Guanshan was so anxious he was practically tearing at his hair. After Prince Dongping left, he hurriedly approached Han Zhi: “Young Master, we have no relationship whatsoever with that Commander. How can you just say you’ll think of a way? I’ve heard this Commander has suffered quite a few secret losses at the hands of Master Xu and Master Jia in the past. Won’t he be putting all his energy into dealing with them this time? I estimate that whoever goes to plead for them will just hit a wall.” There was one thing he still held back from saying—moreover, Prince Dongping and Fan Liangdi had completely ignored the matter of their own young lady going to marry far away, refusing to help even with such a favor. Was the Han family really obligated to work themselves to death for such people?
Han Zhi ignored him and sat quietly beneath the south window for a while. Suddenly he opened his mouth to ask Guanshan: “I haven’t had time to worry about that Song family boy these past few days. Is he still coming every day as agreed?”
“Coming! You wouldn’t believe how punctual he is, as if afraid we won’t let him play anymore. And I’ve heard he’s been throwing money around everywhere looking for experts at cockfighting and cricket fighting. In just a few days, he’s already scattered nearly seven thousand taels of silver! Tsk tsk.” Guanshan clicked his tongue a few times, stroking his chin with somewhat malicious intent. “I didn’t expect this boy to be so young, yet the Earl Changning’s estate is so willing to give him so much money to spend.”
At this age and with no life experience, young masters from aristocratic families were most easily led astray. They found everything fresh and novel and loved to imitate others playing the hero. Give him a gambler he happened to know with a fabricated tragic backstory, and it would easily arouse his sympathy.
He was walking step by step toward the pit dug for him, sinking deeper and deeper without realizing it. Right now he was only using his own money to gamble. After a while, he would start asking his family for money. When he couldn’t get it anymore, he would start borrowing from his usual friends and acquaintances one by one. Sooner or later he would borrow from Han Zhi himself. Han Zhi lifted the corners of his mouth in a sneer: “If he loses again today, threaten to chop off one of his friend’s hands and make him sign a promissory note for five thousand taels.”
With this IOU in hand, Song Yan’s future life would be in his grasp. He only needed to send this promissory note to Tang Mingzhao in Shu, and that great scholar Tang Mingzhao would certainly throw Song Yan out. What kind of future could a person thrown out by Tang Mingzhao possibly have?
Guanshan was somewhat surprised the progress was being accelerated so quickly. He hesitantly asked Han Zhi: “Isn’t this a bit too fast? It doesn’t match our previous plan, does it?”
Plans couldn’t keep up with changes. Previously, Han Zhi had wanted to ruin Song Yan’s reputation, to thoroughly disgust Song Chuyi and cast a shadow over her entire life. But now he had changed his mind. To deal with Song Chuyi, he still had countless methods. What he needed to do now was present Song Chuyi with a different dilemma.
“No, do as I say. After you get his signed and sealed IOU, find a way to send it to Sixth Miss Song. She’ll know what to do.” Han Zhi’s eyes were sinister, his entire person appearing dark and terrifying. “Also, deal with Zhang Run and Wei Yanxi as well.”
Guanshan couldn’t help but freeze, not knowing what Han Zhi meant by “deal with.” He probed with a question: “Young Master’s meaning is…” He raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Speaking of which, Guanshan also felt that Han Zhi’s decision back then to rescue Zhang Run and keep him by his side was an extremely unwise move—if someone discovered he was harboring a criminal sentenced by imperial decree, this was a capital offense. Moreover, if people with ulterior motives learned of it, it would become leverage against him. Even if Grand Madam Fan and Prince Dongping found out, it would be a troublesome matter.
But after all this time, he had vaguely seen some clues and knew his young master was very unusual toward this Young Master Zhang—if it had been anyone else who did this, they would have died a dozen times already. Yet Han Zhi had allowed them to live until now.
Han Zhi was quiet for a while before speaking: “Send them to the estate in Jiangsu. Let me think about it properly first.”
He had never before needed to think before deciding someone’s life or death. Guanshan didn’t dare say anything more. He responded affirmatively and, braving the cold wind, went out that very night.
Song Chuyi indeed received the letter Lai Chenglong had someone deliver before noon the next day. The letter said Song Yan had recently spent high prices everywhere looking for expert gamblers. Several gambling dens in the capital were opened by the Marquis Jinxiang’s estate, and the real master behind them was all Han Zhi. If nothing unexpected had happened, Song Yan had been led into an illegal gambling den and couldn’t extricate himself.
That letter lay quietly on the black lacquered wooden square table. The plum blossoms in the glass vase on top still emitted their fragrance, yet Song Chuyi felt all the blood in her body freeze in an instant. She stood up abruptly and clenched her fists.
Han Zhi truly and genuinely wanted to destroy her—from Song Chuning he must have learned that Song Yan was most important to her, yet he deliberately targeted Song Yan. And he lured Song Yan into gambling! He clearly knew that Tang Mingzhao and the Song family, which valued family reputation, detested this most of all. This move of his was aimed at destroying Song Yan and destroying her.
Ziyun didn’t know why she looked this way after reading the letter. Instinctively she stepped forward and asked: “Miss, what’s wrong?”
Only then did Song Chuyi fully wake up. She turned and called Qing Ying: “Immediately instruct Luo Gui to find Ma Changjiang and Ma San. Tell them to watch that estate in Tongzhou closely. If there’s any disturbance whatsoever, come back immediately to report to me. Tell them not to act rashly. If there’s any movement over there, they must come back to report first before making any decisions.”
Qing Ying knew it must be something very important. She didn’t even dare ask anything and simply nodded, then went to the west corner gate to have someone find Luo Gui.
What reason could make Han Zhi act so insanely and suddenly move against Song Yan? After thinking it over, Song Chuyi felt it could only be that incident at Chongyin Workshop—at the time she had felt Han Zhi’s appearance was very inexplicable and sudden. Thinking about it now, from that moment on, Han Zhi had probably already suspected Zhang Run had connections with others. Later, Zhang Run had said Han Zhi hadn’t noticed and arranged another meeting with her. That meeting was probably already the result of Han Zhi’s deliberate indulgence.
She slowly closed her eyes. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant, but in the end she suppressed them all.
Her gaze fell on the last line of characters. She stared at it hard for a very long time before slowly exhaling and instructing Ziyun: “Go to Chuzhou Hall. If Fourth Young Master is there, tell him to come see me immediately. If he’s not there, tell Yushu that when Fourth Young Master returns, send someone over to inform me.”
To know oneself and know one’s enemy meant victory in every battle. She needed to know exactly how deep Song Yan had already sunk before she could decide what exactly to do.