Chapter 22: Tingyun Cottage

"Um?!"

Song Jian raised his eyebrows and snorted coldly.

Song Qianzhao suddenly froze, not daring to even breathe.

Manager Huang stood aside, winking at Song Qianzhao desperately.

"Hurry up and agree, little ancestor. If you go against the master, you will definitely be in trouble."

Song Qianzhao looked bitter and said nothing.

I studied for sixteen years in my previous life and I would have vomited all the books.

After Song Jian's eyes swept over Song Qianzhao, he said to Manager Huang in a sinister tone, "I heard that the Di people in Liaodong have been invading the border frequently. They're short of manpower to guard the border there."

Manager Huang glanced at Song Qianzhao and said with a hunched back, "In reply to the master, the northern barbarians are rampant and the border is under pressure. This is a time when manpower is needed."

Song Jian nodded. "Border wars are frequent, and swords and guns are indiscriminate. Every conflict has resulted in heavy casualties. We are indeed short of manpower now."

Song Qianzhao was not stupid, so she naturally heard that Song Jian was threatening her.

But she had to admit that Song Jian had indeed grasped her weakness.

Studying is annoying, but she won’t die; but if she joins the army, she might die.

"I'll go..." Song Qianzhao said without hesitation.

Song Jian smiled and asked, "Where are you going? Liaodong?"

Song Qianzhao straightened his back and said seriously, "I'm going to study at the Imperial College."

Song Jian said coldly, "Why don't you prepare your study supplies quickly? Do you really want me to prepare them for you personally?"

"No, I can do it myself."

Song Qianzhao bowed and hurriedly left the main hall.

"I can't scare you to death!"

Song Jian curled his lips.

Manager Huang was trying to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking.

Song Jian glared at him and said, "What are you laughing at? Why don't you go down and help him prepare things?"

Steward Huang raised the corner of his mouth. "Master, you're clearly tough on the young master, but soft on the heart. Yesterday, the young master didn't come back all night, and you scolded him for half the night, even threatening to make him kneel through the ancestral hall. But when you saw him today, you were so kind, with no intention of punishing him at all."

When Song Jian heard this, his face darkened and he shouted in shame and anger, "How dare you make fun of me?"

Steward Huang quickly bowed and said, "I dare not."

Song Jian snorted coldly and said with a stern face, "I'm nearly sixty years old and just got a grandson like that, and you're not allowing me to get close to him?"

Steward Huang laughed and said, "But I remember that when the young master first arrived at the Song Mansion, you kept saying that he was here to seek wealth and status."

Song Jian was furious and slammed the table and stood up.

"roll!"

Manager Huang was so frightened that he ran away in a hurry.

When he reached the main hall door, he suddenly stopped and turned around to ask, "Master, the Xuanqiong rhino has been found by the young master. Should we release Young Master Song Fu from his house arrest?"

Song Jian was about to agree, but suddenly thought of Song Qianzhao and changed his mind.

He said angrily, "Such a clever child, and yet he's been abandoned in the countryside, ruining his future. Make him continue to kneel before me. After seven days, he'll be grounded for another month."

"What if the young master asks?"

"You won't not tell him?!"

"I understand..."

The front yard of the Song Mansion.

Song Qianzhao stood outside the main hall, looking a little dazed.

Go to study at the Imperial College...

I also need to study the Four Books and Five Classics...

Just thinking about it made her temples throb.

But I have to go.

If I anger Song Jian, I will be exiled to Liaodong...

She wanted to resist a little, but after careful consideration, she found that the chances of winning were slim.

Song Jian could easily control her with just a flick of his fingers.

If Song Jian's political enemies knew that he wanted to send his grandson to Liaodong, they would surely be eager to make it happen, and might even send a team of a hundred people to "escort" her on the road.

"Just study."

Song Qianzhao sighed and planned to go back to her room to think of a plan on how to make her life in the Imperial College comfortable.

She stood there in a daze, looking around helplessly.

For a moment, I didn't know where to go.

Song Jian recognized her as his adopted grandson, so it was no longer appropriate for her to go to the wing room in the front yard, as that was for temporary guests.

She is now the owner of the Song Mansion and should have her own yard.

Steward Huang walked out of the main hall and saw Song Qianzhao standing in the courtyard. He quickly stepped forward and greeted him with a smile, "Young Master, the master has arranged a courtyard for you. I will take you there..."

Song Qianzhao nodded and followed Manager Huang through the moon-shaped gate in the front yard, walked through three winding corridors, and arrived at the gate of a garden.

An exquisite courtyard unfolded before my eyes. Carved stone lanterns flanked the bluestone path, and to the east, a weeping crabapple tree was in full bloom, its branches bent with pink and white blossoms.

In the small pond of running water next to the rockery on the west side, several koi fish are swimming among the water lily leaves.

There are several gold-painted palace lanterns hanging on the corridor in front of the main house.

The courtyard is full of lush flowers and trees and exquisite rockery. Although it is not luxurious, it is elegant and sophisticated everywhere, and it is obvious that it has been carefully cared for.

