Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 541 Returning Home
Just as Liu Erlang was about to walk out of the government office, a jailer quickly caught up with him.

“Mr. Liu,” the jailer said, “the government has issued an official document, and Zhao Zhongliang will be released from prison soon. Would you like to wait a while?”

Liu Erlang's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected Zhao Zhongliang to come out so quickly. Someone must have spoken up for him... He subconsciously looked in the direction Wang Yan had left.

It should be Lord Wang.

Liu Erlang snapped out of his thoughts and immediately nodded: "I'll go with him."

The jailer led Liu Erlang aside, and a moment later Zhao Zhongliang came out.

Zhao Zhongliang looked up at the sky, his face showing little emotion. When he saw Liu Erlang standing in the courtyard, he smiled easily and said, "Let's go, we're going to the South City Wharf now."

Liu Erlang wanted to hire a carriage, but Zhao Zhongliang refused, saying, "After lying in there for so long, it'll be more comfortable to walk around and stretch your muscles."

The two of them walked and talked like that.

"What did the Ministry of Justice say?" Liu Erlang asked. "Is this case closed?"

Zhao Zhongliang said, "After I went to prison, the Ministry of Justice re-examined the case files from that year, interrogated the relevant criminals, and confirmed that my father was wronged. Now, everyone in the Zhao family has been exonerated." He had cooperated with the court to arrest the Third Manager, and his previous escape was no longer being pursued.

As for how Xia Mengxian and others who framed him were punished...

Zhao Zhongliang said, "We'll just wait for news from the court." With the matter escalating so much, and with Wang Yan investigating the case, Xia Mengxian is sure to face a bad outcome.

Not every official in the Bureau of Military Affairs can withstand torture. Lord Wang is intolerant of any flaws, and he can seize upon even the slightest loophole. Few people can enter and exit that interrogation room more than three times.

Xia Mengxian, Xu Wei, and the Third Manager were to be interrogated later. Knowing they had no way out, these men simply refused to say anything, and Lord Wang didn't waste his time on them.

By working with their subordinates, they can actually gain more information. Once a lot of evidence is presented to them, it will be useless for them to deny it.

As the two were talking, a group of people approached, escorting several prison carts towards the Ministry of Justice prison.

The common people watched the spectacle and occasionally threw mud balls at the prisoners.

Zhao Zhongliang said, "When I came out, I heard that Xia Mengxian's wife's family would be imprisoned today, and these people should be them."

The Li family previously escaped punishment by virtue of being a collateral branch, but now that the evidence is conclusive, they have been brought to Bianjing for trial. Liu Erlang said, "With the Li family involved, Xia Mengxian's deeds will be even more impossible to conceal."

The Li family, consisting of over twenty people of all ages, wore expressions of fear and panic.

Liu Erlang and Zhao Zhongliang withdrew their gaze and continued walking forward. Unbeknownst to them, Xia Jingxian, clutching her handkerchief tightly, watched everything unfold from the crowd.

Xia Jingxian moved out of the Xie family home. The Xie family would give her fifteen strings of cash every month for household expenses. This money had to support herself and pay the monthly wages of the servants. After only a few days of this, Xia Jingxian had already experienced the hardships involved. If her maternal grandfather's family had not been implicated, she would still have someone to rely on in the future. But now, witnessing all this, her heart sank into an abyss.

"Second Mistress," Hongyan whispered, "what are we going to do now?"

Xia Jingxian remained silent, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, she quickly left. When the Xie family was preparing to move her out of the mansion, they should have received news that the Li family had been escorted to the capital. The reason they didn't tell her was because they feared she would refuse to leave if she knew?

Xia Jingxian pursed her lips. She had only temporarily escaped with the help of the Xie family. If she could not get the connections and money her father had left her, she would either be completely kicked out of the Xie family or die silently in that small mansion.

Everyone knew perfectly well what the others were thinking. She had to rely on her own abilities to ride in the Xie family's bridal sedan chair. Her father's words echoed in her mind; she had to try to reconnect with the connections her father had made with the merchants, and use that to establish herself in the Xie family. Her father had said that those merchants were very capable, and even if they had failed this time, they could make a comeback, but getting along with them wouldn't be easy.

Xia Jingxian took a deep breath and looked at Hongyan: "I want to buy some paper to copy Buddhist scriptures when I get back." Buying paper was secondary; what she really wanted to do was to show her face at the shop her father had mentioned.

However, we can't just go directly to their door; we have to go around in circles to avoid being targeted.

……

Zhao Zhongliang and Liu Erlang arrived at the South City Wharf.

Liu Erlang suddenly remembered: "Who brought you out of the prison just now?"

Zhao Zhongliang said, "Of course it's Lord Wang." He had already guessed that there was something unusual between Lord Wang and Madam Xie. Could it be that Liu Erlang didn't know?
Zhao Zhongliang looked over and saw that Liu Erlang's expression was somewhat complicated.

"Lord Wang is strict in his conduct and words, but he is truly a good official."

Liu Erlang convinced himself to ignore Wang Yan's cold and stern expression and to completely admire Wang Yan in his heart and mind, thus reaching the same point of view as his father.

"Stern words and harsh actions?" Zhao Zhongliang thought of all the care that Lord Wang had given him from the beginning, and then looked at Liu Erlang with suspicion, wondering what Liu Erlang had done to displease Lord Wang.

However, he soon received the answer.

Liu Erlang sighed, "It's not easy for Madam, she has to do things for someone like Lord Wang."

Zhao Zhongliang coughed; so that was the crux of the matter. He wanted to remind Liu Erlang of something, but these matters involved the eldest daughter-in-law's reputation, so it was best not to mention it.

Liu Erlang... well, good luck to you!
"Brother Liang is back."

The guards spotted Zhao Zhongliang, and their faces immediately lit up with joy. The news then spread to Xie Yuyan's courtyard.

Yang Xiaoshan and the members of the security team came to greet them. Although Zhao Zhongliang and Yang Xiaoshan had never met before, they felt a sense of kinship because they had gone through those things together.

Everyone asked questions incessantly until they reached the main room, at which point they stopped talking.

Zhao Zhongliang looked at Xie Yuyan in the house, immediately went over and knelt down to perform a grand salute: "Thank you for saving us, Madam. Otherwise, my brothers and I would probably have perished on the Bian River."

Yu's mother watched with delight. She thought that someone like Zhao Zhongliang, who truly appreciated and admired someone, would follow him wholeheartedly.

Xie Yuyan instructed Yang Xiaoshan to help the man up: "You made your own way out of this situation. I just happened to be standing there and offered a helping hand."

Zhao Zhongliang will never forget the feeling when he saw the river lanterns. There was only one person in the world who would appear there and guide him on a path.

Those lights illuminated his way home.

He will spend the rest of his life repaying this kindness.

After a lively discussion, Xie Yuyan instructed Mama Yu to prepare a banquet to welcome Zhao Zhongliang. A few moments later, the people in the room gradually left, leaving only Xie Yuyan and Zhao Zhongliang to talk.

There are still some tonight