The Fang family acted swiftly, removing Fang Yuan from the family genealogy almost on the same day the court session ended, and declaring a complete break with their rebellious son.
The Fengtian Prefecture acted swiftly, arresting Fang Yuan right outside the Fang residence and throwing him into prison.
After three more verifications, once everything is confirmed to be correct, the execution can proceed in the autumn.
“They’re already in prison, they can’t just grow wings and fly away.” Zheng Ruqian teased a white lamb, “In my opinion, the eldest brother and the younger sister are just too afraid of the Fang family, they’ve developed a phobia of them.”
"Yes, yes," Wang Xiaosong chimed in, unconditionally praising his employer.
But soon, he received a disdainful look from his younger sister, Xiaozhu, and a beautiful figure carrying a medicine box.
Wen Zhiyun is currently doing odd jobs at the Imperial Hospital. To avoid suspicion, he almost always lives and eats in the capital. He has almost handed over the Wen family medical clinic to Wang Xiaozhu, who has a rudimentary understanding of medicine, and is too busy to manage everything.
Even when her older brother, who had been away from home for half a year, returned, Wang Xiaozhu would only give him two bottles of wound medicine and massage his shoulders and neck.
"Where did I say something wrong?" Wang Xiaosong pouted, feeling wronged, and suddenly missed his obedient younger sister from when he was young.
Jiang Si covered his mouth and chuckled, "Whether it's right or wrong, we'll know when Third Brother comes back."
Yes, everything will be clear once Jiang San returns.
However, the door to the courtyard was not knocked until it was almost dark.
The waiting crowd jumped up and nervously crowded around.
In the flickering lamplight, a person appeared, limping as if seriously injured.
Jiang Sheng covered her mouth in horror and muttered softly, "Did someone stop Jiang San and beat him up? Or did he fail to follow him and get beaten up as well?"
The limping man paused slightly, then quickly straightened up and rushed into the light. It was none other than Jiang San, covered in dust and dirt.
"Hey girl, can't you just wish me well? All my failures are bad, and I always end up getting beaten up," he complained with a bitter face. "Can't I just have a good outcome?"
"You mean you successfully followed him?" Jiang Sheng's eyes lit up. "Tell me quickly."
Not only her, but everyone in the courtyard pricked up their ears and listened attentively.
Jiang San didn't keep them in suspense. He cleared his throat and said, "I followed them all the way to the courtyard in the suburbs, crawling through the dirty grass for a long time, until I finally saw the carriage set off. It was heading back to the Fang family, and the person inside was indeed the young master of the Fang family... I got all this clothes on in the suburbs; my legs went numb from squatting, not from being beaten..."
Xu Mo couldn't hear what was said after that.
His mind was filled with Fang Yuan's condescending, indifferent gaze and Jiang Sheng's almost keen intuition.
No one can face death with composure.
The more proud and noble a person is, the more afraid they are of losing them.
Fang Yuan's gaze was too unusual. Even if he was disheartened or disappointed, he shouldn't have been so disdainful and indifferent.
He seemed to be defying death, or perhaps defying Xu Mo.
It's true that he'll be removed from the list, it's true that he'll be imprisoned, and it's even more true that he'll be executed in the autumn.
Unless he risks committing the crime of deceiving the emperor to storm the execution ground, or directly takes Fang Yuan's place in death, Fang Yuan has no chance of survival.
Even if we take a step back and assume that the identity of "Fang Yuan" is dead, what difference does it make if he is still alive?
What can we do?
"Big brother, what are you worried about? Why are you muttering to yourself?" Jiang Sheng, who had been holding a large pancake, came over at some point. "Just tell us what's wrong."
“It’s just the two of us now that the eldest brother is gone, the third, fourth and fifth brothers aren’t around.” Zheng Ruqian grinned, but then realized it was getting boring.
There are six siblings in total, but three of them are not at home.
