Chapter 452: Extra Story – Previous Life 4
Song Yin married into the Xie family at sixteen.
At that time, Xie Shi'an was already a renowned talent in the capital, needing only to pass the final hurdle to enter officialdom.
It was said that many matriarchs across the capital wished to marry their daughters into the Xie family, yet her husband had his mother send a matchmaker to propose to the Song family.
Back then, the Song family in Jizhou was merely an ordinary household. Her father was a Cultivated Talent who had passed the examination over a decade prior. Limited by his capabilities and unable to advance to Provincial Graduate, he devoted himself entirely to teaching.
And Xie Shi'an was one of his students.
After several years of instruction, Xie Shi'an left with his family for the capital.
They never met again after that separation.
She never imagined that Xie Shi'an would still remember her—that he would send someone to propose to the Song family.
After all, with the Song family’s modest status, she would have struggled to marry even the legitimate son of a minor seventh-rank official, let alone the eldest legitimate son of a fourth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue in the capital.
Yet it happened just like that.
She married into the Xie family.
Not long after her marriage, her husband became the Number One Scholar, promptly entered officialdom, and rose step by step through the ranks. Now, as a top-ranking Chief Grand Secretary, she had become the most envied woman in the entire capital.
She had once asked Xie Shi'an why he married her—why not marry a woman of comparable status who could serve as an asset.
But he never answered her, only holding her tightly in his arms.
Just as now, when she asked him, "Why did Mother take her own life?"
He merely embraced her, his arms tight around her waist. "Don’t listen to such things, Yin Yin. There’s no need for you to know about those matters."
From the time he gained understanding, he had been using everyone around him.
He heard from his clansmen that his great-grandfather had excelled in his studies, rising to become a Minister in the court. From this, he understood that scholarly achievement was the path to success.
To pursue education, he sneaked into a private school, where he met Cultivated Talent Song. Studying and learning to write under him proved immensely beneficial.
But his background was not respectable, and he was often mocked and ridiculed. Some even beat him, cursed him, and once pushed him into a slops barrel, where he nearly drowned.
It was Song Yin who appeared and saved him.
That day, he had been too wretched—so disgraced that he never wanted Song Yin to know he was the child who had been pushed into the slops barrel.
Song Yin was too pure and kind; he could not bear for her to learn of the foul deeds he had committed.
"I am a member of the Xie family. Why should I not need to know?" Song Yin pushed him away, her eyes filled with accusation. "Was it you? Did you drive Mother to her death?"
"How could you think that?" Xie Shi'an lowered his gaze. "Mother chose this path to preserve the Xie family and to keep a shred of dignity for herself."
"Really?" Song Yin’s eyes brimmed with disappointment. "Never mind. I will go see Mother."
She strode out and reached the front courtyard, where she happened to see servants preparing the body. Her deeply respected mother-in-law was being placed into a coffin.
Too afraid to approach, she took a step back, then turned and headed toward Xie Xian’s courtyard. There, she learned that Xie Xian had angered her father-in-law and had been confined to the Xie family ancestral hall for reflection, with no one permitted to approach.
She went to find Concubine Jiang, only to discover that Concubine Jiang had been locked in the woodshed by her father-in-law.
Song Yin’s eyes widened as she pondered, growing more and more terrified. Slowly, she made her way to Xie Shiyun’s courtyard...That night, Song Yin dared not return to her own courtyard, instead busying herself in the front courtyard. She could only do her utmost to ensure her mother-in-law received a dignified farewell.
As dawn gradually broke, the Xie residence was already adorned with white lanterns, white funeral banners fluttering everywhere. Servants wore small white flowers in their hair, while dark clouds loomed overhead.
The main gate of the Xie residence stood wide open, yet no one came to offer condolences.
Indeed, early this morning, the Yun family's crimes had been confirmed. The imperial court had issued an edict for the entire family to be executed after autumn, with Yun Chu, the Yun family's eldest daughter, declared dead. Who would care now?
During such sensitive times, paying condolence visits could easily lead to accusations of treason.
Song Yin knelt before the spirit tablet, bowing her head as she burned joss paper.
Beside her was Xie Shiwei's wife, Gao Shi, who muttered under her breath: "Ah, she wasn't even my husband's birth mother. Why bother with such an elaborate funeral? I heard it'll cost over ten thousand taels of silver. Think of all the better uses for that money - spending it on the daughter of a convicted official is such a waste..."
"Enough," Song Yin said coldly. "It's not your money being spent. Why should you care?"
"Sister-in-law, that's where you're wrong," Gao Shi retorted sharply. "I was properly married into the Xie family. Every single coin of the Xie family's wealth belongs to me too, so why shouldn't I care! Now that mother-in-law has passed away, you'll soon be taking charge as the eldest daughter-in-law. You're clearly happy inside, yet you pretend to cry like this - such acting!"
Gao Shi was the illegitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official. Though born of a concubine, her status was still much higher than Song Yin, who was merely a Cultivated Talent's daughter. Therefore, she often looked down upon Song Yin.
She frequently mocked Song Yin in private, having discovered that Song Yin wouldn't complain to the men. Consequently, she grew increasingly bold.
Just as she prepared to continue speaking, a shadow fell over her. Looking up, she saw Xie Shi'an, whose eyes were filled with shards of ice that made her shudder involuntarily. She immediately turned back to burning joss paper, pretending nothing had happened.
Xie Shi'an bent down to help Song Yin up: "From last night until now, you haven't eaten anything. Come, let's get some food first."
Song Yin lowered her eyes: "I have no appetite. Husband, don't worry about me. You should attend to your duties."
Xie Shi'an clearly sensed his wife's distance.
He led her outside and said quietly: "Even if you won't eat, the children need to. They haven't seen you all night and have been crying constantly."
At the mention of the children, Song Yin sighed.
She had borne Xie Shi'an four children - the eldest was twelve, the second eight, the third four, and the youngest just one year old, all still needing their mother.
But she had no energy left to care for them.
For some reason, she kept thinking of her mother-in-law - how she had devoted her entire life to the Xie family, raising so many children, yet ultimately died by her children's hands.
Would her own children, for the sake of their futures, someday... do the same to their birth mother?
She also wondered - if her existence ever obstructed the Xie family's path, would Xie Shi'an also force her to death...
Some thoughts were better left unthought. The more she dwelled on them, the more terrifying they became, sending chills down her spine.
Xie Shi'an, always perceptive, had already guessed her thoughts from her expression.
He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder: "Yinyin, all these years, I've never taken a concubine, never had any other woman by my side. Can't you feel how I treat you? No matter what methods I employ outside, toward you, I've always been completely sincere..."
Song Yin lowered her eyes.Indeed, he treated her exceptionally well. For over ten years of marriage, there hadn't been a single woman by his side, and all his attendants were young male servants.
But before the Yun family's downfall, wasn't he also the famously filial son praised throughout the capital? She had personally witnessed how devoted he was to his mother-in-law... Yet this same person had made the decision that forced her mother-in-law to her death...
Terrifying.
Truly terrifying.
Song Yin pressed her lips together without speaking.
Xie Shi'an was extremely patient—all his patience was willingly spent on Song Yin.
Just then, a young servant hurried in to report: "Young Master, someone has come to pay respects to the madam. It's the heir of Prince of Pacifying the West Manor..."
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