Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 93 Something happened

Xie Chongjun's eyes lit up. This was indeed a good way to deal with the Xie family. Once the Xie family was arrested, many problems would be solved.

What are you waiting for?
Xie Chongjun reached for the stone on the table and was about to call the steward in when the steward entered uninvited.

“Master,” the steward said anxiously, “something has happened. The master has been arrested by the authorities.”

Xie Chongjun clenched his fist.

"What's going on?" Xie Chongjun asked in surprise. "Isn't Brother Zhang studying at home?"

Xie Chongjun valued his eldest son highly. Xie Zizhang could read at the age of three and speak eloquently at the age of seven. The Great Liang Dynasty highly praised child prodigies. Xie Chongjun felt that the reason why his eldest son did not become as famous as those child prodigies was not because he was not as capable as Wang Yan, but because Wang Yan came from the Wang family of Taiyuan, while the Xie family was just a merchant family.

Although the current dynasty no longer deliberately suppresses merchants, and the court allows the sons of merchants to take the imperial examinations to enter officialdom, how difficult is it to obtain the qualification to participate in the examinations?
Xie Chongjun went to great lengths to plan this, all to earn his eldest son a reputation as a "prodigy" so that he could be recommended by the county and smoothly participate in next year's provincial examination.

Therefore, the eldest son must not make any mistakes under any circumstances.

If something really happens... it will be his good-for-nothing illegitimate son who did it.

Looking at the master's gloomy face, the steward said in a low voice, "The master said he was going to pick up the mistress and left early this morning."

Xie Chongjun gritted his teeth: "He didn't go to the Xu family?"

The steward shook his head: "No... he didn't go. When the yamen was arresting people, the master was drinking with some friends in the brothel."

"Why is the yamen arresting people? My son studies all day long and has never been involved in any...filthy things. Is there a mistake?" Xie Chongjun's eyes turned red. "Prepare a horse for me. I'm going to the yamen to find out the truth."

The steward didn't move, but looked outside and said, "Sir, the yamen officials have already entered. They want to take Steward Cui's daughter, Ru Yan, away."

In a moment of impulsiveness, Xie Chongjun disregarded Zhou Hu inside the room and hurriedly left with the steward.

……

The sudden intrusion of the yamen runners into the Xie family's home startled the Xie family members.

The servants from all the courtyards of the Xie family came to inquire about the situation.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Xie family is a well-known merchant family in Daming Prefecture, and that the yamen runners and soldiers usually give them some face. What they fear is not the Xie family, but the fact that the Xie family never hesitates to spend money on bribes. Now that the Xie family is in trouble, they seem to have forgotten their past friendships and have become arrogant and haughty.

Why?

Holding leverage over the Xie family, the more the Xie family is suppressed, the more frightened they become, and the more money they will offer.

However, today was a little different. When they arrived at the Xie family's door, they encountered the patrol officers. The patrol officers worked together to handle the case, completely eliminating any thought the constables might have of accepting bribes.

Knowing that this mission would yield no reward, the constables, harboring resentment and anger, vented their frustration on the Xie family.

"Bring the maid Cui here," the constable coldly ordered. "You have a moment, or we'll take her ourselves."

"What happened?" Xie Chongjun's wife, Zhao, had just returned from offering incense at the temple and was unaware of what had happened. She looked blankly at the group of constables.

The constables glanced at Zhao, and the leader said coldly, "We are only here to arrest people on orders. We know nothing else. If you want to know the details of the case, go to the county government office to inquire."

Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up as she thought of a possibility: "Could there be some misunderstanding?"

She gestured to the steward to hand over the money, but was glared at fiercely by the servant: "Bribing officials is punishable by beatings."

Zhao's face stiffened. She wondered why these constables were so difficult to talk to. Just as she was thinking this, she heard the military patrolman standing on the other side say, "They really are up to no good. Otherwise, they wouldn't have raised such a son."

Young masters and disciples?

