Chapter 116: My Son... Is Coming Home! |
Imperial Academy, Registry Office.
Several scholars were organizing the archives.
One of the registry officials leaned back in his seat, looking quite displeased as he said, "This Song Shi'an really is a great disaster."
"Why are you suddenly bringing up Song Shi'an?" an official nearby asked, puzzled.
"Haven't you all heard?" The registry official lowered his voice. "Shuofeng has fallen."
"Such a thing happened?" The others exclaimed in surprise. "Is that true?"
"There's no mistake. His Majesty has already urgently summoned several generals." Speaking of this matter, he was full of contempt. "With Shuofeng lost, how can Northern Liang still be defended? With Northern Liang suffering such a crushing defeat, all of Liang Prefecture is in danger."
This registry official had always harbored disgust toward Song Shi'an.
It started from the moment he saw that essay, "Strategy for Military Farming."
Even if you're a bastard son who won't inherit much, you still shouldn't rebel against your own father like this!
Of course, since this essay was ranked first in the policy essay category by the Prince of Jin—or rather, by the Emperor himself—he naturally hadn't criticized it.
But toward Song Shi'an as a person, he had always held great hostility.
Then, after Song Shi'an recited that poem at Minister Sun's estate, he unleashed his full fury in criticism: What good is talent if you don't respect your elders? Such a person will never amount to anything in his entire life!
When Song Shi'an volunteered to be Magistrate of Shuofeng County, he also cursed: Desperate for wealth and honor, arrogant and self-righteous, not knowing his place in heaven and earth!
When Song Shi'an instigated the Sixth Prince to seize the Langya troops, his joy was instant: This is a traitor! This is someone who should have nine generations of his family exterminated!
"Alas, if it's truly lost, that would be dangerous indeed." Worry appeared on the faces of the others. "The Qi bandits will then hold the high ground over our Great Yu."
"If it hasn't fallen and that boy comes back, it'll be even more terrible."
He sneered, his tone mocking.
"Right now the key issue isn't him, but that all the northern armies and supplies have been thrown in..."
The registry official snorted and complained, "I've always thought that boy was a rebel. We should never have sent troops to support him."
His words had barely fallen when the door was suddenly pushed open.
Everyone was startled.
But when they saw who it was, their faces turned deathly pale.
All of them trembled and shook.
That registry official stood up in panic, facing the several men with extreme fear.
Jinyiwei Vice Commander Zuo Zilian led four Jinyiwei directly inside. With a glance, two of them seized the registry official.
"Left, Left-daren, what is this..."
As the registry official spoke tremblingly, his lower half went soft as noodles.
A Jinyiwei beside him, holding a brush in one hand and a booklet made of several thin wooden tablets strung together in the other, wrote everything down, then held it up and faced the group: "Did he or did he not say: 'If it hasn't fallen and that boy comes back, it'll be even more terrible,' cursing our army to defeat?"
The exact words, not a single character wrong.
The registry official didn't dare talk back but wanted to explain.
But the question wasn't for him.
The remaining several people nodded in terror, saying in unison, "Yes."
He had clearly said it, and the Jinyiwei had heard it all—how could they dare cover for him?
"Did he or did he not say: 'I've always thought that boy was a rebel. We should never have sent troops to support him,' questioning and slandering His Majesty's decisions?" he asked again.
The remaining people still nodded repeatedly: "Yes."
The previous charge was already frightening enough, but this one was "impeaching" the Emperor himself. The registry official's brain instantly heated up, followed by a red-hot "warning, warning."
Finally, he fainted on the spot.
"Take him away."
Zuo Zilian didn't waste any time and dragged the man out of the Imperial Academy.
After leaving the Registry Office, he looked at the man's identity booklet and frowned. "Imperial Academy Registry Office official, only eighth rank from the bottom."
"This is already the biggest catch today," a Jinyiwei beside him said. "Those high officials all seem to have stopped talking."
"They were probably tipped off. This small fry has no faction connections and can't reach the big shots." Zuo Zilian felt disappointed. "Just eighth rank from the bottom—how dare he presume to discuss state affairs?"
"What do we do then? It feels like everyone's on edge, scared of their own shadows." The others felt somewhat powerless.
"So many idioms—are you preparing for the juren exam?"
After his sarcastic remark, Zuo Zilian sighed and said, "If we could catch someone at senior second rank, that would be great. Senior fourth rank would also qualify. If it really comes to it, fourth rank from the bottom would work too."
Great Yu's official positions had several thresholds.
Seventh rank was one.
Fourth rank was another.
Fourth rank and above could all be considered high officials.
Among them, a senior fourth rank official in Sheng'an could even enter the court assembly.
Sun Heng, the Left Monitor of the Court of Judicial Review, was fourth rank from the bottom—half a step into the court.
"Right, the Jinyiwei deploying and spending half the day only catching an eighth rank from the bottom official—wouldn't that be losing face for Eunuch Chen?" The others agreed.
