After bidding farewell to Song Xi, Song Xibai's life returned to its usual tranquility.
But at the end of May, Beijing was suddenly hit by torrential rain.
The torrential rain continued unabated for three or four days without any sign of stopping.
Meanwhile, the fields on the outskirts of Beijing were flooded and washed away by the rain. The wheat and rice seedlings that were growing very well were all washed out of shape, resulting in heavy losses.
At this moment, Song Xibai disregarded his heartache for the crops and immediately ordered Commander Yue to organize manpower to rescue the farmers and nearby people.
In the afternoon, Commander Yue, wearing a straw raincoat, led his men back. After entering the house, he couldn't help but sigh to the people around him.
"Thanks to the lady's advice to stockpile grain and supplies."
"Yes! Madam is truly farsighted!"
“I see that the other villages are all gloomy and desolate. If this rain continues, they won’t have enough food left to eat.”
Several of his men nodded in agreement.
At the turn of spring and summer, there is no shortage of vegetables, but the food for winter is basically all gone. Families with better financial conditions will buy grain, while those with poorer financial conditions can only borrow grain and repay it after the autumn harvest.
Many farmers on the estate were tenants, and after paying their share to the landlord, they kept very little rice for themselves. Even if the Crown Prince was lenient with his subjects, he would not break the rules and reduce the rent collection rate for their sake.
Rent will only be waived during bad years.
Commander Yue then thought of the sweet potato fields that had been secretly cultivated on the mountain. Because of the high altitude, the fields were not flooded. Although the harvest might be lost, it was still much better than other crops.
Commander Yue was once again relieved.
In Beijing, how many families are so lucky?
The heavy rains did not only occur in the vicinity of Beijing.
The emperor has recently been overwhelmed by reports of torrential rains and floods.
Disasters strike here, money is needed; landslides occur there, aid is needed; and the river embankments in the south are showing signs of collapse.
He was not good at political affairs and usually relied on the cabinet.
However, several senior cabinet members, having caught colds due to the continuous heavy rain, did not attend court.
When the emperor heard the servant's report, he irritably swept all the memorials on the table to the ground.
After venting his anger, he calmed down and then issued an imperial decree.
"Order Physician Song from the Imperial Hospital to go to the homes of these gentlemen to treat them and make sure they recover from their colds as soon as possible."
Once the order was given, Physician Song, who was still reviewing pulse records at the Imperial Hospital, immediately picked up his medicine box and left with two assistants.
He first visited the homes of two other officials, and only went to the home of Grand Secretary Song last.
Grand Secretary Song was in much better condition than the other two officials, though he was pale and coughed from time to time.
When Physician Song entered, he noticed a strange-looking round piece perched on the bridge of the man's nose, and the man was reading a book about marriage.
Physician Song dared not look at him for long and stepped forward to pay his respects.
When Grand Secretary Song saw him, he was surprisingly very friendly.
"Is that Physician Song? I have long heard of his name, but I have never had the chance to meet him. Today, my wish has finally come true."
The imperial physician Song was even more puzzled. This Grand Secretary had served as the chief minister for decades and was undoubtedly the prime minister. Yet he was so approachable.
Physician Song exchanged a few polite words and stepped forward to take his pulse.
"Your illness is not serious. I just looked at the prescription you are taking, and it is indeed very good. You can continue to take it. If your throat is uncomfortable and you have phlegm, you can drink more loquat juice."
Grand Secretary Song nodded with a smile.
"Speaking of which, we both share the surname Song, but do you know where Physician Song's ancestral home is?"
Physician Song felt increasingly puzzled, but still replied.
"My ancestral home is Changling."
Grand Secretary Song rose slightly, his eyes brightening.
"Oh? One branch of our family moved to Changling a hundred years ago, perhaps related to the Song imperial physician's family?"
Physician Song looked surprised.
How is that possible?
Those who are family know their own situation. Song Siyuan's ancestors were not a famous family; they were just ordinary herb gatherers.
Because of their basic knowledge of pharmacology, their descendants began to study medicine, and this tradition was passed down from generation to generation until Song Siyuan became a royal physician, which can be considered a great honor for his ancestors.
He was about to deny it when Grand Secretary Song grabbed his wrist.
"No wonder I felt an extraordinary kindness from Physician Song the moment I saw him. I suppose it's because of the blood we share. We all come from the same ancestor!"
Physician Song stared in disbelief at Grand Secretary Song, who was spouting nonsense with an air of seriousness.
What is he trying to do?
Physician Song was sent out of Grand Secretary Song's mansion in a daze.
After returning home, he rarely ran into his two sons at the dinner table, and Physician Song couldn't help but mention the matter.
Song Xinian's eyes flashed, knowing that Grand Secretary Song had accepted his overture.
It seems they've found out who their sister is.
Despite Song Ge Lao's prestigious family background and high-ranking position, the Song family of Jiangyin today has no other officials of the third rank or above besides Song Ge Lao.
This is also common in officialdom: if one member of a family holds a high position of power, the others will inevitably be suppressed.
Song Gelao's two sons were both sent to remote areas for many years, far from the center of power. Although his grandchildren were talented, it would take time for them to mature.
He's already sixty; he has to think about his children and grandchildren.
Of course, Song Xinian believed that Grand Secretary Song's methods were definitely far more extensive than these.
For Grand Secretary Song, getting in touch with Song Siyuan's family was merely icing on the cake, but for Song Siyuan's family, it was a lifeline in their time of need.
In a split second, a lot came to mind for Song Xinian.
However, looking at her father's silly appearance, Song Xinian felt that there was no need to explain too clearly, lest her father ruin things.
So he picked up a piece of food for Song Siyuan and said in a seemingly indifferent manner.
"Perhaps it's true. After all, he's Grand Secretary Song. He wouldn't lie to us, would he?"
Physician Song thought about it and realized that it made sense. What could his family possibly have that could be targeted by others?
So he put the matter aside and started eating without a care in the world.
Song Xinian didn't say anything more, focusing intently on picking out the ginger shreds from her daughter's bowl.
The matter of the two families merging their clans was not a troublesome matter. Originally, the Song family of Jiangyin was under the leadership of Grand Secretary Song. As soon as he gave the order, someone immediately went to handle it.
Even before Song Siyuan's family had to worry, someone had already prepared "evidence" of the branch of the clan that had migrated to Changling.
After Grand Secretary Song recovered from his illness, he held a banquet to invite relatives and friends and explained the matter.
No one else thought much of it and offered their congratulations politely.
Song Siyuan, who was pulled over by his son, looked completely bewildered throughout the entire process.
Suddenly their family's status rose, and they became descendants of a prestigious family?
Although it's just a side branch, it's still much, much better than the herb gatherers of the past!
For Song Siyuan, the reunification of the two clans seemed to have brought no change; it simply meant that he now had another recipient to send gifts during festivals.
But Song Xinian breathed a huge sigh of relief.
He's one step closer to his goal.
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