Song Chuning had simply vanished from this world. Since she was originally an unmarried daughter who died young, though prestigious families valued appearances, they would at most hold a Buddhist ceremony. Since the Song family had already done enough to save face, naturally not even a whisper of gossip could arise.
Old Master Song had originally expected to return to the capital in at most half a month, but who knew that at the last moment they would encounter a major incident—a huge scandal had erupted at the textile bureau in Jiangnan. An entire batch of Songjiang cotton cloth sent to the palace was all second-rate quality. The Imperial Household Department naturally couldn’t let this matter rest, escalating it layer by layer until it finally reached the Emperor’s attention.
Emperor Jianzhang had always deeply detested corruption and embezzlement. Moreover, now the textile bureau’s audacity had grown to such a lawless extent that they even began substituting inferior goods for palace supplies. Upon hearing the news, he immediately ordered Fang Xiaoru and Song Chengru to delay their return to the capital and investigate this matter thoroughly before coming back.
Old Madam Song couldn’t help but sigh as she listened: “I was still waiting for him to return to name the great-grandson. Now we can only send word asking him to choose a name instead. But with this scandal erupting, how can they possibly return without taking one or two years?”
Fortunately, good news came from Song Yi’s situation. Just after the fourth month began, Cen Biliang concluded the case. Because Squire Huang had changed his testimony and identified Madam Fang and Second Master Li, Song Yi was proven to have been falsely accused. He would be released from the Ministry of Justice prison the very next day.
Master Song and Song Jue personally went to receive him home. First they had him step over a brazier at the entrance, then the First Madam ordered the kitchen to prepare a large basin of pomelo water early on, which they used to thoroughly wash Song Yi. After he changed into clean clothes, the family was finally able to gather together again.
When Song Yi heard in court that Second Master Li had framed him, his expression immediately turned ugly—though others didn’t know, he himself understood clearly that if Song Chuning hadn’t begged the Li family, how could the Li family, with whom he had already severed ties, possibly send people specifically to entrap him?
He felt both wronged, hateful, and remorseful, completely unaware of how he had endured these past two or three months. Now upon seeing Old Madam Song, his eyes immediately reddened. His knees went weak and he knelt before Old Madam Song, crying: “It’s all this son’s fault. This son was blinded by greed back then, repeatedly breaking his parents’ hearts. Looking back now, I was worse than pigs and dogs.”
Below, Xiang Mingzi, Song Chubin, and Song Chuyi all hurriedly withdrew.
Since they had entered early summer, everyone had already changed out of their padded jackets for thin spring shirts, which made their figures appear even more outstanding—the two aunts who had come from the palace now taught them daily, and the three of them went to school together every day.
Wave after wave of crying sounds came from the room. Yushu came out and curtsied to them, telling them to return at lunchtime.
Old Madam Song held Song Yi and cried for a while, then felt angry again. Looking at her son’s pitiful state made her feel sorry for him. She reached out and patted his back a few times, unable to stop her tears from falling again: “You troublesome child! I’ve spoiled you since you were young. Your father wasn’t wrong to scold me, saying ‘a loving mother often raises failures.’ If I had been more alert back then and told your father about this matter in advance, how would Li Shi have had the opportunity to enter our family? If that woman hadn’t entered our household, you were a perfectly good jinshi and prefect—how would you have ended up going to prison like that wastrel Xiang Yunzhang?!”
Song Yi’s heart was filled with a thousand difficulties and ten thousand regrets. At this point he could only keep his head lowered and admit his mistakes: “It’s all this son’s lack of filial piety. If only two years ago I had listened to Mother, Father, and elder brother, I wouldn’t have fallen to my current state.” Once a position becomes vacant, someone else is immediately appointed—when he, the Changsha prefect, committed an offense, the Ministry of Personnel immediately assigned someone to take his place. If he wanted to resume his career, it would be starting from scratch all over again. By then, even his younger brother Song Ci would probably be promoted ahead of him.
Moreover, losing his official position was secondary. What pained him was that he couldn’t understand how Li Shi and her daughter, who in his heart had always been pure as white flowers, could have hearts so black. Before, when Old Madam Song and others spoke of them, he had only thought they were biased toward Cui Shi’s children because they feared the Cui family’s influence. But now that he had experienced it himself, he realized their words were true.
In Changsha he had treated Song Chuning as a precious treasure, yet Song Chuning could turn around and frame him like this just for the sake of going to the capital! What was terrifying was that the two plots of land that Squire Huang from Yongzhou had given him were sent in the very first year he took office in Changsha. Song Chuning had actually prepared to destroy him from that time.
After finishing crying, he asked Old Madam Song about the trip to Qingzhou: “How is my sister?”
When he was in the Ministry of Justice prison, Master Song and Song Jue had roughly mentioned Song Linlang’s situation to him, but he had been in a complete daze at the time and hadn’t understood clearly at all. Now that he was out and had seen his sister’s daughter, he remembered this matter.
As soon as this matter was mentioned, Old Madam Song’s tears fell even more heavily, pattering down. She covered her face with her handkerchief and cried uncontrollably.
The First Madam and the eldest daughter-in-law, fearing that the old lady would cry herself into illness, hurriedly came forward to console her.
Master Song patted Song Yi’s shoulder, his expression pained as he shook his head: “She didn’t make it. She passed away in Qingzhou. After the master inscribed her spirit tablet, it was enshrined in our own ancestral hall.”
Song Yi felt as if his head exploded with a thunderous sound, his facial expression becoming even more ashen.
He never imagined that even after Old Madam Song personally went there, she couldn’t bring her back. He couldn’t help but cry—after all, he wasn’t cold-hearted or cold-natured. This was his only sister, and which of the four brothers above hadn’t truly cherished and doted on her from the heart? Yet after so many years of not seeing each other, now he hadn’t even seen her one last time. Combined with how times had changed—he had now lost his official position and his wife and daughter had died—all these difficult matters piled together in his heart, and he suddenly fainted.
Ningde Courtyard immediately became busy as a beehive. Master Song hurriedly instructed Song Jue to fetch an imperial physician, while he himself called for people to bring in a daybed to settle Song Yi, before returning to comfort the old lady together with his wife: “Mother, please set your mind at ease. It’s just blood not returning to the meridians from qi rushing to attack the heart. With some recuperation he’ll recover.”
The First Madam hurriedly squeezed out two cooling oil patches for Old Madam Song and carefully applied them to both her temples, also saying other things to divert her attention: “Master is right. Second Uncle has always had a good constitution. He’s just overcome with grief for the moment, causing his blood not to return to the meridians. Mother, please don’t worry.” After a pause, she brought up the Cui family matter: “A few days ago we went together to see off Madam Guo. In a few days, Uncle Cui will also depart for Shaanxi, so we still need to prepare in advance.”
The Cui family matter couldn’t be delayed, especially since it was such an important occasion as Cui Shaoting departing to take up his post. Upon hearing this, Old Madam Song immediately nodded, collected herself, and discussed with her how to prepare the gifts.