"It was taken away by the Wei family."
Song Zichen: "..."
He seemed to understand what the Wei family was using to blackmail Juan.
Seeing Song Zichen's troubled expression, Hu An asked again, "Could it be that, as Miss Wei said, the young master also lacks that thing?"
"Of course I have!" But after saying this in a fit of pique, Song Zichen's face showed guilt and helplessness.
The distrust in Juan's eyes made Song Zichen realize that he couldn't fool him this time. But when he thought of how he had saved Juan's life and how he had spent a lot of money to buy Wushi Powder to relieve Juan's pain from his old injuries over the years, a surge of resentment welled up in his heart.
"Juan, the Song family has raised you for so many years, and now you're betraying them for a packet of Five-Stone Powder?!"
Juan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, "That's also thanks to the young master's excellent teaching."
Song Zichen's expression froze for a moment, then he immediately understood that Hu An was referring to the Wei family's numerous favors to the Song family over the past two years, which had been repaid with his betrayal. He remained silent for a moment.
As Juan stopped cursing, the crowd gradually dispersed. When Song Zichen looked up, he happened to see the magnificent carriage across the road and the woman inside the carriage window who was hard to ignore.
A gentle breeze stirred the dark hair at her temples. The young woman rested her chin on her hand by the window, watching with great interest, as if she had just finished watching a good show and was still not satisfied.
He suddenly remembered the day they first met last year. She was sitting on a stone bench in the pavilion, a gentle breeze blowing, and she looked innocently at the butterflies chasing away under the peach tree.
If Xueyi hadn't lost her parents and hadn't seen him as her only support in the world, he would probably have fallen for a woman like her...
That would have been a beautiful story, not the embarrassing one we have now.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world.
Having witnessed enough and achieved her goal, Wei Shuwan felt there was no need to waste any more time. She gently released her hand from the window, and the glass bottle slipped from her palm, landing outside the carriage. She then rode away in the carriage.
With Wei Shuwan gone, Hu An saw no need to continue his tirade. He silently walked to where the carriage had been parked, picked up the glass bottle, and left alone.
This farce today will undoubtedly be a topic of conversation among the people of Shengjing.
The allure of rumors often lies in their ability to shock listeners, and if they can also lead to a dramatic and chaotic spectacle, that would be even more wonderful!
Therefore, when this scandal reached the palace, the father of the child in the womb of the Song family's cousin was determined—the people of Shengjing unanimously believed that this person was Song Zijin, the eldest son of the Song family, and the prospective husband of Princess Yun'an.
Despite Song Zichen's courage in stepping forward to claim responsibility, no one believed him. Everyone said it was a terrible move by the Song family to sacrifice a pawn to save the king!
*
Daye Palace, Zichen Hall.
As soon as Prince Jing, Zhu Chaofu, entered, he solemnly knelt on both knees and kowtowed to Emperor Xianshun, who sat high on the gilded dragon throne.
Such a grand ceremony was not required for a prince to pay homage. Emperor Xianshun was initially slightly surprised, but then he understood.
"Did you come here because of Yun'an, Eighth Prince?"
“Your Majesty, Yun’an is a child you have watched grow up since childhood. I am deeply honored that you have betrothed Yun’an to you. Even though the Song family has been somewhat impoverished in recent years, I dare not say anything. But recently, there have been rumors that the Song family has been ungrateful and has set traps to harm us… Regardless of whether these rumors are true or false, the fact that the Song family’s cousin is pregnant is an undeniable fact!”
"Song Zijin dared to have a child before the wedding was even held. How could Yun'an tolerate that? If they really get married, I'm afraid there will be another pair of resentful couples who can't stand each other."
"Therefore, I dare to humbly request Your Majesty to withdraw the decree of marriage!"
Prince Jing was outspoken and frank, and Emperor Xianshun understood that a forced relationship would never be happy. He sighed, got up, stepped down the jade steps to help Prince Jing up, and comforted him, saying, "Eighth brother, please go back first. I have already made up my mind."
The next morning, the imperial edict arrived at the Song family, but it was not a decree to rescind the marriage decree; rather, it was an edict of bestowal of titles and honors.
His Majesty has promoted Song Zijin to the rank of Seventh-Rank Military Advisor, effective immediately, and appointed him to Tingzhou. He is expected to uphold the virtues of his ancestors, serve the people faithfully, and be loyal without fear of danger. He is also bestowed with clothing and gold.
This imperial decree completely shattered the already anxious and uneasy Master Song! The moment he received the decree, he collapsed to the ground…
Tingzhou, the location of the Beiting Protectorate, is situated at the northern foot of the Tianshan Mountains. Years of war have ravaged the area, and several Grand Protectors have died. Before Song Zi even stepped out of the door, one foot was already in the coffin.
Madam Su sat by the bedside and cried until her husband woke up. She then said impatiently, "Master, you must go and find Prince Jing to think of a solution. Zijin cannot go to Beiting to die!"
"Cough cough cough—" Master Song forced himself to sit up despite his discomfort. Though his voice was low, it was filled with gnashing hatred: "You still have the nerve to say that... It's all because of you, you stupid woman!"
Madam Su stopped crying instantly, her eyes wide with surprise: "What did you say, sir?"
"Was it you who took in your precious niece...?" Master Song asked, pointing angrily at Madam Su.
Before she could answer, he continued, "She's capable of bringing misfortune to both her parents, so she must be carrying bad luck with her. Sure enough, she did this despicable thing as soon as she came to our Song family... Now she's not only harmed Zichen, but also implicated Zijin... Do you think it would be useful to beg Prince Jing? This is exactly what Prince Jing wanted! Cough cough cough—"
Master Song understood perfectly well that Prince Jing had entered the palace early yesterday morning, and the imperial edict had been issued this morning. He was simply asking the Emperor to rescind the marriage decree. But the Emperor's word was law; how could he simply rescind it? Hence, this arrangement was made.
The groom-to-be has gone to the border; how can the marriage proceed? If anything else happens to him, the marriage will naturally be called off.
Master Song's hand trembled as he pointed at Madam Su. After a long silence, he finally uttered the words that had been frequently surfacing in his mind lately: "I want to divorce you..."
Su Shi: "..."
Whether it was anger or despair, Su Shi fainted immediately after her husband regained consciousness.
Su Xueyi kindly went to care for her ailing aunt, but was scolded by Su Shi after she woke up. No matter how close a niece is, she can't be as close as her own son.
Feeling wronged, Su Xueyi experienced unbearable abdominal pain again, and by the time the imperial physician arrived, she had already miscarried.
Tomorrow her son will leave home to take up his post, and his fate is already uncertain. Seeing bloodshed would be even more unlucky. Madam Su can no longer care about pitying her niece. She found a sedan chair overnight and carried Su Xueyi to an inn to stay, which can be considered as inviting her niece out of the house.
As the autumn winds blew and the autumn nights grew cool, Su Xueyi lay alone on the cold bed in the inn, her soft pillow wet with tears.
Confined to his room for self-reflection, Song Zichen was heartbroken and dejected. All his scheming and maneuvering had ultimately led to his ruin, his inability to protect his beloved, and the deaths of his parents and brother!
He slammed his head repeatedly against the stone wall, the bright red blood dripping slowly down his pale cheeks to the ground...
The Song family has completely fallen into decline.
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