Chapter 109 The Scholar Who Favored His Concubine Over His Wife (Part 1) Carrying on Pure Love to the End…
Song Ce glanced back at his "own" aged body, smiled faintly, and then said to 702, "702, I'm ready. Activate teleportation and proceed to the next mission."
702: "Yes, host."
After a familiar wave of dizziness, Song Ce slowly opened his eyes.
He was leaning back in his chair, a yellowed book of poems open on his desk. The window in front of him was wide open, and he could see the shabby, dilapidated courtyard outside.
Song Ce stood up and looked down at his attire.
The gray long gown he was wearing was quite old. Although the patches were carefully sewn with fabric of the same color, you could still see the stitches if you looked closely.
It seems this is a typical poor scholar's family... Song Ce closed his eyes and began to receive the original owner's memories.
The dynasty in which this place is located is called the Great Wei Kingdom. The original owner of this body was named Song Ce, who was twenty years old at the time and the only son in his family.
The Song family was originally a merchant family, living in Dacheng County for generations, and their daily life was quite affluent. However, with the change of dynasties and the shifting tides of history, the former Dai Kingdom was repeatedly defeated by the powerful Wei Kingdom. In an attempt to salvage the situation, the Dai Kingdom forced wealthy households in various prefectures and counties to contribute their family property as military funds. Song's father, who had no background to begin with, had no choice but to hand over his hard-earned wealth under the heavy pressure of the court. From then on, the Song family fell into ruin, becoming just an ordinary family in Dacheng County.
Soon after, news of the crushing defeat of the Dai Kingdom arrived, and its emperor knelt before the emperor of the Great Wei Kingdom, submitting a letter of surrender. From that point on, the Dai Kingdom was annexed by the Great Wei Kingdom, and Dacheng County became part of its territory. Upon ascending the throne, the new ruler merged the three surrounding counties into one, naming it Qizhou County.
When the Dai Kingdom existed, the Song family still had a meager fortune, enough to support the original owner's education. Fortunately, the original owner was diligent and ambitious, and passed the imperial examination at the young age of seventeen. However, with the establishment of the new dynasty, his title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) was invalidated because it was obtained in the previous dynasty.
Now that there is no income in the family, it is difficult to even make ends meet, let alone support the original owner's continued education.
After the family property was confiscated, Song's mother, whose health was already frail, deteriorated further and passed away within a year. After his wife's death, Song's father was depressed and often lamented that he had let his wife down, that he was a sinner to the Song family, and that he would have no face to face his ancestors after his death... Song's father lived like this for two years before he also passed away.
In just three years, the original owner lost both his parents. Gradually, the neighbors began to spread rumors that he was a jinx to his parents and that he would definitely bring misfortune to his wife in the future. Therefore, when he reached marriageable age, and with no parents to help him, his marriage was delayed.
Back when the original owner's family still had some wealth, his parents arranged a marriage for him with Liu Xinhui, the daughter of Master Liu from Dacheng County.
The original owner of this body retrieved the tokens exchanged between her parents and the Liu family years ago and visited them with gifts. Upon hearing of the original owner's family's decline, Liu Xinhui threatened suicide to avoid remarrying. Madam Liu, who doted on her daughter, instructed Master Liu to host a banquet for the original owner, claiming that Miss Liu was seriously ill and disfigured, and did not wish to hinder the original owner's future. She offered to have Liu Wanyao, the second daughter of the Liu family, marry in her place in order to foster good relations between the two families.
Upon hearing this, the original owner was flattered and overwhelmed. He hadn't expected that the Liu family would not only not look down on him, but also be willing to marry their second daughter to him, even though the eldest daughter was ill. The original owner was overjoyed and accepted the Liu family's proposal without hesitation.
To the original owner's surprise, on their wedding night, Liu Wanyao confessed to him that she was not a daughter of the Liu family like Liu Xinhui, but a maid that the Liu family had bought from a slave trader and hastily adopted as their goddaughter before marrying her to him.
Upon learning the truth, the original owner of this body was furious. He was naturally proud and considered himself to be from a noble and scholarly family. How could he bear such humiliation? He thought to himself, if one day I pass the imperial examination and become a disciple of the emperor, why would I have to worry about not having a wife?
The day after their wedding, Liu Wanyao injured her face in an accident. The original owner of this body was already dissatisfied with her, and afterwards became even more indifferent.
How could a woman with a flawed appearance and an unknown background be worthy of being his legal wife?
However, the original owner never considered that, given his current situation of being burdened by rumors of bringing misfortune to his parents, let alone the daughter of a clerk's family, even daughters from ordinary families might not be willing to marry him.
Why would the Liu family still need to find a maid to be recognized as their second young lady and marry her off?
The reason was that Liu Xinhui had secretly become involved with Wang Hechuan, the eldest son of Magistrate Wang of Qizhou County. Wang Hechuan fell in love with Liu Xinhui at first sight and vowed to marry her. Magistrate Wang had no choice but to send a matchmaker to propose marriage on behalf of his son.
