Chapter 120 It turns out he's the grandson of an old friend.
"When I picked up the bracelet, Uncle Liu, who was in charge of watering the garden, happened to be pushing his water cart by. He even asked me what treasure I had found. I showed him the bracelet and said it looked like Aunt Su's and that I should return it to her right away!"
Song Yiqiu immediately said to Fu Langxing:
"Young Master Fu, please ask Uncle Liu, who waters the flowers, to come over and ask him."
Although Fu Langxing found it troublesome, under Song Yiqiu's firm gaze, he still signaled the servant to go and call someone.
Soon, a kind-hearted gardener was brought over and confirmed Xiaohe's words. He had indeed seen Xiaohe pick up the bracelet and praised her for being honest.
The expressions on Zhang Mama's and the others' faces immediately changed.
Song Yiqiu, however, was not satisfied. She picked up the gold bracelet that had been stolen, examined it carefully, and asked with amusement:
When did Aunt Su discover that the bracelet was missing?
The maidservant of Aunt Su, who was standing aside watching the commotion, replied:
“It was after breakfast that my aunt wanted to wear this bracelet, but found it was missing from her dressing case.”
Song Yiqiu pressed further:
"Is the dressing case kept in the inner room?"
"yes."
"Has anyone entered or left Consort Li's inner room this morning?"
The maid thought for a moment:
"Only Granny Zhang brought in freshly picked flowers early in the morning..."
Granny Zhang panicked instantly:
"You, you little slut, what nonsense are you spouting? I'll be out delivering the flowers soon!"
Song Yiqiu sneered, no longer looking at her, and instead said to Fu Langxing:
“Young Master Fu, the matter is clear. Xiao He found the bracelet outside the courtyard and wanted to return it immediately. There is both witness testimony and physical evidence.”
"On the contrary, it is this Granny Zhang who has the opportunity to enter and leave the inner room, and is so eager to frame a lowly maid. Her heart is despicable."
"I'm afraid we need to thoroughly investigate why this bracelet ended up outside the courtyard and why she was caught red-handed."
She glanced at Xiao He and saw that although Xiao He was a maid, she was clever, pretty, quick-witted, and had a good eye for people. She accurately identified her as someone who would help her in the crowd.
Perhaps it was because he usually stood out from the crowd and his talent was too conspicuous that he aroused the jealousy of the elders in the mansion.
At this moment, Zhang Mama's face turned ashen, and she collapsed to the ground, while the other two accomplices trembled like leaves.
Fu Langxing looked at Song Yiqiu with amazement and admiration in his eyes, along with a hint of confusion.
He waved his hand, ordering someone to take Zhang Mama and the others away for strict interrogation, and then comforted the still-shaken Xiao He with a few words.
After everyone had left, Fu Langxing couldn't help but ask, puzzled:
“Yiqiu, why are you meddling in such a trivial matter? It’s always been like this among the servants in this manor; the steward will handle it…”
Song Yiqiu looked up at him, but his eyes held no sympathy for the weak, only a cold indifference she had grown accustomed to seeing.
"Does Prince Fu think this is a trivial matter?"
Her gaze swept over the obviously unkempt courtyard.
"In my view, human life has no distinction of rank; it is a matter of life and death. Is a human life, in your eyes, just a trivial matter?"
She stopped, frowning as she glanced at his richly embroidered clothes:
"That's true. Young Master Fu is a pampered and privileged child. He has been pampered since childhood, so he naturally can't see the dust beneath his feet and can't understand the cries of ants."
“You are high and mighty, and you think you can explain all the injustices in the world with a simple question like ‘Why don’t they eat meat porridge?’ That’s the difference between us.”
Fu Langxing was speechless with embarrassment at her words, and wanted to refute her, but found himself at a loss for words.
Looking into Song Yiqiu's clear and bright eyes, he felt for the first time the insurmountable chasm between them.
She is no longer the little girl in his memory who needed his protection, but a cactus forged in the wind and sand of the frontier.
"Qiu...Qiu'er?"
