Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 345 Voice Changing
Hearing the voice, Yu's mother felt a little nervous.

She turned her head to look at Xie Yuyan, but Xie Yuyan acted as if he hadn't heard her and continued to strike the drum with his mallet.

The eldest daughter-in-law threw silver coins and beat the drum at crucial moments, not only to make the situation get out of control, but also to protect Feng Erniang.

Madam Yu had previously wondered what to do if Feng Erniang came to power. Should she bribe the person in charge here? Unexpectedly, the eldest daughter-in-law did not give such an order.

It wasn't until Feng Erniang was in danger and the eldest daughter-in-law threw out some silver that Madam Yu realized there was no need to bother bribing the steward.

Feng Erniang could earn more money while she was alive, so the owner here naturally wouldn't be in a hurry to kill her.

This is Feng Erniang's life-saving charm.

The eldest daughter-in-law doesn't need to show her face at all; she can control the whole situation just by standing here. That's what makes her so remarkable.

Now, Feng Erniang's life is temporarily saved, but she has obviously attracted the attention of others.

There are still some clever people in this village. Even if they can't see through everything at once, they can still sense that the eldest daughter-in-law is different from others.

He Fan and Ge Ying were stopped at the door.

The guards outside remained expressionless, refusing to answer any questions, and kept the doorway completely blocked. Unless they were really going to make a move, they would never step into the room.

He Fan asked the servants and learned that there was a woman in the room.

Listening to the drumbeats, He Fan grew increasingly curious about which family's woman was so skilled at having fun. She had momentarily overshadowed all the onlookers in the manor, even putting him, the owner, to shame.

Those who can come up with creative ideas are especially popular in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

If there's one person in the entire village worth befriending, it's the guest in this house.

“I am the owner here,” He Fan said. “I only need to say a few words to your master. If you come here again in the future, I will personally send you an invitation.”

He Fan felt that his words had given her enough face, and no matter what, the woman inside should speak up.

But after waiting for a long time, the woman seemed not to hear him and did not utter a single word.

He Fan immediately felt humiliated. Even though the He family were merchants, they had a good reputation in Bianjing. They couldn't let themselves be looked down upon like this.

Seeing He Fan's frustration, Ge Ying smiled and comforted her, "After all, she is a woman. She probably feels it's inappropriate to see us men, so she keeps quiet."

Even if they don't say anything, they should at least have the steward open the door and come out to acknowledge them.

He Fan frowned, about to continue speaking, when suddenly the drumming stopped abruptly.

The drumming stopped, and a deathly silence fell over the surroundings.

Everything seemed to suddenly come to a standstill.

The silence created an eerie atmosphere.

Until someone exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to the source of the sound.

In the courtyard, a dozen or so yamen runners in their official uniforms stood there, the leader wearing a blue official robe.

When the people in the village looked at them, they also looked back at those people.

In fact, many people hadn't come to their senses yet. Before the drumming stopped, they were watching the wrestling match with great excitement. After the drumming stopped, the scene changed abruptly.

The atmosphere shifted from extremely absurd and exciting to solemn and tense.

Why is this happening?

How did these people get in?
Surprisingly, no one warned them, and the officials were allowed to stand there.

The county magistrate of Xiangfu County, who was in the lead, walked straight ahead until he reached the wrestling platform. His gaze first swept over the wounded woman, and then fell on the baskets filled with silver.

A silver coin fell from the basket, bouncing and skipping to land beside his official boots. Quite a lot.

He had caught gambling a few times, but none of them were as good as this.

The yamen runner next to the county magistrate found several pieces of paper on the table next to him. They were notes written by the owner for gambling.

The county magistrate's heart pounded; they had obtained the evidence so easily.

The county magistrate picked up the silver from the ground. Under the watchful eyes of countless people, he straightened his official hat and tidied his official robes, then shouted, "According to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty, anyone who gambles in the capital will be executed, and anyone who conceals gamblers will be punished the same. No one here is allowed to leave; they will all be taken to the yamen for questioning."

The constables responded in unison and began to drive the crowd to gather in the courtyard.

Only then did the people in the village realize what had happened. Some began to scream and flee, and soon the guards from each household clashed with the yamen runners.

"My lord," a military officer said to the county magistrate upon seeing the situation, "the amount of money involved in the gambling here is too large, and there are too many people involved. I'm afraid it will be difficult to control. Perhaps I should go and ask for help."

The general happened to be in the county office on official business and was brought along by the county magistrate to help him, thus witnessing a grand scene.

The general continued, "My family knows that we live nearby."

The county magistrate frowned, but upon hearing this, he finally nodded: "Go quickly and come back quickly."

The general responded, knowing that delay could lead to complications, and dared not linger, so he ran straight outside.

No one stopped the general, because the people in the village were dealing with the yamen runners.

The county magistrate of Xiangfu County stood there, watching the increasingly chaotic scene, his face growing more and more serious. But when he saw two people rushing over, his brows relaxed.

The county magistrate had seen the two men who came. One was named He Fan, and the other was named Ge Ying. They were both well-known figures in Bianjing City. Whenever an official was promoted or transferred, someone would definitely host a banquet for him. The He and Ge families did this quite often.

“My lord, there seems to be some misunderstanding.” He Fan walked up to the county magistrate, bowed and said, “We are not gambling, we are just watching a wrestling match.”

The county magistrate pointed to the silver in the basket: "And what are these?"

He Fan said, "It is a reward from everyone to Nüzhan."

The county magistrate then took out another piece of paper from his sleeve: "Since this is a reward, why are there these things?"

He Fan's eyelids twitched. He had been too careless just now, actually writing these papers out in the open. Now that they were in the hands of the county magistrate, it would be difficult to redeem them.

He Fan lifted his foot to take two more steps forward, but was stopped by the county magistrate: "This official is handling a case, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach."

He Fan's smile froze on his face. This county magistrate was clearly not easy to deal with, and the fact that such a small county government could bring so many people meant that they must have been prepared beforehand.

As He Fan hesitated, shouts from women could be heard from all around.

Clearly, someone panicked and was trying to escape.

These people had some money, but most of them were merchants. They knew that once they were in the county jail, it wouldn't be easy for them to get out.

If they cannot clear their names of gambling, they could really lose their lives.

Before many people could react, the constables snatched several identical gambling papers. Others threw the papers into the fire pit, or simply sank them into the water, while some even swallowed them.

However, the government already possesses a considerable amount of evidence.

Granny Jiang tried to sneak away in the chaos, but she had only taken two steps when someone grabbed her arm.

"Where to go?"

Hearing the man's deep voice, Granny Jiang looked up and saw that the person in front of her was the guard beside the "woman of the Huang family".

"My wife is looking for you. Come with me."