Chapter 08: Wisdom Arises in Urgency

A man and a woman were seen bound in front of the hall, and the curious guests who came to pay their respects gathered around, whispering and discussing among themselves. At that moment, Mrs. Yang and her brother walked in from the backyard, prompting the many guests to quickly suppress their curiosity and step forward to offer their condolences

Madam Yang cast a cold glance at Ye Xiaotian and the pale-faced woman who looked both shocked and angry, and addressed the guests present: "My late husband has passed away, and I am deeply grateful to all of you for coming to pay your respects. However, during the mourning period for my late husband, this wretched maid..."

Madam Yang sneered and said: "What could he possibly say? It is clear that they are a pair of adulterers, their illicit affair exposed, and they are merely trying to concoct excuses. Listening to what he has to say, Old Patriarch, in my opinion, it would be better to put these two scoundrels in a pig cage."

The brother-in-law's will? Hu Zhixian was taken aback, suddenly turning around to glance at Ye Xiaotian, then casting a faint look at Yang Sanshou. Given his status, it was naturally inappropriate for him to bend down and rummage through someone else's boot. Yang Sanshou understood the implication and quickly stepped forward, bending down to remove Ye Xiaotian's tattered boot, pinching his nose as he retrieved a letter from the sole.

Hu Kuo's expression darkened, and he said with displeasure: "Nonsense! In broad daylight, with so many witnesses, can people from the government be impersonated at will? Or is it that you have nothing to say, so you are making a fuss and trying to buy time. Hmm?"

A bystander nearby exclaimed loudly: "This young man, the person before you is indeed the elder of this county, so if you have anything to say, hurry up and speak, do not mislead yourself."

Elder Patriarch, I have now captured this pair of adulterers. This is a matter of my Yang family, and more importantly, it concerns the Yang clan. My husband is no longer present, and as a mere woman, I am unsure how to handle this situation. I must ask for your guidance, esteemed Patriarch.

If Madam Yang, under pressure from public opinion, does not want to publicly tear her face, even if she agrees to divide the inheritance with this young woman, she will surely hate me to the bone. In this magistrate's territory, if they want to quietly eliminate an outsider like me, would it not be as easy as pie

Upon hearing Madam Yang's reference to County Magistrate Hu, Ye Xiaotian was immediately struck by a chill that surged from the Yongquan point at the soles of his feet all the way to the Baihui point at the crown of his head, leaving him feeling cold all over, with his hair standing on end: "Brother? This County Magistrate of Jingzhou is actually Madam Yang's brother!"

Ye Xiaotian coldly laughed and said: "I am naturally open and aboveboard, but I have long heard of your wife Yang's character. If it were not for the public office, who would know whether you would cover the sky with one hand."

Ye Xiaotian was taken aback for a moment, sizing him up from head to toe, and hesitantly asked, "Are you truly the local magistrate?"

The old man appears to be in his seventies or eighties, with a face full of wrinkles and hair as white as snow. He is leaning on a golden-hued cane, and he is the elder of the Yang family from Jingzhou. Madam Yang whispered a few words to him, then turned to the crowd and said in a loud voice: "Dear friends and family, I have something to say."

The old patriarch cupped his ear and said in a voice like thunder, "Ah? From the Liu family, what did you say? What happened to your door? Speak up a bit louder, I can't hear clearly."

The hard-of-hearing elder of the Yang family was still shouting, "What did she say? Why did they tie her up? Did she damage the gate of your house?"

Ye Xiaotian glanced at her and said proudly: "Today, the Yang family has guests from all directions, but I wonder if there are any officials among them? This important matter of mine must be stated in front of government officials; otherwise, I fear that some may not be able to judge fairly."

Ye Xiaotian cast a cold smile and glanced at Madam Yang, already envisioning the splendid expression that this Madam Yang would have after the county magistrate Hu read the will

Ye Xiaotian was eyeing Yang Lin's beautiful daughter with a furtive gaze, sensing something unusual, he turned his head and saw an elderly woman dressed in mourning attire speaking with a white-haired old man who was leaning on a cane and cupping his ear. It was evident that the crowd present was centered around the two of them.

Once the words were spoken, it was as if a clap of thunder had struck the ground, and the guests in the hall were immediately thrown into an uproar, all turning to look at the woman, their faces displaying the utmost disdain.

Madam Yang was slightly taken aback; although she was eager to eliminate that woman, she could not suppress her curiosity and could not help but ask: "What is the big deal?"

Madam Yang pointed at the woman with a graceful appearance and delicate figure, gritting her teeth as she said: "This wretched maid actually dares to engage in an illicit affair with someone during my husband's mourning period, committing such an outrageous act!"

Ye Xiaotian exclaimed: "Indeed, I was in this young lady's room at that time... No, in the courtyard! However, I assure you, I do not have any illicit relationship with this young lady. When I arrived in that courtyard, I had not even introduced myself to her. I truly have an important matter to discuss with her"

When Ye Xiaotian took out the letter, he had not yet revealed the answer to the riddle, intending to wait for County Magistrate Hu to read the letter and create a dramatic twist. This would have a theatrical effect, as he often enjoyed watching plays in the capital, considering himself a minor theater enthusiast, which could be regarded as one of his peculiar interests

Madam Yang did not truly believe that this young man with a foreign accent was an adulterer, but she wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate her thorn in the flesh, so she did not question him. Instead, she coldly laughed and said, "You say there is none, so there is none? San Shou, tell everyone where you caught him."

