Chapter 79 Demotion by Four Ranks

At this moment, only... could ride swiftly at the gates of the Bianjing government office.

Officials or eunuchs from the palace.

The group instinctively moved to the side.

"Whoa!"

The rider pulled on the reins, dismounted, and trotted over.

"The imperial edict has arrived. Song Cheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, receives the edict."

Minister Song suddenly looked up and recognized the person as the eunuch in charge of announcing imperial edicts to His Majesty.

His heart sank, and he quickly pulled Zhang Shi down to kneel and receive the imperial decree.

Song Hui and Zhao Hong also knelt down.

"It is understood that Song Cheng has been indulging his second wife in seizing the first wife's dowry, neglecting his domestic duties, and being unkind to his elders. He is unfit for the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

Song Cheng is hereby demoted to the position of Vice Minister of Rites, suspended from his post for six months for self-reflection. His wife, Lady Zhang, is stripped of her fifth-rank "Yiren" imperial title. It is hoped that you will repent and earnestly correct your mistakes.

Upon hearing that her imperial title had been revoked, Lady Zhang turned pale and collapsed to the ground.

In the social circles of ladies in Bianjing, not having an imperial title meant that she would always be considered inferior!

She will become the laughingstock of all the ladies in Bianjing!

Her reputation, which she had painstakingly built up over nearly ten years, was ruined by Song Yi!

After the eunuch finished reading, he closed the imperial edict in his hand, looked down at Minister Song, and dragged out his words.

"Minister Song, oh no, I should call him Physician Song now. Receive the imperial decree."

As Song Cheng gazed at the imperial edict handed to him, he felt as if the bright yellow color was like blinding sunlight, stinging his eyes.

It was as if a thunderclap had exploded in his ears, making his eardrums throb and he couldn't hear any other sounds around him.

The position of Secretary of the Ministry of Rites was merely a minor official of the sixth rank.

From Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites to Director of the Ministry of Rites, he was demoted four ranks in just three days!

He will become the laughingstock of the entire court!

All because of that wretched girl, Song Yi!

His throat tightened, and he felt a sweet, metallic taste rise to his head, his mouth filled with the taste of rust.

The eunuch delivering the imperial decree frowned slightly and spoke in a shrill voice when he saw that the emperor was slow to accept the decree.

"Why does Physician Song have objections to His Majesty's imperial edict?"

Song Cheng trembled all over before he reached out with trembling hands to receive the imperial edict.

"Your subject dares not."

The eunuch snorted and shoved the imperial edict into his hand.

Song Cheng subconsciously gripped the imperial edict tightly, his throat tightening.

puff.

A mouthful of blood gushed out, and he collapsed to the ground.

"master."

"Father."

"father in law!"

Zhang, Song Hui, and Zhao Hong rushed to help Song Cheng.

As soon as Zhao Hong got up, the eunuch bowed to him.

"Imperial Censor Zhao, His Majesty also has an oral decree for you."

Zhao Hong's expression hardened, and he had no choice but to pull Song Hui down to kneel again.

"Your subject respectfully listens to Your Majesty's instructions."

"I have transferred Zhao Qing to Bianjing to take up his post because I cherish your talent. I hope that you will strictly discipline your wife in the future and maintain harmony in the household."

If this happens again, I will not let it go easily.

Zhao Hong's face turned pale, and he immediately bowed and prostrated himself, saying loudly, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's command."

Song Hui, who was standing to the side, was pale and was pulled twice by Zhao Hong before she trembled and kowtowed.

The eunuch nodded slightly, mounted his horse, and left.

Zhao Hong's expression was gloomy as he glared at Song Hui.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and help your father-in-law back home."

The couple supported the dazed Song Cheng on either side, followed by Zhang Shi, who was weeping bitterly, and hurriedly left.

Song Yi watched their departing figures, clenched her hands, but stood still.

When she saw Song Cheng vomiting blood, she instinctively wanted to go forward, but she stopped herself.

Li Nanke held her hand and looked up, asking, "Mother, are you worried about Grandfather?"

Song Yi's eyes reddened slightly, and she gently shook her head.

