Chapter 124: Sacrifice for Justice
County Magistrate Song stared at the ivory ring on Murong Di's hand.
The shape of the ivory ring exposed on the back of the finger was like a fishhook, which brought back the childhood memories of County Magistrate Song.
Ever since he could remember, he had seen this ivory ring every day.
But at that time, this ivory ring was worn on his grandfather's hand.
Their Song family was not from the same branch as the wealthy Song family. They were not well-known in Beijing, and their father, Song Li, was just a minor official.
In the fifth year of the Yongjia reign, when Song Ping was about the same age as Su Zhizhi, his father was involved in an unjust case. Because the case involved powerful people in the capital, the Song family had nowhere to turn to for help.
Fifteen years later, Song Ping could not remember every detail of the process, but he clearly remembered the scene of his father being locked in the prison van.
The weather is very hot and the cicadas are noisy.
The father, with an unshaven beard and covered in scars, was locked in a prison van, moving further and further away.
His mother followed behind, holding him with one hand and holding his younger sister with the other.
The father said, "Lan'er, stop chasing. Take the child away. Take the child back."
The mother cried and shook her head, but she kept chasing him, afraid that if she lost him she would never see him again.
My sister also burst into tears.
Little Song Ping followed the prison van and one of his shoes fell off. The soles of his feet were burned by the scorching summer ground and were almost peeling off.
He gritted his teeth, with an expression that looked like he was about to cry, and said to his father:
"Dad, Ping'er is a man, Ping'er, don't cry."
"Ping'er is sending Dad off."
Song Li was trying to hold back his tears at first, but after hearing what Song Ping said, he finally burst into tears.
The prison van did not stop, but little Song Ping was tripped by a stone on the ground. The cloth at his knee was torn and a large piece of flesh was scratched.
Burning pain and helplessness spread from the body.
Song Ping got up and continued chasing.
He was very young and didn't understand many things, but he knew that this was a prison van heading to the execution ground.
He knew what a torture chamber was.
He stumbled among the crowd like a wounded and out-of-control calf.
His body was covered in blood and dust, and people around him avoided him when they saw him.
Some people even spat at him when they knew he was the son of a death row inmate.
Song Ping kept running until he bumped into someone.
A young man wearing official uniform and a jade belt around his waist, with a handsome face and deep eyes.
The dirt on Song Ping's body stained the hem of the official uniform of the young man. The young man helped Song Ping up and asked him:
"Are you Song Li's son?"
Song Ping nodded with red eyes.
The solemn-looking man smiled faintly, "Don't be afraid, your father won't die."
Song Ping heard an official nearby bowing to the young man and calling him "Shaoqing Pei".
Song Ping stared blankly at Pei Shaoqing walking up to the guillotine and said to the supervising officer:
"There are still many unclear points in the Song Li case. I have petitioned His Majesty for a thorough reexamination. What I hold in my hands is His Majesty's imperial decree, specifically ordering the Dali Temple to reexamine this case to ensure justice and distinguish right from wrong."
The executioner lowered his knife.
The Song family, young and old, cried with joy.
Song Li was cleared of the charges after Pei Lingfeng, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, reiterated his claim.
The Song family was so grateful to Pei Lingfeng that they wanted to give him their wealth, but Pei Lingfeng refused.
Song Ping's grandfather gave the ivory ring to Pei Lingfeng, saying that if the Pei family or the Pei family's descendants needed them in the future, he would go through fire and water for them.
If Pei Lingfeng didn't accept it, Song Ping's grandfather would not leave, so Pei Lingfeng had no choice but to accept it.
Song Ping next to him stared at Pei Lingfeng without blinking, as if he was looking at a god in a temple, and felt that the hem of Pei Lingfeng's clothes was glowing.
Pei Lingfeng waved him over: "What's your name?"
Song Ping: "My name is Song Ping."
"Peace and prosperity, what a good name."
Pei Lingfeng took off a piece of jade from his waist and gave it to him.
"Song Xiaolang, you must know that I saved your father not for any other reason, but solely to uncover the truth, to prevent innocent people from being wronged, and to uphold justice. This is my duty as an official."
Song Ping held the cool jade in his hand, but a fire was burning in his heart.
