Chapter 4: Shelter

Yang Qin began learning to read at the age of three. His father had left behind many books, and his mother would teach him the characters she knew. As he grew a little older, he would write down the characters he didn't recognize and take them to the scholar in the neighboring ward to ask for their meanings.

Among those books was a copy of the *Daliang Code* hand-copied by his father. Even though Yang Qin could not yet understand it all, he knew what kind of crime arson was.

Even if the imperial court wouldn't arrest a child of his age, the clan would punish him, and it would inevitably cost his family a great deal of money.

Admitting to Inspector He that he was the one who did it, Yang Qin was actually very afraid, especially after seeing Inspector He’s expression become even more stern...

Yang Qin subconsciously straightened his back. He didn't regret saying it. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Xie Yuyan, who was wearing the red bridal gown, and immediately began to worry whether Inspector He had noticed.

Just as Yang Qin was pondering this, he felt a warmth on his head; He Tan’s hand was gently patting it.

A child’s secrets cannot be hidden from adults. What Yang Qin thought was a "slip-up" was seen by Inspector He as the child confirming the woman's safety.

What kind of situation could drive a child this young to choose to set a fire to create a commotion rather than seek help from the adults in his own home?

"Inspector He," Yang Mingjing tried to speak again, "I will order someone to go to the Xie family and summon them here to clarify things. After all, this is a female member of the Xie family, and we are unaware of the inside story. Why don't you go to the inner hall to sit for a while? How does that sound?"

Yang Mingjing only hoped that Inspector He would agree, giving him a moment to clean up the mess.

Before Inspector He could respond, there was another burst of noisy commotion.

A woman was screaming shrilly.

"Don't come looking for me... every debt has its debtor... it wasn't me who caused your death..."

"I was only helping the Xie family cover it up..."

"I didn't take your life, don't come to me to claim it."

Interspersed with these words were intermittent sobs.

Yang Mingshan was all too familiar with this voice; it was his wife, Madam Zou.

The Yang family servants scrambled to carry Madam Zou over. She was still struggling incessantly, and especially upon seeing Xie Yuyan to the side, Madam Zou’s face flushed red, and she nearly fainted again.

The scene became even more chaotic.

Yang Mingjing, however, fell silent, cold sweat streaming down his forehead...

Madam Zou’s words just now were crystal clear. Unless the inspector was intentionally biased, he would never act as if nothing had happened.

Yang Mingshan was not as calm. He went to Madam Zou’s side and said sharply, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

When Madam Zou saw her husband, her eyes lit up instantly, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Husband," Madam Zou wished she could shrink into Yang Mingshan’s arms, "She has turned into a ghost and come to harm us! You must think of a way—it was you who arranged the marriage with the Xie family, go and ask the Xie family, what exactly..."

*Slap!* With a sharp sound, Madam Zou’s vision went black. A burning pain flared on her cheek, and her ears rang.

Yang Mingshan said sternly, "I think you’ve gone mad."

Madam Zou, already unsteady on her feet, collapsed to the ground after being struck. In her terror and confusion, she tried to speak again, but Yang Mingshan rolled up his sleeves.

"Fourth brother," Yang Mingjing called out to warn him, and only then did Yang Mingshan stop.

Without needing He Tan to give an order, Chen Ju said coldly, "Have you hit her enough? We can wait a while longer."

The case had not been tried, but the Yang family had confirmed their knowledge of the matter and their failure to report it. No matter what Yang Mingshan did, everyone present could serve as clear evidence—evidence they had delivered to the inspector’s hands themselves.

He Tan looked at Yang Mingjing: "It seems this is not the place to talk."

A glimmer of hope ignited in Yang Mingjing’s heart.

He Tan lifted his foot to walk out. Yang Mingjing immediately moved to follow, but his path was blocked by Chen Ju.

After Inspector He left, Chen Ju gave a low order: "Take everyone away. Don't leave a single person behind. If any more lives are lost, you will be the ones held accountable."

These words were spoken to the patrol guards, but hearing them made Yang Mingjing’s face turn pale; this was a warning to the Yang family.

Two older women helped Xie Yuyan up. Chen Ju’s gaze swept over the woman’s loosely tied collar, and he hurriedly turned his face away to look at Yang Mingjing.

"Prepare a carriage."

Yang Mingjing called for a few women to help, and they sent the woman, Madam Zhang, and Yang Qin into the carriage. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Chen Ju’s voice came from behind him.

"Clan Leader Yang," Chen Ju sat on his horse, looking down at him with a sidelong glance, "On what month and day did your nephew die in battle? What was his date of birth? How old would he be today?"

