Chapter 110 The Scholar Who Favored His Concubine Over His Wife (Part Two): Carrying on Pure Love to the End...

Song Ce sighed and asked, "Xiao Shan, you're so young, why are you begging for food? Where are your parents?"

While wolfing down his food, Xiaoshan mumbled, "Sir, my parents are gone. Our village suffered a disaster the year before last, and I couldn't survive on my own, so I ran away to the county town." As he spoke, Xiaoshan's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face, leaving two shallow streaks.

Song Ce felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. This child, so young, had to endure such hardship. He reached out and gently patted Xiao Shan's head, saying tenderly, "My home is right here. If you ever go hungry, just come to me. I may not be rich, but I can still give you a meal."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoshan abruptly stopped swallowing his cornbread, and a different kind of light suddenly shone in his dim and pitiful eyes.

He was about to kneel down again with a thud, but Song Ce reacted quickly and helped him up, saying gently, "Xiao Shan, a man's knees are worth gold, you don't need to kneel before me."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! Xiaoshan is willing to follow you! Xiaoshan can do any kind of work. I can help you clean the yard, go up the mountain to collect herbs, chop firewood and start a fire. As long as you can give me a bite to eat, I will do anything!" Xiaoshan still had a cornbread in his mouth. He nodded vigorously and turned around in place, eager to prove his "ability" to Song Ce.

Looking at Xiaoshan's dirty little face, Song Ce couldn't help but sigh: "Alright, come inside with me. There's some warm water in the kitchen. Go wash your face and change into some clean clothes."

Xiao Shan responded and followed Song Ce somewhat awkwardly into the rather shabby house.

Song Ce went to the kitchen, brought Xiao Shan a basin of warm water, and found him a cloth that, although somewhat worn, was still clean. Xiao Shan stood to the side, his eyes filled with curiosity as he looked at the furnishings in the room, his eyes full of envy.

Xiaoshan took the cloth and vigorously wiped the dirt off his face. After he washed away the filth, a delicate but somewhat malnourished face was revealed.

Song Ce went into the inner room, found an old garment that the original owner had worn before, and handed it to Xiao Shan. Although this garment also had patches, it was much better than the tattered clothes that Xiao Shan was wearing, which could barely cover his body.

After combing his hair and changing his clothes, Xiaoshan looked much more energetic. He stood there awkwardly and said softly, "Master, you've been so good to me, I don't know how to repay you."

Song Ce smiled and said gently, "Child, I did this not to seek your gratitude. I only hope that when you grow up, if you encounter children your age who are starving, you can lend a helping hand and give them a meal and a piece of clothing. That would be the best way to repay me."

Xiao Shan nodded emphatically upon hearing this and said earnestly, "Master, I have remembered your words!"

Before Xiaoshan left, he insisted on sweeping up the fallen leaves and dust in Song Ce's courtyard, even carefully cleaning the corners. After putting the broom and dustpan back in their place, he tentatively asked, "Master, may I come again tomorrow?"

“Of course,” Song Ce replied with a smile.

Xiaoshan thanked him profusely and left with his old clothes, his face full of gratitude.

Song Ce stood at the courtyard gate, watching Xiao Shan's departing figure in silence for a long while before sighing and dragging his slightly heavy steps back into the house.

Thinking that his wedding day with Liu Wanyao was in three days, Song Ce looked around at the shabby surroundings and felt that he couldn't let the girl suffer like this. His gaze fell on the yellowed poetry book open on the desk, his eyes paused slightly, and an idea immediately came to him.

It was afternoon, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Song Ce cut off a piece of white divination cloth, dipped a brush in ink, and wrote eight large characters on the cloth: Yin and Yang, Five Elements, Ten Hexagrams, Nine Spirits. Then he took out three copper coins from his old clothes and put them in his sleeve pocket.

Qizhou County was named by the new emperor, meaning to overthrow the incompetent and establish the wise, with aspirations reaching across the nine provinces.

Three months ago, the Ji River in Qizhou County flooded, causing widespread disaster. The fourth prince, Xiao Yunzhan, was ordered by the emperor to go to Qizhou to distribute grain from the granaries. To solve the problem of food for the disaster victims, Xiao Yunzhan immediately ordered the opening of the Changping Granary and Reserve Granary in Qizhou County to provide relief to the affected people and stabilize grain prices.

To curry favor with this nobleman from the capital, the wealthy and powerful families of Qizhou County collectively donated rice to aid the disaster relief efforts. For a time, the people talked about nothing but the good deeds of the fourth prince, Xiao Yunzhan, and his image grew increasingly revered in the hearts of the people of Qizhou County.

Xiao Yunzhan, dressed in plain clothes, walked down the street, watching the people of Qizhou gradually regain their vitality, his heart filled with relief. He had just crossed the Xingzi Bridge when he spotted Song Ce, a man with black hair and a gray shirt, holding a divination cloth.

Song Ce hung up the divination cloth he had written, closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and looked completely relaxed.

Xiao Yunzhan slowly approached, sizing up Song Ce who was resting with his eyes closed. Before he could speak, the man before him said calmly, "Young master, would you like your fortune told?"

"Yin and Yang, Five Elements, Ten Hexagrams and Nine Spirits? Sir, your claims are far too exaggerated. I dare not attempt them." After saying this, Xiao Yunzhan turned to leave.

“Young Master, your forehead is glowing, you must be enjoying great fortune lately and are in the midst of your triumph. However…” Song Ce slowly opened his eyes, paused for a moment, and then continued, “Although things seem to be going smoothly now, everything in this world is a mix of fortune and misfortune. Young Master, you must not be blinded by this peaceful appearance.”

Xiao Yunzhan paused, turned around, and asked with great interest, "In your opinion, sir, where does my misfortune come from?"

