Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 707 Worshipping the Right Bodhisattva

As Cao Yu stepped into the government office, he discovered that the number of people inside was no less than those outside.

The clerks were so busy they barely had time to breathe, and people carrying legal documents kept coming in, shouting something. Fortunately, the yamen runners were conscientious and stepped forward to reprimand them, and they immediately fell silent.

“If you are going to file a lawsuit, just wait here. When it’s your turn, someone will come and guide you,” an older clerk said as he stepped forward. “But if you don’t follow the rules and make a ruckus, making it impossible for the yamen to do its work, you will be thrown out immediately.”

The crowd immediately responded in hushed tones.

After the clerk finished speaking, his attitude softened and he reassured her, "Now that you're in the yamen, we will definitely accept your petitions and handle everything according to the laws of Liang. Doing anything useless will only delay yourselves."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

The clerk then left. As he passed Cao Yu, he looked at him carefully, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't speak.

As Cao Yu watched the clerk's retreating figure, he overheard someone whispering, "He's definitely different from the clerk who came with the angel."

For a mere clerk to possess such an air of authority is truly remarkable. His skill in handling affairs is evident in the way he just displayed, a blend of kindness and severity.

Cao Yu knew that some civil officials were not incapable of being officials, but rather had no choice but to perform such duties in order to stay by the side of the officials they followed.

Those officials will remember their contributions and find them a good place to live when they get old.

This is the confidence of scions of noble families. They are taught these things from a young age, and after entering officialdom, they have experienced people around them to help them. Of course, even the most demanding person has to admit that a scion of a noble family like Wang Yan, who did not rely on his family's influence but passed the imperial examination with top honors, is a true young talent.

Thinking about all this, Cao Yu felt more at ease and became even more certain that his choice was correct. He would report the truth as long as Wang Yan was willing to understand their difficulties.

If Wang Yan doesn't come, the only official he can trust is Supervisor Sun...

Between the two, Wang Yan was a better choice, not because he disliked that Supervisor Sun's official rank was too low, but because Supervisor Sun was simply no match for those people.

"Cao Yu."

The clerk called out, and Cao Yu finally came to his senses.

"Angel Wang invites you in."

Cao Yu was somewhat surprised, as he thought he would have to wait here for several hours before he could see Wang Yan.

The clerk led the way, and Cao Yu hurriedly followed. The two entered the second hall, where Cao Yu saw the yamen runners carrying away a box full of files.

The sound of talking could be heard coming from inside the room.

When Cao Yu heard the words "a certain year and month... frankincense... rhinoceros horn" mentioned, he knew that they were checking the accounts.

As the clerk lifted the curtain, he peeked inside and saw four or five people sitting in a circle, flipping through documents in their hands. One person stood in the middle, exchanging a few words with one of them from time to time.

The man was in his early twenties, dressed in a crimson official robe. Although young, he had sharp eyes, and officials who met his gaze would instinctively lower their heads to avoid his stare.

Cao Yu knew that this person must be Wang Yan. Realizing this, he immediately became more solemn. He stretched out his robes and followed the clerk into the room, then hurriedly bowed to Wang Yan.

His smuggling of goods at sea must have already reached Wang Yan's ears. Cao Yu had been wondering all the way how Wang Yan would deal with him. Even if he was willing to let him off the hook, he would definitely make him pay a heavy price.

Physical pain is inevitable.

The officials in the room withdrew one after another, and the door behind them was closed. Cao Yu knew that the critical moment had come. He had just taken a deep breath, preparing to withstand the pressure that was about to come, when he heard Wang Yan say, "I heard that you have a petition?"

Cao Yu's face tightened, and he hurriedly said, "I am preparing to write it, but... before that, I would like to see you, sir, and tell you about the situation in our villages."

As he spoke, he felt Wang Yan's gaze fall on his face. He looked up and immediately saw a scrutinizing quality in Wang Yan's eyes. Wang Yan was not looking at his appearance, but rather assessing whether what he said was true or false.

"You've been to school?" This question startled Cao Yu again. After a moment, he replied, "I learned a little from an old scholar from the same village."

Wang Yan then asked, "Are there any elderly parents in your family?"

Cao Yu shook his head: "My parents have passed away."

Whether it was a misperception or not, when he said those words, a hint of regret seemed to flash in Wang Yan's eyes.

Cao Yu knew he must have misread the situation; the death of his family member had nothing to do with Wang Yan.

The room was quiet. Cao Yu had no idea what Wang Yan was thinking. After a long while, Wang Yan's voice rang out again.

“If any of your fellow villagers commit evil deeds like those of the sorcerer cult or pirates, you must not conceal it,” Wang Yan said. “The world is in a difficult time, but they cannot use that as an excuse to kill innocent people.”

Cao Yu was overjoyed and quickly nodded: "I dare not lie. The villagers hate these people just as much. They only care about money and have no human feelings at all. They will rob even the village's boats."

Wang Yan continued, "You are not allowed to leave here before you submit your petition. Can you do that?"

Cao Yu hesitated for a moment: "I can stay in the government office, but my wife and daughters at home..."

“They can live in the courtyard behind the government office, which is where officials’ families are housed,” Wang Yan paused here. “The cult and corrupt officials should be dealt with, but those villagers who took advantage of the chaos should not escape either. I don’t want this news to get out and be used by those with ulterior motives to cause a civil unrest.”

That's naturally the reason. Could it be that Lord Wang intentionally wanted to keep their family here? Cao Yu replied, "I will follow your orders, sir."

Wang Yan added, "I won't stay here for long. I'll have a clerk follow you so you can write your petition as soon as possible."

That's good, of course. The clerk is familiar with the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty and knows the regulations of various government offices. With such a person's help, his petition can be written in more detail and more comprehensively.

Wang Yan had someone bring the clerk over and gave him a few words of instruction. Only then did Cao Yu realize that the clerk Wang Yan had given him was the same one he had just seen in the courtyard.

Was Wang Yan determined to seize this opportunity to implement new policies, or had he simply chosen the right benefactor and visited the right temple? Cao Yu suddenly felt that he could see hope.

After Cao Yu left, Wang Yan didn't think much of it and continued to handle his official duties. Instead of pondering things here, he thought it would be better to go back sooner. As long as A Yan was still helping Cao Yu's family, his guess couldn't be wrong.

Cao Yu is related to A Yan, and the child that the couple is holding may be A Yan's real relative.

Wang Yan focused his attention on the documents in his hands again, and when he looked up again, it was already dark.

He got up and walked outside. Sangzhi, who was waiting outside, immediately followed. The master and servant did not speak, but they both knew where they were going.

Sang Zhi quickly stepped forward to clear a path, allowing Wang Yan to enter Xie Niangzi's courtyard without any hindrance, without delaying for even a moment.

Upon hearing the commotion, Yu's mother immediately came out to greet them.

"My wife hasn't rested yet?" Wang Yan asked.

Madam Yu smiled and said, "No, we're just waiting for you, sir. Please come in first, and I'll go to the kitchen to check on the food."

The sound of counting rods came from inside the room. Wang Yan went in and saw Xie Yuyan sitting under the lamp looking at the account books.

"Why are you bringing up accounts again?" Wang Yan asked.

“It’s not about accounts,” Xie Yuyan said, “but about calculating how much money my shops can make.”

After a moment's thought, Wang Yan guessed the gist: "You need so much money, are you planning to...spend it here?"

Xie Yuyan nodded, then looked at Wang Yan: "I want to sell the perfume shop, the restaurant and courtyard in Bianjing. Does Wang Lang know any merchants who can take on these?"

(End of this chapter)