Song Ke felt nothing but vexation, restless and unable to settle at home. Lin Jinting quietly came to find him and said, "Your situation is not looking good at the moment. I sent people to inquire around, and that Li Jia was instigated by someone to stir up trouble. Initially, I thought he was just greedy for money, and that giving him more silver to change his testimony would suffice. Who would have thought he would be so stubborn and unyielding?"
Song Ke frowned and said, "Of course someone instigated him; otherwise, how could such a trivial matter escalate to the point of being denounced by the Imperial Censor in a memorial? I am utterly wronged, yet I’ve been accused of 'oppressing the common people.'"
Lin Jinting worriedly said, "I don’t know who you’ve offended, but it’s a pity that I am of low status and little influence, unable to help you investigate. Tomorrow, I will go plead with my uncle to see if he has any connections."
Song Ke sighed deeply and said, "I only hope this turmoil passes quickly." After discussing with Lin Jinting, nothing more was said.
However, the situation only grew more severe. When The Emperor heard of the matter, he was displeased and ordered Song Ke to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors, forbidding him from entering the capital until he repented. When the news arrived, Song Ke felt as if struck by a thunderbolt on a clear day; he was utterly stunned. The Emperor’s words were tantamount to cutting off his bright future—years of arduous study and lofty ambitions had all turned to dust. Overwhelmed with fury, he fell ill, burning with fever and babbling incoherently. Song Yima and the others felt as if they had lost their pillar of support, weeping day and night, shrouded in gloom and despair.
Lin Changzheng had originally intended to submit a memorial to speak on Song Ke’s behalf but was stopped by Lin Zhaoxiang, who said, "The Emperor has just ordered him to reflect at home. If you submit a memorial now to plead his innocence, wouldn’t that be slapping The Emperor in the face? Lou’er is in the capital pulling strings for you, securing you the position of Shanxi Governor-General with a promotion in rank. The appointment is about to be issued—this is a time for caution, not recklessness. Wait a year or so until this matter fades, then bring it up again. If The Emperor is displeased, you can always bring that Song lad to Shanxi and give him an important position then."
Lin Changzheng had no choice but to agree and ordered Lin Jinting to send high-quality medicinal herbs to the Song family, along with Lin Zhaoxiang’s message.
Xianglan also heard of the matter but could do nothing to help, only anxiously worrying in secret. Using the excuse of visiting Song Tanchai, she brought some items to the Song residence and secretly met with Song Ke. She saw that he had just recovered from a serious illness, his face pale and sickly.
Xianglan’s heart ached, and tears nearly fell. She quickly forced a smile, lifted the food box in her hand, and said, "I made a few dishes for you at home. Try them. I heard from Junxi and the others that you haven’t had much appetite these past few days, but you still need to eat something." She brought out the dishes one by one. "Back when I was a maid in the Lin household, you had Ludou secretly send food to Longcui Residence for me. Now it’s my turn to repay the favor." She handed the chopsticks to Song Ke. "Try it."
Song Ke reluctantly took a bite, then set the chopsticks down.
Xianglan sighed and slowly comforted him, "When I was at the Lin residence, I often felt like my life would never improve. As a servant, I was like a blade of grass that anyone could step on. Who would have thought that in just a year, I’d manage to leave the Lin household? Don’t lose heart. Things may seem hopeless now, but if you wait a little longer, the clouds may part and the sun shine through."Song Ke smiled bitterly and said, "How could I not understand this reasoning? It's just that there's no one in the imperial court to speak up for me. Even if the Lin family's elder master clears my name after a year or so, I've still incurred the Emperor's displeasure. My future prospects are truly worrisome." Having said this, he fell silent and lay down on the bed to sleep by himself.
Xianglan stared at Song Ke's back for a long while, knowing he was upset in his heart. Not wanting to overstay, she quietly withdrew.
Xianglan went directly from the Song residence to Tranquil Moon Temple to burn incense and draw a fortune stick for Song Ke. Surprisingly, it was an auspicious sign reading "After extreme bad luck comes good fortune," indicating gradually improving fortunes. Xianglan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then drew another stick for herself. After shaking the cylinder for a long time, a stick finally fell out. Xianglan vaguely saw the characters "birds in one forest" written on the bamboo stick. Just as she was about to pick it up for a closer look, she saw the stick being stepped on by a pair of Arhat Shoes. Looking up, she found Dingyi Shitai standing before her.
Xianglan immediately pressed her palms together and softly called out, "Master."
Dingyi Shitai bent down to pick up the stick, examined it, then tucked it into her sleeve, asking, "What were you seeking just now?"
Xianglan blushed and whispered, "Marriage prospects."
Dingyi Shitai was momentarily taken aback, uttering "Oh" before staring at the green bamboo outside the window for a long while. Finally, she said, "You needn't ask about this. In your previous life, your natural lifespan wasn't exhausted, and you hadn't finished enjoying your blessings, yet you met with a sudden violent death. Your marital fate in this life was predetermined - there's no need to inquire further. Set your heart at rest."
Xianglan had always been respectful toward her master. Though filled with curiosity, she didn't dare to press further. Still concerned about Song Ke, she continued visiting the Song residence every few days. Fortunately, Song Yima was too busy wailing and lamenting all day to pay her any mind, Song Zancha was willing to let her comfort Song Ke, and the servants were on good terms with Xianglan, so peace was temporarily maintained. Only Song Ke remained persistently despondent. Later, as his health gradually improved and his spirits lifted somewhat, smiles occasionally appeared on his face, but he was never as bright as before, often staring blankly at the Four Treasures of the Study on his desk. Xianglan tried every possible method to cheer Song Ke up, but all to no avail.
