Song Yi was so nervous and at a loss for what to do.
Gu Xin slammed her hand on the table: "How dare you, Song Yi, try to hide it now that you're in jail?"
Song Yi was so frightened that she immediately knelt down, biting her lip and remaining silent.
Gu Xin sneered: "Song Yi, you're a candidate preparing for this year's imperial examination, so I'll assume you haven't read the Great Zhou Laws. Do you know that if it's discovered that you concealed it, the court will disqualify you from taking the exam? You'll be barred from participating in the imperial examinations for the rest of your life. Your widowed mother raised you, and even if your family owns an alley where you can collect rent and you'll never have to worry about food and drink in the future, are you really going to give up all that effort you've put in all these years?"
Song Yi clenched his fists, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Gu Xin raised an eyebrow, surprised that even after all this, he still wouldn't tell the truth.
Gu Xin sighed: "You and your mother clearly knew but didn't report it, even concealing important clues. You are guilty, and your mother is guilty too. Can you bear to watch your mother fall into prison? Her health was already poor, and now I've adjusted her prescription. If you can pass the imperial examination this year, your mother's mood will definitely improve, and it will also help her condition. You and your mother depend on each other for survival, but this alley was left by your father, wasn't it? If something happens to you, doesn't your father have any relatives? You'll lose your academic degree, and what your father left you will be taken away by your relatives. Who can you face?"
"Stop talking, Princess, stop talking." Song Yi was almost in tears. He had thought of these questions too, but...
"What did I say? I was just stating the facts. Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher—no matter what favors the Ye family has done for you, they are destined to be no match for your parents. Nothing is above the law!" Gu Xin said.
“I will speak, and the students will speak.” Song Yi finally conceded defeat.
Gu Xin didn't make him get up. She just watched him and waited for him to calm down so she could listen to what he had to say.
“Xiaoru saved my life when I was a child. If she hadn’t saved me, I might not be alive today.” After a long silence, Song Yi said this.
“Xiaoru’s feelings for me started as those of a friendly neighbor, but as we grew older, they developed into romantic feelings. She told me about it, but I was only focused on passing the imperial examinations and rejected her. Several times, she caught me talking to Miss Xie and questioned me, asking if I looked down on her because of her social status. I didn’t. I also had no romantic feelings for Miss Xie. She didn’t believe me.” Song Yi looked up at Gu Xin, his face already streaked with tears.
"So, that day when I saw Miss Xie leave with Xiao Ru, I... I was worried that Xiao Ru might do something to Miss Xie. Miss Xie is her parents' darling, innocent and naive. I was afraid something would happen to her, so I chased after them that day. But they left in a carriage, and I couldn't catch up. So I had to go back." Song Yi wiped away her tears. "If it weren't for Miss Xie often talking to me, Xiao Ru wouldn't have... wouldn't have..."
"On the seventh day, Xiaoru didn't get home until after dark. I wanted to ask her what she had taken Miss Xie with, but her family said she was sick. I didn't want more people to know, so I told my mother and planned to have her ask. When my mother went, she said Xiaoru really was sick and looked like she was just recovering from a serious illness. I thought I'd wait until she was better before asking. Miss Xie is a grown woman, and Xiaoru is just a weak woman. I figured Xiaoru wouldn't do anything to Miss Xie."
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