042 Restoring Memories
"Lord Song!"
Faced with his repeated provocations, Yuan Chongjing lowered his voice and said, "This is my wife. I urge Lord Song to show some respect!"
"Self-respect?" Song Hezhou chuckled, looking at Yuan Chongjing with disdain, his face full of arrogance: "When I was being self-respecting, you were still playing in the mud with your naked bottom! Guards, take him away!"
The constables behind him immediately stepped forward and surrounded Yuan Chongjing and Li Yang.
Knowing that Song Hezhou had come prepared, Yuan Chongjing knew he couldn't avoid the trip to Dali Temple today. He looked at Li Yang reassuringly and said, "I'm fine, don't worry. You stay home and wait for me to come back."
Li Yang looked at him and nodded: "Yes, I know."
Song Hezhou couldn't bear to see them whispering, so he waved for the constables to quickly take Yuan Chongjing away. Once everyone had left, only the two of them remained in the courtyard. Song Hezhou stared at her silently, his expression gloomy, irritable, yet tinged with a hint of expectation he hadn't yet realized.
"Mrs. Yuan, Li Yang, what's wrong? Aren't you going to say something to me?"
Li Yang wasn't sure how much he already knew. His earlier words alone weren't enough to prove he knew her identity. She said, "It should be said that my husband is, after all, an official of the court. I humbly request that Lord Yuan take good care of him."
Song Hezhou's facial muscles trembled slightly with rage. He strode towards Li Yang, quickly grabbed her by the neck, and dragged her against a pillar in the corridor. He gritted his teeth and asked, "What's the story behind that letter? What do you know? Are you her?"
He gripped her tightly, pinching her so hard she could barely breathe.
Li Yang's face turned pale as she pounded on Song Hezhou's arm with both hands, trying to get him to loosen his grip: "I, I don't know what you're talking about."
As soon as he finished speaking, the force on his neck increased significantly.
Song Hezhou said with a grim face, "I caught that old bastard who delivered the letter. He gave up on a brat. You didn't expect that, did you? He was followed again after you left. That brat said he saw you come out of the courtyard where the letter deliveryman went in. After you left, he went in to check, and it was already empty. Li Yang, what else do you have to say for yourself!"
Li Yang had no time to think about his words; she only felt a sharp pain around her neck, and instinctively she grabbed his hand, trying to pull him away. Her eyes turned red, and a single tear of despair rolled down her cheek.
Song Hezhou suddenly released her, the force of his arm sweeping her to the ground.
Li Yang sat on the ground and coughed violently several times before feeling the stinging pain in her throat begin to subside.
Song Hezhou walked up to her, squatted down, and stared at her: "I'll ask you one more time, what do you know? Where is she?!"
Li Yang looked up, glaring at him defiantly, and said, word by word, "I don't know!"
Song Hezhou chuckled and said confidently, "You know. If you really didn't know, you would have asked me who she was, instead of answering that you didn't know. So Li Yang, don't test my patience, or I'll show you what happens when you mess with me."
Just then, a series of noisy footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, and a young man dressed in black entered. He was tall and strong, with dark skin. Upon seeing the two, he exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, "Uncle! It really is you! When I saw your carriage outside, I thought someone was impersonating you and acting like a bully."
Yuan Chongyue followed behind him. Seeing Li Yang sitting on the ground, Yuan Chongyue shook his head at her, signaling her to calm down.
With a junior present, Song Hezhou, though not needing to hold back, still became somewhat more restrained. He stood up and said impatiently, "Can't you speak properly! Why aren't you practicing martial arts in broad daylight? What are you doing here?"
The young man was none other than the Eighth Prince, who loved martial arts and dreamed of becoming a great general.
The Eighth Prince seemed not to see Li Yang at all, and chuckled憨厚ly, focusing on talking to Song Hezhou: "I have an appointment to go horse racing with someone. Yuan Chongyue said he has a good saddle here, so I came to take a look. Uncle, I heard that the Empress Dowager gave you a Ferghana horse a few days ago. Why don't you bring it out for us to see today?"
Song Hezhou said, "Go and get it yourself at the Song residence. Don't damage it, then return it to me later."
