"Go to the Song Family?" Shao Qing was utterly confused. "What are we going to the Song Family for? Could it be that you suspect the letter Young Master received has something to do with the Song Family?"
Magistrate Jiang looked at him with some disdain and, without a word of explanation, went straight to the inner room to change into his outdoor clothing and then hurried him to get on the horse-drawn carriage quickly.
"Are you hiding something from me?" While following him onto the carriage, Shao Qing persisted, "You’ve even called in reinforcements from the Inspection Division, so the Young Master must have encountered trouble. We’re in this together—for better or for worse. Don’t play these mysterious games, okay! At the very least, I have better skills than all of you. If it comes down to a fight, you’ll need me to step in."
The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage rode off towards the Song Mansion like lightning, almost causing Shao Qing to fall and prompting him to finally close his mouth.
Magistrate Jiang, unable to bear looking at Shao Qing’s bewildered face, scoffed quietly and muttered, "Idiot."
Shao Qing didn’t catch that and asked curiously, "What did you say?"
Magistrate Jiang closed his eyes in resignation and said, "I said that when we get to the Song Mansion and meet Boss Song, don’t say anything and don’t ask any questions. If I tell you to stay at the Song Mansion, you stay; if I tell you to follow Boss Song, you follow. In short, just follow my lead."
"On what grounds?!" Shao Qing protested, "Even a blind marriage requires the rites of engagement. You expect me to listen to you without telling me why." He crossed his arms and sneered, "As if there’s such a good deal!"
Magistrate Jiang gave him a cold glance and said, "No wonder Master Jinghu went out of his way to help you pass the martial examinations to enter civil service, yet to this day, you remain but a lowly sixth-rank official. Can’t you use that brain of yours?"
Shao Qing was so angry he wanted to hit him but was checked by a sharp reprimand and Magistrate Jiang said sternly, "From what school did Xiao Si come? He claimed to have studied at Crane Mountain Academy for three months, but if he wasn’t refining elixirs at an estate near Taihu Lake, he was attending Zen sessions at Cold Mountain Temple. Even the Academy’s professors are unaware of such a person. Don’t you ever wonder where this ’schoolmate’ of yours popped up from?"
"This..." Shao Qing scratched his head.
Magistrate Jiang could no longer be bothered to waste time with him and said, "Only when Xiao Si was young, during the late emperor’s grand birthday celebration, a few Vassal Kings brought their Princely Heirs to the capital. The late emperor had Master Jinghu teach the Crown Prince in Wenhua Hall, and not only did the Vassal Kings’ Princely Heirs join the sessions there for several days, but Xiao Si also accompanied Master Jinghu into the palace and listened in Wenhua Hall for a few days."
Shao Qing sprang up at once.
Alas, this wasn’t on solid ground, but within a carriage, and his head thumped forcefully against the roof.
"Ouch," he exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head, "Was it Prince Ning or Prince Huai? Or possibly Prince Xiang? They were all present at the time."
Magistrate Jiang felt a pain in his chest and couldn’t help but raise his voice, "What would Prince Huai and Prince Xiang be doing in Liang County for no reason? Aren’t they afraid of being impeached by a Remonstrant Official and punished by the emperor if they leave their fiefs without imperial edict? Of course, it was Prince Ning! Isn’t Xiao Si the Inspector General of Jiangxi, sent to investigate him? What are you doing with your time? Is your head just a decoration hanging from your neck?"
Shao Qing, no longer concerned with bickering with Magistrate Jiang, grew even more bewildered and said, "But what does this have to do with the Song Family? What does it have to do with Boss Song?"
It’s said that intelligent people don’t like other intelligent people.
Magistrate Jiang felt that the reason Shao Qing had managed to stay by Yuan Yunzhong’s side for so long was surely because he was too simple-minded.
He took several deep breaths, deciding it was better not to enlighten Shao Qing after all and said, "Isn’t Xiao Si publicly known to be Boss Song’s betrothed?"