Yang Mingjing hadn't specifically memorized these details, and after such a chaotic ordeal, his mind went blank; he found himself unable to speak.

Chen Ju looked up at the Yang family gate and let out a cold laugh.

...

Madam Zhang and Yang Qin sat in the carriage, staring blankly at Xie Yuyan beside them.

Since Yang Mingsheng passed away, this was the first time they, mother and son, had been treated with such courtesy by their clansmen.

They had been cautious and timid for so many years, yet it couldn't compare to the fire Yang Qin had set.

"Are you alright?" Madam Zhang asked with concern, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? When we arrive at the yamen, I will beg that Commander Chen to invite a physician for you."

"They will invite one," Xie Yuyan said, "and they will also find a midwife."

The midwife was there to examine the women.

Hearing this, Madam Zhang couldn't help but feel worried; she knew nothing about Xie Yuyan.

"Where are you from? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Madam Zhang asked after much hesitation. After what had just happened, she felt a sense of closeness to Xie Yuyan.

Xie Yuyan was the first person in all these years to stand up for her and her son.

She had caused a huge stir and dealt a heavy blow to Yang Mingjing and Yang Mingshan.

Xie Yuyan shook her head: "Perhaps the injury was too severe; I don't remember anything."

After waking up, the first thing Xie Yuyan did was confirm the identity of the original owner of this body. Later, she heard the conversation between Madam Zhang and Madam Zou and realized she was not the "Tenth Miss Xie."

Fortunately, there were no characters tattooed on her face, no signs of whipping on her body, and no marks of a cangue on her neck.

Xie Yuyan spoke of her deductions and held out her hands for Madam Zhang to see: "There are no calluses between my fingers from labor or playing the zither, which shows I have never been in the Jiaofangsi (Music Bureau)."

These might not be comprehensive, but they were enough to prove her background was clean.

Xie Yuyan tucked her hands back into her sleeves: "I also hope the yamen can investigate my background and find my family."

But Xie Yuyan felt it might not be that easy.

The original owner of this body had not suffered the hardships of labor, yet there were calluses on her fingers from holding a brush. The Xie family only needed to buy a corpse; they didn't necessarily need a woman from a wealthy family.

Her origins might require quite a bit of trouble to uncover.

Xie Yuyan looked at Madam Zhang: "What about you? What do you plan to do in the future?"

Madam Zhang was stunned by the question, and only after a moment did she say, "Naturally... go home."

Xie Yuyan looked at the bewildered Madam Zhang and changed her approach: "The Yang family cannot be a pillar of support for you and your son."

Madam Zhang clearly hadn't thought about this: "It's not that I can't leave the Yang family with Jiulang, but the Yang clan is, after all, Jiulang’s ancestral clan. No matter what we do in the future, we cannot bypass the clan's guarantee..."

She feared the elders would make things difficult, which was why she had been swallowing her pride within the clan.

Madam Zhang saw a meaningful smile tug at the corners of Xie Yuyan’s mouth: "Why leave? Aren't those houses, fields, and clansmen all yours?"

"I am telling you to find another source of support."

Yang Qin was the first to react: "Where should we look?"

Xie Yuyan reached out and pointed outside: "Commander Liu has already found it for you."

Outside the carriage were Commander Chen and a squad of veteran soldiers acting as patrol guards.

Xie Yuyan paused for a moment before speaking again: "However, pity is only temporary. If you want their protection, you must be useful to them."

Yang Qin’s eyes widened. He knew Xie Yuyan was teaching him to do "bad things" again, but he desperately wanted to keep listening.

Yang Qin stood up and bowed respectfully before Xie Yuyan: "I beg Miss Xie to teach me. I will never forget this great kindness."

Xie Yuyan looked down at the small figure.

He had once called her "Your Majesty" and "Sage," but this was the first time he had called her "Miss Xie." Having had his loyal following in her past life, she naturally couldn't watch him walk the same old path now.

...

He Tan returned to the patrol yamen with his men. Stepping into the second hall, he saw a shadow processing official documents in the room.

"I encountered a case today."

The shadow did not look up upon hearing this. He Tan was long used to it and didn't mind.

"A seven-year-old child burned down his own ancestral home to save someone."

The shadow’s brush did not stop.

He Tan said: "The person he saved was a bride for a ghost marriage."

"When I asked the child, he didn't hide it and admitted he started the fire. What do you think?"

The shadow finally looked up: "Were you being used?"

"If you were being used, they might know your purpose for coming to Daming Prefecture as an inspector, and then you’ll be in big trouble."