Chapter 171 Dirty People Want Dirty Things
Qian Baokun sighed softly, "Miss Song just fainted suddenly. Governor Xiao wanted to take her back to the mansion to find someone to treat her. Recorder Song shouldn't have stopped him."
"I..." Song Jinxiu didn't expect to be seen in such a state of disarray. His lips turned pale. "I don't know what happened to Tang Ning. I'm just afraid that Xiao Yan would hurt her..."
Qian Baokun frowned, "Ever since Miss Song entered Jiyun Lane, everyone in the capital knows that Governor Xiao is protecting her."
Song Jinxiu was stunned by his words, and his fingers couldn't help but tighten. "He is protecting her, but who knows if he has other intentions? They are not really siblings. Xiao Yan is still a eunuch and a treacherous minister. Tang Ning is just an unmarried girl. If he carries her out of the house like this and is seen by others, it will hurt Tang Ning's reputation..."
"absurd!"
Qian Baokun's eyebrows were almost twisted into a knot.
He had just felt a little sorry for Song Jinxiu's embarrassment, and wanted to save some face by speaking to Wen Huan, but who knew that this man was still as despicable as ever, with a mind full of filthy things, and he even knew that Xiao Yan was disabled, but still called him a eunuch behind his back.
He still remembered how Xiao Yan praised Song Jinxiu. It was obvious that the two had a grudge against each other, and he even knew that Song Jinxiu would most likely bite back if he spoke out, but Xiao Yan was still able to speak fairly and impartially.
Song Jinxiu is capable and not without merits.
Qian Baokun was originally partial to Xiao Yan, and his face immediately turned cold at this moment.
"What Song Lushi said is ridiculous. It doesn't matter if they are not siblings. Blood relationship doesn't mean everything. When a beast in human form turns into a beast, no one will care about blood relationship."
"Lord Xiao has never hurt Miss Song and always puts her first in everything. However, some of his closest relatives are full of false words and secretly wish to kill Miss Song."
He looked at Song Jinxiu with sneer, "Back then, Registrar Song and the Song family almost forced Miss Song into a desperate situation, forcing her to expose her personal affairs to others and let people talk about her past. Her reputation has long been ruined. Not to mention that it's dark, windy and rainy now, who can see her being carried out by Governor Xiao?"
"Even if they really saw it, Miss Song is ill and can hardly move around, and others will only worry about her condition. Who would be so disgusting as to want to throw all the dirty water on her and make her think of such a dirty thing?"
Qian Baokun spoke in a sarcastic tone, and he was almost pointing at Song Jinxiu's nose and scolding him for having a dirty mind.
Song Jinxiu's face turned pale: "Minister Qian, that's not what I meant..."
"I know that Mr. Song is just worried about Miss Song. You mean well."
It’s better not to say this.
Song Jinxiu's face turned even paler.
After Qian Baokun made a sarcastic remark, he felt that it was unlucky to look at the person in front of him.
His wife and daughter had previously told him that the eldest son of the Song family was hypocritical and conceited, and did not understand what others said. He was probably born into a good family and had never experienced any hardships. He had also regarded himself as a gentleman for too long. He always demanded that others do what he agreed with, but would never look down at himself.
He had clearly been in jail once and had to sell out his father and old friends to get out, but he still couldn't see his place clearly and spoke without thinking.
Qian Baokun now felt like a fool for having felt pity for Song Jinxiu just now, and he was too lazy to argue with him anymore.
"Ms. Song suddenly fainted because she lost a memory related to the death of her parents."
Qian Baokun actually couldn't be sure whether Tang Ning's "amnesia" was really related to the death of Song Xi and others, but it didn't prevent him from adding fuel to the fire of the bait that Xiao Yan had laid earlier.
If this matter had nothing to do with the Song family, that would be best, but if it was related to the Song family, he didn't believe Song Jinxiu could bear it, and Song Jinxiu might know something.
He looked at Song Jinxiu and said, "When Madam Rong and the others had the accident, Madam Song lost that memory almost at the same time. When she suddenly recalled it today, she was shocked. Logically, if she really didn't remember that past, Princess Cheng couldn't have been unaware of such a big thing. But Princess Cheng never mentioned her amnesia, and even Madam Song herself didn't know."
"Song Lu Shi, who do you think could have concealed this matter without leaving a trace and covered up that inexplicably disappeared memory?"
After Qian Baokun finished speaking, he glanced at Dayu and said:
"It's getting late today, and I have other things to attend to. It's not convenient to discuss matters with Song Lushi in this state. It's better to go back first, lest it be difficult to leave if the storm gets too strong. If you have anything to say about the grain tax case, please come to the yamen to find me tomorrow after you go to the palace."
