Song Ke had not expected Xianglan to ask such a question and fell silent for a moment. After waiting briefly and seeing Song Ke still hadn't responded, Xianglan's heart gradually sank. She withdrew her hand from his palm and forced a smile, saying, "You shouldn't stay here too long either. You should go back now."
Song Ke quickly grasped Xianglan's hand and said, "About us... once things settle down a bit, I'll gradually bring it up with my mother."
Xianglan abruptly looked up and saw Song Ke gazing at her with a smile, causing her cheeks to flush slightly. Hesitantly, she murmured, "You..."
Song Ke reached out and gently tapped her nose, saying, "I'll send a matchmaker to propose marriage before I leave for the capital."
Xianglan felt as if a warm fire had ignited in her heart. She wanted to speak but found herself at a loss for words. Tears welled up in her eyes as a mix of bitterness and joy surged within her, like a little bird chirping excitedly, ready to fly out from her chest.
Song Ke wiped the tears from her face and chuckled, "Silly girl, why are you crying? Is it tears of joy?"
Only then did Xianglan realize she had been crying all along. She hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, lifted her face, and gave Song Ke a radiant smile.
That smile was like the rising morning sun, dazzling as a blooming lotus, leaving Song Ke momentarily entranced. Originally, he had been extremely hesitant. Since he had been selected as the second-ranked scholar in the palace examination, influential officials and nobles in the capital, upon learning he was still unmarried, had been competing to arrange marriages for him. There were quite a few noble daughters from prestigious families. In the past, he would have carefully chosen someone with a compatible family background and character, and whose father could serve as a support for his political career. Yet, for some reason, whenever he thought about it, he would recall Xianglan. He always felt that Xianglan was his wife from a past life, having drunk the Meng Po soup and forgotten their previous existence, but by fate's design, she had come to find him in this lifetime. He had always held gratitude and respect for the Shen family, and now he repaid it doubly to Xianglan. Moreover, he adored her intelligence and charm, making it impossible for him to let go.
Today, when Xianglan asked him for a decision, he had intended to ask for a few more days to think it over. But seeing the disappointment in her eyes, his heart stirred, and he unconsciously spoke those words. After blurting it out, he felt a vague regret. Yet now, witnessing Xianglan's overwhelming joy, he suddenly felt that marrying her might not be such a bad thing after all—many scholars from humble backgrounds had married their humble wives and still climbed the ranks step by step. Song Ke was no less capable than others; relying on his own abilities, he would surely achieve great things.
The two smiled at each other. Just as Xianglan was about to tell him about their past life, they heard Ludou whisper from outside the gate, "Eldest Master, Aunt Chen is about to come out from the neighbor's house."
Song Ke quickly said, "I should go now. I'll come back in a few days." With that, he opened the door and slipped away.
A smile curled on Xianglan's lips as she plucked a rose and tucked it into her hair. Humming a tune, she headed back into the house, and for now, we shall leave it at that.
Meanwhile, Song Ke rode back to the Song residence on horseback. As soon as he entered, he saw Juanhua inviting him to Song Yima's room. The moment Song Yima saw Song Ke, she said, "Where have you been all this time? Come here quickly. I have a few matters to discuss with you."
Song Ke sat down and asked, "What is it?"
Song Yima smiled warmly and said, "You've met Miss Xian from the Duke Xian's family, haven't you? What do you think of her?"
Song Ke was taken aback.Song Yima said, "Now that you've passed the imperial examination with honors, Duke Xian specifically sent people with generous congratulatory gifts. His wife and your aunt also came, praising you profusely. Your aunt hinted between the lines that Duke Xian also favors you. If you're interested, just send a matchmaker to their door - I guarantee it'll be settled immediately." Zheng Baichuan had originally been quite disapproving of Song Ke, but Zheng Jingxian pestered him daily with coquettish pleas, extolling Song Ke's virtues. Now that Song Ke had become a palace graduate, Zheng Baichuan saw that despite his youth he had achieved such success, appearing to be promising talent. With some support in his official career later on, he could certainly earn honors for his wife and descendants. Moreover, being extremely doting on Zheng Jingxian and knowing her high standards where ordinary people could hardly catch her eye, now that she had finally taken a liking to someone who wasn't without prospects, he silently acquiesced in his heart.
Song Ke lowered his head, then after a long while raised his face and said, "The Zheng family's young lady is still quite childish and somewhat willful. I'm not very fond of her."
Song Yima said casually, "Oh, a pampered young lady having some minor temper is only natural. She can be taught gradually later. I think she's quite good - well-educated and reasonable."
Song Ke said seriously, "Mother, have you forgotten when we were just a widow and orphan? After father died, people turned their backs immediately. Duke Xian didn't even come to the proper burial. When I went to seek his help regarding the family division, he wouldn't even see me. With such old grievances, I truly cannot marry his daughter."
Hearing this, Song Yima deflated and sighed, "Well, that makes sense when you put it that way. I just thought Sister Xian was a good match, and the family status is excellent..."
Song Ke softened his voice, "As the saying goes, 'Marry a wife from lower status, marry a daughter to higher status.' If we bring in a daughter-in-law from such an eminent family, you wouldn't be able to direct her - we'd have to enshrine her like royalty."
Song Yima laughed, "Why would I need to direct her? As long as you young couple get along well, I'd be willing to work like an ox or horse for you." Seeing Song Ke unwilling to consent, she felt somewhat disappointed but thought to persuade him gradually later. After pausing, she continued, "There's another matter. After the first month, a matchmaker came to propose marriage for Sister Tan - it's for Wu Liang, the only son of Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Wu Youwei from Zhejiang. I thought being from the surveillance commissioner's family was quite respectable, but when I inquired with several women from the Lin family's inner quarters, they all said we should carefully examine his character. After all, it's our family's affair, so they couldn't say much, but seeing them hem and haw, I became concerned... Later, that Wu Liang came to visit once, bringing many gifts. I saw he wasn't very tall, but handsome and spirited, with an extremely sweet tongue. I worried he might be slick... I heard his family plans to purchase an official position for him, and he claimed to have fields and land, living in a three-courtyard residence with a modest-sized garden."