"Great! Thank you so much, Uncle!" the Eighth Prince exclaimed excitedly. "Uncle, could you take a look at that saddle for me? I'm determined to win this horse race today!"
Song Hezhou glanced at Li Yang, then quickly left, saying, "Let's go."
"Go, go, go! Yuan Chongyue, don't just stand there like an idiot! Hurry up and bring that gold-inlaid and silver-plated saddle over so my great-uncle can take a look. If it's fake, I won't let you off the hook!" The Eighth Prince came in a grand manner and left noisily, without ever glancing at Li Yang.
Once their voices had faded into the distance, Li Yang managed to stand up with difficulty, supporting herself on the ground.
She underestimated Song Hezhou; she never expected that in this vast capital city, he could actually find those two beggars in the sea of people.
Fortunately, she had Song Xi disguise himself when she delivered the letter that day. Even if Song Hezhou hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have been sure that the person was her based solely on the little beggar's words.
But now that he's entangled with her, getting rid of him won't be easy.
After seeing off the Eighth Prince and Song Hezhou, Yuan Chongyue rushed over again: "Sister-in-law, what happened to my second brother? Why was he taken away by Lord Song again?"
The eldest young mistress behind him also said, "Yes, he was staying at home just fine. He knows that the people from the Dali Temple are still watching him from outside. Can't he just behave himself?"
Yuan Chongyue secretly tugged at her clothes: "Say less."
The eldest young mistress instantly retorted angrily, "Why should I say a few words? You know how valuable that saddle is; it was part of my dowry from my parents! I gave it to you, and you wouldn't even use it once, and now you're giving it away to someone else! What's wrong with me saying a few words because I feel sorry for it!"
"Alright, that's my second brother, how can I not save him!" Yuan Chongyue said in a low voice.
The young mistress waited for him, then stood to the side, reluctantly shutting her mouth.
Li Yang looked at the two of them and apologized with a wry smile: "I'm sorry, brother and sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble."
Yuan Chongyue waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's nothing. As long as I can help my second brother, that's all that matters."
The eldest young mistress, not wanting to be left out, chimed in, "That's right. Sister-in-law, you must remember the kindness we showed each other today, and don't forget to repay it in the future."
Yuan Chongyue stood helplessly in front of her, completely blocking her view, before saying to Li Yang, "Did Second Brother leave any message before he left? Father hasn't returned yet, and Mother has gone to Grandfather's house. Should I send someone to call them back?"
Li Yang said, "No need, Brother Jing told us to just wait. Song Hezhou has no evidence, he'll release him soon."
Last time was the same; he only detained Yuan Chongjing for one night and released him early the next morning. Yuan Chongyue thought about it and agreed. After all, Yuan Chongjing still held an official position. If things got out of hand, even if he was a member of the Song family, things wouldn't go well for him. "Alright, then you wait here for now. Your sister-in-law and I will go back first. I'll go to the Dali Temple to inquire later."
"Thank you for your trouble, brother."
The eldest young mistress wanted to say a few more words, but Yuan Chongyue pulled her away, and the two of them whispered and shoved each other as they left.
***
Meanwhile, Yuan Chongjing, who was imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison, was unusually clear-headed.
It's the same room, the same spot as last time.
He sat on the ground, which was covered with a mat of dry straw, his head resting against the cold, damp stone wall, his eyes tightly closed, waiting for the tumultuous, explosive surge of emotions in his mind to subside.
He had a vague feeling that the time for Song Xi to restore his memories, which she had been talking about, might have arrived.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but as his chaotic thoughts gradually settled and he became unusually clear-headed, the sharp pain seemed to have found a breakthrough, flowing through his mind and nasal cavity, and finally reaching his throat.
He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
The strong smell of blood filled his mouth; it was sticky, hot, and slippery, making him want to dodge but unable to avoid it.
Yuan Chongjing vomited several more times on the ground until the taste in his mouth had faded considerably before he stopped. His inner shirt was soaked with cold sweat, and a chilling wind blew through him.
However, Yuan Chongjing felt no cold at all. A fire had risen in his heart, warming him from head to toe.
That flame is called hope.
