Chapter 119: Turning one hand to make clouds and another to make rain, this is the difference between the royal family and the common people
Yuan Zhixu was indeed quick to act. The day after Yuan Song left the mansion, rumors spread throughout the capital. It was said that Yuan Zhixu had fallen out with his nephew, Yuan Song, the Zhejiang Jieyuan Lang, because he did not want his nephew to marry a woman of humble origin.
Once something has something to do with romance, as long as one person starts it, it will spread from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and from a hundred to a million, until it becomes known to the whole city.
The men were all curious about who the woman of humble origin was. They thought that only a beautiful woman could make Jie Yuanlang dare to turn against his uncle who was in the cabinet.
The women, on the other hand, looked at Yuan Song differently, thinking that as a top scholar in the imperial examination, he was not afraid of power and insisted on marrying his beloved, which was truly a model of a man.
In comparison, Du Heng, the top scorer in the imperial examination in the capital, seemed to have deserved it.
Without warning, Xu Chongnian, the acting Minister of Rites, was ordered by the Emperor to relocate his family to Guangxi to serve as a local military governor. Anyone with a passing understanding of imperial politics could see that while this was ostensibly a promotion, it was actually a move to banish him from the center of the court.
I don't know who spoke first, connecting this matter with the previous rumors about Du Heng postponing the exam. Everyone then suddenly realized that Du Heng must have failed to take the imperial examination in order to curry favor with Xu Chongnian.
For a time, people in the streets and alleys were criticizing Du Heng for being greedy for money and laughing at his current situation, saying that he really brought this upon himself.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it down, and the front of the Du Mansion suddenly becomes deserted.
Within the Du family, after this incident, everyone in the mansion understood tacitly that once the Spring Examination was over and the rumors died down, Du Heng would officially take over the family business.
Cheng regretted her decision and dared not cry or whine anymore, disturbing her son's peace. Apart from cooking for herself every day, she would accompany her mother-in-law in meditation and chanting. The rest of her time she stayed in the East Courtyard, keeping to herself and never going out.
In addition to managing the household expenses, Rong also handed over all external affairs of the mansion to Du Heng.
The rumors circulating outside the mansion naturally reached Du Heng's ears.
He did not want to add to his elders' worries, so he ordered Li Mao to strictly control the entry and exit of the mansion and do his best to stop the rumors.
Because he and Su Ying had already agreed that from now on, no matter what, they must not hide anything from each other, he went to the library alone and told Ying'er all the rumors outside the mansion.
The two of them sat on the stone steps outside the study, facing the courtyard.
The weather was gradually getting warmer, but Du Heng still felt the stone steps were too cold. He personally called Taoxi to get a mat, and only then did he feel at ease to let Su Ying sit next to him.
"Xu Chongnian's exile happened almost at the same time as the falling out between Yuan Ge Lao and Yuan Song. It's too coincidental." Du Heng spoke with a look of doubt between his brows.
Su Ying nodded and replied, "Even if they really fell out, why make the reason public?" Her voice paused mid-sentence. The "woman of humble origin" in the rumors was clearly referring to her. Yuan Song had repeatedly come to propose marriage; who else but the Yuan family would know about such a private matter? This clearly indicated that these rumors originated from the Yuan family.
Du Heng pondered for a moment, and gradually came up with an answer in his mind. He slowly said, "Yuan Zhixu wants everyone to know that the uncle and nephew have indeed fallen out."
"But what good will it do them?"
Du Heng said in a deep voice, "So that His Majesty understands that although Yuan Song and Yuan Zhixu are related, they are not from the same path."
It wasn't until Xu Chongnian was exiled that Du Heng finally understood that the mastermind behind this was undoubtedly the Emperor. This was why Zhou Zheng of the Inspectorate was so unscrupulous. It was also because of this that even the intervention of the old princess couldn't help him avoid the delay in his exams.
Su Ying had been thinking that even though the matter of the Spring Examination was a foregone conclusion, she still had to know who had gotten Du Heng involved in this situation, and she couldn't help but have a desire to fight for it.
However, when she heard Du Heng reveal the person behind the scenes, she felt a sense of powerlessness all over her body.
After a long pause, she spoke with difficulty, "Turning the clouds with a flip of the hand, turning the rain with a flip of the hand, this is the difference between the royal family and ordinary people. Cousin, is there nothing we can do except accept what is given to us?"
Du Heng sensed the reluctance in her voice and sighed. Ying'er had already worried a great deal about him, and now that things had come to this, he didn't want to burden her with any more trouble.
He then changed the subject, speaking gently, "Well, this allows me to calm down and do what I really want to do."
Seeing that Su Ying's expression was still serious, he continued, "Do you remember what I said before, why did you want to give up literature and pursue medicine?"
Su Ying certainly remembered: "You once traveled with your father and met a child and his grandfather. The old man was seriously ill and on the verge of death. Fortunately, he was treated by a traveling doctor."
Du Heng smiled and said, "Actually, I've only told you half of what happened that day."
This sentence really piqued Su Ying's interest, and the worry between her brows also dissipated a little. Seeing this, Du Heng felt relieved and continued, "Later, the child and his grandfather were taken in by my father and entered the Du Mansion. Who do you think that child was?"
Su Ying had never expected that there would be a sequel to this matter. The days of boredom seemed to be alleviated by this little bit of human warmth.
She thought carefully and guessed, "He's younger than you and certainly not married. He's probably not a steward, but a bodyguard or a servant. From what you said, he's smart and clever, and he won't be idle. Among the people in the Du Mansion, besides the steward, the most outstanding one is—"
Before she finished speaking, Du Heng coughed lightly.
Qingquan suddenly appeared, walked up to the two men, kowtowed solemnly, and said, "I was taken in by you, young master, and was able to provide for my grandfather until his death. No matter which path you choose, I will follow you until death. If you want to practice medicine, I will manage your clinic for you. If you want to go up the mountain to collect herbs, I will explore the way for you."
Qingquan's words were simple, but with a bit of honest loyalty, which moved Su Ying and made her laugh.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Du Heng smiled and waved his hand: "Alright, you're talking as if we're really going to go to heaven and earth in the future."
After Qingquan left, he turned his gaze back to Su Ying, his expression gentle but firm. "Since I'm not destined for a career in politics, I can't afford to waste more than ten years of study. I've heard that plagues are frequent in the north, so I plan to first look up the cause in medical books, and then write a paper based on the governance strategies of the north. After we get married, would you be willing to go with me to the north to see it for yourself?"
"Du Heng!"
Su Ying punched him lightly in shame, her ears reddening slightly. Ever since they confessed their feelings, her cousin had become even more outspoken, even saying the word "marriage" so effortlessly.
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