Chapter 122 Human Hearts Have Been Changeable Since Ancient Times

Fu Yunjian turned around, looked Song Yiqiu up and down, and after a moment slowly said:

"I... underestimated you a little."

He lowered his head in frustration and spoke.

"But if you're hoping to get clues directly from me, you're in for a disappointment. Over the years, I've never given up on investigating Zhao Hua's death. But all the clues have been dealt with too cleanly... frighteningly cleanly!"

"It is precisely this excessive cleanliness that further confirms that Zhao Hua's death was not an accident, but a meticulously planned murder!"

Song Yiqiu interjected:

"The guards of the Yongjia Marquis's residence are all trusted confidants trained by my grandmother, and they are extremely loyal. Logically speaking, they would never allow anyone of suspicious character to enter the residence, especially not on a festive occasion, unless..."

"Unless that person is someone Zhaohua knows or is even familiar with, it would not make her and her guards lower their guard."

Fu Yunjian coldly accepted the reply.

But Song Yiqiu immediately frowned:

"But as far as I can recall, the day of the incident was a family reunion night. All the masters of the Song family, including my father, mother, and us children, were in the mansion at the time, and it seems that no outsiders came to visit."

Fu Yunjian scoffed:

"Child, you're oversimplifying things. I'm afraid... it's not just a case of an inside job."

He pointed to the top of his head and chuckled dryly.

"The person at the top... is probably also involved."

The one above?

Song Yiqiu instantly understood:

"You mean...people from the palace?"

Fu Yunjian nodded heavily:

"After Zhaohua's death, who benefited the most? The then Consort Zhao Ke'er and Princess Xingrong's birth mother Zhao Mengrou were both promoted in rank and received increasing favor."

"The timing of each and every event is so perfect that it looks like a premeditated purge!"

Fu Yunjian's words echoed in the empty, secluded room. Song Yiqiu remained silent, her eyes lowered.

Fu Yunjian looked at her, thinking she was frightened, and softened his tone to comfort her:

"Young lady, are you... scared? It's no wonder, anyone would feel fear upon suddenly hearing these old stories involving the emperor."

Song Yiqiu slowly raised her head, showing no sign of the panic Fu Yunjian had expected. She shook her head.

“No, Grandfather Fu, I am not afraid.”

She looked up towards the palace:

"I'm thinking about how to get in touch with those people? How can I pry open those tightly closed palace gates and find solid evidence?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Yunjian was surprised for a moment, then sighed and shook his head:

"Difficult, extremely difficult. If this matter truly involves those few within the palace, it's a den of dragons and tigers, not to be trifled with. Besides..."

"I am now a commoner, retired and living in seclusion, far from the core of the court. I have no power or influence, and even if I wanted to lend you a hand, I am powerless to do so."

Song Yiqiu had anticipated this and showed no disappointment. She simply bowed respectfully to Fu Yunjian.

"In any case, I am very grateful to Grandfather Fu for telling me this frankly today. These past events are of great importance to me."

Looking at her composed demeanor, Fu Yunjian was filled with mixed emotions, and his gaze involuntarily turned towards the doorway:

"Langxing... has had a hard life. His mother died in childbirth, and his father... my son, also died on the battlefield. He grew up under my care, but I... feel guilty. I protected him too much, raising him to be ignorant of human suffering, lacking his own judgment, like a child who hasn't grown up..."

He paused, then began to recall:

"Speaking of which, this marriage between you two was arranged by me, swallowing my pride, and begging your grandmother for it back then. Heh... Seeing you two so innocent and carefree as children, I genuinely hoped to strengthen our family ties and protect you for life, which would be a way of doing right by Zhaohua..."

When the engagement was mentioned, Song Yiqiu fell silent, a rare occurrence, her face expressionless.

Neither shy nor angry, only indifferent.

Fu Yunjian was a shrewd and experienced man; how could he not see through it? He sighed and asked directly:

"Qiu'er, do you... no longer have any feelings for my good-for-nothing grandson?"

Song Yiqiu did not answer directly, but turned her gaze to the portrait of her grandmother on the wall and calmly began to recount a past event:

“Grandfather Fu, people's hearts can change. When I was eleven, bandits broke into the Marquis's mansion and killed my grandmother right before my eyes. In the chaos, Fu Langxing rushed over, stretched out his arm to shield me, and said to the bandits, ‘If you want to kill her, you'll have to step over my dead body first!’”

“If he hadn’t delayed for a moment and attracted the thieves’ attention, I probably would have gone with my grandmother long ago. Therefore, I have always been grateful to Fu Langxing.”

"On the day I left for the frontier, no one in the capital came to see me off; it was very desolate. Only he, holding the little wooden sword I gave him when I was a child, chased after my carriage for three blocks, shouting loudly behind me that he would definitely practice his swordsmanship diligently and marry me in a grand and glorious manner when I returned."

At this point, a hint of mockery appeared on her face:

"So, when I returned from the frontier, covered in dust, the first thing I did was send someone to deliver a letter to him. But I did not receive his letter."

"I later learned that on that day, he was meeting my sister Sangyu by a stream on the outskirts of the city to fly kites, chatting and laughing happily. As for his swordsmanship... I heard that he is now a well-known scholar in the capital, skilled in poetry, lyrics and prose. That wooden sword must have been lost somewhere long ago, covered in dust and rotting away."

As Fu Yunjian listened, his face gradually turned ashen.

He lived a proud and aloof life, never imagining that the grandson he had so carefully raised would be so unreliable.

"Qiu'er..."

His voice was filled with remorse.

“It’s Grandfather’s fault. Zhaohua is gone, and I… I didn’t take good care of you either. Langxing… he really…”

“Grandfather Fu, it’s not your fault.”

Song Yiqiu interrupted him.

“I’m not saying this to complain or to gain sympathy. I just want to show that people’s hearts are fickle and life is unpredictable. I understood this truth seven years ago when my grandmother died and I went to the frontier alone. So I don’t blame him.”

She turned around and looked directly at Fu Yunjian:

"I don't need to rely on anyone, nor will I place my hopes on empty promises. I will use my own hands to achieve my goals, to reclaim everything that belongs to me, to find out the truth, and to seek justice for my grandmother!!"

Fu Yunjian was stunned.

He looked at the determined young girl in front of him, and his gaze overlapped with that of Shen Zhaohua, the fiery red-clad girl from years ago.

He knew that his spoiled grandson had long been completely kicked out of the game by the woman in front of him, so he sighed and stopped talking about it.

"That's enough...that's enough..."

He murmured to himself, then turned and walked toward the door of the secret chamber.

"It's getting late, and it's the peak time for lantern viewing outside. Let's... go out."