"This is the elegant courtyard the master has specially prepared for you. It's called 'Tingyun Cottage.' It's inspired by the scene from Tao Yuanming's poem 'Tingyun,' where 'misty clouds hang still, and misty rain falls.' It's perfect for a refined individual who dedicates his time to nature. Are you satisfied?"

Manager Huang said with a smile.

Song Qianzhao nodded. "Excellent! This courtyard is elegant and exquisite, with flowers, trees, springs and rocks complementing each other. It's exactly what I want."

"Then please take a look first, young master. I will help you prepare the things you need for studying."

"Thank you."

Manager Huang left with a smile. Song Qianzhao came to the door and raised his hand to push it open, but failed.

She was stunned, and the door creaked open from the inside.

Xunjiu's honest face poked out, his eyes half-closed, clearly having just woken up. He yawned and mumbled, "Master, you're finally back."

Seeing Xunjiu swaying with sleep, Song Qianzhao couldn't help but laugh and shook his head, saying, "You go to sleep first. When you wake up, I'll take you to Mingchuan Street."

When Xunjiu heard Mingchuan Street, he was startled and all sleepiness disappeared immediately.

Xun Jiu's eyes widened as he shouted, "Master, are you going to see Brother Wang Feng?"

Song Qianzhao nodded: "Give me a peach, and I will repay you with a jade. If it weren't for Brother Wang Feng's escort all the way, we wouldn't have been able to reach the capital safely. Brother Wang Feng has always been kind to us, but we must also remember this friendship."

"Shall we go now?"

"Not sleepy anymore?"

"Not sleepy anymore!"

“You, you…”

Song Qianzhao looked at Xunjiu's excited look and couldn't help laughing and shaking his head.

Song Qianzhao asked the maids to prepare hot water to wash away the smell of last night's alcohol, and asked Xunjiu to wash up as well.

After everything is packed up.

Song Qianzhao changed into a well-fitting Confucian robe and also put a new dress on Xunjiu.

The two men first went to the accounting office to withdraw some money, took out two ingots of official silver and some small change, and took away the land deeds and house deeds of the Ruiqi Casino and the Xiangyun Pawnshop.

Ruiqi Casino and Xiangyun Pawnshop have been burned down, and their property deeds have not yet been cancelled at the Fengtian Prefecture Government Office. Song Qianzhao needs to cancel the old deeds and draw up a new one.

Furthermore, the name registered on the original deed was still Madam Wang Yang, and she also needed to change this name.

After getting the things, Song Qianzhao led Xunjiu out.

As soon as he stepped out of the gate of the Song Mansion, Song Qianzhao was stunned.

Fan Zhiyu was seen squatting dejectedly at the gate of the Song Mansion, his whole body as droopy as an eggplant hit by frost. His head drooped, and his shoulders slumped as well.

The followers who usually surrounded him were gone, and he was the only one squatting there alone.

He didn't ask the doorman to help him knock on the door, but squatted there and refused to leave.

Song Qianzhao walked over quickly and asked with concern: "What's wrong with you?"

Fan Zhiyu didn't want to cry, but when someone asked her, her eyes suddenly turned red, like a wronged child. She pursed her lips, but tears rolled down uncontrollably.

"Wuwuwu...Brother..."

"Don't cry, don't cry, are you being bullied?"

Song Qianzhao patted his shoulder and said soothingly, "You are the young master of the Duke's Mansion after all. Who dares to bully you?"

Fan Zhiyu's throat choked, his eyes reddened: "Compared to them... you are more like my brother..."

Song Qianzhao was stunned, then pondered for a moment and said, "Were you bullied by your two brothers? Did they also steal your money?"

Fan Zhiyu nodded. "It's my fault too. I shouldn't have been so cocky in front of them. I didn't expect them to disregard any brotherly affection and rob me right in front of me. My father sided with them, using my young age as an excuse, saying that keeping the money was pointless and it would be better to give it to them so they could use it to make more friends."

"I...Brother, are illegitimate children really so lowly?"

Song Qianzhao felt a pang of sadness when she heard this. She looked at Fan Zhiyu's red eyes and swallowed the words back.

The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children has existed since ancient times.

There is order of hierarchy and clear boundaries.

In the mansions of wealthy families, the legitimate sons are doted on, while the illegitimate sons can only depend on others and live on leftovers.

Fan Zhiyu had no money in the past, and his two brothers were too lazy to pay attention to him, so he didn't feel much of the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children.

He finally had some money, but it was robbed by his brothers, and his father sided with them.

Only then did he feel the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children.

Song Qianzhao had no control over Fan Zhiyu's family background.

But she can control her friend Fan Zhiyu.

Song Qianzhao patted Fan Zhiyu on the shoulder and said with a smile, "It's just a little money, just consider it a reward for them. You are destined to live a more prosperous life than them. From now on, you will give hundreds or even thousands of silver to beggars every day. Just consider it as alms in advance."

Fan Zhiyu stopped sobbing, stared at Song Qianzhao in a daze, and said in astonishment, "How is it possible?"

Song Qianzhao smiled: "It was impossible before, but it may not be the case now. You have a brother, that is me. If you follow me, are you still worried about not having money to spend?"