Aunt Song groaned as she came to, and Song Ke hurriedly brought a cup of tea to her lips. After taking a sip, tears streamed down her face as she grasped Song Ke's hand and said, "Eldest Son, you've been diligent and sensible since childhood. While other children went out to play, you, just a little one, sat at your desk holding a brush, wholly devoted to reading and writing. In winter, you kept a hand warmer close; in summer, your clothes were soaked with sweat. Even when your teacher praised your progress, you weren't satisfied and sought out other books to study. You'd even secretly listen and learn when your father discussed matters with his colleagues, and on New Year's Eve, you were still writing essays. After your father passed early, you balanced your studies with managing the family's business and properties. Countless nights, you'd fall asleep exhausted over your books, still clutching your brush... How can you bear to let over a decade of such hardship go to..." She couldn't finish, choking back sobs.
Tears welling in his eyes, Song Ke gritted his teeth and said, "We haven't reached that point yet."
"Haven't we? These past days, you've gone out early and returned late, pleading with so many households. But who's willing to offer help in our time of need? Most have ulterior motives—some don't even dare accept the silver for mediation. I can see how many rejections you've faced, even if you won't say it." Song Tanchai wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, weeping. "Now that the emperor has issued the decree, who else would dare stand up for you?"
Song Ke's expression darkened. These days, he had tasted the fickleness of human relationships anew. Former colleagues who had sought his friendship after he passed the imperial exams had now vanished without a trace. When he swallowed his pride to beg for help, they only offered empty consolations with hollow words—truly, "human feelings are as thin as paper."
Seeing Song Ke bow his head in silence, Aunt Song stroked his hand again and said, "From childhood till now, I've never opposed any decision you've made. But in this matter... Eldest Son, please listen to your mother. Xian Jie'er has both beauty and virtue, and she's utterly devoted to you. A girl like this must not be missed."
Just then, Junxi brought a pill and had Aunt Song take it with water, while Song Tanchai wiped her mother's lips with a handkerchief. Aunt Song continued fretfully, "I had thought that once you became an official, with the family's remaining livelihood—though not the wealthiest—we'd have some savings. I could arrange matches with a few young ladies, and you could marry whomever you fancied, regardless of background, as long as she was pretty, kind-hearted, and devoted to you, bearing children—that would have been enough for me. But who knew this would happen? Eldest Son, I know you don't like Xian Jie'er, but she is a good girl after all. Especially now, when she can pull you through this crisis—where else would you find such character and heart?"
Moved by his mother's earnest pleas, Song Ke's eyes glistened with unshed tears. Fearing that her distress might harm her health, he comforted her, "Mother, let's not speak of this today. Rest well for now, and I'll think it over carefully."
Exhausted, Aunt Song closed her eyes on her own. Song Ke stayed by her side a while longer before finally leaving the room.
At that moment, the gatekeeper announced that Lin Jinting had come to see him. Song Ke invited him to the study. Lin Jinting, startled to see Song Ke's worried expression, haggard appearance, and the stubble on his chin, exclaimed, "You seemed in good spirits just days ago—what's happened today?"Song Ke shook his head and said, "Just now, my mother and sister were crying. Thinking that at my age I'm still causing them sleepless nights and loss of appetite—I'm truly an unfilial and undutiful son." With a long sigh, he slumped into a chair.
Lin Jinting ordered a servant boy to bring in a food box. He took out several dishes and brought over a small jar of wine. Patting the wine jar, he said, "I knew you were upset, so I specially brought wine and food to get drunk with you. Have a good meal and you'll feel better. There's no one else here—if you want to cry, just let it out. Keeping everything bottled up like this might lead to serious illness." He then instructed the servant boy to pour the wine, filling a cup to the brim and handing it to Song Ke.
Song Ke drank it all in one gulp. The wine flowed into his sorrowful heart, stirring up even more tangled emotions. Since Lin Jinting was a close friend, Song Ke confided in him about Zheng Jingxian. Lin Jinting immediately slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Ah, brother! This is a blessing falling from heaven! If you don't accept it, you're a fool! Even if Duke Xian is no good, he still has influence. If he's willing to help you, half your troubles are solved. That Miss Zheng isn't some ugly creature—she's taken a fancy to you, so why aren't you sending a matchmaker to propose marriage? What are you waiting for?—Even if she were an ogress, if I were you, I'd bear with it. You can always take a few beautiful concubines later—isn't that up to you?"
Song Ke glared at Lin Jinting and said, "A dog's mouth can't spit out ivory."
Lin Jinting was taken aback, smacked his lips, and patted his own face: "Yes, yes, I have a dog's mouth, and you have a noble one. But what other options do you have now? Someone is willing to help you, all they ask is for you to marry their daughter—what's wrong with that? Just consider it enduring humiliation for a greater cause. Didn't Liu Bei marry the ogress Sun Shangxiang for the sake of his kingdom?"
After a long silence, Song Ke let out a deep sigh and said, "It's just that there's already a woman in my heart. Though she's not of high birth, she has an understanding nature. She's literate, well-read, and paints beautifully. It seems she always knows what I want to say before I say it—she's my true confidante. Being with her brings me indescribable joy..."
