CHAPTER 398: CHAPTER 395: A FAMILY

Xie Liangchen walked into the courtyard and saw the government officials waiting nearby.

The officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Justice, and the eunuch were inside the house speaking with Song Xian.

Chen Zigeng came over and said, "Those people are here to question Brother about the case, and Uncle is inside accompanying him. Just now, while delivering tea, I heard them ask Brother if he knew a Deputy General with the surname Jiang, who is now serving in the Capital Camp. Brother said he did not recognize him."

Xie Liangchen nodded. It seemed there was an issue with this Deputy General Jiang. Since Song Xian had come to the capital, he had visited few people besides the government office. Living in this courtyard, they were surrounded by informants, and their every move was under watch.

This was why they did not send away everyone from the Xu Family who was sent here. Although there were many inconveniences living here, it allowed the emperor to rest easy.

Chen Zigeng lowered his voice, "It looks like nothing serious. If they indeed had evidence, the questioning wouldn’t be so secretive, and they wouldn’t allow Uncle to be present. Mr. Dongli also told me that throughout history, cases are always determined by separating and interrogating people separately to prevent collusion."

Xie Liangchen nodded; Zigeng’s guess was likely accurate.

As they spoke, Old Mrs. Chen also came into the courtyard, and Xie Liangchen and Chen Zigeng went over, supporting her on either side.

These days, Old Mrs. Chen had been staying in the room with Mrs. Gao, calculating accounts. Although Old Mrs. Chen’s method of accounting was incomprehensible to others, she herself was clear about the amount of silver coin made from the paper, the expenses incurred during transport, and the losses.

When they returned to Chen Family Village, several paper workshops would need to be opened, requiring many people. They couldn’t rely entirely on her granddaughter to manage everything alone. She had to help and also teach Mrs. Gao so that she could lend a hand when needed.

As Old Mrs. Chen was speaking with Mrs. Gao, she heard that people from the court had come to see Song Xian. Upon hearing that they were people from the Ministry of Justice, she knew it was not good news.

Where there is involvement with legal cases, bringing gifts would obviously be related to some kind of trouble for Song Xian.

She had to come and see no matter what.

The group of grandchildren had not exchanged a few words before the officials from the Ministry of Justice and the eunuch lifted the curtain and came out.

Seeing the soon-to-be honored old lady and Commandery Princess Jia’an, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice hurriedly stepped forward to exchange greetings.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice said, "I didn’t expect we would startle the old lady."

Old Mrs. Chen laughed and said, "I heard there were guests at home, so I brought my grandchildren to take a look to avoid neglecting the distinguished guests."

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice merely said, "I wouldn’t dare."

The eunuch said, "Song Jiedu was injured, and it was fortunate that the old lady was there to take care of him."

Old Mrs. Chen’s eyes turned into a line with laughter, controlling herself not to show her missing tooth: "What are you saying, Lord Eunuch? Since the Emperor granted the marriage, he is already a child of our family, and looking after him is our duty."

Song Xian lay on the kang, listening to Old Mrs. Chen speaking outside.

If this were at the Song Family, Song Qizheng, upon seeing officials from the court, would only think that he had caused some trouble and would try every means to avoid suspicion, let alone say something like "our family child."

He and Liangchen were not yet married, but Old Mrs. Chen’s words might make those who constantly talk about "propriety" laugh at their lack of understanding of rules. Still, they would not understand that such genuine sincerity is a rare treasure.

Song Xian had always liked the feeling of Chen Family Village. Now, being part of it, becoming a Chen Family Village person, he deeply felt the warmth within.

Growing up in the Song Family taught him a lesson: never relying on others. He fought bravely alone on the battlefield, and even when Song Qizheng’s troops were just thirty miles away, he never sought their help.

He often admonished himself that it was best not to depend on others, but in truth, those thoughts were merely self-deception.

To be cared for and loved is what truly makes the heart joyful and at ease.

Xie Liangchen entered the room to find Song Xian already risen from the kang, standing there lost in thought.

Xie Liangchen thought Song Xian was mulling over the case: "What did the people from the Ministry of Justice say just now?"

Song Xian seemed to awaken from a daze, turning to smile at Xie Liangchen: "I heard everything Grandmother said."

Xie Liangchen instinctively asked, "What did Grandmother say?"

"Grandmother said," Song Xian walked forward, encircling Xie Liangchen’s waist with his arms, drawing her into his embrace, and then lowered his head to her ear, "that I am her family’s child."

So that was what he heard.

Xie Liangchen felt that Song Xian was becoming more adept at intimate gestures, seizing any moment to embrace her or hold her hand.

Sometimes, he would even block her path, insisting on some affectionate gestures before letting her go.

"I used to think I didn’t like staying at home," Song Xian spoke softly, "but now I realize I do. I like the liveliness of home, everyone together, happily."

A drunk, clingy Song Xian who followed her with every step didn’t seem like someone who preferred solitude.

Xie Liangchen kept silent.

Song Xian continued, "Liangchen, why don’t we get married soon and have many children, and in the future, enjoy the pleasures of grandparenthood?"

He was becoming more and more outrageous. Xie Liangchen’s ears felt as if they were on fire, burning hot. Before betrothal, he spoke incessantly of marriage; after betrothal, he began talking about children.

But these were things they did not have in their previous life.

Hearing noises from the courtyard, Xie Liangchen broke free from Song Xian’s embrace: "Sit properly, and tell me what the Ministry of Justice asked just now."

Song Xian’s wound had already scabbed over, so it was fine for him to sit for a while.

Song Xian said, "I find it more comfortable to stand a while longer."

Xie Liangchen tried not to think about the condition of Song Xian’s wound on his behind, but the more she tried to avoid it, the more peculiar it felt.

Xie Liangchen asked, "Has the military envoy escorting Xiao Xingzong confessed yet?"

Song Xian replied, "The eunuch spoke to me privately. Xiao Xingzong mentioned Prince Guangyang’s case and claimed I instructed him to falsely accuse the Emperor. However, the Emperor absolutely does not believe Xiao Xingzong’s words and has instructed them to investigate closely. They discovered during interrogation that Wei Junshi frequently isolated people to have private meetings with Xiao Xingzong, suspecting his involvement in the matter."

Wei Junshi was the emissary the Emperor sent to poison Xiao Xingzong, but he seemed to have followed someone else’s orders in secret, deliberately setting up this double-edged scheme.

Xie Liangchen asked, "Who is this Deputy General Jiang?"

Song Xian replied, "My informants outside said court officials, besides coming here, also went to the Wang family residence in Xizhou and took away Commander Wang’s son, Wang Jin. The Deputy General Jiang is likely connected to the Wang Family."

"If the Wang Family is behind this, then we can use Mr. Dongli’s top strategy from the three strategies he proposed."

Even if only the Wang Family is implicated now, it already works to Song Xian’s and their advantage.

Song Xian said, "After this case, the Wang Family won’t be able to meddle in the Eight States’ affairs anymore."