Chapter 29 The Top Scholar Who Murdered His Wife and Daughter (Twenty-Nine) The Rebellious Son of a Farmer...
Time flies. The steward and servants that Du Zhiyuan had arranged for the couple finally arrived in the capital after a long journey.
Lian Yang led everyone to Dongtai Lane in the capital, stopped at the entrance of a two-courtyard house, unlocked the door, and invited the couple to go in first.
Song Ce briefly surveyed his future home. It was a two-courtyard residence, neither particularly large nor small. The courtyard had already been tidied and renovated, and all the necessary items were present. The well-maintained flowers and plants throughout the courtyard, while not particularly valuable, exuded elegance and vitality.
Du Ningwan walked happily into the courtyard. Within her sight were five large rooms. In the very center was a clean and bright hall, the main house was on the right, separated from the hall, and to the left of the hall was a study. On either side of the inner courtyard were two guest rooms, and in the far corners of the guest rooms were two small side rooms used for storing miscellaneous items.
Passing through the arched doorway on the right side of the study, you enter a delicate garden. The garden is not very well maintained, with only a solitary pavilion in the middle and a pool of clear water next to it.
The outer courtyard consisted of rows of servants' quarters, totaling six rooms. A small side gate was located on the far left of the outer courtyard for the servants' daily use.
The newly arrived steward, Du, was overjoyed to see his son-in-law receive such imperial favor in such a short time since arriving in the capital. He quickly told the couple to go back and rest, and directed the servants who had come from Qingzhou County to start moving.
After two or three days of hard work, the couple finally moved into their new home.
When Manager Fan and his wife saw that Song Ce and Du Ningwan were moving out, they had nothing to give them, so they simply gave them the two maids, Ahuan and Axi, who had always served Du Ningwan. Song Ce, grateful for the Fan family's past kindness, took Manager Fan's son, Fan Ruoyu, as his disciple and began to teach him; but that's another story.
After serving their three-month term, the newly promoted officials faced a "mini-examination." Song Ce unsurprisingly came in first place. Emperor Shunyuan was overjoyed upon learning this and summoned Song Ce again.
The next morning, as soon as Song Ce entered the Hanlin Academy, a eunuch rushed in and shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Where is Compiler Song?"
Upon hearing this, Song Ce quickly put down the manual of palm cultivation, stood up, and cupped his hands, saying, "May I ask what business you have with me, Your Excellency?"
"His Majesty has decreed that Compiler Song be summoned to the Imperial Warm Pavilion for an audience. Come with me!" the eunuch said.
"yes."
The eunuch led Song Ce to the outside of the Royal Warm Pavilion and said with a smile, "Then I will bring Song Xiuzhuan here. Please wait here while I go in and announce your arrival."
"Thank you for your trouble, sir," Song Ce said politely.
Seeing that Song Ce was so polite, the eunuch was pleased and quickly went into the Imperial Warm Pavilion to announce his arrival.
Before long, the eunuch came out with a respectful smile on his face: "Commissioner Song, please."
Song Ce composed himself and entered the Royal Warm Pavilion.
Emperor Shunyuan was sitting on his throne, holding a book in his hand, while several policy essays were laid out on the low table beside him.
Song Ce stepped forward, kowtowed, and said, "Your humble servant Song Ce greets Your Majesty and wishes you good health."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Shunyuan put down the book in his hand and smiled, saying, "Rise, my dear minister."
"I wonder what instructions Your Majesty has given me in summoning me here?" Song Ce asked respectfully as he rose.
"I have carefully read your answer sheet in the previous palace examination, but there are a few parts that I do not understand. Therefore, I have summoned you to answer your questions."
Song Ce bowed and said, "Please ask Your Majesty, I will answer whatever I know."
...
Inside the Yu Nuan Pavilion, the finest silver charcoal crackled and popped. Song Ce faced the emperor of the Dali Dynasty alone, his face composed and without the slightest impropriety. He spoke clearly and with a clear mind, meticulously explaining the two major strategies mentioned in his scroll. Emperor Shunyuan was very satisfied, listening attentively to Song Ce's explanation, nodding frequently, and asking questions when he encountered something he didn't understand. For a time, the emperor and his minister got along very well.
The emperor and his minister talked for three days and two nights in the Yu Nuan Pavilion. Officials throughout the court and the country were surprised and uncertain after hearing about this. Prime Minister Xia's faction discussed countermeasures for a long time in his residence. No one expected that on the fourth day, Emperor Shunyuan would summon Prince Cheng to the palace.
