Chapter 147 Jealousy
Qian Baokun is well versed in the art of self-preservation and has never been partial to anyone. He does not get involved in court struggles, nor does he get close to anyone.
It's not that the aristocratic families haven't tried to win him over, even the princes in the court have shown goodwill to him. In the past, when Song Hong was in the court, he also tried every means to make friends with this powerful court official. However, although he seemed to have a harmonious relationship with everyone on the surface, in fact, they had no contact with each other in private. But Xiao Yan could actually make Qian Baokun "treat him differently."
Remembering Qian Baokun's earnest instructions before he left, Song Jinxiu scoffed, "Minister Qian treats you sincerely. Doesn't Governor Xiao feel guilty?"
"When Tang Ning treated you sincerely, did you ever feel guilty?"
Song Jinxiu was embarrassed by his words. Xiao Yan said coldly, "You work for me, so I let you live. I didn't involve you in the affairs of Duke Song's Mansion. What did I get in return? Lord Song should know better than anyone. Since you can frame the Lu family without batting an eyelid, don't come to me with nice words and offend me for no reason. I don't mind sending you back to the Imperial Prison."
Song Jinxiu's face turned pale and blue.
Xiao Yan saw him shut up but didn't mean to let him go: "Master Song is mute?"
The once favored son of heaven is no longer the same as before. No matter how embarrassing it was, Song Jinxiu gritted his teeth and chose to bow his head: "I have overstepped the bounds. Lord Governor Xiao, please forgive me."
Xiao Yan's eyes were distant and distant: "Don't let it happen again."
Although there were not many people passing by the palace gate, Song Jinxiu felt as if his face had been peeled off and thrown on the ground and trampled upon. The gazes of the guards guarding the gate not far away made him feel even more ashamed.
Xiao Yan looked at his slightly flushed face, turned around and walked towards the carriage not far away, but Song Jinxiu suddenly looked up and called out to him, "Lord Xiao."
Xiao Yan paused.
"Is Tang Ning... okay?" Song Jinxiu asked in a low voice.
"It's naturally good to leave the Song family."
When Xiao Yan tilted his head, his jawline was sharp, and his eyes were slightly raised with a sharpness that pierced people's hearts, making people want to avoid looking at him directly.
"Lord Song never cared about Tang Ning back then, and he chose to protect her over your sister. Now, please stop bothering my child with your indecision. Some things you've discarded can't be retrieved just because you want to. Tang Ning won't go back and swallow the discarded things she's spit out. Lord Song, I think you should understand."
He glanced at Song Jinxiu's instantly pale face with a cold expression.
"Your sister is under your protection. His Majesty has already ordered her to be released. Lord Song should also go to the imperial prison to pick her up as soon as possible."
The word "your sister" made Song Jinxiu feel extremely embarrassed.
He moved his lips, wanting to say that he had never abandoned Tang Ning, that he didn't know about Song Shulan's situation at the beginning, and that he just wanted to treat the sisters equally and live in harmony. However, when he met Xiao Yan's cold black eyes and thought of everything Tang Ning had experienced, all the words of rebuttal were stuck in his throat, making him feel full of guilt.
Song Jinxiu felt like he had become the most ridiculous existence. Just like Xiao Yan said, he and Tang Ning were no longer the "brother and sister" they used to be. To Tang Ning, he was a discarded object that she had long since abandoned.
She already has an older brother, and this person is not him.
Xiao Yan ignored Song Jinxiu's changing expression, turned around and left.
After the carriage left the palace gate, Jinyun could still see the young man standing in front of the palace gate through the gap in the curtain. He turned his head and said to Xiao Yan, "Master, Song Jinxiu is not a good person. He took over the Lu family's affairs without hesitation and lied to gain the trust of Your Majesty. Please release him. What if he bites back in the future..."
"The Lu family's affairs require an opportunity."
He originally wanted Qian Baokun to be the one to stir up trouble, but this Minister Qian was so "sincere" that it made people feel a little sorry for him.
Thinking of Qian Baokun's earnest instructions and his eagerness to treat him as a close friend, Xiao Yan leaned against the car wall and couldn't help but chuckle. Then he continued, "Although Song Jinxiu is a bit hypocritical, he is truly talented and capable. Moreover, to protect himself, he lowered himself to me and even submitted to the man who destroyed the Duke of Song's mansion. This shows that he is very cunning and shrewd."
"Song Hong's crimes aren't enough to kill the entire Song family. Even if he were to be held accountable, Song Jinxiu would at most be exiled. But for someone like him, leaving the capital would only leave him with trouble. It would be better to trap him in the murky waters of the capital and use the feud between him and the Lu family to put him in opposition to the aristocratic families."
"Even if he hates me, he can't leave me until he's grown stronger, let alone bite me back."
Xiao Yan had never thought of subduing Song Jinxiu for his own use, but simply using him as an "opportunity" to uncover the dark affairs of the Lu family would be just right for him.
The aristocratic families will not let go of Song Jinxiu who framed the Lu family. The previous actions of the Song Duke's Mansion also made it impossible for Song Jinxiu to integrate into those clean court officials. Even if he is reinstated, it will not be easy for him to make further progress. By the time Song Jinxiu is fully grown, he will have already done what he wanted to do. If he can't suppress Song Jinxiu by then, how can he talk about other things?