"That's enough. Consider all the blind filial piety I've shown over the years as repayment for the debt of raising me. He doesn't treat me like a daughter, so why should I acknowledge him as my father?"

"Let's go, Ke'er, let's go home."

Li Nanke could tell that although her mother had gotten her dowry back, she didn't seem very happy.

My mother has always been gentle and kind-hearted. In the past, she was genuinely filial to Song Cheng and Zhang Shi, and truly loved Song Hui.

Even though I've accepted reality now, I still feel a little sad.

But soon Mother won't have time to be sad anymore.

Only after getting into the carriage did she hug Song Yi and say, "I read a sentence in a book that said there is also a matter of fate between parents and children."

"Mother, don't be sad. Ke'er will always be with you."

Song Yi looked down into her daughter's watery eyes and was speechless.

She, a woman in her twenties, was not as perceptive as her eight-year-old daughter.

He reached out and gently pinched Li Nanke's nose, then pulled her into his arms.

"Mother is not sad. With Ke'er by my side, Mother is very happy."

She may have been born without a parental bond.

From then on, her family consisted only of her husband and daughter.

The Song family.

Song Cheng was sent back and a doctor was consulted.

The doctor said it was caused by excessive internal heat and needed to rest and recuperate for a period of time, and prescribed medicine to reduce internal heat and calm the mind.

But when Song Cheng woke up from his drowsy state, he remembered that he had been demoted four ranks in a row. Once again, he sat up in shock from his deathbed and grabbed everything he could smash.

He smashed things while cursing Song Yi.

"It's all this wretched child's fault, she made me drop four levels. Song Yi is a jinx."

"Go, bring Song Yi back to me! I'm going to beat her to death!"

His face turned red, and the more he cursed, the angrier he became. In the end, he couldn't hold on any longer and vomited blood again.

Having no other choice, Madam Zhang brewed a calming soup and coaxed him to drink it before he finally drifted off to sleep.

She then sat down and, holding Song Hui's hand, cried bitterly.

Thinking of her stripped title and plummeting reputation, she couldn't help but grit her teeth in anger.

“Your father is right, Song Yi is a jinx.”

"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have kept her around for the sake of a reputation for being virtuous. I should have drowned her when she was little."

She cried her heart out.

Song Hui, however, was in no mood to comfort her. She grabbed her arm and interrupted her, asking, "Mother, how much silver do you still have?"

"ah?"

Zhang was stunned for a moment, her eyes filled with tears, and she looked completely bewildered.

Song Hui said, "Silver, I'm asking you how much silver you can still come up with? Today is August 24th, and the dikes of the Red Land will burst in five days."

"If we don't buy grain now, it will be too late. Give me all the silver you have left."

Zhang wiped away her tears, her eyes darting away.

"No... I don't have any more silver. I've given you all the money I could find in the shop."

"I don't believe you. You must still have some hidden money."

No one knows a mother better than her daughter. Song Hui knew Zhang Shi best. She was the kind of person who hid money like a rabbit with three burrows. It was impossible for her not to have any money on her.

She grabbed Zhang's hand, her expression urgent.

“Mother, listen to me. We let Song Yi take away ten shops. Now, whether it’s you or me, we only have one or two shops left.”

"Relying on this small shop to make money, we'll never be able to turn our lives around."

"The breach of the dike in China is the best opportunity. I have absolute confidence that if we invest 10,000 taels, we can definitely earn back 100,000 taels."

"This is our best chance to turn things around. With money, we can speak with our heads held high and help our father with his daily activities."

"Your father's official position has been restored, and so has your imperial title."

Song Hui's eyes gleamed with an urgent and excited light, much like a gambler at a gambling table who was going all in.

Zhang was deeply tempted.

"But...but I only have ten thousand taels left. That's all the money I have. I was planning to save it for your younger brother's education."

Hearing that it was only ten thousand taels, Song Hui was somewhat disappointed.

"And the jewelry, we pawned all the jewelry and turned it into silver, Mother, give me all your jewelry."

"But...but what about your brother...?"

“My younger brother is studying at Songyang Academy and lives there, so he doesn’t need this money for the time being.”

"Mother, believe me, in ten days at most, we'll earn back ten times, or even twenty times, the amount of money!"