Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 33 Rules
"Oh dear, what happened?"

Fang Fang exclaimed in surprise.

Yang Mingjing's fall to the ground startled the gray-haired old man, Fang Zheng.

He Tan, sitting in the main seat, also showed a hint of surprise on his face. He had intended to intimidate the Yang clan patriarch, but before he could even display his power, he noticed that Yang Mingjing was acting strangely.

Yang Mingjing was pale, his eyes were unfocused, and he walked unsteadily, as if he had lost his soul. The next moment, he fell heavily to the ground.

The servants of the Yang family came to their senses after a moment and rushed to help the clan leader on the ground. Just hearing the "thud" sound, they knew that the clan leader had fallen badly. When they got closer, they were even more shocked. Yang Mingjing was lying face down on the ground, his face covered in sweat and blood, which looked particularly horrifying.

The servants couldn't help but think of the second mistress, Madam He. When Madam He came out of the second old lady's room, she looked almost exactly the same.

If one or two of them are like this, is it a taboo, or have they offended some deity?

"What... what should we do?" Fang Fang was crouching down, looking at Yang Mingjing with concern, afraid that Yang Mingjing's injuries were too serious.

Inspector He was still waiting; he didn't know much about the Yang family's affairs and had to rely on Yang Mingjing to give him a reply.

"Why don't we help him down to rest for a bit?" Fang Fangzheng said. "I'll stay with Inspector He for now."

Fang Fang was trying to comfort him, but he clearly saw that Yang Mingjing on the ground trembled upon hearing this, and his gaze toward him was now filled with fear and resentment.

Fang Fang couldn't help but lean back slightly. What did Yang Mingjing mean by this? Did he think that he was going to join forces with Inspector He to harm the Yang family?
Taking advantage of the commotion below, He Tan looked at Wang Hechun, silently asking a question.

Wang Hechun remained silent. Yang Mingjing's appearance clearly indicated that he had been frightened. As for who that person was, it was obvious without even needing to think about it.

Yang Mingjing waved his hand: "It's just a superficial injury. The important matter is more urgent, and we dare not delay any longer."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hechun placed the teacup he was holding on the table. The teacup made a crisp sound as it hit the table, attracting He Tan's attention.

Reminded by Wang Hechun, He Tan also figured out the strange thing. On the surface, they came to the Yang family because the husband and wife had stolen something and had gone to the patrol office, but this was not a big deal.

There's only one reason why Yang Mingjing would say this: he knows there's something wrong with the Yang family.

Since we both know the truth, there's no need to hide anything.

"Inspector He," Yang Mingjing said, quickly wiping the blood off his face before bowing to He Tan. "It's my fault for not handling my family affairs properly and for troubling you with your questioning. I really shouldn't have done that."

"I……"

Yang Mingjing took a deep breath, his mind a jumbled mess, unsure of what to say. After a brief pause, he heard footsteps outside, and a servant rushed in to report, "Inspector, my master has returned and is coming to pay his respects."

Upon hearing that the second patriarch had returned to the Yang family, Yang Mingjing's face grew even uglier, and the sweat he had just wiped away poured out again. He thought of the evidence in Xie's hands, and realized that unless everyone in the flower hall was killed, it would definitely not be able to be covered up.

Just as Xie said.

"Whether you live or die, it's up to you, Second Uncle!"

Yang Mingjing's hand unconsciously reached for the note in his sleeve, which Xie had given him.

That was Xie's "life-saving charm" for him.

He accepted it in a daze, unable to decide whether to hand it over to He Tan. Now that he thinks about it, what other way did he have to go?

The fact that Xie could say such things shows that he had already discussed these matters with Inspector He in private. Inspector He already knew about these matters, but just wanted to use Xie to say them.

After all, he was the patriarch of the Yang clan, and with his approval, these matters were handled more naturally.

That's his only use. If he refuses, he can foresee what will happen next.
No matter how much he struggles, he will eventually be implicated.

This dirty water must not be poured on him.

Yang Mingjing suddenly stood up, as if afraid he would regret it, and took out the paper in one go and handed it to He Tan.

“My lord,” Yang Mingjing said, “please take a look at these first.”

After finishing this task, Yang Mingjing felt completely exhausted. He forced himself to walk back to his chair and slumped down.

He Tan unfolded the paper, carefully examined its contents, and then, with a stern face, ordered the guards beside him: "Find and arrest all the people mentioned on this paper."

The guard responded and quickly walked out of the main room.

He Tan handed the note to Wang Hechun, then his gaze fell on Yang Mingjing again: "Clan Chief Yang is giving this to me, does that mean he acknowledges that the Yang family did indeed have such a thing?"

Yang Mingjing swallowed hard: "It's just what the men and women saw. We hope the patrol will clarify the details."

If it weren't for the presence of so many people, He Tan would have smiled. Things were going even more smoothly than he had expected; Yang Mingjing was willing to cooperate with the investigation without him having to say a word.