On one side was a poor scholar with no parents and a fallen family fortune; on the other was a handsome young man from a county magistrate's family. Anyone with a brain would know how to choose. So, to prevent the original owner from causing trouble with the marriage agreement, the Liu family came up with this plan: to arrange for a so-called "second young lady" to be sent to the original owner in advance.
On the third day after her parents' wedding, the original owner of this body unexpectedly met Liu Xinhui, the true daughter of the Liu family, who was graceful and beautiful. Already dissatisfied, the original owner became angrier and angrier, and decided to vent all her anger on Liu Wanyao.
Poor Liu Wanyao lost both her parents at a young age, and her only brother was also separated from her when she was young. She suffered all kinds of humiliation and abuse from her cousin in her uncle's house. When she was a little older, her aunt sold her to a slave trader. After many twists and turns, she was finally bought by the Liu family, who hastily adopted her as their goddaughter and married her off to Miss Liu's original fiancé.
Liu Wanyao thought her suffering was finally over, but to her surprise, her husband became increasingly indifferent to her. She didn't know what she had done wrong to incur his dislike. Therefore, Liu Wanyao became even more cautious, afraid of angering the original owner of this body.
She had tried her best to obey the original owner in everything, but three months after the marriage, the original owner brought back a beautiful and delicate woman from the Liu family mansion, saying that she wanted to take her as a concubine.
This beauty is named Shuang'er. She was bought by Madam Liu to apologize to the original owner of this body because she was "worried" that Liu Wanyao would not serve her well.
After all, Madam Liu was not Liu Wanyao's biological mother. Faced with this seemingly respectful but actually arrogant concubine, Liu Wanyao had no way to express her suffering. She knew that her husband had already grown tired of her, but if she left him, where could a married woman like her go?
Left with no other choice, Liu Wanyao could only grit her teeth and agree.
From then on, the original owner of this body spent almost every night with Shuang'er, completely disregarding Liu Wanyao's feelings. Until one day, the original owner got drunk and stumbled into Liu Wanyao's room, where they spent the night together.
The next morning, the original owner completely forgot about the matter. It wasn't until two months later, when Liu Wanyao felt unwell and went to see a doctor, that she learned she was pregnant.
After all, this was her and her husband's first child. Liu Wanyao thought that even if her husband disliked her, he would probably be kinder to her for the sake of the child.
That afternoon, Liu Wanyao happily told the original owner of the body the good news that she was pregnant. To her surprise, the original owner was furious upon hearing the news and fiercely demanded to know who the "lover" of her child was.
Liu Wanyao cried and clung to the original owner's leg, pleading that the child was his, but the original owner didn't believe her at all. Shuang'er stood by, seemingly speaking well of Liu Wanyao, but in reality, her words were all hinting to the original owner that he had been with her recently, so how could his wife be pregnant inexplicably?
The original owner of this body was enraged by Shuang'er's provocation and immediately slapped Liu Wanyao hard across the face. Then he took out paper and pen and shouted angrily that he would divorce her and declare that he would let everyone in Qizhou County know what a shameless woman Liu Wanyao was who had secretly conceived an illegitimate child behind her husband's back.
Upon hearing this, Liu Wanyao was overcome with grief and, in despair, pulled out a white silk ribbon. That very night, she resolutely hanged herself, wearing the wedding dress she wore when she married the original owner of this body.
The next day, the original owner of this body saw his wife hanging in the room and was so frightened that he fell to the ground and screamed repeatedly. With trembling hands, he lowered Liu Wanyao down, and after confirming that she was no longer breathing, he hastily buried her under the pretext that his wife was weak and ill.
Looking at his still desolate and dilapidated home, Yuan felt both fear and resentment. He took Shuang'er, who was already pregnant, and left Kaizhou County, heading all the way to the capital.
Things are expensive in the capital. How could a scholar who was weak and unproductive possibly survive in the capital? Looking at his concubine Shuang'er's delicate face, he suddenly had an idea.
After Shuang'er gave birth to a boy after ten months of pregnancy, the original owner sold her to a brothel frequented by high-ranking officials and nobles. With the money from selling the concubine and the occasional financial assistance he would give Shuang'er by threatening her with the child, the original owner studied diligently for eight years in a small courtyard in the capital, finally passing the imperial examination with top honors and becoming a student of the emperor.
Having achieved the highest honor in the imperial examinations, the original owner of this body was in high spirits and naturally went to brothels with his fellow scholars to drink and make merry. On that day, upon hearing that the First Prince was also there, the original owner and his classmates brought their wine cups to the second-floor room and requested an audience.
The First Prince greeted the group of drunken young scholars with a smile. In his hazy state, the original owner of this body saw a white-clad man who was highly trusted by the First Prince. He chuckled and staggered, trying to offer the white-clad man a toast and curry favor.
When the man in white turned around, the original owner saw his face clearly and couldn't help but scream, retreating in fright.
The scholars who had brought the original owner with them immediately kowtowed and begged for forgiveness, explaining that the original owner had been too excited to meet the royal family, which was why she had behaved so inappropriately. Unexpectedly, the original owner threw the wine cup in her hand at the man in white, muttering things like, "Madam, I'm sorry, don't come looking for me, I was wrong."
