Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 366 Shameless

In the Xie family ancestral hall, Xie Chengxin knelt for two hours before finally giving up and falling asleep on a low table. In his hazy dream, he saw his grandfather slowly walk into the house with his hands behind his back.

Xie Chengxin was about to speak to his grandfather when he saw a trickle of blood slide down his grandfather's kind face, slowly staining it completely red. A moment later, his grandfather's body fell straight backward.

Xie Chengxin tried to run over to help him up, but he froze on the spot, completely unable to move.

After an unknown amount of time, a figure slowly walked up to his grandfather. Xie Chengxin tried to see the figure clearly, but the more anxious he became, the more blurred his vision became.

"Da Langjun, Da Langjun."

A shout jolted Xie Chengxin awake. The first thing he saw was a pair of embroidered shoes. As if he had seen something extremely terrifying, Xie Chengxin instinctively shrank back.

"What's wrong with my brother?"

A familiar voice rang out, and Xie Chengxin looked up to see Xie Wenjing's face.

"Second...Second Aunt." Xie Chengxin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and breathed a deep sigh of relief. He had dreamed of this scene countless times and then woke up in terror, each time feeling like he had escaped death.

Xie Wenjing put down the food box in her hand: "I heard that my older brother was punished, so I brought some food."

The maid whispered, "Second Miss waited until everyone had retired before sneaking over."

The food box was opened, and the fragrance of osmanthus wafted out. Xie Chengxin couldn't help but swallow; he was truly hungry.

Xie Wenjing first offered incense to the Xie family ancestors before kneeling down next to Xie Chengxin.

"Did my brother just have a nightmare?"

Xie Chengxin hurriedly shook his head: "No...no...I was just having a nightmare, thinking it was my father who came."

Xie Wenjing's appearance was delicate and graceful, making her instantly approachable. Xie Chengxin ate his pastries while gazing at his second younger sister.

“When we went to the countryside before, we never visited my sister. My mother said that my grandmother didn’t like being disturbed, so we would greet her through the door.”

Xie Wenjing said, "My grandmother's old illness has not healed, so she can only rest quietly. Perhaps because I've gotten used to it, I simply don't go out."

In fact, Xie Chengxin had sent some small trinkets to his second sister, but she didn't mention them, clearly not taking them to heart.

"Ziying, who was by my second sister's side, was quite nice, but unfortunately... he fell ill and died."

Just before Xie Wenjing returned to Beijing, Ziying developed smallpox and was moved out of the courtyard. Later, she heard that he had passed away, and Xie Wenjing was heartbroken for a long time because of this.

“I copied Buddhist scriptures for my grandfather and Ziying,” Xie Wenjing said. “I also hope that Ziying can be reborn into a good family and live a good life in his next life.”

Xie Chengxin's eyes lit up: "Second sister also believes in Buddhism?"

Xie Wenjing nodded slightly: "My grandmother often worshipped Buddha, and I have learned some of it from what I have seen and heard."

Xie Chengxin perked up, put down the pastries in his hand, and asked with a smile, "Which Buddha do you like best, Second Sister?"

This... stumped Xie Wenjing for a moment. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Xie Chengxin responded, "So it's Princess Miaoshan. But I remember my grandmother worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha, and then Guanyin was added to the list?"

"Yes, my grandmother built several Buddhist temples in the village. Later, my grandmother fell ill, and only I went to offer incense."

Rarely having a chance to talk together, Xie Chengxin asked again, "What happened to Grandmother after her illness? I was only four or five years old when Grandmother left Bianjing, and I don't remember many things."

“Most of the time I’m fine,” Xie Wenjing said, her head bowed as if she were reminiscing. “It’s just that I often miss my second and third uncles.”

“I miss my second uncle too,” Xie Chengxin said, following Xie Wenjing’s words. “When my second uncle returns to the capital, he will take me out, and…” Moreover, my second uncle is different from my father.