Song Ke pondered briefly and said, "The Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner - though not a high-ranking position, holds substantial power and can report directly to the Emperor. The family status is respectable enough, but we don't know about Wu Liang's character. I'll have someone make inquiries later."
Song Yima nodded repeatedly.The next day, Song Ke went to visit the Lin family. After paying respects to the elders, he had tea with Lin Jinting. During their lighthearted conversation, the topic of Wu Liang's marriage proposal came up. Lin Jinting laughed and said, "So Wu Liang has finally developed worldly desires and actually proposed to your family. That fellow has always been a playboy among flowers, but taking a fancy to your cousin shows he finally has some taste."
Upon hearing this, Song Ke frowned and asked, "What do you mean by 'playboy among flowers'?"
Lin Jinting explained, "He has quite the reputation as a libertine—he's had several lovers in the pleasure quarters and enjoys drinking and gambling. But he's no ordinary fool; he's quite shrewd. Don't be fooled by his father's somewhat pedantic nature—Wu Liang knows how to amass wealth. Using his father's influence, he's made quite a fortune and gets along with everyone. Not long ago, he caught a salt merchant dealing in illegal salt, which should have resulted at minimum in exile. Somehow, that merchant connected with Wu Liang, who, being ruthless, extorted nearly half the merchant's family fortune. After some maneuvering behind the scenes, guess what? In just a couple of days, the merchant was back home, and some unlucky soul was framed in his place. That poor fellow, though guilty of minor salt smuggling, never expected to be saddled with such a serious charge. His family went bankrupt trying to save him, and he was tortured into confessing before being exiled to Zhangzhou. The case was thus closed."
Song Ke's face darkened. "This is unacceptable! Does Wu Liang have no fear of justice or the law? A toad lusting after swan's flesh—with such character, he must never be allowed to marry my sister! Otherwise, not only would my mother and sister resent me for life, but being related to such a person would be utterly shameful. He has no real ability, just a belly full of sinister schemes. Being a dissolute rake is bad enough, but he drags his father's name through the mud, engages in corruption and crime—sooner or later, he'll meet his downfall. As the saying goes, 'A child not taught is the father's fault.' Yet his father indulges him."
Lin Jinting said, "Wu Youwei had this son in middle age, and the family treasures him like the apple of their eye. Even if he wanted to discipline him, he couldn't bear to... Besides, Wu Youwei is busy with official duties, and Wu Liang is good at sweet-talking his way around. His father probably doesn't know about his misdeeds. Yi Fei, if you reject him, find a polite excuse. This man bears grudges over the smallest slights—don't turn him into an enemy."
Song Ke smiled. "I understand, and thank you for telling me the truth." After chatting a while longer, he took his leave. Later, he declined the Wu family's proposal using the excuse that Song Tanchai was still young and, since Song Ke himself had not yet married, it wouldn't be proper to bypass him.
The matter should have ended there. However, while they were drinking tea in the study that day, Lin Jinting's servant, Lu'er, was waiting on them and overheard their conversation. Lu'er had a loose tongue, and later, after getting drunk outside, he embellished the story and shared it with others. At the time, it was just gossip for amusement, but somehow the tale spread, twisting and turning until it reached Wu Liang's ears. Wu Liang immediately flew into a rage, thinking, "How dare you, Song Ke! You're just a minor official who recently passed the imperial exams. What do you mean by 'toad lusting after swan's flesh'? You dare to openly disrespect me, spreading such vile rumors everywhere! Just wait until I get a chance to teach you a lesson—then you'll know my power!" He secretly nursed this grudge.
But enough of this digression.Song Ke returned home, having spent the previous days occupied with social engagements and selling off properties. He pondered how to broach the matter of Xianglan with Song Yima, keeping himself exceedingly busy. Amidst the bustle, another incident arose. It turned out that Song Ke intended to sell an estate in Jinling, with a buyer named Li Jia. The price had already been agreed upon, but unexpectedly, Li Jia reneged and insisted on purchasing it at a lower price. Naturally, the Song family refused to sell. Li Jia then came to their doorstep to make a scene, throwing tantrums and rolling on the ground. During the ensuing argument, the Song family's steward accidentally injured Li Jia. Song Ke promptly ordered gifts to be prepared and sent to visit him. Once Li Jia received the benefits, he quieted down.
What should have been a minor dispute that could be put behind them, unexpectedly sparked rumors within a few days. Gossip spread that Song Ke was "lax in discipline, indulging his arrogant servants to cause trouble" and "bullying commoners by abusing his power." Song Ke initially dismissed it as idle troublemaking, but since the rumors somewhat tarnished his reputation, he personally prepared gifts and visited Li Jia's home. However, Li Jia shut him out, repeatedly proclaiming his own innocence to the public.
What Song Ke had not anticipated was that this matter would provoke Imperial Censors to submit memorials impeaching him, accusing him of "becoming arrogant upon success and being unfit for important duties." Song Ke had no solid foundation in the court to begin with, and having achieved success at a young age, he had already aroused much envy and jealousy. Consequently, numerous opportunists seized the chance to kick him while he was down. Of course, there were also righteous officials in the court who spoke up for Song Ke, as well as those with ulterior motives who used the incident to attack political rivals. Thus, this minor dispute unexpectedly ignited like a spark that spread into a wildfire, growing increasingly intense.
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