The man in white froze upon hearing the original owner's words. When he recovered, he grabbed the original owner's collar tightly, gritting his teeth and demanding to know if he had seen his sister. The original owner screamed in terror and fled the room as if escaping. Just then, Shuang'er, having just seen a nobleman off, saw the original owner and exclaimed in surprise, "Husband?"
The original owner of this body was already out of his mind and was eager to escape, so he pushed Shuang'er away and ran out in a panic.
Shuang'er's cry of "Husband!" wasn't quiet, and the man in white naturally heard it. He quickly came to Shuang'er, grabbed her, and wanted to see her face. Unexpectedly, when Shuang'er saw his face, she cried out in fright, "Madam, Madam, please don't come looking for me! This has nothing to do with me! It's all my husband's fault, it's all my husband's fault... Please... Madam, please don't come looking for me..."
Upon hearing this, the man in white understood immediately. He gritted his teeth, shook off Shuang'er, and chased after the original owner of the body in the direction she had fled.
It was late at night, and the original owner of this body had been drinking. In his haste, he lost his footing and fell straight into the moat. He was a frail scholar, and after choking on several mouthfuls of water, he lost all strength and sank straight to the bottom of the river.
And just like that, the original owner of this body died.
Later, the man in white learned the whole truth from Shuang'er. He wanted nothing more than to tear the original owner of this body and the woman before him apart. But when he saw the carefully enshrined memorial tablet in Shuang'er's home, and the thin boy hiding behind Shuang'er with a look of fear on his face, he sighed and ultimately did not harm the mother and son. Instead, with tears in his eyes, he personally took away his sister's memorial tablet.
The person making the wish for this mission was not the original owner of this body, but the original owner's son, a little boy named Song Yujun.
Song Yujun had heard her mother tell her since childhood that she had indirectly caused the death of a woman in her youth, leading the woman to ultimately commit suicide out of despair. Her mother, almost self-destructively, repented before the memorial tablet every day. Until one day, a strange man came to the house and took the tablet away, and her mother fell seriously ill and never recovered.
On her deathbed, Shuang'er tightly grasped Song Yujun's hand, weeping and saying she was wrong. She shouldn't have caused Madam's death for such a heartless and cruel man. If... if there were an afterlife, she would never make the same mistake again, and she would definitely, absolutely make amends to that poor woman.
A child who has lost both parents will naturally not have a good life. On New Year's Eve of the following year, Song Yujun huddled in a corner under the city wall. In a daze, he seemed to hear a voice asking him if he had any unfulfilled wishes.
Almost instantly, his little mind thought of the person his mother always talked about. Since his mother had done something wrong, he, as her son, should naturally atone for her sins. So, Song Yujun offered up everything he had and made two wishes.
Firstly, he hoped that his mother and the ladies she mentioned would all live well, find husbands who truly loved them, and have a peaceful and prosperous life.
As for his second wish... Song Yujun struggled for a long time, and finally, the little boy said in a confused tone that was so low that it was almost inaudible, that if all of this was because of his father, then he hoped that his father could be as kind, gentle, and benevolent as the old man who took pity on him today and gave him a pancake.
If the father had become that kind of person, perhaps all these tragedies wouldn't have happened?
The time Song Ce arrived was just after the original owner had agreed to the marriage arranged by the Liu family. Three days later would be his wedding day with the second young lady, Liu Wanyao.
Looking at the desolate and dilapidated courtyard of the original owner's home, Song Ce couldn't help but sigh.
The original owner's home was not in a good location in Qizhou County. It was surrounded by poor families without household registration, and burglaries and robberies often occurred in the streets and alleys.
Song Ce stood at the courtyard gate, gazing at the narrow, cramped street before him. The road surface was uneven and full of potholes, and the houses on both sides were dilapidated and on the verge of collapse. Just then, a disheveled little boy in tattered clothes suddenly darted out from the side. He knelt straight down in front of him with a thud and cried out in a hoarse voice, "Master, please have mercy! Give me a bite to eat! Please!"
Having just arrived from the prosperous and flourishing China, Song Ce was taken aback when faced with this child who couldn't even get enough to eat, and an indescribable feeling of pity welled up in his heart.
"Child, wait for me a moment." After saying this, Song Ce turned around and quickly went back to his own yard. He searched around in the kitchen for a while and finally found two dry, hard cornbread buns in the pot on the stove.
Song Ce placed the cornbread into the bowl and carried it outside. The child remained kneeling, motionless. But the moment he saw Song Ce emerge with the cornbread, his previously dim eyes lit up instantly.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! I will never forget your great kindness! If there is anything..." Before the boy named Xiaoshan could finish speaking, Song Ce reached out and pulled him up, saying gently, "No need to thank me, go and eat!"
After taking the bowl, Xiaoshan didn't care about anything else and grabbed a cornbread and stuffed it into his mouth in front of Song Ce.
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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers] Thank you so much for the nutrient solution, my little cutie! It was super windy today, hope everything's alright~ [Cat emoji]
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