His Highness Prince Cheng is the fifth son of the late Emperor, and his birth mother is Consort De. He is of noble status. If it weren't for Emperor Shunyuan being the eldest son, and the late Empress remembering Emperor Shunyuan as the legitimate son, this supreme position might have gone to someone else.
His Highness Prince Cheng spent the entire day in the palace, and when he emerged, he publicly declared his support for all of Emperor Shunyuan's decisions. The civil and military officials were bewildered and flocked to Prince Cheng's residence to visit him, but were all turned away.
Xia Changlin sat upright in his study. He had a hunch that the Dali Dynasty was about to undergo a major upheaval.
Sure enough, a month later, Emperor Shunyuan ordered Song Ce to clarify his essay on the palace examination. Based on this, Song Ce added the policy of balancing the price and transporting goods, which greatly pleased Emperor Shunyuan.
On the 18th day of the sixth month of the 24th year of the Shunyuan reign, Emperor Shunyuan ordered Song Ce to present this idea of enriching the country in the court. As expected, the civil and military officials all changed color upon hearing it and came out one after another to express their opposition.
Upon hearing this, Song Ce merely smiled faintly, then proceeded to deliver a clear and logical argument to the assembled officials. To their surprise, His Highness Prince Cheng actually supported this idea, stating emphatically, "Lord Song's idea can make our Great Li Dynasty prosperous and its people wealthy. Our Great Li Dynasty has already passed four generations, and many of our national policies have obvious drawbacks. You all, without even considering the implications, have unanimously voiced your opposition. What are your true intentions?"
All the civil and military officials stood at attention, and the only two officials who expressed their agreement were Shen Songbo, the Minister of Personnel, and Su Changxing, Song Ce's mentor.
Emperor Shunyuan, sitting on his high throne, slowly rose and said, "My mind is made up. Song Ce, step forward and receive my command."
Upon hearing this, Song Ce immediately knelt down and awaited the emperor's command.
"I, with my meager virtue, have inherited this great throne and wish to bring about a new era for all things. However, since my ascension to the throne, I have been engaged in military campaigns year after year to maintain internal stability and quell external threats, resulting in an empty treasury and widespread suffering among the people. Now, I have decided to adopt Minister Song's proposal to allow the people to rest, reduce taxes, replenish the treasury, and thus reassure the people. With the joint support of all my ministers and officials, I hereby appoint Song Ce as Vice Minister of the Chancellery to implement his national policies, bestow upon him the Emperor's Sword, and promote Minister Song's new strategies. I hope that all my ministers will work diligently to assist me and together strive for the long-term stability and prosperity of our Great Li Dynasty."
The kneeling officials all bowed their heads, their faces filled with undisguised shock. This Song Dynasty scholar, in just over three months, had risen from a poor scholar to a close advisor to the emperor, skipping three ranks in a single day. The saying "From a peasant in the morning to a courtier in the evening" was perfectly exemplified in his case.
At present, Vice Minister Song is enjoying great influence in the court. Xie Lin has not slept for the past few days and has not found an opportunity to infiltrate the Song residence. The reason is simple: the Song residence has too few people. Little does he know that his journey has already been discovered by Lian Yang.
Upon hearing Lian Yang's report, Song Ce waved his hand, indicating that he had something to handle.
Late that night, Xie Lin returned to his room looking exhausted, only to find a man in black, cloaked, standing inside.
"Who are you?" Xie Lin quickly pulled a dagger from his waist and held it horizontally in front of him, asking in a low voice.
"The one who has come to tell you the truth," a deep voice said from inside the black cloak.
"The truth? Now that you're here, why beat around the bush? Just say it," Xie Lin said in a deep voice.
"In the sixteenth year of Shunyuan, your son was kidnapped due to an enemy's plot. Your prince led his personal guards to try to rescue your son, but unfortunately, they were no match for them and only brought back your son's body. Am I right?" the man in black said.
"Who exactly are you?" Xie Lin's hand holding the dagger trembled slightly.
“A person should at least know the truth in this life. Your prince did not fail to save him back then, but was ambushed and killed by the remnants of his enemies on his way back. Your prince did not hesitate to pull your son to take the knife for himself, and that is the real reason why your son died.”
Xie Lin was filled with intense hatred. The tragic death of his only son was the deepest pain and most painful wound of his life, but despite years of investigation, he had never found the murderer who killed his son. At this moment, his face showed no sign of hatred: "Do you think I'll believe you just because you say that?"
"Back then, wasn't your son clutching a piece of iron tightly in his hand?" the man in black sneered.
Xie Lin: "..."
