Song Jue couldn’t figure it out for a moment. He glanced at Song Chengru and saw his grandfather’s eyes light up. After deep contemplation, he asked: “Master, do you mean His Majesty doesn’t wish to see Elder Du grow close to the Crown Grandson? Then why does His Majesty still keep Elder Du around—everyone knows Elder Du is Prince Gong’s teacher.”
With one sentence, he awakened Elder Song as well. Song Chengru curled his fingers and tapped them on the desk, also feeling that he had been blind to the obvious—although Emperor Jianzhang had trampled Prince Gong underfoot, he had specifically kept Elder Du, who was Prince Gong’s teacher. What was the purpose? Since ancient times, being the heir apparent had been difficult. The Crown Prince back then was like this, and now that it had changed to Zhou Weizhao, the situation was different—at least the Crown Prince had been in poor health and appeared weak on the surface. But what about Zhou Weizhao now? He already had the merit of quelling the rebellion, was young and accomplished, extremely intelligent, usually close to Prince Zhennan’s manor, and was about to become in-laws with the Song and Cui families. If he also received help from Prince Gong’s former advisors, what would Zhou Weizhao become in Emperor Jianzhang’s eyes?
The Crown Prince had fallen to this state and Emperor Jianzhang had turned a blind eye because the matter of the Crown Prince keeping private soldiers had been exposed. If Zhou Weizhao accepted Elder Du’s goodwill, wouldn’t he be telling Emperor Jianzhang that he was also cultivating his own forces?
“Old fox!” Song Jue’s lips curved in an ambiguous smile. “No wonder Prince Gong felt he was deceived by Elder Du yet remained indifferent. Princess Gong even ran before the Empress to speak those divisive words. After going in circles, so the crux of the matter is here. If we become carried away with success and truly accept Elder Du’s goodwill, then Prince Gong would truly kill two birds with one stone—His Majesty kept Elder Du precisely to check and balance us. Elder Du is seeking his own death and dragging us down with him.”
This trap was dug imperceptibly and was truly difficult to guard against. When people became complacent, they always let down their guard. Even Cui Yingshu and Song Chengru, at first, hadn’t thought about things in this direction. They only thought to counsel Song Chuyi to be at ease—if not the Du family, then fine, but accepting Prince Zhennan’s manor’s proposal would surely work, right?
Song Chengru’s gaze toward Master Qingfeng became increasingly warm. This old master was truly among the shrewdest of people. No wonder he had taught Song Yan so thoroughly with such great progress. Thinking this way, regarding what Song Yan had just proposed about going to Hubei, Song Chengru felt it wasn’t so unfeasible anymore—never mind whether Master Qingfeng had other intentions of taking him to gain experience, even if it was truly just to help Master Qingfeng find his younger brother, it was only right and proper.
Song Jue’s thoughts aligned with his. However, regarding being schemed against, he couldn’t swallow it no matter what: “Prince Gong has fallen to this state yet still hasn’t forgotten to use spent pieces to drag us down. Although Lady Yang’s methods are those of an inner chamber woman, the impact cannot be said to be insignificant. Didn’t they say even Prince Zhennan’s manor was moved? With even Prince Zhennan’s manor eagerly pursuing this, His Majesty probably wants to treat His Highness as Crown Prince the Second, doesn’t he?”
Previously, Zhou Weizhao had naturally been the weaker party, the victim. But now that the Crown Prince had fallen and Prince Gong was finished, he had instead become the beneficiary. If he tied all these people to his own ship, Emperor Jianzhang might truly sink his vessel.
But if they didn’t accept Elder Du’s overture, Elder Du wasn’t easy to deal with either. He might very well create some trouble, and whether Emperor Jianzhang would then think Elder Du was demonstrating loyalty as a pure minister was truly hard to say.
Master Qingfeng stroked his beard: “That’s why I said before, Prince Gong may look fallen, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if Prince Gong truly falls, you shouldn’t celebrate too early. As long as His Majesty is still alive, as long as he still has other sons, even other grandsons, His Highness is not truly unshakeable.”
These words made one’s scalp tingle. Song Yan pondered for a moment: “We don’t need to worry about Prince Zhennan’s manor. Second Brother Ye said he can persuade them. Even if he can’t, given the relationship between our two families, a brief communication will settle it. But regarding Elder Du…”
Song Chengru himself also had some headache. As just mentioned, Elder Du was now a hot potato—accepting would scorch their hands, but not accepting wouldn’t work either.
Fortunately, Song Yan didn’t make them wait too long. He had already figured out how to solve this problem for them: “I heard that recently, First Master Du bought a residence in Willow Leaf Alley and is keeping a mistress there. That mistress even bore him a son.”
Master Qingfeng popped a piece of walnut into his mouth, smiling as he looked around at Song Chengru, Song Jue, Master Song, Master Chang, and Master Ying, whose expressions varied. Finally, he felt satisfied. After all this time leading Song Yan to walk through streets and alleys everywhere, the harvest had finally arrived.
Although Song Jue wasn’t a rigid person, when Song Yan first had his own men, he had still worried for quite some time, afraid he would cause some disaster. But now it seemed Master Qingfeng was right—people truly emerged through continuous training.
His eyes brightened, and even Song Chengru smiled: “What does Yan’er mean?”
Song Yan continued: “I heard First Master Du has given this mistress quite a bit of money and assets. His parents are still alive and the family property hasn’t been divided yet. For First Master Du to do this—can’t he be impeached for unauthorized division of family property? Additionally, I seem to have heard that First Master Du’s mistress appears to be a family member of a convicted official who hasn’t been removed from the criminal registry. I wonder if this counts as concealing and not reporting, harboring associates?”
Of course it counted. Master Song worked at the Ministry of Rites and knew this all too clearly. He immediately laughed: “Impeach him with several memorials. When the father’s conduct is like this, the daughter’s prospects will also be implicated.”
What secondary consort or not—even if the Du family still wanted to send someone, would Empress Lu still dare accept?
And by blocking the Du family’s path and not setting this precedent, they could at least have a period of peaceful days.
Song Jue’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed as he patted Song Yan’s shoulder: “You’ve made progress.”
Following Tang Mingzhao, he had learned scholarship, but following Master Qingfeng, he learned worldly wisdom. If these two could be integrated thoroughly, his future would be limitless. Song Chengru also smiled.
Later, when Old Madam Song heard about it, she first felt proud of Song Yan’s capability and breathed a sigh of relief. Refusing Prince Zhennan’s manor and the Du family not sending anyone was naturally good. But then she frowned: “This time we’ve avoided it, but Lady Yang keeps gossiping before the Empress—that’s not a solution. We don’t want the Du family’s daughter, but that doesn’t guarantee the Empress won’t select others.” That’s why there had been that scene at the Cui residence today. Lady Yang had naturally thought of this point as well and had already found backup candidates—definitely more than one.
Song Chuyi massaged Old Madam Song’s shoulders, her lips curving to reveal two dimples: “Grandmother can rest assured. She won’t have the opportunity to gossip anymore either.”