However, the lies he has told in the past have never been as significant as the one he spoke today, for it is a life-saving lie. Moreover, none of the lies he has previously told have been so perfect, so reasonable, and so shameless, to the extent that it has influenced his entire life.

The elderly patriarch of the Yang family cupped his ears and exclaimed with a beaming smile: "Piglets? Yes, indeed! My old sow just gave birth to a litter yesterday, fifteen piglets in total, all alive. Haha, you've heard about it too, haven't you?"

The old man has poor hearing due to his advanced age, and his mind is somewhat muddled as well. Otherwise, just by observing the situation, he should have realized that something was amiss. As a result, he is confused and merely interjects, while those around him are aware of his confusion and pay no attention to what he says

Ye Xiaotian never expected that Madam Yang would condemn him without even asking a single question. In that instant, he understood Madam Yang's malicious scheme. He was taken aback to realize that not only was Madam Yang obsessed with wealth, but she also harbored such a narrow-mindedness. Simply because her husband favored his concubine, and because she herself had borne no children while the concubine had given birth to a daughter for her husband, she harbored such deep resentment that she actually wished to see the concubine's daughter come to a tragic end.

Ye Xiaotian shouted loudly, "Madam Yang! This is completely nonsense. You must not speak without basis. I, Ye Xiaotian, have never met this young lady before; we are total strangers. Where could there be any illicit affair?"

Madam Yang, upon hearing that this was her husband's last letter, could not help but be deeply moved. She stepped forward and asked County Magistrate Hu, "Brother, what does the letter say?"

Madam Yang sneered repeatedly, completely ignoring her words, and only said to the old patriarch Yang: "This matter has the steward and the house servants as witnesses. The adulterous couple was caught red-handed on the spot. If it were not for this, how could I possibly demean myself and bring shame to the family?"

Yang Sanshou held his breath, unfolded the letter, and presented it before County Magistrate Hu. County Magistrate Hu then took a handkerchief from his sleeve, shook it in the wind, and covered his mouth and nose with it.

County Magistrate Hu took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, unfolded it, and pinched it with two fingers to block his nostrils, while he was looking at the letter held up by Yang Sanshou. Ye Xiaotian saw the woman and, in a moment of urgency, took a deep breath and said loudly: "Old Sir, this letter says..."

Yang Sanshou stepped forward two paces and addressed the crowd: "Esteemed gentlemen, I am Yang Sanshou, the steward of the Yang residence. This person has been sneaking into the Yang residence to meet with that lowly maid. Just as they were in the midst of undressing, I happened to deliver the monthly allowance, and by chance discovered them. That is why I captured them and brought them to the lady for her judgment"

No one has ever lived a life without telling a single lie. Ye Xiaotian has naturally told many lies, to his superiors, to his colleagues, to his parents and elder brothers, and even to the officials. There are lies told with good intentions, as well as those with malicious intent

Lady Yang angrily said: "If you are open and aboveboard, what is there that cannot be spoken to others?"

Hu Kuo said to Ye Xiaotian indifferently: "If you have nothing to say, then there is no need to speak. Such disgraceful matters are of no concern to me; I shall leave them to the old patriarch of the Yang family to handle"

Ye Xiaotian's words naturally piqued the curiosity of the guests, and a wave of whispers filled the hall. The elderly man in a long robe, who had been casually standing to one side since entering the hall, suddenly smiled slightly, stepped forward a couple of paces, and said in a calm voice: "I am Hu Kuo, the county magistrate of Jingzhou. If you have something to say, feel free to speak to me!"

Now that he sees that this county magistrate is actually the elder brother of Madam Yang, he can no longer put on airs. However, the truth still cannot be spoken, as that would be risking his life. Thus, in an instant, Ye Xiaotian concocted a colossal lie.

The beautiful young woman stared in shock with her wide, lovely eyes, seemingly unable to believe that Madam Yang had concocted such an unbearable accusation against her. Looking at Madam Yang in disbelief, she suddenly burst into tears, choking with anger as she exclaimed: "I did not, I did not! You are wronging me!"

Ye Xiaotian was both shocked and frightened, his gaze darting around in a panic, suddenly fixing on the face of a beautiful woman filled with grief and indignation

Seeing this situation, Ye Xiaotian had no choice but to call out: "My lord, please take care! There is a letter inside this boot, personally written by Lord Yang of our office. As soon as you take it out and read it, the truth will naturally be revealed."

County Magistrate Hu frowned as he looked at the letter, which was stained with sweat and reeked of foul odor, and with a face full of disgust, he ordered Yang Sanshou: "Open it!"

Ye Xiaotian never expected that his greatest source of security would actually be the brother of Madam Yang, this is terrible! Ye Xiaotian's heart raced like a spark, and he urgently calculated: "Madam Yang hates that concubine-born daughter to the core, she would never be willing to share her inheritance with her. If she is determined to deal with me, how could her own brother not assist her? And which of these gentry in Jingzhou would offend the local officials for the sake of an outsider like me?"