Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 657 Chilling
Xie Yizhi remained silent, and Zhou Zhaochang continued, "If brother-in-law still wants to preserve his reputation, he should commit suicide to atone for his sins. The Emperor is benevolent and will not pursue this matter any further."

Xie Yizhi wanted Xie Chengxin to die, and now Zhou Zhaochang has come up with the same idea.

"Are you crazy?"

Madam Zhou's sharp voice rang out as she stepped forward and shoved Zhou Zhaochang: "Do you know what you're saying? Master is the Grand Councilor of Liang, the current Prime Minister. Who dares to lay a hand on the Prime Minister? Even the Emperor cannot punish Master so easily."

"Besides, the master is innocent; it was Minister Wang who secretly plotted to frame him."

Looking at Madam Zhou, Zhou Zhaochang suddenly felt that the woman in front of him was very unfamiliar; she was not his clever and kind older sister at all.

Zhou Zhaochang said, "So, Sister, do you think that Xin Ge'er and I should die?" He originally thought that his sister was being deceived and that she would stand on their side once she knew the truth. Who would have thought that this would be the result?
Madam Zhou's eyes flashed, her face filled with hatred, but she hesitated for a moment before saying, "The trouble you've caused is your own responsibility... You should find a solution..."

Zhou Zhaochang pointed at Xie Chengxin: "That's my sister's own flesh and blood. Doesn't my sister have even a little bit of maternal love?"

Madam Zhou froze when asked the question, and all of Xie Chengxin's life stories from childhood immediately came to mind.

Zhou Zhaochang continued, "Do you know why Brother Xin brought this up with me? He's worried that my sister will be harmed. If something goes wrong during my sister's childbirth, do you think Privy Councilor Xie will marry another woman?"

"Could that woman be the biological mother of the fake Xie Wenjing?"

Madam Zhou refused to believe Zhou Zhaochang's words, muttering, "Master wouldn't do that." She looked up at Xie Yizhi, wanting to confirm her guess.

Xie Yizhi met her gaze, her eyes seeming much gentler.

Madam Zhou seemed to have found the answer. She clenched her hands and said, "Don't be fooled. How could my husband possibly harm me?"

Before the two could speak, Madam Zhou continued to persuade them: "Xin'er, your rashness has harmed your father and the entire Xie family. Don't blame your father for being ruthless. If Wang Xianggong and his people seize the opportunity, they will do everything they can to frame you."

Madam Zhou seemed to be advising Xie Chengxin and Zhou Zhaochang, and also seemed to be advising herself: "This kind of thing has happened more than once. You can't be fooled by them. Think carefully about when they set the trap. As long as you report the truth to the court, they will say that your father said it in anger, but that was just his way of saying he committed suicide."

Madam Zhou's eyes were pleading: "Brother, Xin'er, you can't be so foolish anymore!"

Xie Chengxin understood his mother's meaning. She said the same thing as his father, except one was threatening and the other was gentle. His heart was still beating, but the blood in his body had gone cold.

After an unknown amount of time, he seemed to have made up his mind, raised his head and said, "Fine, I'll go to the yamen and say that I was instructed by someone. My uncle was the same; he was deceived by me and followed me to arrest people. I will take full responsibility for the crime. Please don't make things difficult for my uncle."

After saying this, Xie Chengxin turned to leave, just in time to see Xie Chengrang and Xie Chenghan standing not far away. The two looked away, clearly not wanting to get involved.

This house is broken from head to toe, inside and out, but he is in it and can't see it clearly.

As Xie Chengxin was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps, followed by a group of soldiers rushing in through the gate of the Xie residence.

Xu En waved his hand, and the soldiers immediately dispersed to guard the front and back gates of the Xie family's residence.

"Thank you, Privy Councilor," Xu En stepped forward and bowed to Xie Yizhi. "We discovered traces of the heretics at the Privy Councilor's residence. The Emperor has ordered a thorough investigation and sent us here to protect the Privy Councilor and his family."