"Are you worried that if Prince Ning can’t find a way to deal with the Young Master, he will vent his anger on Miss Song?" Shao Qing said.
Otherwise, the Young Master wouldn’t have asked him to meet with Boss Song.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than his face turned pale.
The disreputable acts of Prince Ning had been thoroughly investigated by their Young Master, clear and unequivocal. Although their Young Master had decided even before arriving in Jiangxi to just investigate and not take action, not to get involved in the rift between the emperor and the Vassal Kings, Prince Ning’s pettiness, arrogance, and rashness knew no bounds—he even dared to whip an official appointed by the Imperial Court.
Shao Qing wished he could stomp his feet in frustration, "Why did the Young Master go alone to face the danger? Why couldn’t he wait for my return? Why not ask Xu Guangzeng to rally the troops? At the very least, he could’ve taken someone from the Inspection Division with him!"
"What should we do now!" he said urgently to Magistrate Jiang, "Come up with a plan to find the Young Master as soon as possible."
"Who knows what that madman Prince Ning is capable of."
While they were talking, they had arrived at the Song Mansion.
Shao Qing was the first to jump down from the carriage.
Everyone in the Song Family knew him, and the gatekeeper of the Song Mansion hurriedly shouted for the servant boy to remove the side gate’s threshold to allow his carriage in.
Shao Qing asked the gatekeeper, "Has Boss Song returned?"
"He has!" the gatekeeper replied with a smile, giving him a bow, "He returned nearly an hour ago."
As he looked up, he saw Magistrate Jiang.
"Your Excellency!" he shivered, immediately ordering someone to report to Song Jiyun and eagerly stepping forward to greet Magistrate Jiang with a bow.
Magistrate Jiang nodded, and as soon as Steward Wu got the message, he ran over and ushered them into the Song Family’s main hall.
Song Jiyun entered wearing a plain light lotus-colored beizi vest, her fair face shining like jade, dimming the hall slightly.
"Magistrate Jiang!" she greeted him politely with a bow.
Magistrate Jiang waved his hand, told her everything that had happened, and said, "Shao Qing is familiar with the Song Family, so I’ve asked him to bring people to watch over the Song Mansion. Miss Song should also inform your mother and the rest of your family to try not to go out. We’ll discuss further once we’ve found Yuan Yunzhong."
Song Jiyun stood there dumbfounded, not coming back to her senses for a long time.
Just two shichen ago, Yuan Yunzhong had asked Shao Qing to come and thank her. Now Magistrate Jiang was telling her that Yuan Yunzhong had disappeared, most likely because he had accepted Prince Ning’s invitation, and the prospects were grim. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Her head buzzed with noise, and she felt a splitting headache.
"Then you must hurry to find Young Master Yuan," she said. "I will ensure that my family doesn’t leave the house. Aside from Zheng Quan, we have several skilled Protectors at home, so you don’t have to worry about me and my family; we can take care of ourselves. You just go on with your urgent tasks."
Shao Qing felt the same way.
But Magistrate Jiang insisted, "Prince Ning is reckless and fearless; no one knows what he might do. If he sends someone over here, after all, you’re civilians and probably won’t be able to handle him. It would be better for Shao Qing to stay."
Song Jiyun knew what he said was true.
She was very worried about Yuan Yunzhong but couldn’t ignore her own family.
Song Jiyun’s mouth quivered, and in the end, she lowered her head, saying softly, "Thank you, Magistrate Jiang. I will quickly organize my family’s affairs so Shao Qing can go help."
"No need!" Magistrate Jiang said. "We are understaffed right now and can’t take care of both ends. Boss Song must take good care of yourself, that’s what’s important."
Song Jiyun nodded woodenly.
Deng Chen and Xu Guangzeng hurried over.
Magistrate Jiang quickly pulled a few people aside to discuss, while Shao Qing was left by Song Jiyun’s side.
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