Chapter 219 Yes, Yes, Your Lordship Is Impartial and Incorruptible
The weather was exceptionally good on the day the Song family left Beijing.
As several members of the Song family were wearing wooden shackles and shackles and being led by ropes by the officers who were escorting them to exile, Old Madam Song, who was emaciated from a serious illness, coughed and panted, and looked back frequently with hope. Song Hong and Song Tan also looked towards the city from time to time.
Many people were coming in and out of the city, but there was no sign of the figure they were looking for. The closer they got to the city gate, the heavier their steps became and the more impatient their expressions became. Only Mrs. Song, who looked much older, had a numb and indifferent expression on her face.
"Go faster!"
The officer pulled the rope and several people staggered.
Many people in the city saw the prisoners leaving the city, and they couldn't help but look sideways at the heavy shackles on them. Some even recognized Song Hong among them and couldn't help pointing and talking.
"Isn't that someone from Duke Song's Mansion?"
"What Duke's Mansion? They've already been prisoners."
Song Hong was originally the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the legitimate son of the Duke's family. If nothing unexpected happened, even if he could not inherit the title of Duke, he would still have a bright future.
But who could have imagined that he actually colluded with the daughter of a traitor and committed the crime of deceiving the emperor and treason. Not only that, he also framed his deceased brother with the illegitimate child he left behind, almost killing his brother's only bloodline.
Now the Duke's Mansion is gone, and the entire Song family has been confiscated and exiled. It is no exaggeration to say that they are seeking death.
"I just heard that the eldest son of the Song family escaped?"
"You are talking about the young master of Yutai, right?"
The person who was speaking was standing in a restaurant on the street, looking at the Song family members passing by below, and was full of sarcasm when he mentioned the four words "Master Yutai".
"He has been released, and it was he who confessed his father Song Hong's crimes, and took the initiative to expose his father's collusion with others in the case of the Crown Prince Li, who swapped the daughter of the traitor. He also used his frequent visits to the Lu family to sell out his old friends, and was appreciated by His Majesty. He was reinstated and returned to the court."
Several people around him hissed, and then someone spat.
"Selling out one's father for fame and fortune is truly shameless."
"Is this kind of person qualified to be an official?"
"How could Your Majesty appreciate such a shameless villain? He is truly foolish..."
"Shh!"
Someone in the crowd immediately stopped them and asked, "Are you trying to kill yourself?"
There was silence outside for a moment, and everyone tacitly skipped discussing Emperor An and continued talking about the Song family.
Tang Ning took Song Ru, who had recovered a lot, and Qian Qiyue, who came to join in the fun, and sat in the private room in the compartment.
Listening to the occasional discussions coming from outside, Qian Qiyue leaned against the window and looked down at the Song family members passing by with their shackles dragging their legs, and sneered with disdain.
"That Song Jinxiu is not only shameless, but also extremely cunning. I heard my father say that he stepped on that idiot Fu Laiqing a few days ago to gain a good reputation."
"Fu Laiqing is also brainless. He eagerly approaches others to put on airs. Originally, no one paid any attention to Song Jinxiu. Now, several court officials who originally disliked him have changed their attitude towards him."
Tang Ning had known about this for a long time. Seeing Qian Qiyue's indignation, he said softly, "Mr. Fu is also simple-minded, which is why he was schemed against. Besides, Song Jinxiu wanted to ease the situation. Even if Mr. Fu wasn't there, there would be others."
Qian Qiyue curled her lips, thinking that Fu Laiqing was an unlucky guy, and then she thought of something else.
"Oh, by the way, Tang Ning, I heard that Song Jinxiu had wanted his mother to do what Third Madam Song did, divorcing Song Hong to save herself. However, the Ministry of Justice approved the divorce papers submitted by Third Madam Song, but not First Madam Song's."
She lowered her voice and asked quietly, "Did Governor Xiao call back?"
Tang Ning hummed, "A country has its own laws. Madam Song San doesn't know much about the Song family's affairs, but Madam Song Da is different. If everyone could find a loophole and divorce and return home to avoid punishment, who would respect the court's laws in the future?"
Qian Qiyue was amused by her serious nonsense. Even though she knew Xiao Yan was deliberately blocking Song Jinxiu, she didn't ask any more questions. She just smiled and agreed, "Yes, yes, your Lord Governor is impartial and upholds the laws of the court."
When Tang Ning heard the word "your home", the tip of his ears suddenly felt hot. Seeing Qian Qiyue's smiling face, he couldn't help but give her a small look.
Qian Qiyue was actually a little worried about Tang Ning's sudden fainting before, and the memory that disappeared out of thin air became a concern for her. However, seeing that Tang Ning seemed to have no recollection of what happened that day, and Xiao Yan had also specifically reminded her before, she suppressed her doubts and told her something else.
Song Ru sat obediently aside. She had felt better, but her complexion had not yet returned to normal. Her palm-sized face was abnormally pale.
She glanced at the Song family members who had already walked past, turned her head and asked in a low voice: "Sister, you said..." She wanted to say brother, but suddenly felt that it was not right to call Song Jinxiu that, so she changed the address: "Do you think Song Jinxiu and the others will come?"
Tang Ning shook his head: "I don't know."
Qian Qiyue poked her head out and said, "If he doesn't come, my reputation will be ruined."
"Even if he comes, his reputation may not be much better." Tang Ning said casually.
If Song Jinxiu didn't come, everyone would naturally say that he was selfish, cruel, cold-hearted and heartless. But if he came, others would not look up to him. Instead, because he first betrayed his biological father and then came to send them out of the city, they would say that he was fickle and hypocritical, and that he was stepping on the corpses of the Song family to gain a reputation as a filial son.
He has walked a dead end on his own path, and he will be scolded whether he comes or not.
The people from the Song family below saw that they were about to reach the city gate. Song Hong and the others felt more and more anxious, and Old Lady Song's eyes began to look around uneasy.
Their faces turned gloomy until they left the city gate and the person they were waiting for didn't show up.
But at this moment, someone suddenly spoke urgently in the distance.
"Wait a minute, gentlemen."
Yinquan finally caught up with the Song family as they left the city. He walked quickly to them and without saying a word to the delighted Song family members, he walked past them and came up to the escorting officers.
"My dear officers, a family member has been exiled for a crime, and I'm here to see him off. I hope you can help me."
As he spoke, he handed over the things that had been prepared earlier.
The leading officer glanced at the two extra silver ingots in his hand, weighed them, and his expression softened. He simply handed the rope to Yinquan and said, "Don't take too long. We still have to hurry."
Yinquan quickly said, "Thank you, sir."
Those officers accepted bribes and helped others. They stepped forward to untie the shackles of several people from the Song family and then stepped back.
Seeing this, Yinquan quickly walked over to the Song family. When Old Madam Song saw him, she couldn't wait to ask, "Is Jinxiu here? Where is Jinxiu?"
Song Tan also stepped forward: "Where are Anan and Ayuan, are they here too?"
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