On December fourteenth, with only about half a month left until New Year’s, every household in Qingzhou City hung large red lanterns in front of their gates. Every evening when the myriad lights sparkled, looking from afar the long sea of lights seemed endless, adding several degrees of festive cheer.
Qingzhou had always had the tradition of married daughters returning to their natal homes to deliver New Year’s gifts. Every half-month before New Year’s, married women would bring their children back to their natal homes to deliver some New Year’s goods and the like, also counting as an early reunion. Over time, this had formed into the custom of holding lantern festivals.
Guo Yantang and Third Master Song went together to purchase New Year’s goods, then went to the household they had previously inspected to put down a deposit. On the way back to the estate together with Third Master Song, they happened to encounter Old Madam Xiang.
To say they encountered her wasn’t quite accurate. What they called an “encounter” was him riding his fine tall horse when he happened to glance at the roadside and see the shabby Old Madam Xiang carrying a bundle on her back, leading a string of small children as she shuffled outward, crying as she walked.
Previously, Old Madam Xiang had been swindled out of quite a bit of silver by thugs and ruffians. Later when she went to the Song estate to make trouble, not only did she fail, but she was also caught by the authorities who gave her fingers a severe crushing. From the looks of it now, she had just been released and was preparing to return to Shu.
Old Madam Song had deliberately instructed Madam Li not to let Commissioner Xing deal with the Xiang family too harshly—probably planning to keep them around to suffer slowly.
He turned his head away and stopped looking. Once he entered the estate, he went straight to request an audience with Old Madam Song to discuss with her the matter of returning to the capital when the weather warmed. “I heard that Hebei had several heavy snowfalls. I wonder if we’ll encounter road closures on the way. I discussed it with my uncle-in-law, and we feel that the earliest we could depart would be after the twentieth.”
Old Master Song’s disaster relief funds still hadn’t been fully collected, and Fang Xiaoru was pressing tightly from his end—it was said he submitted memorials to the capital every day. It would probably take at least another two or three months. Old Madam Song pondered the timing and felt that the time Guo Yantang mentioned was just right, so she smiled and nodded. “As long as you’ve discussed these matters properly with your uncle-in-law, that’s fine. It’s also good to delay for some more days—no need to rush so hastily.”
Her good mood lasted right up until before Nanny Qin delivered the letter. After reading the letter Nanny Qin brought in, the air around her entire person seemed to turn cold.
What Nanny Qin delivered was probably a family letter. Guo Yantang couldn’t very well continue listening, so he stood up to take his leave. As he went out, he vaguely heard Old Madam Song dispatch her most capable maid to summon Song Chuyi.
This name was no longer unfamiliar to Guo Yantang. Over these past two weeks, Old Madam Song would consult with this still quite young Sixth Miss about almost every matter.
He had seen Song Chuyi a few times. Her appearance was more beautiful than ordinary young girls, true enough. But when she stood there, others would unconsciously overlook her looks—because the aura settled upon her person was truly too special. It absolutely shouldn’t belong to a little girl who was only ten years old.
After some time had passed, he had actually become somewhat curious, wondering what exactly was so extraordinary about this Sixth Miss that could make the person in charge of the Song family’s inner residence value her so highly.
Thinking this way, when he encountered Song Chuyi at the corner of the covered corridor, he deliberately looked at her a couple more times.
However, Song Chuyi didn’t see him. She hurried past with Qing Tao and Luyi, turning around the corridor and going straight through the courtyard gate.
Old Madam Song was waiting for her. Upon seeing her, she quickly pulled her to sit beside her, let out a light sigh, then handed her the letter. Her expression was rather unpleasant. “Censor Yin Zhengde submitted a memorial impeaching your father for forcibly occupying civilian residences and forcibly taking civilian women in Changsha. Your father has already been removed from office and is being escorted to the capital for trial. This Yin Zhengde has always been known for his iron-faced impartiality, and we’ve never heard of him having any enmity with your father…”
This truly was a calamity out of nowhere. Here they had just resolved the matter of the Qingzhou Prefect, and over there her own son who had become Changsha Prefect was not only stripped of his position, but was also being escorted to the capital for trial.
Old Madam Song’s mood was visibly very poor. She glanced at Song Chuyi’s still calm expression and sighed deeply. “I know you feel uncomfortable inside. He truly has no qualification to be a father. Even with something as important as Yan’er going to Shu to take a master, he showed no indication whatsoever. But Xiaoyi, he is still your biological father after all.”
Yet back when Madam Li was crippling her and Song Yan right under his nose, Song Chuyi hadn’t seen Song Yi come out to do what a father should do.
Yet after Song Chuning set the fire intending to burn his only son to death, Song Chuyi also hadn’t seen Song Yi seek justice for Song Yan.
At that time, his heart and eyes simply had no place for the siblings at all. He brought Song Chuning along and fled as if he couldn’t escape fast enough.
Song Chuyi pulled at the corner of her mouth. When she looked toward Old Madam Song, her eyes held some weariness and helplessness, and she even reached up to rub her forehead. “But so what, Grandmother?”
Old Madam Song froze for a moment, then suddenly grasped Song Chuyi’s meaning.
Yes, so what? Since there was a censor’s impeachment, that meant Song Yi himself had problems in his governance. Whether he was framed by someone or the accusations were true, these were problems he himself had provoked. What did it have to do with Song Chuyi?
“Xiaoyi…” Old Madam Song swallowed with difficulty and grasped Song Chuyi’s hand. “I know your father’s personality best. True, he’s not a good father or good husband, but he is absolutely someone who knows how to conduct himself properly. He wouldn’t do these things.”
She paused. Seeing that Song Chuyi still showed no reaction, she said hesitantly, “Do you think this matter might be related to Eighth Miss being sent back to the capital?”
Old Madam Song had personally witnessed just how insane Song Chuning could be. Thinking about it now, if Song Chuning was angry that Song Yi had agreed to the family sending her back to the capital, it wasn’t impossible that she had prepared this evidence in advance.
But thinking this way, Old Madam Song’s heart couldn’t help but turn cold again. If Song Chuning could be so ruthless even toward her biological father who had always protected and cherished her, how would she treat others?
Song Chuyi kept her head lowered, watching Old Madam Song’s unpredictable expressions, then suddenly asked her, “Does Grandmother mean we should return to the capital early?”
Song Chengru wasn’t at home. If Song Yi was being escorted back to the capital, only First Master Song could be of some use.
However, Censor Yin Zhengde was famously iron-faced and impartial. Since he was willing to come forward with an impeachment, he definitely had evidence and wouldn’t shoot arrows at random. First Master Song would probably be unable to handle it.
Old Madam Song nodded. “Things being what they are, we have no choice. At the very least, we must return to the capital first to get to the bottom of this matter.”
Although Song Yi shouldn’t have done countless things, he was still a member of the Song family after all. There was no reason to let his future truly be destroyed if he was framed by someone—even if not thinking of Song Yi himself, Old Madam Song had to consider Song Yan and Song Chuyi. Compared to a commoner father, naturally a father who was a prefect with a bright future was much better, and it would benefit their future marriages as well.