Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 63 No Promise

Even with the doors and windows tightly shut in winter, they could hear everything clearly from the yard, indicating that the people inside were speaking very loudly and were somewhat agitated.

Yang Mingjing looked wary, his mind racing with thoughts, carefully examining whether he had done anything wrong that Xie might have used against him.

No matter what the Xie family does, as long as it's not directed at him, he'll feel at ease.

Now it's not just the Xie family; the people of Yong'anfang are also particularly frightening. They're probably always around Liu the lawyer writing legal documents. They've heard so much about the laws of Daliang that people are talking about it everywhere. He's heard people shout more than once, "Go find Liu the lawyer and sue them."

He looked at the lawsuits that were handed to him every day, fearing that someone from the Yang family might appear on them.

How long will this situation continue? The neighborhood leaders all came to ask him the reason, fearing that this bad influence might spread.

A moment later, Yu's mother pushed open the door and came out to greet Yang Mingjing and Wang Yan.

“Madam is entertaining guests,” said Mama Yu. “It will probably take a while. Please come to the east room and have some tea.”

Yang Mingjing asked, "Are they from Yong'an Ward?"

Mother Yu replied, "The water shop has opened, and everyone has come to congratulate us."

Does congratulations really require saying "I do"?

Yang Mingjing didn't believe it, but he also knew that if he pressed her for details, Yu Mama wouldn't tell the truth. This old maid, who had once been so respectful to him in He's room, had completely sided with Xie in just a few days.

He originally intended to send a spy, but unexpectedly, the spy became Xie's accomplice. Now, seeing Yu Mama's distant appearance, he could finally understand why He was so resentful.

Yang Mingjing accompanied Wang Zhubu for tea. He wanted to inquire about his father and fourth brother, but he didn't dare to speak.

This Registrar Wang is really too young.

He was impeccably dressed, exceptionally handsome, and had a calm demeanor. His scholarly air was undeniable. Many scholarly families would send their children to the government office to gain experience and familiarize them with official duties before they took the imperial examinations. This was exactly the kind of person Wang, the registrar.

"Your Majesty..." Yang Mingjing was about to speak when the steward came in to report.

"Sir, two more families in the neighborhood have written their petitions and are preparing to send them to the yamen."

Before submitting a petition, it must be reviewed by the neighborhood official. Yang Mingjing looked at Wang Yan with difficulty.

Wang Yan said, "There are other people in this courtyard. Master Yang, please go ahead and do what you need to do. There's no need for you to stay here with us."

Yang Mingjing stood up and apologized, saying, "I'll go and take care of this and then come back."

After Yang Mingjing left the house, Yu Mama added charcoal to Wang Yan's brazier and hot tea before leaving.

Wang Yan looked down at the charcoal brazier at his feet. The brazier was just big enough to hold two pieces of lotus root charcoal. The lotus root charcoal had not been burned beforehand, but there was no smoke or dust.

Ever since Yang Qin gave Chen Ju lotus root charcoal, the guardhouse has never run out of it. Chen Ju always had people buy it for him; it cost three coins per pound, which was really cheap. The guardhouse was such a spacious place, with people constantly coming and going all night, that at most three pounds could be burned in a night.

It's a good thing.

The process of turning crushed stone charcoal into lotus root charcoal sounds easy, but upon closer inspection, it's not so simple. The holes on the lotus root charcoal make it easier to ignite, and the mixture of certain substances makes it more durable.

This wasn't an idea that could be come about by chance. Creating something from scratch requires repeated adjustments and improvements until it's perfect. And the lotus root charcoal that was just made doesn't seem to have any major problems now. Considering that nothing similar had ever appeared in the Great Liang before, Wang Yan knew something was amiss.

Xie Yuyan didn't hide this matter, as if she was certain that even if someone suspected her, they wouldn't find any evidence to attack her. Most things in the world have clues, and Xie Yuyan was clearly an exception.

Wang Yan walked to the window, reached out and pushed it open a crack, and immediately a cold draft rushed in.