Lin Jinting chuckled, set his cup down on the table, crossed his legs, and said mockingly, "My dear brother, are you performing the romance of Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying for me? A confidante? Let me ask you—even if she has countless virtues, can she help you with your current situation? If you fail to become an official and remain frustrated your whole life, having to return home as a mere landowner, do you think you could still be happy even with a beauty by your side?" Lin Jinting picked up some food with his chopsticks, swallowed it, and continued, "Besides, since she's not of high birth, if you really can't let her go, you can take her as a concubine later. That would mean getting both the woman and the advantage."
Song Ke replied, "She would never consent to being a concubine. Moreover, making her a concubine would be an insult to her."Lin Jinting impatiently furrowed his brows and said, "This won't do, that won't do either—what exactly should be done? There's no such thing as having the best of both worlds in this world! How did you, a grown man, become so indecisive? Which is more important: your career or a woman? What have you been studying so hard for all these years? My elder brother once said that women are all long on hair but short on insight, easily drowning in emotions. They're fond of those romantic notions of 'you love me, I miss you' and the sentimental idea of 'one lifetime, one love.' It's just a pastime—how can it be taken seriously? Song Xiu Hong, do you want to cling to a woman, spending your days talking love and affection, with a wife warming the heated brick bed, or do you harbor grand ambitions to stand in the imperial court, achieve great deeds, revitalize your family, and make a name for yourself?! Do you still remember that snowy night when we sat in the river pavilion and what you said to me? You said that if you couldn't achieve your ambitions in this life, you would die with everlasting regret. Even if you couldn't serve as an official to benefit the people, you would still dedicate your learning and exhaust yourself for the court!"
Song Ke was stunned, his heart surging uncontrollably. With trembling hands, he downed the wine in his cup fiercely, his eyes reddening as tears slowly welled up.
Lin Jinting sighed, reached out, and patted Song Ke's shoulder, saying in a low voice, "I know you're a man who values loyalty and righteousness. The woman you've set your heart on must be exceptional, but... alas, I just never expected that despite your early success, your future would be so fraught with adversity. You've always been thorough in everything you do, afraid of leaving anything imperfect. However, in this world, one must inevitably make choices and sacrifices—it all depends on how you decide. But let me offer you a word of advice: as a man of stature, if you confine yourself to trivial romantic sentiments, what great things can you possibly accomplish in the future?"
Song Ke downed several cups of wine in succession, feeling as though Lin Jinting's words were both close to his ears and yet distant. It was as if he had returned to his previous life, when he and his cousin had grown up together, secretly harboring affection for each other. However, his parents, for the sake of his future, made him marry a daughter of the powerful Shen family, and he had no choice but to agree. At that time, his cousin was heartbroken, crying the entire afternoon, and even offered to become his concubine. But her father slapped her across the face, and that aggrieved expression was forever etched in his heart. He moved his lips, wanting to say he was sorry, but ultimately, the words remained unspoken. In his daze, that face transformed into Madam Shen, then into Xianglan, and finally seemed to become the wisp of green smoke curling from the mouth of the golden bronze lion on the table, swirling around him before slowly drifting out the window with the Qingfeng breeze.
Enough of digressions.
A few days later, Zheng Baichuan found a newly appointed Censor in the Bureau of Personnel Oversight named Yan Liwen and explained the entire story of Song Ke's situation to him. Yan Liwen was a rash young man who prided himself on his unyielding integrity. Upon hearing about Wu Liang's usual misdeeds, he rolled up his sleeves and wrote a lengthy memorial, vehemently condemning him as a "cunning and oppressive local tyrant, harming the village, engaging in corruption and perverting justice, comparable to the likes of Zhao Gao who called a stag a horse," and accusing him of "slandering an imperial official, with a malicious heart deserving death." As for Song Ke, he argued that while he might be guilty of lax supervision, he was framed by villains and thus deserving of leniency. He also fiercely criticized Wu Youwei for allowing his subordinates to "present slanderous advice to the emperor, blinding His Majesty's judgment," warning that "if this continues, it will ultimately harm the foundation of the state," and so on.
When this memorial was submitted to the Grand Secretariat, Zheng Baichuan, who was on good terms with Grand Secretary Li Yong and had served in the Bureau of Personnel Oversight for many years, mobilized connections up and down. Instantly, the wind direction on the court shifted, and people gradually began to speak up in defense of Song Ke's innocence.Though the emperor was displeased by how quickly Song Ke's name had been cleared, the solid evidence left him no choice but to lament "being deceived by villains." He bestowed some imperial items upon Song Ke as consolation, demoted Wu Youwei from his official position, sentenced Wu Liang to twenty strokes of the cane, and ordered Li Jia to receive twenty lashes. However, the emperor remained irritated that Yan Liwen had undermined his dignity, so he removed him from the Bureau of Personnel Oversight and assigned him to a remote, impoverished region as a minor official. Pitifully, Yan Liwen had been reveling in his own righteousness for speaking out to restore another's reputation, never expecting to suffer such a setback. Zheng Baichuan, who had merely used Yan Liwen as a pawn, cared little for his fate. Thus, the long-standing commotion finally subsided.
Thank you to Naiyou Xiaofang and Daxiong Bendan for the Peace Talismans, and to yu21yu21 for the little yellow chick. Also, thank you all for the pink votes.
Still seeking more pink votes ^_^
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