When Song Yaozhu heard the servant calling her, she almost spat out her tea.
"Miss Song is really something. While Master Song was complaining bitterly about keeping it from the old master, she turned around and told the old master about it."
Caijin, unconcerned about the spectacle, remarked, "Your Highness, it seems there's going to be some drama at the Song residence!"
The princess said that her purpose in staying at the Song family home was to cause trouble and turn the Song family home upside down, which is exactly what the princess wanted!
Sure enough, a short while later, another old woman ran over, begging her to invite the royal physician from the Prince's mansion to treat Grand Tutor Song.
"Oh dear, Grandfather's health has been ruined by this anger." Song Yaozhu had someone bring her a token to the Prince's residence to fetch the royal physician.
This Grand Tutor Song, although he was Song Yaozhu's grandfather, had never treated her well. He felt that she was illiterate and disgraced the Song family's scholarly reputation. Therefore, whenever she stood with Song Wenyue, he always treated Song Wenyue with special favor.
When Song Yaozhu arrived at the ancestral hall, the scene had already returned to calm. The two heads of the second and third branches were both there, and neither of them could do anything about their nephew.
"Brother, things have already come to this, are you just trying to hide it! Do you want to wait until disaster strikes before letting us know the truth!" Uncle Song was furious.
"I didn't mean to hide it, I just haven't figured out how to solve it yet!" Song Chengzhang was at his wit's end.
Song Yaozhu glanced at the scene and turned to Caijin, saying, "Go and tell the First Madam that the Fourth Miss saw her two elder brothers being punished to kneel in the ancestral hall for some reason, and asked Grandfather to come forward and judge the matter. As a result, Grandfather fainted from anger."
Caijin couldn't possibly go in person, so she spent some spare silver to find a maid to deliver the message.
Not long after, Lin rushed over.
"Master, Qingyuan did indeed do something outrageous, but what does it have to do with Hanzhi? Why is Hanzhi being punished?" She thought that Song Chengzhang was punishing Song Qingyuan because Song Qingyuan had angered Wang Zhiyue and sent her back to her parents' home.
"Why are you here!" One Grand Tutor Song has already fainted; we can't let another one faint!
"Master, what have Qingyuan and Hanzhi done wrong?!"
"Guards, take Madam back!" Song Chengzhang roared, unwilling to say another word to her.
The prince's physician quickly came over to administer acupuncture, and Grand Tutor Song gradually regained consciousness, much to the relief of his three sons.
The gatekeeper rushed in to announce, "Master, the Junior Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture has arrived!"
Song Chengzhang's legs immediately went weak. Not only him, but Song Qingyuan and Song Hanzhi also turned ashen-faced.
Are they here to arrest them?
Are they going to jail?
Each of them had their own thoughts, and Song Chengzhang was terrified. It was Grand Tutor Song who stood up and stabilized the situation.
"I'll go see him!"
In the reception hall, the Vice Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture had been sitting for a while. When he saw Grand Tutor Song come out, he stood up and bowed. Seeing that Grand Tutor Song was followed by his three sons and daughters-in-law, making quite a grand procession, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
When the Song family saw that he had come alone without any officials with him, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Grand Tutor, it is like this, I have been entrusted by a friend to deliver something." As he spoke, he took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it over.
When Grand Tutor Song took it and looked at it, the three words "Letter of Divorce" were very eye-catching.
Song Chengzhang was even angrier; his son was in a difficult situation, and his daughter-in-law actually wanted a divorce!
"I disagree! It's just a small matter, how could it come to the point of divorce!"
When Shao Yin heard him say this, he sneered: "So in Lord Song's eyes, beating one's wife to the point of miscarriage, a matter of life and death, is just a trivial matter!"
Song Chengzhang was speechless, but he couldn't possibly agree!
His son is currently facing this situation and is counting on this in-law to help him! If he divorces the Wang family now, even if his son escapes unscathed from this matter, once the news of buying the exam questions gets out, he will never be able to find such a good marriage again!
"Divorce is not a trivial matter; both families need to sit down and discuss it properly. I humbly request that the Vice Magistrate speak to him on our behalf, and that both families arrange a time to talk things over," Grand Tutor Song said in a deep voice, his authority evident. But in the eyes of the Vice Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture, he was merely an old man who relied on his seniority.
You have to respect him and give him face before you speak to him kindly; if you don't give him face, he's nobody!
"It's not that I'm unwilling to do this errand, but the Wang family's attitude is very clear. Lord Wang has already written a petition and given it to me. If Young Master Song does not agree to the divorce, then let's meet at the yamen and let the Prefect of the Capital Prefecture judge right and wrong."
He, the Vice Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture, has already personally come to our door; his words are no different from a threat.
— Either agree to a divorce, so everyone can save face; or report it to the authorities, since the Song family will lose anyway and will also lose face!
Grand Tutor Song's face was extremely grim. After the Vice Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture took away the signed divorce papers, the atmosphere in the Song family became incredibly tense.
"Father, how can you let Wang Zhiyue leave so easily! Without her, how can any marriage proposal Qingyuan makes in the future surpass hers!"
Grand Tutor Song slammed his hand on the table in anger, "At a time like this, you should be thinking about how to protect your son!"
Song Chengzhang sighed and looked dejected, still unable to understand how things had turned out this way when they were living such a wonderful life not long ago!
When Song Yaozhu learned of Wang Zhiyue and Song Qingyuan's divorce, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Her good older brother is not good enough for such a good sister-in-law.
When Song Wenyue learned of this, she dared not utter a word. She had no idea things would turn out this way; her two elder brothers had actually cheated! If word got out, she would have no chance of becoming the Princess Consort of Yong!
No matter what, she couldn't let this get out!
Or, she could arrange her marriage into the Yong Prince's household before the news got out!
Once everyone was out of sight, she rushed to Grand Tutor Song, sobbing, "Grandfather, Wen Yue cannot bear to see my brothers suffer like this. Wen Yue is willing to marry Prince Yong to share the burden of our family!"
Grand Tutor Song was greatly alarmed. He knew that the Imperial Concubine had a close relationship with Song Wenyue, so he had Lin find her a husband as soon as possible, for fear of getting her involved in the power struggle.
But now, thinking about her grandsons' situation, marrying Prince Yong was indeed a solution.
Now that Prince Yong is attending court and participating in government affairs, he also has the right to speak on this imperial examination. Such a major matter as leaking the exam questions involves far more than just their family. If Prince Yong were to intervene, it's possible that he could spare his two grandsons.
Grand Tutor Song's gaze was deep as he looked at Song Wenyue, who was weeping uncontrollably, and asked in a cold voice, "Are you doing this for your two brothers, or for yourself?"
Song Wenyue calmly replied, "It's all for my brothers' future! They've treated me so well, how could I watch them fall into misfortune!"
Grand Tutor Song paused for a moment, then said, "We'll discuss this matter later! I'll go see the Emperor and Prince Yong tomorrow."
He could have simply spoken frankly to the Emperor and shamelessly begged for mercy. Given his status as a veteran of two reigns, the Emperor, out of consideration for his reputation, would likely have spared his two grandsons.
But he didn't trust this emperor...
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