Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 482 The best time
Zhou Guangyuan was also worried about Zhao Chuan. He had thought of many ways, but none of them could guarantee that Zhao Chuan could leave unscathed after seeking justice for the Zhao family.

Moreover... for the Zhao family, seeking justice is futile.

Back then, the yamen found the bluish-white salt in Zhao's shop and took physical evidence. The shop manager also confessed that Zhao Dazheng had instructed him to hide the salt.

It can be said that there are both eyewitness accounts and documentary evidence. Moreover, Zhao Dazheng committed suicide out of fear of punishment and left a suicide note before his death, admitting his guilt. With such physical evidence, it is difficult for the case to be overturned.

Even the steward from back then died of a sudden illness on his way back to his hometown. Zhao Chuan escaped while being escorted, and if he went to the government office, the end result would be that he would be imprisoned again.

Zhou Guangyuan and his group believed that the Zhao family had been framed, but they had no proof and could not help. They could only follow Zhao Chuan's instructions and try to find out some information.

Zhou Guangyuan finally stopped and made up his mind: "You stay here, I'll take some men out of the city to take a look."

Jiang Qi grabbed Zhou Guangyuan and glared at him, saying, "If you're going, then go together. What's the point of leaving me here? I couldn't help when the Zhao family was in trouble back then, and now you want me to hide? Even if we manage to get away with it... will we be able to live a peaceful life afterward?"

Zhou Guangyuan frowned.

“You smart people just overthink things,” Jiang Qi said, walking out first. “Since there’s no better way anyway, we might as well just follow our own hearts…”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Guangyuan felt that there was some truth to it, so he stopped stopping Jiang Qi and walked out of the courtyard with him.

The servants prepared the horses, and Zhou Guangyuan gave them some instructions, telling them to take good care of the house and to send a message to the Jiang family, saying that they had something to do and needed to leave the city.

The less family members know, the better, to avoid worrying.

Thinking this, the two pulled on the reins and prepared to mount their horses.

At this moment, Jiang Qi paused slightly and stood frozen in place. Zhou Guangyuan, unaware of the oddity, had already mounted his horse and was about to speak to Jiang Qi when his peripheral vision caught sight of the alley entrance, and he too was startled.

A carriage slowly approached. Upon seeing Zhou and Jiang, the driver reined in the horses, and then the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a woman stepping out.

That is……

Zhou Guangyuan said, "Thank you, Madam."

Seeing Xie Yuyan approach, Zhou Guangyuan snapped out of his daze and immediately dismounted.

Xie Yuyan, observing the two of them, asked, "Where are you two headed?"

Zhou Guangyuan remained silent, but Jiang Qi spoke up first: "We just... need to... take a look at the shop."

Xie Yuyan remained calm, clearly not believing the explanation. She took out the letter that reminded her and handed it to Zhou Guangyuan.

Zhou Guangyuan hesitated slightly, then reached out and took it, before opening it to take a look.

Upon seeing the words, he froze. It was clearly Zhao Chuan's handwriting. Zhao Chuan had written a letter at some point to warn Madam Xie that someone was plotting against her.

So, Madam Xie came for Zhao Chuan? Did she guess that they knew Zhao Chuan?
Xie Yuyan said calmly, "Are you two in such a hurry to leave?"

Zhou Guangyuan put away the letter and immediately said, "Please come in and have a chat, Madam Xie."

Jiang Qi didn't know why Zhou Guangyuan had changed his mind, but he was used to following Zhou Guangyuan's arrangements, so he tossed the reins to the servant and followed Zhou Guangyuan and Madam Xie into the main room to talk.

Xie Yuyan sat down and, without beating around the bush, asked directly, "Where is he? Is he related to Zhao Dazheng that you mentioned?"

Zhou Guangyuan was able to keep his composure, which surprised Jiang Qi, who was standing next to him.

Xie Yuyan said, "It seems I guessed right."

“I’ve had people inquire about the Zhao family’s case, and I’m afraid it won’t be easy to overturn it,” Xie Yuyan said. “Did he tell you what to do next?”

Xie Yuyan's question gave Zhou Guangyuan no chance to think or catch his breath. Zhou Guangyuan hesitated, unsure whether he should tell Xie Yuyan everything.

Xie Yuyan did not try to persuade him but said, "The court has started arresting people. Xia Mengxian and the people from the Jiyisi will be imprisoned first, and all the people and things related to the Xia family will be dug up."

“Especially the Xia family’s in-laws, the Li family, the He family, and even the four major families on the Bian River, all the businesses they handle will be investigated.”

"If anything is related to them, now is the best time to uncover it."

Zhou Guangyuan's eyes flickered slightly, clearly swayed by Xie Yuyan's words.

Xie Yuyan continued, "Of course, they won't just sit idly by and wait to die. They will try to exonerate themselves, at least to avoid being implicated too much by Xia Mengxian and the Bureau of Secretarial Affairs."

"If we act too late, it's like giving them a chance to escape."

Zhou Guangyuan frowned, pondering Xie Da Niangzi's words.

Xie Yuyan continued, "The Zhao family should have heard this news. Has he asked you for help?"

Zhou Guangyuan shook his head slightly in front of Xie Yuyan.

"Is he afraid of implicating you?" Xie Yuyan said. "If that's the case, his trip will probably be fraught with danger, and you may never see him again in the future."

Xie Yuyan's words made Zhou Guangyuan and Jiang Qi's hearts sink, as this was their biggest worry.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Guangyuan looked at Xie Yuyan and asked, "If what Madam guessed is true... then what should we do?"

Xie Yuyan said, "You must first tell me about the Zhao family. If you want to help them, I need to know what they are planning to do."

……

Bianjing (Kaifeng)

In the Han family's villa.

As a veteran in the porcelain trade, Han Si enjoyed several years of glory in Bianjing, until he met Xie Shi in Daming Prefecture.

The Xie family's porcelain was sold at the border market, which meant that Han Si's job was essentially a failure.

This isn't just a matter of losing a deal; Han Si can easily imagine how much trouble such a restless person will cause in the future.

However, all of this happened much faster than he had anticipated.

The loss of Minister Xia's official position was not the end of the matter. Another incident occurred at the Bureau of State Affairs. An official went to beat the drum to appeal to the emperor, and then the Imperial Guards began to arrest people.

Han Si was uneasy, feeling that things were not simple. Sure enough, he soon received news that those people were suing Xia Mengxian.

Xia Mengxian mobilized the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to deal with these people, but someone informed the Emperor in advance, and they were caught red-handed.

Xia Mengxian is going to be completely ruined this time.

Others may not know, but Han Si knows that they rely on the Xia family in Bianjing, and many things are secretly arranged by Xia Mengxian.

Once the imperial court discovers these things, they will also be doomed.

Han Si was like an ant on a hot pan, frantically dealing with the accounts at hand. However, many things couldn't be resolved simply by burning them. Even if they got rid of the accounts, would the Xia family's situation be completely resolved?

Besides, they transferred a lot of money to the Xia family through the money exchange. If the imperial court keeps an eye on these things, they won't be able to escape either.

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