Chapter 28 Impeachment, the Song family hates Song Tangning
Tang Ning settled down in Jiyun Lane, and the Lu family became extremely quiet.
Although everything seemed fine to the outside world, the excitement at the Qian family that day had not passed at all. The Song family members and Song Jinxiu had been living in dire straits for several days.
Song Hong previously thought that Song Tangning was easy to fool and had not properly dealt with Song Shulan's past. The fact that her biological mother was a concubine could not be hidden from those who were interested.
When it was discovered that the Song family's concubine's daughter was actually born out of wedlock, the Song family used the concubine's daughter as a concubine to humiliate the legitimate daughter, and even nearly killed the orphan of the second wife. The entire Song family was pushed directly to the forefront.
Soon after the morning court session began, Song Hong and Song Jinxiu were impeached by the censors one after another. One was accused of not managing his family properly, and the other was criticized for his poor personal morals.
Although Emperor An did not question the matter in the court, after learning about the Song family's affairs, he kept the Song father and son in the palace after the morning court session.
The spring sun is getting stronger, and the dazzling light hurts people's eyes.
Song Hong and Song Jinxiu stood outside the Imperial Palace. The vermilion gate was tightly closed. The court officials and palace maids coming and going outside looked at each other with various eyes. Some seemed to be mocking, some were contemptuous, and some were just watching the fun. The eyes made the father and son feel embarrassed and ashamed. Not to mention the young Song Jinxiu, even Song Hong, who was always proud of his composure, was blushing and wanted to dig a hole to bury himself.
"Why does Lord Cao have to make things difficult for Song Hong?" someone asked in a low voice not far away.
Standing next to him was Cao Dejiang, the Imperial Censor who had impeached the Song family father and son during the morning court session. Upon hearing this, he said coldly:
"I have never troubled anyone. It is the Song family that has failed to cultivate virtue and has damaged the reputation of upright officials. Their foolish actions have brought disgrace upon the court. I am fulfilling my duty as the Imperial Censor."
"But the concubine is just a family matter after all..."
"What about family affairs? If you don't cultivate yourself and manage your family well, how can you rule the world? Moreover, the Song family has benefited from the influence of Taifu Rong. How much of Song Hong's success today is due to Taifu's help? Now that Taifu is dead, the Song family is bullying Taifu's bloodline like this. How can I sit idly by and watch?"
The two sides were not far apart, and Cao Dejiang's voice did not avoid the Song father and son at all.
"When the old Duke died, if it weren't for the Grand Tutor's efforts, the Song family's Dukeship would have been abolished long ago. With the Song family's ability, let alone becoming a Minister of the Central Secretariat, it would be difficult for them to stay in the noble and powerful family."
"The Song family thrives in the court, thanks in part to the legacy of the Grand Tutor. But after Madam Rong passed away, the Song family bullied her orphan. Do they really think the Rong family has no one left?"
Cao Dejiang looked at Song Jinxiu coldly.
"Master Yutai..."
Oh!
He walked away with a cold laugh full of sarcasm.
Song Hong's face turned pale, and Song Jinxiu beside him was even more embarrassed and ashamed.
Inside the Imperial Palace, Emperor An heard the eunuch at the door reporting back to the outer room. He laughed and shook his head, "This Cao Gong is still so cold and blunt. I remember that he and the Grand Tutor were not on good terms. I never thought he would actually stand up for the young girl from the Song family."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan said calmly, "Lord Cao and Grand Tutor Rong's disagreement is simply over political matters. They are of similar age and were once pillars of the court. Valiant ministers naturally have a mutual admiration for one another. Furthermore, the Song family has been too close to the aristocratic families lately, so it would be a good idea for Your Majesty to teach them a lesson."
"You are the smart one." Emperor An glanced at him.
After he walked over to the chessboard and sat down, he said to him, "Come and play chess with me."
