Chapter 10

Hu Zhixian, after all, was a seasoned official. While others were still in a daze, he had already made up his mind and was fully awake.

His sister, Misaki, could no longer tolerate Shuiwu, but the Yang family was a major clan in Jingzhou. Selling the head of the household's beloved concubine to a butcher would invite too much criticism. The Yang family's reputation was already poor, and such an action would be highly inappropriate.

Moreover, even if the lowly servant girl were sold, her young daughter, as Yang Lin's blood, would still have to remain in the household. The current situation was the best, a clean break.

With this in mind, Hu Zhixian took a few steps forward and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, in this world, no couple is without its conflicts. My sister and her husband had some disagreements, but they were all trivial matters. Now that her husband has passed away, my sister, as the head of the Yang family and the main wife, would not mistreat a concubine. However, it seems that her husband misunderstood her deeply."

"But a man of honor stands by his word. As a husband and a father, he had the right to make such arrangements. His will must be respected. In his letter, he expressed his desire to repay a debt of gratitude by marrying his daughter to Ye Xiaotian. Because the daughter is young, he requested that her mother accompany her. Therefore, I hereby rule: Yang Leyao shall be married to Ye Xiaotian, and her mother, Xue Shuiwu, shall accompany them to the capital!"

After saying this, Hu Zhixian said sternly, "San Shou, untie them."

Upon hearing this, Yang San Shou hurriedly went to untie Xue Shuiwu and Ye Xiaotian. Yang's wife frowned and could not help but step forward, whispering, "Brother..."

Hu Zhixian gave her a stern look, and although Yang's wife was full of dissatisfaction with her brother's decision, she did not dare to say anything more and had to stop herself in anger.

Hu Zhixian turned to Ye Xiaotian with a smile and said, "Xiaotian, the journey from here to the capital is long and difficult, making it hard for the Yang family to take care of my late brother. When my brother was in the capital, you took good care of him, which was a great kindness. However, since we are now one family, I will not mention the word 'thanks.'"

Ye Xiaotian flexed his wrists and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency speaks the truth."

Hu Zhixian chuckled and continued, "You have come a long way, and you must be tired. Stay at the Yang residence for a few days to rest. When you are ready, I will send someone to escort you on your journey."

When Ye Xiaotian heard the words "on your journey," his heart skipped a beat. He was eager to leave and did not dare to stay, fearing that the Yang family might have ulterior motives. If they were to kill him and bury him in a remote area, he would have no way to seek justice.

Ye Xiaotian quickly said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency, but I have elderly parents to support, and I am eager to return home. I hope Your Excellency will grant me permission to leave immediately with... my wife."

When he said "wife," Ye Xiaotian glanced at the tearful little girl and then at the beautiful mother-in-law, feeling quite aggrieved.

Hu Zhixian nodded and said, "Very well! However, this means that the dowry will have to be prepared in a hurry."

Ye Xiaotian, seeing the hidden smile on Hu Zhixian's face, felt uneasy and quickly said, "Since I am marrying a noblewoman, it is only right that I provide a dowry. However, the journey is long, and my family is poor, so I have nothing to offer. It would be inappropriate for me to accept a dowry. Let the Yang family's dowry serve as my dowry."

Hu Zhixian looked at him deeply, finding the young man quite sensible, and said with a slight smile, "Very well! San Shou, escort them out..."

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After Ye Xiaotian and the others left, Yang's wife found an excuse to invite her brother, Hu Zhixian, to a small hall in the side wing. As soon as they entered, she anxiously said, "Brother, how could you be so foolish and let that little wretch go so easily?"

Hu Zhixian's face darkened, and he said unhappily, "Enough! Stop making a fuss! Your husband, Yang Lin, has passed away. Why must you still be jealous? As the main wife, you should act with dignity. Do you want to cause a complete disaster?"

Hu Zhixian then took out a letter from his sleeve, handed it to her, and said calmly, "Take a look."

Yang's wife took the letter in surprise and read it carefully. Before she finished, she tore it to pieces in anger and said, "This old man, even on his deathbed, still made arrangements for his daughter. But the contents of this letter do not match what the Ye family said."

Hu Zhixian said, "That is the clever part of the young man. He must have realized he could not gain anything from the Yang family. Isn't this outcome better? Can we deny his words and make the contents of the letter public? A person who knows how to share benefits can gain benefits. If this young man were to enter politics, he would surely rise to prominence, hehe."