He also wanted to study hard and become a good official like Pei Lingfeng in the future.
But just three years later, something happened to the Pei family. The entire Pei family was exiled from Chang'an and later died suddenly in Lingnan.
The Song family had little influence and could not overturn the case for the Pei family, but they never believed that the Pei family would do such things as collaborating with the enemy and treason, or framing loyal officials.
Song Li and his wife would sometimes hug their children and sigh:
"The benefactor and his family were loyal and courageous, but they died unjustly..."
After hearing this, Song Ping would secretly hide under the quilt and cry.
He couldn't believe that the man who said "Don't let the good suffer injustice, so as to show the justice of heaven" ended up dying unjustly.
Later, Song Ping studied, grew up, took the imperial examination, and was then sent to Lingnan, thousands of miles away from Chang'an, to serve as a small county magistrate.
He was actually really not used to it when he first came to Lingnan.
It is much more humid and hotter than Chang'an, with insects and ants everywhere, and poverty is as widespread as weeds.
But he also thought that if he could govern Baiyun County better, then people passing through here in the future would at least not die on the way like his benefactor's family.
Song Ping is now in his twenties and is no longer the child who hides in his quilt and cries.
That ivory ring had long since disappeared along with the Pei family.
But now, in Lingnan, in a restaurant in Baiyun County, a strange young boy appeared.
The boy was wearing the ivory ring on his hand.
"Who are you? Who are you?" County Magistrate Song grabbed Murong Di and refused to let go.
He looked at Murong Di again and again, trying to find similarities between Murong Di's face and his benefactor's.
Murong Di's face turned serious:
"County Magistrate Song, it's inconvenient to talk here. Please follow us upstairs."
Xiao, the eunuch next door, and Hu Xin did not find out the whereabouts of Murong Di in the restaurant, so they just had a few bites and left the restaurant.
Murong Di and Su Zhizhi took County Magistrate Song upstairs and walked into the private room where Hao Ren was.
Old Xu, who was greeting guests downstairs, saw this and sighed:
"Village Chief Hao and Yingniang are so enthusiastic that they invited everyone to the private room upstairs."
…
Half an hour later.
In the Tianzihao private room.
Song Ping fell to his knees on the ground.
"Your Majesty!"
The people in the private room looked at each other, and none of them expected Song Ping's reaction to be so big.
He originally wanted to test the waters, but when Song Ping saw the ring, he became so excited that he could hardly contain himself.
Murong Di told Song Ping his true identity:
"Back then, my maternal grandfather, the Pei family, was unjustly exiled and harmed by treacherous people..."
Song Ping said anxiously: "I know, I know! I know that the benefactor's family has been wronged!"
Hao Ren: "...County Magistrate Song, don't get excited. Wait until the prince finishes speaking."
Song Ping took a deep breath: "...Oh, okay, Your Highness, please speak. It is the lower official who is being rude."
Murong Di briefly explained how the Pei family was framed and the force behind it was the treacherous officials of the He family, and then continued:
"My mother and I are restricted in our actions, surrounded by spies... After being separated from the imperial guards on the road, I was unexpectedly rescued by the Good Citizens Village and have been recuperating in the mountains. To be honest, I am in a somewhat awkward situation now, and I need the assistance of County Magistrate Song."
Song Ping's words were sonorous:
"Our Song family vowed to repay the benefactor's kindness back then. Although he is no longer with us, he has entrusted the ring to the Empress and the Prince. If the Prince has any instructions, please feel free to speak up. I will go through fire and water to fulfill them!"
Murong Di glanced at Hao Ren, then asked Song Ping:
"Before we discuss this, I have a question for County Magistrate Song—
Is County Magistrate Song a loyal minister to the emperor, or a loyal and righteous minister?
Upon hearing this, Xue Che clenched his fists nervously.
Song Ping trembled and suddenly looked up at Murong Di.
But he didn't hesitate for long, because someone had actually told him the answer many years ago.
Song Ping smiled with trembling lips:
"I have no other aspirations but to show the truth of heaven, to comfort the people, and to uphold justice.
If there is no wise ruler in the world, I will choose justice and abandon the ruler!"
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