The Jinyiwei also belonged to the palace and only answered to the Emperor. But the Emperor couldn't possibly instruct the Jinyiwei on every trivial matter. So their direct superior was Chen Bao.
Their second-in-command was Eunuch Xi.
Among the Directorate of Ceremonial eunuchs, Chen Bao held the seal, and Eunuch Xi wielded the brush.
"Let's go to the Court of Judicial Review."
Zuo Zilian decided their next stop would be this key government office.
"Boss Zuo, are we looking for that Sun Heng at the Court of Judicial Review?" He reminded him, "That man is Minister Sun's eldest son."
Arresting people also required consideration of impact.
Eunuch Chen usually taught them to use their brains when doing things.
"So what?" Zuo Zilian sneered, then instantly became serious. "Even if it's Minister Sun himself—he still can't speak recklessly!"
………
Sheng'an, a private room in a wine house.
"This Song Shi'an is a fucking bastard!"
A red-faced young master in fine clothes raised his finger and cursed viciously.
"That's right." The others were also full of contempt and joined in cursing. "Just because he wrote a few stinking essays, he looks down on this person, looks down on that person. He even said something like: 'Why should a man not wear a Yu saber and reclaim fifty provinces beyond the passes?' Is he worthy?"
"He's about as worthy as his dad's dick!"
The red-faced young master remembered that he and Song Shi'an had once attended the same private school. That day when Song Shi'an passed the jieyuan examination, he personally went to invite him to dinner, but that bastard completely ignored him. Because of this, he harbored deep resentment: "Now he's suffered a crushing defeat and died in Shuofeng, bringing disaster to his parents and whole family—they'll all have to die."
"Right, this bastard is a fucking jinx..."
Before he could finish this sentence, several sword-bearing capital officials rushed in.
"How dare you! Who are you!" The young master stood up, pointing at these minor officials, completely unintimidated. "Get out."
At this moment, Sheng'an Western Commandant Jia Guihao walked in and pointed at him: "Who the hell are you pointing at, boy? Put your hand down."
Seeing that the other's official robes were senior fifth rank, he lowered his hand, his tone becoming much softer: "Daren, what is this about?"
"Arrest him."
Jia Guihao pressed his hand down decisively.
On the spot, everyone was seized. The two who had cursed most enthusiastically were especially held down by two men each.
"What are you doing!" The drunk young master instantly flew into a rage, struggling frantically. "My father is Li Gong! My father is Li Gong!"
"Got it, got it, your father is Li Gong." Jia Guihao picked at his ear, and even told his two subordinates beside him, "Did you hear? His father is Li Gong."
"I heard it, daren. His father is Li Gong."
"I heard it too—his father is Li Gong!"
……
In Sheng'an City, a wave of arrests was sweeping through.
In the outer city, all the aristocratic sons and low-ranking petty officials who had discussed politics and slandered the court and Song Shi'an were being arrested by the Western Commandant of Sheng'an, even those outside his jurisdiction.
Because he had the backing of the Prince of Wu, the remaining three commandants could only sit and watch.
Meanwhile, the Jinyiwei went after the big fish.
But after a whole day, even visiting the Court of Judicial Review, their highest achievement was still that eighth rank from the bottom registry official.
So when they returned to the palace, they were severely reprimanded by Eunuch Chen.
He accused them of being incompetent—had they been too conspicuous and scared off the big fish while catching the small ones?
But even someone as experienced as Eunuch Chen could guess: they'd coordinated their response.
The wisdom of these great families wasn't that simple.
Could Minister Sun have reached the top of the Three Excellencies with only noble blood?
In the prison of the Court of Judicial Review, Song Jing could also sense something was off about the atmosphere there.
So at night, he called over a young seventh-rank prison official and asked, "Daren, what's happening?"
"Laoye Song, just call me Little Liu." The prison official said with a smile.
"Alright, alright, what's happening, Little Liu-daren?" Song Jing asked.
"Well..." After some hesitation, the prison official lowered his voice and said, "Right now, they're arresting people in Sheng'an."
"Arresting what people?"
Song Jing was very curious.
"I don't know where the rumor came from that Shuofeng suffered a defeat, and then the Jinyiwei and constables have been arresting people all over the city. Several dozen have been taken in." He explained.
"Suffered a defeat?" Song Jing's heart suddenly sank.
"That's just a rumor, it hasn't been confirmed. And besides, if it were true, why would they arrest people?" The prison official quickly tried to comfort him. "Laoye Song, you should wait for the official news."
"Will the official news be told to me?" Song Jing asked.
"Well... that puts this humble official in a difficult position." The prison official said. "But if it's something the whole city knows, I'll definitely come tell you."
"If it's something the whole city knows..." Song Jing looked to the side and sighed. "Then it's either a complete victory or a complete defeat."
Shuofeng right now was like a patient being resuscitated.
As long as the surgery hadn't ended, he was still alive.
And the moment it ended, whether he lived or died would no longer be uncertain.
