Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 759 Gift
Xu Huaiyi put away a stack of papers, instructed the kitchen to bring him a simple meal, and ate with the "peddler" who had come to report the case. Then he put on his official robe and went straight to the yamen. He needed to deliver the evidence to the yamen as soon as possible and watch the clerk make a copy before he could feel at ease.

"Aren't you going to rest, sir?" The old family member asked with some concern. "Aren't you going to the South City Wharf?"

Xu Huaiyi did not hesitate: "The case is important."

He should deliver a congratulatory gift, but since there's crucial evidence in the case, he definitely has to go to the yamen... He would do the same even on his own wedding day.

Xu Huaiyi led the "peddler" into the Dali Temple yamen. Then, the officials and clerks in the yamen began to busy themselves around the "peddler." The "peddler" then told everyone the whole story, which was exactly the same as what he had told Xu Huaiyi at his home.

When the clerk presented the compiled case file to Xu Huaiyi, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The clerk said, "Sir, with this evidence, we can interrogate Xie Yizhi and ask him if he was involved in the death of Old Madam Xie."

Madam Xie secretly collected evidence of Xie Yizhi's collusion with the demonic sect and the foreigners, but she passed away suddenly before making it public. This alone is enough to make people suspicious of the cause of her death.

"Didn't you suspect that Madam Xie's death was suspicious a long time ago? Now there's been some progress."

A hint of joy appeared in the clerk's eyes.

Xu Huaiyi pondered for a moment and said, "Let's proceed with the survey as we agreed beforehand."

The clerk responded, "I really didn't expect this..." I never expected that Xie Yizhi would actually kill his father and mother. He is truly a beast. How could such a person become the Privy Councilor of the Great Liang? No wonder the Emperor was furious.

After the clerk left, Xu Huaiyi continued to look at the documents in his hand, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he got up and went to the prison where Xie Yizhi was imprisoned.

The jailer led the way, and Xu Huaiyi stopped in front of Xie Yizhi's cell. The jailer looked at Xu Huaiyi and asked if he should go and summon Xie Yizhi, but Xu Huaiyi shook his head. He just stood there, as if he expected that Xie Yizhi would come over on her own.

Sure enough, a rustling sound arose, and a person appeared in the light and shadow.

Xie Yizhi had been imprisoned for a long time, his face covered in beard and filth, but in Xu Huaiyi's eyes, the man's expression remained unchanged, with a hint of sharpness and arrogance in his eyes, as if nothing could make him bow his head.

Refusing to bow down means they are still fighting.

Xu Huaiyi had a bad feeling, as if Xie Yizhi, though in prison, still had some tricks up her sleeve.

The two stared at each other silently for a long time before Xie Yizhi smiled and asked, "What evidence has Xu Sicheng found this time?"

Xu Huaiyi remained silent.

Every interrogation is a game of strategy; their goal is to get the prisoner to talk more.

Xu Huaiyi remained silent, and Xie Yizhi began to guess what Xu Huaiyi's purpose was in coming so suddenly.

After a moment's thought, Xie Yizhi said, "Is there new progress in the case? Then congratulations to Vice Minister Xu, you've managed to fabricate another charge against me."

Xu Huaiyi said, "Whether you are guilty or not is not up to me to decide, but up to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty."

Xie Yizhi's smile deepened: "It seems I guessed right..."

Xu Huaiyi frowned.

Xie Yizhi took another step forward, seemingly with some purpose in provoking Xu Huaiyi.

Xu Huaiyi's eyes twitched.

Just then, a series of piercing squeaking sounds suddenly came from some dark corner, squeaking and screeching. Xu Huaiyi's bad premonition deepened.

"Has the Xie family formed a marriage alliance with the Wang family?" Xie Yizhi suddenly changed the subject. "As her uncle, I have to prepare a gift for her."

Xie Yizhi's words meant that the gift had already been given.

Xu Huaiyi thought of that stack of bloodstained evidence. Xie Yizhi was in prison and shouldn't know these things, but he felt that Xie Yizhi knew everything.

Xu Huaiyi stared at Xie Yizhi, whose gaze shifted for a fleeting moment, like a wild beast in the night flashing its fangs in the moonlight, only to quickly withdraw it. Xu Huaiyi knew he had caught something in that instant, and then he watched as Xie Yizhi pressed his face against the wooden bars of the cell.

The excessive pressure distorted Xie Yizhi's face, and what he said next was even more chilling: "You don't need to investigate any further. I killed my mother with my own hands."

Xie Yizhi's confession caught Xu Huaiyi and the others completely off guard.

Xie Yizhi continued, "Please have the Vice Minister Xu send someone here; I want to give my account of what happened."

Xie Yizhi began writing his confession, and the investigation of Madam Xie's case was about to begin. Logically, Xie Yizhi should have concealed this matter... Even if he knew he was going to die and didn't care anymore, he didn't need to cooperate like this.

But now that things had come to this point, Xu Huaiyi had no time to think it over carefully. He looked at the jailer beside him, who understood and hurriedly went to relay the message.

Xie Yizhi smiled and asked, "What does Vice Minister Xu think of my gift?"

"If she wants to investigate, I'll tell her."

“She wanted to seek justice for the old lady, so I stepped forward to help her.”

"Is this enough?"

As expected, Xie Yizhi knew his purpose, but he also knew that Xie Yizhi couldn't possibly be genuinely concerned for Xie Niangzi. Yet, he simply couldn't see where the problem lay.

……

In stark contrast to the atmosphere at the Dali Temple, the South City Wharf was exceptionally lively at this moment.

Several carriages arrived one after another in front of Xie Yuyan's residence. The curtains of the carriages were lifted, and an elderly man with gray hair was helped down.

"Participation in politics".

Several people who had been waiting at the door immediately stepped forward to greet them.

The surrounding crowd of onlookers immediately stirred up a commotion.

Jiang Qi and Shang Wenchao, who were not far away, were also looking in this direction.

“No wonder the people ahead of us didn’t go in; they were waiting for this one,” Jiang Qi said. “This must be Baoshan, the one the Wang family sent to propose marriage.”

Just as Shang Wenchao was about to ask who the old man was, someone from Jiang Qi's side immediately came over and whispered a few words in his ear.

Jiang Qi's face showed surprise, but it was quickly replaced by joy. Shang Wenchao couldn't help but ask immediately, "Do you know who it is?"

Jiang Qi nodded and said in a low voice, "This gentleman who is called the Councilor is Prime Minister Shen."

Everyone knows of Prime Minister Shen's great reputation, but people like Jiang Qi and Shang Wenchao never have the chance to meet him.

“Oh dear, what a pity,” Shang Wenchao said, “I only saw a silhouette just now.”

If they miss this opportunity, they will never have the chance to catch a glimpse of the prime minister's demeanor.

"Don't rush," Jiang Qi said in a low voice, "If we don't get to see Prime Minister Shen, we'll definitely have a chance to see another one in the future."

Jiang Qi was referring to Prime Minister Wang.

Shang Wenchao could hardly contain his smile and nodded repeatedly.

No sooner had the two finished speaking than another carriage came galloping by.

After Wang Baoshan entered the gate, there shouldn't have been any more people. Jiang Qi and the others were wondering about this when they heard someone say, "It's someone from the Xie clan."

(End of this chapter)