Fang Xiaoru always felt that talking with this young master of the Song family was an extremely mentally exhausting affair. He didn’t know how Song Jue’s heart was constructed—calling him seven-aperture exquisite wouldn’t be excessive. His heart was full of holes everywhere, impossible for others to see through no matter how they looked. Before coming, he had still wanted to extract some words from Young Master Song, at least to extract some promise of how he would definitely be treated after success. But in the end, after Song Jue had finished assigning him all his tasks, he still hadn’t managed to wait for those words, and couldn’t help feeling somewhat deflated. But deflated or not, proper business still had to be done. Matters had reached this point—there was no room left for him to turn back. If he didn’t walk this path forward, the Song family could immediately deliver evidence to Elder Chen. Elder Chen was currently driven mad with rage and wouldn’t have any rationality left. The first thing he’d probably do would be to kill Fang Xiaoru to vent his anger.
He returned home utterly exhausted. Madam Fang hurried forward to help him remove his outer garment, serving him as he changed into regular clothes, then asked: “How did it go, my lord? Now that Elder Chen has already been thrown into the Ministry of Justice prison, what did the Song family say?”
Madam Fang had always had more contact with Song Chuyi. Now that Song Chuyi had gone to Jinzhong and her purpose of coaxing Third Madam Chen had already been achieved, naturally she no longer needed to do anything. But her heart couldn’t rest for even a moment. She was truly too afraid that the Song family would also learn from the Chen family to go back on their word. Her daughter’s lesson was already enough for her to remember for a lifetime.
Fang Xiaoru shook his head at her, sat down and took a large gulp from his cup, then said: “Not a single word can be extracted from that little fox’s mouth…” Seeing Madam Fang’s eyes redden, revealing an expression of fear and grievance, he softened his voice: “But precisely because he’s so cautious and cunning, we should feel more reassured. Don’t be afraid.”
Madam Fang always feared that she had harmed the Fang family by leading Fang Xiaoru to join the Song family. After all, though Fang Xiaoru was increasingly walking on thin ice under Elder Chen, he had followed Elder Chen for so many years—he might not necessarily end up with the same fate as Wang Ying. This kind of creature called human would inevitably, having done something, go on to wonder if not doing it would have been better. Madam Fang was no exception. This truly wasn’t a small matter—it was a major affair concerning the life and death of their entire household.
Fang Xiaoru also knew Madam Fang’s thoughts. Compared to Madam Fang’s trembling anxiety, he was much calmer. Husband and wife of many years, he knew that Madam Fang absolutely had no reason to collude with outsiders to harm him. Moreover, the decision had been his own to make—Madam Fang didn’t know many things. From the moment the Chen family schemed against the Cui family and Song family, the Chen family was destined to suffer the Song family’s retaliation. They weren’t truly soft persimmons without any temper, allowing you to knead them at will. Last time, the Chen family had nearly caused the Cui family to commit a crime warranting execution of nine generations of kin. The Cui family and Song family were united—those two little foxes of the Song family plus one old fox wouldn’t let the Chen family have peace for long. Escaping the Chen family’s boat early and catching the Song family’s boat—not to mention how far their future prospects might extend—at least they needn’t worry about their lives anymore. Fang Xiaoru could see that Sixth Miss Song and Young Master Song weren’t the type to tear down bridges after crossing rivers.
He thought for a moment, as if comforting himself and also Madam Fang: “You needn’t worry too much either. The Song family is different from the Chen family after all. Until now, I haven’t seen the Song family kick anyone when they’re down. The previous times the Song family encountered disasters, didn’t they also not implicate those below? Since we’ve already boarded the boat, we can only trust them.”
Indeed, there were no other better methods now. Madam Fang sobbed softly for a while, then stopped crying. She remembered what Sixth Miss Song had said before leaving, that she would definitely make her heart’s wishes come true. Somehow, thinking of Sixth Miss Song’s eyes—as transparent and clear as glass—she felt reassured in her heart.
Seeing she had stopped crying, Master Fang pulled out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to her: “This is a letter from Sixth Miss Song to you. I estimate it’s about having you instigate Third Madam Chen… Look at it carefully, understand it clearly, then think about what to do.”
Sixth Miss Song had a much better tone than Young Master Song, and her words made people feel comfortable. After reading it once, Madam Fang felt completely settled, even showing a smile on her face: “Sixth Miss wants me to instigate Third Madam Chen to make a fuss about dividing the family property.”
Dividing the family property? Making a fuss about division at this time? Fang Xiaoru was somewhat surprised. Taking the letter to scan it himself, with this one glance he couldn’t help developing deep respect for this Sixth Miss Song. This Sixth Miss Song’s scheming depths were truly frightening.
Making a fuss about division at this time—Third Madam Chen and Third Master Chen would certainly agree out of guilty conscience and eagerness to escape the Chen family’s quagmire. But outsiders looking at the Chen family’s behavior would only think the Chen family was severing their tail to survive.
And Old Madam Chen at this time certainly wouldn’t agree to divide the family. These three groups making a fuss together would definitely stir the waters until they couldn’t be muddier. Once the waters were muddied, Zhou Chengfang could then opportunely reveal that Third Master Chen had taken money—and Third Master Chen had indeed accepted silver. Probably even Third Master Chen himself wouldn’t realize he’d fallen into others’ trap. With his brain and the meticulousness of this trap, he indeed couldn’t possibly know.
By that time, that Third Master Chen had accepted bribes and sold examination papers would be an ironclad fact. Even if Elder Chen didn’t admit to selling the papers himself, the one who sold them was his son. Many people could testify to this—the problematic Zhou Chengfang and Lu Bingyuan had been honored guests at the Chen household. For a period of time, entering and leaving the Chen household was as easy and comfortable as entering their own manor. If Elder Chen truly claimed he knew nothing about it, who would believe him? No one would believe it. People in this world only believe what they’re willing to believe. Now scholars throughout the realm were furious to the extreme. They had determined that the reason for their failure was corrupt officials running rampant, accepting silver and obliterating their futures. Now this had become these disappointed failed scholars’ conviction, also their lifeline. They would certainly hold on tight, biting Elder Chen to death or biting off a piece of Elder Chen’s flesh, until they got back what they wanted.
Sixth Miss Song, in dealing with the Chen family from beginning to end, had never used any of the Song family’s forces, much less used any Song family people in the court. What she used was the most easily provoked anger of the scholars, what she used was Emperor Jianzhang’s momentum.
This child, so young in years yet with such deep scheming, was truly too frightening. Fang Xiaoru felt deeply grateful that he hadn’t chosen to remain her enemy. Otherwise, with that matter where he’d schemed against Cui Shaoting back then, he probably would have died countless times already.