There were still sounds coming from the main room, but they were no longer clear.

Not long after she mentioned wanting Yong'an Ward and Daming Prefecture, Yong'an Ward was about to fall into her hands. He watched helplessly as those people were used by her.

"Meow."

A meow came from the window, and a gray shadow darted up to the window. By the time Wang Yan could see it clearly, a furry ear was already rubbing against his sleeve.

It was the raccoon dog that slipped away from him.

The raccoon narrowed one eye, showing a somewhat affectionate look towards Wang Yan, as if it had forgotten that it had already run from Wang Yan's side to Xie Yuyan's courtyard. Wang Yan withdrew his hand slightly, and the raccoon straightened its head, its large eyes sweeping over Wang Yan. It let out a helpless cry, then raised its paw and took a step forward, nuzzling its head against Wang Yan again.

It seemed that it had exhausted its patience this time, and soon it jumped into the house. Before it jumped, its soft belly brushed against Wang Yan's hand.

If Wang Yan hadn't seen how obsequious this cat was to Xie Yuyan, he might have felt particularly gratified. After raising it for over ten years, it had finally become somewhat close to him.

But now...

It looked like it had just returned from illicit relations and, out of desperation, gave him a perfunctory "coaxing." That was all; it neither repented nor returned home with him.

The cat leaped onto the table, then plopped down on it, licked its cold paws, and half-closed its eyes, pretending to sleep.

When Wang Yan approached, it opened its two bright eyes, which were filled with purity and ignorance, and it was completely untouched by any evil.

Wang Yan slowly reached out his hand, but the usually lazy cat suddenly stood up and jumped off the table, clearly afraid that Wang Yan would catch it.

You don't want to leave?

"Look at your pathetic self."

Wang Yan rarely showed his emotions in front of others, but the cat was not human.

His gaze darkened slightly, and he let out a cold snort.

Its pointed, hairy ears twitched, but it showed no shame. Since it couldn't understand anyway, it could simply pretend to be deaf and dumb.

"She might not want you anymore one day."

The cat was about to lick its paw when it heard this, so it stopped, retracted its tongue, and, whether intentionally or unintentionally, pointed its paw at Wang Yan.

It seemed as if she was refuting him, or as if she wanted to throw Wang Yan's words back at him.

It seemed that Xie Yuyan didn't want Wang Yan, not this little cat.

Then, without giving Wang Yan a chance to speak, it turned around, turned its rear end towards Wang Yan, wagged its tail, and darted out of the room through the window.

Sang Dian, who was guarding the door, saw this and called out, then said dejectedly, "My lord, that cat has run away again."

He personally visited the cat, but the cat didn't appreciate it at all.

Sang Dian sighed helplessly; his husband's life was truly miserable!
As the master and servant were talking, the door to the main room opened, and the people from Yong'an Ward came out, their eyes sparkling and their faces beaming with excitement.

Grandma Li said, "Come to my place tonight."

At that time, they will invite a few trusted people to relay what Lady Xie had said to them.

The village association needs manpower now, but it must be carefully selected to prevent those with ulterior motives from infiltrating. Once the eldest daughter-in-law has written down the rules of the village association, they will all memorize them, and those who are illiterate will pass them on orally. In short, the goal is to establish the village association in Yong'anfang.

The courtyard quieted down again, and Mother Yu came to invite Wang Yan to the main room.

"The two ladies from the third wife's household are waiting for you, sir."

……

Xie Yuyan washed his hands, sat back down in his chair, and pondered Wang Zhubu's purpose this time.

The door opened, and a ray of light entered along with a figure.

Xie Yuyan looked up and was slightly surprised when his gaze fell on Wang Hechun. The moon-white robe made him stand out even more.

This future prime minister of Daliang had a handsome face. Just by standing there, he had an air of detachment from the world. She remembered that Wang Huai had said that his uncle never wore light-colored robes. Why did he change his ways today?
If she were young and ignorant, or after she had gained immense power, she would probably sincerely praise her: "Good."

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(End of this chapter)