Hong Xi, upon hearing this, looked at Song Tao with a much deeper gaze.
She suddenly felt uneasy and involuntarily tugged at her sleeve, forcing a look of profundity and said, "Young Master Hong, do you not trust me?"
Hong Xi suddenly smiled and said, "That’s not it. I just think that in the Song Family, women are indeed stronger than men."
Was he praising Song Jiyun?
Song Jiyun and he had hardly exchanged a few words in her lifetime, and now strangely, a fiancé had appeared out of nowhere, yet he always had Song Jiyun on his mind?
Could it be that whether there’s a fated connection between people is innate?
Song Tao’s heart was filled with hatred, but she dared not show it.
She feared provoking Hong Xi’s displeasure, worried he would abandon her recklessly.
She didn’t know why she had been reborn, but since she had a second chance at life, she didn’t want to lose it without having achieved anything.
"Not at all!" She feigned helplessness and said, "It’s just that everyone in the Song Family has a bit of a gift for porcelain making. We have no choice but to rely on it to make a living."
Hong Xi was noncommittal and was about to speak when Old Grand Master Hong’s voice came from the cell: "Axi, come here, I have something to tell you."
Song Tao involuntarily gripped the wooden rail, watching as Hong Xi walked unhurriedly towards Old Grand Master Hong.
Hong Xi, does he not care much for Old Grand Master Hong?
This thought suddenly popped into Song Tao’s mind as she saw Old Grand Master Hong whisper something to Hong Xi, who immediately broke into laughter, and said, "Grandfather, are you growing senile? Everyone knows that Prince Ning is not to be trifled with, and everyone knows that Emperor Taizu once left a will, saying that anyone who dares to impeach their Zhu family’s descendants is stirring discord, is a sycophant. Otherwise, how could Prince Ning dare to arbitrarily whip imperial officials in his own territory? That Yuan Yunzhong at first glance is a clever man. He came to Jiangxi quietly, conducted his investigation discreetly, and was even prepared to let it slide just like that.
"Who would have thought that overnight, things would change dramatically, and without uttering a single word, Yuan Yunzhong directly raided the house of Prince Ning’s confidant, and even locked them all up.
"Do you still think Yuan Yunzhong is just having a spat with Prince Ning, each vying for supremacy?
"Have you not considered what the emperor’s intention might be? Why didn’t he send a seasoned and astute minister, but instead sent the young yet well-favored by the emperor, Yuan Yunzhong? Isn’t it because Yuan Yunzhong understands the emperor’s mind? Perhaps this is precisely what the emperor intended."
The previously composed Old Grand Master Hong, as if he realized something, suddenly turned pale.
Hong Xi, pretending not to notice, continued, "You’re worried about delaying my younger brother’s studies, and want me to handle those Imperial Guards, claiming that I am the one responsible for all the family affairs—I agree. But I’m afraid Yuan Yunzhong won’t agree."
At this point, he glanced at Old Grand Master Hong rather slyly, "After all, even if I am to take the blame, the Imperial Guards must be convinced. I only returned to the Hong Family five years ago, and after my return, it was always you who nodded approval and had the Steward accompany me for any business or social interactions. All the servants in the family can testify to this, and a check will surely confirm it. What will you say to those Imperial Guards investigating the case then?"
"Ah!" Song Tao exclaimed, realizing she had overheard a terrible secret, her eyes widening with fear that the Hong family’s grandfather and grandson might notice her, she hurriedly covered her mouth.
But whether it was Old Grand Master Hong, Hong Xi, or Hong Zhao, none gave her a glance.
"Brother! What are you talking about?" Hong Zhao looked at Old Grand Master Hong, then at Hong Xi.
Unfortunately, no one paid him any attention.
"You!" Old Grand Master Hong stood up sharply, his hand trembling as he pointed at Hong Xi.
Hong Xi sneered and unceremoniously pushed Old Grand Master Hong’s pointing arm aside, saying, "You can’t only allow the officials to set fires and forbid us commoners to light lamps—if you can instruct the Stewards to tamper and make me sign some obscure invoices, of course, I can also bribe them to switch the names on the invoices to Hong Zhao."
"What did you say?" Old Grand Master Hong was furious.
Hong Xi grinned and said, "Would you like to review the accounts of the past few years, to see whose signature is on them?" Here he smiled at Old Grand Master Hong, "Of course, you can’t see them now, but when the Imperial Guard interrogates you, you should be able to."
