Song Xiaoqi glanced at Song He'er and was immediately displeased, probably because he felt that his daughter was becoming increasingly wild and did not even respect him, her biological father.
“You’re so young, yet you dare to scold your father. You’re truly a bastard with no manners.”
Hearing Song Xiaoqi's words subtly belittling her "mother," Song He'er's hatred for him deepened.
“No matter how bad my mother is, she was still a proper concubine whom my father brought into the family. Even though the family is in business, she has not disgraced your family in any way. We all know how much of the gold and silver jewelry that came with her dowry was embezzled by my father. If we expose this, it will be embarrassing for everyone.”
"Who taught you all these words?" Song Xiaoqi was even somewhat incredulous that the quick-witted girl in front of him was the same soft and incompetent concubine's daughter he had always thought of.
Previously, I only thought she was a bold wild girl, but now, these words sound plausible and don't seem like they came from a young woman of marriageable age.
"No one taught me that if you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place. Father is so well-off that he can live a prosperous life in a poor and remote place like Xinzhou. If you said you didn't have any money, we wouldn't believe it. You don't need us to tell you how much you've embezzled, do you?"
Song Xiaoqi's face turned pale, and he clearly didn't want to continue on this topic, so he could only find an excuse to divert Song He'er's attention.
"You came here today specifically to teach your father a lesson, didn't you?"
Song He'er breathed a sigh of relief and shifted her gaze to Song Xiaoyu.
These are things that should be said by elders. It's somewhat inappropriate for a girl like her to bring up the topic of adoption.
Song Xiaoyu understood her meaning, walked to the table, poured Song Xiaoqi a glass of water, and handed it to him in a pretentious manner.
"Brother, you seem to be living a very comfortable life now, so you probably don't want to have anything to do with Qin Xiaoniang and the others anymore. In my humble opinion, why don't you write a letter of annulment to sever all ties with her and give Huan Ge'er and He Jie'er to other people to raise? Of course, you also have your own legitimate children, so you shouldn't mind, right?"
Upon hearing this, Song Xiaoqi was initially shocked, but then burst into laughter, a laugh tinged with sarcasm.
"What does this mean, brother?"
"You've got a good plan, but I'd like to ask, why is that? Could it be that that slut has found a lover and is eager to elope with him?"
"Big brother, you..."
"I previously said I wanted to give Huan Ge'er to an official I was on good terms with, but you all vehemently disagreed. If there hadn't been a new option, why would you have had this idea?"
Song He'er could no longer bear it and interrupted him directly, "You wanted to give Huan Ge'er away before just to use him, not for his future. Besides, how will he live without my mother? Giving him away now is just severing ties with you. The child will still be with my mother and can live comfortably. Since Father doesn't want to raise him, then quickly write the document so we can completely sever ties."
Song Xiaoqi stared intently at Song He'er, sensing that there was some unspeakable secret between them.
"Then tell me, which family are you thinking of adopting?"
"Father, don't worry. We're just an ordinary family, no threat to you. We're not wealthy, just a family suffering here. We'll depend on each other and live together. It's better than letting you bear a false reputation, isn't it?"
Song Xiaoqi was extremely shrewd, so naturally he didn't believe Song He'er when she said that.
"What good can a criminal do for your brother? You might as well send him to an official's house; he'll be rich and powerful in the future!"
"Does money really matter more to my father than family?"
"Of course, in the current situation, what's the use of just talking about family ties? Can family ties buy you food and clothing? Can family ties allow you to survive in this poor and desolate place? Only when you have plenty of money in your hands will you have the means to live."
Song Xiaoyu sighed, feeling extremely disappointed in her elder brother.
"Even if you need money, you should earn it with your own hands. Don't do any crooked or shady business and ruin everyone's future."
Song Xiaoqi sneered, his sharp eyes staring intently at the person in front of him. "What do you want to say? Since you admire the way of the pure stream so much, Third Brother, why don't you shave your head and stay here to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, so as not to waste your compassionate heart for all living beings?"
"Brother, if you realize your mistake, there is still a chance."
Song Xiaoqi curled his lips into a mocking smile. "I wondered what you all came for. So you've come to lecture me. Perhaps you've heard about it? But I'm not afraid of you knowing. In this remote borderland, even if the emperor finds out, he can't execute me on the spot. I've worked hard for him for decades, and just because I didn't do what he wanted, he wants to strip me of my rank and exile me here. I have no gratitude towards him whatsoever. Of course, I need lots and lots of gold and silver. Sooner or later, I will return to the capital!"
Upon hearing this, Song Xiaoyu was inevitably shocked and stared at him with an incredulous expression.
"You're insane! You're absolutely insane!"
"I've been insane for a long time! I went insane when my whole family was exiled here!"
"But if you hadn't taken the blame for your cronies, your whole family wouldn't have been implicated!"
"What does the reputation of the whole family matter? Only by protecting them can I have a chance to make a comeback. If you know what's good for you, go back and behave yourselves. When I return to the capital in the future, I will naturally bring you back..."
Song He'er was so angry that she got goosebumps all over. There really are people in this world who turn black into white. They are clearly the ones who made the mistakes, but they blame everything on others and refuse to repent.
If this continues, let alone returning to the capital, they will all lose their heads here!
"Father, I'll ask you one last time: if this matter is exposed, and it implicates us, or even the life of your own son, will you still not stop?"
"no way."
Song He'er was completely enraged by those words. She wanted to get rid of this man, to survive, and so that everyone could survive...
Although their interactions with the Nanzhao people here violated the laws of the imperial court, at least they did not do anything to harm the court; they were merely earning a living.
However, Song Xiaoqi's ambition was too great. For his own benefit, he did not hesitate to prey on the people. If he succeeded, wouldn't that be letting down the people of the world?
......
My darlings, just a reminder: this story is completely fictional! There is no historical basis for it, so please don't take it too seriously or try to apply it to your lives.
Also, it's Saturday today, so I'll try my best to update more!
Please point out any grammatical errors or awkward phrasing in this book, as sometimes they aren't noticeable even after proofreading. Love you all!
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