Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 704 Blessing
Cao Yu hadn't realized who this Lady Xie was before, but now, seeing her age and appearance, he gradually recognized her as someone he had in mind.

It seems that Lady Xie is the merchant mentioned in the young master's letter, who came to Bianjing from Daming Prefecture and was involved in some cases in Daming Prefecture and Bianjing. Later, she also took control of the porcelain industry in Bianjing.

Song Liulang, who delivered goods to the young master's cloth shop, also heard about the woman's story while staying in Bianjing.

The boats at Bianjing Wharf were all carrying porcelain, and a woman was doing a very successful business. When Song Liu mentioned these things, his face was full of envy.

People had heard too many stories of the glamorous lives of wealthy merchants and knew that they either relied on powerful clans or had the support of officials—something ordinary people could never achieve. But that was just what others thought. Cao Yu didn't think that way. Deep down, he still held onto some hope, believing that if he managed his business carefully, he would eventually get his chance.

Just as the imperial court cannot ignore the heretical sects, Xie Shumi cannot protect those people forever, which is why he associates with the young master.

If he could be given some time to plan carefully, there would still be hope, but unfortunately...

Cao Yu sighed and stopped thinking about it. Things had already come to this point. Xie Niangzi had figured everything out about him. Even if he didn't admit it, the court could investigate thoroughly.

“We do have several ships and have smuggled goods,” Cao Yu said, “but the money we earned was only used to buy rice and grain; we’ve never shed blood on our hands…”

At this point, Cao Yu paused, clearly remembering something. He looked at Xue Er and said, "Only once... when we were fighting with the Demon Cult, in order to escape, we rammed their boat, and the people on the boat fell into the water. I don't know if anyone from the Demon Cult died that time, but three people from the village were killed by the Demon Cult."

Upon hearing this, Xue Er's expression changed, as if he were recalling what happened that day. He said in a deep voice, "People died that time, but both sides suffered injuries. Such incidents happen frequently at sea, so it is not advisable to pursue them further."

Cao Yu sneered upon hearing this. He knew that Xue Er's words were advantageous to them, but the thought that the Demonic Sect didn't value human life filled him with resentment. He had personally witnessed the grief of the three men's parents and wives, and he couldn't get over it for a long time. After all, he was the one who led the men out, but he hadn't been able to bring them back safely.

Xue Er fell silent. He knew that even if his words helped Cao Yu today, he wouldn't gain anything in return. What he did every day... was of no use to him.

In any case, he, as a servant of the Holy Church, was bound to be beheaded... Consider it as accumulating some good karma for himself, so that he might be reborn better in his next life.

Elder Zhou watched from the side. He didn't know as much as Xue Er about many things, but he could still corroborate some of the details. After the two finished talking, they didn't linger and followed the yamen runners back to the yamen prison.

With no one else in the courtyard, Xie Yuyan looked at Zhou Lanqi and Cao Yu and said, "If you two have anything else to say, please come inside and talk slowly."

After Xie Yuyan finished speaking, he turned and walked into the house. Zhou Lanqi was slightly relieved to see that the soldiers and guards did not intend to arrest them.

Cao Yu turned to look at his wife, then reached out and touched Nannan's cheek before saying, "Let's go inside!"

Zhou Lanqi could also see that Madam Xie probably meant no harm, but she had no idea what to do next. She couldn't very well help strangers, could she?
The group sat down, and Yu's mother brought out hot tea and a support pillow for Zhou Lanqi to use as a brace. The baby was over ten months old, and it would be tiring to hold her for a long time. With the support pillow, she would feel much more comfortable.

Zhou Lanqi couldn't help but whisper her thanks to her mother.

After some pleasantries, Xie Yuyan remained silent, but Cao Yu spoke first: "My wife told me about the idea that Madam Xie gave us. I didn't make a decision lightly because I was afraid that the government office might change unexpectedly and we wouldn't be able to handle it."

The officials sent by the imperial court to oversee this case have already arrested many heretical cultists and corrupt officials, and have accumulated enough merit in their hands. There is no need to imprison them.

But merit is not always enough.

How will newly appointed officials treat them? When the court needs officials to demonstrate their merits and report their achievements, will they target them? Will they be accused of treason?
They used to smuggle goods; if we were to falsely accuse them of returning to their old ways, wouldn't that be an exceptionally easy thing to do?
“The angel is leaving Fujian,” Cao Yu said. “Who knows what kind of character the official who comes to take office is? We must be on guard.” Cao Yu knew that he didn’t need to spell it out; Lady Xie would understand.

Sure enough, Xie Yuyan nodded after listening to Cao Yu's words: "What you said makes some sense. These words are useless to me, but if we can take it to court and let the Fujian officials hear it, then it will be a different story."

“If we speak frankly, some people won’t dare to act openly,” Xie Yuyan said, pausing for a moment. “Of course, nothing is absolute, and no one can guarantee that you will get away with it.”

"but……"

Upon hearing Xie Yuyan's change of tone, Cao Yu inexplicably tensed up, knowing that she was about to get to the heart of the matter.

"Do you have a safer way? To take everyone to sea? Are you willing to abandon your household registration, houses, and land? And where will you settle down after that?"

"Can everyone leave with you? After all, the sea is rough, and you could easily lose your life. You probably don't have much money to support your relocation."

"Furthermore, to be honest, life at sea isn't that easy, is it? And the benefits of Srivijaya aren't so easy to obtain."

Xie Yuyan's words struck a chord with Cao Yu.

Cao Yu wanted to offer a defense, but before he could open his mouth, Xie Yuyan continued, "The foreigners at sea might be willing to take you in, but what they covet is the benefits you bring... In short, everything comes at a price. You risked going to sea to survive; taking another path might cost you even more lives. I wonder if the outcome will be what you want?"

Cao Yu clenched his fists instinctively.

Xie Yuyan said, "Now that the court has begun to rectify the seas, anyone who can help at this time can also gain some fame. Fame can be a powerful tool if used well."

Cao Yu and others were coastal residents, and no one knew better than them the suffering they had endured over the years. If the court wanted to make changes and avoid creating a second Xie Yizhi, it needed to adjust its policies. To determine what would benefit both the people and the court, it was essential to listen to the people's demands.

Only by doing all these things well can we prevent people from taking risks to make a living at sea.

Cao Yu's position was just right for doing these things.

Therefore, Cao Yu couldn't see a good way out because he didn't have foresight or courage.

Xie Yuyan said these things to Cao Yu and Zhou Lanqi in the hope that they could have a good outcome, or at least a stable life, and that the family could smoothly overcome the difficulties.

Thinking about it, Xie Yuyan went to look at the baby in Zhou Lanqi's arms again.

A strange feeling spread through her heart once again.

Having the opportunity to do something for your loved ones is truly a rare blessing.

(End of this chapter)