The capital in April had a pleasant temperature, neither suffering June’s scorching heat nor February’s bitter cold. The peach trees planted earlier at the Earl’s residence finally bloomed one after another, decorating the estate beautifully.
Song Chengru, having worked busily throughout the night, finally returned to the residence. His temples had turned frosty white, adding several marks of vicissitude. Although he had eliminated Xiao Ding and Fang Deng, his face showed little excitement.
This morning, the Grand Secretariat had issued an official document—Su Yi was sentenced to decapitation, to be executed after autumn. Old Madam Su, because of her meritorious service in righteously denouncing her own family member, was spared the death penalty along with the other women of the Su household. However, they could no longer live in the Loyal and Righteous General’s residence and would have to return to their ancestral home in Taiyuan.
Old Madam Song sighed for a while but didn’t have much thought or energy to spare sympathy for this old acquaintance with whom she once had some friendship—regardless of whether Old Madam Su had known the truth, Su Yi had truly intended to drag the Earl’s residence down with him.
“Send someone to inquire after her,” Old Madam Song finally said after sighing for a long moment. “After all, she did ultimately give us a warning. And she’s quite advanced in years.”
Song Chengru also had no intention of making things difficult for women and children. Hearing the Old Madam say this, he nodded. After thinking for a moment, he added, “If that Miss Chen has recovered enough, it would be good to have her go see her.”
Chen Jinxin was probably whom Old Madam Su worried about most. Having her visit Old Madam Su would at least provide some comfort. Old Madam Song nodded in agreement and instructed Yulan to tell Third Madam to make preparations. Her expression grave, she asked Song Chengru about Xiao Ding and Fang Deng’s matter. “This affair has already reached His Majesty’s ears. By rights, it should be time for a thorough investigation. Why does His Majesty seem unwilling to probe deeply? Xiaoyi said Fang Deng and Xiao Ding have now both become abandoned pawns—won’t they bite back to save their own lives?”
Old Master Song shook his head. Xiao Ding and Fang Deng didn’t have that kind of courage.
With the network of connections Prince Duan had cultivated over many years, if they dared expose him, they would only die faster. On the contrary, if they gritted their teeth and shouldered all the blame themselves, they might still have a thread of hope for survival and avoid total annihilation.
“Prince Duan is so sinister and crafty. If one day he truly ascends the throne, it will be the day our family faces confiscation and extermination,” Old Madam Song lamented, involuntarily turning to look at Song Chengru. “Does the Old Master have a plan in mind?”
After these successive incidents, Prince Duan’s plan to win over the Song family had failed, and his behind-the-scenes schemes had also not succeeded. Given Prince Duan’s character, if he truly gained power in the future, he would certainly settle scores after autumn.
Therefore, the Earl’s residence could only spare no effort to prevent Prince Duan from growing stronger.
The urgent matter at hand was still to finish handling Xiao Ding’s affair.
Xiao Ding and Fang Deng were now cornered like desperate dogs and would certainly attack and implicate the Earl’s residence according to their previous plan. Fortunately, preparations had been made early on. The Earl’s residence now had Fifth Madam, Qi Shengyuan, and others in hand, as well as the female official sent by Madam Xiao—all solid evidence. As long as they handed these people over, Fifth Madam wouldn’t dare implicate Prince Duan and would certainly push all responsibility onto Xiao Ding and Fang Deng. Xiao Ding and Fang Deng wouldn’t survive this time.
This could be considered severing Prince Duan’s arm. Moreover, after this incident, all others who had designs on the Earl’s residence would have to carefully reconsider their plans.
“With Qin Biping’s methods, Xiao Ding will begin his accusations by tomorrow at the latest. Except for Wang Jinsi’s three people, dispose of all the others completely. Have you sorted out Wang Jinsi’s dowry list from back then?”
Old Madam Song nodded. “Everything that shouldn’t be there has already been cleaned out. But pushing Wang Jinsi forward like this—I wonder if the Empress Dowager will easily let this go?”
Empress Dowager Rongxian had genuine feelings for this foster daughter—of course, this was also because Wang Jinsi was her niece’s daughter.
Song Chengru laughed disdainfully.
In the inner palace and inner quarters, Empress Dowager Rongxian might still be able to stir up storms, but when it concerned court affairs, where was there room for her to act emotionally? The current Emperor still harbored resentment over the previous Prince Tai incident—how could he possibly spare another member of the Wang family who had emerged to cause trouble?
After deciding how to handle matters, Song Chengru still summoned Song Chuyi to his study, deciding to ask her opinion.
“Grandfather plans to write a memorial of self-reproach,” he said, stroking his beard as he looked at his composed granddaughter, feeling both satisfied and proud in his heart. “An official should cultivate himself, regulate his family, and bring peace to the world. Yet I cannot even regulate my family properly—I’m truly unfit to serve as Minister of Revenue. Therefore, I’ve decided to submit a request to resign.”
Song Chengru had assumed his hereditary title while serving as an official. After diligently managing affairs for over forty years and navigating the political seas for many years, he had cultivated a cunning surpassing even that of foxes. Everything he did had its reasons.
Song Chuyi thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Grandfather, this strategy of retreating to advance is indeed brilliant. After a while, when the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review clears you of wrongdoing, His Majesty will certainly see your innocence.”
Wang Jinsi had conspired with outsiders to attack the Earl’s residence—this couldn’t be blamed on the Earl’s residence.
Back then, it was the Empress Dowager who had insisted on playing matchmaker, sending this difficult-to-serve person into the Earl of Changning’s residence. Now this restless descendant of a criminal had actually bitten back at the Earl of Changning’s residence, conspiring with outsiders to frame her own in-laws and benefactors.
Moreover, she had driven Song Chengru—a veteran official of two reigns and descendant of meritorious subjects—to the point of resignation. Not only would the Emperor feel guilty, but civil officials throughout the realm wouldn’t allow it either.
Seeing that Song Chuyi indeed understood his meaning, Song Chengru smiled with satisfaction.
“Since ancient times, how much chaos has originated from within one’s own walls,” Song Chengru said emotionally, looking at his granddaughter. “But with you in the Song family, the inner quarters can be stabilized.”
He watched this granddaughter whom he hadn’t previously favored calculate each matter step by step with precision, and he saw her determination to protect the Song family and its members.
At this point, Song Chuyi had already gained the complete trust and affection of her grandfather—the Song family’s actual person in power.
The foundation had been laid. From now on, she could do what she herself wanted to do.
She suppressed the jubilant cheers in her heart and nodded calmly at Song Chengru.
One must eat food bite by bite and walk the road step by step. She would walk steadily until she achieved her goals.
“By the way, Grandfather,” she suddenly thought of Prince Duan, who had left the capital overnight to return to Zhangzhou. “Have you figured out how to deal with this wolf?”
After a wild beast is wounded, it always licks its wounds first, waiting for the right moment before biting through its prey’s throat. Prince Duan was undoubtedly this type of beast.
Song Chengru shook his head, but his face didn’t show much gravity—Prince Duan had been seriously wounded this time. In a short period, his subordinates Su Yi, Xiao Ding, and Fang Deng had fallen in succession. Although these matters weren’t enough to catch him all in one net, they had still depleted much of his vital energy.
At least for the near future, they didn’t need to worry about him causing more trouble. As for what would happen afterward, who could say for certain? Once this memorial of self-reproach was submitted, the scales in His Majesty’s heart would naturally weigh out what was fair.
While Prince Duan’s power was weakened, the Earl’s residence could take full advantage of the Emperor’s grace to rest and recuperate.