"What...what exactly happened?" Fang Fangzheng was still completely bewildered. "Why are they arresting people?"

Fang Fangzheng didn't receive a response because there was some commotion outside.

"Who is this distinguished guest who has come to visit, and why are we invited along?" "Well... why do I see soldiers at the door?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Fang Fangzheng frowned and looked at Yang Mingjing: "Did you invite the old man in the neighborhood?"

Yang Mingjing quickly shook his head.

Fang Fangzheng said, "That must be your father."

Although he hadn't figured out why He Tan had come to the Yang family, the Yang family's invitation of the old man into their home was clearly ill-intentioned.

Elderly people in the neighborhood, taking advantage of their age, often obstructed government affairs and knew how to use their influence to force court officials to make concessions.

Fang Fang glared at Yang Mingjing and said, "What are they doing here at a time like this? Send them all home."

The eldest man in Yong'an Ward is over eighty years old. If something really goes wrong, his ward will be implicated.

Yang Mingjing responded and walked unsteadily to the door. Just as he was about to reach out, he saw a tall figure walking towards him. Yang Mingjing was startled and quickly stepped aside to make way.

……

"I originally intended to invite you all to a banquet," the second old man's steady voice rang out, "but I only learned upon entering that some things had happened at home. I will wait until everything is settled before we have a pleasant chat."

“I see there are government officials here.”

The second old man sighed, "Our family is in misfortune. My granddaughter-in-law caught a thief in the house, but somehow it alerted the patrol department. Now Patrol Inspector He is right here in the main room."

“Then we should also go and pay our respects,” said an old man. “We were planning to prepare a welcoming banquet for the new inspector, and now that we have this opportunity, let’s prepare the food and wine and celebrate together.”

"That would be wonderful. There's no time like the present. I hope the inspector will grace us with his presence."

"That's right, he's just a traitor in the family. The Yang family can interrogate him first, and then submit the complaint to the yamen. There's no need to trouble Inspector He."

"Your wife is truly not well-educated."

The two old men kept their heads down and smiled apologetically, saying, "You are all right." But his gaze was fixed on the main room, where Inspector He must have heard everything they were saying.

They had no intention of obstructing the imperial court's investigation; the matter was simply too trivial to warrant such a fuss.

As long as Inspector He agrees to attend the banquet, this matter will be considered closed.

The group walked to the door as they talked.

The two old men formally announced, "We have come to pay our respects to the Inspector..."

The conversation abruptly ended as the door in front of the second master was opened, and then the curtain was lifted, revealing He Tan's figure before them.

He Tan said solemnly, "With such a big case happening in the government office, I'm afraid I won't have time to attend the banquet."

Just as the second old master was about to speak, his gaze swept over a person behind He Tan. The person was standing a little far away, and he couldn't see the expression on that person's face clearly, but for some reason, the second old master felt a shiver in his heart and a sense of fear arose inexplicably.

As the two old men hesitated, the old man behind them spoke up to help: "These are just trivial matters concerning the inner quarters, nothing to worry about. Inspector, please don't refuse."

"We old folks here on behalf of Yong'anfang congratulate you on your arrival, sir."

"Yes, every family encounters this kind of thing a few times. If you ask me, punishing the traitor in the house is secondary; we need to carefully teach the young woman the proper manners."

He Tan was about to respond when he caught sight of a figure, so he shut his mouth and waited quietly for the person to approach.

"Has this kind of thing happened in any of your elders' families?"

Upon hearing Xie's clear and melodious voice, He Tan's eyes flickered slightly. He Chun was right; this woman was indeed extraordinary. She always appeared at the right time, and she would bring him whatever he needed, so he didn't have to worry about making arrangements.

Suddenly receiving such assistance, he felt so relieved. He seemed to understand why the emperor always discussed state affairs with those ministers, and why his father always said he felt at ease with his mother by his side.

The elders all turned their gaze to Old Master Yang, and after receiving an affirmative response, they...

One of them spoke up: "Of course, which family in this area doesn't do that?"

Another said, "These are just trivial family matters, why make such a fuss?"

Some people began to criticize Xie Yuyan: "How can you be so unruly in front of the inspector and your elders?"

Seemingly startled by the sudden rebuke, Xie Yuyan didn't immediately refute, but waited quietly for everyone to finish speaking. When she spoke again, she looked past everyone and at He Tan: "Inspector He, if it's really as the elders say, this might be a major case that has shocked the capital."

Several elders were puzzled, and Old Master Yang was even prepared to publicly reprimand Xie Yuyan. How could Xie Yuyan act like a proper woman in front of so many people? She showed no respect or fear whatsoever, and her gaze was even scrutinizing. Who gave her the audacity to be so arrogant?
Xie Yuyan walked up to one of the elders and said, "My elders told me to teach me manners."

The old man frowned, about to lash out, when he heard Xie Yuyan continue, "Is it the rule to smuggle goods without the court's knowledge?"

(End of this chapter)