"If you don't believe me, why don't you go and take a look in your prince's private treasury and see if a piece of armor is missing from the back of the suit of armor he wore when he was young?"
After saying this, the man in black tossed Xie Lin a yellow porcelain bottle, which Xie Lin caught.
"Here's what you need to get this over with. Take it! Since I'm already here, I'll tell you another interesting story. I'm sure you'll find it very interesting."
The man in black whispered a few words in Xie Lin's ear, then vanished in a flash.
Xie Lin was shocked upon hearing this, and almost dropped the porcelain bottle. He hurriedly chased after the man in black, but the man disappeared after only three blocks.
Meanwhile, the man in black walked back, casually shaking off Xie Lin behind him, and then, under the cover of night, quietly returned to his master's new residence.
At this moment, Song Ce was writing something in his study. Hearing the door open, he didn't even look up: "Lian Yang, is the matter settled?"
"Master," Lian Yang bowed and said, "I found Xie Lin and told him the truth that the Second Prince had killed his only son, as well as that old secret."
"Alright, go and rest." Song Ce said with a smile.
Lian Yang: "Yes, Master."
Song Ce asked curiously, "Aren't you going to ask me why I asked you to do this? And how do I know these secrets?"
"From the day Your Majesty bestowed me upon you, I have obeyed only your commands and will never betray you in this lifetime," Lian Yang said earnestly.
Song Ce was moved by his words: "I will only use you for ten years. After ten years, I will give you your freedom."
"Your subordinate thanks you, Master!"
The next morning, at Xiangkun Palace.
Xiao Chen had just gotten up and dressed when he heard Liu Shi say, "Your Highness, Guard Xie has arrived and is waiting for you in the study!"
"When did he arrive?" Xiao Chen asked.
"I just arrived. They said it was something His Highness asked me to investigate, and now there are some leads," Liu Shi said respectfully.
"Good! Good! Good!" Xiao Chen said "good" three times in a row, then quickly got up and headed to the study outside.
"Your Highness, I pay my respects!" Xie Lin bowed slightly and said, "I have successfully completed my mission and found the secret medicine for revealing ink hidden in the Prime Minister's residence. Simply apply this medicine to the letter paper, and any previous ink marks will appear. As for the matter of Song Ce that Your Highness instructed me to investigate, I... conducted extensive inquiries and found out that Song Ce was drunk and stayed in the third-floor wing room. He was personally taken there by Young Master Qin's men. Perhaps they remembered the wrong room number and delivered him to the wrong place. Moreover, that day... Song Ce did not get up until 9 AM. At that time, he was just a mere compiler. What power could he have? I believe this matter has nothing to do with him."
“Alright, since it has nothing to do with Song Ce, I will leave him alone for now.” Xiao Chen personally came over and helped Xie Lin up: “Why should we care about these formalities? Sit down.”
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. It is my duty to share your burdens." Xie Lin stood respectfully to the side, his expression unchanged. Xiao Chen was even more pleased to see this. He took out a brocade box containing secret letters between himself and Xia Changlin from a hidden compartment in the study, took out the most recent letter, and carefully sprinkled developing solution on it.
Sure enough, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the ink on the letter reappeared!
"Good!" Xiao Chen laughed heartily, patting Xie Lin on the shoulder: "You did a great job this time, Your Highness will reward you handsomely! Tell me! What do you want?"
Xie Lin paused, then pondered, "Your Highness, my dagger is damaged. I've heard that you have collected many precious daggers that can cut through iron like mud. How about you bestow one upon me?"
"What's so difficult about that?" he said, stepping outside the study. "Liu Shi!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" Liu Shi bowed and jogged quickly from the courtyard. "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"You personally take Guard Xie to my private treasury, let him choose a dagger that suits his taste, and then take a fine jade pendant from there and reward him with it," Xiao Chen said in a good mood.
"This... Your Highness, the items in the private treasury are all your cherished possessions!" Liu Shi hesitated.
"Stop arguing! Just go when I tell you to!" After saying this, Xiao Chen returned to his study and smiled at Xie Lin, "Go down and pick out a dagger first!"
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Xie Lin bowed deeply and followed Liu Shi to Xiao Chen's private treasury.
Liu Shi took the key, opened the door to the private vault, and said to Xie Lin, "Guard Xie, please."
Xie Lin nodded gratefully and then stepped inside.
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Author's Note: The next chapter is the final, super long chapter! It'll be huge! After this chapter ends, the next one will begin: My Daughter is My Own. Please add it to your favorites if you like it. Thank you again for your support, my little angels TAT
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