The matriarch slowly took a sip of soup: "Song Yu went to visit Jiang in prison before delivering things to the Ji residence. It seems this was Jiang's idea."
Wu Mama said, "Perhaps she heard that Madam Wang has been making a big fuss lately, and is using the excuse of sending food to try to plead with Lord Ji again."
"Is Wang still throwing a tantrum?"
"Yes," Wu Mama smiled. "The two of them are arguing fiercely, and things have been quite unsettled in the Ji family lately."
The matriarch breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Make some arrangements at the Ministry of Justice, and Yue'er will be more comfortable there."
Granny Wu asked, "Would you like to go and see her?"
The matriarch shook her head, her face filled with shame: "To protect the Song family, I abandoned her. How can I face her now?"
They only hoped that Song Ziyu could be reinstated to his original position as soon as possible and that the lintel of the General's Mansion could be restored so that Song Tingyue could be rescued.
"Tell her that she is being wronged right now, but once this storm passes, the Song family will do everything in their power to make it up to her."
Granny Wu advised, "The young lady will understand your good intentions."
"Furthermore, the merchant is now dead and there's no way to corroborate the story. If the Prefect of the Capital doesn't offer any new explanations, the case will be closed, and Jiang will be unable to escape punishment this time!"
The matriarch nodded, stroking her wrinkled arms, her eyes filled with melancholy.
Although it took some effort, it would be worth it if it could bring down Jiang Wan.
"Madam."
Suddenly, an old woman came in from outside and reported, "The one locked up in the woodshed keeps asking for water, as if he has caught a cold."
The matriarch instructed, "Go to the clinic and get some medicine; don't let him die."
Granny Wu asked, "Aren't you going to hand the person over to General Song?"
"No rush. Letting him handle these things now will inevitably distract him. Anyway, Gu Shi and Song Lin are both under house arrest. They can't possibly run away."
The elder statesman said solemnly.
"Tell Ziyu that nothing else matters; the important thing is to get the military power back as soon as possible."
Having barely survived this ordeal, the matriarch of the family hoped that the General's Mansion could recover from its decline and regain its former glory.
The same applies to Song Ziyu.
These past two days he has been busy contacting officials he used to be on good terms with, hoping to be reinstated as soon as possible.
Although all the blame was placed on Song Tingyue, she was also a member of the Song family, and it was ultimately the Song family that had offended the Emperor.
Therefore, how things will unfold depends on Emperor Jingyuan's decision.
Having learned from his previous experience, Song Ziyu was much more patient this time. Instead of being impatient for quick results, he took the initiative to help the Ministry of War with practical matters such as reinforcing city defenses and training soldiers. His reputation gradually improved.
Emperor Jingyuan heard the rumors, and although he did not summon him immediately, his dissatisfaction dissipated considerably.
The Yong Dynasty was short of military generals, and the Song family had been proven to be loyal and not to have colluded with the enemy.
If things continue like this, it's only a matter of time before Song Ziyu is reinstated.
Everything unfolded exactly as the elder lady and Song Ziyu had anticipated.
That day, Song Ziyu returned home from the Ministry of War, his face beaming with pride.
He carried a jug of wine and strode over to Aunt Ru's courtyard.
Aunt Ru was breastfeeding Song Zhao when she saw him enter. She greeted him with a smile, "General, you seem to be in a good mood. Is there some good news?"
"The Ministry of War's task of reinforcing the city's defenses has been completed. This afternoon, His Majesty issued an edict to reward the meritorious officials who participated in this matter, and my name is on the list."
Song Ziyu was in high spirits.
"His Majesty has seen my achievements and will likely summon me soon. Good days are coming for our General's Mansion."
Aunt Ru said happily, "That's great news, General! I'll have the kitchen prepare a feast as an early celebration."
"No rush," Song Ziyu said. "Bring Zhao'er here first, let me take a look."
He took Song Zhao from Aunt Ru's arms, walked to the table, and put his hand into the bamboo basket.
The basket contained various small toys that Aunt Ru had sent someone to buy. Song Ziyu picked out a rattle drum, and his eyes inadvertently swept over the bottom of the bamboo basket, and he suddenly froze.
It was a piece of green jade pendant, of very ordinary quality, with a lion-shaped pattern carved on it, and the workmanship was rough.
When Song Ziyu took it out and looked at it, his face turned deathly pale.
The closer he looked at the jade pendant, the more terrified he became, and his heart sank to the bottom.
"Where did this come from? Where did this come from?"
He clutched the jade pendant and hurried over to Aunt Ru's side.
“This…” Aunt Ru was startled. “It was something that Lüping bought on the street today for Zhao’er to play with. It’s not worth much, only ten copper coins.”
Green Screen, her personal maid, was so frightened by Song Ziyu's terrifying expression that she knelt down.
"General, what's wrong with this jade pendant? This design is popular on the streets now, and many stalls have it."
"What?"
Song Ziyu was shocked and almost lost his balance.
Are you telling the truth?
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