Wei Quan stepped through the gates of the He family estate and immediately spotted He Tai Tai’s third brother chasing after He Qingyuan, who was running around the grape trellis, panting heavily. He Hao had seemingly hidden away, while He Shaonai was being supported by her maid, anxiously standing on the steps of the west wing, shouting, “Stop fighting, stop fighting!”
Meanwhile, He Tai Tai sat on a beautiful couch in the main hall, accompanied by her sister-in-law from her maternal family, crying and scolding He Qingyuan, calling him “an old scoundrel” and “an old fool.” He Tai Tai’s brother, who was a county magistrate, had not come, and aside from one nephew who was leisurely chasing after He Qingyuan, shouting, “Uncle, let’s talk this over nicely; don’t hurt my uncle,” the other brothers and nephews seemed oblivious to the chaos in the courtyard, surrounding He Tai Tai to comfort her.
Wei Quan shrugged his shoulders, contemplating a quick escape. However, He Qingyuan’s sharp gaze caught sight of him, and he called out loudly, “Bai Rui, come help!”
Wei Quan dared not offend He Qingyuan, nor did he want to provoke He Tai Tai’s maternal family. He stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, and respectfully addressed him, “Third Uncle.”
He Tai Tai was not seeking a divorce from He Qingyuan, so her family members would not lay hands on their son-in-law. If it weren’t for Wei Quan, He Qingyuan, at his age, would not be foolish enough to take a mistress.
He Tai Tai’s third brother, filled with anger upon seeing Wei Quan, remained silent and threw a punch at his face. Wei Quan was caught off guard, exclaiming, “Ouch!” as he stumbled and fell to the ground.
“You’ve ruined a good family business, seduced by this troublemaker!” He Tai Tai’s third brother shouted, his anger boiling over as he mounted Wei Quan and began to pummel him mercilessly.
He Qingyuan finally managed to shake off the brute and, still shaken, hid behind a screen, yelling at the guards, “Are you all dead? You useless fools only know how to eat and not work!”
Several guards rushed out with fawning expressions, followed by the previously unseen He Hao. If it weren’t for that little brat’s betrayal, how could his beauty have vanished and his brother come to beat him?
He Qingyuan cursed, “You little brat, are you happy seeing your father getting beaten?” and slapped He Hao across the face.
He Shaonai let out a sharp scream. He Hao cried out like a slaughtered pig.
He Tai Tai, momentarily forgetting her tears and curses, shouted, “He Qingyuan, how dare you hit my son? I’ll fight you!” She lifted her skirts and charged out from the main hall.
He Qingyuan, startled, considered fleeing but was interrupted by a woman sauntering in from behind the screen.
He recognized her as Wei Quan’s mistress and was momentarily taken aback. He said in a low voice, “How did you get in here?”
The woman had been in the courtyard for only two or three months, and since Wei Quan had no intention of marrying her, she still acted according to the customs of the courtyard. She threw a flirtatious glance at He Qingyuan and said, “I came to find my man! The young master here knows me and let me in.” She added sweetly, “What’s going on, He Laoye? It’s causing quite a stir in the neighborhood…”
If it weren’t for the He family being the largest gentry in the area, someone would have already surrounded their front gate.
He Qingyuan’s face turned purple with rage as he blamed He Tai Tai for disregarding their marital bond, making him the laughingstock of Qingyuan County. He shouted at the gate, “What kind of guards are you? Letting in anyone, regardless of whether they smell good or bad! Do you want to be sold to the salt fields to dry salt?”
As he was yelling, a commotion erupted outside, and a dozen constables stormed in, surrounding the entire courtyard.
Everyone in the courtyard froze in shock.
He Tai Tai stood dumbfounded in the center of the courtyard, her mouth agape. He Tai Tai’s third brother’s fist hung in mid-air, and the crowd following He Tai Tai was equally bewildered. The large courtyard was filled only with Wei Quan’s groans.
In this strange atmosphere, the constable from Qingyuan County entered, accompanied by the county clerk, who was all too familiar to the people in the courtyard, causing them to breathe a sigh of relief.
He Tai Tai’s fourth brother greeted them with a smile, “Sir, do you remember me? I’m the fourth son of the magistrate’s family. What’s going on? Why do you need to come personally? This is our son-in-law’s family…”
As he spoke, He Qingyuan slipped a fifty-tael silver note into the clerk’s hand.
However, the clerk, who had been drinking flower wine with him just yesterday, suddenly turned hostile, throwing the silver note back at He Qingyuan’s face and adopting a righteous demeanor. He sternly declared, “The emperor’s law applies to all, regardless of status! The He family colludes with bandits, harming the neighborhood. Don’t think that just because you’re related to the magistrate, you can escape punishment.” He then shouted at the constables, “Why aren’t you binding these accomplices?”
The people in the courtyard were dumbfounded.
The constables, like wolves, surged forward, arresting everyone in sight, whether they were from the He family or He Tai Tai’s maternal family, grabbing anyone they could.
