By the time they returned to the Earl of Changning’s estate, it was nearly dusk. The biting cold wind blew so fiercely that people’s ears ached. When Song Chuyi saw Song Yan riding on horseback with his ears frozen bright red, she beckoned him to her side and asked somewhat distressedly, “Why didn’t you ride in the carriage with me?”
Song Yan’s ears were flushed red. Having talked with Song Jue all night, he appeared somewhat lacking in energy, with large dark circles under his eyes. Upon hearing this, he immediately shook his head. “I’m not young anymore. When eldest brother was my age, he was already learning mounted archery with his master every day.” The Six Arts of a gentleman—Song Jue hadn’t neglected any of them, yet he hadn’t fallen behind in any either. When Song Jue was his age, he was already learning to share the burdens of his elders, but he was still causing trouble for the family.
While they were speaking, servants had already come forward to greet them. Seeing Song Jue also following along, Song Chuyi couldn’t help but sigh.
She felt sorry for Song Yan and couldn’t bear to blame him, but she had to admit that men had their own way of communicating with each other. She couldn’t keep Song Yan tied to her side forever. Letting him grow up earlier was also a good thing.
Madam Cui and Madam Yu were both waiting in Old Madam Song’s room. Upon seeing Song Chuyi, they quickly stood up. Madam Yu was somewhat better, but Madam Cui couldn’t help but poke her forehead. “Just because you’re capable doesn’t mean you don’t know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. Yan’er is still young and doesn’t understand that pulling one hair moves the whole body. Could it be that you don’t know either? You even concealed it from us! If something had really happened to you both, how could I explain it to your mother and your uncle?”
Madam Yu also nodded along, but in her heart she couldn’t help complaining about Cui Shaoting. It was all Cui Shaoting’s fault for spoiling this niece of his far too much, practically to the point of indulgence, giving her people and money. Which prestigious family raised their daughters like this?
Song Chuyi recounted everything that happened yesterday, and concluded, “Magistrate He should have already investigated the gambling den because of the murder case. Soon Zhang the landlord will confess about Han Zhi, and then with the matter of Zhang Run, this time Han Zhi should ultimately end up in the hands of the Imperial Guard.”
Whenever noble families committed offenses, they were either arrested by the Court of Judicial Review or the Imperial Guard. Now the Imperial Guard no longer had any place where Han Zhi could interfere. Inside and out, everything was controlled by Lai Chenglong alone. The Crown Prince, due to his grievances with Han Zhi, was standing by with folded arms. For Han Zhi to escape this time was almost impossible.
This was good—it could be considered a complete resolution of this lingering worry. Madam Cui pulled Song Chuyi to sit down and looked somewhat hesitantly toward Old Madam Song at the head seat. “The candidates for viewing as son-in-law’s second wife have all been decided. If all goes smoothly, it should be within the next month or two…”
If Song Yi was to marry a replacement wife, Song Chuyi and Song Yan’s matter of returning to Jinzhong to visit Old Madam Cui would inevitably have to be postponed. But after thinking it over repeatedly, Madam Cui felt uneasy about letting Song Chuyi remain in the capital for long.
With something like this happening to Han Zhi, the Crown Prince could stand by with folded arms to curry favor and win over the Song family, which showed he had already regarded the Song family as meat at his lips. Yesterday, the Prince of Dongping had even personally gone to Tongzhou to deal with Han Zhi and help Song Chuyi out of trouble. The goodwill toward the Song family revealed in this couldn’t be more obvious.
But as for Zhou Weiqi… Madam Cui immediately shook her head inwardly. She was the cousin-aunt of Zhou Weizhao and Zhou Weiqi. Although she was more partial to Zhou Weizhao, who was born to the Crown Princess, because she had been raised by the Empress since childhood, she had never had any preconceived prejudices against Zhou Weiqi.
However, ever since the matter with Cui Shaoting came down, she knew that Grand Lady Fan and Zhou Weiqi harbored no small ambitions and were extremely ambitious. Such a person, dangling the Chen family on one side while still coveting to have both the Song and Cui families in hand—he really wasn’t easy to get along with, and even less so a suitable husband candidate.
Old Madam Song also couldn’t help but frown when thinking about this matter. The candidate had been viewed and approved, but they still needed to choose an auspicious day, and with the wedding ceremony on top of that, this delay would require at least two or three months. But this would miss Old Madam Cui’s birthday celebration.
After thinking it over, she shook her head. “The in-law’s mother’s birthday banquet is more important. Otherwise, with this delay, Yan’er will have to return to Shu. For the second son’s matter, I’ll ask Master Yuankong to look at the dates again.”
Madam Cui was just about to nod when Nanny Huang came in from outside, walked straight to Old Madam Song, and bent down. “Old Madam, news has come from Tongzhou saying that they failed to capture Han Zhi.”
Failed to capture Han Zhi?! What did this mean?! Old Madam Song’s eyes widened.
Song Chuyi was also somewhat surprised. Although she had provoked Han Zhi yesterday, she hadn’t revealed anything and had taken Song Yan’s sachet away as planned. Logically, this shouldn’t have aroused Han Zhi’s suspicions.
Unless Magistrate He had made too big a commotion, or the Prince of Dongping had revealed something during his argument with Han Zhi.
Madam Cui bit her lip, unable to help feeling somewhat disgusted. “They say good people don’t live long, but disasters linger for a thousand years. This Han Zhi is truly like an unkillable rat.”
Now that the case had been reported, naturally the Court of Judicial Review and the Imperial Guard would worry about it. No matter how capable Han Zhi was, where could he run to? He still needed to eat and drink, still needed to find somewhere to stay. Since he needed to do these things, there would certainly be traces.
After pondering for a while, Old Madam Song made her decision. “Before they find him, don’t go out for now.”
After all, Han Zhi did have martial skills, and previously he had been involved with the gambling den. Perhaps he still had a few people willing to risk their lives for him. It was better to take precautions. In any case, as long as they didn’t go out, no matter how capable he was, he couldn’t do anything.
When the news reached the Marquis of Jinxiang’s estate, both Han Yueheng and Young Lady Fan were shocked. Han Yueheng was in the middle of checking jewelry boxes when she heard this. Her hands and feet immediately went ice cold, and she couldn’t even hold onto her hand warmer. With a thud, it fell onto the carpet, burning a black hole in it.
What on earth was going on? Why did distressing matters keep coming to the Han family one after another?!
In the past, it was common for Han Zhi not to come home for ten days to half a month. Add to that his previous argument with Young Lady Fan over the matters of Han Yueheng and Grand Lady Fan, and Grand Lady Fan found his not coming home even more natural. But she never imagined that this time something had actually happened.
Her hands and feet went cold as she listened to the estate manager’s words, then she called out loudly, “Where are Guan Shan and Guan Hai?!”
These two Guan brothers were both Han Zhi’s trusted confidants, following him everywhere, practically inseparable. If they wanted to know what exactly had happened to Han Zhi, they could only get to the bottom of it by asking them.
The housekeeper’s wife came running in frantically, stumbling and crawling, her face deathly pale as she reported, “Madam, Miss, Imperial Guards have come outside. They say they want to search our estate to see if the heir is here or not…”
Han Zhengqing wasn’t home, and Han Zhi had run into trouble. They couldn’t even find a male family member to go out and receive the visitors. Young Lady Fan clutched her handkerchief, trembling all over, and holding Han Yueheng, tears streaming down her face.