The visitor was Song Ren.
Song Tao could hardly hide her disappointment.
In her previous life, Song Daliang had been very strict with his wife and children, yet the Great Madam was a tender mother. The children and the Great Madam clung together, taking care of and understanding each other, with strong mutual affection.
After she was imprisoned, having thought it through, she could only ask the Great Madam to help her find someone to negotiate on her behalf. For this, she even sent a message with Song Ren, asking him to give some silver to the Great Madam to avoid any inconvenience in her actions.
A few days had passed, yet there had been no news from the Great Madam at all.
She felt vaguely that this life was completely different from her previous one, and the Great Madam might not be as reliable as she had been before.
"Why have you come?" Song Tao spoke through the bars to Song Ren, deliberately avoiding the people from the Hong Family and whispered, "Has something urgent happened?"
Song Ren whispered, "Third Miss, I took the opportunity to take some of your personal belongings out. Do you want to pawn them?"
Song Tao was stunned.
What personal belongings did she have at the Kiln Factory? Was Song Ren... trying to make some money by taking advantage of the chaos?
Song Ren gave her a slight nod.
A warm current surged in Song Tao’s heart.
No wonder he had gained Song Jiyun’s trust and was reused in her previous life, character was indeed very important.
She sincerely thanked him.
Song Ren smiled shyly and said, "Third Miss, things are a bit grim. I asked some people I used to work with at the docks, and they said Prince Ning has been staying on a boat by Nandu Port. It’s not that he doesn’t want to disembark, nor that he doesn’t want to go anywhere, but that he is detained by Lord Yuan in Jingde Town. He often loses his temper, and when he does, he punishes people arbitrarily, even threatening to kill Lord Yuan."
"My friend also said that in Nanchang Prefecture, high-ranking officials like the Civil Administrative Commissioner have been put in the jail by Lord Yuan. Even a few Taoist priests from Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s residence, who tried to plead for Prince Ning, have been implicated and interrogated by people sent by Lord Yuan, intending to remove them from the monk registry."
"Those who were on Prince Ning’s side in the past are now in trouble, but Prince Ning is helpless and can only watch helplessly. Apart from losing his temper, he has no other means.
"Everyone says Prince Ning has kicked an iron plate this time. Lord Yuan acts on behalf of the Emperor, and Prince Ning is utterly helpless. Prince Ning is likely to be defeated by Lord Yuan this time."
"Now, not to mention Nanchang Prefecture, but all officials in Jiangxi are anxious, fearing any association with Prince Ning’s Mansion. I see," he glanced at Song Tao and lowered his voice even more, "it might not be possible to find someone to help you through the Great Madam, you, you need to find your own way."
Song Tao listened with a tremor of fear.
The news he brought coincided with what Hong Xi had said.
She asked Song Ren, "What about Eunuch Wan? Has he made any move?"
Knowing Eunuch Wan, she was sure his hands were not clean.
In her past life, due to his excessive greed, Eunuch Wan had been schemed out of his position as Supervising Pottery Officer by Song Jiyun, eventually taking the route of the Chief Eunuch at the Nanjing Garrison and retiring to the accompanying capital, Nanjing.
That was when she came to know about the connection between Eunuch Wan and the Nanjing Garrison.
At critical times, Eunuch Wan would certainly take the route of the Nanjing Garrison.
Song Ren shook his head, "He has gone to Song Mansion to plead with Lord Yuan, bearing the burden of guilt.
Then, he spilled all the news he had heard: "...Everyone is saying Eunuch Wan has really taken a fall this time. From now on, he will probably have to humble himself before the Song Family. Only the Song Family could possibly take up and dare take up the business of the Imperial Kiln Factory."
Another change had occurred!
Song Tao bit her finger.
Suddenly, Song Ren moved closer and whispered softly, "Third Miss, I have an idea, how do you feel about it?"
Song Tao looked up.
Song Ren and she whispered to each other.
Song Tao exclaimed, "What?"
As soon as the cry had emerged, she quickly glanced warily at the neighboring cell containing the Hong brothers.