What's more, Xiao Yan noticed that Song Jinxiu had a very strange feeling of "guilt" towards Song Tangning. It was not only because of his sudden indifference towards Song Shulan, but also because he chose to deal with the Lu family without hesitation today just because he knew that Lu Zhinian had offended Song Tangning.
This guilt was enough to make him treat Tang Ning differently.
Although Xiao Yan hated Song Jinxiu and had never thought of handing Tang Ning over to someone else, he knew that nothing in this world was foolproof. He was used to leaving an extra way out for himself, and now this habit was joined by a little Begonia that he couldn't let go of. He was willing to think more about that soft-hearted little girl.
Even if it is someone you hate, they may be a life-saving straw when necessary.
Upon hearing this, Jinyun couldn't help but ask, "Then why did you let Song Shulan go?"
Xiao Yan sneered: "If we don't let her go, won't that give Song Jinxiu the opportunity to harass Tang Ning?"
Song Shulan is like a dodder that clings to people's lives. It is difficult for her to survive without a big tree. She took great pains to return to the capital, but now the wealth and glory she wanted are gone, and the dignity of being the daughter of a duke is gone. Her reputation is ruined, and she is the daughter of a rebel. She can only survive in this prosperous capital by clinging to Song Jinxiu.
Although Xiao Yan released Song Jinxiu, it didn't mean that he wanted to see him have an easy time.
How could he get away with it easily after bullying his little Haitang?
As the carriage headed towards Jiyun Lane, Xiao Yan reached out and touched the injured spot on his waist. Hanging from it was a white jade pendant with a crimson clasp, a gift from Xiao Haitang. Thinking of the little girl who had cried with tears in her eyes and asked him to comfort her before entering the palace, Xiao Yan said to the outside, "Let's not go back to the Tang Mansion yet. Let's go to Xijue Tower."
Upon hearing this, Jinyun asked, "Is the Governor going to buy sweet cakes again?"
Xiao Yan leaned against the car wall and said "hmm" softly.
The child was wronged today, so I brought some sweet cakes to comfort her.
When the shopkeeper of Xijue Tower saw Xiao Yan coming, he was shocked and scared at first, but now he has become somewhat accustomed to it. Knowing that this Governor Xiao came to buy sweet cakes for the little girl in the mansion, he smiled and asked the kitchen to make a few of the things that Xiao Yan usually brought, and also packed some of the new snacks that had been delivered in the past few days.
When Xiao Yan returned to the Tang Mansion with the food box, he was still thinking about the sweet dimples and surprise on Song Tangning's face every time she saw the sweet cakes. But when he entered the mansion and saw the pile of things placed in the front hall, and Song Tangning was talking softly to the people standing in the hall, the smile on his face disappeared instantly.
"Brother." Song Tangning spoke quickly when he saw Xiao Yan.
Madam Fu was unusually gentle: "Is Governor Xiao back?"
Xiao Yan hummed, walked in, and put the food box aside: "Why is Madam Fu here?"
Madam Fu said, "Of course I came to see Tang Ning. The Lu family's affairs have caused a lot of uproar. I was a little worried about Tang Ning after hearing about it. Then I heard that brat from my family talk about the injustice Tang Ning suffered today, so I came to see her."
The old lady had always liked the little girl in front of her, and she felt sorry for the grievances she had suffered over the years. When she heard about the Lu family's affairs, she was worried and sent people out to inquire about it. Later, when she saw her bastard grandson coming back and kept talking about Miss Song, she vaguely felt that something was wrong.
When she asked, Fu Laiqing just said that he happened to meet Song Tangning and that's why he meddled in other people's business, and he went to the Qian family by the way, but Mrs. Fu was such a shrewd person.
With just a few words, she figured out her grandson's thoughts. Fu Laiqing blushed and decided to go all out, begging her to come to the Tang Mansion.
When Mrs. Fu looked at Song Tangning, even the last bit of seriousness she had left disappeared. She just felt that the little girl in front of her could move her grandson who was about to become a monk. She was simply the savior of the Fu family, and she became closer to Song Tangning.
"You don't know how worried that brat of mine was about you. After he got home, he kept telling me how dangerous today was. That Sanlang of the Lu family was really a jerk. Luckily, Zizhan happened to be passing by the south city today, otherwise who knows how big a mess it would have been."
After saying this, Madam Fu grabbed Song Tangning's hand, full of fear: "Fortunately, you are okay, otherwise I would have to teach Zizhan a lesson. He couldn't even protect a little girl."
"Oh, by the way, maybe you don't know this yet, but Zizhan is the name of my bastard grandson. It was chosen by his grandfather long before he died, hoping that he would be as clear and pure as the water of the Zhanzhan River."
"That brat never likes to meddle in other people's affairs, and it's rare for him to show such concern for others. Knowing I was coming to see you, he rushed to bring you all the medicine he had saved, fearing you might get hurt. If he wasn't afraid of offending you, he would have come with me."
Mrs. Fu's words were all about Fu Laiqing, and she was even more affectionate when she held Song Tangning's hand.
No matter how slow Song Tangning was, she could vaguely sense that something was wrong. Her cheeks instantly turned red, even her neck was stained pink, and her body stiffened.
Xiao Yan even looked at the hand that Madam Fu was holding with his little Haitang, his brows furrowed tightly, his dark eyes gloomy.
That bastard from the Fu family really has evil intentions!
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