Meanwhile, Song Ke's troubles deeply distressed another person. When Zheng Jingxian heard the news, she became both anxious and furious, pestering Zheng Baichuan daily to speak up for Song Ke and proclaim his innocence. Zheng Baichuan, utterly vexed, said, "That Song lad has clearly offended someone - this is a stab in the back! Why should we take on this mess? There are plenty of fine young men in the world besides him. Let's choose another family!"
Zheng Jingxian glared and said, "He's the only one I want! In my heart, I'm already his wife. If I can't marry Song Ke, I'll cut off my hair and become a nun!"
Zheng Baichuan trembled with rage, shaking his finger at Zheng Jingxian: "You... you... how can you utter such shameless words!"
Zheng Jingxian clung to Zheng Baichuan's arm, coquettishly pleading, "Father, he's the only person I've ever fancied. He's talented and capable, achieving the jinshi degree at such a young age. Didn't you yourself say he had boundless prospects? Just consider it your appreciation for talent - speak a few good words for him, and fulfill your daughter's wish." So saying, she dragged Zheng Baichuan to the writing desk, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, stuffed it into Zheng Baichuan's hand, and urged, "Father, quickly now!"
Zheng Baichuan threw down the brush and sighed, "How could it be that easy?"Zheng Jingxian planted her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. "What's so difficult about it? Didn't that son of Father's old friend who used to seize men and bully women get accused by an Imperial Censor? Father pulled some strings for him, and in the end, nothing came of it. Brother Song is definitely being wronged—Father should just put in a good word for him!" Seeing that Zheng Baichuan still hadn't agreed, Zheng Jingxian's stubborn temper flared up. She widened her eyes and declared, "If Father won't help, I'll go find Eldest Brother and Second Brother!"
Zheng Baichuan quickly grabbed her and said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I'll help." He then sent someone to investigate the matter thoroughly. Sure enough, they discovered that the mastermind behind Li Jia was none other than Wu Liang. Li Jia was originally a hanger-on who followed Wu Liang in drinking, gambling, and womanizing. He pretended to want to buy the Song family's estate, then caused a rude disturbance, provoking the Song family's steward into injuring him. Li Jia seized the opportunity to make a scene and extorted a considerable sum of silver from the Song family. Wu Liang then colluded with an old subordinate of his father, who now served as an Imperial Censor in Jinling, to submit a memorial accusing Song Ke.
Wu Liang had originally intended to cause trouble just to annoy Song Ke, but he hadn't anticipated that because Song Ke was the newly appointed top scholar of the second rank and a prominent figure, the incident would stir up such a storm.
After learning the full story, Zheng Baichuan had a plan in mind. He thought to himself, "Although Wu Youwei is an inspector and somewhat influential locally, in the vast imperial court, he's nothing more than a leech, hardly worth mentioning. Because of the previous incident with Song Fang, Song Ke has developed a grudge against me. If I help him smooth over this matter, he'll be grateful to me, and I can take the opportunity to win him over. Besides, Xian'er has feelings for him—there's an eighty percent chance he could become my son-in-law."
But aloud, he said to Zheng Jingxian, "It's not that I can't help that Song boy, but has he ever shown any interest in you? If he has no feelings for you, why should I go to such lengths to do him this favor?"
This question left Zheng Jingxian dumbfounded. She felt somewhat resentful toward Song Ke. Her mother and the other women in the family had repeatedly hinted at this intention to the Song family, but the Songs had feigned ignorance and refused to respond. With her usual temperament, she would have long since grown resentful and given up, but with Song Ke, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. She simply clung to hope.
Now that Zheng Baichuan had said this, Zheng Jingxian went to the Song family and directly said to Song Zancha, "We might be able to help your brother to some extent, but my father is hesitating and can't make up his mind. If... if our two families were to become one, then it would be... a matter of course, and my father would naturally do his utmost to assist." Before she even finished speaking, her face had turned bright red.
Song Zancha was a sensible person and understood perfectly well what was left unsaid. She immediately informed Song Yima. Song Yima, as if clutching at a life-saving straw, called Song Ke over and told him about the matter. "My son, Xian'er has already made her position this clear—what are you still waiting for? Given our family's current situation, being able to marry the daughter of a noble family is a tremendous blessing. Duke Xian could also lend you a hand—what more could you possibly want, you foolish boy?"
Song Ke lowered his head and remained silent.Song Yima asked several times in a row, but Song Ke remained silent like a sealed gourd. She beat her chest and stamped her feet, crying, "You're going to be the death of me! All those years of hard study for the imperial exams, and now it's about to be ruined. This heaven-sent opportunity, a perfect chance to gain both a wife and wealth, and you don't even care. Ever since your father died, I've been hoping day and night that you would make something of yourself, so your sister and I would have someone to rely on. Who would have thought you'd be so disappointing... Oh, husband, you left us too soon, take me with you!" Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Song Tanchai hurriedly patted Song Yima's back to help her breathe, tears streaming down her face as she said, "Brother, please, just agree to it!"
Song Ke's eyes also reddened. "I..."
Song Tanchai whispered, "Although Duke Xian is not a kind man, Miss Xian is truly a good person..."
Song Ke clenched his fists so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms.
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