He said to the side, "Send Song Lushi out, be careful to support him and don't let him fall."
After seeing Qian Baokun finish his words, Song Jinxiu nodded to him rather coldly and left, leaving him standing stiffly facing the servants of the Qian family.
"Master Song, let me help you out."
“No need!”
Song Jinxiu gritted his teeth, his clothes were wet and stuck to his skin, exuding a chilling chill. However, no matter how cold he felt, it was not as cold as the chill that seeped into his bones after hearing Qian Baokun's words.
Tang Ning had lost her memory before. Not only did Princess Cheng not know about it, but even he did not know about it. No one in the mansion had ever mentioned it.
He was still young when his second uncle died. He only knew that Tang Ning had fallen seriously ill during the funeral in the mansion. At that time, Taifu Rong was also seriously ill and almost dying due to the grief of losing his daughter. Princess Cheng stayed by Taifu Rong's side every day and dared not leave.
When Tang Ning was seriously ill, the doctor said she needed to rest, so her grandmother took her to another village to recuperate for nearly three months, and stayed by her side almost every step of the way during that time.
Song Jinxiu still remembered that he had visited Tang Ning several times. Every time, she was lying in bed, either asleep or absent-minded, looking dull and dazed. But when her grandmother brought her back home after she recovered from her illness, she soon returned to her lively self.
She remembered the death of her second uncle and his family, and the times she played with him when she was a child. She would cry when she mentioned her second aunt, and she also remembered everything about the mansion.
She had never revealed that she was missing anything, so how could she have lost a memory?
Song Jinxiu clenched his fists, wanting to tell Xiao Yan and the others that they were lying to him, but a voice in his mind told him that they were not lying.
He stood in front of the Qian family's gate and felt a strange chill on his back.
Yinquan saw him coming out and hurried over to greet him: "My dear, why did you come out just now? I just saw that eunuch named Xiao carrying a girl away. She seemed a little strange..." He was halfway through his words when he got closer to find that Song Jinxiu was in a mess. He asked in surprise: "My dear, what happened to you? Why are your clothes all wet?"
This is their best clothes now, and the man almost lost his face in exchange for it.
After the Duke of Song's mansion was searched, nothing was left. After Song Jinxiu was released from prison, he only had clothes that could barely cover his body. However, he still had to enter the court, meet the emperor, and even deal with people in the court. People respect clothes first and then people. He already had a bad reputation, and if he was dressed in rags, he would only be laughed at.
Song Jinxiu had no choice but to save face and took Yinquan to look for his old friends, hoping to borrow some money to get by for a while. However, those who were on good terms with him in the past were now taking advantage of his misfortune. He had no choice but to find the relatives of the Song family, but those people hated them for losing the title of Duke and almost bringing disaster to the family, so everyone avoided him.
Later, a kind-hearted cousin took pity on him and gave him some change and old clothes. When Song Jinxiu came to the Qian family, he chose the best piece of clothing there.
"My dear, let's go back quickly. This dress can't be torn."
Yinquan hurriedly pulled Song Jinxiu away.
Song Jinxiu followed him out of the Qian family with his eyes downcast, without saying a single word from beginning to end.
…
In the Xiao Mansion in Jiyun Lane, Xiao Yan, who had changed into outer clothes, stood sideways in the Heli Hall, with his long hair casually tied behind his shoulders. The bronze-necked, single-legged crane lantern not far away stretched his shadow extremely long.
Canglang stood in front of him and said, "After Song Jinxiu left the Qian family, he went straight back to where he was staying. He didn't go to the imperial prison. However, he looked very bad. After returning, he sent the servant away and locked himself in his room."
Jinyun hesitated: "Master, will Song Jinxiu ask the Song family?"
Xiao Yan's eyes were cold and cruel. "He will."
Song Jinxiu is an extremely contradictory person. He is hypocritical but also upright, cold but also affectionate.
If he was a wicked person without any bottom line, he would naturally not delve into the past, lest he bring disaster upon himself after finding out something. But he was not like that. He felt a strange and extreme sense of guilt towards Tang Ning. Unless he also knew about what happened back then, he would take the initiative to investigate any clues about the Song family.
"Send someone to keep a close eye on him. Go to the Imperial Prison and listen carefully to everything the Song family said. Also, after the accident that Song Xi and his wife suffered, I remember that Jingzhao Prefecture should have investigated. Go find Wu Huai and retrieve all the case files related to this matter."
Jinyun nodded: "Yes."
The room outside became quiet, Jinyun and Canglang both retreated, and Xiao Yan then walked towards the screen not far away. After walking around the screen, he saw Madam Qin sitting in front of the bed.
"How is she?"
Xiao Yan asked Madam Qin who was taking her pulse beside the bed.
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