Xiao Yan walked over, his crimson robe rolled up over the edge of the table, and he sat directly opposite Emperor An.
A red sandalwood chessboard was placed on the table. After Emperor An placed his white piece, he asked, "I heard that you gave the house in Jiyun Lane to that young lady from the Song family?"
"No, Princess Cheng paid 13,000 taels of silver for it."
"You're just kidding me. How many people wanted to buy that house from you before? Not to mention 13,000 taels, even 30,000 or 50,000 taels wouldn't budge. And now you're giving half of it away to that girl. How come you're so compatible with that girl?"
Xiao Yan didn't look at Emperor An's smiling eyes, as if he couldn't hear the implication in his words at all.
He simply placed the black piece on the chessboard, lowered his eyelashes and said, "We do have some affinity, otherwise I wouldn't have picked him up from such a huge mountain."
"Your Majesty, you know that I have been worried about the grain issue lately. Those noble families are like a tortoise shell, unable to find a way out. I was just getting so worried, and then God took pity on me. I am so grateful for this opportunity that has come to my door."
Upon hearing this, Emperor An burst into laughter: "You are a heartless person. You don't know how to be gentle with women at all."
"I am just a useless person, who should I show my pity to?"
"How pitiful is that little girl?"
"I saved her life and gave her a place to stay. How can she be pitiful? Otherwise, she would have fallen to her death at the bottom of the cliff. That would be pitiful."
Emperor An seemed amused by him. After the suspicion in his heart dissipated, he looked at the increasing number of chess pieces on the chessboard and said, "You are so careless in your words, but the Song family has indeed attracted some attention recently. Song Hong is too close to the Queen and her son. It's time to give him a warning."
After that, he asked,
"Have you seen the concubine of the Song family? What does she look like?"
Xiao Yan frowned slightly: "Two eyes, one nose, and a pretty white face..."
“Hahahahahahaha.”
Emperor An laughed even harder, and his hands holding the chess pieces began to tremble. That's right, asking a eunuch what she looked like was no different from asking a monk about a comb.
The mood that had been gloomy during the morning court session due to being suppressed by the aristocratic families suddenly brightened up. After Emperor An placed his chess piece, he said to Xiao Yan:
"It's a pity that you don't need to marry, otherwise the girl would be wronged. But since the girl from the Song family gets along well with you and you have recognized her as your sister, then you should protect her more."
"There's no need to be shy about the Song family. It just so happens that the title of Duke has been vacant for too long. A while ago, I was thinking of letting Song Hong inherit the title, which would have been considered as a way to preserve the relationship between the monarch and the old Duke Song. But if he can't even handle his family affairs, then there's no need to keep the title."
What he disliked most was people who were close to aristocratic families.
The chess pieces on the chessboard increased, and Emperor An's expression became gloomy.
"Lu Chongyuan has been getting more and more aggressive lately, pressing me step by step in the court, trying to force me to give in. In the past, he at least restrained himself to save my reputation, but today he even opposed my plan to build a platform for asking questions. He is almost riding on my head. I will never tolerate his momentum."
Xiao Yan looked at Emperor An, who had suddenly become furious, and calmly placed a move:
"Your Majesty, don't take it to heart. The Lu family is acting so arrogantly because they are angry and humiliated by the grain tax, and they are also afraid and unable to bear it."
"I am at the crosshairs of your majesty's sword. I will eradicate the aristocratic families and restore order to the court."
Upon hearing this, Emperor An's gloomy nature dissipated and he became gentle again.
"You still understand me best."
He looked relaxed. "The pills you presented me earlier were very useful. I've been feeling incredibly strong lately. Your gift of the medicine was a great reward. What reward would you like?"
Xiao Yan lowered his head and said, "It is a great honor for me to serve Your Majesty. Everything I have is a gift from Your Majesty. I only wish Your Majesty a long life, and I have no other requests."
Emperor An suddenly burst into laughter, patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "You are always so considerate."
