Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 668 Cutting the Trouble with a Quick Sword

Along the same stretch of official road, a group of people were also traveling.

After dark, the group went straight into the mountains to set up camp, because such a large number of people would attract attention whether they stayed at a lodging or an inn.

Even though the people at the post station had been bribed beforehand, and the checkpoints along the way had been dealt with in advance, ensuring a smooth journey, they still had to be cautious. After all, they were there to kill.

Even if the blame is ultimately placed on the demonic cult, we cannot be careless. We must at least make it seem plausible so as to be worthy of the officials who will investigate the case in the future.

The leader took off his straw hat and ripped off the cloth covering his face, revealing a square face.

In his forties, he had spent years training troops, and his eyes were bright and piercing, with an unyielding gaze that made him appear exceptionally dignified. However, upon closer inspection, one could still discern a hint of worry within them.

Yang Jun, the military commander of Fujian Road, should have been training troops in Fujian Road, but instead he appeared here. He came to personally oversee the situation and resolve the current troubles to prevent them from escalating into endless disasters.

Where have they gone?

Before Yang Jun arrived, all the informants had been sent out to relay news from Xie Yuyan's side at all times.

"It's seventy li from here."

Yang Jun raised his eyebrows: "They changed their route?"

The subordinate reported, "We did as the supervisor said... we deliberately gave ourselves away, and sure enough, Xie was like a frightened bird, immediately changing our route and taking a detour."

Yang Jun chuckled: "She's just a woman. No matter how clever she is, she's never seen anything like this before. She thinks she's being cautious, but she's unknowingly being led by the nose."

The subordinate said, "In this way, we will be closer. The commander can deploy men at any time to attack the escort team."

At this point, the subordinate paused slightly.

Yang Jun frowned: "What? Is there some other inside story?"

The subordinate nodded: "Then the Xie family... really does have a very deep relationship with the Wang family."

Yang Jun was somewhat surprised: "What do you mean?"

The subordinate then told Yang Jun about the jade pendant Xie Yuyan wore at his waist.

"During the journey, Xie suddenly started wearing a jade pendant. The pendant was carved with a crane and was clearly no ordinary item. Our informants did not know the origin of the pendant... Later, when Xie stayed at the post station again, an official recognized it and said that it was Wang Hechun's personal item. He instructed the postmaster to take good care of Xie and his party."

Yang Jun's expression grew increasingly somber.

Yang Jun knew that the Wang Hechun mentioned by the officials was Wang Yan.

After a young man from a prominent family is born, he will be given a piece of jade by his elders. When he comes of age or is given a courtesy name, he will have the jade carefully carved and wear it with him all the time.

Over time, the jade pendant could also be used to replace him, to command some people, and to cultivate relationships.

Wang Yan gave the jade pendant to Xie Shi, which made his meaning very clear: he considered Xie Shi as family and had the intention of proposing marriage to her.

“We thought our top scholar was really focused on cultivating Taoism, but it turns out he’s more capable than any of us in private,” Yang Jun laughed, his official air vanishing instantly. “He’s actually taken a fancy to a widow.”

Those around Yang Jun laughed along, but Yang Jun quickly straightened his face again and looked at his subordinates: "Besides that, is there anything else?"

The subordinate said, "We still see traces of human activity around Xie's escort team." Yang Jun said, "Someone is secretly protecting Xie?" This arrangement is easy to understand. If Xie is suddenly assassinated, those troops will suddenly appear to relieve the siege. To put it bluntly, they are a surprise force.

The subordinate nodded and then shook his head: "That's what we thought at first, but... those traces were too deliberate, so we investigated carefully and found that they were all illusions deliberately created by someone."

"If our scouts hadn't been so careful, we would have been fooled."

Yang Jun chuckled: "This is exactly what a woman could do. She openly flaunts the Wang family to scare us, while secretly creating these traces to pretend that there are reinforcements, so that we will hesitate to act rashly."

The subordinate responded, "That's true, but..."

Yang Jun knew what he was going to say: "The reinforcements are fake, but their connection to the Wang family is real."

The subordinate dared not continue speaking after reaching this point.

Yang Jun said, "The Wang family will not allow a widow to enter the family. Even if it is Wang Yan's intention, it will not pass the Wang family's hurdle. If the Wang family really cared about her, they would have taken action long ago. Why would they wait until now and let her risk escorting prisoners to the capital by herself?"

"The Xie family did this in order to gain the Wang family's approval."

At this point, Yang Jun's expression turned even colder: "However, she's thinking too simply. If it's so easy to enter a prestigious family, even a hen can become a phoenix."

Yang Jun's words were met with another burst of laughter.

Yang Jun waved for everyone to rest, and instructed his subordinates to submit all the news about the Xie family so he could review it carefully again.

After the subordinate left, the aide approached Yang Jun and asked, "What the supervisor said just now... must have been half true and half false, right?"

Yang Jun sat in front of the fire and spoke frankly with his staff: "That Xie family member is quite capable, otherwise I wouldn't have come. I only said that to reassure the troops."

The staff member nodded.

Yang Jun continued, "However, precisely because she is connected to the Wang family, we must take action." Xie's mention of the Wang family was clearly effective; anyone else might have hesitated, given that Prime Minister Wang was not someone to be trifled with. If Xie were to get into trouble, the Wang family would undoubtedly use all means to investigate, and if any clues were discovered, escape would be difficult.

However, precisely because the person behind the Xie family is Prime Minister Wang, he is even more determined to eliminate the Xie family and others on the road. This is because these heretical cultists have entered Bianjing and brought more evidence to the Wang family, who will then use this as an opportunity to thoroughly investigate Xie Yizhi.

Xie Yizhi was a Privy Councilor. Even if he was questioned about his crimes, he could not be interrogated easily. Instead, his close associates, especially his capable subordinates, would be questioned first. Xie Yizhi had promoted him and had been able to maintain his position in Fujian for many years, all thanks to Xie Yizhi's arrangements.

Once these facts are discovered, he will be summoned to the capital for trial. Will he be able to leave unscathed? Xie Yizhi's affair with the demonic cult will inevitably be resolved, and the blame will most likely be placed on him.

Therefore, he didn't save Xie Yizhi, but himself.

Dealing with the Xie family here at least temporarily stabilized the situation and gave him time to plan everything. Even if he wanted to take his whole family away from Daliang, he had to make arrangements in advance, including taking people and a lot of money. Without these, he would soon be arrested and brought back by the court.

If Xu Shu hadn't hesitated and had led her men directly to capture Xie Yuyan, Xie Yuyan wouldn't have had the opportunity to cause internal strife within the demon sect. Now, he's completely different from Xu Shu; he wants to act swiftly and decisively, giving Xie Yuyan no chance to escape.

"Continue pursuing the Xie family tomorrow, and start killing them the day after tomorrow," Yang Jun said.

He brought enough men, and they were not the imperial army, but private soldiers raised with the money he had acquired. Even if they were lost here, there would be no way to trace them.

Yang Jun picked up a piece of firewood and threw it into the fire. The flying sparks clearly illuminated the murderous intent on his face. No matter what, he wouldn't fall into the hands of a woman.

(End of this chapter)