Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 42 Xie Family
Master Xie ignored the anxious Xie family steward and slowly picked up the teacup in front of him, only to find that it was mellow glutinous rice wine.

"Seventh Master," the Xie family steward couldn't help but call out again.

Only then did Master Xie frown and reluctantly order his servant to call back the beautiful courtesan who had run away. He then soothed the young lady with kind words before swaying as he got up.

Looking at Seventh Master Xie's appearance, the Xie family steward couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He was only twenty years old, yet his body was already being ruined by wine and women. No wonder the master would get angry every time he saw Seventh Master.

The carriage stopped in front of the Xie family's house.

"Seventh Master," the servant suggested, "why don't we go change our clothes first?"

Master Xie stretched and was about to agree when the steward beside him hurriedly said, "We can't delay any longer, the old master is still waiting in the main room."

Old Master Xie rarely concern himself with family matters, but this time he was truly enraged. Seventh Master's prolonged absence was like setting fire to the old master's head; once the fire raged, no one in the Xie family would have an easy time.

The servant tidied up Master Xie's robes. Standing in the courtyard, Master Xie seemed to clear his head a bit in the cold wind, and his steps finally had a bit more strength. The steward finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, not long after, Xie Qiye, who was walking normally, stopped again, staring at the chests and boxes piled up in the east room, and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here?"

Although the steward was anxious, he could only reply, "These are New Year's gifts to be sent to the capital."

Seventh Master Xie raised his eyebrows: "For the Xie family of Kaifeng?"

The manager responded.

Seventh Master Xie revealed a strange smile: "Grandfather and Father are truly thoughtful. I remember they sent a batch just a few months ago to celebrate the marriage between the Xie family and the Prince of Huai..."

The manager pursed his lips; there were some things he shouldn't have responded to, but...

Seventh Master Xie continued walking forward, casually remarking, "To bet on Prince Huai inheriting the throne now? Isn't that a bit too early? Even if Prince Huai succeeds in the future, will Lady Xie be made empress?"

The person in charge was so nervous his heart was practically in his throat.

Despite the Xie family's desperate attempts to associate themselves with the Kaifeng Xie clan, and their private claims that they are a branch of the Kaifeng Xie clan, they would never dare to speak ill of the Prince of Huai.

The Prince of Huai's father is the current emperor's adopted son. The emperor has no biological children and will allow his adopted son to inherit the throne in the future. However, as long as that emperor does not ascend the throne, there will still be changes. The struggle here is not something the Xie family can interfere with.

You must understand that in any struggle concerning the imperial heir, the stakes are the lives of the entire clan, young and old.

Fortunately, there was no one else around. The steward calmed himself down, but Xie Qiye's next words made the steward's expression change again.

"I wonder if that Lady Xie who is going to marry into the royal family is as powerful as my 'Tenth Sister' who came back from the dead."

“Oh dear,” the steward finally couldn’t help but say, “My dear Seventh Master, please don’t say anything out of line later.”

Master Xie didn't care. He didn't know if the Xie family could climb up to the Kaifeng Xie clan, but before that, he should think about how to solve his own problems.

Grandpa Xie's courtyard was filled with his children and grandchildren, but the house was unusually quiet.

Old Master Xie raised his eyes and looked around, finally fixing his gaze on Master Xie: "Is there any news from the yamen?"

Xie Chongjun's face was slightly gloomy: "The patrol office found several hundred catties of bluish-white salt at the Du family's house, and a small amount of bluish-white salt was also found in other households in Yong'an Ward, fortunately the amount was not large..."

Old Master Xie slammed his hand on the table: "Didn't you say that the Yang family was fine? How did the patrol office find this evidence? Even though the amount isn't large, they still found it. The patrol office is using this to search every corner of Yong'an Ward."

Xie Chongjun was the head of the Xie clan and held great authority in front of his clansmen. Now, being reprimanded by his father in front of so many people, he was somewhat embarrassed.

Master Xie Chonghai couldn't help but interject, "Father, this is no one's fault but that of my elder brother. Only two days have passed, and no one expected He Tan to act so quickly."

Old Master Xie glared at his second son: "I warned you long ago not to underestimate He Tan. He can not only mobilize the He family's manpower, but also has the Wang family paving the way for him. Otherwise, how could he have come to Daming Prefecture safely?" Anyone else would have lost their official position long ago. Old Master Xie had witnessed the abilities of those military officers.

Xie Chongjun had no way to express his bitterness. He had already had people keep an eye on the He family's available manpower, but this matter started from the inner courtyard of the Yang family. Before He Tan led his men to the Yang family, they had not heard a word about it.

Xie Chongjun said, "The Yang family's case isn't that simple. They found evidence so quickly, it's as if their own family members deliberately presented it to He Tan. Yang Mingjing had just been promoted to deputy magistrate of the ward before this..."

Old Master Xie frowned: "What do you mean? Could it be that Yang Mingjing would harm his own father for the sake of a mere deputy magistrate?"

Xie Chongjun thought for a moment, but didn't speak. The information he had gathered indicated that this matter was inextricably linked to the "Xie family." Everyone said that the Xie family was taking revenge on the Yang family, but he felt it was impossible. Could a woman have such methods?

But he really didn't know anything about the "Xie family".

"Xie" was just a corpse they bought; who would bother to find out the origins of a dead person?

To be on the safe side, he specifically instructed the manager to find a matchmaker to handle the matter, but even with such caution, something still went wrong.

If I had known, I would have just found any servant, reported an emergency, and made her willingly commit suicide.