Screams of panic erupted from the women in the courtyard.
He Tai Tai’s fourth brother, panicking, exclaimed, “What is going on? How could we possibly collude with bandits…”
Even if they had committed a crime, it was unreasonable to arrest the women of the family as well.
The clerk sneered.
The magistrate was in charge of the prison and was the direct superior of the constables. He had received many favors from the He family, and now he pointed to the sky, indicating that instead of wasting words with the clerk, it would be better to speak with the county magistrate.
Although He Qingyuan and He Tai Tai’s fourth brother nodded gratefully at the constable, they felt a growing sense of unease, sensing that this matter was not simple.
In the courtyard, Wei Quan’s mistress cried out in panic, “Why are you arresting me? I was just here to watch the commotion!”
Wei Quan added, “We were just here to mediate; you’ve got the wrong people!”
The constables coldly replied, “We are under orders to arrest everyone in this courtyard. If you have grievances, you can address them at the county jail.”
He Tai Tai’s maternal family had been officials for generations; who in the Qingyuan County government didn’t know him? The constable spoke harshly, and there wasn’t a single familiar face around.
He Tai Tai’s fourth brother felt his heart sink.
He anxiously glanced at He Qingyuan, whose face was filled with shock and agitation. He could only smile ingratiatingly at the clerk, “Sir, you see, our sisters and wives are just women…”
The clerk showed no mercy, his face cold as he replied, “Didn’t I just say? Anyone living in this courtyard must be taken to the magistrate’s office. Are they not living beings?”
He Tai Tai’s fourth brother’s eyes widened in disbelief, realizing he was under the eaves and that a wise man does not suffer immediate losses. With his elder brother outside handling matters, he lowered his head and retreated.
He Tai Tai’s third brother, however, thought differently. He turned to He Qingyuan and said, “What have you done? You’ve dragged our family into this mess! When we see our elder brother later, you’ll take a punch from me first.”
But when he entered the Qingyuan County jail, he found himself speechless—He Tai Tai’s brother, the magistrate, had already been locked up before them.
“What is going on?” He Tai Tai cried as she rushed over.
“How should I know?” The magistrate glared at He Qingyuan, his face as cold as ice. “Who did you offend? Even the county magistrate is being so secretive!”
“We businesspeople value harmony and profit; how could I offend anyone?” He Qingyuan replied, a sudden thought striking him. “Did you offend someone? I certainly can’t offend someone like that!”
The two began to argue back and forth.
Meanwhile, Wei Quan, with a face swollen and bruised like a pig’s head, quietly pulled a familiar jailer aside and slipped him a piece of silver, whispering, “Brother, do me a favor and let me go. You know, I’m just acquainted with these two families.”
They had been locked up since their arrival and had not yet been tried.
The jailer pocketed the silver, glancing at the furious He Qingyuan, and whispered, “Who else do you have to rely on? I can pass a message to you, but beyond that, I can’t help! This case is being handled by someone sent from the government, and even the constables are dispatched from there. The county magistrate has to take a back seat.”
What was supposed to be a peaceful day turned into a chaotic mess!
Now, he had gotten himself caught up in it.
If he were truly branded as “colluding with bandits and harming the neighborhood,” he would either be executed or exiled.
Wei Quan was filled with regret.
Suddenly, the jail door clanged open, and several unfamiliar constables marched in, escorting He Tai Tai’s sister-in-law, nephews, and nieces.
“Daddy!”
“Master!”
“Sister-in-law!”
The jail was filled with cries and chaos, resembling a market scene.
Wei Quan couldn’t help but tremble.
What was happening?
Were they going to wipe out the family?
The He family was merely a gentry family, and He Tai Tai’s maternal family was just a family of officials. Did they have the qualifications for such a fate?
“Who has the He family offended?” In the sweltering summer, Wei Quan felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit, his teeth chattering.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Song Mo stood at the large desk practicing calligraphy.
Xia Lian entered quietly, bowing to Song Mo and saying solemnly, “The people from Qingyuan County have all been arrested. Lord Liu is asking how to report this to the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court.”
Song Mo set down her brush, took the handkerchief Wu Yi offered to wipe her hands, and said, “All the men are to be exiled to Xining Wei, and the women are to be sold to the brothels without registration.”
Xia Lian was not surprised, quietly acknowledging and then retreating.
Song Mo pondered for a moment and instructed Wu Yi, “Go fetch Lu Ming.”
Wu Yi had been serving Song Mo for some time and knew that the more nonchalant she appeared, the more troubled she was inside.
He cautiously exited the study.
Before long, Lu Ming arrived.
Song Mo said, “You will escort the people from Qingyuan County to Xining Wei. Make sure that Wei Quan and He Hao do not die on the way. I’ve heard that sometimes there aren’t even military prostitutes in the northwest; they just find some pretty faces to fill in, and these two are just right for the job.”
Lu Ming nodded in acknowledgment.
Song Mo, still feeling unsatisfied, snapped a pen in half and threw it to the ground before turning and heading to Bishi Pavilion.