An aged voice came from behind Song Yiqiu. If you listened carefully, you could hear that the voice was still trembling with excitement.
Song Yiqiu turned around at the sound and saw an elderly man dressed in a simple scholar's robe standing not far away by the door, supported by his servant.
His face was clear and his eyes were cloudy, yet he possessed a peculiar scholarly air. Even after the passage of time, the ruthless decisiveness in his sword-like eyebrows still inadvertently revealed itself.
He stared intently at Song Yiqiu, as if the person in front of him would disappear if he blinked.
Song Yiqiu tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on a jade pendant with pine and cloud patterns worn at his waist.
This is Fu Yunjian, the Right Chancellor, and the grandfather of Fu Langxing.
She had met her grandfather, who was distinguished and kind to her, when she was a child at her grandmother's house.
Fu Langxing quickly stepped forward to help the old man:
"Grandfather, why did you come out? It's windy outside, you should rest inside."
Fu Yunjian seemed not to hear his grandson's words. He excitedly pushed Fu Langxing's hand away, staggered forward a few steps, and reached out to touch Song Yiqiu's face.
"It's so similar...it's really too similar..."
"The heroic spirit between his brows, that look in his eyes..."
"How rare, how rare to find someone with the bearing of an old friend... So you're the grandson of an old friend, good, very good..."
Song Yiqiu subconsciously took half a step back to maintain an appropriate distance.
Fu Yunjian's hand froze in mid-air. He gave a self-deprecating laugh, slowly lowered it, and his somewhat unclear mind began to clear.
"It seems... Qiu'er doesn't recognize me. I am Lang Xing's grandfather, Fu Yunjian."
Upon receiving confirmation, Song Yiqiu immediately straightened her robes and respectfully performed a junior's bow.
“Yiqiu has met Grandfather Fu. It’s not that I don’t recognize him, but I’ve been away from the capital for many years. Grandfather Fu still looks as dashing as ever, so Yiqiu can’t be sure right now.”
Fu Langxing was quite surprised, and a look of joy appeared on his face:
"Yiqiu, so you still remember your grandfather!"
He then turned to Fu Yunjian and asked ingratiatingly:
“Grandfather, don’t you still have several paintings of Lady Yongjia in your study? I specially invited Yiqiu over today so that she could appreciate them and soothe my longing.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Yunjian's previously excited expression vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed.
"Xing'er! You're becoming more and more unruly! Those paintings... are they something you can just show to others like that?"
Although he was old in age, he was not. He was insightful and his gaze swept over the servants around him.
Song Yiqiu immediately understood Fu Yunjian's concerns.
He secretly possessed a portrait of the deceased Lady Yongjia. If this were to spread and be exploited by his political enemies, it would undoubtedly be adding insult to injury for the already weakened Right Chancellor's Office.
She quickly began to explain:
"Grandfather Fu has misunderstood. It is because Yiqiu misses her grandmother so deeply, and upon hearing that there are her grandmother's legacy in the Prince's residence, she took the liberty of requesting that the Prince take her to see it. She had no other intentions. Moreover..."
She straightened her back slightly.
"Yiqiu will soon inherit the title of Marquis of Yongjia, and it is only right that he remembers his ancestors."
She deliberately pointed out her upcoming title, both to state her position and to test Fu Yunjian's attitude towards her grandmother and the Shen family.
Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, Fu Yunjian was not displeased at all; instead, a look of emotion appeared on his face.
He looked deeply at Song Yiqiu, not at her, but through her body, he saw another figure.
"Okay...okay..."
He murmured, a look of admiration on his face.
"Humble yet assertive, meticulous in thought, and mindful of the big picture... This demeanor is exactly like that of your grandmother back then."
He let out a long sigh:
"The title of Marquis of Yongjia should be yours. The Shen family has been dormant for many years, and there is finally hope for its revival... This can be considered as fulfilling your grandmother's wish."
He slightly raised his hand towards the direction of the study:
"Fine. Since you want to see, then... come with me."
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