Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 473 Betting the Whole Family
He Daosheng knew that the situation was hopeless, but he still refused to accept his fate.

“Master,” He Daosheng said, “I’m doing this all for you. You’ve been too indecisive and have missed too many opportunities over the years…”

Liu Hui sneered, "So you're using my family's lives to blackmail me?"

He Daosheng swallowed hard, then changed to a pleading tone: "I have no choice. Those people came to me, and I can't live without doing it. They promised that if this matter is accomplished, they will definitely give you a good future."

“Master, you can’t be confused,” He Daosheng said, his body pressed down, but he still tried his best to raise his head and see Liu Huizeng. “They have been eyeing the Second Young Master for a long time. If you make an enemy of them, our Liu family will be in big trouble.”

“You’re the one who’s going to be in big trouble,” Liu Si Niang said first. “I don’t know about other things, but people who betray their own people will never have a good ending.”

He Daosheng's expression immediately turned ferocious, and he began to scream: "Liu Huizeng, you can't kill me! You fell ill on your way to the imperial examination, and I carried you to find a doctor. This is what you owe me."

"What have I gained from following you all these years? I'm still penniless. If you want to be an honest and upright official, that's your business. Why are you dragging me into it?"

Seeing that Liu Huizeng's expression remained unchanged, He Daosheng gritted his teeth and said, "If you insist on doing this, you are heading down a dead end."

“So I have to be quick,” Liu Huizeng said, “get everything done before they can react.”

Liu Hui waved his hand, and the guards took out rags to gag He Daosheng, and then tied him up tightly with ropes.

Liu Hui stared at He Daosheng and said, "I won't kill you. If I lose, you'll have a way out. Back then, you carried me to find a doctor, and I've taken care of you for so long. That's half of what I'm repaying you for. Now, this is the other half. After this matter is over, our debts will be settled. As for the grudges, we'll settle them with those people."

He Daosheng was taken away, along with the guards who had sided with him.

Liu Hui stepped forward to check on Zhou's condition: "Were you frightened?"

Madam Zhou shook her head: "I'm just worried about Erlang."

Liu Hui led Zhou Shi and Liu Si Niang to sit down in the main house, while the steward took the servants away for questioning, in order to prevent any undiscovered members of He Daosheng's household from being found out.

Looking at his wife and daughter, Liu Hui felt a pang of emotion. He was gambling with his entire family's lives in this game against Wang Yan. If he lost, his second son and he would certainly die, and his wife and fourth daughter...

Liu Hui once said to Zhou Shi, "I wrote a letter to your brother. He will come to take you away in a little while. You should hide for now and wait until things calm down before I come to pick you up."

Zhou reached out and grabbed Liu Huizeng's arm: "Since you're going to do something, sir, you can't arouse suspicion. Wouldn't it be more reassuring for those people if we stayed at home?"

Liu Si Niang nodded in agreement: "Mother is right, we're not going anywhere."

Liu Huizeng was very pleased. Even though such a big thing had happened in the family, the women had not backed down. He was truly a blessed man. He smiled and said, "I have spoken with Lord Wang. I will take Erlang out of the prison tonight to prevent any mishaps. Besides, they think He Daosheng has taken control of the Liu family. You are all locked up in the house. As long as you do not show yourselves, they should not suspect anything."

"It would be best if we could get away with it, but if we can't, we'll just have to confront them sooner rather than later. I'm an official of the imperial court, and if they want to harm me, they'll have to use some tricks."

“We made arrangements in advance, so we’re not afraid of getting to this point.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhou had no choice but to agree: "I will follow your arrangements, sir."

Liu Huizeng reached out and patted Liu Siniang's head again: "Take good care of your mother."

Liu Huizeng still had many things to arrange, and the family could only talk about this much. Zhou Shi took Liu Si Niang to pack her clothes, and when the Zhou family arrived, the two left from the backyard.

Only then did Madam Zhou realize that her husband had dug a secret passage in the courtyard, which explained why he was able to suddenly bring people back home. This meant that even if there were people guarding the outside, they wouldn't know what had happened to the Liu family.

Seeing this, Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and felt more at ease.

Liu Hui once said, "Those people were waiting for the Ministry of Rites to release the list of successful candidates, which gave me the opportunity to make arrangements."

The Ministry of Rites examination was the final straw for Huang Zongwu and his associates. Because they were on the list of successful candidates, they were in trouble at this crucial moment. They were on the verge of entering officialdom, but one wrong step could lead to their utter ruin. That's why Huang Zongwu and his group so readily agreed to shift the blame to Madam Xie. Wang Yan guessed Xia Mengxian and his group's intentions and decided to play along.

These past two days, Liu Huizeng ostensibly went out to a banquet to celebrate his son's high school entrance exam, but in reality, he was discussing with his colleagues the matter of suing Xia Mengxian. Tonight is the most crucial moment.

“Let’s go,” Liu Huizeng pulled Zhou Shi up, “we’ll go home together after this is over.”

Zhou nodded.

Liu Si Niang looked at her parents' figures, then glanced at the Liu family's residence. She took a deep breath and resolutely stepped into the secret passage.

……

Kaifeng Prefecture Prison.

Liu Erlang lay on the straw pile to rest. He knew he would have to escape soon, and after returning to the prison, he kept his eyes closed to recuperate.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard the sound of a lock being opened outside. He immediately opened his eyes and saw a jailer leading in a man of similar build and clothing.

The man didn't speak, but walked over and lay down in the straw pile. The jailer nodded to him, and Liu Erlang understood, got up, and followed the jailer out.

Liu Erlang's heart pounded like a drum as he followed the jailer out of the prison without incident.

The jailer brought over two horses and instructed them, "Change your clothes. When you leave the city, tell them we're going to the western camp to have the horses examined."

Liu Erlang quickly changed his clothes, carried his medicine chest, and followed the jailer out of the city.

The two passed through the checkpoint smoothly. The jailer reined in his horse and looked at Liu Erlang: "You'll have to follow my instructions on how to run from here on out."

Liu Erlang nodded.

The jailer said, "Remember, no matter what happens, you must not leave on your own initiative. One careless move could ruin everything."

Liu Erlang replied, "Lord Wang said that everything will be arranged by you."

The jailer tossed two leg guards to Liu Erlang, gesturing for him to tie them on: "You'll inevitably suffer when you're on the run, these will always come in handy."

Liu Erlang had a bad feeling; the jailer seemed to have foreseen that the journey would be extremely dangerous. He had stepped into this mess, so he had to bear whatever came his way.

Everything he's facing now is practically confirming what Madam Xie said.

……

Xia family.

Xia Ziqiao finally met Xia Mengxian, and he immediately reported the events in Kaifeng Prefecture truthfully.

"Liu Erlang is useless, but Huang Zongwu and Hu Ying are all sensible. They have already given their statements at the yamen. I told the legal officer to keep them at the yamen just in case."

Xia Mengxian nodded, clearly agreeing with Xia Ziqiao's arrangement.

“Father, don’t worry about Liu Erlang,” Xia Ziqiao said. “I gave the legal officer money to deal with Liu Erlang tonight.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Mengxian immediately frowned: "What did you say?"

There are still some tonight