"Only you can make me feel at ease."
After the game was over, Xiao Yan lost to Emperor An just right.
After barely winning by one and a half moves and defeating Xiao Yan, who was always known for his extraordinary intelligence, Emperor An felt refreshed, as if all the previous haze had been thrown away. He led the eunuchs to the harem, completely forgetting the father and son of the Song family who were still standing outside.
Xiao Yan stood up and walked out of the hall, wiping the shoulder that had just been patted with a handkerchief with disgust.
"Master, Minister Song and the others are still standing there."
Xiao Yan threw away the handkerchief and glanced at the father and son who were dizzy from the sun. "Your Majesty has gone to see Concubine Chen and hasn't given any instructions yet. He only said that he might remember to summon them later."
The guard understood instantly.
As the rumors said, the father and son of the Song family really offended Governor Xiao.
Everyone knows that His Majesty has gone to the harem and will not come to the main hall before tomorrow.
The guard didn't dare to say anything more and stood back in front of the hall to continue guarding. Song Hong and his son stood from morning to afternoon. When they were sunburned and pale, they wanted to find someone to ask what Emperor An meant, but the guard in front of the door only said that the emperor had not yet given instructions. Even though their legs were weak from standing, they didn't dare to leave without permission.
Both of them were wealthy people. After having breakfast before the morning court, they did not drink a drop of water or eat a grain of rice for the whole day. They stood until their legs were shaking and they felt dizzy.
When it was completely dark, the palace guards lit the lanterns and the palace became quiet.
It was unknown how long they stood there. When Song Hong could no longer bear it and almost fainted, someone told them that they could go back.
Song Jinxiu, with a pale face, limped as he supported Song Hong, whose knees were also weak. The two of them walked all the way from the Imperial Hall along the official road out of the palace. Their staggering and embarrassed appearance was seen by all the palace people they met. The surprised looks made Song Jinxiu wish he could faint.
After they managed to sit in the carriage, the father and son were sent back to Duke Song's Mansion. Old Lady Song and the eldest lady came out quickly to greet them.
"What's going on? Why are you back so late?"
Normally, they would return home in the afternoon when on duty, but today both father and son never came back.
It was almost midnight and the palace gates were locked. Not only was Mrs. Song's eldest wife, Mrs. Zou, unable to sit still, but even Mrs. Song was extremely anxious.
Song Hong and the other man were helped into the house by servants. When they sat on the chairs, they were in so much pain that they seemed to not feel their legs.
The two gulped down several cups of tea before Song Hongcai, his face pale, said, "At this morning's court session, Jin Xiu and I were impeached by Lord Cao. His Majesty was furious, and Jin Xiu and I stood in front of the Imperial Palace for the entire day."
Zou's expression changed. "Why did Lord Cao impeach you? We have no old grudges against the Cao family."
"It's all because of Tang Ning!"
Song Hong's face was extremely ugly, and when he talked about Tang Ning, there was no trace of his usual gentleness.
"When Tang Ning caused trouble earlier, I knew that the connections left by the Rong family would definitely backfire. But I didn't expect that even before Rong Taifu's old friends took action, Cao Gong would not tolerate me."
Cao Dejiang and Taifu Rong were not on good terms in the past, and they would even often argue in the court. Who would have thought that after Taifu Rong passed away, Lord Cao would actually stand up for his bloodline?
Madam Song's eyes were solemn: "What did your Majesty say?"
"Your Majesty has not said anything, nor has he reprimanded us, but it is this cold treatment that makes me feel uneasy."
If he had been scolded a few times, he would have been able to defend himself, but the emperor treated them coldly from beginning to end, and made them father and son stand in front of the palace and be pointed at.
Song Hong's lips were dry and cracked, and it hurt a lot when he spoke.
"Mother, Lord Cao impeached us for not managing our family peacefully, saying that Jinxiu lacked personal morality, and even used the matter between Shulan and Tangning to accuse me. If His Majesty is really tired of us because of this, then the title of Duke of Guo..."
