Chapter 167: Sounding Out

Wei Tingzhen’s words made Wei Tingyu’s face flush red. He called out “Sister!” and complained dissatisfied, “Song Mo is not one of us at all! If we distance ourselves from him because of this, it might not be a bad thing!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Wei Tingzhen anxiously stomped her foot. “Do you think you can afford to offend Song Mo?”

Wei Tingyu replied nonchalantly, “What’s there to be afraid of? When a person has no desires, their integrity naturally rises. I don’t intend to gain any favors from him, so why should I flatter him?” His expression turned serious as he addressed Wei Tingzhen, “Sister, you should also talk to your husband about associating less with Song Mo. That man is too ruthless… Those guards were people who greeted him every day, yet he killed them without hesitation. Then he neatly arranged their bodies in the middle of the courtyard. Is this something an ordinary person would do? I know he’s formidable, and you want me to curry favor with him so I can secure a good position. But there are some things we shouldn’t do. If we did, we’d be indebted to others for life… If he asks me to help him kill someone, Sister, should I go or not? Some debts we can never repay…”

Mrs. Tian, listening from the side, turned pale. She quickly grabbed her son’s hand and asked, “What happened? What’s all this talk about killing? What does it have to do with you?” Her voice trembled as she was on the verge of tears, “Tingyu, don’t scare your mother! What exactly happened? And what does it have to do with Song Mo? What debt do you owe him?”

“Mother,” Wei Tingzhen hurriedly sat beside her mother, gently comforting her, “It’s nothing, nothing! He’s just making an analogy.” She shot a fierce glare at Wei Tingyu, signaling him to help calm Mrs. Tian, “My brother is on good terms with Song Mo, so I just told him to maintain a good relationship…”

“Sister, stop trying to deceive Mother,” Wei Tingyu interrupted Wei Tingzhen’s words as he obediently sat beside his mother. He explained to Mrs. Tian, “Mother, it’s like this…” He then recounted how Song Yichun disliked his eldest son and wanted to change the heir apparent, ordering the guards to capture Song Mo. However, Song Mo turned the tables and killed all the guards in the household. “…Mother, do you think I can associate with someone like that?”

Mrs. Tian nearly fainted upon hearing this.

She tightly grasped her son’s hand, her knuckles turning white, and asked Wei Tingzhen in a hoarse voice, “Is this true?”

Wei Tingzhen lowered her eyes and softly responded with an “Mm.”

“Your brother is doing the right thing,” Mrs. Tian looked at her son, her eyes showing approval. “Although our family has declined, we can’t compromise our conscience for a good position. How would that be any different from those sycophants around the Emperor or the hangers-on in noble houses? We can’t sacrifice our integrity for power! Moreover, associating with someone like Song Mo might bring temporary benefits, but in the long run, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Have you ever seen a ruthless person come to a good end? If Song Mo falls from grace, wouldn’t your brother be implicated?” She continued, “As for your brother’s position, there’s still a year before the mourning period ends. We can slowly figure something out. Doesn’t he have his brother-in-law?”

“That’s right!” Wei Tingyu, encouraged by his mother’s praise, couldn’t help but puff up a bit, raising his chin, “Our family may not be at the top, but we’re still better off than many. There’s no need to debase ourselves for a good position!”

“Good, good, good!” Mrs. Tian smiled at her son, while Wei Tingzhen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Good people are rewarded, and bad people are executed. Isn’t that just in plays?

She and Zong Yao had been keeping a low profile all these years. Zong Yao had only recently been established as the heir apparent. If they asked Zong Yao to seek favors for Wei Tingyu, firstly, Zong Yao had spent most of his time in the Duke’s mansion and rarely socialized, so he wasn’t familiar with those powerful nobles. Moreover, her brother had inherited the title of Marquis of Jining, and regardless of everything else, he was now a marquis. Zong Yao simply couldn’t secure a position befitting her brother’s status. Secondly, Zong Yao’s appointment as heir apparent had already displeased her mother-in-law, and even her father-in-law had to make concessions on many matters. If her mother-in-law found out that Zong Yao was intervening on behalf of his wife’s family, she would surely think Zong Yao was favoring his in-laws. If she made a fuss, even her father-in-law wouldn’t be able to speak up for them.

Song Mo was different.

After this incident, even her father-in-law’s expression would turn solemn at the mention of Song Mo.

If he were willing to help her brother, those people wouldn’t dare to be perfunctory, if only out of fear of his notorious reputation.

As Wei Tingzhen was pondering this, she heard her brother discussing with their mother: “Song Mo also gave me a horse. I’m thinking of returning it to him tomorrow, saying we can’t afford to keep it…”

“That’s the right thing to do,” Mrs. Tian quickly said. “It’s best to send something along as well, to thank him for his previous generosity…”

Wei Tingzhen was at a loss for words.

“Mother!” she exclaimed, somewhat exasperated, “The Red Jade from the Song family is one of the most renowned horses in the capital. Many people have offered large sums to buy it, but the Song family refused to sell. Yet they gave it to my brother. If you return the horse to Song Mo like this, aren’t you slapping him in the face in front of the entire capital? You’ve said yourself that he’s ruthless. If he becomes angry and causes trouble for my brother, how can we avoid it?” Then she admonished Wei Tingyu, “Can you stop acting like a child? Don’t assume everything is so simple! Song Mo is going through a difficult time right now, and you’re kicking him while he’s down. How do you think he’ll feel about that?”