Song Ce quietly looked at Xiao Yunzhan. After a moment, he slightly raised his hand, pointed to the bustling crowd in the streets, and said gently, "Young Master, please look. The people of Qizhou have been able to regain their vitality because of your good deeds. This is a blessing for you, and a sign of great fortune. However, since you have come here with important matters to attend to, how could those hiding in the shadows be willing to lose their power?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunzhan's eyes flashed with surprise. The disaster relief effort was indeed due to the incompetence of the First Prince's subordinates. As the local official of the most severely affected county, instead of comforting the people, he planned to send two boxes of precious artifacts to the capital. Having given this ammunition, the Third Prince's faction reported him to the Emperor, leading to the First Prince's confinement to the palace, and the disaster relief task ultimately falling to him.

He subtly narrowed his eyes, carefully scrutinizing Song Ce, and tentatively asked, "Sir, you seem to know quite a lot about my affairs. May I ask why?"

Song Ce composed himself. "Would you like to have your fortune told, young master?"

Xiao Yunzhan pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, I'll trouble you to cast a divination."

Song Ce took out the three copper coins from his sleeve and casually tossed them on the ground. After a moment, Song Ce picked up the middle coin and handed it to Xiao Yunzhan, saying slowly, "Young master, if you encounter a downpour on your way back, you may wish to proceed slowly."

Xiao Yunzhan carefully examined the copper coin and confirmed that it was indeed just an ordinary copper coin.

"What do you mean by this, sir?"

Song Ce shook his head and said, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed any further."

After a long while, Xiao Yunzhan held the copper coin in his hand and gestured to Lian Yun behind him: "Fetch the divination fee for the master."

Lian Yun looked at his usually wise and powerful master, who had actually believed the few words of this charlatan. He hesitated and said, "Master, in my opinion, this person's origins are unclear, you..."

Before Lian Yun could finish speaking, Xiao Yunzhan raised his hand to stop him, his gaze still fixed on Song Ce, and said loudly, "Today I have the honor of meeting you, sir. Since I am fortunate to have your guidance, I should naturally offer this divination fee with both hands."

Lian Yun untied the purse from his waist, and Xiao Yunzhan took out two gold ingots from the purse and gently placed them in front of Song Ce.

Song Ce didn't refuse, nodding slightly in acknowledgment and placing the gold directly into his sleeve pocket. A nearby vendor, seeing this, couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Xiao Yunzhan gave Song Ce a deep look, then turned and left with Lian Yun.

Along the way, Lian Yun couldn't help but mutter, "Master, how could you take the words of this mere charlatan seriously? Just because of his few ambiguous words, you rewarded him with two strings of gold! Gold!"

Xiao Yunzhan continued walking, his expression calm, and said, "Lian Yun, this person is definitely not simple. It is no coincidence that he was able to see through my important matters in a single sentence."

Lian Yun said dismissively, "Master, if I may be so bold as to say something disrespectful, you have stayed in Qizhou County for so long, this charlatan may have learned of your identity somewhere, which is why he deliberately said this to you."

"That's enough. Better to believe it exists than to say anything more."

Upon hearing this, Lian Yun immediately bowed and agreed, not daring to utter another word.

After Xiao Yunzhan and Lian Yun left, a vendor nearby hurriedly grabbed a bunch of fresh vegetables from his stall and approached Song Ce, flattering him, "Sir, do you have some free time? Could you also tell my fortune?"

Song Ce glanced at the vegetables in the vendor's hand and nodded. He held the remaining two copper coins in his palm and asked with a smile, "Young man, would you like to choose the coin in your left hand, or the coin in my right hand?"

The vendor stared at Song Ce's hands, looking them over carefully, and said cautiously, "I choose... I choose the one on your right hand."

Song Ce unfolded the copper coins and examined them closely. He immediately smiled and said, "Young man, this is an auspicious divination. Your family will have the joy of welcoming a new member."

The vendor's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he asked eagerly, "Sir, is what you say true?"

Song Ce smiled slightly, put away the divination cloth, and said gently, "If you are sincere, it will naturally be true."

The vendor was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, saying, "I believe you, I believe you." Then, he picked up a bunch of green vegetables and stuffed them into Song Ce's hand, "Sir, we mountain folk don't have much to offer, but I picked these green vegetables early this morning. Please accept them."

Song Ce accepted the vegetables without hesitation and left the place.

The next morning, Xiao Yunzhan and Lian Yun mounted their horses one after the other, followed by two squads of strong guards. They rode swiftly towards the northern capital.

After traveling at high speed for most of the day, Xiao Yunzhan ordered everyone to rest on the spot.

Looking at the clear sky, Lian Yun couldn't help but purse his lips and whisper, "In my opinion, your hundred taels of gold are a complete waste."

Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Lian Yun muttered, "Master, do you remember what that wandering fortune teller told you? If we encounter a downpour on the road... Look, if we hurry, we can return to the capital by noon tomorrow. Look at the sky, there's not a single sign of a downpour."

Xiao Yunzhan smiled. "Alright, wouldn't it be better if the journey was safe and sound?"

After the group finished resting, Lian Yun went to inform the guards to mount their horses and continue their journey. Unexpectedly, they had only been traveling for a little over an hour when large, dark clouds began to gather on the horizon. In a short while, the clouds completely obscured the once clear sky.

A gust of wind howled past, blowing the trees along the official road to the side and making the leaves rustle.

Upon seeing this, Lian Yun grabbed the reins tightly and was immediately dumbfounded.

"Master...Master, what...what happened? The weather has suddenly changed!"

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Author's Note: The wind is so strong today, wind force +1 +1 +1... [Cracking][Cracking]