Old Madam Song's expression darkened.
Zou looked at the pale and disheveled Song Hong and the other man, and at Song Jinxiu's legs that were still trembling even when he was sitting there, and her eyes turned red with anger.
"I've always said Song Tangning isn't a good person. She made such a big fuss about such a small matter. She caused so much trouble and made you take the blame for it. Now she's even bringing it to His Majesty. Is she deliberately trying to kill you?"
The Song family has always had a good reputation, and the Lu family also helped. They were about to inherit the title, but now it has all been ruined by Song Tangning.
Zou spoke with resentment.
"If the title of Duke is lost, and Jin Xiu's reputation is damaged and His Majesty dislikes him because of this incident, I will never let Song Tangning go..."
"Okay, you think the noise isn't big enough?"
Mrs. Song scolded coldly. Seeing that Zou was indignant, she said angrily,
"You should have thought about cleaning up the mess when you did this before. You wanted to keep the person, but you didn't clean up your identity, and you still blame others for holding you hostage?"
Song Hong looked embarrassed. How could he have imagined that Song Tangning, who had always been well-behaved and obedient, would suddenly be so ruthless?
Old Madam Song took a deep breath. Although she also hated the trouble caused by Tang Ning and was angry at her for disregarding the overall situation, now was not the time to be angry. She should think about how to get Song Tang Ning back.
What people outside were talking about was nothing more than Song Shulan's identity, and nothing more than that they condoned the concubine's daughter to bully the legitimate daughter, which almost cost her life.
Song Shulan could be sent out of the Duke's Mansion and settled outside the city for a while. As long as Song Tangning returns to the mansion, the Song family will live in harmony, and the gossip outside will naturally fade away. There is always something exciting to see in the capital. As long as there is something new, it won't be long before no one remembers the Song family's troubles.
Song Jinxiu's expression was complicated: "It's not that easy for Tang Ning to come back."
That night he begged her so much, Shulan knelt and kowtowed, and said all the nice things she could, but Tang Ning didn't show any sign of softening her heart.
She seemed determined to embarrass the Song family and make them feel uncomfortable.
"Tang Ning probably hates me to the core and won't tolerate Shu Lan's actions at all. That night, she even said she wanted to break off the engagement with the Lu family. Furthermore, to avoid seeing Xie Yin, she even left Prince Cheng's mansion and moved to Jiyun Lane with Xiao Yan overnight. She doesn't show any mercy to anyone."
"Then go find the Lu family. She likes Lu Zhinian so much, so she must have just said it out of anger..."
Before Zou finished speaking, Song Hong shook his head: "The Lu family will not stand up."
Although Lu Zhinian was also involved in the Queshan incident, Song Tangning was not dead after all. Although Lu Zhinian's words and deeds were inappropriate, they were not a big crime. Unlike the Song family, who were being held hostage by others because of Song Shulan's identity, the censor's impeachment was never about the loss of Queshan, but about Song Shulan pretending to be a concubine and bullying the legitimate wife.
The Song family lost face today, and Lu Chongyuan did not speak up to help them at the morning court. At this time, the Lu family wished that the Song family could take all the bad reputation, so how could they possibly push Lu Zhinian out to take the blame for them?
Madam Song looked gloomy when she heard this.
The Song family's affairs couldn't be delayed, and she couldn't let Song Tangning ruin the future of the Song family's sons. Moreover, the marriage with the Lu family couldn't go wrong. If Tangning continued to make trouble, she might anger the Lu family...
This matter must be resolved as soon as possible.
Madam Song said in a deep voice, "Even if she doesn't want to see you, she can't be unwilling to see me, her grandmother. I will go to Jiyun Lane in person to ask her to come back."
She also felt sorry for Tang Ning, but if she blocked the Song family's path, don't blame her for being cruel.
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