Now that I think about it carefully, there's something strange about this whole thing. How could something have happened so coincidentally?
Was it simply bad luck for the Xie family, or were they being plotted against? Jiao Da should have known the most, but he was dead. Xie Chongjun sighed, about to speak, when a voice rang out from the doorway.

"If we take Tenth Sister home and ask her, everything will be clear."

Everyone turned their gaze to see Master Xie walking in from outside.

"Grandfather," Xie Qiye bowed to Xie Laotaiye first, then turned to Xie Chongjun, "Father, Second Uncle."

Despite the incense burning in the room, Xie Chongjun could still smell a strong stench of alcohol on Xie Qi. He wondered if the little brat had been drinking early in the morning or was still hungover. Just as he was about to scold him, Old Master Xie spoke first, "Where did this Tenth Sister come from?"

Xie Qiye was not afraid and asked knowingly, "It's the one who married Yang Liu! I was the one who delivered her dowry."

Old Master Xie's anger intensified, and he pointed at Seventh Master Xie: "How dare you bring this up? Didn't you go to the Yang family to inquire about this matter? And what was the result?"

Seventh Master Xie seemed to be frightened and quickly bowed: "Grandfather, please don't be angry. When I went to the Yang family, I also wanted to invite Tenth Sister back to talk. We are all family after all. Going back and forth to complain will only make us more distant. There's nothing we can't resolve behind closed doors."

"It's a pity that I didn't do a good job as the older brother. Shi Niang wouldn't give me face. Otherwise, would our family have sent someone else to try?"

After Xie Qiye finished speaking, the room became even quieter. Xie Chongjun's face tightened. Everyone's idea in this matter had some merit, but this unfilial son was deliberately adding fuel to the fire.

"Kneel down," Xie Chongjun said sternly. "You've been fooling around outside all day, and you've disgraced the Xie family. When something happens at home, you're nowhere to be found. And now you dare to say these things?"

With trouble at home, a scolding from his father, and a host of unresolved problems, Xie Chongjun didn't dare to imagine what trouble he might face if the patrol authorities kept a close eye on him. He had nowhere to vent his anger, and now that this rebellious son had delivered himself to his doorstep, how could he let him go?
"Bring out the family rules," Xie Chongjun pointed at Xie Qiye, "Drag this unfilial son out and give him twenty lashes, then lock him in the ancestral hall. No one is to bring him food today; let him sober up in front of our ancestors."

After Xie Chongjun spoke, Madam Zhao, who was standing nearby, quickly advised, "Master, please calm down. Seventh Master is weak; you mustn't hit him."

Old Master Xie looked at Xie Qi, and could still see the shadow of his birth mother in his eyes. He frowned. Usually, the eldest son would not punish Xie Qi because of that woman, but now he finally spoke up.

Old Master Xie glanced at Zhao: "Jade must be carved to become a useful object. If you indulge him like this and let him live a life of debauchery, you are really ruining your health."

Old Master Xie also spoke, so the steward had no choice but to call a few people forward to take Seventh Master Xie away.

Xie Qi struggled a few times, but to no avail, and could only say, "I'm telling the truth, you'll find out sooner or later..."

After shouting, Xie Qi's gaze changed, and a mocking expression appeared on his face as he looked at the steward: "Go easy on me later. Seventh Master is weak. If you really beat me to death, none of you will escape."

Being confined to the ancestral hall is a good thing; it keeps him out of the current chaos.

Besides, isn't his only purpose in this family to let them vent their anger? If they take out their anger on him, they won't resent his mother anymore.

Xie Shiniang.

Xie Qiye muttered to himself, "Don't back down. When it really matters, your older brother can lend you a hand."

……

After Xie Qiye was taken away, Xie Laotaiye's expression softened a bit. He then looked at Xie Chongjun and said, "At a time like this, our Xie family cannot afford to be harmed."

Everyone understands what Old Master Xie is referring to.

"But don't be afraid," Old Master Xie said coldly. "We are a branch of the Xie family of Kaifeng. If we are really bullied, the clan will not stand idly by."

"We need to close that case as soon as possible and completely sever ties with the Yang family to prevent this trouble from spreading. That woman is not a member of the Xie family; her name is not on the family genealogy. This point must be made clear to the Yang family and the government."

"There is no place for her in the Xie family. In this lifetime, she can forget about ever setting foot in the Xie family."

Old Master Xie said these things intentionally because of Xie Qi's suggestion earlier.

“No matter what she is,” said Old Master Xie, “I don’t want to hear another word from her, do you understand?”

Xie Chongjun replied, "Understood."

He would immediately take a steward to the yamen and make the steward take all the blame. They had originally bought the body of a woman from an innocent family. The steward had failed in his duty to investigate properly, which led to his involvement with the kidnappers. Whatever punishment the court wanted, the Xie family would accept. As for other matters, without evidence, the Xie family would not bow down.

He would also admit, as the head of the Xie clan, that he had made a mistake in the moment and entered into this ghost marriage. It would be better to lose face than to be implicated by the Yang family.

"There's no time to lose," said Old Master Xie. "Let's go now."

Xie Chongjun stood up and was about to leave when Old Master Xie added, "If you encounter that Xie woman... tell her not to call herself Xie, and teach her a lesson. A woman should know how to uphold virtue. If she wants to extort money from the Xie family, she'll have to have the ability. If she dares to cause trouble again, the Xie family will definitely not let her off."

Xie Chongjun frowned. Had he encountered "the Xie family" at the government office?
Could it be such a coincidence?

(End of this chapter)