As Xu En spoke, his gaze intentionally swept over Zhou Zhaochang and Xie Chengxin: "The people of the evil cult are capable of any evil. Do not be careless, lest they take your lives."

These words were clearly pointed, and a chill ran through Xie Yizhi's heart. However, his expression returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. He said to Xu En, "I understand."

Xu En stepped forward and said, "Please tell me if there is anything else you need, Privy Councilor, and I will do my best to fulfill it."

Xie Yizhi took a deep breath, surprised that the Emperor had made a decision so quickly, even sending someone from the Palace Guard. Xu En's meaning was clear: he was there to protect Xie Chengxin and Zhou Zhaochang, fearing that something might happen to them.

If he had known, he should have taken action earlier and dealt with that rebellious son first.

Xie Yizhi's chilling gaze swept over Xie Chengxin, whose once dejected face had somehow straightened. A bad premonition arose in Xie Yizhi's heart. "The Privy Councilor is unwell, he should rest early," Xu En said. "We still need to carefully check the servants in the mansion, lest there are still sorcerers hiding among them."

That sounds nice, but it's actually about gathering evidence.

Xie Yizhi said coldly, "There are many official documents from the imperial court in the study..."

"Please rest assured, Privy Councilor," Xu En said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "If anything is lost, Privy Councilor, you are free to punish the perpetrator."

Xie Yizhi stopped talking, turned around and walked into the house. Xu En's voice came from behind her: "Guard the gate of Xie Mansion and do not allow anyone to enter or leave."

"Take all the women to the inner quarters and forbid them from moving around freely."

After saying this, he looked at Zhou Zhaochang and Xie Chengxin: "I would like to trouble you two to go to the Dali Temple. There are some details regarding the Demonic Cult that I need to ask you about."

Zhou Zhaochang's palms were ice-cold. How long had it been since Xie Wenjing was arrested and placed under guard at the Xie residence? This clearly demonstrated the government's determination to investigate this case.

He originally wanted to save his sister, but now it seems that it is already difficult enough to protect the Zhou family.

"Brother Xin." Zhou Zhaochang was afraid that Xie Chengxin would do something foolish and wanted to persuade him.

Xie Chengxin nodded: "Uncle, rest assured, I will tell you the truth."

The way his father and mother looked just now made Xie Chengxin suddenly realize that blood ties were not that important to his father at all, and could be used at any time.

Since those things are all fake, he doesn't need to bother to maintain them; he might as well do what he should do.

……

Cining Palace.

The Prince of Huai accompanied the Empress Dowager in conversation.

"I never expected the Xie family to do such a thing," the Empress Dowager said, "to actually have someone impersonate Xie Erniang."

The Prince of Huai nodded. Although the Empress Dowager said this, there was no surprise on her face, which meant that she had known about this for a long time.

"After all that trouble, this is the marriage you've ended up with. No wonder you're in such a hurry to break off the engagement."

The Empress Dowager twirled the prayer beads in her hand, smiling as she looked at Prince Huai: "Have you thought it through?"

The Prince of Huai responded, "Since it's wrong, there's no need to continue. Dealing with it sooner will put everyone at ease."

It wasn't him who was anxious; it was Wang Yan.

Taking this opportunity, Prince Huai asked, "Has Your Majesty heard any news before?"

The Empress Dowager did not hide anything: "That Lady Xie who made the reliquary is quite extraordinary. People around me occasionally mention it. To say that it was Lady Xie who saved you back then... is quite reasonable. Lady Xie is more courageous than ordinary women."

"Once this matter is settled, I will summon her to Cining Palace for a visit."

Prince Huai was surprised. The Empress Dowager rarely praised others, which showed that Lady Xie had indeed caught her eye. He was slightly moved, but he could only suppress his feelings for the time being.

Prince Huai continued, "So, the one who assassinated me back then might also have been a member of the Demonic Cult."

(End of this chapter)