"Laoye." Seeing this, the prison official said quietly, "Although today we minor officials haven't really discussed state affairs much, judging from the expressions of those important figures, it should be a victory."
These words made Song Jing look at him seriously.
But he awkwardly waved his hands, indicating Song Jing shouldn't press further.
But without asking, he understood.
Judging from the expressions, it was a victory.
That meant those hoping for victory were happy, and those hoping for defeat were miserable.
………
With Song Jing sent to the Court of Judicial Review's prison, the people of the Song Estate naturally had their personal freedom completely restricted.
Song Ce, Song Qin, Madam Cui, and Jiang-shi—the four of them had been in the main hall the entire time.
Except for nature's urgent calls when maids and servants would escort them out, they ate, drank, and slept here.
The hall doors were closed, lamps were kept lit inside at all times, and outside the doors, Jinyiwei stood guard.
Though they'd been together so many days, Madam Cui still hadn't forgiven or pardoned Jiang-shi.
One morning, as usual, the four sat cross-legged. Following Song Jing's instructions from before entering prison, they maintained bodily discomfort to focus their attention and avoid saying the wrong things.
"Song Ce." Song Qin looked toward the family's only current ninth-rank official, her twin brother. "Do you think after all these days, the battle still isn't over?"
After she asked this, both women also looked at Song Ce.
"Sieges are like that. Some last several years." Song Ce explained to her.
"Will it last several years?"
Song Qin felt a bit hopeless. Would they really be confined like this for so long?
No way!
"I don't think so." Song Ce thought about it and said, "Ji Yuan has committed too many troops, and they've come from afar. Fighting for several years—false Qi's national strength couldn't sustain it. Dragging it out that long would actually benefit our Great Yu."
"Then how long will it last?" Song Qin pressed.
"That's really uncertain. Ji Yuan's personality is hard to predict. But logically, once winter arrives, the false Qi has Xiongnu invasions in the north, and transporting supplies becomes much more difficult. If they still can't take it, they'll probably retreat." Song Ce analyzed.
"But logically speaking, it should be around winter now." Jiang-shi said seriously.
"The key is snowfall." Song Ce said. "For transportation, cold isn't the issue—snow and muddy roads can slow speed to less than thirty percent of normal."
"But it should have snowed by now." Song Qin could already feel Sheng'an was quite cold.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, her bottom felt chilly.
"That's really hard to say." Song Ce shook his head. "Sometimes snow might come a month early, sometimes it might be delayed by half a month. Looking at history, many times the outcome of wars has been determined by unexpected weather."
"So if Song Shi'an holds out, will our family become even more wealthy and honored?" Song Qin said with some anticipation.
This remark immediately lifted everyone's spirits.
"Father entering prison means 'he' is the principal offender. Father being in prison this long without judgment means they're waiting for 'his' result above."
Returning to his sister's question, Song Ce murmured, "Wealth and honor or not, I don't know, but he would be establishing merit before heaven."
When those two words "merit before heaven" came out, Jiang-shi's eyes brightened.
"The Song clan is already wealthy and honored. Do we need him to make us more so?"
At this moment, Madam Cui glanced at Jiang-shi and said mockingly, "For his own future, he even harmed Aji into prison."
Jiang-shi said nothing, bowing her head and lightly biting her lips.
Suddenly, noise erupted outside.
And it grew louder and louder.
It seemed to be coming from outside the estate—the shouting of crowds.
How could there be such commotion in the Palace City?
All four felt increasingly uneasy.
Just then, the door was slowly pushed open.
It was Jinyiwei Commander Shen Kang.
Seeing this, Song Ce quickly stood and bowed to him: "Shen-ye."
"Master Song, all the madams, and Miss Song."
Shen Kang smiled faintly and, looking at the nervous group, explained, "The commotion you're hearing is from the common people celebrating Shuofeng's victory."
"Victory?!"
Jiang-shi immediately stood up.
Madam Cui also widened her eyes in disbelief.
Song Qin showed a smile and said happily, "Then Father can leave prison?"
"Yes." Shen Kang had just answered when he quickly added, "But Miss Song, I was answering Madam Jiang's question. As for whether Laoye Song can leave prison, that depends on the Court of Judicial Review's judgment."
"Victory, we won..." Jiang-shi murmured a few times, then suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Shen Kang's arm. "Shen-ye, what about my son? Song Shi'an, I mean."
"How rude!" Madam Cui shouted at Jiang-shi.
But Shen Kang was very amiable and answered, "Song Shi'an is perfectly well."
As the principal wife, Madam Cui really couldn't stand it anymore: "Don't be so disrespectful to Shen-ye..."
Before she finished speaking, Jiang-shi turned around and grabbed the front of her garments. Tears streaming from her eyes, she choked out, "My son... is coming home!"
"..."
This single sentence stunned Madam Cui on the spot.
The pride and arrogance that had always been on her face completely vanished.
She was even unable to retort to this glare.
All the previous hierarchical order was completely disrupted by this one sentence.
Her son who had established merit before heaven was coming home...