Hong Xi and Hong Zhao were both evidently engrossed in their respective thoughts and hadn’t noticed her at all.
Song Tao then hastily whispered, "No! This can’t be happening!"
Song Ren couldn’t help but grow anxious and said, "Then, what should we do? I’ve heard people in the Yamen say that Lord Yuan this time ’would rather kill mistakenly than let one go’. Moreover, the enmity between Lord Yuan and Prince Ning is personal. Seizing this opportunity, wouldn’t Lord Yuan thoroughly set Prince Ning up?"
"What personal enmity?" Song Tao exclaimed, as she had never heard of it.
Song Ren then said, "It is said that Lord Yuan’s maternal grandfather was the Imperial Tutor, and when Prince Ning was the Princely Heir, he went to the capital to pay his respects to the late emperor, and he once attended a lecture in the palace with Young Master Yuan and the current Emperor, where they fought over a table. Now that the late emperor appointed Lord Yuan to investigate Prince Ning, Prince Ning didn’t accept it and set a trap that Lord Yuan narrowly escaped, then he started settling scores with Prince Ning."
"The Registrar at the County Yamen said that if it had been official business, then it should be conducted by the law and anyone with a justified claim could speak up. But once it turns into a personal matter, it’s best for others not to interfere."
Song Tao only caught the phrases about attending lectures and having classes together.
She immediately clenched her teeth in hatred.
Why was Jiyun always so lucky?
In her previous life, she had not married, stringing along Hong Xi, who willingly served her diligently. This life, she planned early and instigated Song Daliang and Song Sanliang to fight over the family fortune, aiming to take over the Song Family’s estate before Jiyun could react. Yet not only had Jiyun thrived sooner than in the previous life, but she had also met a man like Yuan Yunzhong, her influence even greater than before.
What should she do?
Song Tao resumed biting her fingers.
Meanwhile, Song Ren stood quietly in front of the prison bars, patiently waiting for Song Tao to make a decision.
The cell was eerily silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
When the sound of "clack clack clack" of footsteps running approached, it sounded especially loud.
"Eldest Young Master Hong, Eldest Young Master Hong," the Jailor returned, his face dripping with sweat, "Old Grand Master Hong, he’s gone!"
"What?!" Whether it was Hong Xi or Hong Zhao or even Song Tao, they all grabbed the prison bars in shock.
The Jailor sighed and said, "He said he deserved his punishment and took poison to end his own life."
"Where did he get poison?" Hong Xi asked.
Hong Zhao then punched Hong Xi in the face, knocking him off balance, his face immediately swelling, "Hong Xi, what have you done?"
Hong Xi was too consumed to respond, asking the Jailor, "What did Lord Yuan say?"
Hong Zhao, overwhelmed with grief and anger, raised his fist at Hong Xi again, "Do you still have the nerve to talk? If it weren’t for you, why would grandfather die? Don’t think I don’t know, you wanted to kill grandfather. I’ve already given up our family’s property, what more do you want? He might not be your grandfather, but he is your father’s father! Don’t you feel the slightest guilt?"
Hong Xi dodged blows from Hong Zhao awkwardly from left to right.
The Jailor shook his head and said, "Lord Yuan isn’t in Jingde Town, he went to Jiujiang. It seems the Emperor sent the Chief Eunuch from the palace to reprimand Lord Yuan."
Hong Xi took another punch from Hong Zhao, but still continued to question the Jailor, "And then?"
The Jailor scratched his head, saying, "And then there’s no more then?"
"Hong Xi!" Hong Zhao was extremely angry, feeling utterly disregarded by Hong Xi; they began grappling fiercely.
Yet Song Tao understood.
The Emperor had sent someone, only to verbally admonish Yuan Yunzhong. Yet he turned a blind eye to Yuan Yunzhong’s acts of murder and demotion of officials, not overturning a single one, not to mention sending someone to appease Prince Ning.
What did that imply?
It implied that all of Yuan Yunzhong’s actions were endorsed by the Emperor, clear and straightforward.
Song Tao shuddered.
But Jiyun sighed in relief.
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