Yang's wife said urgently, "How can we accept this? I should have sold that little wretch to the butcher and kept Leyao under control. Now that the bird has flown from the cage, if anything happens..."

She suddenly realized she had said too much and stopped, her face turning red and then pale.

Hu Zhixian frowned, looking at her with suspicion, and said sternly, "What do you mean by 'the best plan' and 'if anything happens'? Are you hiding something from me?"

Yang's wife hesitated for a moment, unable to speak, and Hu Zhixian became furious, shouting, "What is it that you are hiding from your own brother?"

Yang's wife lowered her head and said hesitantly, "Sister... I have a secret about Shuiwu that I did not intentionally hide from you. I just thought it was not something to be spoken of. I never imagined that my husband would have an accident, and I never thought we would be in this situation..."

Hu Zhixian slammed his hand on the table and said, "Enough! Tell me what it is!"

Yang's wife had no choice but to reveal the secret she had kept for four years. After she finished, Hu Zhixian was speechless.

Yang's wife bit her lip and said softly, "I sold her to the butcher to avoid drawing attention if she were to die in the household, which would make people suspicious of me, as I have always been unkind to her. I planned to keep an eye on her and have her killed quietly after a year or two. No one would suspect me. But..."

Hu Zhixian's expression changed several times before he said slowly, "If this is a secret, it should not cause any trouble in the future."

Yang's wife said awkwardly, "As a woman, I cannot do such things alone. Many people know the truth. Who knows if any of them will be tempted by a large reward and reveal the truth to her. The only way to avoid future trouble is to eliminate her."

Hu Zhixian's eyelids slowly drooped, hiding his deep thoughts. After a moment, he raised his eyes and said cruelly, "The only solution now is to find someone to eliminate them. Fortunately, many people saw them leave the Yang residence, so even if they are eliminated, it cannot be traced back to us. Besides, if the bodies are left on the road, with no clear identity, who can investigate? Hehe!"

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The main gate of the Yang residence opened and then closed again, tightly shut.

Ye Xiaotian stood still, looking at the beautiful woman who had only a small bundle of clothes, almost leaving with nothing, and the little girl beside her, who was looking at him with her finger in her mouth, his nose suddenly felt a bit sore.

Ye Xiaotian did not consider himself a bad person, but he was not a saint either. He was an ordinary person with selfish thoughts and desires, but he would not harm the innocent for his own benefit.

He deserved the 500 taels of silver but did not receive it and almost lost his life. In such a situation, it was not unreasonable to change his plans and take a beautiful woman who looked and tasted delicious, right?

But who knew that the beautiful woman who looked and tasted delicious suddenly became a mother-in-law he could only look at but not touch, and a little girl who was too bitter to eat, and he would have to work hard to support them. What a loss!

The beautiful woman, who looked and tasted delicious but could not be touched, was looking at him pitifully, biting her lower lip, and her face turned a shy red. "Sir... Sir Ye Xiaotian?"

Ye Xiaotian's mouth twitched, and he replied in a deep, low voice, "Yes!"

The beautiful woman said, "From your accent, you are from the capital?"

"Um!"

The beautiful woman looked down at the little girl, who was sucking her finger. The little girl quickly withdrew her finger and darted behind her, wiping her finger on her clothes.

The beautiful woman sighed softly, and even her sigh sounded beautiful, making Ye Xiaotian feel even more like crying. "Sir, I am a weak woman, and my daughter is young. The journey to the capital is long and difficult. How can we get there?"

When he heard her sigh, Ye Xiaotian felt a surge of sympathy, but he quickly reminded himself, "Don't be soft-hearted! You only have a few coins left, and you don't know how to get back to the capital. How can you take two freeloaders with you? When the going gets tough, even birds of a feather fly apart, let alone a mother-in-law? Once we leave the city, I will leave them behind and escape on my own."

Ye Xiaotian thought to himself but said, "To be honest, I only have a few coins left. I can't afford a carriage. Let's leave this place first, and we'll figure out the rest when we are safe."

The beautiful woman said softly, "I will follow your lead, Sir."

"Ahem!"

Ye Xiaotian almost choked on his own saliva. He coughed twice and managed to say, "How old are you, Mother-in-law?"

The beautiful woman blushed even more and said, "In two months, I will be eighteen."

Ye Xiaotian: "..."

The beautiful woman glanced at him quickly and asked softly, "How old are you, dear husband?"

Ye Xiaotian's response was quite charming, "I am nineteen."

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