Gone is the boyish innocence in his eyes. Yuan Chongjing sits quietly, his sharp eyes and the calm composure that comes from years of navigating the officialdom transforming his entire demeanor.
Footsteps echoed down the path outside the cell. Yuan Chongjing lowered his head for a moment, and when he looked up again, his sharp edge was concealed. He took two steps back and sat in the shadows where the firelight couldn't reach.
Before long, Song Hezhou, dressed in official robes and carrying a sword, stopped in front of his cell. Seeing that Yuan Chongjing seemed to be asleep, Song Hezhou tapped the pillar twice with the scabbard: "You're sleeping soundly."
Yuan Chongjing asked calmly, "Can I leave now?"
Song Hezhou gestured to the bailiffs to open the prison door and said disdainfully, "I underestimated you. You actually managed to persuade a big shot to plead for leniency. Well, with a lady like that around, as long as you're willing to pay the price, you can find anyone."
Yuan Chongjing chuckled softly.
Song Hezhou blocked his way, his voice tinged with embarrassment and anger: "What are you laughing at?"
Yuan Chongjing said, "This is not a laugh, but a congratulation. Congratulations to our dignified Lord Song Hezhou for learning a new skill today."
Song Hezhou knew there was a hidden meaning in his words: "What do you mean?"
“Long-tongued, huh?” Yuan Chongjing looked at him and explained lightly, “Isn’t that right? Long-tongued…woman.” Unable to gain the upper hand directly, she tried to sow discord between him and Li Yang through him.
"You!" Before he had been insulted like this, Song Hezhou immediately drew his sword and pointed it at him: "It seems you don't want to leave Dali Temple today."
As dawn broke in the east, the faint crowing of roosters drifted in from afar.
It's already dawn.
Yuan Chongjing lifted his robe and walked back into the prison, saying casually, "It seems Lord Song doesn't want to let me out, so I'll stay for another day."
The fact that he needed acupuncture every day was no secret to Song Hezhou. Seeing his calm demeanor, Song Hezhou looked at Yuan Chongjing suspiciously, trying to figure out whether he really didn't need acupuncture anymore or was just pretending to deceive him.
Unfortunately, Yuan Chongjing was standing far away, in a place that was half in shadow and half in sunlight. The shadows swayed back and forth on him, making him look exceptionally mysterious.
Song Hezhou didn't want to waste any more time on him. He glanced at the yamen runner beside him, then turned and left the prison.
Seeing that everyone had left, the yamen runner bowed and greeted Yuan Chongjing as he came out: "Lord Yuan, please come in."
Yuan Chongjing calmly came out, and as the two passed each other, he asked, "Who saved me?"
The young yamen runner said, "I don't know. When the Eighth Prince went to your residence yesterday, he ran into Lord Song. Afterwards, Lord Song went back to the Song residence and didn't come out. This morning, he came directly to the Dali Temple. However, I heard that someone came out of the Empress Dowager's palace yesterday and returned to the Song residence. It is said that the Empress Dowager misses her maternal family and wants to ask Madam Song to come to the palace to have a talk."
Yuan Chongjing lowered his eyes. The "important person" that Song Hezhou had just mentioned was probably the Empress Dowager. But how could the Empress Dowager, who lived deep within the palace, know about his affairs? If it was someone from the Crown Prince who made the connection, it wouldn't have troubled the Empress Dowager.
"Lord Yuan, I'll see you off here." The young yamen runner led him to the door. "His Highness the Crown Prince is still suspicious of the Song family, so we need to wait and see. Also, Lord Song is the future head of the Song family. Lord Yuan, you must not afford to be at odds with him again."
Yuan Chongjing fell silent.
He had realized these things long ago without needing anyone to remind him. But when he heard Song Hezhou insult Li Yang, Yuan Chongjing decided he could no longer tolerate it.
He said, "It won't happen again. I will consider the bigger picture."
After leaving the Dali Temple, Yuan Chongjing didn't rush back. Instead, he went to the liaison point in the capital. Beihai had already left the capital with the evidence, and judging by the time, His Highness the Crown Prince should have received it. How to proceed to bring down the Third Prince in one fell swoop remained to be discussed.
After meeting everyone, he got up and returned to the Yuan residence.
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