Xie Chengxin stopped talking, and Xie Wenjing also lost the will to stay, so she stood up and took her leave.

Xie Chengxin instructed: "Be careful, walk slowly."

Looking at Xie Wenjing's retreating figure, Xie Chengxin felt for some reason that his second younger sister was missing something.

……

In the days that followed, the county government and the Ministry of Justice continued to work on the He family's case.

Wang Yan finally had some free time, so he went to the West City with He Tan. He watched as several boats unloaded their cargo in the West City, and then several carriages pulled them into the palace gates.

"Can we finally breathe a sigh of relief?"

He Tan's voice came, and although Wang Yan's face showed no other expression, his brows slowly relaxed. The Buddhist charcoal had entered the capital because the clay stoves and Buddhist charcoal had been successfully tested in the Inner Palace, and now they were to be sent to the palace residences.

Palaces and residences were where imperial relatives and nobles lived together.

The emperor's intentions were clear: since even those in the palace used Buddhist charcoal, there would be no doubts among the common people, and no rumors would spread that the charcoal was poisonous.

This is the best way to propagate coal.

Of course, Bianjing couldn't keep buying Buddhist charcoal from outside. Someone would inevitably make Buddhist charcoal from coal dust and sell it. The recipe for Buddhist charcoal had long been made public, and the well-connected merchants in Bianjing would immediately take action.

It's unlikely that this deal will fall entirely into Xie Yuyan's hands, but as the person who knows Buddhist charcoal best, having made arrangements in advance, he will become the biggest winner.

Bianjing was so large that merchants from various regions opened coal mines in many provinces and prefectures. As Bianjing began to use Buddhist charcoal, other places naturally followed suit, and those coal mines took advantage of this trend to flourish.

Therefore, whether or not Buddhist charcoal can be sold in Bianjing is not important at all. As long as Bianjing uses Buddhist charcoal, Ayan has won.

"Don't you think it's a pity?" He Tan said, "Such a big business in Bianjing is just going to be abandoned? Giving it away to someone else for nothing? Bianjing is so prosperous, I don't know how much charcoal it uses every year. It hurts my heart just thinking about it."

The word "heartache" made Wang Yan frown; he simply couldn't bear to hear it.

Wang Yan said, "Brother, there's no need for that. Coal can be made into more than just Buddhist charcoal. There's no need to focus on what's right in front of you."

“Even if there was an opportunity to sell Buddhist charcoal in Bianjing, Ayan would not do it.”

He Tan glanced at Wang Yan. The name "A Yan" came out so naturally to him. He called him "A Yan" in front of him. He wondered what he would call him in private.
He Tan, after all, didn't understand Xie Yuyan as well as Wang Yan did, and couldn't figure out a reason: "Why not?"

Wang Yan said, "The most important thing right now is to thoroughly promote Buddhist charcoal and coal. Merchants who understand Bianjing will be more adept at this kind of thing." Moreover, they will not encounter any resistance.

"Since Ayan has just arrived in Bianjing, why not skip these things and do something else first? Once people in Bianjing know about the benefits of coal, she can then take advantage of the situation to start other businesses. Wouldn't that put her ahead of the curve?"

"After this happened again and again, everyone will realize that the person who understands coal best is Madam Xie, and the other merchants are just following behind and picking up the profits."

He Tan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he looked at Wang Yan with bright eyes: "Madam Xie has another business to do? What is it this time? Madam Xie is probably not very well-off in Bianjing, and I happen to have some money, so how about..."

Wang Yan took a step forward, and He Tan hurriedly followed: "Well? Give me an answer."

“She doesn’t lack money,” Wang Yan said.

He Tan blushed. He had finally swallowed his pride and brought this up, but he hadn't expected that... people still need to have some integrity.

"Because I gave her all my money."

A voice drifted from ahead. He Tan's eyes widened. He valued integrity, but some people were utterly shameless.