When tossing and turning late at night, sadness is inevitable.
Xu Mo came to his senses and did not hide anything. "I suspect that the Fang family wants to use special means to protect Fang Yuan, but I have no evidence and it is even difficult to investigate."
He was merely a minor official of the sixth rank, and didn't even have the right to visit Fengtian Prefecture.
Despite letting doubts grow wildly in his heart, he could only sigh inwardly.
“This…” Jiang Sheng suddenly stammered, then took a bite of the pancake. “I can’t give any advice on this.”
“I don’t quite understand either.” The little lamb in Zheng Ruqian’s arms suddenly defecated, and he stuffed it into Wang Xiaosong’s arms like a hot potato. “But I have other suggestions.”
“We can write to Xiao Wu (Fifth Brother) and ask him.” He and Jiang Sheng said in unison, then looked at each other and smiled.
That's a really accurate and excellent suggestion.
Xu Mo chuckled and shook his head, then got up and went into the study to pick up his pen.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian followed closely behind, vying to tear apart the delicious fried dough.
Only Wang Xiaosong remained, covered in sheep droppings, standing there bewildered and helpless.
As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise. Matters of the court still require careful analysis. When he received Xu Mo's letter, he didn't even write a long essay, but only gave three large, flamboyant characters: Wang Yuyao.
Everyone suddenly realized.
Wang Yuyao, a young woman from the Wang family, traveled a long distance from Anshui County to Fengjing. She not only persecuted Wang Fufeng but also took away their correspondence, all to increase the "evidence" of Xu Mo's cheating in the imperial examinations.
She did all of this in the same way she forced Fang Heng to leave Anshui County, all in order to surrender to Fang Yuan and become Fang's wife.
Now Fang Yuan has been expelled from the Fang family and is about to be beheaded.
From Wang Yuyao's perspective, she failed to climb the social ladder. She either had to find another member of the Fang family to attach himself to, or she had to slink back to Anshui County, where at least the Wang and Sun families could still protect her.
Conversely, it indicates that there is a difference between the two places.
“I was so worried that I forgot about Wang Yuyao.” Xu Mo clenched his fist, a cold glint in his eyes. “Now we not only have to stop her from writing back to Anshui County, but we also have to track her movements.”
“I’ll go.” Jiang San volunteered. “Don’t worry, young lady and young master, leave this to me.”
“No, I’ll go.” Jiang Si bowed and cupped his hands. “Third Brother just suffered last time, it’s my turn this time.”
Xu Mo and his two remaining brothers uttered three words: "Take turns."
Over the next few days, Jiang San and Jiang Si kept watch outside the Fang residence, checking and intercepting letters sent to Anshui County.
Wang Yuyao was unexpectedly quiet. She neither chatted with the other members of the Fang family, nor packed her bags to go home, nor even sent a letter to the Sun family.
She would bask in the sun every day, looking haggard, occasionally embroidering a couple of flowers, or helping Madam Fang with some business matters, much like Fang Yuan's widow.
Madam Fang was equally grief-stricken, barely paying attention to matters in the inner quarters, and instead chanting sutras in the Buddhist hall, seemingly seeking inner peace.
Even Fang Huai Ren began to raise several illegitimate sons and intended to have them adopted into the main wife's household.
The entire Fang family was immersed in loss, yet there was an inexplicable eeriness about it.
Xu Mo pondered for a long time before finally figuring out the problem: "Whether you are sad or not, actions are the best expression of your true feelings."
A woman like Wang Yuyao, with her intense ambition, would never remain a widow for Fang Yuan, becoming an unmarried widow before marriage.
Fang Huai-ren, for example, genuinely believed that he wanted to cultivate a new heir only after losing his legitimate son.
“If I’m not mistaken, Fang Yuan only told Madam Fang and Wang Yuyao about his backup plan,” Xu Mo said calmly. “He even kept it from the head of the Fang family.”
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