Could it be that something happened to Xie Qi?
Zhao gripped her handkerchief tightly. The situation before her was somewhat similar to the outcome she had longed for. She had long hoped that one day she could completely drive that trouble out of the Xie family.

The master had to keep him on because of the porcelain kiln, but if he himself didn't live up to expectations, there was nothing anyone could do, right?
Therefore, even though Zhao knew that Xie Qi was misusing money outside, she still indulged him. She turned a blind eye to Xie Qi taking money from the accounting office, hoping that one day Xie Qi would cause a big mess.

Xie Qi was also clever. While she was indeed dissolute, her indulgences were limited to drinking and merrymaking. She felt a pang of heartache thinking about how her money, which had not only failed to achieve her goal but had instead given Xie Qi freedom. But perseverance pays off; now, she finally had a result…

Zhao took a deep breath, wishing she could see Xie Qi's disheveled state immediately. She had also figured out how to incite the clansmen to force the master to abandon Xie Qi, this rebellious son.

“Go quickly and find the eldest master,” Zhao said, turning around, “and the old master…and the second branch of the family…”

Zhao's voice stopped abruptly as a figure approaching from afar caught her attention.

Dressed in a long blue robe and holding a folding fan, he walked with a swaying gait, exuding the air of a dissolute playboy. Even before he arrived, one could almost smell the scent of perfume mixed with alcohol emanating from him, causing one to involuntarily frown in disgust.

That's Xie Qi, Xie Zishao.

What's Xie Qi doing here?

Master Xie raised his eyes and met Zhao's gaze. He then raised his eyebrows slightly and revealed a strange smile.

For some reason, Zhao suddenly felt a chill in her heart, and a bad thought flashed through her mind.

"Mother...where did she go?"

As if he hadn't even seen the constable, Master Xie bowed to Madam Zhao and asked, "Go and ask for a peace charm for my elder brother?"

At this point, Master Xie suddenly remembered something: "No... it's the Wenchang Talisman... I've forgotten about it. My elder brother will be taking the provincial examination next year."

This should have been Zhao's happiest moment, but now she couldn't quite manage a smile.

"Wenchang Talisman?" one of the military patrolmen suddenly repeated, his voice tinged with contempt.

Zhao's eyelids suddenly twitched violently.

"Let me go, let me go."

"I want to see the old man."

The steward dragged a maid out of the inner courtyard. The maid was wearing a lotus-colored dress and was crying with tears streaming down her face. Even though she was being held by two stewards, she kept struggling.

"How dare you do this? I am a member of the old man's household."

Zhao's face was full of surprise. Her eldest son had only married Xu as his legal wife and had no concubines. Where did this woman in the house come from? Just as she was about to step forward to reprimand her, she saw two yamen runners walk by.

"This is the Cui family?"

The supervising mother nodded hurriedly.

The bailiff took Ru Yan from the steward's hands, but Ru Yan was still struggling.

"Didn't you want to see your master?" the constable said coldly. "Come with me, and you'll see him."

Suddenly, Zhao's mind went blank. She stared at the constables in disbelief, forgetting her fear, and stepped forward, asking, "What did you say? Where are we going to meet? Who are you talking about?"

The bailiff didn't want to pay attention to Zhao, but Zhao, upon hearing him mention her son, refused to give up and reached out to block the bailiff's path.

"Can you explain yourselves clearly?"

“You’re not talking about Xie Zizhang. My son Zhang is a scholar, and his reputation shouldn’t be tarnished by others.”

Zhao's aggressive behavior finally angered the yamen runner, who said sarcastically, "We're tarnishing his reputation? He walked through several streets in disheveled clothes. Whether he can pass the imperial examination and become an official in the Imperial Street is still unknown, but right now... quite a few people in Daming Prefecture do remember what he looks like."

As soon as the constable finished speaking, the other constables and military patrolmen burst into laughter.

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(End of this chapter)