Wei Tingyu scratched his head and said to his mother, “You’re right… It does seem inappropriate to distance ourselves from Song Mo at this time…”

Wei Tingzhen breathed a sigh of relief.

Her brother, though lacking in cunning, was sincere and had a sense of chivalry.

“Why don’t you send someone to deliver a message to Song Mo, saying you have urgent matters to attend to these days and will meet him in a few days?” Wei Tingzhen suggested to her brother. “You can gradually reduce contact with him later if you wish.”

Wei Tingyu nodded repeatedly and followed Wei Tingzhen’s instructions, sending someone to deliver a message to Song Mo.

Wei Tingzhen took the opportunity to advise Wei Tingyu: “Be careful with your words. Don’t be too straightforward. Just get through this for now, and in the future, if Song Mo seeks you out again, act according to the situation. If he doesn’t seek you out, don’t actively look for him either.”

Ultimately, she still hoped that Wei Tingyu could maintain some connection with Song Mo.

Wei Tingyu, however, didn’t think that far ahead and simply nodded in agreement.

Upon receiving Wei Tingyu’s message, Song Mo smirked and said to Wuyi, who had brought the message: “Then let’s meet at Cuizhen Pavilion in a few days!”

Cuizhen Pavilion, located outside Chaoyang Gate, was the most famous vegetarian restaurant in the capital. Wuyi went to inform the Wei family’s servant.

On the appointed day, Wei Tingyu wore a cyan-colored Hangzhou silk robe and went to Cuizhen Pavilion.

Song Mo arrived a quarter of an hour later.

He wore a bright blue fine cotton robe, his complexion fair as jade, strikingly handsome. He walked in with a leisurely demeanor, his eyes as bright as stars yet calm and cold, as deep as a still, icy pond. This immediately sent a chill down Wei Tingyu’s spine, and his smile became forced.

“Young Master!” Wei Tingyu stood up involuntarily, respectfully bowing to Song Mo.

Song Mo sat down in the main seat with an expressionless face, slightly nodding to Wei Tingyu, and said coolly, “Sit!” He immediately took control of the situation.

Wei Tingyu couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

Song Mo, however, didn’t bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point: “You first thought to say you couldn’t see me because of the mourning period, presumably because you felt I wasn’t worth associating with. Later, you sent a servant with a message. I wonder what made you change your mind?”

His expression was calm, his tone even, yet there was a hint of mockery that made one feel ashamed.

Wei Tingyu lowered his head and mumbled, “Your killing was excessive… It’s not right… I came to try and persuade you…”

Song Mo was taken aback.

He had assumed Wei Tingyu distanced himself to avoid trouble, but he never expected Wei Tingyu was question his character!

Seeing Song Mo remain silent, and remembering how Song Mo had always been kind to him, sometimes even agreeing with him to accommodate his feelings, Wei Tingyu momentarily forgot Wei Tingzhen’s advice. He raised his head to look directly at Song Mo and said, “Look at the commotion you’ve caused. Everyone speaks of you in hushed tones now, some even trembling in fear, vowing never to associate with you again. We all live in the capital. What’s the point of being alone, without relatives or friends?”

This person may lack intelligence, but he’s not without pure goodness.

If Dou Zhao married him, though she might not rise in status through her husband, at least she wouldn’t be mistreated.

Song Mo couldn’t help but smile slightly like ice and snow melting to reveal layers of verdant mountains.

Wei Tingyu was slightly stunned by this sight.

Song Mo had already said, “You’re right! I should indeed think carefully about this matter.” Then he picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of tea for Wei Tingyu. ” I wanted to ask if you’re interested in something—you know Gu Yu, right? The Emperor recently ordered the dredging of the Grand Canal, and he took on the sections in Jining, Xuzhou, Pizhou, and Huaiyin. Are you interested in investing in a share?”

Wei Tingyu was shocked.

For such a project, it was already an incredible feat for a few people to take on one section, yet Gu Yu had taken on four sections!

“How… how much money would that require?” He broke out in a cold sweat. “I’m afraid I can’t come up with that much money… Even a small share might be beyond me… Besides, Gu Yu doesn’t lack money… And I’m still in the mourning period…”

Wei Tingyu was very conflicted, feeling it was an opportunity but fearing he could not get involved.

“Who would go to the work site to supervise personally?” Song Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “Just say if you want to participate. If you do, just send a capable steward. As for the money, the Ministry of Revenue will allocate a portion, and corvée labor will count for another part. It won’t cost much!”

Wei Tingyu immediately became excited: “Then count me in!”

Song Mo smiled.

The waiters began to serve the dishes.

Wei Tingyu, however, became a bit restless and said, “I need to discuss this with my sister. I might even need to borrow some money from my brother-in-law to manage the cash flow…”

Song Mo’s hand, holding the chopsticks, paused. He said, “For now, keep this to yourself. It’s not yet set in stone…” Then he changed the subject, “However, it might be good for you to discuss it with your sister first.” In his heart, he thought, since he had already done Wei Tingyu a favor, he might as well go all the way and let Duke Jing’s daughter-in-law get involved too. Given Wei Tingzhen’s personality, she would surely want to keep the benefits to herself and would be able to keep Wei Tingyu in check, preventing him from talking about it everywhere.

He understood this and had his considerations, but for some reason, the thought of Wei Tingyu consulting Wei Tingzhen about everything made him feel extremely uncomfortable.