"You beast!" Old Grand Master Hong swung his hand furiously at Hong Xi.
Hong Xi didn’t dodge or hide, taking the slap from him.
The crisp sound of a slap echoed loudly in the cell.
On Hong Xi’s face, a swelling redness quickly appeared.
"I always knew that a bad seed would never yield good sprouts. From a whore like your mother who’d bed with anyone, what good can come?" Old Grand Master Hong cursed vehemently, his foul language too egregious to bear.
Not to mention Song Tao, even Song Zhao was frightened.
"Grandfather, Grandfather!" he hurriedly stopped Old Grand Master Hong, "Don’t be angry, take care of your health. My brother surely did not do it on purpose. There must be some misunderstanding. Let’s sit down and talk properly; getting angry won’t solve anything." He also reminded Old Grand Master Hong and Hong Xi, "Right now, we’re in jail, and it’s uncertain whether we can get out or not. But if we don’t unite, we’re definitely going to capsize."
He smoothed Old Grand Master Hong’s ruffled feathers.
Old Grand Master Hong gradually calmed down, facing Hong Zhao with regret and distress, he said, "You child, your heart is too kind. At this point, why do you still acknowledge that beast as your brother? Don’t worry; Grandfather will not let anything happen to you." He then turned his head and started berating Hong Xi again.
Hong Xi looked at them expressionlessly.
Hong Zhao gave a wry smile and interrupted Old Grand Master Hong’s cursing, "Grandfather, now is not the time to talk about these things."
He helped Old Grand Master Hong sit down on a stack of straw and asked gently, "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"
Old Grand Master Hong glanced at Hong Xi.
Without hope, Hong Zhao said, "Grandfather, if you still treat me as a child and tell me nothing, when the Imperial Guard questions me, I won’t be able to say anything. They will surely think I’m resisting stubbornly, and I’ll inevitably suffer..."
"Good child!" Old Grand Master Hong, with moist eyes, gripped Hong Zhao’s hand tightly and said with profound regret, "It’s all Grandfather’s fault that you’re involved."
As for what had actually happened, there was still no clear explanation.
Hong Zhao became anxious.
Hong Xi let out a sneer and said, "How can he have the nerve to tell you, when he has always presented himself as a kind and loving elder in front of you?"
Hong Zhao frowned, "Can’t you just be quiet for a moment?"
"Sure!" Hong Xi said nonchalantly, "Then I’ll cut to the chase. Grandfather thinks you’re a scholarly seed, the hope of the Hong Family. But even as a County Magistrate, the annual salary is only forty or fifty taels of silver, and that’s excluding payments to the Legal Advisor and the servants. He wants your name to go down in history, to glorify our ancestors, not wanting you to be troubled by money after you become an official. He even hoped to assist you in your court career, so he found a way to connect with people from Prince Ning’s Mansion.
"But is Prince Ning that easy to please? Instead, he straightforwardly presented a statement of allegiance to Prince Ning, doing his dirty work."
As he spoke, he suddenly leaned forward, looking into Hong Zhao’s face, speaking softly, "Yuan Yunzhong hasn’t falsely accused our grandfather; not only did he help Prince Ning smuggle goods, but he also helped Prince Ning coerce refugees into slavery. Do you know what happened to those refugees from Shandong and Hebei who fled to Hong Family Mountain? They were all deceived by Grandfather into going to Prince Ning’s private mines, never to return."
"You’re talking nonsense!" Hong Zhao shouted in disbelief.
Hong Xi glanced at him dismissively, without a word, which ominously lent credibility to his words.
"How could this be?" Hong Zhao was devastated.
"Eldest Young Master Hong! Eldest Young Master Hong!" Song Tao called out desperately through the bars to Hong Xi, "Then, that Kiln Factory..."
She thought of the delivery orders she had signed, of the withdrawal of the Stewards and shop assistants who originally worked at the kiln factory.
Hong Xi’s gaze slid over coolly.
"Realizing it now is a bit late," he said ruthlessly, "How could there be such thing as a free lunch? You should have known there would be a day like this the moment you walked into the trap."
"No, it’s not like that!" Song Tao’s eyes burned red as she objected, "I had no idea that was Old Grand Master Hong’s intention."
"Or what? Did you think you were Song Jiyun?" he scoffed coldly, "Capable of both making ceramics and dealing with those complex external affairs. A woman like her doesn’t come along every century in Jingde Town!"
Song Tao was stunned.
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