight. Perhaps it was because they were from Bianjing (Kaifeng), they all possessed an inherent pride.

Itinerant vendors, on the other hand, are more approachable, walking through the streets and alleys with a smile on their faces, but the things they sell are really expensive.

Yang Xiaoshan finally understood why his wife had said that if he couldn't buy a suitable courtyard, he should rent a place to stay temporarily. Understanding Bianjing thoroughly was not something that could be done overnight.

If you don't understand it, how can you dare to buy a courtyard? Even if you have a deed, there's no guarantee that the courtyard won't have some hidden meanings, and it might be taken away by someone else in the future.

Lord Wang wanted to ask someone for help, but Madam Wang felt that they should take this step themselves.

If they ask for help from others from the beginning, they won't be able to do anything in the future. This is also a test for them, to see how much they have learned after working for the old lady for so long.

Yang Xiaoshan quickly calmed down. He had brought six people with him, and he carefully assigned them tasks, sending them to inquire about the market for residences in Bianjing.

When inquiring about news, one should not say that one's family are merchants, but rather that one's son is studying in Bianjing. Scholars are treated with more respect, especially those who come to Bianjing to study. They are either candidates preparing for the imperial examinations or those who are recommended for admission. In either case, one should not bully them, lest the candidates become masters and take action against them.

After inquiring for three days, Yang Xiaoshan bought a courtyard in the western part of the city. It was smaller than the Yang family's ancestral home, but it was enough for the eldest daughter-in-law to stay in for the time being. The total cost was 210 guan.

Before buying, he inquired about the house and learned that the owner was a scholar, but he hadn't even passed the imperial examinations to become a subsidized student. Now, in his old age, he had completely lost hope and was preparing to sell the house and land to move south to live with his maternal uncle. Such a family was respectable, and since they were moving as a whole, they wouldn't leave any future troubles.

This is something Yang Xiaoshan learned from his wife.

After buying the courtyard, Yang Xiaoshan simply furnished it by comparing it with the furniture in the three houses. Once it was almost ready, he went to look at the land.

The reason for buying a courtyard in Xicheng was that Madam Xie planned to open a business there.

The market in the western part of the city is not the largest in Bianjing, but it is still bustling enough. If you can get close to the crowds here, you can achieve twice the results with half the effort in whatever you do.

However, when Yang Xiaoshan went to see the area that the old lady had drawn on the map, he found it to be quite far from the market and rather desolate compared to other parts of Bianjing City. It was much more lively if one walked a little further ahead.

Yang Xiaoshan was unsure. Was the map unclear, or had he misheard? Which piece of land did the old lady want?

Hesitant, Yang Xiaoshan didn't dare to make a move. Instead, he decided to take a closer look and started walking around. Coincidentally, he turned around and saw a familiar face.

Actually, Yang Xiaoshan hadn't noticed at first, but when the man's gaze fell on him, Yang Xiaoshan recognized him too. Wasn't that the young master of the Wang family whom the eldest lady had brought to the Yang family?

He was unaware of Lord Wang's identity before. When this young man came to the Yang family, he was very polite. But now was really not a good time to meet. Unexpectedly, the young man from the Wang family kept chasing after him.

Yang Xiaoshan was caught off guard and had no choice but to step forward and bow to Wang Zheng.

Wang Zheng was genuinely delighted to see the Yang family here. He wondered if Madam Xie might also be coming. So he bombarded him with questions: "Where are you staying? How many people came with you? Did Madam Xie come with you?"

Yang Xiaoshan couldn't lie, but there were also some things he couldn't say. Fortunately, after buying the courtyard, they didn't move in, but instead stayed at an inn outside the city.

We can't reveal our home before the lady of the house even arrives.

Yang Xiaoshan gave the name of the inn, then said, "Madam didn't come."

Wang Zheng did not give up and grabbed Yang Xiaoshan, saying, "Come on, let's find a place to talk."

Yang Xiaoshan couldn't refuse, so Wang Zheng led him into a teahouse. After instructing everyone else, Wang Zheng lowered his voice and asked, "Where's my older brother? Doesn't he know you're coming to the capital?"

Yang Xiaoshan didn't speak, but his expression shifted slightly as if he wanted to evade the question. Wang Zheng immediately understood: "Are they forbidding you from speaking?"

This……

Yang Xiaoshan had some doubts: Had Lord Wang sent a letter to Wang Xiaolangjun?
Before Yang Xiaoshan could nod, Wang Zheng continued, "They're going to the capital together? When? In the next few days?"

Wang Zheng was extremely excited. His elder brother was bringing his sister-in-law back. No wonder he was being so careful. It was best not to let outsiders know before everything was arranged.

Wang Zheng suddenly realized that he had inadvertently learned another secret.

Yang Xiaoshan watched as Wang Xiaolangjun's expression changed again and again. Even though he hadn't said anything yet, Wang Xiaolangjun seemed to be guessing, certain, and then convincing himself.

As the two were pondering their own thoughts, they heard a voice from outside ask, "Is your husband here?"

Wang Zheng knew immediately who it was: the young master of the Xia family, the Minister of Justice.

Yang Xiaoshan stepped aside without waiting for Wang Zheng's instructions, and at first glance, he was mistaken for a servant of the Wang family. Seeing this, Wang Zheng did not stop him and let the people outside come in.

"Brother Ziqiao."

Wang Zheng called out, but unexpectedly, two people entered.

One was Xia Ziqiao, and the other's face was also familiar.

Wang Zheng bowed and said, "Second Brother Xie." He remembered clearly that the person in front of him was Xie Chengrang, the second son of Xie Shumi, who was born out of wedlock.

Xie Chengrang returned the greeting.

Xia Ziqiao said, "Erlang and I were just about to come over for a sit-down when we saw your servant."

He paused slightly at this point: "After you returned to Bianjing, why didn't you come out of your house? I wanted to visit you before, but I heard that you were not receiving guests. Was it because your cousin Wang Hechun was handling a case in Daming Prefecture?"

"The fact that you're being released now shows that things are settled in Daming Prefecture, and Wang Hechun is about to return to the capital, right?"

Upon hearing the words "Daming Prefecture," Xie Chengrang's expression remained unchanged, but he carefully observed Wang Zheng. The reason he came with Xia Ziqiao was because Wang Zheng was Wang Yan's cousin.

Although news of what happened in Daming Prefecture was being relayed back, both openly and secretly, he also wanted to know if the Wang family had any other inside information.